This article provides a critique of the use of Esping-Andersen and Kemeny’s typologies of welfare and housing regimes, both of which are often used as starting points for country selections in comparative housing research. We find that it is conceivable that housing systems may reflect the wider welfare system or diverge from it, so it is not possible to “read across” a housing system from Esping-Andersen’s welfare regimes. Moreover, both are dated and require revisiting to establish whether they still reflect reality. Of the two frameworks, Esping-Andersen’s use of the state-market-family triangle is more geographically mobile. Ultimately, housing systems are likely to be judged on the “housing outcomes” that they produce. However, it is suggested that current use of variables within EU-SILC in order to establish “housing outcomes” may be misleading since they do not reflect acceptable standards between countries with greatly differing general living standards and cultural norms.
The precise rainfall estimate with appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions is a key input to distributed hydrological models. However, networks of rain gauges are often sparsely distributed in developing countries. To overcome such limitations, this study used some of the existing gridded rainfall products to simulate streamflow. Four fridded rainfall products, including APHRODITE, CFSR, PERSIANN, and TRMM, were used as input to the SWAT distributed hydrological model in order to simulate streamflow over the Srepok River Catchment in Vietnam. Besides that, the available rain gauges data were also used for comparison. Amongst the four different datasets, the TRMM and APHRODITE data show their best match to rain gauges data in simulating the daily and monthly streamflow with satisfactory precision in the 2000–2006 period. The result indicates that the TRMM and APHRODITE data have potential applications
in driving hydrological model and water resources management in data-scarce and ungauged areas in Vietnam.
Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are now confined to fragmented habitats in western China, with more than 60 % of individuals inhabiting 63 protected areas. Knowledge of the environmental features required by giant pandas is critically important for protected area spatial arrangement and subsequent assessments. Here we developed a distribution model for giant pandas in the Tangjiahe Nature Reserve using Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) model. We found that less than 40 % of this key reserve is of high suitability for giant pandas, highly suitable habitat being primarily characterized as coniferous forests away from roads within the reserve. Although there was a clear core zone occupied by giant pandas, which included the vast majority of known giant panda locations, only about 45 % of this zone was classified as highly suitable habitat (suitable and optimal). Therefore, the spatial arrangement within the reserve may need to be modified to effectively manage the remaining population of giant pandas. Of particular concern are several tourism proposals being considered by local government, which, if implemented, will increase the isolation of the local population from those in the surrounding area. Our analysis identifies Caijiaba and Baixiongping as areas that should become conservation priorities. Our approach provides valuable data to advise conservation policy and could be easily replicated across other protected areas.
Integrated Population Modelling (IPMs) is a computational method for estimating population and demographic parameters that can improve precision relative to traditional methods. Here we compare the precision of IPM to traditional mark-recapture analysis to estimate population parameters in the common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). This species is relatively rare across its European range and field estimation of demographic parameters can be challenging, as several parts of the life history are difficult to observe in the field. We develop an IPM model incorporating dormouse nest counts and offspring counts, which is data often recorded as a standard part of dormouse nest box monitoring. We found a significant improvement in precision in the estimation of demographic parameters using IPM compared to standard mark-recapture estimation. We discuss our results in the context of common dormouse conservation monitoring.
The dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius has disappeared from a large part of its range in England, probably because of habitat fragmentation and deterioration. Reintroductions, mainly using captive-bred animals, have been generally successful at re-establishing populations within this lost part of the species’ range, with only 2, perhaps 3, out of 15 known to have failed. However, the establishment of new isolated populations is not seen as an end point to the project and attention is now focused on improving habitat connectivity around the reintroduction sites, to enable the founder populations to spread to nearby woods.
Accurate measurement of shallow flows is important for hydraulics, hydrology and water resources management. The objective of this paper is to discuss a technique for shallow flow and overland flow velocity estimation that uses infrared thermography. Laboratory flumes and different bare, vegetated and paved field surfaces were used to test the technique. Results show that shallow flow surface velocities estimated using thermal tracers and infrared technology are similar to estimates obtained using the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter; similar results were also obtained for overland flow velocity estimates using thermography, here comparing with the dye tracer technique. The thermographic approach revealed some potential as a flow visualization technique, and leaves space for future studies and research.
Trh s učebnými pomôckami poskytuje množstvo rôznych pomôcok, experimentálnych zostáv, ktoré je možné na vyučovaní bez problémov využiť. V mnohých prípadoch si však ich zakúpenie vyžaduje nemalé finančné prostriedky. V súčasnosti existuje veľa možností na vytvorenie prototypu experimentálnej súpravy, ktorá by mala potenciál stať sa užitočnou a najmä lacnou pomôckou vo vzdelávaní mladých ľudí, nie je to však triviálna úloha. Cieľom predkladaného príspevku je ukázať, aké problémy sme objavili (a museli vyriešiť) pri konštrukcii základného prvku nami navrhovanej experimentálnej zostavy - zdroja jednosmerného napätia pre viaceré moduly v experimentálnej súprave., The market for teaching aids provides many different tools and experimental sets suitable for seamless teaching. However, in many cases, their purchase requires considerable funds. At present, there are any ways to create a prototype of an experimental set, which has the potential to become a useful and cheap tool in the education of young people, but this is not a trivial task. In this article, we introduce several problems which were discovered and solved during the construction of a basic part of a DC power supply suitable for individual experimental modules., Martin Hruška., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy