Khipus, khipu boards and sacred texts : toward a philology of Andean knotted cords

This research was funded by the National Geographic Society, the Leverhulme Trust, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, and the University of St. Andrews.Although the knotted cord texts known as khipus have been created in the Andes for over a millennium (ca. AD 950–1950), their historical philology has been little understood. This study, based on original archival and ethnographic research, analyzes hybrid khipu/alphabetic texts known as “khipu boards,” examining their development in colonial Peru, and their role in twentieth-century Andean rituals. Particular attention is paid to a previously unknown sacred manuscript, the Entablo, from the community of San Pedro de Casta, Peru, which describes how villagers used khipu boards in their annual religious ceremonies until the 1950s. This study reveals new insights into the social and symbolic nature of post-Inka khipus as texts, particularly with reference to gender, place, and knowledge.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Ethnography, Engagement, Evaluations, and Endings: The Achievements and Limitations of Community Outreach at Çatalhöyük

Middle Eastern Studie

Analysis of interfacial shrinkage stresses in patch repairs

This paper presents simple analytical expressions that predict the interfacial shrinkage stresses in a repair patch over time. Four repair materials (L2, L3, L4 and G1) were applied by spraying (gunite) to unpropped compression members of two highway structures, and their performance was monitored to approximately six months' age. The elastic moduli of all the repair materials, E rm , were greater than the elastic moduli of the substrate concrete, E sub . The mechanics of patch repair interaction with the substrate were established, and analytical models, based on an analogy of the bimetallic strip undergoing a drop in temperature, were developed. Basic properties of the repair material (elastic modulus, shrinkage and tensile creep) and substrate concrete (elastic modulus), and geometrical details of the repair patch, are required to analyse the interfacial stresses in the repair patch. Verification of the analytical procedures is based on the field data, and the results show a satisfactory correlation between the actual and predicted stress redistribution.</p

The stringent response inhibits 70S ribosome formation in Staphylococcus aureus by impeding GTPase-ribosome interactions

During nutrient limitation, bacteria produce the alarmones (p)ppGpp as effectors of a stress signaling network termed the stringent response. RsgA, RbgA, Era, and HflX are four ribosome-associated GTPases (RA-GTPases) that bind to (p)ppGpp in Staphylococcus aureus. These enzymes are cofactors in ribosome assembly, where they cycle between the ON (GTP-bound) and OFF (GDP-bound) ribosome-associated states. Entry into the OFF state occurs upon hydrolysis of GTP, with GTPase activity increasing substantially upon ribosome association. When bound to (p)ppGpp, GTPase activity is inhibited, reducing 70S ribosome assembly and growth. Here, we determine how (p)ppGpp impacts RA-GTPase-ribosome interactions. We show that RA-GTPases preferentially bind to 59-diphosphate-containing nucleotides GDP and ppGpp over GTP, which is likely exploited as a regulatory mechanism within the cell to shut down ribosome biogenesis during stress. Stopped-flow fluorescence and association assays reveal that when bound to (p)ppGpp, the association of RA-GTPases to ribosomal subunits is destabilized, both in vitro and within bacterial cells. Consistently, structural analysis of the ppGpp-bound RA-GTPase RsgA reveals an OFF-state conformation similar to the GDP-bound state, with the G2/switch I loop adopting a conformation incompatible with ribosome association. Altogether, we highlight (p)ppGpp-mediated inhibition of RA-GTPases as a major mechanism of stringent response-mediated ribosome assembly and growth control

Geology of the Dhaulagiri-Annapurna-Manaslu Himalaya, Western Region, Nepal. 1:200,000

Geological mapping of mountains belts is fundamental to understanding their structure and evolution. Here, a 1:200,000 scale geological map of the central Himalaya of Western Region, Nepal is presented. This map represents a compilation of previously published maps, integrated with new geological field data. The wide spatial coverage of the map and the accompanying cross sections reveal the detailed structure of the Dhaulagiri-Annapurna-Manaslu Himalaya. The addition of modern topographic and infrastructure data makes this map suitable for navigation through the region

Control of Grain-Boundary Pinning in Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 Composites with Ce 3+ /Ce 4+ Doping

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65897/1/j.1151-2916.1992.tb04147.x.pd

Visitor expenditure estimation for grocery store location planning: a case study of Cornwall

Visitor expenditure is an important driver of demand in many local economies, supporting a range of services and facilities which may not be viable based solely on residential demand. In areas where self-catering accommodation is prevalent visitor demand makes up a considerable proportion of sales and revenue within grocery stores, yet this form of visitor consumption is commonly overlooked in supply and demand-side estimates of visitor spend. As such, store location planning in tourist resorts, decisions about local service provision and the local economic impacts of tourism are based on very limited demand-side estimates of visitor spend. Using Cornwall, South West England as a study area, we outline a methodology and data sources to estimate small-area visitor grocery spend. We use self-catering accommodation provision, utilisation and visitor expenditure rates as key factors driving visitor spend. We identify that the use of visitor accommodation accounts for the spatial and temporal complexities of visitor demand that may be overlooked when using alternative approaches, such as the up-scaling of residential demand. Using a spatial interaction model, we demonstrate that our expenditure estimates can be used to generate store level revenue estimation within tourist resorts, and we make a number of recommendations for service provision and store location planning in these areas