Theoretical researches into planetary atmospheres and their influence upon surface features

The interface between certain geological and atmospheric phenomena on Mars was studied by examining those geological features which are associated with the presence of water in the liquid or solid phases. Several classes of Martian surface features thought to have had their origins in flow processes were studied in order to determine the role ice may have played in their creations. Preliminary studies concerning the behavior of Martian ice shelves were conducted, with the conclusion that flow rates of Martian and earth ice sheets are similar. Withdrawal of subsurface ice was found to be among the explanations for the origins of the chaotic terrains and drifted blocks

Global changes: Impacts on habitability. A scientific basis for assessment

The feasibility of a major NASA research initiative to document, to understand, and if possible, to predict long-term (5 to 50 years) global changes that can affect the habitability of the Earth is addressed. The major factor contributing to change is human activity. The program discussed involves studies of the atmosphere, oceans, land, the cryosphere, and the biosphere. On decadal time scales, these regimes and the cycles of physical and chemical entities through them are coupled into a single interlocking system. Some part of this system can be studied in a straightforward manner (the atmosphere) and some with great difficulty (the biosphere)

The rotation of Uranus

A historical review of the use of three independent techniques for measuring the rotational rate is presented. The approaches examined are: (1) using theoretical interior models together with observations of the oblateness and the gravitational moment; (2) studying periodic fluctuations in the brightness; and (3) spectrographically measuring the Doppler shifts (line tilts). Measurements of line tilts obtained using the Kitt Peak National Observation 4 meter telescope with a Cassegrain echelle to high obtain high spectral dispersion and large image are discussed and compared with results obtained by Muench and Hipplelein (1980) and by Hayes and Belton (1977). The possibility of using speckel imaging techniques to detect the motion of features across the disc in the 6091 methane band, and with more suitable image intensifiers, in the 7261 band is considered

An investigation to establish whether property maintenance can diminish the number of empty commercial buildings in Sheffield and Leeds

Property maintenance has long been considered an undesirable and overlooked area amongst the construction and property industries; however, a large proportion of construction output comes from such maintenance works. Empty commercial property is an emotive and challenging area, which has been made more topical due to the implementation of the Rating (Empty Property) Act 2007 placing further financial liability on owners with the aim of „incentivising‟ them either to develop, re-let or sell their vacant buildings. As such, the level of property maintenance is important to allow the building to be at a lettable or saleable standard, which in turn should allow the number of unused commercial buildings in the United Kingdom (UK) to reduce. A mixture of primary and secondary sources were utilised to fulfil this research to determine whether incentives exist or can exist to increase the level of property maintenance to diminish the number of vacant commercial buildings in Leeds and Sheffield. The primary data was based on six case studies, four example cases in point and two interviews. Ratings were assigned according to factors and incentives to analyse the data to assist in the findings of this research. This change in Government policy is causing outrage amongst UK businesses and professional bodies of the property industry, in extreme cases leading to the demolition of the building to avoid liability and other detrimental consequences, such as staff reductions to make up for the liability. It has come also alongside the worst recession of recent times

Researches into planetary atmospheres and interiors

Research data on water transport in the Martian boundary layer, Martian cratering, and photometric properties of IO are reported

Conduite sociale et compétence écrite

Dans cet essai, Goody poursuit ses réflexions sur la compétence écrite (literacy) dans le cadre d’une étude des relations entre la transmission de normes de conduite à l’intérieur des sociétés purement orales et leur communication par l’entremise de guides écrits. Il cherche ainsi à identifier les transformations sociales qu’entraîne la formalisation de contraintes de conduite par un code écrit afin de discuter des implications d’une différence dans le mode d’apprentissage et la médiation d’un discours de type juridique. En menant son investigation dans une perspective résolument comparatiste, Goody s’appuie sur ses recherches antérieures, qui englobe le langage des fleurs jusqu’aux us et coutumes de la société des LoDaaga, ainsi que sur différents phénomènes culturels, depuis les dix commandements jusqu’à l’expansion de l’État chinois.In this essay, Goody continues to investigate literacy by outlining its impacts on the transmission of standards of behaviour. He argues that if jural norms exist within both oral and literate societies, written behaviour guides radically transform the way they are applied, learned and formalized. In a truly comparative perspective, he examines a wide range of case studies, stemming from his earlier work on the language of flowers or the Bagree Society, as well as on other cultural phenomenons like the Ten Commandments and the expansion of the Chinese State

Gliese 581d is the first discovered terrestrial-mass exoplanet in the habitable zone

It has been suggested that the recently discovered exoplanet GJ581d might be able to support liquid water due to its relatively low mass and orbital distance. However, GJ581d receives 35% less stellar energy than Mars and is probably locked in tidal resonance, with extremely low insolation at the poles and possibly a permanent night side. Under such conditions, it is unknown whether any habitable climate on the planet would be able to withstand global glaciation and / or atmospheric collapse. Here we present three-dimensional climate simulations that demonstrate GJ581d will have a stable atmosphere and surface liquid water for a wide range of plausible cases, making it the first confirmed super-Earth (exoplanet of 2-10 Earth masses) in the habitable zone. We find that atmospheres with over 10 bar CO2 and varying amounts of background gas (e.g., N2) yield global mean temperatures above 0 degrees Celsius for both land and ocean-covered surfaces. Based on the emitted IR radiation calculated by the model, we propose observational tests that will allow these cases to be distinguished from other possible scenarios in the future.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters; 9 pages, 1 table, 4 figure

Kinetic and Structural Analysis of the Mg2+ -binding Site of the Guanine Nucleotide-binding Protein p21 H-ras.

The coordination and binding of the Mg2+ ion in the nucleotide−binding site of p21 have been investigated using site−directed mutagenesis, kinetic methods, and phosphorous NMR. Mg2+ in the p21.nucleotide.Mg2+ complex appears to be in fast equilibrium with the solvent. The dissociation constant between Mg2+ and the p21.GDP complex was determined to be 2.8 microM. It decreases 30− or 16−fold on substituting Ser−17 or Asp−57 with alanine, respectively, whereas the T35A mutation has no effect. All three mutations influence the dissociation constants and the association and dissociation rate constants of the interaction between guanine nucleotides and p21, but to a different degree. We conclude that Thr−35 is only complexed to Mg2+ in the GTP conformation and both Asp−57 and Ser−17 appear to be critical for both GDP and GTP binding. 31P NMR spectra of the GDP and Gpp(NH)p (guanosine−5'−(beta,gamma−imido)triphosphate) complexes of mutated p21 show a remarkable perturbation of the guanine nucleotide− binding site compared to wild−type protein. The mutant proteins show reduced GTPase rates, which are not stimulated by the GTPase−activating protein GAP. p21(S17A) has been reported to function just as p21(S17N) as a dominant negative inhibitor of normal p21. We find that it inhibits oncogenic p21−induced survival of primary neuron

ICT literacy: a technical or a non-technical issue?

In this short reply to Riis’ paper I first deal with his perceptive defence of ICT literacy, to which I fully subscribe, showing how his ideas might gain from highlighting the ‘technical’ dimensions involved in literacy practices. Second, this will allow me to make some comments regarding the curricular and organizational aspects of contemporary (school) education, which forms the largest part of his paper. My main line of criticism towards Riis’ paper is that I defend a ‘technical’ rather than a ‘non-technical’ account of digital literacy

Managing rapport in intercultural business interactions: a comparison of two Chinese-British welcome meetings

This paper explores the management of rapport in intercultural business interactions. It compares two Chinese-British business welcome meetings that were held by the same British company. Despite many similarities between the two meetings, both the British and the Chinese were very satisfied with the first meeting, while the Chinese were very annoyed by the second. This paper describes the similarities and differences between the two meetings, and explores why they were evaluated so differently. It argues that research into the management of relations in intercultural communication needs to use a broader analytic framework than is typical of intercultural discourse research, and that it needs to gather a wider range of data types