Review: Living with Oil & Coal: Resource Politics & Militarization in Northeast India

Book revie

A family of non-collapsed steady Ricci solitons in even dimensions greater or equal to four

We construct a family of non-collapsed, non-K\"ahler, non-Einstein steady Ricci solitons in even dimensions greater or equal to four. These solitons exist on complex line bundles over K\"ahler-Einstein manifolds of positive scalar curvature. They include a four-dimensional $U(2)$-invariant, non-collapsed Riemannian steady soliton on each of the line bundles $O(k)$, $k>2$ of $\mathbb{C}P^1$. Finally, we find Taub-Nut like Ricci solitons and demonstrate a new proof for the existence of the Bryant soliton

User guide for the BGS Methane and Carbon Dioxide from Natural Sources and Coal Mining Dataset for Great Britain

This report presents a description and review of the methodology developed by the British Geological Survey (BGS) to produce an assessment of the potential hazard from Methane and Carbon Dioxide from Natural Sources and Coal Mining in Great Britain. The methodology is briefly described in this report. The purpose of the user guide is to enable those licensing this dataset to have a better appreciation of how the dataset has been created and therefore a better understanding of the potential applications and limitations that the dataset may have

Habitat and seasonal effects on blowfly ecology in possum carcasses in the Manawatu : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology at Massey University

Flies were trapped on Keeble farm and in Keeble forest reserve between May 1992 to February 1993. Fewer Calliphoridae were trapped in pasture during summer than in autumn or winter and different fly species showed differing preferences for bush or pasture at different times of the year. More flies were trapped around the bush margin than in either bush or pasture during spring and summer. In pasture the most numerous calliphorid trapped was Calliphora stygia (Fabricius, 1781), whereas in bush during summer Calliphora hilli Patton, 1925 was the predominant species. Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) was never trapped in bush. Decaying possum carcases were examined in bush and pasture between February 1992 and February 1993. The number of maggots that left these carcases was affected by the time of the year and whether the carcases were in bush or pasture. More maggots left bush located possum carcases during spring and summer while more maggots left possum carcases in pasture during autumn and winter. Decay rates were most rapid during spring and summer. Temperatures were warm enough for adult fly activity during winter but the possum carcases decayed much slower, especially in bush. C, stygia and Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 were generally the first species of maggot to leave possum carcases and they were the only species present throughout the year in both habitats. L. sericata and Chrysomya ruficacies (Macquart, 1843) maggots were restricted to possum carcases in pasture during spring and summer while Calliphoroides antennaris (Hutton, 1881) was restricted to possum carcases in bush. Hydrotaea rostrata Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 was the only species restricted to summer. In spring 1992, 3400 flies emerged from a 2.5 kg possum carcase placed in pasture and 4200 flies emerged from a 3.1 kg possum carcase placed in bush. Estimated emergence success of adult flies was 22.0% in pasture and 20.2% in bush. This was l5% lower on average than the emergence level of comparable maggots raised in the laboratory. Flies began emerging in the bush l0 days after those in pasture. L. sericata was restricted to pasture and C. antennatis was restricted to bush. Overall the major flystrike species to emerge were C. stygia and L. sericata. C. stygia made stygia made up 46% of the total number of flies that emerged in pasture and 78% of those in bush, while L. sericata comprised l5.5% of the total number of flies that emerged in pasture. The emergence success of field-collected maggots in the laboratory was significantly correlated with the estimated average total number of maggots that left the carcases in the field. Maggots showed the highest emergence success in winter when larval competition in the carcase was lowest. The temperature of a possum carcase containing fly maggots in bush reached 19.7° C during spring 1992 whereas the temperature exceeded 35°C on occasions in another carcase in pasture at the same time. Proportionally fewer maggots emerged from the possum carcase in pasture possibly because the high temperatures killed many maggots, especially those of C. stygia. Maggots and bacterial decay both elevated carcase temperatures above ambient. Bacteria raised the temperature by about 2°C whereas maggots raised the temperature by 18.3°C to 26°C above ambient. The carcase temperature significantly affected the number of maggots that left the possum carcases, and the number of maggots that left was directly related to the total maggot biomass that left the carcase. A minimum of 24% to 26% of. the fresh weight of the possum carcases was converted to maggot weight

Effects of Proline and Glycine on the Cnidocyte Discharge of Hydra magnipapillata

The sense of taste enables animals to utilize environmental cues to detect favorable foods. Through specialized sensory receptors, Cnidarians employ stinging cells called cnidocytes to perform a variety of activities such as locomotion, capturing prey, inducing of feeding responses, and defense. Their discharge is highly regulated by mechanical and chemical signals that are mediated by a complex system including the opsin and taste pathways. Taste 1 Receptors (T1R) have previously been isolated in vertebrates but only until recently, have been noted in invertebrates. Receptors specific to L- amino acids corresponding to the taste sensation of umami, were studied to determine if the pathways of Hydra magnipapillata used for feeding were similar to the systems utilized in vertebrates. Amino acids, Proline and Glycine, were experimented using cnidocyte assays to induce feeding and capture cnidocytes. An optimal concentration of 10mM of Proline and Glycine was tested and found to be significant by eliciting greater cnidocyte discharge as compared to a Control of gelatin with P- Values of 0.003 and 0.0011 respectively. This indicates that amino acids, which have similar receptors in vertebrates, are capable of inducing feeding responses in invertebrates implying that T1Rs operate in similar mechanisms thus predating the current notion of the evolutions and diversification of such genes by around 400 million years

How New York City Used an Ecosystem Services Strategy Carried Out Through an Urban-rural Partnership to Preserve the Pristine Quality of its Drinking Water and Save Billions of Dollars

The New York City watershed protection program may be the most well known example of economics driving a decision to invest in water based ecosystem services. In this narrative the Albert Appleton, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and Director of the New York City Water and Sewer system, during the creation of the program steps through the social and political process of developing this program. He gives insights in to the difficulty of breaking with status quo policy approaches and the benefits for following instinct allowing for innovation and cooperation that resulted in saving New York City billions of dollars and protecting their environment

Education and health at the household level in sub-Saharan Africa

This paper surveys the microeconomic evidence on the determinants of and returns to education and health in sub-Saharan Africa. A year of education is associated with 3-14% increases wages and productivity. The introduction or removal of user fees can have dramatic effects on take-up of health and education services.

'As a matter of fact I've just about had enough'; : battle weariness and the 2nd New Zealand division during the Italian campaign, 1943-45 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

By the time that the 2nd New Zealand Division reached Italy in late 1943, many of the soldiers within it had been overseas since early 1941. Most had fought across North Africa during 1942/43 – some had even seen combat earlier, in Greece and Crete in 1941. The strain of combat was beginning to show, a fact recognised by the division’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg. Freyberg used the term ‘battle weary’ to describe both the division and the men within it on a number of occasions throughout 1944, suggesting at one stage the New Zealanders be withdrawn from operations completely. This study examines key factors that drove battle weariness within the division: issues around manpower, the operational difficulties faced by the division in Italy, the skill and tenacity of their German opponent, and the realities of modern combat. Critical to understanding the links between these factors and the weariness that manifested itself within the division are the words of the participating soldiers themselves. Three key outcomes of battle weariness are examined in some detail. Exposure to long periods of combat meant that a large number of the New Zealanders were at risk of becoming psychological casualties. Indeed, casualties diagnosed and recorded as exhaustion and neurosis, consistently reached over 20% of those wounded during the period in Italy. Declining morale became an issue for the leadership of 2nd New Zealand Division. Internal censorship of outgoing letters within the division was summarised at the time and these summaries provide an insight into a widespread gloomy outlook that featured throughout 1944. Not only did the letter writers reflect on the poor conditions they faced in Italy, but news from home appears as a significant driver of frontline morale. Lack of discipline – both in and out of the line – caused real concern to senior officers, and at times reached levels that appear to have become institutionalised. Three topics are explored: looting, the use of alcohol, and cases of combat refusal. This work then examines how the underlying issues driving weariness were addressed through the restructuring of the division, the replacement of long serving men, the use of new technologies, and a period of relief out of the line with an extensive training programme. Finally, the division’s performance during the final offensive in Italy in April 1945, is examined, to gauge the success of the changes made

Regional or National Poverty Lines? The Case of Uganda in the 1990s

Uganda, poverty, inequality