K-Theory for group C^*-algebras

These notes are based on a lecture course given by the first author in the Sedano Winter School on K-theory held in Sedano, Spain, on January 22-27th of 2007. They aim at introducing K-theory of C^*-algebras, equivariant K-homology and KK-theory in the context of the Baum-Connes conjecture.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures, to be published in Springer Lecture Note

Gender and codemixing in Hong Kong

This paper investigates the relationship of gender and codemixing behaviour in Hong Kong. Data were obtained through the use of a questionnaire and a language diary experiment from 10 young women and 10 young men who had just joined the workforce. It was found that educated young women in Hong Kong are more likely to codemix (Cantonese sentence with English words or phrases) than their male counterparts. However, this difference shown up in the sex grouping could not be said to be a pure gender difference. Rather, this difference seemed to be difference among the females themselves. By looking into the historical and cultural background of Hong Kong, the researcher suggested that Hong Kong young women’s higher use of mixed code nowadays was caused by their desire to dissociate themselves from the traditional role of women in the Chinese culture. Furthermore, it was found that young women working in a more competitive environment would codemix more than those working in a less competitive environment. The findings in this paper confirm the constructionsts’ view that the construction of gender is interwoven with other social constructions of identity in a complex way, so that it is important for researchers interested in gender and language use to look into the cultural and historical background of a speech community instead of focusing solely on the differences shown up in sex groupings

NASA's Current and Next Generation Coastal Remote Sensing Missions and Coral Reef Projects.

The LLILAS Faculty Research Initiative presents a two-day symposium, Caribbean Coral Reefs at Risk. This international symposium examines the current state and future of coral reef conservation efforts throughout the Caribbean from the perspective of government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and academia

Agriculture handbook

2001 handbook for the faculty of Agricultur

Filling the Void: Hizbullah's State Building in Lebanon

Abstract Hizbullah is a militarised sub-state group that challenges Lebanon's authority by establishing a parallel power-structure within the state. This thesis argues that the failure of the Lebanese government to provide for its citizens, particularly the disenfranchised Shiite population, has allowed Hizbullah to fill the void of Lebanon's absent government by creating a parallel state-like structure. Hizbullah’s state building is driven by domestic politics, as it strives to “democratically” restructure the political system in its favour rather than take the state by force. Hizbullah occupies a political, social and military position within Lebanon that extends far beyond any traditional definition of a sub-state group. In analysing Hizbullah as a state-building movement, this thesis will shed light on the organisation’s autonomy, strength and objectives in Lebanon and also provide a holistic approach to further study of militarised sub-state groups. iiiN/ADepartment of Government and International Relation

2,3-Dibromo-1,3-bis­(4-fluoro­phen­yl)propan-1-one

In the title compound, C15H10Br2F2O, the dihedral angle between the two 3-fluoro-substituted benzene rings is 5.7 (5)°. The two bromine substituents on the chalcone moiety are close to anti as the Br—C—C—Br torsion angle is 176.9 (7)°. Weak C—Br⋯π inter­actions may contribute to the crystal stability

Detection of deforestation and land conversion and estimation of atmosperic emissions and elemental pool losses from biomass burning in Rondônia, Brazil

Biomass burning associated with deforestation and land use in the Amazon, greatly contributes to emissions as well as depletion of elemental pools. We identified deforestation and pasture formation and quantified resultant burning emissions and terrestrial aboveground elemental pool losses during a period of early colonization in the vicinity of Jamari, Rondonia. Using the Tasseled Cap transformation on multi-date Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data (1984-1992), we developed a land cover and change map for a 94,372-ha study area. Between 1984 and 1992, 8,250 ha of primary and 828 ha of regenerating forest were cleared (18% and 1% of the study area, respectively). Cleared land increased from 1,231 ha to 2,692 ha (1% to 3% of the study area) by 1986 and this area was in a cleared state in 1992. We developed equations using realistic pasture management burn scenarios to model cumulative area of pasture burned (19,008 ha). We computed emissions using a model that scaled up ground-based data (biomass, combustion factors, and flaming and smoldering combustion emission factors) by land cover type (primary forest, regenerating forest, and pasture). Over the extent of the entire study area, an average of 138,920, and 16 kg C ha-¹ y-¹ in CO, CO₂, and CH₄, respectively, were generated from primary forest slash burns. Regenerating forest slash fires contributed 4, 31, and <1 kg C ha-¹ y-¹ in CO, CO₂, and CH₄, respectively. The cumulative area of pasture burned produced 46, 316, and 4 kg C ha-¹ y-¹ in CO, CO₂, and CH₄, respectively. Site estimates of C, N, and Spools and losses were applied to the land cover change map to estimate elemental pool losses from slash and pasture fires during the study period. In 1984, study area elemental pools were 163,297 kg C ha-¹, 1,971 kg N ha-¹ and 199 kg S ha-¹. Between 1984 and 1992, 5%, 7%, and 5% of the terrestrial aboveground C, N, and S pools, respectively, were lost from primary forest slash fires. Also, cumulative pasture burning contributed to losses of 1%, 2%, and 1% of the C, N, and Spools, respectively