COAGULATING CATEGORIES: A REPLY TO RESPONSES

… ideologies of race define both white and black peoples, just as gender ideologies define both women and men. Thus, while ‘experience’ is an enabling focus in the classroom, unless it is explicitly understood as historical, contingent, and the result of interpretation, it can coagulate into frozen, binary, psychologistic positions (Mohanty, 1990: 195).     

EVALUATION OF CAPACITY SPECTRUM METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE PEAK INELASTIC RESPONSES

The accuracy of the capacity spectrum method (CSM) depends on the precise estimation of equivalent period and damping ratio as well as the modification of the demand spectrum. In this paper, the CSM provided in ATC-40 for estimating the peak inelastic responses is evaluated. First, the effect of equivalent period and damping ratio estimation on the accuracy of the CSM is assessed. Analyses results indicate that the difference between estimation methods is large when the structural nonlinearity is large, but becomes negligible as the hardening ratio increases. Next, the reduction factors provided in ATC-40 and Eurocode are evaluated. It is found that the acceleration responses obtained using the factor of Eurocode is closer to the actual ones than those obtained using the factors of ATC-40. Finally, the demand spectrum is constructed using the peak absolute acceleration and pseudo-acceleration. The results obtained using the peak absolute acceleration is found to be generally larger than those obtained using the pseudo-ones. Since the original CSM generally underestimates the response, the use of peak absolute acceleration in the construction of demand spectrum produces the response relatively closer to the exact one. However, the use of peak absolute acceleration overestimates the response more when the original CSM overestimates the response.     

PURPOSEFUL WEATHER MODIFICATION ACTIVITIES IN CANADA: RESPONSES TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNIQUE

T he last decade has witnessed a growing awareness and concern for man-environment interactions, particularly western man's adopted role as master over natural processes. Belief in the need to protect the sanctity of the life-support system has promoted a considerable body of legislation to that end. Not only has there been innovation in terms of the content of legislation, e.g., emission controls, but also innovation in the intent of legislation, as the traditional mode - of regulation after the fact — evolves into a new role which attempts to anticipate and control before the potentially undesirable event. In the reformulation of our attitudes to the environment, geographical knowledge has both much to offer and much to gain.     

女性老年人肥胖的建成环境影响因素及规划响应研究

随着老龄化的快速发展,老年人在中国已经构成重要的群体,而因肥胖导致的一系列慢性疾病严重影响老年人的寿命和生命质量。身体质量指数（BMI）是衡量肥胖的重要指标。本文以女性老年人为研究对象,运用有序多分类Logistic回归模型,分析建成环境对女性老年人身体质量指数的影响。结果表明,居住地附近是否有适宜的休闲体力活动场所、居住地到休闲体力活动场所的步行时间、一周内去商场的频率、高热量食物的可获得性等建成环境变量与因变量女性老年人BMI等级存在显著联系。根据研究结论,从城市规划的角度提出建成环境优化建议,为构建老龄友好型的健康城市提供基础。     

PERCEPTIONS OF AND RESPONSES TO THE HOLOCENE FLOODING OF THE NORTH SEA LOWLANDS

This paper explores how the drastic landscape changes that took place in the North Sea basin during the Holocene affected the lives of those dwelling in that area. Previous contributions to the discussion of the Holocene inundation of the North Sea have tended to concentrate on the timings. This paper discusses the ways people could have perceived and responded to these events, emphasizing that climate change should not be viewed apart from social factors. It is also argued that sea-level rise was not something externally imposed on communities but an integral part of their world.     

COMPLEX MODE SUPERPOSITION ALGORITHM FOR SEISMIC RESPONSES OF NON-CLASSICALLY DAMPED LINEAR MDOF SYSTEM

This paper deals with a complex mode superposition method for the seismic responses of general multiple degrees of freedom (MDOF) discrete system with complex eigenvectors and eigenvalues. A delicate general solution, completely in real value form, for calculat-ing seismic time history response of the MDOF system which cannot be uncoupled by normal modes, is deduced based on the algorithms of the complex superposition method. This solution comprises of two parts which are in relation to the Duhamel integration to sine and cosine function respectively. The related term of the Duhamel integration to sine function is actually the displacement response of the oscillator with corresponding modal frequency and the damping ratio. The other can be transferred into a combina-tion of the displacement and velocity responses of the same oscillator. In order to meet the practical needs of seismic design based on code design spectra for various kinds of structures equipped by viscous dampers, the complex complete quadratic combination (CCQC) method is deduced following similar procedures such as the well-known CQC method, in which a new modal velocity correlation coefficient, together with a new modal displacement-velocity correlation coefficient are involved besides the modal displacement correlation coefficient in normal CQC formula. The new algorithm of CCQC is not only as concise as that of the normal CQC but also has explicit physical meaning. The results obtained from complex mode superposition approaches are discussed and verified in some examples through step by step integration computation under a prescribed earth-quake motion input. From these examplary analyses, it may be pointed that the CCQC algorithm normally yields conservative outcome and that the forced mode uncoupling approach has good approximation even the discussed examplary structures are strongly non-proportional.     

RESISTANCE AND STRATEGIC RESPONSES IN FOOD SUPPLY NETWORKS: METRO CASH & CARRY IN BANGALORE

The transnational expansion of large retail and wholesale companies such as Metro, Carrefour and Wal‐Mart has caused changes in the market situation and consequent power shifts, not only in the retail sector but also in the supply networks in host countries. These developments at least potentially endanger the livelihoods of old established retailers, intermediaries and employees of these businesses. Thus, it is not surprising that the investments of the transnational companies can result in resistance from those affected. As an analysis of Metro and its activities in the federal state of Karnataka in India shows, this resistance can influence the activities of the company to develop a modern supply network. This study analyses the way in which the actors of resistance develop and exercise power and how this in turn influences Metro. The global production network (GPN) approach is used as an analytical framework. The results emphasize the importance of networks external to the firm for the analysis of processes of globalization. The company's behaviour cannot be understood unless the resistance is taken into account. The study shows that the GPN framework provides the tools to analyse the influence of actors such as civil society groups, trade unions and associations as part of the production network. However, up to now this option has rarely been used.