A hydrogeological study of the Nhandugue River, Mozambique – A major groundwater recharge zone

The Nhandugue River flows over the western margin of the Urema Rift, the southernmost extension of the East African Rift System, and marks the north-western border of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. It constitutes one of the major indispensable water resources for the ecosystem that the park protects. Our study focused on the hydrogeological conditions at the western rift margin by resistivity measurements, soil sampling and discharge measurements. The resistivity results suggest that the area is heavily faulted and constitutes a major groundwater recharge zone. East of the rift margin the resistivity indicate that solid gneiss is fractured and weathered, and is overlain by sandstone and alluvial sediments. The top 10-15 m of the alluvial sequence is interpreted as sand. The sand layer extends back to the rift margin thus also covering the gneiss. The sandstone outcrops a few kilometers from the rift margin and dips towards east/south-east. Further into the rift valley, the sand is underlain by lenses of silt and clay on top of sand mixed with finer matter. In the lower end of the investigated area the lenses of silt and clay appears as a more or less continuous layer between the two sand units. The topmost alluvial sand constitutes an unconfined aquifer under which the solid gneiss forms a hydraulic boundary and the fractured gneiss an unconfined aquifer. The sandstone is an unconfined aquifer in the west, becoming semi-confined down dip. The lenses of silt and clay forms an aquitard and the underlying sand mixed with finer matter a semi-confined aquifer. The surface runoff decreases downstream and it is therefore concluded that surface water infiltrates as recharge to the aquifers and moves as groundwater in an east/south-eastward direction

Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane. Heat capacities and thermodynamic properties from 5 to 350 K

Heat capacities of crystalline or , (HOCH2)3CNH2, were measured from 5 to 350 K by adiabatic calorimetry. No thermal anomalies were found in this region. The observed heat capacities yield for Cp(298.15 K), So(298.15 K)-So(0), {Ho(298.15 K)-Ho(0)}/T and {Go(298.15 K)-Ho(0)}/T values of 39.96, 41.93, 21.28, and -20.65 calth K-1 mol-1. The measurements are employed to establish limits of occluded solvent contamination of this reference material.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34206/1/0000495.pd

Economic incentives for preserving biodiverse semi-natural pastures with calves from dairy cows

Economical profitability of pasture-based beef production is necessary for continued maintenance of semi-natural pastures. In a situation of decreased cattle stocks, there is a potential to castrate male calves from dairy cows and raise them as grazing steers instead of intact bulls reared indoors, which is the common way in the Nordic countries. We examined the profitability in model enterprises with either grazing steers or indoor bulls. Within the two genders (steer and bull), there were animals of two breed types (pure dairy breed and dairy x beef crossbreed), which were divided into an intensive or extensive production system. The intensive steer system had one summer on grass and slaughter at 21 months of age whereas the extensive steer system had two summers on grass and slaughter at 28 months of age. All bulls were reared indoors and slaughtered at 15 or 18 months of age. The profitability was calculated as contribution margin (CM; sigma revenues - sigma variable costs) in three different herd sizes (50, 100 and 150 slaughtered animals per year) and in three different regions in Sweden (the southern forest districts Gsk, the southern plain districts Gns, and the lower parts of the northern Nn). In the basic calculation, CM for all steers in large herds with 150 slaughtered animals per year was above zero for all cases in Gns, and for one case in Nn and in Gsk respectively. However, all steer cases had lower CM than the comparable bull system in the basic calculation. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate several possible ways of increasing the competitiveness of the grazing steers, compared to the bulls. Utilization of buildings without opportunity cost resulted in a CM above zero for all cases. Increasing the proportion of semi-natural pastures rendering high agrienvironmental payment and support was another effective mean. Decreasing the winter feed cost and labour demand on pasture reduced the costs, whereas producing premium-price certified pasture beef increased the revenue, all measures further contributing to an improved profitability. Pasture-based beef production from dairy-born steers can be economically viable, especially in large herds and with extensive production systems. Thereby, we conclude this system to has a potential to graze large areas of semi-natural pastures and thereby conserve their biodiversity and cultural values

Study protocol: a multi-professional team intervention of physical activity referrals in primary care patients with cardiovascular risk factors-the Dalby lifestyle intervention cohort (DALICO) study

Background: The present study protocol describes the trial design of a primary care intervention cohort study, which examines whether an extended, multi-professional physical activity referral (PAR) intervention is more effective in enhancing and maintaining self-reported physical activity than physical activity prescription in usual care. The study targets patients with newly diagnosed hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes. Secondary outcomes include: need of pharmacological therapy; blood pressure/plasma glucose; physical fitness and anthropometric variables; mental health; health related quality of life; and cost-effectiveness. Methods/Design: The study is designed as a long term intervention. Three primary care centres are involved in the study, each constituting one of three treatment groups: 1) Intervention group (IG): multi-professional team intervention with PAR, 2) Control group A (CA): physical activity prescription in usual care and 3) Control group B: treatment as usual (retrospective data collection). The intervention is based on self-determination theory and follows the principles of motivational interviewing. The primary outcome, physical activity, is measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and expressed as metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-minutes per week. Physical fitness is estimated with the 6-minute walk test in IG only. Variables such as health behaviours; health-related quality of life; motivation to change; mental health; demographics and socioeconomic characteristics are assessed with an electronic study questionnaire that submits all data to a patient database, which automatically provides feed-back to the health-care providers on the patients' health status. Cost-effectiveness of the intervention is evaluated continuously and the intermediate outcomes of the intervention are extrapolated by economic modelling. Discussions: By helping patients to overcome practical, social and cultural obstacles and increase their internal motivation for physical activity we aim to improve their physical health in a long- term perspective. The targeted patients belong to a patient category that is supposed to benefit from increased physical activity in terms of improved physiological values, mental status and quality of life, decreased risk of complications and maybe a decreased need of medication

Genus och konflikthantering i skolan. Hur konflikter hanteras och betydelsen av genus i konfliktsituationer.

Arbetets titel Genus och konflikthantering i skolan. Hur konflikter hanteras och betydelsen av genus i konfliktsituationer. Arbetets art Examensarbete i det allmänna utbildningsområdet för lärarprogrammet Sidantal 28 Författare Kristina Arvidsson och Ann Frednäs Handledare Kerstin Sundman Tidpunkt Höstterminen 2005 Bakgrund Vårt intresse för genus och konflikthantering har väckts under lärarutbildningen. Konflikter är något som ständigt inträffar och vi anser det av stor vikt att vi kan hantera dessa på ett konstruktivt sätt. Vidare finner vi det intressant och viktigt att studera könets betydelse i konfliktsituationer. Syfte Syftet med studien är att studera genus och konflikthantering i skolan. Detta för att få en insikt i betydelsen av genus i konfliktsituationer och för att finna verktyg för konflikthantering. Material och metod Uppsatsen bygger på material i form av litteratur som tar upp tidigare forskning kring genus och konflikthantering. Den bygger också på dagboksanteckningar gjorda av lärare under hösten 2005. Vi har genomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med manliga och kvinnliga lärare. Slutsatser Betydelsen av genus i konfliktsituationer är påtaglig. Lärarens roll och förhållningssätt är avgörande för om och hur de traditionella könsrollerna efterföljs eller omstruktureras. Det är viktigt att ha en beredskap för att kunna hantera konflikter, då konflikter är vanligt förekommande inom skolans värld. Nyckelbegrepp Genus, konflikter, konflikthanteringsmodeller, skola