Solomon Islands forest life: information on biology and management of forest resources

Solomon Islands Forest Life is a collaborative effort drawing on the experience and knowledge of many individuals. The book was compiled as part of a project funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund with support from John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation and will be distributed for free among secondary schools throughout Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands Forest Life gives an overview of the terrestrial environments of the Solomon Islands, their ecology, important species, and some of the key threats they face. The Solomon Islands are one of the most biologically rich archipelagos on earth. Huge proportions of the animals and plants found there are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else on earth. These species are closely linked to the culture, livelihoods and well being of people. Commercial logging, mining and a fast rate of population growth threaten the forests of Solomon Islands and are placing increasing pressure on natural resources. This book aims to complement the already deep understanding of the terrestrial environment by Solomon Islanders, allowing them to learn more and assist them in understanding how to manage new threats

Teaching English to Young Learners. International TEYL Research Papers : 2016

This 2016 edition of TEYL research papers contains reports on small-scale classroom-based action research undertaken by post-graduate students for completion of their Master of Arts degree in Teaching English to Young Learners, from the University of York. In this edition, four papers are presented, focussing on: the impact of assessment descriptors on 12-14 year-old English language learners’ written work through increased self-awareness undertaken in Portugal (Diana England); teaching active listening skills to 14-16 year-old Spanish learners of English (John Lavery); the value of songs in the classroom to enhance vocabulary retention with very young learners in Greece (Soultana Papaioannou); the use of DARTs (analysis-directed activities related to text) to develop reading comprehension in 12-13 ESL year-old learners in a South-East Asian science classroom (Mark Anthony Steacy). This edition has been compiled and edited by Kate Gregson from the MATEYL supervisory team at the University of York

The same mode again? An exploration of mode choice variability in Great Britain using the National Travel Survey

© 2015 The Authors. The main focus of travel behaviour research has been explaining differences in behaviour between individuals (interpersonal variability) with less emphasis given to the variability of behaviour within individuals (intrapersonal variability). The subject of this paper is the variability of transport modes used by individuals in their weekly travel. Our review shows that previous studies have not allowed the full use of different modes in weekly travel to be taken into account, have used categorical variables as simple indicators of modal variability and have only considered a limited set of explanatory indicators in seeking to explain modal variability. In our analysis we use National Travel Survey data for Great Britain. We analyse modal variability with continuous measures of modal variability (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, the difference in mode share between the primary and secondary mode, the total number of modes used). Taking inspiration from Hägerstrand (1970), we conceive that modal variability is determined by different types of spatial mobility constraints and find that reduced modal variability is predicted for having mobility difficulties, being aged over 60, being non-white, working full-time, living in smaller settlement, lower household income, having regular access to a car, having no public transport pass/season ticket and not owning a bicycle. The findings can support a change in perspective in transport policy from encouraging people to replace the use of one mode with another to encouraging people to make a change to their relative use of different transport modes

Sediment properties as important predictors of carbon storage in zostera marina meadows: a comparison of four European areas

Seagrass ecosystems are important natural carbon sinks but their efficiency varies greatly depending on species composition and environmental conditions. What causes this variation is not fully known and could have important implications for management and protection of the seagrass habitat to continue to act as a natural carbon sink. Here, we assessed sedimentary organic carbon in Zostera marina meadows (and adjacent unvegetated sediment) in four distinct areas of Europe (Gullmar Fjord on the Swedish Skagerrak coast, Asko in the Baltic Sea, Sozopol in the Black Sea and Ria Formosa in southern Portugal) down to similar to 35 cm depth. We also tested how sedimentary organic carbon in Z. marina meadows relates to different sediment characteristics, a range of seagrass-associated variables and water depth. The seagrass carbon storage varied greatly among areas, with an average organic carbon content ranging from 2.79 +/- 0.50% in the Gullmar Fjord to 0.17 +/- 0.02% in the area of Sozopol. We found that a high proportion of fine grain size, high porosity and low density of the sediment is strongly related to high carbon content in Z. marina sediment. We suggest that sediment properties should be included as an important factor when evaluating high priority areas in management of Z. marina generated carbon sinks

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Blue Carbon Storage Capacity of Temperate Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows

Despite the importance of coastal ecosystems for the global carbon budgets, knowledge of their carbon storage capacity and the factors driving variability in storage capacity is still limited. Here we provide an estimate on the magnitude and variability of carbon stocks within a widely distributed marine foundation species throughout its distribution area in temperate Northern Hemisphere. We sampled 54 eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows, spread across eight ocean margins and 36° of latitude, to determine abiotic and biotic factors influencing organic carbon (Corg) stocks in Zostera marina sediments. The Corg stocks (integrated over 25‐cm depth) showed a large variability and ranged from 318 to 26,523 g C/m2 with an average of 2,721 g C/m2. The projected Corg stocks obtained by extrapolating over the top 1 m of sediment ranged between 23.1 and 351.7 Mg C/ha, which is in line with estimates for other seagrasses and other blue carbon ecosystems. Most of the variation in Corg stocks was explained by five environmental variables (sediment mud content, dry density and degree of sorting, and salinity and water depth), while plant attributes such as biomass and shoot density were less important to Corg stocks. Carbon isotopic signatures indicated that at most sites <50% of the sediment carbon is derived from seagrass, which is lower than reported previously for seagrass meadows. The high spatial carbon storage variability urges caution in extrapolating carbon storage capacity between geographical areas as well as within and between seagrass species

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Comparing Ex-Servicemember and Civilian Use of Unemployment Insurance

Drawing from a unique administrative data set with audited unemployment compensation for ex–service members (UCX) and unemployment insurance (UI) claims from 2002 to 2012, this report provides a first portrait of the job search process of ex–service members relative to that for civilians. Overall, the claim data offer a portrait of a job search process that appears to be working for ex–service members in many ways, with this population making greater use of employment tools such as job referrals and training than civilians. We find that ex–service members delay filing for benefits as compared with similar civilians, although many ex–service members are made aware of their potential benefits as part of the Soldier for Life/Transition Assistance Program. Also, ex–service members had nearly identical durations of unemployment compared with civilian UI claimants. The data also suggest a number of opportunities for improving existing federal transition programs. Efforts to reduce the delay between separation and access of benefits may help ex–service members engage in the job search process more quickly, and ensuring that ex–service members have ready access to online registration tools might facilitate that process. Our data also suggest that ex–service members have different preferences from civilians about occupational mix and compensation that should be considered in designing transition programs. One way of accommodating these preferences would be to give service members better information about how their skills map onto civilian jobs and how best to describe these skills to potential employers