Bridging Concept Research Articles

Navigating Change: Planning for Societal and Spatial Transformations

The 12th Young Academics Conference of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) was hosted at the University of Groningen from the 26th–29th March 2018. The conference theme was “Navigating Change: Planning for societal and spatial transformation”. We welcomed 53 participants from over 30 universities and organisations from across Europe and the USA. The aim of the conference was to understand how various disciplines within planning and related to planning are dealing with change. Researchers and practitioners presented their research on dealing with environmental, technological, population and political change, and approaches to study this. Understanding these processes and exploring appropriate planning approaches became apparent in framing as a bridging concept in the need for more explicit attention to the role of planners as actors in navigating change and the practice of respectful planning.

Tests and calculations of structural element of temporary bridges

The new concept of mobile temporary bridge overcrossing intended for a reduction of traffic jams is presented in the paper. After discussing the bridge structure details, the optimum length of the module of the bridge overcrossing is determined and then calculation of the orthotropic plate of the bridge carriageway and its supporting structure are presented. In the calculations elements of the mathematical analysis, method of finite elements FEM and method of finite differences FDM as well as analytical displacement method were applied. Reliability of results is confirmed by coincidence of deflections obtained by both, FEM and FDM, methods. The solution matrix of the FDM obtained in this work allows to calculate any plate with wide variety of its geometrical dimensions, and also for different parameters of the plate and reinforcing elements flexural stiffnesses. The analysis of the bridge overcrossing spatial frame is performed by precise method of displacement taking into account the bending and torsion of its elements.

Connecting and confronting transnationalism: bridging concepts and moving critique

ABSTRACTThis article traces the trajectory of transnationalism as a perspective and field of study and suggests that new impetus can be given to its development by establishing a dialogue between transnationalism and other key concepts. While the research agenda of the early stages was characterised by a need to distinguish transnationalism from related terms, such as globalisation, we argue that the field could now regain momentum by exploring synergies with other concepts. In this special issue we stage confrontations between transnationalism and, respectively, the (perspectives opened up by the) concepts of ‘borders’, ‘translocality’, ‘precarity’, ‘queer’, ‘moralities’, ‘the state’, and ‘brokerage’. Conceptually, this allows us to go beyond an internal critique that exposes the shortcomings of a transnational perspective, by suggesting novel frameworks and toolkits. Substantively, this issue’s articles demonstrate the need to refocus transnational studies’ attention to the unevenness, instability and inequality of transnational space.

Universal and Particular Law in the Letter of James and Early Judaism

In the letter of James, ‘law’ (νόμος) is mentioned in three passages: 1.21-25, 2.8-12 and 4.11-12. This article focuses on Jas 1.21-25 and the relationship of λόγος at the beginning of the passage (1.21-23) with νόμος at the end (1.25; cf. 2.12). The question asked is whether James reflects Stoic views or not by analyzing this passage alongside occurrences of the expression רז נהיה (‘mystery of existence’) in 4QInstruction, the Community Rule and 1QMysteries. The broader aim is to consider how this passage of James may be situated within both Jewish Hellenistic literature and sapiential traditions discovered at Qumran in order to challenge straightforward identifications of Jas 1.21-25 with Stoicism. In conclusion, it is not simply that James is seen to align with these Qumran discoveries over and against Stoic thought, but rather all of these traditions are operating with comparable bridging concepts.

A second order equation for Schrödinger bridges with applications to the hot gas experiment and entropic transportation cost

The Schrodinger problem is obtained by replacing the mean square distance with the relative entropy in the Monge–Kantorovich problem. It was first addressed by Schrodinger as the problem of describing the most likely evolution of a large number of Brownian particles conditioned to reach an “unexpected configuration”. Its optimal value, the entropic transportation cost, and its optimal solution, the Schrodinger bridge, stand as the natural probabilistic counterparts to the transportation cost and displacement interpolation. Moreover, they provide a natural way of lifting from the point to the measure setting the concept of Brownian bridge. In this article, we prove that the Schrodinger bridge solves a second order equation in the Riemannian structure of optimal transport. Roughly speaking, the equation says that its acceleration is the gradient of the Fisher information. Using this result, we obtain a fine quantitative description of the dynamics, and a new functional inequality for the entropic transportation cost, that generalize Talagrand’s transportation inequality. Finally, we study the convexity of the Fisher information along Schrodigner bridges, under the hypothesis that the associated reciprocal characteristic is convex. The techniques developed in this article are also well suited to study the Feynman–Kac penalisations of Brownian motion.

Narrative des Anthropozän – Systematisierung eines interdisziplinären Diskurses

Abstract The Anthropocene concept originates from earth system sciences and conceptualizes humanity as a planetary geophysical force. It links current action-oriented time horizons to Earth historical deep time and implies non-separability of natures-cultures. The Anthropocene concept has resonated in debates in natural and social sciences, the humanities and the broader public, serving as an inter- and transdisciplinary bridging concept. Based on an analysis of numerous texts from multiple scientific disciplines and media, this contribution distinguishes five narratives of the Anthropocene: the disaster narrative, the court narrative, the Great Transformation narrative, the (bio-)technological and the interdependence narrative. The five narratives articulate very different perspectives and experiences and transport divergent political, economic, ethical and anthropological values and interests; this is also shown in alternative conceptualizations such as Eurocene, Technocene, Capitalocene or Plantationocene. The analysis reveals that the narratives share significant structural characteristics concerning story, plot, protagonists, spatial and temporal structure and action-oriented emplotment which together can be referred to a meta-narrative of the Anthropocene. Since the partly overlapping, partly contradictory narratives compete for legitimation and dominance in science and the broader public, the findings raise the question whether this struggle will stabilize or undermine the Anthropocene meta-narrative in the long run.

Challenges in the characterisation of intact rock bridges in rock slopes

Intact rock bridges have been recognised as of critical importance in the stability of rock slopes but still remain a poorly understood and challenging engineering problem both in respect to their measurement and their incorporation into design analyses. The objective of this paper is not to provide conclusive answers as to the definition and measurement of rock bridges, and the manner that they can be accounted for in rock slope stability analysis. Rather, we highlight important and as yet unanswered questions to allow review of fundamental rock bridge concepts and then proceed to provide new insight into how rock bridges may be incorporated into slope stability analysis. Early definitions of what constitute a rock bridge are somewhat limited, and the authors suggest that they could be improved by including important constraints such as “block forming potential” and “block kinematics”. In this context, this paper introduces an improved terminology (RBij) commonly used by the discrete fracture network (DFN) community to define rock bridge intensity relative to the sampling region. In rock engineering, the measurement of rock bridges is exacerbated by the fact that rock bridges are not visible unless the rock mass is exposed by human activities or by natural events such as rockfalls. This constitutes a major problem for engineering design scenarios, since it would not be possible to validate any assumption made with respect to extent of rock bridges without performing some form of field testing or back-analysis. The results of a of the Finite-Discrete numerical analysis are presented to support our conclusions with respect to the limitations current methods used to characterise rock bridge strength. The role of scale effects, block theory, kinematics and what we term “negative rock bridges” in stability analysis is discussed.

Feasibility Study of Submerged Floating Tunnels Moored by an Inclined Tendon System

Concepts of submerged floating tunnels (SFTs) for land connection have been continuously suggested and developed by several researchers and institutes. To maintain their predefined positions under various dynamic environmental loading conditions, the submerged floating tunnels should be effectively moored by reasonable mooring systems. With rational mooring systems, the design of SFTs should be confirmed to satisfy the structural safety, fatigue, and operability design criteria related to tunnel motion, internal forces, structural stresses, and the fatigue life of the main structural members. This paper presents a feasibility study of a submerged floating tunnel moored by an inclined tendon system. The basic structural concept was developed based on the concept of conventional cable-stayed bridges to minimize the seabed excavation, penetration, and anchoring work by applying tower-inclined tendon systems instead of conventional tendons with individual seabed anchors. To evaluate the structural performance of the new type of SFT, a hydrodynamic analysis was performed in the time domain using the commercial nonlinear finite element code ABAQUS–AQUA. For the main dynamic environmental loading condition, an irregular wave load was examined. A JONSWAP wave spectrum was used to generate a time-series wave-induced hydrodynamic load considering the specific significant wave height and peak period for predetermined wave conditions. By performing a time-domain hydrodynamic analysis on the submerged floating structure under irregular waves, the motional characteristics, structural stresses, and fatigue damage of the floating tunnel and mooring members were analyzed to evaluate the structural safety and fatigue performance. According to the analytical study, the suggested conceptual model for SFTs shows very good hydrodynamic structural performance. It can be concluded that the concept can be considered as a reasonable structural type of SFT.

Sustainability Transitions and the Spatial Interface: Developing Conceptual Perspectives

Sustainability transitions research lacks a crucial perspective: the spatial dimension. The interrelations between space and sustainability transition processes are thus underexposed. The spatial dimension is, of course, implicitly addressed in transition research but it often remains unclear which spatial concept is used and how the spatial conditions are embedded in the transition processes. This paper approaches the problem in two steps: (1) analysing the various understandings of transitions research and their implications for different spatial concepts relating to spatial sustainability transition; and (2) focusing on different spatial concepts (from a positivist mode to relational and socio-cultural approaches) and their reflections in different disciplines of social, natural and technical sciences as well as in practice. By identifying the links between sustainable transition approaches on the one hand and spatial conceptualizations on the other hand, this paper aims at deepening both the spatial perspective and the understanding of sustainable transition research. The results of this paper are three conceptual perspectives wherein space or spatial conceptualizations can provide added value for sustainability transition research in inter- and transdisciplinary modes. These three perspectives include (1) space as a “bridging concept,” (2) space as a “normative concept,” and (3) space as an “approach to action.”

High Bandwidth Non-Resonant High Voltage Generator for X-Ray Systems

High-voltage supplies for medical X-ray systems require up to 150 kV DC at up to 100 kW to supply the tube. The challenge for the power supply however is not only to deal with the high voltage and high power demand, but also to provide short voltage rise- and fall times in the range of 100μs. A coupled interleaved circuit variant of a single active bridge concept, the coupled interleaved single active bridge converter, is demonstrated in this work providing very fast output voltage control due to its non-resonant structure. The conduction modes of the circuit are analysed in detail and compared to the uncoupled interleaved single active bridge approach, demonstrating the advantages of low inverter RMS current, zero voltage switching (or at least zero current switching) over the full operating range with constant switching frequency. Analytic expressions for the output current-duty cycle relationship are provided. Experiments on a 60 kW (low voltage equivalent) prototype show that rise times as low as five switching cycles are possible, allowing to reach the target of 100μs rise time using a switching frequency of only 50 kHz.

Novel ecosystems: A bridging concept for the consilience of cultural landscape conservation and ecological restoration

We evaluate the historical, philosophical, and practical relationships between two fields of theory and practice: cultural landscape conservation and ecological restoration. Each field has distinct intellectual and disciplinary roots, bodies of theory, norms of practice, institutions, and modes of professional discourse. Yet both aim to understand and wisely steward environments for the benefit of humans and non-human nature, and both grapple with similar issues inherent in the complex nexus of nature, society, history, and sustainability. Increasingly, the thinking and the practices that once clearly distinguished their respective efforts have begun to converge — reaching similar conclusions on challenging issues, and thus building consilience. Coincident with this trend toward consilience, the concept of “novel ecosystems” has arisen. Novel ecosystems are ecological assemblages that form self-organizing systems that have no historical precedent. We argue that the novel ecosystems concept is a useful frame through which to expose, articulate, and address many of the philosophical, ethical, and pragmatic challenges and tradeoffs that cultural landscape conservationists and ecological restorationists grapple with today: the fuzzy lines that distinguish humans from nature, the impossibility of going back in time, the resulting problems of defining goals given diversity of potential priorities, and the value of greater social inclusivity in the practice of restoration. We believe novel ecosystems also provide a powerful bridging concept through which we can understand and align with one another's epistemological perspectives, and continue building consilience and collaborations to conserve, steward, and celebrate our cultural and natural heritage and environment.

Mainstreaming of climate extreme risk into fiscal and budgetary planning: application of stochastic debt and disaster fund analysis in Austria

While ageing-related costs are perceived as the major drivers of fiscal pressure in the EU, concerns over climate-related public expenditures have received comparatively little attention in securing the EU’s long-term fiscal sustainability. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) scenarios as bridging concept for linking the assessment of public cost of demography- and climate-related expenditures, this study proposes a climate risk mainstreaming methodology. We apply a stochastic debt model and assess the potential flood risk in Austria to the public debt and the national disaster fund. Our results indicate that public debt under no fiscal consolidation is estimated to increase from the current level of 84.5% relative to GDP in 2015 to 92.1% in 2030, with macroeconomic variability adding further risk to the country’s baseline public debt trajectory. The study finds that the estimated public contingent liability due to expected flood risk is small relative to the size of economy. The existing earmarked disaster risk reduction (DRR) funding will likely reduce the risk of frequent-and-low impact floods, yet the current budgetary arrangement may be insufficient to deal with rising risk of extreme floods in the future. This prompts the need for further discussions regarding potential reforms of the disaster fund. As many EU member states are in the early stages of designing climate change policy strategies, the proposed method can support the mainstreaming of climate-related concerns into longer-term fiscal and budgetary planning.

Transforming Development and Disaster Risk

This article focuses on the complex relationship between development and disaster risk. Development and disaster risk are closely linked as the people and assets exposed to risk, as well as their vulnerability and capacity, are largely determined by development processes. Transformation is key to moving from current development patterns that increase, create or unfairly distribute risks, to forms of development that are equitable, resilient and sustainable. Based on a review of existing literature, we present three opportunities that have the potential to lead to transformation in the development-disaster risk relationship: (i) exposing development-disaster risk trade-offs in development policy and decision-making; (ii) prioritizing equity and social justice in approaches to secure resilience; and (iii) enabling transformation through adaptive governance. This research aims to contribute to breaking down existing barriers in research, policy and practice between the disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and development communities by providing cross-sectoral opportunities to operationalize theoretical knowledge on transformation. It also helps to clarify the connections between different global agendas by positioning transformation as a potential bridging concept to link disconnected policy processes. This paper argues for empirical research to test the opportunities presented here and further define transformative pathways at multiple scales.

A Bottle-around-a-Ship Method To Generate Hollow Thin-Shelled Particles Containing Encapsulated Iron Species with Application to the Environmental Decontamination of Chlorinated Compounds.

Thin-shelled hollow silica particles are synthesized using an aerosol-based process where the concentration of a silica precursor tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) determines the shell thickness. The synthesis involves a novel concept of the salt bridging of an iron salt, FeCl3, to a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), which modulates the templating effect of the surfactant on silica porosity. The salt bridging leads to a sequestration of the surfactant in the interior of the droplet with the formation of a dense silica shell around the organic material. Subsequent calcination consistently results in hollow particles with encapsulated iron oxides. Control of the TEOS levels leads to the generation of ultrathin-shelled (∼10 nm) particles which become susceptible to rupture upon exposure to ultrasound. The dense silica shell that is formed is impervious to entry of chemical species. Mesoporosity is restored to the shell through desilication and reassembly, again using CTAB as a template. The mesoporous-shelled hollow particles show good reactivity toward the reductive dichlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE), indicating access of TCE to the particle interior. The ordered mesoporous thin-shelled particles containing active iron species are viable systems for chemical reaction and catalysis.

Atmospheric Electricity at Durham (27 May 2017)

Atmospheric Electricity at Durham (27 May 2017)

Moral(ity and) Economy

AbstractThe relationship between morality and economy has been muddied in the course of disciplinary specialization. While dominant paradigms in economics abstract from the moral dimension, recent approaches to morality and ethics in anthropology neglect the material economy. E. P. Thompson’s “moral economy” has been an influential bridging concept in recent decades, but recent inflationary usage has highlighted shortcomings. Following an overview of the disciplinary debates, the moral dimension of economic life is illustrated in this paper with reference towork as a valuebetween the late 19th and early 21st centuries in Hungary. Contemporary workfare is explored with local examples. It is shown how discourses of work and fairness are being extended into new ethical registers to justify negative attitudes towards a new category of migrants.

Hydrodynamic load modeling and analysis of a floating bridge in homogeneous wave conditions

The Norwegian Public Road Administration (NPRA) is currently developing the E39 ferry-free project, in which several floating bridges will be built across deep and wide fjords. In this study, we consider the floating bridge that was an early concept for crossing the Bjørnafjorden with a width of about 4600 m and with a depth of more than 500 m. The floating bridge concept is a complex end-anchored curve bridge, consisting of a cable-stayed high bridge part and a low bridge part supported by 19 pontoons. It has a number of eigen-modes, which can be excited by wave loads. Wave loads and their effects should thus be properly modeled and assessed. Therefore, the effect of hydrodynamic load modeling are investigated in homogeneous wave conditions, including varying water depth at the ends of the bridge, viscous drag force on pontoons, short-crestedness and second order wave loads. It is found that the varying water depth has negligible effect, while the other features are important to consider. Second order difference-frequency wave loads contribute significantly to sway motion, axial force and strong axis bending moments along the bridge. However, these effects can be reduced by viscous drag forces, which implies that an appropriate model of viscous drag force effect on the pontoons is important. short-crested waves greatly affect the heave motion and weak axis bending moment. All these considerations on hydrodynamic load modeling are further applied to analyze the wave load effect of a floating bridge in a fjord considering inhomogeneous waves [1].

Integration of a versatile bridge concept in a 34 GHz pulsed/CW EPR spectrometer

We present a 34 GHz continuous wave (CW)/pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer capable of pulse-shaping that is based on a versatile microwave bridge design. The bridge radio frequency (RF)-in/RF-out design (500 MHz to 1 GHz input/output passband, 500 MHz instantaneous input/output bandwidth) creates a flexible platform with which to compare a variety of excitation and detection methods utilizing commercially available equipment external to the bridge. We use three sources of RF input to implement typical functions associated with CW and pulse EPR spectroscopic measurements. The bridge output is processed via high speed digitizer and an in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) demodulator for pulsed work or sent to a wideband, high dynamic range log detector for CW. Combining this bridge with additional commercial hardware and new acquisition and control electronics, we have designed and constructed an adaptable EPR spectrometer that builds upon previous work in the literature and is functionally comparable to other available systems.

Rethinking Causality in Biological and Neural Mechanisms: Constraints and Control

Existing accounts of mechanistic causation are not suited for understanding causation in biological and neural mechanisms because they do not have the resources to capture the unique causal structure of control heterarchies. In this paper, we provide a new account on which the causal powers of mechanisms are grounded by time-dependent, variable constraints. Constraints can also serve as a key bridge concept between the mechanistic approach to explanation and underappreciated work in theoretical biology that sheds light on how biological systems channel energy to actively respond to the environment in adaptive ways, perform work, and fulfill the requirements to maintain themselves far from equilibrium. We show how the framework applies to several concrete examples of control in simple organisms as well as the nervous system of complex organisms.

Numerical investigations of the dynamic response of a floating bridge under environmental loadings

ABSTRACTFloating bridges across wide and deep fjords are subjected to the environmental wind and wave loadings. In this study, the dynamic response of floating bridges under such loadings is investigated. A floating bridge concept, which consists of two cable-stayed spans and 19 continuous spans, is selected. An eigenvalue analysis is first conducted and it is found that the period of the first mode is typically in the order of one minute or more. This implies that the amplified response effect should also be evaluated for the second-order wave load in addition to the first-order wave load. By performing a nonlinear time domain dynamic analysis, the bridge dynamic responses from wind and wave loadings are obtained. The effects of the wind load, first-order and second-order wave loads are studied considering different load combinations. Structural responses including girder displacements, accelerations and moments are investigated for each load combination.