Bruinkoolwinning en landschapsherstel: een landschapskroniek

In de Lausitz, in het oosten van Duitsland, ruim honderd kilometer ten zuiden van Berlijn bevinden zich bruinkoolmijnen. Het integreren van landschapsnarratie met het landschappelijk en ecologisch benaderen van landschapsherstel als uitgangspunt voor het ontwerpen aan voormalige bruinkoolmijnen in de Lausitz. Dat is de inzet van de masterstudie, waarover in dit artikel verslag wordt gedaa

A method to impregnate wet soil samples, producing high-quality thin sections.

[120.031]Mineral soils with different moisture content and texture were impregnated successfully by the method described. The water present in the soil sample is replaced by acetone and the acetone-saturated sample is impregnated by FitzPatrick's method (1970) (using acetone as thinner of the polyester resin Synolith 544). Shrinkage is minimal and the thin sections are of high quality. It should be possible to correlate thin section data obtained by this method with physical data obtained from undisturbed material. Micromorphologically, a better understanding of the plasmic fabrics should be possible. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Toshisada Nishida (1941–2011): Chimpanzee Rapport

Frans de Waal pays tribute to pioneering primatologist Toshisada Nishida, who transformed our understanding of chimpanzee behavior and culture and galvanized efforts to ensure their conservation

Understanding the Philosophical Positions of Classical and Neo Pragmatists for Mixed Methods Research

Pragmatism is the most popular philosophy/paradigm in the international field of mixed methods research (MMR). This article therefore introduces, describes, and contrasts the philosophies of the most well known pragmatists, including the three most important classical pragmatists (Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewey) and two neopragmatists (Richard Rorty and Susan Haack). It is shown that Rorty and James fit well with qualitatively driven MMR (i. e., MMR where the qualitative component of the study is primary); Peirce fits well with quantitatively driven MMR (i. e., MMR where the quantitative component is primary); and Dewey fits well with MMR that attempts to treat qualitative and quantitative research/philosophy equally (i. e., equal-status mixed methods research). Importantly, it is shown here that pragmatism offers a way out of many philosophy of science quagmires facing social researchers and it offers a promising philosophy for mixed methods research practice

Richtlijnen voor een ontwikkelingsplan voor de Oostkust van Sumatra

Suggestions were made to improve the agricultural situation resulting from the Second World war. The former estate agriculture on the East Coast of Sumatra, established in 1865 by westerners in a sparsely populated and isolated area, occupied 1,000,000 ha in 1940 mainly under tobacco, rubber, oil palms and fibre- plants, but was replaced by foodstuffs during the Japanese occupation, as rice was no longer imported. The Bureau for Land Utilization, established in 1948 in Djakarta, tried to indicate the most efficient integrated use of the land by regional, social, economic and physical planning, in contrast to former incidental actions. An insight was gained into the scope of soil and climate, while some structural defects also came to light of which the chief were the pluralistic structure of society, the legal regulations on tenure, the one-sided production and the presence of cultivated areas as a foreign element, also in a physical sense. The one-sided production appeared from the export of raw materials from estate agriculture and import of manufactured goods and foodstuffs. The area grew only 50 % of its rice. The development plan must increase both individual prosperity and regional economic stability and promote the agricultural industries and service establishments

Burgers op afstand? Naar een beter begrip van ontevreden burgers

Veel beschouwingen over de politiek in het algemeen en de vermeende kloof tussen de burger en de politiek in het bijzonder richten zich op ‘de ontevreden burger’. Ontevredenheid wordt daarbij op verschillende manieren ingevuld, variërend van zich niet vertegenwoordigd of gehoord voelen tot wantrouwen in instituties als de politiek en de rechtspraak, en steun aan populistische partijen. Maar wie zijn die ontevreden burgers, en waarom zijn zij zo ontevreden

Розробка нейромережевої інтелектуальної системи для прогнозування енергетичних центрів плямових зображень у процесах профілювання лазерного променя

Здійснено розробку нейромережевої інтелектуальної системи для прогнозування енергетичних центрів (ЕЦ) плямових зображень у процесах профілювання лазерного променя (ЛП). Обґрунтовано актуальність задачі прогнозування координат ЕЦ профілю ЛП. Розглянуто методи прогнозування та обґрунтовано доцільність застосування нейромережевої моделі. Здійснено комп’ютерне моделювання системи прогнозування, а також на основі отриманих результатів сформульовано вимоги та здійснено програмну реалізацію інтелектуальної системи.Выполнено разработку нейросетевой интеллектуальной системы для прогнозирования энергетических центров (ЭЦ) пятенных зображений в процесах профилирования лазерного луча (ЛЛ). Обоснована актуальность задачи прогнозирования координат ЭЦ профиля ЛЛ. Рассмотрены методы прогнозирования и обоснована целесообразность применения нейросетевой модели. Выполнено компьютерное моделирование системы прогнозирования, а также на основе полученных результатов сформулированы требования и выполнено программную реализацию интеллектуальной системы.The development of a neural net intellectual system for energy centers (EC) spot images forecasting in the processes of laser beam profiling (LB) is done. Actuality of the problem of coordinates forecasting of EC of laser beam profile is proved. Methods of forecasting are considered and the appropriateness of usage the neural net model is justified. Computer simulation of forecasting system is carried out and also on the basis of the obtained results the requirements are formulated and software implementation of intelligent system is performed

Research Chimpanzees May Get a Break

A recent report by the Institute of Medicine leaves few urgent reasons standing for the continued use of chimpanzees in biomedical research. It is high time to think about their retirement, Frans de Waal argues, without neglecting prospects for non-invasive research on behavior, cognition, and genetics