Girikihaciyan: A Halafian Site in Southeastern Turkey

This report presents the results of excavations undertaken at the site of Girikihaciyan in southeastern Turkey during 1968 and 1970 by the Joint Prehistoric Project, Istanbul-Chicago under the overal direction of Professor Halet Cambel, University of Istanbul, and Professor Robert J. Braidwood, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago.Series: Monographs 3

Beyond prospective accountancy : reassessing the case for British membership of the single European currency comparatively

The fact that Britain will, at most, be a late signatory to the single European currency means that the strategic deliberations it faces in deciding whether to enter EMU are rather different to those of earlier entrants. However, this crucial point is lost in almost all discussion of the subject. To date, the academic debate has been dominated by what we term 'prospective accountancy', in which a series of abstract counterfactuals ostensibly inform a stylised cost–benefit analysis. This article moves beyond such an approach by combining conjectures about the specificities of the British case with a concrete analysis of the experiences of the Eurozone member whose economy appears most closely to resemble Britain's: namely, Ireland. The comparative dimension of our work facilitates more empirically-based analysis of the merits and demerits of British entry into EMU. Yet, it is important not to lose sight of the limits of an exclusively comparative approach, for the British growth model is qualitatively different to that of other European Union economies. British growth since the early 1990s has been consumption led, and this in turn has been fuelled to a considerable degree by the release of equity from the housing market. The likely impact of EMU on the British economy will be determined to a significant extent, then, by its effect upon this key catalyst of British growth. Sadly, no retrospective comparison can inform such an assessment

Widening participation in higher education: Capital that counts

The under-representation in higher education of those from less privileged social backgrounds is an enduring problem in the UK. While on an individual basis there are examples of productive participation, the pattern of collective trajectories of this group differs sharply from that of traditional entrants (Reay, 2006). Predictably, the onus falls on students to adapt to the established practices of the field which remain very much oriented towards its traditional white middle-class population and effectively resists inclusivity (Layer, 2002; Read et al., 2003; Burke, 2005), regardless of governmental policy objectives.Analysis of qualitative data emerging from a three-year longitudinal case study exploring the educational experiences of students with non-traditional academic backgrounds studying in one of the UK’s research-intensive universities was underpinned by Bourdieu’s theory of practice. The findings highlight the role of academic, linguistic, social and practice-oriented capital in developing a feel for and learning to play ‘the game’ in this sub-field of higher education and the positional tendencies and trajectories of the study’s thirteen volunteer participants. This paper will outline the nature and illustrate to role played by these key forms of capital in the ‘affinities, convergences and divergences’ (Grenfell, 2007 p.137) experienced by participants. <br/

Implications of coral reef buildup for the controls on atmospheric CO2 since the Last Glacial Maximum

We examine the effect on atmospheric CO2 of the occurrence of increased shallow water carbonate deposition and regrowth of the terrestrial biosphere following the last glacial. We find that contrary to recent speculations that changes in terrestrial carbon storage were primarily responsible for the observed similar to20 ppmv late Holocene CO2 rise, a more likely explanation is coral reef buildup and other forms of shallow water carbonate deposition during this time. The importance of a responsive terrestrial carbon reservoir may instead be as a negative feedback restricting the rate of CO2 rise possible in the early stages of the deglacial transition. This separation in time of the primary impacts of regrowth of the terrestrial biosphere and increased shallow water carbonate deposition explains the occurrence of an early Holocene carbonate preservation event observed in deep-sea sediments. We demonstrate that their combined influence is also consistent with available proxy estimates of deep ocean carbonate ion concentration changes over the last 21 kyr. Accounting for the processes that act on the carbonate chemistry of the ocean as a whole then allows us to place strong constraints on the nature of the remaining processes that must be operating at the deglacial transition. By subtracting the net CO2 effect of coral reef buildup and terrestrial biosphere regrowth from recent high-resolution ice core data, we highlight two periods, from 17.0 to 13.8 kyr and 12.3 to 11.2 kyr BP characterized by sustained rapid rates of CO2 increase (> 12 ppmv kyr(-1)). Because these periods are coincident with Southern Hemisphere "deglaciation,'' we argue that changes in the biogeochemical properties of the Southern Ocean surface are the most likely cause

SB56-08/09: Graduate Student Tuition Waiver Policy

SB56-08/09: Graduate Student Tuition Waiver Policy. This resolution passed with unanimous consent during the April 15, 2009 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM)

Practitioners Perceived Effectiveness and Application of Maturity Status Bio-Banding for Talent Identification and Development

Bio-banding is an approach used to group athletes based on their characteristics in relation to growth and maturity, rather than their chronological age. Although recent research has explored the effect of bio-banding on various markers (e.g., technical, tactical) of talent identification in young athletes, research has yet to explore to what extent practitioners use this approach, how they use it, or their perspectives about its perceived effectiveness. This mixed-methods study sought to address this gap by using an on-line survey with twenty-seven practitioners from Elite Player Performance Program (EPPP) affiliated clubs followed by a semi-structured individual interview with seven practitioners (age: 32.1 ± 8.44 years). Survey results revealed maturity- related differences impact practitioners’ ability to accurately assess competence (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 68%, psycho-social “aggregated agree” = 56%), bio-banding enhances assessment when matching (e.g., Early vs Early or pre-PHV vs pre-PHV) (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 95%, technical “aggregated agree” = 85%) or pairing (e.g., Late vs Early or pre-PHV vs post-PHV) athletes for maturity status (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 55%, technical “aggregated agree” = 65%). Interview findings revealed the benefits of bio-banding include injury prevention, introducing challenge, and the design of individual development programmes. Interviews revealed barriers to the implementation of bio-banding include planning and organisation (time, resources and communication), failure to establish the buy-in, lack of understanding amongst coaches, and the prioritisation of short-term success over long-term development. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to the current knowledge and understanding of bio-banding efforts, and also emphasise the potential application of maturity status 'bio-banding' for identifying and developing professional youth soccer athletes. Increasing coaches understanding of bio-banding via the delivery of coach education courses and workshops may be one way of increasing its uptake in the future. The study concludes by recommending sports practitioners use the findings as a basis for implementing bio-banding in their own settings

Practitioners perceived effectiveness and application of maturity status bio-banding for talent identification and development

Bio-banding is an approach used to group athletes based on their characteristics in relation to growth and maturity, rather than their chronological age. Although recent research has explored the effect of bio-banding on various markers (e.g., technical, tactical) of talent identification in young athletes, research has yet to explore to what extent practitioners use this approach, how they use it, or their perspectives about its perceived effectiveness. This mixed-methods study sought to address this gap by using an on-line survey with twenty-seven practitioners from Elite Player Performance Program (EPPP) affiliated clubs followed by a semi-structured individual interview with seven practitioners (age: 32.1 ± 8.44 years). Survey results revealed maturity-related differences impact practitioners’ ability to accurately assess competence (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 68%, psycho-social “aggregated agree” = 56%), bio-banding enhances assessment when matching (e.g., Early vs Early or pre-PHV vs pre-PHV) (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 95%, technical “aggregated agree” = 85%) or pairing (e.g., Late vs Early or pre-PHV vs post-PHV) athletes for maturity status (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 55%, technical “aggregated agree” = 65%). Interview findings revealed the benefits of bio-banding include injury prevention, introducing challenge, and the design of individual development programmes. Interviews revealed barriers to the implementation of bio-banding include planning and organisation (time, resources and communication), failure to establish the buy-in, lack of understanding amongst coaches, and the prioritisation of short-term success over long-term development. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to the current knowledge and understanding of bio-banding efforts, and also emphasise the potential application of maturity status 'bio-banding' for identifying and developing professional youth soccer athletes. Increasing coaches understanding of bio-banding via the delivery of coach education courses and workshops may be one way of increasing its uptake in the future. The study concludes by recommending sports practitioners use the findings as a basis for implementing bio-banding in their own settings

Intrauterine Infection With Coxsackievirus: Is it a Cause of Congenital Cardiac Malformations?

Background: Although maternal infections with coxsackievirus during pregnancy are relatively common, fetal infections are quite rare. Coxsackievirus infection in utero has been associated with myocarditis, but has not been proven a teratogen