Four aspects of self-image close to death at home

Living close to death means an inevitable confrontation with one's own existential limitation. In this article, we argue that everyday life close to death embodies an identity work in progress. We used a narrative approach and a holistic-content reading to analyze 12 interviews conducted with three persons close to death. By illuminating the unique stories and identifying patterns among the participants’ narratives, we found four themes exemplifying important aspects of the identity work related to everyday life close to death. Two of the themes, named “Inside and outside of me” and “Searching for togetherness,” represented the core of the self-image and were framed by the other themes, “My place in space” and “My death and my time.” Our findings elucidate the way the individual stories moved between the past, the present, and the future. This study challenges the idea that everyday life close to impending death primarily means limitations. The findings show that the search for meaning, new knowledge, and community can form a part of a conscious and ongoing identity work close to death

Openness and archaeology's information ecosystem

The rise of the World Wide Web represents one of the most significant transitions in communicationssince the printing press or even since the origins of writing. To Open Access and Open Data advocates,the Web offers great opportunity for expanding the accessibility, scale, diversity, and quality ofarchaeological communications. Nevertheless, Open Access and Open Data face steep adoption barriers.Critics wrongfully see Open Access as a threat to peer review. Others see data transparency as naivelytechnocratic, and lacking in an appreciation of archaeology’s social and professional incentive structure.However, as argued in this paper, the Open Access and Open Data movements do not gloss oversustainability, quality and professional incentive concerns. Rather, these reform movements offer muchneeded and trenchant critiques of the Academy’s many dysfunctions. These dysfunctions, ranging fromthe expectations of tenure and review committees to the structure of the academic publishing industry, golargely unknown and unremarked by most archaeologists. At a time of cutting fiscal austerity, OpenAccess and Open Data offer desperately needed ways to expand research opportunities, reduce costs andexpand the equity and effectiveness of archaeological communication

Cadmium availability in soil and retention in oak roots: potential for phytostabilization

7 pages, 3 figures, 4 tables, 58 references.Afforestation of contaminated land by trees is considered as a feasible strategy for the extensive stabilization of contaminants. In this work, we studied the patterns of metal availability (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in a contaminated and afforested area. Specifically, we observed the response of Holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) leaves to changes in the availability of metals under field conditions, focusing on Cd. Under controlled conditions we studied the performance of oak seedlings exposed to high levels of Cd, with the aim of analyzing the patterns of translocation and tolerance of the seedlings. Cadmium was the most available metal, in relative terms; 15% of the total Cd in the soil was extracted with NH4NO3. The availabilities of Cd, Cu and Zn showed exponential relationships with soil pH (pH values ranged from 2.4 to 8.4). Cadmium accumulation in the leaves was not related to the changes in Cd availability. Greenhouse studies showed that seedlings had a high Cd retention capacity in fine roots (up to 7 g kg 1) and low rates of Cd translocation to the leaves (transfer coefficients below 0.03). Root biomass and thickness was altered by exposure to Cd. In spite of this, the chlorophyll fluorescence measurements (an indicator of plant stress) only differed slightly from the control treatment at a Cd dose of 200 mg L 1. Due to the relatively high tolerance to Cd and the capacity of roots to retain this metal, Holm oak may be useful for the phytostabilization of soils contaminated by Cd.We acknowledge the Regional Ministry of the Environment (Junta de Andalucía) for supporting this study within the SECOVER research program. We also thank the Spanish Ministry of Education for a FPU grant awarded to M.T. Domínguez and the project Interbos (CGL2008-04503-C03-01).Peer reviewe