A model of rainfall based on finite-state cellular automata

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that a finite state cellular automata model is suitable for modeling rainfall in the space-time plane. The time-series properties of the simulated series are matched with historical rainfall data gathered from Whenuapai, NZ. The spatial scale of the model cells in related to land-area by optimizing the cross-correlation between sites at lag 0 relative to rainfall data collected from Auckland, NZ. The model is shown to be adequate for simulation in time, but inadequate in spatial dimension for short distances

Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink

Lakes have a disproportionate effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, we report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year−1) has increased by ~72 Tg year−1 since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO2 freshwater emissions rising to ~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while rising temperatures have a minimal effect

Fluorescent carbon dioxide indicators

Over the last decade, fluorescence has become the dominant tool in biotechnology and medical imaging. These exciting advances have been underpinned by the advances in time-resolved techniques and instrumentation, probe design, chemical / biochemical sensing, coupled with our furthered knowledge in biology. Complementary volumes 9 and 10, Advanced Concepts of Fluorescence Sensing: Small Molecule Sensing and Advanced Concepts of Fluorescence Sensing: Macromolecular Sensing, aim to summarize the current state of the art in fluorescent sensing. For this reason, Drs. Geddes and Lakowicz have invited chapters, encompassing a broad range of fluorescence sensing techniques. Some chapters deal with small molecule sensors, such as for anions, cations, and CO2, while others summarize recent advances in protein-based and macromolecular sensors. The Editors have, however, not included DNA or RNA based sensing in this volume, as this were reviewed in Volume 7 and is to be the subject of a more detailed volume in the near future

Petrology, petrogenesis, and geochronology review of the Cenozoic adakitic rocks of northeast Iran: Implications for evolution of the northern branch of Neo-Tethys

Cenozoic adakitic rocks of the northern part of the Central Iran Structural Zone (CISZ) are among the notable geological features of the terrains in northeast Iran, so a comprehensive comparison of several of these adakitic sequences is presented. This lithogeochemical analysis is constrained to examining adakitic magmatism of the three magmatic belts within the CISZ, which from southeast to northeast and from oldest to youngest are as follows: (a) south of Shahrood-Damghan, (b) north-northwest of Sabzevar-Neyshabour, and (c) south of Qouchan and west of Esfarayen. Radiogenic isotope analysis using Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd methods show that the adakitic rocks associated with Qouchan-Esfarayen magmatism have 0.512581 to 0.51288 initial 143Nd/144Nd and 0.703903 to 0.705627 initial 87Sr/86Sr, with εNd −0.86 to 4.98. Adakitic rocks in south to southeast Shahrood have 0.512775 to 0.512893 initial 143Nd/144Nd and 0.703746 to 0.705314 initial 87Sr/88Sr, with εNd 3.69 to 6.0, and adakites emplaced into the Sabzevar ophiolite have 0.512846 to 0.512911 initial 143Nd/144Nd and 0.70379 to 0.705019 initial 87Sr/86Sr contents with εNd of 5.26 to 6.54. Isotopic initial ratios of Nd and Sr support an origin involving partial melting of the subducting oceanic lithosphere of the northern branch of Neo-Tethys and the associated suprasubduction mantle wedge in producing these adakitic rocks

Sociology Back to the Publics

This article is a reading of the `new sociology' that is mainly identified with the works of C. Wright Mills and Alvin Gouldner. Its main argument is that during the past 40 years the new sociology gave back a public face to sociology. This distinguishes it from the `old sociology' that had not been able to free itself from `private' social values. It is argued that Mills' power elite and Gouldner's coming crisis theses provided the foundation for a common enterprise among many `new sociologists' to develop a critical and public sociology that would seek to shape what Mills called the `democratic society of publics'.`New sociologists' share a critique of modern societies, namely, that though most modern societies have formal democracies, a substantial democratic social structure of publics is often lacking, due to the erosion of the public sphere by private values

Geochemical and Nd-Sr Isotopic Compositions of Hypabyssal Adakites in the Torud-Ahmad Abad Magmatic Belt, Northern Central Iran Zone: Analysis of Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Implications

Eocene intermediate to felsic subvolcanic rocks of the Torud-Ahmad Abad magmatic belt (TAMB), in the northern part of the Central Iran zone, are exposed between the Torud and Ahmad Abad regions in South-Southeast Shahrood. These igneous rocks include hypabyssal dacite, trachyte, andesite, trachy-andesite, and basaltic andesite; they are mainly composed of phenocrysts and microcrystalline groundmass of pyroxene, amphibole, and plagioclase, with minor biotite and titanomagnetite; they form domal structures (plugs and stocks), dikes, and sills that intruded into Neoproterozoic to cogenetic Eocene volcano-sedimentary sequences. Based on isotopic analysis of these intermediate to acidic rocks, initial ratios of 143Nd/144Nd range from 0.512 775 to 0.512 893 and initial ratios of 87Sr/86Sr range from 0.703 746 to 0.705 314, with quite positive εNd(i) values of +3.69 to +6.00. They are enriched in light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements and depleted in heavy rare earth elements and high-field strength elements, the SiO2 content is (52–62) wt.%, and Na2O content >3 wt.%, Al2O3 content >16 wt.%, Yb <1.8 ppm, and Y <18 ppm. These geological, geochemical, and Sr and Nd isotopic data are consistent with adakitic signatures originating by partial melting of the subducted Neo-Tethys oceanic slab (Sabzevar branch) and lithospheric suprasubduction zone mantle. The mantle signatures typifying the rapidly emplaced adakitic rocks (slab (high-silica adakite) and suprasubduction zone (low-silica adakite) melts) together with their locally voluminous extent are evidences that support a locally extensional geodynamic setting; and the evidence is consistent with an evolution to local transpression in the Late Eocene in this convergent margin arc environment to rifting (basalts to adakites) towards submarine conditions in the Neogene

Spectrally tunable chiral Bragg reflectors for on-demand beam generation

We demonstrate the generation of spectrally tunable phase-dependent wavefronts, using the 2D Airy as the primary test case, via a polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal (PSCLC) element. Specifically, we use a novel spatial light modulator (SLM) based projection system to photo-align the initial helix angle landscape of the PSCLC so that it imparts the appropriate cubic phase profile to the reflected beam. This element is spectrally selective, with a reflection bandwidth of &asymp; 100 nm, and electrically tunable from &lambda; = 530 nm to 760 nm. Under both green and red laser illumination, the element is shown to conditionally form an Airy beam depending on the position of the electrically tailored reflection band. We briefly demonstrate the generality of this approach by producing PSCLC elements which form a computer-generated hologram and a higher-order Mathieu beam.</p

Dissecting the contribution of knee joint NGF to spinal nociceptive sensitization in a model of OA pain in the rat

Objective: Although analgesic approaches targeting nerve growth factor (NGF) for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) pain remain of clinical interest, neurophysiological mechanisms by which NGF contribute to OA pain remain unclear. We investigated the impact of local elevation of knee joint NGF on knee joint, vs remote (hindpaw), evoked responses of spinal neurones in a rodent model of OA pain. Design: In vivo spinal electrophysiology was carried out in anaesthetised rats with established pain behaviour and joint pathology following intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA), vs injection of saline. Neuronal responses to knee joint extension and flexion, mechanical punctate stimulation of the peripheral receptive fields over the knee and at a remote site (ipsilateral hind paw) were studied before, and following, intra-articular injection of NGF (10 mg/50 ml) or saline. Results: MIA-injected rats exhibited significant local (knee joint) and remote (lowered hindpaw withdrawal thresholds) changes in pain behaviour, and joint pathology. Intra-articular injection of NGF significantly (P<0.05) increased knee extension-evoked firing of spinal neurones and the size of the peripheral receptive fields of spinal neurones (100% increase) over the knee joint in MIA rats, compared to controls. Intra-articular NGF injection did not significantly alter responses of spinal neurones following noxious stimulation of the ipsilateral hind paw in MIA-injected rats. Conclusion: The facilitatory effects of intra-articular injection of NGF on spinal neurones receiving input from the knee joint provide a mechanistic basis for NGF mediated augmentation of OA knee pain, however additional mechanisms may contribute to the spread of pain to remote site

Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink

Lakes have a disproportionate effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, we report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year-1) has increased by ~72 Tg year-1 since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO2 freshwater emissions rising to ~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while rising temperatures have a minimal effect

Reading Ronaldo: contingent whiteness in the football media

Ever since his introduction to the first-­-team at Manchester United FC, Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro has been recognised as one of the footballing world’s most stand-­-out football players. In turn, Ronaldo has drawn the attention of scholars working across a number of disciplines. While sports economists and sociologists of sport, amongst others, have contributed to a growing literature about Ronaldo and the social implications of his on and off-­-field behaviour, few critical analyses have considered the racialised aspects of Ronaldo’s representations, or how audiences make sense of his racialised or ethnic identity. Using images of Ronaldo, which we presented to and discussed with self-­-identified physically active white British men, we explore what it is representations and audience interpretations of Ronaldo reveal about the complexities of white male identity formation. We do this to understand better how white male identities can be read and interpreted through and in the context of football. Facilitated by our conception of contingent whiteness, we argue that white British men’s interpretations of Ronaldo’s whiteness are inextricably linked to discourses of ‘race’, masculinities and football