Multivariate methods in aquaculture research: case studies of tilapias in experimental and commercial systems

This volume documents the usefulness of multivariate methods û notably multiple regression, path analysis and canonical correlation û in the context of aquaculture, which has to date tended to neglect such methods, and hence to underutilize available data. All examples used here stem from experimental and/or commercial tilapia culture systems, and hence this book also represents an advance in the understanding of such systems.Aquaculture, Tilapia culture, Growth, Multivariate analysis Oreochromis

Changes in soil hydraulic conductivity, runoff, and soil loss due to irrigation with different types of salinesodic water

Not AvailableIrrigation with saline–sodic water causes sodic conditions in the soil which reduces soil productivity. We evaluated the changes in a number of important indices related to soil structural stability when treated wastewater (TWW), albeit with higher loads of organic matter and suspended solids, was used instead of more saline–sodic irrigation water, under different degrees of aggregate slaking. We studied soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (HC) using disturbed samples packed in columns, and soil infiltration rate, runoff and erosion under simulated rainfall. Aggregate slaking was manipulated by wetting the samples prior to all tests at either a slow (1–2 mm h−1 ) or a fast (50 mm h−1 ) rate. Samples of a calcareous silty clay (Typic Calciorthids) from the Bet She'an Valley, Israel, were taken from plots irrigated for three years with either TWW, saline–sodic Jordan River water (JRW), or moderately saline–sodic spring water (SPW), and also from a non-cultivated area (control). With little or no aggregate slaking (use of slow wetting), higher HC values and lower amounts of total runoff and soil loss were measured compared to when more severe aggregate slaking was induced (use of fast wetting). The HC values for the TWW treatment were similar to, or lower than, those for the control and significantly higher than those for the JRW treatment. For the runoff and soil loss data, differences among the water quality treatments were, generally, more pronounced when aggregate slaking was substantially reduced, and were related to soil sodicity. Under the latter condition, runoff and soil loss from the TWW treatment were comparable with those from the control and significantly lower than those from the JRW treatment. Our results suggested that replacing saline– sodic irrigation water with TWW could have favorable effects on soil structural stability, especially under conditions where aggregate slaking can be reduced (e.g., in regions with low to moderate rain intensities; and/or use of low intensity irrigation systems). © 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.Not Availabl

Inhabited Scrolls from the IVth to the VIIth Century A.D. in Asia Minor and the Eastern Provinces of the Byzantine Empire

The "inhabited scroll" is a sinusoidal ornament of vegetal nature - either of vine or acanthus, or even, but rarely an ivy stem, filled with human and animal figures, e.g. vintagers, hares, partridges, and inanimate objects, e.g. baskets and vases. The motif, whose origins have been traced back to Hellenistic ornamental metalwork of the fourth-third century B.C., was popular in the Roman East. The present study confined to inhabited scrolls in architectural sculpture and on mosaic pavements from the fourth to the seventh century in Constantinople and in the eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire, examines the motif within its immediate architectural, geographical, economic, social and artistic context. It is based on 37 inhabited scrolls in architectural sculpture and 116 on mosaic pavements collected in the course of field-work in Turkey, Cyprus, the Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel, embodied in the catalogue of Vol. II and illustrated in Vols. Ill and IV. Owing to the nature of the material (destroyed, lost, damaged), and in view of its uneven publication, a systematic processing of it has been necessary. It includes the elaboration of a code of types of inhabited scrolls which condenses information and simplifies description. The geographical distribution of inhabited scrolls is examined and the evolution of the motif is traced from late Imperial times, a development illuminated by newly discovered second and third century inhabited scrolls in the Eastern Mediterranean. An attempt is also made to put forward reasons for changes in the distribution patterns from the Roman period when inhabited scrolls predominate in North Africa to the early Byzantine period, when they cluster in the Levant. The cluster in Syro-Cilicia and Palestine is accounted for principally by the booming economic situation of the area in the fifth-sixth century period. The code, moreover, provides a useful means of analysis from which inferences may be drawn particularly in the study of the predominance of some types of inhabited scroll patterns over others and the question of pattern books. Technical aspects of the study, e.g. the analysis of mosaic beds and tesserae stones, size of tesserae and number of tesserae to the dm2, provide information which may be combined with code-type, measurements of pavements, diameter of scrolls, composition, stylistic elements and date to determine "regional groupings" of inhabited scrolls. It is argued that workshops proper can only be determined by a computed cluster analysis combining the various attributes of inhabited scroll pavements cited above. Finally the question of the symbolic significance of the motif is discussed. Like most other motifs from the Graeco-Roman artistic repertory, the inhabited scroll passed into Jewish and Christian art alike, taking a different meaning according to the period, the religion, the building and the onlooker

Measuring Urban Sprawl - how Can we Deal with It?

Measuring urban sprawl is a controversial topic among scholars who investigate the urban landscape. In fact, most researchers agree that sprawl is a complex phenomenon, and moving from “sprawl” to “compact” form is more likely to be a direction on a continuum rather than a fixed and measurable category. This study attempts to measure sprawl in Israel from a landscape perspective. The measures and indices used in the study derive from various research disciplines, such as urban research, ecological research, and fractal geometry. Five main groups of indices that quantify the urban landscape were included in the research: density, shape/fractals, leapfrog, mean patch size, and land-use composition. The examination was based on an urban land-use survey that was performed in 78 urban settlements over the course of 15 yeas. Thirteen measures of sprawl were calculated at each settlement and then weighted into one integrated sprawl index through factor analysis. The calculations were performed for the beginning and the end of the period investigated, thus enabling a description of sprawl rates and their dynamics during a time period of two decades. The results show that urban sprawl is a multidimensional phenomenon that is better quantified by various measures; thus, it cannot be measured by only one or two popular measures, such as density or growth rates, as often is done in many urban studies. In addition, the results indicate that most urban settlements in Israel showed less sprawling and became more compact during the past two decades: density and mean patch-size measures became higher; shape, fractal, and leapfrog measures became lower; and land-use composition did not dramatically change during the period investigated. Furthermore, some measures were found to be more dominant and effective and others less effective on a municipal scale.

A Hall For Hercules At Ostia And A Farewell To The Late Antique >Pagan Revival>

In 1945, Herbert Bloch published an inscription from Ostia recording the restoration of a cellam Herc[ulis] in the late fourth century and suggested that it heralded the last pagan revival in the western Roman empire. Social historians now largely dispute this thesis, yet the details of the Ostian evidence remain unchallenged. This article demonstrates that the Hercules inscription, which Bloch attributed to the so-called Temple of Hercules (1.15.5) at Ostia, more probably records the restoration of a bath complex once decorated with the labors of Hercules. Given the persistence of traditional religious practices now known to have characterized the Late Antique city, neither the restoration of the baths nor the temple need bear the weight of religious revivalism. Evidence suggests that the urban image of fourth-century Ostia remained inconspicuously traditional, even as Christianity gained a more visible presence in the town.*Classic

Terremoti e tsunami nella Palestina romana: conseguenze e iniziative post-sismiche nei centri urbani tra I sec. a.C. e IV sec. d.C.

The region corresponding to Roman Palestine, crossed by the Dead Sea Fault, has been affected several times by earthquakes and tsunamis, which have periodically caused damage and destruction. Biblical, literary, and Rabbinical sources report echoes of these events. Furthermore, archaeological investigations have sometimes brought evidence and signs on architectural structures to light. Several studies have dealt with the sequence of these events based on sources. However, a broader approach still needs to be added, which examines archaeological evidence and consequences for cities and populations. This contribution, which combines analysis of literary sources and archaeological data, intends to tackle the question of the impact that seismic events have had on urban planning and city life. Additionally, considering a selection of case studies (Caesarea Maritima, Nysa-Schytopolis, Jerusalem, Ascalon, and Sepphoris), this analysis aims to investigate the reaction of local communities, their resiliency, and political initiatives. The results indicate that only the great earthquake of 363 AD significantly affected cities' civil organization and urban planning.Il territorio corrispondente alla Palestina romana, attraversato dalla cd. Faglia del Mar Morto, è stato interessato molte volte da terremoti e tsunami che periodicamente hanno causato danni e distruzioni. Se ne trovano menzioni nelle fonti bibliche, letterarie e rabbiniche. Anche le indagini archeologiche hanno talvolta individuato i segni lasciati dai terremoti sulle strutture architettoniche. Numerosi sono gli studi che hanno raccolto la sequenza di tali eventi sulla base delle fonti, senza tuttavia un riscontro archeologico né una verifica più ampia sulle conseguenze per le città e la popolazione. Il presente contributo, attraverso un’analisi combinata di fonti e dati archeologici, intende affrontare uno studio su alcune città romane (Cesarea, Nysa Schitopolis, Gerusalemme, Ascalona, Sepphoris) per verificare l’impatto che gli eventi sismici hanno avuto sull’urbanistica e sulla vita delle città stesse, gli effetti sugli edifici e le modalità di reazione delle locali comunità. I risultati indicano che solamente il grande terremoto del 363 d.C. ebbe effetti significativi sull’organizzazione civile e sull’urbanistica delle citt

An Islamic monetary theory of value and equation of exchange: evidence from Egypt (696–1517)

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to present an Islamic monetary theory of value by analyzing real prices and real money in terms of gold and silver in Egypt from 696-1517, a period of 821 years from the Umayyads to the Abbasids. Design/methodology/approach - It adopts a quantitative empirical investigation derived from a full population of secondary data to deductively evaluate the measure and store of value functions of money, to affirm an Islamic monetary theory of value, which is also inductively researched through a qualitative interpretation of documentary and content analysis of Islamic and numismatic literature. Findings - The Islamic monetary theory of value leads to an Islamic equation of exchange that reconfirms the outcome of this research, where a high value of money ensures low constant real prices over the long term. Research limitations/implications - The findings are based on an empirical investigation involving a single price of wheat series as a reasonable proxy for changes in wholesale commodity prices generally, which was successfully adopted by other studies. Practical implications - The significance for modern monetary policy is that monetary authorities should adopt an Islamic monetary theory of value to achieve genuine monetary and price stability. Social implications - Through an Islamic equation of exchange, price stability would ensure real economic growth that protects wealth for holders of money due to a stable purchasing power, and combined with Islamic equity finance is more efficient in allocating investible resources to increase GDP and employment. Originality/value - The Islamic monetary theory of value ensures that there is no transfer or confiscation of wealth through inflation, which would impart gains to the issuer due to the excessive supply of money in relation to demand

Economic evaluation of biological rodent control using barn owls Tyto alba in alfalfa

Motro, Y