Pioneers of Modern Geography: Translations Pertaining to German Geographers of the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

This collection of English translations samples the writings and/or critiques thereon of six important German geographers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: those of August Meitzen, Eduard Hahn, Otto Schliiter, Alfred Hettner, Siegfried Passarge, and Karl Sapper. Each of these scholars influenced in various ways the course of modem geographical thinking and instruction in German universities, and their methodologies were also adopted in part by professional geographers in other European countries and in the United States. Four of them—Hahn, Schliiter, Hettner and Passarge— were students of Ferdinand von Richthofen, often considered the “father” of professional geography in Germany. In their writings, most of the men considered herein dealt mainly with the substance and methodology of human geography, but two, Passarge and Sapper, having received formal training in geology, considered problems in physical geography, although both treated various aspects of anthropogeography and ethnography. In the same vein, some of the human geographers of this group, namely Hettner and Schliiter, occasionally wrote on physical geography and emphasized that subject in their teaching. Writings of other leading German geographers of the time period here considered might well have been included; for example Friedrich Ratzel, whose first volume of his Anthropogeographie (1882) dealt in part with the influence of nature on mankind, and led directly to the ideas of one of his American students, Ellen Churchill Semple, who was instrumental in establishing the dogma of environmental determinism among geographers in the United States during the early part of this century. (from Introduction

Modification of erythrocyte Na+/Li+ countertransport kinetics by two types of thiol group

AbstractErythrocyte Na−/Li+ countertransport activity is decreased by reagents that react with thiol groups. An understanding of the role of these groups in control of Na+/Li+ countertransport may help to explain its association with disease states. The effect of thiol reactive agents on the kinetic parameters of Na+/Li+ countertransport has not previously been described. In choline medium, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and iodoacetamide (IAamide) cause a rapid decrease of about 40% in Km for external sodium (Km(So)) that is complete in 10 s with a much smaller change in Vmax and an increase in the Vmax/Km ratio. In Na medium, NEM and IAamide both cause a rapid decrease in Km(So) and Vmax. With NEM the partial reduction in Vmax is complete in 100 s although the NEM is sufficient to reduce Vmax up to 15 min. With IAamide the decrease in Vmax is initially slower but it continues apparently towards complete inhibition. These results indicate at least two types of thiol group controlling Na+/Li+ countertransport kinetics. The type 1 thiol reaction is Na independent and causes an increase in the apparent rate constant for Na association with the unloaded carrier so that Vmax/Km rises and Km(So) decreases. The type 2 thiol reaction is facilitated by Na at the outside ion-binding site and causes a decrease in Vmax, possibly by total blockage of carriers with IAamide but by a different mechanism with NEM such as reduced turnover rate

Impact of a family-oriented rehabilitation programme on behavioural and emotional problems in healthy siblings of chronically ill children

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a family-oriented inpatient rehabilitation programme on behavioural and emotional problems in healthy siblings of chronically ill children and to assess the association between these problems and quality of life. Methods: A total of 259 healthy children (4–16 years,M = 8.6 years, SD = 3.3) with a chronically ill sibling were enrolled in the study. Parents filled in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, while the children answered a self-report quality of life instrument (LQ-KID) at the time of admission and discharge from the clinic and at a 6-month follow-up. Comparisons were performed with a matched control group from the German general population (n = 777). Results: Significant behavioural or emotional symptoms were found in 30.5% of the healthy siblings, the relative risk of having elevated scores being 2.2 compared with the control group. Symptoms were inversely correlated with quality of life (r = -0.42). During the inpatient rehabilitation, symptoms decreased significantly to a normal level. Similarly, quality of life significantly improved, except in the dimension family relations. Conclusions: Family-oriented inpatient rehabilitation is a promising approach to improve the mental health of children with a chronically ill sibling

Geographic Variation in Body Size and Weight of Willow Ptarmigan

Reports results of multiple range test comparisons of wing, tail and net body weight measurements of 2600 specimens collected in Alaska and adjacent Yukon Territory. Populations from different geographic areas showed statistically significant differences but uniformity within recognizable subspecies. Lagopus lagopus alascensis has the largest range in Alaska and occurs at least to Old Crow in the Yukon. L.l.albus occurs from central Yukon Territory eastward and south to northern British Columbia and west into Alaska in the upper Tanana valley and south of the Alaska Range to the Susitna River. L.l. alexandrae occupies the Alaska and Kenai Peninsulas and a narrow margin of the Gulf of Alaska coast south into British Columbia. L.l. murei is distributed on Kodiak Island, the Shumagins and the Aleutians from Unimak westward. The present distribution of these subspecies may be explained in part by their distribution at the time of the Wisconsin glaciation and their subsequent dispersal.Variations géographiques de la taille et du poids du Lagopède des saules. De multiples comparaisons de mesures des ailes, de la queue et du poids net de 2,600 spécimens de lagopède des saules (Lagopus lagopus) recueillis en Alaska et dans la partie adjacente du territoire du Yukon, ont démontré des différences statistiquement significatives entre les populations des différentes aires géographiques, mains ont aussi indiqué une surprenante uniformité parmi les populations désignées comme sous-espèces reconnaissables.Les précédentes distributions d'habitat, basées sur la couleur du plumage et la taille du bec, distinguaient L. l. alascensis de L. l. albus à la frontière Alaska-Yukon. Sur la base des nouvelles mesures, on croit que la population du L. l. alascensis plus gros s'étend vers l'Est dans le territoire du Yukon au moins jusqu'à Old Crow, tandis que le L. l. albus plus petit s'étend vers l'Ouest à travers l'Alaska, dans la haute vallée de la Tanana et au Sud de la chaîne alaskienne jusqu'à la Sustina. On suppose que la distribution présente des diverses sous-espèces du Logopède des saules en Alaska peut s'expliquer par leur distribution à l'époque de la glaciation wisconsienne et par leur dispersion subséquente

Playing 'Tetris' reduces the strength, frequency and vividness of naturally occurring cravings.

Elaborated Intrusion Theory (EI) postulates that imagery is central to craving, therefore a visually based task should decrease craving and craving imagery. This study provides the first laboratory test of this hypothesis in naturally occurring, rather than artificially induced, cravings. Participants reported if they were experiencing a craving and rated the strength, vividness and intrusiveness of their craving. They then either played 'Tetris' or they waited for a computer program to load (they were told it would load, but it was designed not to). Before task completion, craving scores between conditions did not differ; after, however, participants who had played 'Tetris' had significantly lower craving and less vivid craving imagery. The findings support EI theory, showing that a visuospatial working memory load reduces naturally occurring cravings, and that Tetris might be a useful task for tackling cravings outside the laboratory. Methodologically, the findings show that craving can be studied in the laboratory without using craving induction procedures

Is the use of electronic cigarettes while smoking associated with smoking cessation attempts, cessation and reduced cigarette consumption? A survey with a 1-year follow-up

To use a unique longitudinal data set to assess the association between e-cigarette use while smoking with smoking cessation attempts, cessation and substantial reduction, taking into account frequency of use and key potential confounders

Lunar hand tools

Tools useful for operations and maintenance tasks on the lunar surface were determined and designed. Primary constraints are the lunar environment, the astronaut's space suit and the strength limits of the astronaut on the moon. A multipurpose rotary motion tool and a collapsible tool carrier were designed. For the rotary tool, a brushless motor and controls were specified, a material for the housing was chosen, bearings and lubrication were recommended and a planetary reduction gear attachment was designed. The tool carrier was designed primarily for ease of access to the tools and fasteners. A material was selected and structural analysis was performed on the carrier. Recommendations were made about the limitations of human performance and about possible attachments to the torque driver