John Campbell and the Cape Breton fiddle tradition

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Interactions Between Plant Water-Stress and Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Spider Mite Infestations in Corn

Spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) are an important agricultural pest of many crops and landscape plants. They can reproduce rapidly and quickly develop resistance to many pesticides, making them difficult to manage. Plant water-stress and high temperatures promote spider mite infestations, while spider mite outbreaks can also result from neonicotinoid insecticide applications. Drought is predicted to increase in the Intermountain West due to increases in temperature and reduced frequency of precipitation events in the region, and neonicotinoids are currently one of the most widely used classes of insecticides in field crops. I studied the interactive effect of these two simultaneously occurring abiotic factors on spider mite outbreaks and plant biosynthesis of herbivore-related defense proteins. I also evaluated ways to alleviate spider mite outbreaks with drought-tolerant corn and the exogenous application of plant phytohormones involved in plant resistance toward biotic stressors. I found that plant water-stress increased spider mites and that neonicotinoids exacerbated the effect of water-stress. Although applications of plant hormones did not reduce the effect of water-stress and neonicotinoids, drought tolerant corn showed promise in reducing the effect of water-stress and spider mite outbreaks

Assessment of a high school geological field course

Fieldwork is supportive of students’ natural inquiry abilities. Educational research findings suggest that instructors can foster the growth of thinking skills and promote science literacy by incorporating active learning strategies (McConnel et al, 2003). Huntoon (2001) states that there is a need to determine optimal learning strategies and to document the procedure of assessing those optimal geoscience curricula. This study seeks to determine if Earth Space II, a high school geological field course, can increase students’ knowledge of selected educational objectives. This research also seeks to measure any impact Earth Space II has on students’ attitude towards science. Assessment of the Earth Space II course objectives provided data on the impact of field courses on high school students’ scientific literacy, scientific inquiry skills, and understanding of selected course objectives. Knowledge assessment was done using a multiple choice format test, the Geoscience Concept Inventory, and an open-ended format essay test. Attitude assessment occurred by utilizing a preexisting science attitude survey. Both knowledge assessments items showed a positive effect size from the pretest to the posttest. The essay exam effect size was 17 and the Geoscience Concept Inventory effect size was 0.18. A positive impact on students’ attitude toward science was observed by an increase in the overall mean Likert value from the pre-survey to the post-survey

Gun Ownership Trends In The United States, 1973-2000

In the last half century, gun ownership has been one of the most hotly debated topics in the United States. The right to bear arms was written into the U. S. Constitution and into the hearts and minds of its citizens. During the last half century, however, numerous gun control laws have been enacted at Federal, state and local levels, and it can be argued (plausibly or not) that part of the legislative intent has been to decrease the number of gun owning households in the United States. For many decades, this number hovered at one half of all households (Wright, 1995). The possible success of these gun control efforts is suggested by an apparent and rather sharp decline in the ownership percentage beginning in the 1990s. In 2000, the household gun ownership rate had decreased to 32.5% (according to the General Social Survey). The question raised in this thesis is how to account for declining gun ownership. More specifically, I ask if there has in fact been a decline in ownership, or whether the apparent decline is an illusion resulting from changing demographics. A third possibility, that social norms have changed such that admitting gun ownership in surveys is now more problematic for many people, is also considered and seems, indeed, to be the most telling line of explanation

Globalization and the health of Canadians: ‘Having a job is the most important thing’

Background Globalization describes processes of greater integration of the world economy through increased flows goods, services, capital and people. Globalization has undergone significant transformation since the 1970s, entrenching neoliberal economics as the dominant model of global market integration. Although this transformation has generated some health gains, since the 1990s it has also increased health disparities. Methods As part of a larger project examining how contemporary globalization was affecting the health of Canadians, we undertook semi-structured interviews with 147 families living in low-income neighbourhoods in Canada’s three largest cities (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver). Many of the families were recent immigrants, which was another focus of the study. Drawing on research syntheses undertaken by the Globalization Knowledge Network of the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health, we examined respondents’ experiences of three globalization-related pathways known to influence health: labour markets (and the rise of precarious employment), housing markets (speculative investments and affordability) and social protection measures (changes in scope and redistributive aspects of social spending and taxation). Interviews took place between April 2009 and November 2011. Results Families experienced an erosion of labour markets (employment) attributed to outsourcing, discrimination in employment experienced by new immigrants, increased precarious employment, and high levels of stress and poor mental health; costly and poor quality housing, especially for new immigrants; and, despite evidence of declining social protection spending, appreciation for state-provided benefits, notably for new immigrants arriving as refugees. Job insecurity was the greatest worry for respondents and their families. Questions concerning the impact of these experiences on health and living standards produced mixed results, with a majority expressing greater difficulty ‘making ends meet,’ some experiencing deterioration in health and yet many also reporting improved living standards. We speculate on reasons for these counter-intuitive results. Conclusions Current trends in the three globalization-related pathways in Canada are likely to worsen the health of families similar to those who participated in our study

Romans and Goths in late antique Gaul: asepcts of political and cultural assimilation in the Fifth Century AD

ABSTRACT: The thesis focuses on the socio-cultural interaction between Gallo-Romans and barbarians in fifth century Gaul. Its aim is to investigate how both Romans and barbarians, particularly the Gothic people, shared a common living space within imperial territory, how this space was created, and to which extent both sides assimilated with each other in terms of their cultural and political understanding. By moving away from the argument of brutal warfare as the main means of contact, I am trying instead to look more at the changes of their cultural understanding which eventually would lead to the world of the Middle Ages. The slow emergence of barbarian powerbases created a political world that was different from the Roman empire. The Gallo-Romans had to accept a new political order in which they not only faced the gradual loss of their former positions of political/military superiority but which also challenged their previously undisputed concept of cultural understanding; violent occupation of Roman territory was only one part of this process as there was simultaneously a continuation of Roman literature and culture in general possible. Gradual attempts at assimilation can be seen for example in the continuation of Gallo-Roman aristocratic involvement in the political establishment of the Gothic court, and the increasing role of the Gallo-Roman nobility in the church in general and in the Episcopate in particular. Equally the Gothic side had to adapt their political and cultural understanding to a new concept which was compatible with the Roman administration if they wanted to survive as ethnic communities within the empire; such political/military assimilation not only with the Roman empire but especially with the Gallo-Roman aristocracy was even more important when it came to the establishment of an independent Gothic settlement and eventually a Gothic kingdom in Gaul

Assessing the Impact of Retreat Mechanisms in a Simple Antarctic Ice Sheet Model Using Bayesian Calibration

The response of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) to changing climate forcings is an important driver of sea-level changes. Anthropogenic climate change may drive a sizeable AIS tipping point response with subsequent increases in coastal flooding risks. Many studies analyzing flood risks use simple models to project the future responses of AIS and its sea-level contributions. These analyses have provided important new insights, but they are often silent on the effects of potentially important processes such as Marine Ice Sheet Instability (MISI) or Marine Ice Cliff Instability (MICI). These approximations can be well justified and result in more parsimonious and transparent model structures. This raises the question of how this approximation impacts hindcasts and projections. Here, we calibrate a previously published and relatively simple AIS model, which neglects the effects of MICI and regional characteristics, using a combination of observational constraints and a Bayesian inversion method. Specifically, we approximate the effects of missing MICI by comparing our results to those from expert assessments with more realistic models and quantify the bias during the last interglacial when MICI may have been triggered. Our results suggest that the model can approximate the process of MISI and reproduce the projected median melt from some previous expert assessments in the year 2100. Yet, our mean hindcast is roughly 3/4 of the observed data during the last interglacial period and our mean projection is roughly 1/6 and 1/10 of the mean from a model accounting for MICI in the year 2100. These results suggest that missing MICI and/or regional characteristics can lead to a low-bias during warming period AIS melting and hence a potential low-bias in projected sea levels and flood risks.Comment: v1: 16 pages, 4 figures, 7 supplementary files; v2: 15 pages, 4 figures, 7 supplementary files, corrected typos, revised title, updated according to revisions made through publication proces

SISTEMA AGROALIMENTAR LOCAL: UMA ABORDAGEM PARA A ANÁLISE DA PRODUÇÃO DE MORANGOS, NO VALE DO CAÍ, RS

Os novos arranjos territoriais que passaram a figurar a partir do final do século XX, estão causando mudanças em diferentes escalas geográficas dos sistemas socioeconômicos. No caso da agricultura, as iniciativas de âmbito local têm surgido como uma resposta às imposições oriundas da produção global de commodities. Produtos típicos ou tradicionais tem sido oferecidos no mercado para satisfazer consumidores que valorizam aspectos como: cultura, tradição, paisagem e cuidados ambientais, criando laços de identidade com o produto consumido. Neste contexto é que surge o SIAL (sistemas agroalimentares localizados), como uma abordagem capaz de analisar as relações entre as atividades agroalimentares constituídas territorialmente, pela valorização e uso dos recursos locais. Com base nesta abordagem o propósito deste estudo é averiguar se determinadas características que configuram um SIAL podem ser identificadas na produção familiar de morango, no Vale do Caí, no Rio Grande do Sul. Como resultado deste estudo pode-se averiguar que o SIAL se configura pelo uso de determinados ativos territoriais locais mobilizados pelos agricultores familiares que estão gerando uma identidade para o local atrelada ao morango produzido no Vale do rio Caí.------------------------------------------New territorial arrangements that appeared from the end of the XXth century on are causing changes in different geographical scales of socioeconomic systems. In the case of agriculture, local initiatives have appeared as an answer to impositions of global commodities production. Typical or traditional products have been offered in markets to satisfy consumers that valorize aspects as: culture, tradition, landscape and environmental care, creating links with the consumed product. In this context emerges SIAL (agroalimentar localized systems) as an approach able to analyze relations among agroalimentar activities territorially constituted and local resources use. Based upon this approach the objective of this study is to check if determined characteristics that constitute an SIAL may be identified in familiar small farmers strawberry production, in Cai River Valley, Rio Grande do Sul State. As a result of this study it is possible to see that SIAL is configurated by the use of determined local territorial stocks mobilized by familiar small farmers that are generating an identity for the local related to strawberries produced in Cai River Valley.Sistemas Agroalimentares Locais, Produção de Morango, Vale do Rio Caí, Agroalimentar Local Systems, Strawberry Production, Cai River Valley, Crop Production/Industries,