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This is a compilation work of student's stories shared during the celebration of the 40th years of Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lahars represent some of the most dangerous phenomena in volcanic areas for their destructive power, causing dramatic changes in the landscape with no premonitory signs and impacting on population and infrastructures. In this regard, the Campanian Plain turns out to be very prone to the development of these phenomena, since the slopes of the Somma-Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei volcanoes, along with the Apennine reliefs are mantled by pyroclastic deposits that can be easily remobilised, especially after intense and/or prolonged rainfall. This study focuses on the analysis of the pyroclastic fall and flow deposits and of the syn- and post-eruptive lahar deposits related to two sub-Plinian eruptions of Vesuvius, 472 AD (Pollena) and 1631. To begin with, historical and field data from the existing literature and from hundreds of outcrops were collected and organized into a database, which was integrated with several new pieces of data. In particular, stratigraphic, sedimentological (facies analysis and laboratory) and archaeological analyses were carried out, in addition to rock magnetic investigations and impact parameter calculations. The new data are mainly referred to the finding of ash beds in more distal areas, which was included into new isopach maps for the two sub-Plinian eruptions. The results show that for both the eruptions the distribution of the primary deposits is wider than the one previously known. A consequence of these results is that a wider areal impact should be expected in terms of civil protection, as the sub-Plinian scenario is the reference one for a future large eruption of Vesuvius. Such distribution of the pyroclastic deposits directly affects the one of the lahar deposits, also because a significant remobilization took place during and after the studied eruptions which involved the distal phreatomagmatic ash. From these integrated analyses, it was possible to constrain the timing of the deposition and the kind of deposits remobilized (pyroclastic fall vs. flow), as well as was possible to calculate the velocities and dynamic pressures of the lahars, and ultimately infer the lahar transport and emplacement mechanisms. The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this work shows how it is crucial to assess the impact of lahars in densely populated areas even at distances of several to tens of km from active volcanoes. This especially applies to large parts of the densely populated areas around Somma-Vesuvius up to the nearby Apennine valleys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers computer simulation of tensile tests of a rectangular cross-section rod with zones formed during heat treatment by a moving highly concentrated heat source, the characteristics of which differ from the properties of the base material. Based on the results of finite element modeling, the stress-strain state of a rod with one or more zones of altered structure along its entire length and on part of the length is investigated. The stress concentration coefficients in the vicinity of the treatment zones are determined.

The environmental impact assessment is a process required in many countries. It highlights future activities with a significant impact on the environment. Water, as an environmental factor, needs adequate methods for quantifying cumulative impact of hydrotechnical works. In most cases, for new developments, baseline data is collected before the beginning of the construction, but for waterworks already in place, a different approach is needed. In line with the EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC), the overall purpose of the research is to develop an approach for the hydromorphological cumulative impact assessment integrating different spatial scales for existing water intakes with transversal barriers on mountain rivers in Romania. Being a research study developed for a specific issue—post-construction impact assessment, some innovative actions were required. Lack of information in the pre-construction phase was an important constraint. Customizing formulas of certain indicators established within the Romanian method for hydromorphological status assessment of rivers proved to be a practical solution to show both local and waterbody hydromorphological impact. Upscaling the impact from the local scale to the river sector and the waterbody allows awareness of the spatial extent of the impact and understanding of the importance of the thresholds of significant impact for a broader audience. In order to better highlight the approach, this paper shows practical examples. The whole chain of the drivers–pressures–state–impacts–responses (DPSIR) framework is applied in the case of two river water bodies with hydropower generation facilities in place. In addition, some recommendations for actions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation and more weather extremes pose risks to local societies worldwide. Yet, climate change is most often presented and reported on a global or national scale. This paper aims to analyze the key aspects of climate change on the local scale by assessing temporal and spatial changes in temperature and precipitation in the Westfjords in north-western Iceland and evaluate their impacts on the region's livability. Existing temperature and precipitation data were used to model trends in climate change at an unprecedented resolution. The results show that the period of 2001–2020 was warmer than the 1961–1990 reference period in almost every month of every year, and that warming was more pronounced in the winter months. Furthermore, precipitation increased during 1991–2020 period compared to 1961–1990. These detected local patterns confirm some of the major predictions about climate change on the global scale. Considering the impact of climate change at the local level is critical, as it allows the community to envisage their future and provides better possibilities to mitigate, prepare for or adapt to the predicted changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local energy projects have been associated with several benefits for the local community like social cohesion, economic gains, new skills, and environmental awareness. Yet, there is limited research on whether the projects fulfill their sustainability promises, and how the local community perceive the benefits. This research introduces a novel framework to assess the success of a local renewable energy project based on the perceptions of the local population and the initial ambitions of the projects. Using this framework two innovative local renewable energy projects are assessed; one in Tilos island in Greece and the other in El Hierro in Spain. An online questionnaire was used to assess the impact of the project on people's lives, their overall assessment of the project and their willingness to support similar future initiatives. The data show that the economic benefits are not significant when people assess the project, while on the contrary other factors like the environmental benefits, sense of pride, technical parameters institutional seem to have a greater effect. The environmental and institutional factors are also among the ones that influence people's willingness to support and participate in future projects. Overall, we reveal that the two projects are quite successful in the eyes of the local population and offer good case studies with several implications for policymakers and future initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid sloshing is an urgent engineering issue with the increasing volume of the membranes used in floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facilities. Development of an appropriate method to reduce the liquid sloshing in the tank is a significant problem. Therefore, this study numerically analyzed the mechanism of the suppression of liquid sloshing under shallow water conditions by a square porous wall structure. A numerical model for sloshing in a rectangular tank with a porous block was established and validated. The effect of the square porous block on the local impact and global load was systematically studied. The square porous block effectively suppresses the kinematic free surface before impact on the sidewall and decreases the temporal and spatial distribution of the impact pressure along the sidewall. Furthermore, the overall force of the sidewall was reduced significantly by 56.10%, and the global moment of the tank was decreased by 33.38%. The porous block suppresses the liquid sloshing in the tank by acting as friction damping to dissipate the liquid energy and forming air cushion effect to reduce the impact pressure. Therefore, a reasonable arrangement of porous blocks in the tank can significantly improve the anti-sloshing performance to avoid damage to the tank structure. • The square porous block effectively suppresses the kinematic free surface before impact and decreases the temporal and spatial distribution of the impact pressure. • The porous block suppresses the liquid sloshing in the tank by acting as friction damping to dissipate the liquid energy and forming air cushion effect to reduce the impact pressure. • A reasonable arrangement of porous blocks can significantly improve the anti-sloshing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica is the property of Acta Materiea Compositae Sinica Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: This article examines the local impact of citizen diplomacy through the case study of a volunteer-driven citizen diplomacy organisation Global Ties Kalamazoo (GTKzoo) based in Kalamazoo, Michigan (United States). Drawing on the data from 25 in-depth interviews with GTKzoo volunteers, this study demonstrates that citizen diplomats view citizen diplomacy as more authentic compared to traditional diplomacy. Representation as a key component of citizen diplomacy is also discussed, with GTKzoo volunteers struggling to reconcile their desire to 'show the good parts of America' with their understanding that 'the good parts' alone are not giving visitors a complete picture. This study also introduces two approaches to assessing the local impact of citizen diplomacy — instrumental and reflexive. The study concludes that the reflexive approach dominates citizen diplomats' discussions as they focus on learning from the visitors, feeling inspired to be better community members, and seeing their local community through a more nuanced perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal areas are highly diverse, ecologically rich, regions of key socio-economic activity, and are particularly sensitive to sea-level change. Over most of the 20th century, global mean sea level has risen mainly due to warming and subsequent expansion of the upper ocean layers as well as the melting of glaciers and ice caps. Over the last three decades, increased mass loss of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets has also started to contribute significantly to contemporary sea-level rise. The future mass loss of the two ice sheets, which combined represent a sea-level rise potential of ∼65 m, constitutes the main source of uncertainty in long-term (centennial to millennial) sea-level rise projections. Improved knowledge of the magnitude and rate of future sea-level change is therefore of utmost importance. Moreover, sea level does not change uniformly across the globe and can differ greatly at both regional and local scales. The most appropriate and feasible sea level mitigation and adaptation measures in coastal regions strongly depend on local land use and associated risk aversion. Here, we advocate that addressing the problem of future sea-level rise and its impacts requires (i) bringing together a transdisciplinary scientific community, from climate and cryospheric scientists to coastal impact specialists, and (ii) interacting closely and iteratively with users and local stakeholders to co-design and co-build coastal climate services, including addressing the high-end risks.

The Levelling Up White Paper (LUWP) is intended to drive local economic growth and development, particularly in left-behind places. It proposes policies and investments in innovation infrastructure and services as an explicit mission and key component of the LU reform agenda. This paper, however, suggests that, without systemic behaviour and culture change in national innovation institutes and their funders, the LUWP will produce few if any results of game-changing significance. Based on a project to explore how a Research Council and one of its core funded institutes should improve local impact and prepare for the LUWP, the paper explores practical changes that need to be considered to make LUWP place-based innovation ambitions a reality. It discusses the structures and processes that national institutes and programmes might need to transition from interventions that have local impacts incidentally by accident of where they are taking place, to purposeful place-based growth and development. It then suggests the capabilities required to deliver this well – which has major implications for innovation funders. The LUWP's good intentions for more impactful place-based innovation requires new tools and techniques, experimentation and learning-by-doing, and proper resourcing – robustly tested and evaluated by Local Economy research and practitioner communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of trade fairs in local innovation knowledge networks is studied by combining data on co-patenting networks in the Shanghai equipment manufacturing (machinery) industry with data from the Shanghai Metalworking and CNC Machine Tool Show (MWCS). Three propositions are developed, suggesting that: (1) local firms attending the MWCS are more research and development intensive than other firms; (2) trade fair attendees are linked with each other more closely in co-patenting networks than non-attendees; and (3) participating firms have more local co-patenting linkages than non-participating firms. The results largely support these propositions, confirming that participation in flagship fairs is associated with strong integration in innovation knowledge networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctica is often regarded as the most pristine continent on Earth. However, local human activity can be significant point sources of production of contaminants, as well as light absorbing aerosols, such as black carbon (BC). In May 2015, over the Austral fall season (at the beginning of the accumulation season), surface snow was sampled at eight sites along a 1.7 km transect extending from Palmer Station, Antarctica. Two additional sites were sampled on Biscoe Point 14 km from the station. Snow samples were analyzed for refractory black carbon (rBC) with a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2). rBC concentrations increased with proximity to the Palmer Station 1.2–16.5 μg-rBC/L-H2O (4.7 ± 4.9 μg-rBC/L-H2O) and were higher than other studies of rBC in snow, such as in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica (MDV) and the Clean Air Sector of the South Pole Station (CAS-SP), except on the more remote Biscoe Island, 0.4–1.2 μg-rBC/L-H2O, which had similar background concentrations to the MDV and CAS-SP, 0.3–1.2 (0.6 ± 0.3 μg-rBC/L-H2O) and (0.14–0.80 μg-rBC/L-H2O), respectively. However, concentrations were lower than previous observations at South Pole Station downwind of the generator and long the runway (6.6–7000 μg-rBC/L-H2O). Palmer Station is located on the southwestern coast of Anvers Island which lies off the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula at 64° 46′S, 64° 03′W. Comparison with the Navy Aerosol Analysis Prediction System (NAAPS) model show that wildfire smoke may have reached this region of the Antarctic continent during the time period of the deposition of this seasonal snow, suggesting the increase in rBC may be a combination of local combustion of fossil fuels and regional wildfires. Although significant increases in rBC concentrations are found within a km of Palmer Station, like the South Pole Station, rBC is limited to a few kms from the station. Additionally, these measurements of rBC, which may be the only BC measurements in snow on the Antarctic Peninsula, show that background levels are similar to other locations on the continent.

This paper discusses the relations between the impacts of volcanic eruptions at multiple-scales and the related-issues of disaster-risk reduction (DRR). The review is structured around local and global impacts of volcanic eruptions, which have not been widely discussed in the literature, in terms of DRR issues. We classify the impacts at local scale on four different geographical features: impacts on the drainage system, on the structural morphology, on the water bodies, and the impact on societies and the environment. It has been demonstrated that information on local impacts can be integrated into four phases of the DRR, i.e., monitoring, mapping, emergency, and recovery. In contrast, information on the global impacts (e.g., global disruption on climate and air traffic) only fits the first DRR phase. We have emphasized the fact that global impacts are almost forgotten in the DRR programs. For this review, we have extracted case studies from Indonesia, and compared them to those of other regions, because Indonesia is home to >130 volcanoes and experienced several latest volcanic eruptions with VEI > 5.

Abstract: Welfare reform has been central to UK government policy since 2010. This article compares initial expectations with key outcomes by 2016. The article shows that although the financial savings to the Treasury have been large, they have been rather less than the government first anticipated, mainly because the reduction in spending on incapacity‐related benefits has proved far smaller than expected. The financial losses have also been spread highly unevenly across the country, and the evidence from a pilot study in Scotland suggests that the reforms have had little impact on levels of worklessness. The article concludes that whilst forecasting the financial savings from welfare reform is an inherently uncertain activity, the United Kingdom's reforms should be understood first and foremost as about reducing public spending in the poorest places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet availability and speed can impact a local community’s education, healthcare, safety, and economic development. Currently, there are few, if any, formal analyses to help communities make informed decisions on investments in internet and bandwidth expansion. This is in spite of the longstanding view posited by economic policy researchers that certain public infrastructure investments must be analyzed on a local government basis. Here, we adopt the local community focus and combine data from local, state and federal sources to develop models that predict the impacts of fiber-optic bandwidth expansion on economic factors for individual towns and communities. Our predictive analysis also demonstrates differing impacts related to town size and yields interesting outcomes related to local geographies. The rankings and comparisons derived from our predictive methodology can be used by town and state planners to holistically plan internet infrastructure development across localities. Our modeling approach can be applied to develop models specific to other towns and communities facing similar decisions regarding investments in internet speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Qatar bribery accusations, the FIFA Organization has lost in legitimacy and is constantly tackled by both journalists and international regulation comities. The objective of this paper work is to show that not everything is over for the FIFA organization and that some solutions exist to make FIFA great again. To do this, articles helped to underline the ongoing problems inherent to the organization but also understand how the situation degraded itself. Then, after reading and analyzing the articles, a summary was made, and so were links established. Last but not least, ideas and solutions had to be debated and settled precisely. Finally, in order to enhance the thoughts, data had to be found and analyzed. As a solution, opening the organization and bidding process to more people and instituting more details seems to be a viable solution. The organization nowadays remains troubled with bribery and corruption, and leading to a more arbitrary organization would re-brand the FIFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on evidence from nine countries (UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, and Ireland), this special issue analyses the fabrics of farm tourism in Europe. It identifies two main development trends: on one hand, a small scale and dispersed activities, at the other hand a product in response to tourist market demand. A brief overview of existing farm tourism practices in the European rural areas indicated an interesting interface between the forms and dimension of farm tourism embeddedness in local environment and at the same time, the ways and range of internationalization of farm tourism business

L’obiettivo di questo contributo, sulla base di un approccio paradigmatico, è quello di comprendere l’evoluzione dell’attività agrituristica in Italia, per valutare i possibili impatti locali con riferimento alla Valle d’Itria e considerando il caso di studio dell’azienda biologica “Raggio Verde” di Cisternino (Brindisi, Italia) e il suo progetto di apertura alla multifunzionalità attraverso la creazione di un agriturismo bioecologico. La tesi sostenuta è che l’impatto locale dell’attività agrituristica varia a seconda del paradigma di riferimento (liberalismo di mercato o ecologicoterritoriale) e al modello di agriturismo (con riferimento alle relazioni ambientali e sociali, e a livello di dipendenza dalle fonti esterne). La metodologia è induttiva, basata sull’analisi qualitativa e quantitativa, oltre che sull’osservazione indiretta, diretta e partecipativa (resa possibile dalla ricerca sul terreno).

From a transdisciplinary approach in the town of Thyboron, Denmark, we investigate couplings between sea state (i.e. mean and extreme) and flooding hazards today and ahead. This includes analyses of change and variability in the groundwater table, precipitation, land motion, geotechnical ground properties, sewerage systems and other infrastructure to outline a more complete platform for the integration of knowledge into climate adaptation schemes at this highly vulnerable coastal location. It involves the engagement of the main stakeholders who, although having different responsibilities, interests, needs of knowledge and data, and different timeframes for investment and planning, must join in a common appraisal of the challenges faced ahead to provide for better adaptation measures. Apart from obvious adverse effects from future storm surge events, knowledge about the coupled effects of the abovementioned parameters needs to be taken into account to reach optimal mitigation and adaptation measures. Through stakeholder interviews it becomes clear that an enhanced focus on transdisciplinary research is a viable way forward to develop such measures: it will bring in more knowledge, a broader scope, and it will provide for more holistic solutions that both serve to protect the town and allow for business development and better municipal planning ahead.

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction and Aims: We investigate the relationship between outlet density (of different types) and violence (as measured by police activity) across the North Island of New Zealand, specifically looking at whether the relationships vary spatially.Design and Methods: We use New Zealand data at the census area unit (approximately suburb) level, on police-attended violent incidents and outlet density (by type of outlet), controlling for population density and local social deprivation. We employed geographically weighted regression to obtain both global average and locally specific estimates of the relationships between alcohol outlet density and violence.Result: We find that bar and night club density, and licensed club density (e.g. sports clubs) have statistically significant and positive relationships with violence, with an additional bar or night club is associated with nearly 5.3 additional violent events per year, and an additional licensed club associated with 0.8 additional violent events per year. These relationships do not show significant spatial variation. In contrast, the effects of off-licence density and restaurant/café density do exhibit significant spatial variation. However, the non-varying effects of bar and night club density are larger than the locally specific effects of other outlet types.Discussion and Conclusion: The relationships between outlet density and violence vary significantly across space for off-licences and restaurants/cafés. These results suggest that in order to minimise alcohol-related harms, such as violence, locally specific policy interventions are likely to be necessary. [Cameron MP, Cochrane W, Gordon C, Livingston M. Alcohol outlet density and violence: A geographically weighted regression approach. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:280-288]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tsunamis occur quite frequently following large magnitude earthquakes along the Chilean coast. Most of these earthquakes occur along the Peru-Chile Trench, one of the most seismically active subduction zones of the world. This study aims to understand better the characteristics of the tsunamis triggered along the Peru-Chile Trench. We investigate the tsunamis induced by the Mw8.3 Illapel, the Mw8.2 Iquique and the Mw8.8 Maule Chilean earthquakes that happened on September 16th, 2015, April 1st, 2014 and February 27th, 2010, respectively. The study involves the relation between the co-seismic deformation and the tsunami generation, the near-field tsunami propagation, and the spectral analysis of the recorded tsunami signals in the near-field. We compare the tsunami characteristics to highlight the possible similarities between the three events and, therefore, attempt to distinguish the specific characteristics of the tsunamis occurring along the Peru-Chile Trench. We find that these three earthquakes present faults with important extensions beneath the continent which result in the generation of tsunamis with short wavelengths, relative to the fault widths involved, and with reduced initial potential energy. In addition, the presence of the Chilean continental margin, that includes the shelf of shallow bathymetry and the continental slope, constrains the tsunami propagation and the coastal impact. All these factors contribute to a concentrated local impact but can, on the other hand, reduce the far-field tsunami effects from earthquakes along Peru-Chile Trench. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon fiber reinforced composite reentrant honeycomb structures with different gradient distributions of wall thickness were manufactured by mold hot pressing and bonding technology. The dynamic responses of composite gradient reentrant honeycomb structures under local impact load were investigated. The impact process and failure behavior of composite gradient reentrant honeycomb structures under local impact load were obtained through the foam aluminum projectile impact experiment. The influence of wall thickness gradient form on the impact resistance of composite reentrant honeycomb structure was analyzed. The results showed that the wall thickness gradient setting of the reentrant honeycomb structure could reduce the maximum transverse deformation of the rear panel, and improve the anti-impact ability of the structure compared with homogeneous reentrant honeycomb structure. In addition, compared with the positive gradient reentrant honeycomb structure, the negative reentrant honeycomb structure had better impact resistance, and the impact resistance advantage became more obvious with the increase of the impact strength. The finite element model of composite gradient reentrant honeycomb structure under local impact load was presented, and the dynamic responses and failure modes of the numerical simulation results were compared with that of the experimental results. • A novel composite reentrant honeycomb structure is designed and fabricated. • The anti-impact properties of composite reentrant honeycomb structure were explored and analyzed by experiment and finite element analysis. • The effect of wall thickness gradient form on the impact response was analyzed and revealed. • The failure mechanism of composite gradient reentrant honeycomb structure was analyzed and obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In three former reports, the present team has presented the 1-year outcome of four different treatment procedures handling the edentulous mandible; that is, two-stage and one-stage surgery with turned Brånemark System® ( Nobel Biocare AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) implants ( Group 1 and 2) and one-stage surgery using either 5 or 4 TiUnite™ ( Nobel Biocare AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) implants ( Group 3 and 4). Purpose The aim of the present investigation was to follow up these patients for a period of 5 years with regard to implant/prosthesis cumulative survival rates, marginal bone loss calculations, clinical complications, and results related to age at surgery. Materials and Methods A total of 385 patients, provided with 1,838 implants, were originally included in the four patient groups. All patients received fixed prostheses. The overall majority of patients had each five implants placed. Radiographs were obtained at prosthesis delivery, at the 1 and 5-year follow-up. Results A total of 1,230 implants in 259 patients (67%) were possible to follow up for 5 years. Implant Cumulative Survival Rates ( CSR) in 5 years for Groups 1-4 were 99.7, 97.0, 98.5, and 98.6%. The corresponding prosthesis treatment CSR was 100, 99.3, 98.5, and 98.6%, respectively. Significantly, more patients ( p < .05) lost turned implants after one-stage surgery ( Group 2). Frequency distributions of implants revealed that >1.2 mm bone loss was observed around 75 implants (6.4%). The moderately rough central (midline) implant showed more bone loss than other placed implants ( Group 3; p < .05). The youngest half of included patients at surgery ( Youngest50%; n = 193) presented significantly higher mortality than older patients as well as compared to normal population ( p < .05). Patients in the Younger50% group showed also an association to patients with complete loss of all implants and patients with most implants with obvious bone loss after 5 years. Conclusions All four treatment procedures served well during the 5 years of follow-up and only eight patients (2.1%) were complete failures or showed obvious bone loss (>1.8 mm) at several implants (>2 implants), mostly observed in younger patients. The few complications in relation to implant failure and/or obvious bone loss could be associated to both local impact factors (surface, implant site, surgical protocol) as well as to host response factors (systemic health). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]