Notes on large angle crossing graphs

A graph G is an a-angle crossing (aAC) graph if every pair of crossing edges in G intersect at an angle of at least a. The concept of right angle crossing (RAC) graphs (a=Pi/2) was recently introduced by Didimo et. al. It was shown that any RAC graph with n vertices has at most 4n-10 edges and that there are infinitely many values of n for which there exists a RAC graph with n vertices and 4n-10 edges. In this paper, we give upper and lower bounds for the number of edges in aAC graphs for all 0 < a < Pi/2

Postponement and the wealth of nations

In this paper, Fair Value Chain Creation (FVC2;), as an approach that applies and extends principles of Fair Trade to exports from developed countries to the less developed countries, is being introduced. It awards a Fair Value label to goods which undergo further value adding in the host market. FVC2; attempts to utilize a label pointing at made for rather than made in by emblematizing the degree of Fair Value involved. Building on logistics and manufacturing postponement allows FVC2; to balance value chains in such a way that both stakes (North - South; developed countries - developing countries; country of origin - host market) are going to profit. Developing countries can increase their share in value chains originating from Northern countries. In turn, this enables those developed countries and corresponding manufacturers to level their resources. While postponing none-core activities to the developing countries and the respective host markets, manufacturers can focus even more on core processes. In fact, FVC2; mostly employs humans instead of machines. It makes labor a promoted option. Based on free-market mechanisms, like opportunity costs and the production possibilities frontier, the authors prove FVC2; being an attempt in the market and on the structure of global value chains. Fair Value Chain Creation is driven by enhanced global logistics performance. Thus, and in contrast to Fair Trade, FVC2; requires no price premium being paid by the consumer and therefore no stringent inspection of its application. Nonetheless, every labeling initiative requires an authority to prevent malpractice. The authors show, before such an initiative can be put into practice, that it is particularly evident to define the developing gap enabling to specify the potential and spectrum of FVC2;. This gap arises from globalization and enhanced logistics performance (foremost postponement). --Fair Trade,Fair Value Chain,Fair Value Creation,Postponement,Wealth of Nations

Obras de consolidação do sítio arqueológico de São Lourenço Mártir

O Declarado como Patrim&ocirc;nio Nacional em 1970, juntamente com os S&iacute;tios de S&atilde;o Jo&atilde;o Batista e S&atilde;o Nicolau, S&atilde;o Louren&ccedil;o M&aacute;rtir est&aacute; localizado a aproximadamente 27 quil&ocirc;metros da cidade de S&atilde;o Luis Gonzaga (RS). Com o principal objetivo de reverter o processo de degrada&ccedil;&atilde;o, ao qual o S&iacute;tio Arqueol&oacute;gico de S&atilde;o Louren&ccedil;o est&aacute; submetido, as obras de consolida&ccedil;&atilde;o de suas estruturas remanescentes fazem parte de um amplo projeto multidisciplinar, que visa &agrave; preserva&ccedil;&atilde;o e valoriza&ccedil;&atilde;o do legado Missioneiro. O projeto, desenvolvido at&eacute; o momento em duas etapas, &eacute; baseado em crit&eacute;rios internacionais de interven&ccedil;&atilde;o, elaborado e coordenado pelo Escrit&oacute;rio T&eacute;cnico Miss&otilde;es, do Instituto do Patrim&ocirc;nio Hist&oacute;rico e Art&iacute;stico Nacional (IPHAN), com financiamento do Governo Federal Brasileiro atrav&eacute;s do Minist&eacute;rio da Cultura.Tópico 3: Construcciones en piedra. Durabilidad y preservación de las rocas

Hydra intermedia sp. nov. and notes on Chlorohydra viridissima (Pallas) (Cnidaria)

Hydra intermedia sp. nov. é descrita e comparada com as espécies descritas até agora. Exemplares da nova espécie foram coletados em alguns corpos de água do Estado de São Paulo entre 1972 e 1974. As hidras verdes coletadas em alguns pontos da Cidade Universitária foram identificadas com Chlo- rohydra viridissima (Palias) 1766

Effect of homegarden and parkland agroforestry practices in Ethiopia on selected soil properties

Ethiopian agricultural lands are fragile due to inherent unfavourable soil properties, over-exploitation, mismanagement (deforestation, over-grazing and inappropriate land use systems) and harsh weather conditions. These factors are worsened by changing climatic conditions, leading to significant problems in terms of soil erosion and loss of soil fertility. The consequences of such processes can be detected at the economic (agricultural production is currently being jeopardized) and biological (risks of biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation) levels. However, the use of tree/shrub species in various agroforestry practices can increase soil nutrient supply through nitrogen fixation, improve soil structure, reduce soil erosion and nutrient losses. A study was carried out in the Amhara region, Ethiopia to evaluate the effect of homegarden and parkland agroforestry practices on selected soil chemical properties. Soil samples were taken from 20x20m square plots established in homegarden agroforestry and adjacent agricultural land without trees (control). In parkland agroforestry practice, two dominant tree species in each of the five villages were chosen. Soil samples were taken from the tree at the midpoint of the canopy projection, at 0-15 and 15-30 cm depths. The collected soil samples were air-dried, homogenized and passed through a 2 mm sieve for subsequent soil chemical analysis. The results indicated that all soil chemical properties except total nitrogen were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected by the agroforestry practices. Higher soil organic carbon, organic matter, available phosphorus, and exchangeable potassium were found in the homegarden agroforestry practice, while the lowest values were recorded in without-tree fields (control). All soil chemical properties except soil pH decreased as the soil depth increased. Higher value of organic carbon, available phosphorus, and exchangeable potassium were found in the homegarden agroforestry likely because of a higher proportion of deep-rooted tree/shrub species and species belonging to the legume functional group. Therefore, the homegarden agroforestry practice can be used as an ecologically friendly and sustainable alternative to maintaining soil fertility

The essence of an immigrant identity: Children's pro-social responses to others based on perceived ability and desire to change

Much work has highlighted the degree to which children and adults view human characteristics as immutable. Less work has elucidated how people may conceptualize such immutability. Using immigration as an example domain, we examined the extent to which children’s (N=112 5- to 10-year-olds) immutability concepts reflected beliefs about others lacking the ability and/or the desire to change. Children readily agreed that immigrants could—and wanted to—change certain aspects of their identities (i.e., by adopting the norms of their new country). We also investigated the social ramifications of messages focusing on different aspects of immutability. Children felt and behaved more positively toward people who had the ability and desire to change than toward those who did not. Moreover, information about desires played a greater role in shaping children’s attitudes and behaviors than did information about abilities. This work extends scholarship on psychological essentialism by highlighting the need to study sub-components of a specific pillar of essentialist thought (i.e., separating the immutability component of essentialism into perceptions regarding people's perceived desire and, separately, perceived ability to change), partially because essentialism impacts social cognition and behavior differently across sub- components

Agricultural intensification in Ethiopia: Patterns, trends, and welfare impacts

This study examined the patterns, trends, and drivers of agricultural intensification and productivity growth during the recent decade (2012 - 2019) using three rounds of household data collected from four agricultural regions of Ethiopia. The descriptive results indicate a positive trend both in adoption and intensity of inputs and outputs, albeit from a low base and with considerable heterogeneity by access to information, rainfall levels and variability, labor, soil quality, and remoteness, among others. The econometric results show significant association between intensification, yield growth, household dietary diversity, and consumer durables. The results on the association between current yield levels and per capita consumption expenditures are however mixed (i.e., while an increase in cereal yield improves food consumption expenditures, an increase in cash crop yield improves only non-food consumption expenditures). In sum, while the increasing input intensification and the resulting yield gains are associated with improvements in household diets and consumer durables, it falls short to have strong impact on incomes (as measured by total consumption expenditures), indicating that additional efforts must be made to see meaningful impacts on higher order outcomes. Additional welfare improv-ing productivity gains through increased input intensification may require investments in appropriate fer-tilizer blends; investments in improved seeds (to accelerate varietal turnover), ways to mitigate production (rainfall) risk, and investments to remodel Ethiopia’s extension system to provide much needed technical support to farmers on production methods

The essence of an immigrant identity: Children's pro-social responses to others based on perceived ability and desire to change

Much work has highlighted the degree to which children and adults view human characteristics as immutable. Less work has elucidated how people may conceptualize such immutability. Using immigration as an example domain, we examined the extent to which children’s (N=112 5- to 10-year-olds) immutability concepts reflected beliefs about others lacking the ability and/or the desire to change. Children readily agreed that immigrants could—and wanted to—change certain aspects of their identities (i.e., by adopting the norms of their new country). We also investigated the social ramifications of messages focusing on different aspects of immutability. Children felt and behaved more positively toward people who had the ability and desire to change than toward those who did not. Moreover, information about desires played a greater role in shaping children’s attitudes and behaviors than did information about abilities. This work extends scholarship on psychological essentialism by highlighting the need to study sub-components of a specific pillar of essentialist thought (i.e., separating the immutability component of essentialism into perceptions regarding people's perceived desire and, separately, perceived ability to change), partially because essentialism impacts social cognition and behavior differently across sub-components. Keywords: identity; immigration; morality; psychological essentialism; social cognitive development; social preference