Capitalism and nature in South Africa: racial dispossession, liberation ideology and ecological crisis

This dissertation is an historical examination of policy and discourse as it impacts on ecological questions in South Africa, with a focus on land, mining and fishing. It shows how ecological issues are embedded in relations of class, race and gender. It argues that relation of nature and society and social relations form each other historically. Specifically, it makes visible how apparently progressive ideas to overcome the legacy of apartheid have served to perpetuate the ecological crisis after the end of apartheid. That is, although liberation ideology aims to overcome irrational and harmful forms of domination, current strategies of overcoming racial dispossession on the basis of capitalism rely on increasing and unbridled exploitation of natural resources. The dissertation concludes with a consideration of political perspectives and agency responding to the ecological crisis in South Africa today. It provides a survey of government, activist and community initiatives and assesses their capacity to help create a new relationship of nature and society, as the basis for a new society

Review of boat wake wave impacts on shoreline erosion and potential solutions for the Chesapeake Bay

[Introduction] The goal of this technical review was to evaluate 1) the potential impacts of boat generated waves on shoreline stability and attendant ecosystem properties, and 2) policy options to minimize any adverse effects. We reviewed available literature, examined relevant data and information from Chesapeake Bay, discussed modeling approaches and highlighted data gaps to further quantify effects on shorelines and ecosystems, and detailed available management and policy actions to minimize potential boat wake impacts. The major findings are: 1) The literature review indicates an unequivocal connection between boat wake energy and shoreline erosion, sediment resuspension and nearshore turbidity. 2) There is not currently enough data to determine the extent (spatially and in magnitude) to which boat wakes are contributing to erosion or turbidity of the Chesapeake Bay 3) Recommended next steps are to identify highly vulnerable waterways and implement management or policy actions to minimize adverse effects

Defining boat wake impacts on shoreline stability toward management and policy solutions

Coastal economies are often supported by activities that rely on commercial or recreational vessels to move people or goods, such as shipping, transportation, cruising, and fishing. Unintentionally, frequent or intense vessel traffic can contribute to erosion of coastlines; this can be particularly evident in sheltered systems where shoreline erosion should be minimal in the absence of boat waves. We reviewed the state of the science of known effects of boat waves on shoreline stability, examined data on erosion, turbidity, and shoreline armoring patterns for evidence of a response to boat waves in Chesapeake Bay, and reviewed existing management and policy actions in Chesapeake Bay and nearby states to make recommendations for actions to minimize boat wake impacts. In the literature, as well as in our analyses, boat wake energy may be linked to elevated turbidity and shoreline erosion, particularly in narrow waterways. In Chesapeake Bay, three lines of evidence suggest boat waves are contributing to shoreline erosion and poor water clarity in some Bay creeks and tributaries: 1) nearshore turbidity was elevated in many waterways during periods of expected high boating activity, 2) armoring was placed along about a quarter of the low energy shorelines of three examined tidal creeks that are exposed to relatively high boating pressure, and 3) 15% of the shorelines we examined throughout the Bay (9000 km) are low energy shorelines that are experiencing high erosion (≥0.3 m/yr) that cannot be attributed to wind wave energy. Still, there remain significant data gaps that preclude the determination of the overall contribution of boat waves to shoreline erosion throughout the Bay, notably, shoreline erosion data in low energy waterways, recreational boating traffic patterns, and nearshore bathymetry. Interim protective measures can be (and have been) applied in high risk waterways, such as small, low energy waterways that have high recreational boating activity, to help reduce shoreline erosion. Policy options used in Bay states and elsewhere include setbacks from the shore, wake restrictions, and speed restrictions; other more restrictive policies may include prohibition on boats of a certain size or limiting the number of passages. Finally, a systems-approach to boat wake impact management using uniform boat wake policies is likely to be the most effective for consistent shoreline protection

IL-4 Receptor α Is an Important Modulator of IL-4 and IL-13 Receptor Binding: Implications for the Development of Therapeutic Targets

IL-4 is a key cytokine associated with allergy and asthma. Induction of cell signaling by IL-4 involves interaction with its cognate receptors, a complex of IL-4Ralpha with either the common gamma-chain or the IL-13R chain alpha1 (IL-13Ralpha1). We found that IL-4 bound to the extracellular domain of IL-4Ralpha (soluble human (sh)IL-4Ralpha) with high affinity and specificity. In contrast with the sequential mechanism of binding and stabilization afforded by IL-4Ralpha to the binding of IL-13 to IL-13Ralpha1, neither common gamma-chain nor IL-13Ralpha1 contributed significantly to the stabilization of the IL-4:IL-4Ralpha complex. Based on the different mechanisms of binding and stabilization of the IL-4R and IL-13R complexes, we compared the effects of shIL-4Ralpha and an IL-4 double mutein (R121D/Y124D, IL-4R antagonist) on IL-4- and IL-13-mediated responses. Whereas IL-4R antagonist blocked responses to both cytokines, shIL-4Ralpha only blocked IL-4. However, shIL-4Ralpha stabilized and augmented IL-13-mediated STAT6 activation and eotaxin production by primary human bronchial fibroblasts at suboptimal doses of IL-13. These data demonstrate that IL-4Ralpha plays a key role in the binding affinity of both IL-13R and IL-4R complexes. Under certain conditions, shIL-4Ralpha has the potential to stabilize binding IL-13 to its receptor to augment IL-13-mediated responses. Thus, complete understanding of the binding interactions between IL-4 and IL-13 and their cognate receptors may facilitate development of novel treatments for asthma that selectively target these cytokines without unpredicted or detrimental side effects.</p

Consumer Connectivity in a Complex, Technology-Enabled, and Mobile-Oriented World with Smart Products

Today’s consumers are immersed in a vast and complex array of networks. Each network features an interconnected mesh of people and firms, and now, with the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), also objects. Technology (particularly mobile devices) enables such connections, and facilitates many kinds of interactions in these networks - from transactions, to social information sharing, to people interfacing with connected devices (e.g., wearable technology). We introduce the POP-framework, discuss how People, Objects and the Physical world interconnect with each other and how it results in an increasing amount of connected data, and briefly summarize existing knowledge on these inter-connections. We also provide an agenda for future research focused on examining potential impact of IoT and smart products on consumer behavior and firm strategies

Metropolitan Area Network Support at Fermilab

Advances in wide area network service offerings, coupled with comparable developments in local area network technology have enabled many research sites to keep their offsite network bandwidth ahead of demand. For most sites, the more difficult and costly aspect of increasing wide area network capacity is the local loop, which connects the facility LAN to the wide area service provider(s). Fermilab, in coordination with neighboring Argonne National Laboratory, has chosen to provide its own local loop access through leasing of dark fiber to nearby network exchange points, and procuring dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) equipment to provide data channels across those fibers. Installing and managing such optical network infrastructure has broadened the Laboratory's network support responsibilities to include operating network equipment that is located off-site, and is technically much different than classic LAN network equipment. Effectively, the Laboratory has assumed the role of a local service provider. This paper will cover Fermilab's experiences with deploying and supporting a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) infrastructure to satisfy its offsite networking needs. The benefits and drawbacks of providing and supporting such a service will be discussed

Climate change: building leadership capacity within a higher education institution

Learning how to address climate-change and live more sustainably is a 'social learning process' which is in its infancy and in which the University, its graduates and community will need to assume significant leadership roles. This exploratory paper reflects on the experience of a cross-disciplinary group of researchers and educators from an Australian university, who came together in 2009-2010 as a community of practice to research cross-disciplinary leadership capacity building for learning and teaching sustainability within our university. The group worked on the premise that the scale of change needed and the complexity of sustainability demands a more broadly based approach than that offered by traditional disciplinary arrangements within the University. We engaged in a collaborative learning process focusing initially on developing a common agenda and establishing some preliminary learning outcomes for the development of cross-disciplinary 'sustainability literacy'. On the basis of these initial outcomes, a review of the literature and our own reflective process, we developed an applied model for collaborative learning based on Scott's (1999) Workplace Action Research Framework. Our intent is to build on this groundwork to develop an engaged, problem-based cross-disciplinary university-wide learning program that develops leadership in sustainability in our students, in us as academics and the wider university in its regional partnerships. Our paper ends by enumerating the lessons we have learnt and some speculative future directions for where we plan to take this research