GICHD Mechanical Mine Clearance Equipment Catalogue

In order to create the definitive list of demining machines that are currently available on the international market, GICHD created the GICHD Mechanical Mine Clearance Equipment Catalogue. It highlights numerous machines and will be updated annually, as its creators hope that it will better aid the attempt to eradicate the world’s landmines by 2010

HEDGING FEEDER STEERS AND HEIFERS IN THE CASH-SETTLED FEEDER CATTLE FUTURES MARKET

Recent changes in the feeder cattle futures contract specifications are expected to reduce hedging risk and may result in changes in optimal hedging levels. This study provides an estimate of feeder cattle hedge ratios associated with the new cash-settled feeder cattle futures contract and compares the levels of hedging risk present under the cash settled contract with the physical delivery contract. Hedging risks are compared for several weights of feeder steers and heifers and are analyzed across four market locations. Results indicate that hedging risk is generally, though not always, lower with cash settlement than under the physical delivery contract specifications.Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing,

Big Hole (41TV2161): Two Stratigraphically Isolated Middle Holocene Components in Travis County, Texas Volume I

During April and May 2006, an archeological team from the Cultural Resources Section of the Planning, Permitting and Licensing Practice of TRC Environmental Corporation’s (TRC) Austin office conducted geoarcheological documentation and data recovery excavations at prehistoric site 41TV2161 (CSJ: 0440-06-006). Investigations were restricted to a 70 centimeter (cm) thick target zone between ca. 220 and 290 cm below surface (bs) on the western side of site 41TV2161 – the Big Hole site in eastern Travis County, Texas. This cultural investigation was necessary under the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the implementing regulations of 36CRF Part 800 and the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resource Code, Title 9, Chapter 191 as amended) to recover a sample of the significant cultural materials prior to destruction by planned construction of State Highway 130 (SH 130). The latter by a private construction firm – Lone Star Infrastructure. This necessary data recovery was for Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Environmental (ENV) Affairs Division under a Scientific Services Contract No. 577XXSA003 (Work Authorization No. 57701SA003). Over the years since the original award, multiple work authorizations between TxDOT and TRC were implemented and completed towards specific aspects of the analyses and reporting. The final analyses and report were conducted under contract 57-3XXSA004 (Work Authorization 57-311SA004). All work was under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 4064 issued by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to J. Michael Quigg. Initially, an archeological crew from Hicks & Company encountered site 41TV2161 during an intensive cultural resource inventory conducted south of Pearce Lane along the planned construction zone of SH 130 in the fall of 2005. Following the initial site discovery, archeologists expanded their investigations to the west across the SH 130 right-of-way, and completed excavation of 10 backhoe trenches, 13 shovel tests, and 11 test units at site 41TV2161. The investigations encountered at least seven buried cultural features and 1,034 artifacts, some in relatively good context. The survey and testing report to TxDOT presented their findings and recommendations (Campbell et al. 2006). The ENV Affairs Division of TxDOT and the THC reviewed the initial findings and recommendations, and determined site 41TV2161 was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and as State Antiquities Landmark as the proposed roadway development was to directly impact this important site and further excavations were required. Subsequently, TRC archeologists led by Paul Matchen (Project Archeologist) and J. Michael Quigg (Principal Investigator) initiated data recovery excavations through the mechanical-removal of between 220 and 250 cm of sediment from a 30-by-40 meter (m) block area (roughly 3,000 m3). This was conducted to allow hand-excavations to start just above the deeply buried, roughly 70 cm thick targeted zone of cultural material. Mechanical stripping by Lone Star Infrastructure staff created a large hole with an irregular bottom that varied between 220 and 260 cmbs. To locate specific areas to initiate hand-excavations within the mechanically stripped area, a geophysical survey that employed ground penetrating radar (GPR) was conducted by Tiffany Osburn then with Geo-Marine in Plano, Texas. Over a dozen electronic anomalies were detected through the GPR investigation. Following processing, data filtering, and assessment, Osburn identified and ranked the anomalies for investigation. The highest ranked anomalies (1 through 8) were thought to have the greatest potential to represent cultural features. Anomalies 1 through 6 were selected and targeted through hand-excavations of 1-by-1 m units that formed continuous excavation blocks of various sizes. Blocks were designated A, B, C, D, E, and F. The type, nature, quantity, and context of encountered cultural materials in each block led the direction and expansion of each excavation block as needed. In total, TRC archeologists hand-excavated 38.5 m3 (150 m2) from a vertically narrow target zone within this deep, multicomponent and stratified prehistoric site. Hand-excavation in the two largest Blocks, B and D (51 m2 and 62 m2 respectively), revealed two vertically separate cultural components between roughly 220 and 290 cmbs. The younger component was restricted to Block B and yielded a Bell/Andice point and point base, plus a complete Big Sandy point. These points were associated with at least eight small burned rock features, one cluster of ground stone tools, limited quantities of lithic debitage, few formal chipped and ground stone tools, and a rare vertebrate faunal assemblage. Roughly 20 to 25 cm below the Bell/Andice component in Block B and across Block D was a component identified by a single corner-notched Martindale dart point. This point was associated with a scattered burned rocks, three charcoal stained hearth features, scattered animal, bird, and fish bones, mussel shells, and less than a dozen formal chipped and ground stone tools. Both identified components contained cultural materials in good stratigraphic context with high spatial integrity. Significant, both were radiocarbon dated by multiple charcoal samples to a narrow 200-year period between 5250 and 5450 B.P. during the middle Holocene. With exception of the well-preserved faunal assemblages, perishable materials were poorly preserved in the moist silty clay loam. Charcoal lacked structure and was reduced to dark stains. Microfossils (e.g., phytoliths and starch gains) were present, although in very limited numbers and deteriorated conditions. The four much smaller Blocks (A, C, E, and F) yielded various quantities of cultural material and features, but these blocks also lacked sufficient charcoal dates and diagnostic artifacts Those artifacts and samples were left unassigned and analyzed separately from the Bell/Andice and Martindale components. The two well-defined components in Blocks B and D are the focus of this technical report. The components provide very significant data towards understanding rare and poorly understood hunter-gatherer populations during late stages of the Altithermal climate period. This final report builds upon the interim report submitted to TxDOT (Quigg et al. 2007) that briefly described the methods, excavations, preliminary findings, initial results from six feasibility studies, and proposed an initial research design for data analyses. Context and integrity of the cultural materials in the two identified components was excellent. This rare circumstance combined with detailed artifact analyses, solid documentation of their ages through multiple radiocarbon dates, and multidisciplinary approach to analyses, allowed significant insights and contributions concerning the two populations involved. Results provide a greater understanding of human behaviors during a rarely identified time in Texas Prehistory. The cultural materials and various collected samples were temporarily curated at TRC’s Austin laboratory. Following completion of analyses and acceptance of this final report, the artifacts, paper records, photographs, and electronic database were permanently curated at the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS) at Texas State University in San Marcos

Fourier analyses of commensurability oscillations in Fibonacci lateral superlattices

Magnetotransport measurements have been performed on Fibonacci lateral superlattices (FLSLs) -- two-dimensional electron gases subjected to a weak potential modulation arranged in the Fibonacci sequence, LSLLSLS..., with L/S=tau (the golden ratio). Complicated commensurability oscillation (CO) is observed, which can be accounted for as a superposition of a series of COs each arising from a sinusoidal modulation representing the characteristic length scale of one of the self-similar generations in the Fibonacci sequence. Individual CO components can be separated out from the magnetoresistance trace by performing a numerical Fourier band-pass filter. From the analysis of the amplitude of a single-component CO thus extracted, the magnitude of the corresponding Fourier component in the potential modulation can be evaluated. By examining all the Fourier contents observed in the magnetoresistance trace, the profile of the modulated potential seen by the electrons can be reconstructed with some remaining ambiguity about the interrelation of the phase between different components.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, added references in Introduction, minor revision

Mídia Celular - Publicidade e Consumo Estratificado

Neste texto o foco de discussão é o telefone celular como uma ferramenta de comunicação do marketing. Baseado em pesquisa bibliográfica e observação empírica, este estudo exploratório enfatiza alguns aspectos históricos e técnicos do celular. Nós também exploramos novas funções aplicadas a este instrumento, com vistas à compreensão das novas formas de publicidade. Sob um aspecto social e interativo, descrevemos a segmentação estratificada do consumo que também está implícita nestas estratégias de marketing, a partir do telefone celular como mídia

The gastrointestinal parasite community of wild guanacos (Lama guanicoe) from La Payunia Provincial Reserve, Mendoza, Argentina

Los vertebrados silvestres albergan comunidades parasitarias compuestas por varias especies, pero la estructura natural de estas comunidades se está viendo afectada en la actualidad por la fragmentación de hábitat e introducción de especies exóticas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar a las especies de parásitos gastrointestinales presentes en la población migratoria de guanacos silvestres de la Reserva Provincial La Payunia (Mendoza), mediante la identificación de las formas evolutivas presentes en la materia fecal. Se analizaron las heces de 756 individuos, colectadas entre los años 2009 y 2012. La comunidad parasitaria gastrointestinal de esta población de guanacos estuvo compuesta por al menos 11 especies. Los parásitos pertenecieron a 5 especies de nematodes: 2 de Nematodirus, 1 de Trichuris, 1 de Capillaria y 1 de Strongyloides; 1 especie de cestode correspondiente a Moniezia benedeni, y 5 especies de protozoos del género Eimeria (E. lamae, E. alpacae, E. punoensis, E. macusaniensis y E. ivitaensis). Nematodirus spp., Strongyloides sp., y Moniezia benedeni son parásitos propios de rumiantes domésticos y su presencia refleja la susceptibilidad del guanaco, por lo que se recomienda realizar monitoreos parasitológicos periódicos, a fin de poder anticiparse ante incrementos importantes en este tipo de parasitismo en los guanacos silvestres.The parasite community of wild vertebrate hosts is composed of several species, but the natural structure of these communities is currently being affected by habitat fragmentation and the introduction of exotic species. The aim of this work was to identify, through the recognition of immature stages in feces, the gastrointestinal parasite species present in the migratory wild guanaco population from La Payunia Reserve (Mendoza). Feces of 756 individuals, collected between 2009 and 2012, were analyzed. The gastrointestinal parasite community of this guanaco population consisted of at least 11 species. Parasites belonged to 5 nematode species: 2 of Nematodirus, 1 of Trichuris, 1 of Capillaria, and 1 of Strongyloides; 1 cestode species corresponding to Moniezia benedeni; and 5 protozoan species of the genus Eimeria (E. lamae, E. alpacae, E. punoensis, E. macusaniensis, and E. ivitaensis). Nematodirus spp., Strongyloides sp., and the detected spe­cies of Moniezia are typical parasites of livestock, and their presence reflects the guanaco susceptibility to be parasitized by them. We suggest conducting parasitological surveys periodically to be able to anticipate to an important rise in this type of parasitism in wild guanacos.Fil: Moreno, Pablo Gastón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Shroeder, Natalia M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Taraborelli, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Gregorio, Pablo Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Carmanchahi, Pablo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Beldomenico, Pablo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral; Argentin

The Ekegusii Determiner Phrase Analysis in the Minimalist Program

Abstract Among some of the recent syntactic developments, the noun phrase has been reanalyzed as a determiner phrase (DP). This study analyses the Ekegusii determiner phrase (DP) with an inquiry into the relationship between agreement of the INFL (sentence) and concord in the noun phrase (determiner phrase). It hypothesizes that the Ekegusii sentential Agreement has a symmetrical relationship with the Ekegusii Determiner Phrase internal concord and feature checking theory and full interpretation (FI) in the Minimalist Program is adequate in the analysis of the internal structure of the Ekegusii DP. In employing the Minimalist Program (MP), the study shall first seek to establish the domain of the NP in the Ekegusii DP and go ahead to do an investigation into the adequacy of the Minimalist Program in analyzing the Ekegusii DP. This study is also geared towards establishing the order of determiners in the DP between the D-head and the NP complement. The study concludes that the principles of feature checking and full interpretation in the minimalist program are mutually crucial in ensuring that Ekegusii constructions (DP and even the sentence) are grammatical (converge). This emphasizes the fact that the MP is adequate in Ekegusii DP analysis

Molecular characteristics of pediatric patients with sickle cell anemia and stroke

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) are serious complications of sickle cell anemia (SS) in children. Factors that predispose children to this complication are not well established. In an effort to elucidate the risk factors associated with CVA in SS, we have determined the Α-globin genotype and the Β S haplotype of children with this complication. Among 700 children with SS followed at Children's Hospital of Michigan, 41 (6%) are on chronic transfusions because of stroke due to cerebral infarction. The mean age of patients with CVA at the time of stroke was 5.6 ± 3.2 years (mean ± SD). The male/female ratio was 2/3. Only 8 of 41 patients (19.5%) had one Α-gene deletion, compared to the reported prevalence of 30% in African-Americans. None of the patients had two Α-gene deletions, and two (5%) had five Α-genes. These findings are different than those in our adult patients with SS, where the prevalence of −Α/−Α and ΑΑΑ/ΑΑ is 4% and <2%, respectively. Ten different Β S -haplotypes were detected in the patients studied. The majority of the patients (31%) were doubly heterozygous for the Ben/CAR haplotypes followed by Ben/Ben, Ben/Sen, and CAR/CAR haplotypes, respectively. The prevalence of these haplotypes, with the exception of the CAR/CAR haplotype, was higher in females than males. All the patients with CAR/CAR haplotype were males, had four Α-genes, and ranked third in prevalence. Three patients were heterozygous for the Cameron haplotype. The Cameron and atypical haplotypes were more prevalent than reported in patients with SS at large. The data suggest that CVA in children seems to occur more frequently in females and in patients with certain Β S haplotype. Α-Gene deletion seems to offer a protective effect against this complication. Neonates with four or more Α-genes whose Β S haplotype is Ben/CAR, atypical, or CAR/CAR seem to be at a higher risk for CAV than other patients. A prospective study on a larger group of patients with or without CVA may clarify this issue. Am. J. Hematol. 67:179–182, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34872/1/1103_ftp.pd