4,351 research outputs found

    The evolution of Local Labour Market Areas in contrasting region

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    In many European local labour markets, a growing minority of workers are making longer commuting trips. One consequence for research into journey-to-work flows, which usually seeks to identify the boundaries of local labour market areas (LLMAs), is that these boundaries represent a ¥„snap shot¥Š of an increasingly volatile pattern. The challenge for regional science is how best to represent the way LLMAs evolve. «Is it sufficient to simply update maps, using a consistent method which is applied to successive ¥„snap-shot¥Š datasets? This approach will be illustrated in contrasting regions. «Is it possible to produce new approaches to analysis which can better draw attention to those areas where change has been rather more, or less, strong? The paper will end with some explorations in pursuit of this aim.

    Biogeomorphology in the Anthropocene: a hierarchical, traits-based approach

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    The complex web of interactions between ecological communities and the physical landscape (biogeomorphology) is being affected by the global scale environmental changes of the Anthropocene. Climate change, habitat destruction, invasions and extinctions are having profound impacts on biogeomorphological process regimes through changes in the composition and activity of ecological communities. However, on the other hand, deliberately-targeted human interventions to biogeomorphic systems have the potential to help mitigate against, and adapt to, the Anthropocene, by managing biogeomorphic processes to enhance resilience. To evaluate these relationships, we propose a conceptual framework based on the ecological concept of functional traits. We review how the Anthropocene is causing changes in species composition, abundance and the prevalence of functional traits to produce changes to biogeomorphic processes and functions that are, as yet, only partly understood. We use examples of fluvial, dryland and coastal biogeomorphic systems to illustrate how purposeful manipulation of biogeomorphic systems (as a type of Nature-based solution) can conserve, enhance or add biogeomorphic functions that are capable of enhancing geomorphic resilience. By focussing on function, this approach offers a range of advantages/avenues for biogeomorphological research. This includes the detection and prediction of human impacts, and an improved understanding of how biogeomorphology can contribute to tackling environmental challenges in the Anthropocene

    Labour problems in the sugar industry of Ile de France or Mauritius, 1790 - 1842

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    The island of Mauritius is situated in the south-western Indian Ocean between 19°591, 20°321 south latitude and 57°18 1 , 57° 49 1 east longitude. The nearest landmass of any considerable extent is Madagascar which Iies some 900 km due west of Mauritius; but there are a number of islands and islets in the vicinity, notably Reunion, Rodrigues and the Cargados Carajos, which together with Mauritius constitute the archipelago of the Mascarenes

    CYLINDER SEALS IN THE COLLECTIONS OF IZIKO MUSEUMS OF SOUTH AFRICA IN CAPE TOWN AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ANCIENT STUDIES OF STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY

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    This paper studies the cylinder seals in the collections of IzikoMuseums of South Africa in Cape Town and the Department ofAncient Studies of Stellenbosch University. The individual seals aredescribed and there is an iconographic analysis of the scenes andmotifs depicted on each seal, with comparisons to other artefacts.These seals date from the Early Dynastic period until the Persianperiod (ca. 3100-332 BC) and represent motifs such as deities,mythological beings and the ‘master of animals’, and scenes such asthe contest scene and presentation scene

    Whole family-based physical activity promotion intervention: the Families Reporting Every Step to Health pilot randomised controlled trial protocol

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    Introduction : Family-based physical activity (PA) interventions present a promising avenue to promote children’s activity, however, high-quality experimental research is lacking. This paper describes the protocol for the FRESH (Families Reporting Every Step to Health) pilot trial, a child-led family-based PA intervention delivered online.  Methods and analysis : FRESH is a three-armed, parallel-group, randomised controlled pilot trial using a 1:1:1 allocation ratio with follow-up assessments at 8- and 52-weeks post-baseline. Families will be eligible if a minimum of one child in school Years 3-6 (aged 7-11 years) and at least one adult responsible for that child are willing to participate. Family members can take part in the intervention irrespective of their participation in the accompanying evaluation and vice versa. Following baseline assessment, families will be randomly allocated to one of three arms: (1) FRESH, (2) pedometer-only, or (3) no-intervention control. All family members in the pedometer-only and FRESH arms receive pedometers and generic PA promotion information. FRESH families additionally receive access to the intervention website; allowing participants to select step challenges to ‘travel’ to target cities around the world, log steps, and track progress as they virtually globetrot. Control families will receive no treatment. All family members will be eligible to participate in the evaluation with two follow-ups (8 and 52 weeks). Physical (e.g., fitness, blood pressure), psychosocial (e.g., social support), and behavioural (e.g., objectively-measured family PA) measures will be collected each time point. At 8-week follow-up, a mixed-methods process evaluation will be conducted (questionnaires and family focus groups) assessing acceptability of the intervention and evaluation. FRESH families’ website engagement will also be explored.  Ethics and dissemination : This study received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee for the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and to participating families

    Leech (Annelida: Hirudinea) Infestations on Canadian Turtles, Including the First Canadian Record of Helobdella modesta from Freshwater Turtles

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    We collected leeches from freshwater turtles at two sites in southwestern Ontario. Five leech species (Placobdella parasitica, P. ornata, Helobdella modesta, Erpobdella punctata and Alboglossiphonia heteroclita) were collected from five turtle species (Chrysemys picta, Chelydra serpentina, Clemmys guttata, Emydoidea blandingii and Sternotherus odoratus). We report a new leech record (P. ornata) for C. guttata. The unexpectedly high frequency of H. modesta on freshwater turtles is discussed

    Bumps and rings in a two-dimensional neural field: splitting and rotational instabilities

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    In this paper we consider instabilities of localised solutions in planar neural field firing rate models of Wilson-Cowan or Amari type. Importantly we show that angular perturbations can destabilise spatially localised solutions. For a scalar model with Heaviside firing rate function we calculate symmetric one-bump and ring solutions explicitly and use an Evans function approach to predict the point of instability and the shapes of the dominant growing modes. Our predictions are shown to be in excellent agreement with direct numerical simulations. Moreover, beyond the instability our simulations demonstrate the emergence of multi-bump and labyrinthine patterns. With the addition of spike-frequency adaptation, numerical simulations of the resulting vector model show that it is possible for structures without rotational symmetry, and in particular multi-bumps, to undergo an instability to a rotating wave. We use a general argument, valid for smooth firing rate functions, to establish the conditions necessary to generate such a rotational instability. Numerical continuation of the rotating wave is used to quantify the emergent angular velocity as a bifurcation parameter is varied. Wave stability is found via the numerical evaluation of an associated eigenvalue problem
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