Two Observations of Predation on Lepidoptera

(excerpt) During the early afternoon of 25 August, 1977, a large European mantid, Mantis religiosa Linnaeus, was observed feeding on an adult male monarch butterfly, Donaus p. plexippus Linnaeus (Danaidae) while clinging to the flower head of a blazing star plant (Liatris sp.) on a cactus prairie at the Allegan State Game Area, Allegan County, Michigan

Medicare 1971: Changing Attitudes and Changing Legislation

Bone conduction (BC) is the way sound energy is transmitted by the skull bones to the cochlea causing a sound perception. Even if the BC sound transmission involves several pathways including sound pressure induced in the ear canal, inertial forces acting on the middle ear ossicles and cochlear fluids, alteration of the cochlear space, and pressure transmission through the 3rd window of the cochlea, the BC sound ultimately produces a wave motion on the basilar membrane similar to that of air-conducted sound. The efficiency of the BC stimulation is largely dependent on the skull bone where the skull acts as a rigid body at low frequencies and incorporates different types of wave transmission at higher frequencies. The interaural stimulation difference is determined by the difference between contralateral and ipsilateral BC sound transmission: the transcranial BC sound transmission. To benefit from binaural processing, the transcranial transmission should be low, while the same should be high when using BC hearing aids for unilateral deaf subjects. By appropriately positioning the stimulation, high or low transcranial transmission can be achieved.Original Publication: Stefan Stenfelt , Acoustic and physiologic aspects of bone conduction hearing, 2011, Advances in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, (71), 10-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000323574 Copyright: S. Karger AG http://www.karger.com/</p

Emotional Outlet Malls: Exploring Retail Therapy

People turn to shopping as an emotional outlet. This article focuses on the concept of retail therapy highlighting the personal benefits, possible issues, and research development surrounding the topic. Negative connotations regarding retail therapy exist, and today, scholars are reexamining retail therapy as a distress-motivated act of consumption from a psychological and emotional perspective. A variety of perspectives can be used to analyze shopping therapy as a face-to-face transaction, an online experience, and a simulated experience in order to explain the emotional component related to shopping

Synthetic routes to Bis-Calix [n]areness : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masterate of Science in Chemistry at Massey University

The literature procedures for the targeted syntheses of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene, p-tert-butylcalix[5]arene, p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene, p-tert-butylcalix[7]arene, and p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene have been repeated successfully. In the case of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene, alterations led to a less capricious procedure, synthesis of the pure product directly and in higher yield. The residual xylene and toluene solutions from the targeted p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene preparation were utilised to obtain workable quantities of the rare calix[5]- and calix[7]arenes, a protocol that is far simpler and less time-consuming than the low-yielding targeted synthesis of these compounds. Dealkylation of p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes is best accomplished at 30°C in 0.16-0.05 molL−¹ toluene solution. The insolubility of calix[8]arene in all common organic solvents is expected to limit its synthetic use. Two new protocols have been devised for the highly selective mono-O-alkylation of calixarenes 4 through 8. This work represents the realisation of the first selective functionalisation methods that are applicable to the calixarene family, and also the first selective functionalisation of a calix[7]arene. These findings will lead to more efficient synthesis of multiple calixarenes (cf. Chapter 3) and may allow for a better understanding of the reasons for selectivity in calixarene-O-alkylations. We have been able to synthesise a variety of bis-calixarenes by two different routes. Glaser-Hay coupling allowed the synthesis of symmetrical diyne bridged bis-calix[4, 6 and 8]arenes in high yield. Extension of the first general mono-O-alkylation procedure for calixarenes has made it possible to synthesise hom o-bis-calixarenes in good yield in one step from the parent calixarenes. The unexpected formation of monobromoxylyl calixarenes allows the prospect of the synthesis of hetero-bis-calixarenes under more forcing conditions. Most importantly this allows us to further explore the chemistry of bis-calixarenes by making them readily available (in large quantities) for more elaborate syntheses

Controlled visibility device for an aircraft Patent

Controlled visibility device for simulating poor visibility conditions in training pilots in instrument landing and flight procedure

Implications for climate-change policy of research on cooperation in social dilemmas

The problem of climate change seems to be a tragedy of the commons: despite the global benefits of reducing green-house gas emissions, no individual has any incentive to reduce his or her own emissions. Yet many people are making efforts to reduce emissions and putting pressure on businesses and governments to do the same. Although the size of these efforts is unclear, their very existence might seem puzzling. The efforts are consistent, however, with some theoretical and empirical evidence about the extent of cooperation in other social dilemmas. This evidence does not imply that greenhouse-gas emissions will be reduced to desirable levels, but it does suggest that the potential for voluntary cooperation should not be ignored. It also suggests that cooperation can be promoted by (i) allowing cooperators to punish defectors without withdrawing their own cooperation; (ii) publicly emphasizing the social benefits and extent of cooperation and the social norms that require it; and (iii) improving the quantity and timeliness of public information about cooperation and defection.Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases,Climate Change Economics,Common Property Resource Development,Transport and Environment,Health Systems Development&Reform

Taxation and Corporate Pension Policy

Section I introduces the material in the context of existing research. In Section II the effects of the tax structure on the desirability of having pension plans and on the funding and investment policies of such plans is discussed. Section III discusses the discrepancies between the prescriptions presented above and current practice. The Appendix contains a detailed analysis of each of the two tax provisions that apply to corporate pension plans.

The Rise of U.S. Antidumping Actions in Historical Perspective

Empirical studies of antidumping activity focus almost exclusively on the period since 1980. This paper puts recent U.S. antidumping experience in historical context by studying the determinants of annual case filings over the past half century. The conventional view that few antidumping cases existed prior to 1980 is not correct, although most did not result in the imposition of duties. The increased number of cases in recent decades largely reflects petitions that target multiple source countries; the number of imported products involved has actually fallen since the mid 1980s. The annual number of antidumping cases is influenced by the unemployment rate, the exchange rate, import penetration (closely related to the decline in average tariffs), and changes in the antidumping law and its enforcement in the early 1980s.