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A variety of criteria may influence the efficacy of networks of marine protected areas (MPA) designed to enhance biodiversity conservation and provide fisheries benefits. Meta‐analyses have evaluated the influence of MPA attributes on abundance, biomass, and size structure of harvested species, reporting that MPA size, age, depth, and connectivity influence the strength of MPA responses. However, few empirical MPA evaluation studies have used consistent sampling methodology across multiple MPAs and years. Our collaborative fisheries research program systematically sampled 12 no‐take or highly protective limited‐take MPAs and paired fished reference areas across a network spanning 1100 km of coastline to evaluate the factors driving MPA efficacy across a large geographic region. We found that increased size and age consistently contributed to increased fish catch, biomass, and positive species responses inside MPAs, while accounting for factors such as latitude, primary productivity, and distance to the nearest MPA. Our study provides a model framework to collaboratively engage diverse stakeholders in fisheries research and provide high‐quality data to assess the success of conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Wittgensteinian ethicists argue that we should not rely on a set of principles if we want to know how to treat non-human animals. Instead, we should look at how we witness and encounter animals in our lives. We admire wild animals, we feed our pets, and we cure them as patients. For Wittgensteinian animal ethicists, moral reflection should start from these ways of thinking about animals. However, our understanding of animals can change depending on context and circumstance. Not everyone thinks about animals in the same way. It is, therefore, important that Wittgensteinian animal ethicists are informed about the ways that people think about animals. We argue that this information should come from data gathered by social sciences such as sociology, psychology or anthropology. Wittgensteinian approaches to animal ethics highlight the significance of practical concepts like 'pet', 'patient', or 'companion' in shaping our understanding of how we should treat non-human animals. For Wittgensteinian animal ethicists, moral principles alone cannot ground moral judgments about our treatment of animals. Instead, moral reflection must begin with acknowledging the practical relations that tie us to animals. Morality emerges within practical contexts. Context-dependent conceptualisations form our moral outlook. In this paper, we argue that Wittgensteinians should, for methodological reasons, pay more attention to empirical data from the social sciences such as sociology, psychology or anthropology. Such data can ground Wittgensteinians' moral inquiry and thereby render their topical views more dialectically robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the public's interest in skincare increasing over the years, many studies have been conducted on the effects of LED masks and functional cosmetics on skincare issues such as enlarged pores, excess sebum secretion, etc. However, most studies were carried out within 4 weeks, which is a quite short period of time, as well as neglected factors such as age, gender, and skincare methods (mixed, single) and thus lack reliability in their findings. Hence, based on empirical data, this study analyzed the main effects of LED masks and functional cosmetics under various conditions on facial skin over a 12-week period. Results of the analysis show that the main effects of the items on facial skin under various monitored conditions are empirically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural systems contain more complexity than is accounted for in models of modern coexistence theory. Coexistence modelling often disregards variation arising from stochasticity in biological processes, heterogeneity among individuals and plasticity in trait values. However, these unaccounted‐for sources of uncertainty are likely to be ecologically important and have the potential to impact estimates of coexistence. We applied a Bayesian modelling framework to data from an annual plant community in Western Australia to propagate uncertainty in coexistence outcomes using the invasion criterion and ratio of niche to fitness differences. We found accounting for this uncertainty altered predictions of coexistence versus competitive exclusion for 3 out of 14 species pairs and yielded a probability of priority effects for an additional species pair. The propagation of uncertainty arising from sources of biological complexity improves our ability to predict coexistence more accurately in natural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarises the research studies published in the special issue on Project Management and Scheduling devoted to the 18th International Conference on Project Management and Scheduling (PMS). The special issue contains state-of-the art research in the field of (non-)robust project and machine scheduling and the contribution of each individual study to the academic literature are discussed. We notice that there is a growing interest in the research community to investigate robust scheduling approaches and optimisation problems observed in real-life business settings. This allows us to derive some interesting future research directions for the project and machine scheduling community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to answer the following question: how significant is theological normativity for church development practice? At a time when many leaders are busy developing local churches according to secular organisational theories, models and experiences, the following question arises: to what extent does the normative character of the Bible impact Christian faith, church life and ministry and how might normative theology affect development projects that are carried out by churches? The overriding issue that both current practice and the article focus on, is how theological normativity and empirical data can be integrated in the area of church development. After explaining the concepts of theological normativity and empirical data and the logical relationship between them, the article discusses how different national (Norwegian) and international researchers within practical theology attempt to resolve problems relating to the integration of normative theology with empirical data. The article's authors believe that these attempts end up with either assimilation or integration, neither of which is beneficial for church development practice. Therefore, the authors propose an alternative integration model that distinguishes between three levels / degrees of theological normativity, corresponding to three different fields and areas of church development. From this perspective, one can see how the integration of empirical data in the three levels of normativity brings both challenges and opportunities. The authors' conclusion and recommendation concerning the function and significance of the theological normativity in church development is that theological normativity bestows the church with identity and at same time has a guiding and corrective function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Station batteries used as a backup source to supply station direct-current (dc) power to relays, etc., present a source of personnel exposure to dc arc flash. However, dc arc flash is less understood compared with the arc-flash phenomena that occur in alternating-current (ac) systems. Some models exist to quantify the potential hazards posed by dc electrical systems; however, there is little empirical data available. Additionally, the lower voltage and/or lower capacity station batteries are even less researched. As a result, a series of arc-flash tests were performed at the Dolan Technology Center of American Electric Power (AEP) utilizing two 125 Vdc batteries with rated capacities of 100 and 150 Ah. For these tests, working distance and gap width were used as independent variables. Upon the conclusion of testing, various relationships were analyzed to generate a predictive model for incident energy. This model serves as a compilation of the empirical data collected during testing and will contribute to future research efforts to better understand dc arc-flash incidents from station batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical data is presented on the pulse‐echo performance of poly‐vinylidenefluoride (PVDF) ultrasound transducers monitored in‐situ at temperatures in the range 50–130°C. Measurements were performed over a 5 h period beginning at the sensors' initial exposure to temperature. A reduction in pulse‐echo amplitude was observed at all temperatures in the range and was found to be proportional to temperature increase. Four different thicknesses of PVDF film were used for the trials and small differences in behaviour were observed between sensors constructed using each thickness. On average, the overall loss was found to increase linearly with temperature from a 16% drop in pk–pk pulse‐echo voltage observed at 60°C to a 95% drop in performance at 120°C after 5 h. Rates of signal loss were found to follow a logarithmic decay, particularly at temperatures above 70°C where significant reductions were observed in the initial seconds/minutes following exposure to temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A 12 month mixed-method longitudinal study of energy demand in Kuwaiti villas. • Building energy models grounded with physical and social empirical data. • Space cooling accounts for 50% to 75% of total energy use in the case study villas. • Air conditioning thermostat settings are a key driver of energy use. • Insulation and double glazing contribute to more uniform internal temperatures. Abstract This paper investigates the physical and social determinants of energy use in four case study villas in Kuwait. The investigation consisted of a 12 month mixed-method longitudinal monitoring and surveying study followed by building energy modelling. Monitoring and surveying provided empirical data about household energy use, internal temperatures, building and system characteristics and occupant energy-use behaviours. This data was used to ground models to better predict energy use. Models grounded with empirical data show that space cooling accounts for 50% to 75% of total energy use in villas. Results suggest that drivers of cooling energy are varied, with 30% of cooling energy in some villas attributable to heat gains from appliances. Furthermore, while the study found no distinct reduction in measured and modelled annual energy use intensities of villas with improved levels of efficiency (insulation and double glazing), such measures did contribute to more uniform internal temperatures. The study also identified key occupant energy-consuming behaviours including a tendency not to adjust air conditioning (AC) thermostat settings during periods of summer travel and lack of regular AC maintenance. The approach and findings of the study can inform future studies in Kuwait seeking to understand energy use in a nationally representative sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of project control is monitoring the project progress during project execution to detect potential problems and taking corrective actions when necessary. Tolerance limits are a tool to assess whether the project progress is acceptable or not, and generate warnings signals that act as triggers for corrective action to the project manager. In this paper, three distinct types of tolerance limits that have been proposed in literature are validated on a large and diverse set of real-life projects mainly situated in the construction sector. Moreover, a novel approach to construct tolerance limits that integrate the project risk information into the monitoring process is introduced. The results of the empirical experiment have shown that integrating project-specific information into the construction of the tolerance limits results in a higher efficiency of the monitoring process. More specifically, while including cost information increases the efficiency only marginally, incorporating the available resource information substantially improves the efficiency of the monitoring process. Furthermore, when projects are not restricted by scarce resources, the efficiency can be enhanced by integrating the available project risk information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was designed to investigate the effects of external variables, including blood type, flooring surface, footwear tread depth and blood dryness, on the appearance of blood-based footwear marks, with particular reference to simulating a specific casework scenario. Results showed that footwear marks left in human blood tended to be of greater quality than those in equine blood, highlighting a potential issue in applying data generated with equine blood to human bloodstains in casework. Footwear tread effects were also dependent on blood type, but the type of flooring surface did not affect the appearance of the mark. Under some conditions, as the blood dried, the amount of detail retained from footwear contact decreased. These results provide the beginnings of an empirical evidence base to allow a more accurate interpretation of blood-based footwear marks in forensic casework. When applied to a disputed bloodstain in a specific case, these results also demonstrate the importance of such experiments in narrowing the range of explanations possible in the interpretation of forensic evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation has played an important role in project-management studies of the last decades, but in order for them to produce practical results, a realistic distribution model for activity durations is indispensable. The construction industry often has needed historical records of project executions, to serve as inputs to the distribution models, but a clearly outlined calibration procedure is not always readily available, nor are their results readily interpretable. This study seeks to illustrate how data from the construction industry can be used to derive realistic input distributions. Therefore, the Parkinson simulation model with a lognormal core is applied to a large empirical dataset from the literature and the results are described. From a discussion of these results, an empirical classification of project executions is presented. Three possible uses are presented for the calibration procedure and the classification in project management simulation studies. These were validated using a case study of a construction company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residential sector represents some 30% of global electricity consumption but the underlying composition and drivers are still only poorly understood. The drivers are many, varied, and complex, including local climate, household demographics, household behaviour, building stock and the type and number of appliances. There is considerable variation across households and, until recently, often a lack of good data. This study draws upon a detailed household dataset from the Australian Smart Grid Smart City project to build a household electricity consumption model. A statistical linear regression model for household energy demand was established and tested for both individual households and regional aggregations of households. The model showed only reasonable performance in forecasting the consumption of individual households – highlighting the influence of factors beyond those surveyed – but good performance for aggregated household consumption. Models such as this would seem highly useful for a range of stakeholders including individual households trying to understand the potential implications of different choices, utilities looking to better forecast the impact of different possible residential trends and policy makers seeking to assist households in improving their energy efficiency through targeted policies and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. In this article, we develop a method, that we call the gameplay review method, for measuring players’ engagement with digital games through players’ interactions with video recordings of their own gameplay.Method. The gameplay review method arose from a microsociological study of the gameplay of eight young adults who each played approximately 20 hours of WORLD OF WARCRAFT over a 3-month period in 2012. Using data from in-depth interviews and audiovisual recordings of one of the eight participants, this article focuses on how the method leveraged participants’ knowledge of their experiences and ties that knowledge to measures of engagement. We outline the method’s four-step process (producing Level I data, analyzing Level I data, producing Level II data, analyzing Level II data) to guide the generation and analysis of rich video data. The method involves focused discussions on selected recorded segments of participants’ gameplay and is a means of connecting game design with both empirical and interpretive data.Results. We show how, as participants progress, they learn about game design features and deepen their understanding of games. We found that participants’ developing perceptions of, and relationships to, design features affect their engagement with digital games.Conclusion. The gameplay review method is significant in its ability to measure engagement by dealing explicitly with empirical and interpretive data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CEDSS (Community Energy Demand Social Simulator) is an empirical agent-based model designed and built as part of a multi-method social science project investigating the determinants of domestic energy demand. Ideally, empirical modellers, within and beyond social simulation, would prefer to work from an integrated dataset, gatheredfor the purposes of developing the model. In practice, many have to work with less than ideal data, often including processed data from multiple sources external to the project. Moreover, what data will be required may not be clear at the start of the project. This paper describes the approach to dealing with these factors taken in developing CEDSS, and presents the completed model together with an outline of the calibration and validation procedure used. The discussion section draws together the most distinctive features of empirical data collection, processing and use for and in CEDSS, and argues that the approach taken is sufficiently robust to underpin the model's purpose - to generate scenarios of domestic energy demand to 2049. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simplified mathematical model to predict transparent poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) degradation in photobioreactors under the incidence of sunlight is proposed. The model is based on the widely accepted theory of photochemistry degradation, which states that HCl is produced as an intermediate compound yielded in a propagation reaction, taking into account the entire dehydrochlorination process. A system of ordinary differential equations for concentrations and energy with respect to time results from the application of the principles of species and energy conservation, which is integrated explicitly and accurately with low computational time. Previously published experimental data were used to validate the numerical simulation results obtained with the model, with good quantitative and qualitative agreement. The developed model is expected to be a useful tool for simulation, design, and optimization of PVC for minimum photodegradation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Science requires the acquisition and analysis of empirical (senses-derived) data. Given the same physical objects or phenomena, the sense organs of all people do not respond equally to these stimuli, nor do their minds interpret sensory signals identically. Therefore, teachers should develop lectures on human sensory system that include some common examples of sensory limitations, variations, deficiencies, malfunctions and diseases (as discussed herein) because they have important implications for conducting scientific investigations, science education, and introspection that are seldom included in biology text books. Student need to be made aware of human tendency to self deception in order to avoid the cognitive error of confirmation bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Baker's Law states that colonization by self-compatible organisms is more likely to be successful than colonization by self-incompatible organisms because of the ability for self-compatible organisms to produce offspring without pollination agents. This simple model has proved very successful in plant ecology and has been applied to various contexts, including colonizing or ruderal species, islands colonizers, invasive species or mating system variation across distribution ranges. Moreover, it is one of the only models in population biology linking two traits of major importance in ecology, namely dispersal and mating system. Although Baker's Law has stimulated a large number of empirical studies reporting the association of self-fertilization and colonizing ability in various contexts, the data have not established a general pattern for the association of traits. Scope In this paper, a critical position is adopted to discuss and clarify Baker's Law. From the literature referring to Baker's Law, an analysis made regarding how mating success is considered in such studies and discrepancies with population genetics theory of mating systems are highlighted. The data reporting the association of self-fertilization and colonizing ability are also briefly reviewed and the potential bias in interpretation is discussed. Lastly, a recent theoretical model analysing the link between colonizing ability and self-fertilization is considered. Conclusions Evolutionary predictions are actually more complex than Baker's intuitive arguments. It appears that Baker's Law encompasses a variety of ecological scenarios, which cannot be considered a priori as equivalent. Questioning what has been considered as self-evident for more than 50 years seems a reasonable objective to analyse in-depth dispersal and mating system traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a systemic review of empirical studies which determined the function of Institutional Review Boards (IRB) in the U.S. The collected empirical evidence of several studies revealed the difference of IRBs in their application of the federal regulations in the time they review studies and in the decisions made. It is suggested that additional research should be made to address the documented inconsistencies and inefficiencies of studies evaluating the process, structure and outcome of IRB review.

ABSTRACT In ethics, the use of empirical data has become more and more popular, leading to a distinct form of applied ethics, namely empirical ethics. This 'empirical turn' is especially visible in bioethics. There are various ways of combining empirical research and ethical reflection. In this paper we discuss the use of empirical data in a special form of Reflective Equilibrium (RE), namely the Network Model with Third Person Moral Experiences. In this model, the empirical data consist of the moral experiences of people in a practice. Although inclusion of these moral experiences in this specific model of RE can be well defended, their use in the application of the model still raises important questions. What precisely are moral experiences? How to determine relevance of experiences, in other words: should there be a selection of the moral experiences that are eventually used in the RE? How much weight should the empirical data have in the RE? And the key question: can the use of RE by empirical ethicists really produce answers to practical moral questions? In this paper we start to answer the above questions by giving examples taken from our research project on understanding the norm of informed consent in the field of pediatric oncology. We especially emphasize that incorporation of empirical data in a network model can reduce the risk of self-justification and bias and can increase the credibility of the RE reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper deals with a critical analysis on the use of empirical data in the modelling of vehicular traffic dynamics. The analysis is focused on the modelling according to the macroscopic scale and the approach of the kinetic theory and aims at showing how the empirical data available in the literature can be used to derive and validate models and how these data should not be artificially plugged into models. Conceivable reasonings on the analogous problem focused on crowd modelling are proposed in the last part of this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This work presents empirical data from several databases. Empirical data ultimately form the basis for most ecological/environmental studies, and this work uses what may be the most comprehensive data set ever compiled concerning relationships between chlorophyll-a concentrations, nitrogen, phosphorus, and salinity, since the data in this study concerns about 500 lakes and coastal areas. The focus has been on how variations between systems in median summer values of chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl) depend on variations in total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and salinity. The salinities range from 0 to 275 PSS78 in hypersaline systems; the median salinity is 12.5. The range in nutrients is from ultraoligotrophic (totalP, or TP, is less than 1 μ g/L) to hypertrophic systems (TP is greater than 1000 μ g/L). The chlorophyll values vary from 0.12 to 60 μ g/L. Results showed that there is a minimum in the Chl/TP ratio in the salinity range between 2 and 5, followed by an increase up to a salinity range of 10-15, and then a continuous reduction in the Chl/TP ratio until a minimum value of about 0.012 is reached in hypersaline systems. We have also identified a threshold value for the salinity. In systems dominated by freshwater influences, the ratio of Chl to total nitrogen, or TN, increases steadily from about 0.008 in lakes to 0.02 when the salinity is 10. At higher salinities than 10, the Chl/TN ratio decreases in a nonlinear fashion. We have also presented several empirical models to predict chlorophyll concentrations from levels of TP, TN, and salinity. The model predicting Chl from TP and salinity is generally the best one. The next best model according to the criteria (r2 value, median error, and standard deviation for the error) is the model using TN and salinity. Models not including salinity predict chlorophyll less well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By 2020, Dutch dairy chains envisage to be self-sufficient with regard to energy used by dairy farms and dairy processors. This would require dairy farms to produce 25 PJ per year, possibly by a combination of wind, solar and biogas. This paper focuses on biogas. To evaluate the project's viability we estimated the expected technical and financial performance of 4 types of business models, i.e. "CHP-farm", "CHP-large", "green gas" and "central upgrading of green gas". Data stem from among others 23 biogas plants in the Netherlands. Anticipating that CHP-models and green gas models occur with a likelihood of 40% and 60% respectively, the total number of biogas plants would amount to 232 (1% of dairy farms), including a total of 5 million tons of manure per year (14% of all cattle manure in the Netherlands) and annual government subsidies of Euro 295 million. Aggregated annual profits are expected to be positive, but over the project's total life time there is an expected deficit of Euro 262. For this to change costs of feedstocks or digestate disposal costs would for instance have to go down. Also fully switching to green gas models dampens the deficit. Results are used in current stakeholders debates on the organization of an "energy neutral dairy chain" in the Netherlands. Further analyses incorporating uncertainty around key technical and economic parameters including financial impacts of CO2-reductions are underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this series of experiments, we investigated whether a crude representation of the hand that was extinguished at movement onset improved performance when compared to a no-feedback situation. Subjects performed simple reach to grasp movements in a virtual environment in two experiments. In Experiment 1, trials were blocked so that subjects were aware that a graphical representation of the hand would either be available throughout the movement (FA), be removed at movement onset (FAB), or not be available (NF). In Experiment 2, trials were randomized so that subjects were unaware of whether feedback would be available throughout the trial or removed at movement onset. Our results indicated that when subjects were aware of the availability of graphical feedback, the FAB condition improved performance compared to the NF condition. Furthermore, movement time was similar in the two feedback available conditions (FA, FAB). In contrast, for the randomized trial presentation, the positive influence of the FAB condition was diminished. These results suggest that visual feedback available prior to movement onset can be used to calibrate the proprioceptive system and improve performance over a no feedback situation. These results can be applied by designers of virtual environments to solve problems related to occlusion of important environmental information by the hand as users reach to grasp and manipulate objects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Measurements involve the determination of physical quantities by experiment. In this endeavour, an experimental model will need to specify how measurement system is expected to respond to input data, which is the key to extracting information from the system. The quality of information depends directly on the quality of the model. With this concern novel techniques for model quality improvement have been fashioned. For attaining a high level of comprehensiveness, accuracy and precision, the exact unknown model was approximated simultaneously by available mechanistic and appropriate empirical functions. Adequate modelling was accomplished by employing theoretical and empirical data integration. Herewith, additive and multiplicative approaches were elaborated. The application of developed techniques for sensor model perfection has shown that concurrent multiplicative modelling, in comparison with pure statistical modelling, permits the attainment of less discrepancy in experimental evidence for the whole region of interest for model input variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work presents new data on suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the Baltic Sea (from the part called the Baltic proper). Previous reports on SPM from the Baltic Sea and other marine areas are very scarce in spite of the fact that SPM is of fundamental importance in aquatic ecology and management since it regulates the transport of pollutants and influences water clarity and phytoplankton production as well as bacterioplankton production, and hence also secondary production (of zooplankton and fish). It is, evidently, very demanding to collect data at sea during storm events and this paper presents data from 5 sites and 17 sampling occasions in 1999 and 2001 collected along gradients concerning temperature, salinity, exposure, depth and winds (also during storms). The data have been used to address problems related to the variability of SPM, and, hence also the predictive power of models for SPM. The characteristic coefficients of variation (CV=standard deviation/mean value) for SPM among and within these sites are very high, 0.69 and 0.67, respectively. Using statistical methods, the factors influencing the SPM-variability have been quantified and ranked and regressions for SPM under stratified and mixed conditions presented. The model for stratified conditions is based on the following variables (1) exposure (a measure of wind-induced wave influences), (2) number of days with wind speeds lower than 5m/s, and (3) mean salinity. The following factors are important for the vertical SPM-variability within sites (1) water temperature and (2) distance from the bottom. SPM increases with increasing temperatures (related to increased production and stratification) and decreases with increasing water depth, wind exposure, salinity, and with the number of calm days. The reasons for this are discussed. The factors regulating the SPM-variations among and within these sites should also apply to other marine areas. Studies in other areas cannot, however, falsify these empirical results but they could clarify the boundary conditions for these models and improve our knowledge about the factors regulating SPM. This model for SPM is primarily meant to be used as a sub-model within more comprehensive models, which aim to predict key ecosystems variables, e.g., toxins in fish or production and biomass of functional groups of organisms. We have also introduced and motivated a new concept “coastal focusing” analogous to “sediment focusing” in lakes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This work uses three data-bases to derive the first (as far as we know) operational empirical model to predict concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in rivers. SPM is a variable of fundamental importance in aquatic sciences. This empirical model is meant to be used as a sub-model in models where the main aim is to predict concentrations of radionuclides, nutrients or metals in river water and biota. It is well known that SPM influences the transport of most types of pollutants in most systems and governs both primary phytoplankton and bacterioplankton production and hence also secondary production (e.g., of zooplankton and fish). An important feature of the requested model is that all variables needed to run the model should be readily accessible from standard monitoring programmes and/or maps. The UK data-base includes data on SPM, water discharge (Q) and many water quality variables for 79 river sites, and it covers a wide range in these variables and includes data from several years. This data-base has been used to address the within-site variability of SPM, and hence also the predictive power of the developed model for SPM. The characteristic coefficient of variation (CV=S.D./MV; S.D.=standard deviation; MV=mean value) for SPM in these rivers sites is very high indeed, 1.71. The factors influencing the variability of characteristic (median) SPM-values among sites in different rivers have been quantified and ranked using the other two data-bases, a European data-base including data on SPM, water discharge, latitude, longitude, continentality, and altitude, and a Swedish data-base, which includes a comprehensive set of data on catchment-area characteristics. The new empirical model is derived from the two latter data-bases. The measured river-characteristic SPM-values can be predicted from the following variables: (1) latitude (as a measure of mean temperature, primary production and weathering), (2) mean water discharge, (3) continentality (SPM increases with increased continentality), and from a simple system accounting for (4) the percentage of bare rocks, the relief of the catchment, the percentage of upstream lakes and the forest cover of the catchment area. The latter factors are categorised into three classes (1, 2 and 3) having little, average, or relatively large influences on the transport of suspended particulate matter from land to water. The presented model does not include any climatological variables or factors influencing daily to seasonal variations in SPM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a design tool that mitigates risks during the design phase before they occur. Although many industries use the current FMEA technique, it has many limitations and problems. Risk is measured in terms of Risk Priority Number (RPN) that is a product of occurrence, severity, and detection difficulty. Measuring severity and detection difficulty is very subjective and with no universal scale. RPN is also a product of ordinal variables, which is not meaningful as a proper measure. This paper addresses these shortcomings and introduces a new methodology, Life Cost-Based FMEA, which measures risk in terms of cost. Life Cost-Based FMEA is useful for comparing and selecting design alternatives that can reduce the overall life cycle cost of a particular system. Next, a Monte Carlo simulation is applied to the Cost-Based FMEA to account for the uncertainties in: detection time, fixing time, occurrence, delay time, down time, and model complex scenarios. A case study of a large scale particle accelerator shows the advantages of the proposed approach in predicting life cycle failure cost, measuring risk and planning preventive, scheduled maintenance and ultimately improving up-time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Slug frequency is one of the most important parameters for designing industrial installations where intermittent gas-liquid flows could be found. Thus, the literature is found full of various experimental investigations and developed empirical correlations to predict such parameter. Nevertheless, the effect of intermittent flow sub-regimes on slug frequencies remains an open issue, especially in the case of plug flow. Hence, the present work is devoted to providing an update review and analysis of the slug frequency in plug flow case. For this purpose, data from previous experiments have been collected and deeply examined. It was found that the increase in liquid superficial velocity and the decrease in pipe diameter could induce an increase of plug frequency. The comparison between experimental data and the predictions of twenty available empirical models showed that the correlations based on Strouhal number and input liquid fraction are the best ones that predict well the experimental plug frequency. However, each correlation is found to be valid for a limited range close to the data's conditions that were used for its development. As such, and by considering an extended range of the whole available experimental database, a new empirical correlation has been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A creationist has called Dobzhansky's dictum a myth. Discussion of this debate could be used as an object lesson for critical thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests the validity of the FUND model's energy impact functions, and the hypothesis that global warming of 2 °C or more above pre-industrial times would negatively impact the global economy. Empirical data of energy expenditure and average temperatures of the US states and census divisions are compared with projections using the energy impact functions with non-temperature drivers held constant at their 2010 values. The empirical data indicates that energy expenditure decreases as temperatures increase, suggesting that global warming, by itself, may reduce US energy expenditure and thereby have a positive impact on US economic growth. These findings are then compared with FUND energy impact projections for the world at 3 °C of global warming from 2000. The comparisons suggest that warming, by itself, may reduce global energy consumption. If these findings are correct, and if FUND projections for the non-energy impact sectors are valid, 3 °C of global warming from 2000 would increase global economic growth. In this case, the hypothesis is false and policies to reduce global warming are detrimental to the global economy. We recommend the FUND energy impact functions be modified and recalibrated against best available empirical data. Our analysis and conclusions warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific evidence should dominate in any management decision dealing with alien species. It is also essential for all stakeholders to agree on the terminology used to avoid undesirable misinterpretations. A well‐known example is the use of the term "invasive," which has two basic meanings, one as a biogeographic criterion and the other as an impact criterion. The aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) is a North African ungulate introduced in Spain, which was labeled "invasive" by Spanish authorities due to misreading of the term used by early studies. Indeed, to date, there are no conclusive empirical data showing negative effects of the aoudad on native flora and fauna. Recent studies have shown that its closest native ungulate, the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), has expanded throughout territories already occupied by the aoudad, without any apparent conflict. Aoudad diet selection studies also show them to be markedly grazers, so its role in the Mediterranean trophic network might be similar to that of extinct wild ungulates that fed in natural meadows, maintaining landscapes heterogeneous. New opportunities for its study are opening, particularly in Iberian semiarid lands. Unfortunately though, its current simplistic definition as an invasive species keeps in suspense its eventual eradication throughout the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]