Nonsustainable Use of Renewable Resources: Mangrove Deforestation and Mariculture in Ecuador

The paper provides a conceptual model that examines (i) open-access exploitation and(ii) mangrove deforestation as two potential causes for the scarcity of post-larval shrimp inputs to shrimp mariculture in Ecuador. Results indicate that conversion of mangrove ecosystems to shrimp ponds may have obtained short-term profit at the expense of long-term productivity. Open-access collection of post-larval shrimp may also have contributed to dwindling stock levels. Specific policy recommendations are presented, and future empirical studies are proposed.Mariculture, mangroves, deforestation, shrimp, fisheries, Ecuador, Environmental Economics and Policy, Production Economics,

Demonstrating ‘Impact’: Insights from the Work of Preservice Teachers Completing a Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) reform in Australia has mandated that graduating teachers demonstrate their practice and ‘impact’ through the completion of a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) prior to graduation. The requirement to analyse ‘impact’ in teaching, requires a nuanced understanding of what ‘impact’ is and how it manifests in varied contemporary classrooms. This paper reports on how a sample of high-performing pre-service teachers from one Australian ITE institution, within a framework devised by Australia’s largest TPA consortium, appraised the impact of their teaching in the context of the disciplinary area of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS). How ‘impact’ was articulated through GTPA submissions revealed data-informed and holistic interpretations layered to include opportunistic teaching moments and relational and affective impact as well as analysis of cognitive progress. The paper also identifies ways in which analysis of impact might be further finessed with greater attention to pedagogical content knowledge and discipline-specific progression

Electric field effect on superconductivity at complex oxide interfaces

We examine the enhancement of the interfacial superconductivity between LaAlO$_{3}$ and SrTiO$_{3}$ by an effective electric field. Through the breaking of inversion symmetry at the interface, we show that a term coupling the superfluid density and an electric field can augment the superconductivity transition temperature. Microscopically, we show that an electric field can also produce changes in the carrier density by relating the measured capacitance to the density of states. Through the electron-phonon induced interaction in bulk SrTiO$_{3}$, we estimate the transition temperature.Comment: 7 Pages, Submitted to Physical Revie

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN A MAGNETIC FIELD

A Tibetan meditation system of 1882 suggested a way in which self awareness in student monks could be facilitated by using a bar magnet suspended NORTH UP over the crown of the head. This suggestion led to the design, in the present study, of a double-blind test of magnetostatic perception in meditators using a bar magnet oriented either NORTH UP, SOUTH UP, or ABSENT. Effects were evaluated with a questionnaire having five experiential categories, physical, emotional, mental, extrapersonal (parapsychologic), and trans personal. Two weak magnetostatic fields with strengths of 14 gauss (1.4 milliTeslas) and 140 gauss (14 milliTeslas), measured at the crown of the head, were used. Analysis of experiential data collected in three experiments revealed significant and consistent differential patterns of gender-related responses. Experiential subcategories which showed gender by magnetic field interactions included: Experiment I: (1) Physical Energized, 92) Physical Sensory Perturbations; Experiment 2: (1) Physical Energized, (2) Emotional Enegized; Experiment 3: Using a different protocol and analysis procedure, similar results were found. Major contributors to the interaction were: (1) Physical Energized, (2) Physical Body Perturbation, and (3) Physical Passive. The consistency of gender-related differential response patterns in these three investigations raises a question of gender based differential responses to "electromagnetic environmental pollution.

Portland River District park system urban design framework study

18 pp. Bookmarks supplied by UO. Maps, figures, illus. Published January 16, 2001. Captured September 18, 2009.The Framework Plan: creates a strong and poetic metaphor of historic Tanner Creek; it addresses the deeper meanings of the natural cycle of water collection and storage, the visual relationship between water and land, and the natural and social life that they support; provides a great variety of spaces, both in terms of use and scale; reaches out to promote a synergy between civic and private development initiatives; [and] establishes strong, guiding principles to promote a sense of place. The plan relies on simple elements which are both common and unique to the city. [From the Plan

Impact of skeletal heterogeneity and treatment method on interpretation of environmental variability from the proteinaceous skeletons of deep-sea gorgonian octocorals

The stable isotope geochemistry of gorgonian octocoral skeletons facilitates detailed time series reconstructions of nutrient biogeochemistry. However, comparisons among reconstructions from different locations require realistic estimates of the uncertainty surrounding each measured geochemical value. Here, we determine quantitative uncertainties related to 1) standard skeletal pretreatment in preparation for stable isotopic analysis and 2) biological variability associated with a heterogeneous isotopic composition of the gorgonin skeleton. We found that the 5% HCl pretreatment required for the δ13C measurements does not significantly impact the δ15N values of the skeleton nor the reproducibility of the δ15N measurements. In contrast, while 5% HCl pretreatment significantly altered bulk δ13C values via removal of CaCO3, it did not change amino acid δ13C values in the organic skeleton. We found that the variance of repeat measurements of skeleton samples formed contemporaneously and homogenized skeleton for both δ13C and δ15N exceeded that of instrumental uncertainty of an acetanilide standard. This indicates that instrumental uncertainty underestimates the true precision of an isotopic measurement of the organic skeleton. Furthermore, measurements of contemporaneous skeleton around the circumference of an octocoral colony yielded variability exceeding that of homogenized skeleton. Based on these results, we find that 1) both δ13C and δ15N values can be measured simultaneously in pretreated skeleton, 2) growth bands should be homogenized prior to analysis, and 3) reported error should include uncertainty due to biological effects determined from repeat analysis of homogenized skeleton and not just instrument error to reduce false significant differences. Our results present an important protocol for processing proteinaceous octocoral skeletons and propagating uncertainty to more accurately reconstruct nutrient dynamics from proteinaceous deep-sea octocoral skeletons

MMP7 Shedding of Syndecan-1 Facilitates Re-Epithelialization by Affecting α2β1 Integrin Activation

Lung injury promotes the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7, matrilysin), which is required for neutrophil recruitment and re-epithelialization. MMP7 governs the lung inflammatory response through the shedding of syndecan-1. Because inflammation and repair are related events, we evaluated the role of syndecan-1 shedding in lung re-epithelialization.Epithelial injury induced syndecan-1 shedding from wild-type epithelium but not from Mmp7(-/-) mice in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, cell migration and wound closure was enhanced by MMP7 shedding of syndecan-1. Additionally, we found that syndecan-1 augmented cell adhesion to collagen by controlling the affinity state of the alpha(2)beta(1) integrin.MMP7 shedding of syndecan-1 facilitates wound closure by causing the alpha(2)beta(1) integrin to assume a less active conformation thereby removing restrictions to migration. MMP7 acts in the lungs to regulate inflammation and repair, and our data now show that both these functions are controlled through the shedding of syndecan-1

No observational constraints from hypothetical collisions of hypothetical dark halo primordial black holes with galactic objects

It was suggested by several authors that hypothetical primordial black holes (PBHs) may contribute to the dark matter in our Galaxy. There are strong constraints based on the Hawking evaporation that practically exclude PBHs with masses m~1e15-1e16g and smaller as significant contributors to the Galactic dark matter. Similarly, PBHs with masses greater than about 1e26g are practically excluded by the gravitational lensing observation. The mass range between 10e16g<m<10e26g is unconstrained. In this paper, we examine possible observational signatures in the unexplored mass range, investigating hypothetical collisions of PBHs with main sequence stars, red giants, white dwarfs, and neutron stars in our Galaxy. This has previously been discussed as possibly leading to an observable photon eruption due to shock production during the encounter. We find that such collisions are either too rare to be observed (if the PBH masses are typically larger than about 1e20g), or produce too little power to be detected (if the masses are smaller than about 1e20g).Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa