James Connolly and the Scottish Left, 1890-1916

James Connolly (1868-1916), Socialist leader, labour union organiser and Irish Republican general, pursued an active career of over thirtyfive years duration in left-wing politics during the period of the Second International. During this time, he played an influential role in the Social Democratic and Labour movements in Ireland, Scotland and the United States. This stuy examines his relationships with the activists and organisations of left-wing labour in Scotland in the period 1890-1916 and moreover, seeks to establish his significance as a "Marxian Syndicalist"; an activist working in a Marxist tradition distinct from both the state socialism of the Social Democratic International and the Marxism - Leninism of the Comintern. Connolly's formative years in the Social Democratic and labour movements of his native Edinburgh (1890-96) are examined in some detail, and an attempt is made to delineate some characteristics both of the mainstream of British Marxism and of the uniqueness of the situation in Edinburgh, which were important for his personal development. Subsequently, his importance in the secession of the Scottish 'impossibilist' faction from the all-British Marxist movement in 1902-3 is analysed. At this point, there is some emphasis on the theories of the Alrerican Marxist, Daniel De Leon, and of their importance both in Connolly's further theoretical development and of the Scottish Left generally. The American contribution to Connolly's thought - and his mature response to it - is then followed up, some consideration being given to his work in the American socialist movement in 1903-10. In the light of this experience, Connolly's further influence on Scottish leftwing labour in the period 1910-15 is traced; particular emphasis is laid on the Syndicalist elements in his thought and on the Scottish responses to it. Finally, there is some discussion of the relationship between the themes of Nationalism, Marxism and Syndicalism within the history of the Scottish Left in the period 1890-1920, and the concrete failure of Marxism within the Scottish working class movement is assessed against the background of the manifest advances of the nontheoretical parliamentary Labour Party

Acidity promotes degradation of multi-species environmental DNA in lotic mesocosms

Accurate quantification of biodiversity is fundamental to understanding ecosystem function and for environmental assessment. Molecular methods using environmental DNA (eDNA) offer a non-invasive, rapid, and cost-effective alternative to traditional biodiversity assessments, which require high levels of expertise. While eDNA analyses are increasingly being utilized, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the dynamics of multispecies eDNA, especially in variable systems such as rivers. Here, we utilize four sets of upland stream mesocosms, across an acid–base gradient, to assess the temporal and environmental degradation of multispecies eDNA. Sampling included water column and biofilm sampling over time with eDNA quantified using qPCR. Our findings show that the persistence of lotic multispecies eDNA, sampled from water and biofilm, decays to non-detectable levels within 2 days and that acidic environments accelerate the degradation process. Collectively, the results provide the basis for a predictive framework for the relationship between lotic eDNA degradation dynamics in spatio-temporally dynamic river ecosystems

Sherman, Shakers, and Shenanigans

The first 122 pages of this book relate to Bulloch County and form Book 10: Readings in Bulloch County History. The remainder comprise the Southern Folkways Journal Review No. 3, and relate to Southeast Georgia and to the Southeastern region of the United States. The first collection begins with a poem by Dr. John Ransom Lewis, followed by three articles on Dan Bland and the biographies of prominent African American citizens. Also included are two articles on the Hardy Moore family, student papers on vanishing Bulloch County communities, information on Joseph Jackson, articles on three local churches, and the Muster Roll of Toombs Guards. The second section of this book begins with an article on Western Shakers by Dr. Dale Covington, followed by “Hostau Reminisces,” and several articles on the Cherokee and the Lumbee Indians.https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/bchs-pubs/1033/thumbnail.jp

Detecting gravitational wave emission from the known accreting neutron stars

Detection of gravitational waves from accreting neutron stars (NSs) in our galaxy, due to ellipticity or internal oscillation, would be a breakthrough in our understanding of compact objects and explain the absence of NSs rotating near the break-up limit. Direct detection, however, poses a formidable challenge. Using the current data available on the properties of the accreting NSs in Low Mass X-Ray Binaries (LMXBs), we quantify the detectability for the known accreting NSs, considering various emission scenarios and taking into account the negative impact of parameter uncertainty on the data analysis process. Only a few of the persistently bright NSs accreting at rates near the Eddington limit are detectable by Advanced LIGO if they are emitting gravitational waves at a rate matching the torque from accretion. A larger fraction of the known population is detectable if the spin and orbital parameters are known in advance, especially with the narrow-band Advanced LIGO. We identify the most promising targets, and list specific actions that would lead to significant improvements in detection probability. These include astronomical observations (especially for unknown orbital periods), improvements in data analysis algorithms and capabilities, and further detector development.Comment: Minor revisions, MNRAS accepte

Biological flora of Central Europe: Cyperus esculentus L

This paper presents information on all aspects of the biology of Cyperus esculentus L. (yellow nutsedge) and deals with its taxonomy, morphology, genetic diversity, distribution, habitat requirements, ecology and life cycle, with special emphasis on uses and cultivation, history of introduction, impact and management in Europe. C. esculentus is a tuber geophyte and most likely originates from the Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. It is a variable plant and four wild-type varieties are presently recognized, in addition to a cultivated form. C. esculentus reproduces primarily by its underground tubers, although abundant seeds are produced. In temperate climates, tubers usually sprout in late spring and the plant withers at the beginning of the winter. C. esculentus is only cultivated in the València region in Spain. Invasion foci emerged across Europe at the beginning of the 1980s and at present, C. esculentus is most abundant on arable land and in ruderal habitats, followed by riverine vegetation. In heavily infested regions of Europe, C. esculentus causes substantial yield losses in field crops and although different management strategies are available, C. esculentus remains difficult to control.Follak, S.; Belz, R.; Bohren, C.; Castro, OD.; Guacchio, ED.; Pascual-Seva, N.; Schwarz, M.... (2016). Biological flora of Central Europe: Cyperus esculentus L. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 23:33-51. doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2016.09.003S33512