Patterns of Industrial Change in the Federal Republic of Germany. Part I: Flows of Manufacturing Output and Energy Input

The work on patterns of industrial change in the Federal Republic of Germany is one of a series of case studies that are underway as part of IIASA's research into economic structural change and growth. A summary of the first case study, which relates to the United States, was distributed in 1983 (Claire P. Doblin, "Patterns of Industrial Change in the USA Since 1970: A Preliminary Summary." Working Paper WP-83-103. Laxenburg, Austria: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. November 1983). The FRG Case Study consists of two parts. Part I, which is reported here, deals with the major trends in structural change observed for the growth of capital stock and the flows of output and energy demand within the manufacturing sector of the FRG since 1950. This part was prepared by Claire Doblin. In Part II, Michael Kraus has undertaken an empirical analysis of the energy intensities of the manufacturing sector in the FRG over the same period, in which he attempts to separate the effects of structural change and technical progress in decreasing the demand for energy at both the sectoral and the industry level

German Democratic Republic: Energy Demand Data

The purpose of the paper is to expand the data base for the W.D. Nordhaus study: The Demand for Energy (IIASA CP-76-1, pp. 511-587; see also IIASA RM 76-18) through the addition of centrally planned economies. The paper gives sources, definitions and shows final energy consumption and prices by type of fuel and sector of the economy and various macro-economic data, covering a span of 20 years. The compilations are based on official GDR statistics, and direct contributions made by GDR participants to workshops on "Energy Demand" and "Regional Energy/Environmental Systems" held by IIASA at Laxenburg in 1975. Re-grouping of the data to conform with the concepts used for the Nordhaus study are the responsibility of the author

Patterns of Industrial Change in the USA since 1960: A Preliminary Summary

This analysis of industrial changes in the USA is the first in a series of case studies on structural changes since 1960. Generally, this has been a period of economic growth in the USA, but no means all industries have shared in it to the same extent. Measured by means of index numbers, the growth of total national production represents the national average. Industries with slower growth than that for total industrial production may be viewed as underperformers, and those with faster growth as overperformers. The growth differential is also reflected in the percentage shares held by individual industries in total output (sales values and value added) and capital stock (equipment). The analysis covers 127 US industries at the disaggregated 3-digit SIC level. The major results are that the combined share in total output (sales values at 1972 prices) by the underperformers receded from 61% in 1960 to 50% in 1980; or from 55% to 43% in terms of value added (also at 1972 prices). The most prominent 'losers' are: food (dairy, grain mill, and bakery products); primary metals (steel); transportation equipment (automobiles); and stone, clay, and glass products (cement). With the addition of industries that were still growing faintly in the 1960s, but more slowly than the average in the 1970s, for example, textile mill products, metal fabrications, and others, the combined share of the losers eroded from 78% of total output in 1960 to 67% in 1980 (sales values) or from 73% in 1960 to 62% in 1980 (in terms of value added), whereas the share of the 'winners' moved up from 20% in 1960 to 32% in 1980 (sales values) and from 26% in 1960 to 37% in 1980 (value added). The growth industries include nonelectrical machinery (office and computing machinery; refrigeration and service machinery), electrical and electronic equipment (especially electronic equipment and accessories and communication equipment, as well as radio and TV equipment), investments, and chemicals (drugs and pharmaceuticals, soap and toiletries--but not industrial inorganic chemicals). Only one industry, furniture and fixtures, did not change its output share over the period studied. The age and structure of the stock of capital equipment held by the manufacturing industries also reflected some of the structural changes in output. Primary steel and textile mills were found to have the oldest equipment. But not all of the losers in output were losers in terms of capital stock growth. This reflects the investment activity since the 1970s and may indicate a more promising future for currently depressed industries that have been retooling, such as automobiles and, at one time, coal processing. Overall, the structural changes reflect the decline of the more basic industries using long-established technologies that are both labor- and energy-intensive but low in value added, and the growth of industries with new and more sophisticated technologies based on innovation, which are high in value added. This demonstrates that over the last 20 years US industry has continued on the path towards higher industrialization. The impact on the economy as a whole may be a slowdown in the growth (not an absolute decrease) of energy demand by the industrial sector, if and when a substantial recovery occurs

Characterising primary productivity measurements across a dynamic western boundary current region

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Determining the magnitude of primary production (PP) in a changing ocean is a major research challenge. Thousands of estimates of marine PP exist globally, but there remain significant gaps in data availability, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. In situ PP estimates are generally single-point measurements and therefore we rely on satellite models of PP in order to scale up over time and space. To reduce the uncertainty around the model output, these models need to be assessed against in situ measurements before use. This study examined the vertically-integrated productivity in four water-masses associated with the East Australian Current (EAC), the major western boundary current (WBC) of the South Pacific. We calculated vertically integrated PP from shipboard 14C PP estimates and then compared them to estimates from four commonly used satellite models (ESQRT, VGPM, VGPM-Eppley, VGPM-Kameda) to assess their utility for this region. Vertical profiles of the water-column show each water-mass had distinct temperature-salinity signatures. The depth of the fluorescence-maximum (fmax) increased from onshore (river plume) to offshore (EAC) as light penetration increased. Depth integrated PP was highest in river plumes (792±181mgCm-2d-1) followed by the EAC (534±116mgCm-2d-1), continental shelf (140±47mgCm-2d-1) and cyclonic eddy waters (121±4mgCm-2d-1). Surface carbon assimilation efficiency was greatest in the EAC (301±145mgC (mgChl-a)-1d-1) compared to other water masses. All satellite primary production models tested underestimated EAC PP and overestimated continental shelf PP. The ESQRT model had the highest skill and lowest bias of the tested models, providing the best first-order estimates of PP on the continental shelf, including at a coastal time-series station, Port Hacking, which showed considerable inter-annual variability (155-2957mgCm-2d-1). This work provides the first estimates of depth integrated PP associated with the East Australian Current in temperate Australia. The ongoing intensification of all WBCs makes it critical to understand the variability in PP at the regional scale. More accurate predictions in the EAC region will require vertically-resolved in situ productivity and bio-optical measurements across multiple time scales to allow development of other models which simulate dynamic ocean conditions

Potential for adaptation in response to thermal stress in an intertidal macroalga

Understanding responses of marine algae to changing ocean temperatures requires knowledge of the impacts of elevated temperatures and the likelihood of adaptation to thermal stress. The potential for rapid evolution of thermal tolerance is dependent on the levels of heritable genetic variation in response to thermal stress within a population. Here, we use a quantitative genetic breeding design to establish whether there is a heritable variation in thermal sensitivity in two populations of a habitat-forming intertidal macroalga, Hormosira banksii (Turner) Descaisne. Gametes from multiple parents were mixed and growth and photosynthetic performance were measured in the resulting embryos, which were incubated under control and elevated temperature (20°C and 28°C). Embryo growth was reduced at 28°C, but significant interactions between male genotype and temperature in one population indicated the presence of genetic variation in thermal sensitivity. Selection for more tolerant genotypes thus has the ability to result in the evolution of increased thermal tolerance. Furthermore, genetic correlations between embryos grown in the two temperatures were positive, indicating that those genotypes that performed well in elevated temperature also performed well in control temperature. Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements showed a marked decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) under elevated temperature. There was an increase in the proportion of energy directed to photoinhibition (nonregulated nonphotochemical quenching) and a concomitant decrease in energy used to drive photochemistry and xanthophyll cycling (regulated nonphotochemical quenching). However, PSII performance between genotypes was similar, suggesting that thermal sensitivity is related to processes other than photosynthesis. © 2013 Phycological Society of America

Relative impact of seasonal and oceanographic drivers on surface chlorophyll a along a Western Boundary Current

Strengthening Western Boundary Currents (WBCs) advect warm, low nutrient waters into temperate latitudes, displacing more productive waters. WBCs also influence phytoplankton distribution and growth through current-induced upwelling, mesoscale eddy intrusion and seasonal changes in strength and poleward penetration. Here we examine dynamics of chlorophyll a (Chl. a) in the western Pacific Ocean, a region strongly influenced by the East Australian Current (EAC). We interpreted a spatial and temporal analysis of satellite-derived surface Chl. a, using a hydrodynamic model, a wind-reanalysis product and an altimetry-derived eddy-census. Our analysis revealed regions of persistently elevated surface Chl. a along the continental shelf and showed that different processes have a dominant effect in different locations. In the northern and central zones, upwelling events tend to regulate surface Chl. a patterns, with peaks in phytoplankton biomass corresponding to two known upwelling locations south of Cape Byron (28.5°S) and Smoky Cape (31°S). Within the central EAC separation zone, positive surface Chl. a anomalies occurred 65% of the time when both wind-stress (τw) and bottom-stress (τB) were upwelling-favourable, and only 17% of the time when both were downwelling-favourable. The interaction of wind and the EAC was a critical driver of surface Chl. a dynamics, with upwelling-favourable τW resulting in a 70% increase in surface Chl. a at some locations, when compared to downwelling-favourable τW. In the southern zone, surface Chl. a was driven by a strong seasonal cycle, with phytoplankton biomass increasing up to 152% annually each spring. The Stockton Bight region (32.25-33.25°S) contained ≥20% of the total shelf Chl. a on 27% of occasions due to its location downstream of upwelling locations, wide shelf area and reduced surface velocities. This region is analogous to productive fisheries regions in the Aghulus Current (Natal Bight) and Kuroshio Current (Enshu-nada Sea). These patterns of phytoplankton biomass show contrasting temporal dynamics north and south of the central EAC separation zone with more episodic upwelling-driven Chl. a anomalies to the north, compared with regular annual spring bloom dynamics to the south. We expect changes in the strength of the EAC to have greater influence on shelf phytoplankton dynamics to the north of the separation zone. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Surface immuno-functionalisation for the capture and detection of vibrio species in the marine environment: A new management tool for industrial facilities

© 2014 Laczka et al. Bacteria from the genus Vibrio are a common and environmentally important group of bacteria within coastal environments and include species pathogenic to aquaculture organisms. Their distribution and abundance are linked to specific environmental parameters, including temperature, salinity and nutrient enrichment. Accurate and efficient detection of Vibrios in environmental samples provides a potential important indicator of overall ecosystem health while also allowing rapid management responses for species pathogenic to humans or species implicated in disease of economically important aquacultured fish and invertebrates. In this study, we developed a surface immuno-functionalisation protocol, based on an avidin-biotin type covalent binding strategy, allowing specific sandwich-type detection of bacteria from the Vibrio genus. The assay was optimized on 12 diverse Vibrio strains, including species that have implications for aquaculture industries, reaching detection limits between 7×103 to 3×104 cells mL-1. Current techniques for the detection of total Vibrios rely on laborious or inefficient analyses resulting in delayed management decisions. This work represents a novel approach for a rapid, accurate, sensitive and robust tool for quantifying Vibrios directly in industrial systems and in the environment, thereby facilitating rapid management responses

Subtropical zooplankton assemblage promotes the harmful cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii in a mesocosm experiment

© The Author 2014. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) with public health impacts threaten freshwater ecosystems, including drinking water reservoirs, globally. Subtropical systems are often dominated by filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria, algae that are potentially less accessible for consumption by resident meso-zooplankton grazers. Less understood than selective grazing is the role of zooplankton in regenerating nutrients and facilitating growth of algae with efficient uptake strategies, such as the toxin-producing cyanobacterium, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Using ∼800-L bags suspended in the upper 3 m of the water column, we examined the growth of C. raciborskii under four treatments: 3 × ambient zooplankton biomass, 10 × zooplankton, 10 × zooplankton plus inorganic P addition and a no amendment control (3Z, 10Z, 10ZP, control, respectively). After 4 days, C. raciborskii relative abundance doubled in the 10Z and 10ZP treatments compared with the control and 3Z treatments, and after 7 days P addition resulted in ∼20% higher relative C. raciborskii biomass compared with other treatments, and an order of magnitude increase in N-fixing phytoplankton. The particulate C: P ratio declined in the 10Z and 10ZP mesocosms, indicating that meso-zooplankton facilitated P transfer to algae. Overall, the copepod dominated subtropical meso-zooplankton assemblage promoted C. raciborskii abundance and biomass over the short-term, demonstrating their facilitation of subtropical freshwater HAB formation

Colorimetric detection of caspase 3 activity and reactive oxygen derivatives: Potential early indicators of thermal stress in corals

© 2016 Mickael Ros et al. There is an urgent need to develop and implement rapid assessments of coral health to allow effective adaptive management in response to coastal development and global change. There is now increasing evidence that activation of caspase-dependent apoptosis plays a key role during coral bleaching and subsequent mortality. In this study, a "clinical" approach was used to assess coral health by measuring the activity of caspase 3 using a commercial kit. This method was first applied while inducing thermal bleaching in two coral species, Acropora millepora and Pocillopora damicornis. The latter species was then chosen to undergo further studies combining the detection of oxidative stress-related compounds (catalase activity and glutathione concentrations) as well as caspase activity during both stress and recovery phases. Zooxanthellae photosystem II (PSII) efficiency and cell density were measured in parallel to assess symbiont health. Our results demonstrate that the increased caspase 3 activity in the coral host could be detected before observing any significant decrease in the photochemical efficiency of PSII in the algal symbionts and/or their expulsion from the host. This study highlights the potential of host caspase 3 and reactive oxygen species scavenging activities as early indicators of stress in individual coral colonies