A large handaxe from Wadi Dabsa and early hominin adaptations within the Arabian Peninsula

The role played by the Arabian Peninsula in hominin dispersals out of Africa has long been debated. The DISPERSE Project has focused on south-western Arabia as a possible centre of hominin settlement and a primary stepping-stone for such dispersals. This work has led to the recent discovery, at Wadi Dabsa, of an exceptional assemblage of over 1000 lithic artefacts, including the first known giant handaxe from the Arabian Peninsula. The site and its associated artefacts provide important new evidence for hominin dispersals out of Africa, and give further insight into the giant handaxe phenomenon present within the Acheulean stone tool industry

Deconstructing compassionate conservation

Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe examples presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals; inherently not compassionate; and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more individuals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of biodiversity. The positions taken by so-called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the limited understanding of conservation problems by the general public

Mikromekaaninen oskillaattori

Tässä diplomityössä tutustuttiin kapasitiivisesti kytketyllä mikromekaanisella resonaattorilla stabiloidun sähkömekaanisen oskillaattorin teoriaan: resonaattorin mekaniikkaan ja vahvistimen elektroniikkaan. Esitetyn teorian pohjalta suunniteltiin ja rakennettiin sähkömekaaninen 500 kHz:n Pierce-oskillaattori. Prototyypin toiminta demonstroitiin mittauksin. Prototyypin mittauksissa todennettiin mikromekaanisen oskillaattorin värähtelytaajuuden ja -amplitudin riippuvuus resonaattorin biasjännitteestä; mittaustulokset olivat ennusteiden mukaiset. Oskillaattorin värähtelytarkkuutta kuvaava vaihekohina mitattiin tarkoitukseen suunnitellulla laitteistolla. Mitattu vaihekohina oli -123dBc@SkHz. Prototyypissä käytettiin palkkiresonaattoria, jonka epälineaarisuuden seurauksena oskillaattorin ulostulo oli säröytynyt. Työssä pohdittiin myös fysikaalisia rajoja palkkiresonaattoriin perustuvan mikromekaanisen oskillaattorin suorituskyvylle