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A severe thunderstorm gale event with several short-term rainfall,hail and downburst occurred in the southwest of Tianjin on 9 July 2017, during which two downbursts attacked successively Duliu Town,Jinghai District,Tianjin. Based on the Doppler weather radar data,the three-dimensional variational wind retrieval data,the intensive observations from the automatic weather stations and other data,we have conducted a preliminary study on the causes of downburst during this severe thunderstorm gale event. The results indicate that (1) this downburst event is due to the cold vortex at 500 hPa and the forward-tilted trough,as well as a statically unstable stratification formed by the dry and cold air in the high and the warm and humid air in the low. There are obvious conditional instability and large CAPE and DCAPE in the lower and middle troposphere before the convection,which is triggered by the mesoscale convergence line formed by the southwesterly and southeasterly winds with high temperature in the low atmosphere. The weak vertical wind shear environment makes the convective storm appear in the form of pulse storm in the early stage. (2) Before the downburst occurs,it corresponds to the decline of reflectivity factor core and the MARC and the low-level mesocyclone in the radar echo map. (3) The dragging effects of precipitation particles play an important role in the occurrence of two downbursts in Duliu Town. In addition,the occurrence of the first downburst gale is also related to the negative buoyancy and the entrainment of dry air,and that of the second downburst gale is related to the vertical gradient of disturbed air pressure behind the mesocyclone.

The effect of colloidal nanoparticles on the phase changes of the amphiphilic AB linear diblock, A1A2B, and A2B heteroarm star copolymers confined between two polymer brush substrates was investigated by using a real-space self-consistent field theory. By changing the concentrations of nanoparticles and polymer brushes, the phase structure of the amphiphilic AB copolymer transforms from lamellar to core-shell hexagonal phase to cylinder phase. The pattern of A2B heteroarm star copolymer changes from core-shell hexagonal phases to lamellar phases and the layer decreases when increasing the density of the polymer brushes. The results showed that the phase behavior of the system is strongly influenced by the polymer brush architecture and the colloidal nanoparticle numbers. The colloidal nanoparticles and the soft confined surface of polymer brushes make amphiphilic AB copolymers easier to form ordered structures. The dispersion of the nanoparticles was also investigated in detail. The soft surfaces of polymer brushes and the conformation of the block copolymers work together to force the nanoparticles to disperse evenly. It will give helpful guidance for making some new functional materials by nano etching technology, nano photoresist, and nanoprinting.

Abstract Highly crystalline Bi2Te3 based compounds with small grain size were successfully synthesized by flash sintering (FS) method in 10 s at room temperature under suitable current density using Bi, Te and Se powders. The instantaneously generated local Joule heat at grain boundary is regarded as the main reason for the rapid completion of chemical reaction and crystallization. By combining FS synthesis method with spark plasma sintering (SPS), Bi2Te3 based bulk materials with high relative density were fabricated in 10 min. Suitably prolonging sintering temperature and holding time in SPS process can decrease carrier concentration and phonon thermal conductivity, while increasing carrier mobility. Hence, the sample prepared at 753 K for 3 min shows 20% higher ZT value than that of the sample prepared at 723 K for 3 min. Compared with common zone melting or powder metallurgy methods taking several hours by complex operation, this method is time-saving and low cost.

The phase behaviors of an ABA star polymer and nanoparticles confined in a sphere with soft inner surface, which is grafted with homopolymer brushes have been studied by the self-consistent field theory (SCFT). The morphologies of mixture in the center slice of sphere were focused. Two cases are considered: one is that the nanoparticles interact with the B blocks and the other is that the nanoparticles preferentially wet the B blocks. Under the two conditions, through changing the block ratio of the ABA star polymer, the concentration and radius of the nanoparticles, the phase behaviors of the mixtures confined the soft sphere are studied systematically. With increasing the concentration of nanoparticles, the entropy and the steric repulsive interaction of nanoparticles, and the nanoparticle density distributions along the perpendicular line through the center of sphere are plotted. The phase diagram is also constructed to analyze the effects of the nanoparticle volume fraction and radius on morphologies of ABA star polymers, and to study the effect of confinement on the phase behaviors. The results in this work provide a useful reference for controlling the ordered structures in experiment, which is an effective way to fabricate the newly multifunctional materials.

The time-resolved spectrum of a lightning stepped leader in downward process has been obtained by using a slitless spectrograph. Neutral oxygen and nitrogen spectral lines in the near infrared region are observed in the spectra. The electron density of the lightning stepped leader was calculated by using the Stark broadening of the oxygen spectral lines at 777.4 and 844.6 nm. The evolution characteristic of the electron density with time and channel height of the lightning stepped leader was analysed. The results shown that the electron density of the lightning stepped leader was in the order of 1018 cm-3. The electron density decreased when the lightning stepped leader propagates downward to ground.

Within Australia, domestic and family violence (DFV) is a major health and welfare issue that disproportionately impacts on women, children, and vulnerable segments of the population. This paper examines the results of a systematic literature review aimed at identifying the existing evidence base in relation to the nexus between accommodation design and the health and well-being of women seeking shelter within Victoria, Australia. The review focused on three primary questions: a. What literature currently exists in relation to the design of refuges? b. How does the design of DFV refuges impact on those within refuges? c. What methods and metrics have been used to assess the effectiveness of the design of housing interventions to support and promote agency, and better health and wellbeing?The review found that there is a significant lack of research into housing interventions for those seeking refuge. Of the 6038 records screened, only 2 studies were identified that fit within the review criteria, both of which focused exclusively on refuges within the USA. Among the very limited research that exists, there is little interrogation of the design of the refuge, nor an intersectional and geographically contextualized examination of how experiences of DFV and the shelter environment impact on wellbeing outcomes. Despite literature that demonstrates the positive impacts of well-being centered design approaches, the application of such research to the evaluation and design of DFV refuges, both within Australia and globally, remains an area in need of further research.

This article investigates the interrelationship of migration and language in the context of the migration experience of healthcare workers migrating from Hungary to Finland and Sweden and becoming speakers of Finnish or Swedish in the process. A nexus analytical approach is applied in studying the investment of the healthcare workers in learning a new language for work. The analysis is based on interviews made with individuals either participating in or facilitating labour migration. The findings show that the investment in learning a new language in a labour migration context is intertwined with the migration decision itself, and the migrants usually realise a return on this investment while becoming legitimate second language speakers and community members. Individual life histories, global recruitment practices, language policies and language ideologies influence the process. The communicative situations at the workplace play a crucial role in reconstructing professional identities in this context.

This film utilises participatory filmmaking to explore transitional housing in Pickwick, Cape Town. As we join five women inhabiting the space, we gain insights into their lived experience of the environment. The aim of the resulting film is to reveal insider narratives in contrast with top-down imaginations of inhabitation.

Taking an onomasiological approach and a dynamic usage-based perspective, this study explores how four beginning L2 learners of Finnish develop in expressing existentiality (‘there is something somewhere’) before and after instruction. Data were collected weekly over a period of nine months and examined for conventionalized and non-conventionalized constructions that express existentiality. As expected from a dynamic usage-based perspective, both inter-individual variation and intra-individual variability were identified. The initial repertoires of two of the learners were quite variable, as they used several different non-conventionalized constructions before settling on more conventionalized ones. In contrast, the two other learners did not independently try out different ways of expressing the targeted meaning but started to use the conventionalized Finnish existential construction only after pedagogical intervention. As one would expect from a usage-based perspective, some learners’ initial repertoires included some item-based constructions that were similar to each other. As far as instruction is concerned, for all learners there was an increase in the use of the conventionalized construction after an explicit intervention, but the use was not morphologically accurate. The findings confirm two commonly held hypotheses in dynamic systems approaches: Learners own their own learning trajectories and initial trajectories are sometimes characterized by high degrees of variability because learners need to try out different strategies before they can adapt to the requirements of the new situation.

Chronic ulcers cause a significant burden to patients and society. This study evaluated long-term mortality among patients with chronic ulcers diagnosed at a dermatology clinic between 1980 and 2010. The mortality risk and causes of death of 3,489 patients with ulcers were compared with a matched reference group of 10,399 individuals, and factors associated with increased mortality risk were examined. Long-term mortality was increased in patients with chronic ulcers (hazard ratio (HR) 1.74) and in both males and females (HR 1.99 and 1.62, respectively). Diabetes was the most relevant underlying cause of death (HR 8.98), and of the immediate causes of death, sepsis was strongly associated with mortality (HR 5.86). The mortality risk was highest among those with arterial ulcers (HR 2.85), but also increased in patients with atypical, mixed and venous leg ulcers. In conclusion, patients with chronic ulcers are at an increased mortality risk irrespective of age, sex and ulcer aetiology.

Urban densification and massive restructuring projects in China have dictated profound socioeconomic changes. This paper explores changes in social capital and residents’ daily practices (cooking, eating, cleaning, shopping and socialising) in Jinan, Shandong province, after their low-rise courtyard dwellings were demolished and replaced with high-rise apartments. At the neighbourhood scale, privatised practices have reduced the use of urban streets and communal facilities. At the building scale, a transition for longterm residents from a courtyard housing typology to high-rise has led to a radical change in their daily practices that has moved from outdoors to indoors. Such changes have increased privacy and reduced social relations and social capital in the neighbourhood. These residents continue to maintain very close relationships with each other, but this can exclude ‘newcomers’ who have moved to the neighbourhood after the restructuring—an outcome regarded as the ‘dark side’ of social capital. Residents in high-rise flats have developed a preference for privacy and increased use of indoor spaces for activities such as sleeping, cooking, eating and socialising. By showing how urban densification changes material arrangements and residents’ practices and social interactions, the study reveals the unintended consequences of policy-driven densification in China. 'Policy relevance' This research reveals the unintended impacts of urban densification on neighbourhood social capital and the division between ‘stayers’ and ‘newcomers’, underlying the importance of social sustainability when planning urban restructuring projects in China. Three recommendations are made for policymakers. First, residents’ lived experiences and social impacts are vital for planning urban restructuring. The utility of urban spaces can generate social capital, which improves the social sustainability of the project. The courtyard house typology encourages more outdoor activities and social interaction than the high-rise typology. Decisions made at the neighbourhood level and about density will impact the local residents. Second, the categories of ‘stayers’ and ‘newcomers’ can be used to better understand the diversity of practices and neighbourhood social capital, instead of limiting to demographic indicators, e.g. income levels. Third, residents’ appreciation of the gated communities makes it more difficult to implement the current government policy of opening the gates.

We investigate the orientational order transition of striped patterns in microphase structures of diblock copolymer-diblock copolymer mixtures in the presence of periodic oscillatory particles. Under certain conditions, although the macrophase separation of a system is almost isotropic, microphase separation of one diblock copolymer takes place and becomes anisotropic gradually. By changing the oscillatory frequency and amplitude, the orientational order transition of a striped microphase structure from the state parallel to the oscillatory direction to the state perpendicular to the oscillatory direction is observed. We also find that the order transition occurs when we change the initial composition ratio. Furthermore, we examine the domain size and the orientational order parameter of microstructure in the process of orientational order transition. The results may provide guidance for experimentalists. This model system can also give a simple way to realize orientational order transition of soft materials by changing the oscillatory field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This state of the art review aims at discussing the potential relevance of Finno-Ugric languages in the larger context of second language research. Key results received in the studies conducted in the field of Finno-Ugric languages as second languages are introduced, and some interim conclusions based on them are made. The main areas in focus are cross-linguistic influence, forms and constructions, second language interaction, and motivation, identities and integration. Furthermore, some future lines of investigation are suggested for the researchers of the field. The research activities are recommended to get more closely bound to the internationally established or emerging paradigms, and research activities involving several Finno-Ugric languages are strongly encouraged. To promote international co-operation, some existing gaps or obvious needs for research are pointed out, and preliminary research initiatives are made. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5128/LV22.14

Research on the performance gap suggests that the actual energy consumption in buildings can be twice as much as expected from modelled estimates. Energy models rely on predictive indicators and assumptions that are usually done at the design stage, without acknowledging behavioral patterns of actual users, amongst other uncertain elements. Moreover, in the context of the performance gap, it is evident that energy efficiency is overemphasized while other key issues such as health and comfort of occupants associated with indoor air quality, noise levels etc., have been less stressed and discussed. This paper discusses physical measurements of indoor temperature in a case study building at the University of Cambridge and reports findings of a workshop with researchers, building professionals and graduate students working on environmental performance in the built environment. The workshop addressed research issues related to energy, comfort and health (couched in terms of thermal performance), used as a means to understand the complexities of and trade-off between different aspects of sustainable buildings. Retrofit measures were suggested while considering how to balance energy and comfort needs, with some these measures being modelled to determine their efficacy. This research concludes with a reflection on how to implement these retrofit measures in a manner that addresses the performance gap.

This article provides an overview of multilingualism in Finnish schools. The focus is on the experiences gathered from the teachers of plurilingual students, i.e. students from immigrant backgrounds. The data in our study were collected by administering a web questionnaire, and the topics covered, for example, the status of languages and the teaching arrangements tailored for plurilingual students. In addition to reacting to the questionnaire’s statements, the respondents could freely comment on any of the topics, which enriched the quantitative data by offering many useful perspectives. Several respondents reported that during their working careers, noticeable progress has been made accommodating plurilingual students. On the other hand, the results showed that several challenges still remain, such as assuring a more uniform provision of L1 and L2 instruction. In some regions of Finland, such programmes have been functioning well, but in others, administrators are only just awakening to the increasing multilingualism in their schools.

In research into first and second language development, the focus has mainly been either on the formal features of learner language alone (both L1 and L2) or on the interaction between learners and their caretakers (L1) or native speaker peers (L2).These research traditions have been kept a part even though it has been widely acknowledged that both first and second languages are appropriated essentially in social interaction. This paper aims to strengthen the connection between social and formal approaches by combining interactional views with those focusing on the structural complexity of learner language. Some excerpts from L1 and L2 interaction data (in the Finnish language) are discussed. It is suggested that segmentation of linguistic material occurs in everyday situations and serves as a link between interaction and the growth of structural complexity in learner language. To situate this argument into a broader theoretical framework, various socially oriented research paradigms are briefly discussed.