775 research outputs found
Adapting to Climate Change in Reindeer Herding: The Nation-State as Problem and Solution.
This paper discusses the role of nation-states and their systems of gover- nance as sources of barriers and solutions to adaptation to climate change from the point of view of Saami reindeer herders. The Saami, inhabiting the northernmost areas of Fennoscandia, is one of more than twenty ethnic groups in the circumpolar Arctic that base their traditional living on reindeer herding. Climate change is likely to affect the Saami regions severely, with winter temperatures predicted to increase by up to 7 centigrade. We argue that the pastoral practices of the Saami herders are inherently better suited to handle huge natural variation in climatic con- ditions than most other cultures. Indeed, the core of their pastoral practices and herding knowledge is skillful adaptation to unusually frequent and rapid change and variability. This paper argues that the key to handle permanent changes successfully is that herders themselves have sufficient degrees of freedom to act. Considering the similarities in herding practices in the fours nation-states between which Saami culture is now divided . Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia . the systems of governance are surprisingly different. Indeed, the very definition of what is required to be defined as an ethnic Saami is very different in the three Nordic countries. We argue that timely adjust- ments modifying the structures of governance will be key to the survival of the Saami reindeer herding culture. Since the differences in governance regimes . and the need to change national governance structures . are so central to our argument, we spend some time tracing the origins of these systems.
Quantized time correlation function approach to non-adiabatic decay rates in condensed phase: Application to solvated electrons in water and methanol
A new, alternative form of the golden rule formula defining the non-adiabatic transition rate between two quantum states in condensed phase is presented. The formula involves the quantum time correlation function of the energy gap, of the non-adiabatic coupling, and their cross terms. Those quantities can be inferred from their classical counterparts, determined via MD simulations. The formalism is applied to the problem of the non-adiabatic relaxation of an equilibrated p-electron in water and methanol. We find that, in both solvent, the relaxation is induced by the coupling to the vibrational modes and the quantum effects modify the rate by a factor of 2-10 depending on the quantization procedure applied. The resulting p-state lifetime for a hypothetical equilibrium excited state appears extremely short, in the sub-100 fs regime. Although this result is in contrast with all previous theoretical predictions, we also illustrate that the lifetimes computed here are very sensitive to the simulated electronic quantum gap and to the strongly correlated non-adiabatic coupling
PERANAN PENYULUH PADA PEMELIHARAAN TERNAK BABI LOKAL DI DESA GUMBO KECAMATAN TIOMNERI KABUPATEN LANNY JAYA
ROLE OF CATTLE PIGS COUNSELORS MAINTENANCE OF LOCAL DISTRICT IN THE VILLAGE GUMBO TIOMNERI LANNY JAYA REGENCY. The study aims to determine characteristics and breeders perception toward extension activities in the District Gumbo village Tiomneri Lanny Jaya Regency Research has implemented since December, 1th until January 31th 2018 using survey method. Twenty two of pig breeders in the village pig farmers Gumbo Tiomneri District of Lanny Jaya Regency was selected by census as sample of respondents. Data analysis using scale of likert Study results indicated that breeders perception of the role of agriculture extension agent as a motivator and facilitator in the District Gumbo village Tiomneri Lanny Jaya Regency was already optimal, or in other words the role of extension officers in performing their duties was already good. The process of adoption of technology by pig farmers in the village of the District Gumbo Tiomneri Lanny Jaya Regency was varied from respondents..The role agriculture counselor as a motivator has succeed to change the habits of farmers tradition that used to keep cattle in the house where they live (home honai) but by now farmers have made pig pen outside their house.Keywords: Role of Extension agent, pigs, Gumbo.
Excessive visual crowding effects in developmental dyscalculia
Visual crowding refers to the inability to identify objects when surrounded by other similar items. Crowding-like mechanisms are thought to play a key role in numerical perception by determining the sensory mechanisms through which ensembles are perceived. Enhanced visual crowding might hence prevent the normal development of a system involved in segregating and perceiving discrete numbers of items and ultimately the acquisition of more abstract numerical skills. Here, we investigated whether excessive crowding occurs in developmental dyscalculia (DD), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty in learning the most basic numerical and arithmetical concepts, and whether it is found independently of associated major reading and attentional difficulties. We measured spatial crowding in two groups of adult individuals with DD and control subjects. In separate experiments, participants were asked to discriminate the orientation of a Gabor patch either in isolation or under spatial crowding. Orientation discrimination thresholds were comparable across groups when stimuli were shown in isolation, yet they were much higher for the DD group with respect to the control group when the target was crowded by closely neighbouring flanking gratings. The difficulty in discriminating orientation (as reflected by the combination of accuracy and reaction times) in the DD compared to the control group persisted over several larger target flanker distances. Finally, we found that the degree of such spatial crowding correlated with impairments in mathematical abilities even when controlling for visual attention and reading skills. These results suggest that excessive crowding effects might be a characteristic of DD, independent of other associated neurodevelopmental disorders
Reduced 2D form coherence and 3D structure from motion sensitivity in developmental dyscalculia
Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a specific learning disability affecting the development of numerical and arithmetical skills. The origin of DD is typically attributed to the suboptimal functioning of key regions within the dorsal visual stream (parietal cortex) which support numerical cognition. While DD individuals are often impaired in visual numerosity perception, the extent to which they also show a wider range of visual dysfunctions is poorly documented. In the current study we measured sensitivity to global motion (translational and flow), 2D static form (Glass patterns) and 3D structure from motion in adults with DD and control subjects. While sensitivity to global motion was comparable across groups, thresholds for static form and structure from motion were higher in the DD compared to the control group, irrespective of associated reading impairments. Glass pattern sensitivity predicted numerical abilities, and this relation could not be explained by recently reported differences in visual crowding. Since global form sensitivity has often been considered an index of ventral stream function, our findings could indicate a cortical dysfunction extending beyond the dorsal visual stream. Alternatively, they would fit with a role of parietal cortex in form perception under challenging conditions requiring multiple element integration
Half-Seed Analysis for Comparing Linolenic Acid Synthesis Between High and Low Oleic Acid Sunflower Inbred Lines
The modification of fatty acid composition of two sunflowers inbred lines, HA89 and R978, low oleic acid (normal) and high oleic acid (mutant) respectively, in seeds and during the first stages of growth (A1-B2) was studied under controlled conditions. Enzymatic mechanisms have great effect on the catabolism of seed stored lipids. Temperature and oxygen regulation influence developing sunflower seeds. For simultaneous study of seed and developing seed, half-seed analysis technique was used. The behavior of the fatty acids during the germination in cotyledon of seed showed the increase of linolenic acid in both lines, demonstrating the activity of linoleic acid desaturase (\uc46-desaturase). But linoleic acid as a substrate for linoleate desaturase increased during all stages of developing only in mutant line that revealed higher activity of oleic acid desaturase (\uc412-desaturase) in transforming oleic acid to linoleic acid in this line, and lower activity of this enzyme in low oleic acid line, the reasons probably being the low availability of substrate of this enzyme in low oleic acid line and the complexity of enzymatic mechanisms. The modification of fatty acids in developing sunflower, depends not only on ambient conditions such as temperature and oxygen regulation as described by many authors, but also on the genotype. \ua9 2004, by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston. All rights reserved
Combining ability analysis in Brassica juncea L. for oil quality traits
This study was conducted in Brassica juncea L. for the determination of good combiners for quality associated traits using 8 x 8 diallel during 2004 - 2005 and 2005 - 2006. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences (p 0.01) for all the studied traits. Components of combining ability analysis showed that general combining ability (GCA) was highly significant (p 0.01) for oil percentage (%) and glucosinolates (ìMolg-1) whereas the rest were non-significant. Specific combining ability (SCA)effects were highly significant for all traits except for oleic acids. Reciprocal combining ability (RCA) effects were highly significant (p 0.01) for all traits except for oleic acid which was significant at (p 0.05). The SCA effects were higher than RCA for oil %. The GCA effects were of greater magnitude thanthe SCA effects for glucosinolate, erucic acid and protein content. The parental genotypes NUM009, NUM123, NUM105 and NUM117 and their hybrids NUM009x NUM123, NUM103x NUM105, NUM113x NUM124 and NUM103x NUM120 had high GCA and SCA effects, respectively and therefore these could be exploited for further selection of high yielding progenies. The overall study reveals the importance of both additive and non-additive genetic variability suggesting the use of integrated breeding strategies which can efficiently utilize the additive as well as non-additive genetic variability
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