Unemployment and sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone: A k-means- r analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, João

2017-09-01

Some southern countries in Europe, together with Ireland, were particularly affected by the sovereign debt crises in the Eurozone and were obliged to implement tough corrective measures which proved to be very recessive in nature. As a result, not only GDP declined but unemployment jumped to very high levels as well. This paper uses a modified version of k-means (restricted k-means) to analyze the clustering of the Eurozone countries during the recent sovereign debt crisis, combining monthly data on unemployment and government bond yield rates. Our method shows that the separation of southern Europe from the other Eurozone is not necessarily a good characterization of this area before the crisis but the group of externally assisted countries plus Italy gains consistence as the crisis evolved, although there is no perfect homogeneity in this group, since the problems they faced, the type of response requested, the speed of reaction to the crisis and the lasting effects were not the same for all these countries.

The impact of news ans the SMP on realized (co)variances in the Eurozone sovereign debt market

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beetsma, R.; de Jong, F.; Giuliodori, M.; Widijanto, D.

2014-01-01

We use realized variances and covariances based on intraday data from Eurozone sovereign bond market to measure the dependence structure of eurozone sovereign yields. Our analysis focuses on the impact of news, obtained from the Eurointelligence newsash, on the dependence structure. More news raises

Eurozone Public Debt Crisis: ECB Bond Buying and the Setup of European Financial Stability Facility

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Ionela Bălțătescu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present article is to briefly review two of the most important policy responses of EU authorities to the Eurozone public debt crisis: (1 ECB bond buying; and (2 the setup of European Financial Stability Facility with the special task of issuing Eurobonds. The Securities Markets Programme approved by ECB marks an important change in the ECB policy. According to European treatises, ECB must remain an independent bank, but since the beginning of the debt crisis, in early 2010, the ECB has been pressured by the Eurozone governments that encountered financial problems to purchase Eurozone government bonds. By surrendering to these requests, ECB is being accused that it became a political bank, like its American counterpart, the FED. The Eurobonds represent as well a controversial measure because they allow the already highly indebted countries to access new funds on behalf of other Eurozone countries with a relative better financial and economic situation. Also, another important problem is that both measures curtail incentives for prudence and responsible fiscal policies for countries that already proved lack of prudence and fiscal discipline.

Asymmetric correlation of sovereign bond yield dynamics in the Eurozone

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Dajcman Silvo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the symmetry of correlation of sovereign bond yield dynamics between eight Eurozone countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain in the period from January 3, 2000 to August 31, 2011. Asymmetry of correlation is investigated pair-wise by applying the test of Yongmiao Hong, Jun Tu, and Guofu Zhou (2007. Whereas the test of Hong, Tu, and Zhou (2007 is static, the present paper provides also a dynamic version of the test and identifies time periods when the correlation of Eurozone sovereign bond yield dynamics became asymmetric. We identified seven pairs of sovereign bond markets for which the null hypothesis of symmetry in correlation of sovereign bond yield dynamics can be rejected. Calculating rolling-window exceedance correlation, we found that the time-varying upper- (i.e. for positive yield changes and lower-tail correlations (i.e. for negative yield changes for pair-wise observed sovereign bond markets normally follow each other closely, yet during some time periods (for most pair-wise observed countries, these periods are around the September 11 attack on the New York City WTC and around the start of the Greek debt crisis the difference in correlation does increase. The results show that the upper- and lower-tail correlation was symmetric before the Eurozone debt crisis for most of the pair-wise observed sovereign bond markets but has become much less symmetric since then.

Neoliberalism, trade imbalances, and economic policy in the Eurozone crisis

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Engelbert Stockhammer

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the causes of the Eurozone crisis. In doing so, it carefully surveys authors from different economic schools of thought. The paper discusses competing explanations for European current account imbalances. Remarkably, opposing views on the relative importance of cost developments and demand developments in explaining current account imbalances can be found in both heterodox and orthodox economics. Regarding the assessment of fiscal and monetary policy there is a clearer polarisation, with heterodox analysis regarding austerity as unhelpful and most of orthodox economics endorsing it. We advocate a post-Keynesian view, which holds that current account imbalances are not a fundamental cause of the sovereign debt crisis. Rather, the economic policy architecture of the Eurozone, which aims at restricting the role of fiscal and monetary policy, is the key to understanding the crisis in Europe.

Geographic Labor Mobility as an Element of Adjustment Process in the Eurozone Countries and the USA States

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Ziółkowski Michał

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to compare geographic labor mobility (the migration channel of adjustment in the eurozone and the USA since the 1990s. The first part of the article contains a review of selected literature on migration in Europe and the USA. In the second part three hypotheses are formulated on the basis of this review. The third part of the article presents the methodology and data used to verify these hypotheses. Tat methodology rests on analyzing how net emigration rates in the period 1992-2011 in eurozone countries and various states in the United States (plus the District of Columbia reacted to unemployment rates. The fourth part of the article presents the results of the analysis, together with an explanation of the intensity and dynamics of the migration channel of adjustment in both monetary unions. The analysis confirms that migration has been less supportive for the functioning of the monetary union in the eurozone than in the USA. It also shows that visible strengthening of the migration channel in the eurozone seems to have taken place only after 2004, which suggests an association with the European Union enlargement in 2004. For the eurozone, the analysis does not provide convincing evidence that the migration channel strengthened after the outbreak of the fnancial crisis. For the USA the analysis suggests that the fnancial and economic crisis significantly weakened the migration channel. The article ends with concluding remarks.

THE CONVERGENCE OF ROMANIA WITH THE EUROZONE IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

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2015-07-01

Full Text Available This study examines the integration of Romanian monetary system into European one and the transmission of liquidity shocks from eurozone to Romanian monetary market. Since Romania become a member of European Union, most of the Romanian banks are mainly provided by financial institutions placed in Europe. With the accession of Romania to the European Union, has started a process of integration of the national banking system into the eurozone banking system and thus, domestic financial institutions has began to be increasingly more subject to liquidity conditions and external contagion liquidity risk in the eurozone. In some periods, between EU accession and until the beginning of 2014, Romania has managed to reduce the volatility of the daily rates of monetary policy, compared with the eurozone, where, in the same periods, were recorded high volatility of monetary policy interest rates. Partial decoupling of the two money markets can be explained by economic stabilization policies adopted by Romania by improving the liquidity of the financial institutions and national measures taken by monetary policy makers in Romania. The main conclusion of this study is that the domestic banking sector is only partially integrated in the European banking sector in terms of money market liquidity and liquidity risk, and creating a stable framework for liquidity in Romania requires a mix of fiscal and monetary policies conducive to the development of financial instruments in long-term. However, the analysis shows that the sensitivity of liquidity in the Romanian banks to adverse developments on the European money market has increased and the ability of the internal factors to predict the liquidity conditions in national banking institutions is still high. Considering these aspects, we can say that, when we analyze liquidity risk in the Romanian banking system, we must take into consideration the influence of the external factors.

Eurozone Debt Monetization and Helicopter Money Drops: How Viable can this be?

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Kyriazis Νikolaos A.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available After the outburst of the recent financial crisis, the subsequent unconventional monetary acting that seemed to be a veritable revolution tends to become a norm. This paper makes an effort to employ the modern monetary theory framework to address the nowadays recession in the Eurozone through the prism of debt perpetuation and the more drastic helicopter money drops. Dynamics of debt monetization and issues of its sustainability are examined in connection to its free liquidity injections capacity. The aim of this paper is to try to cast some light on the potential of overt money financing in the Eurozone (EZ and its consequences on the ECB’s credibility and the maintenance of its efficacy.

Enhanced Debt Management: solving the eurozone crisis by linking debt management with fiscal and monetary policy

OpenAIRE

Werner, Richard A.

2014-01-01

Unconventional approaches to suit unusual circumstances have become acceptable in monetary policy, a formerly highly conservative discipline. In this paper it is argued that unconventional approaches should also be considered in sovereign debt management, in order to contribute to resolving the eurozone sovereign debt crisis. First, the Troika crisis lending to indebted sovereign borrowers in the eurozone is reviewed and compared with standard IMF post-crisis lending. The main difference and ...

Myths, Mix-ups and Mishandlings : What Caused the Eurozone Crisis?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Storm, S.T.H.; Naastepad, C.W.M.

2015-01-01

The Eurozone crisis has been wrongly interpreted as either a crisis of fiscal profligacy or of deteriorating unit-labour cost competitiveness (caused by rigid labour markets), or a combination of both. Based on these diagnoses, crisiscountries have been treated with the bitter medicines of fiscal

Ratings uplifts and bank characteristics in the Eurozone 2002-2011

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Dijkstra, M.A.

2013-01-01

This paper explores which characteristics define banks that are too-big-to-fail in the Eurozone over the period 2002-2011. These banks are identified through ratings uplift data from Moody’s. Higher ratings uplifts are associated with higher degrees of interest income and lower degrees of commission

Energy prices, volatility, and the stock market. Evidence from the Eurozone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oberndorfer, Ulrich

2009-01-01

This paper constitutes a first analysis on stock returns of energy corporations from the Eurozone. It focuses on the relationship between energy market developments and the pricing of European energy stocks. According to our results, oil price hikes negatively impact on stock returns of European utilities. However, they lead to an appreciation of oil and gas stocks. Interestingly, forecastable oil market volatility negatively affects European oil and gas stocks, implying profit opportunities for strategic investors. In contrast, the gas market does not play a role for the pricing of Eurozone energy stocks. Coal price developments affect the stock returns of European utilities. However, this effect is small compared to oil price impacts, although oil is barely used for electricity generation in Europe. This suggests that for the European stock market, the oil price is the main indicator for energy price developments as a whole. (author)

Assessing Determinants of Macroeconomic Policy on Real Convergence and Growth: A Comparative Study of the Eurozone and ASEAN

OpenAIRE

ZaenalMutaqin; Masaru Ichihashi

2012-01-01

This study mainly examines the role of macroeconomic policy variables associated with Maastricht Convergence Criteria (MC), using various approaches to analyze comparatively differences in growth and convergence in income, productivity, and unemployment between a developed, economically integrated area (Eurozone) and a developing one (ASEAN), a decade before and after the euro was introduced. The most interesting issue is whether macroeconomic policy coordination in the Eurozone has had an in...

Has the 2008 financial crisis affected stock market efficiency? The case of Eurozone

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Anagnostidis, P.; Varsakelis, C.; Emmanouilides, C. J.

2016-04-01

In this paper, the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on the weak-form efficiency of twelve Eurozone stock markets is investigated empirically. Efficiency is tested via the Generalized Hurst Exponent method, while dynamic Hurst exponents are estimated by means of the rolling window technique. To account for biases associated with the finite sample size and the leptokurtosis of the financial data, the statistical significance of the Hurst exponent estimates is assessed through a series of Monte-Carlo simulations drawn from the class of α-stable distributions. According to our results, the 2008 crisis has adversely affected stock price efficiency in most of the Eurozone capital markets, leading to the emergence of significant mean-reverting patterns in stock price movements.

BALTIC STATES IN THE EUROZONE: THE ACCESSION PROCESS AND RESULTS

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Jarosław Wołkonowski

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the process of the Baltic states’ accession to the eurozone and examines the consequences of their adoption of the euro currency. Although Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the eurozone in different years, they share a number of common features in terms of both their accession process and presence in the euro area. The article consists of three parts – the first surveys the Baltic states’ conformity with the convergence criteria and the second examines the effects that can be observed in the economies of the three Baltic countries after accession. The third part contains a comparative analysis of actual inflation versus perceived inflation index seen over the three years spanning the periods before, during and after the adoption of the euro. For this purpose, calculations of simplified perceived inflation indices in the Baltic States were compiled and compared against actual inflation. The differences across the Baltic states between the perceived inflation index and real inflation were similar to those in Austria and Germany during these countries’ accession to the euro zone.

Credit cycle coherence in the eurozone : Was there a euro effect?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Samarina, Anna; Zhang, Lu; Bezemer, Dirk

2017-01-01

This paper examines effects of the euro introduction on credit cycle coherence in the euro-zone through six channels. We construct and describe credit cycles for total bank credit, household mortgages and non-financial business loans for 16 EMU economies over 1990-2015. Credit cycle coherence is

Importance of the Debt-Adjusted Real Exchange Rate in the Eurozone and V4

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Patrik Abrahámek

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to determine a potential overvaluation and undervaluation of currencies of selected eurozone countries and of the Visegrád Four. The DARER (Debt-Adjusted Real Exchange Rate model was used for an empirical analysis of the period between 2010–2014 in individual quarters. The advantage of this model is that it explicitly takes into consideration the development of the current account and the debt of the country in connection with the theory of purchasing power parity. The DARER model appears to be a suitable tool for the empirical analysis because, currently, there are many countries in the eurozone with a high debt. In the analysis, data on the current account, debt service payments, GDP, HICP USA and individual researched countries, the exchange rates EUR/USD and CZK/USD, PLN/USD, HUF/USD were used. According to the average overvaluation and undervaluation of currency in all observed states in the Eurozone, in total the overvaluation of the euro against the US dollar was 19.3 %. The overvaluation in individual countries varied from 6.3 % to 33.38 %. These differences in the overvaluation of states’ currency against the US dollar were caused mainly by different development of the balance of payments of the country and the country’s debt. This can indicate various levels of external imbalances among the states within the monetary union. According to the result of this research, the DARER model was able to identify varying overvaluation and undervaluation of currencies in individual eurozone states and the Visegrád Group, so it can be used by policy makers as one of the indicators of these external imbalances of individual countries in the monetary union.

EFFECTS OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRICES ON INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN THE EUROZONE MEMBER COUNTRIES

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Yılmaz BAYAR

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Industrial production is one of the leading indicators of gross domestic product which reflects the overall economic performance of a country. In other words decreases or increases in industrial production point out a contracting or expanding economy. Therefore, changes in prices of oil and natural gas which are the crucial inputs to the industrial production are also important for the overall economy. This study examines the effects of changes in oil and natural gas prices on the industrial production in the 18 Eurozone member countries during the period January 2001-September 2013 by using panel regression. We found that oil prices and natural gas prices had negative effect on industrial production in the Eurozone member countries.

The roots of the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis: PIGS vs non-PIGS

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Fernandes Costa Abel L.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The main purposes of this paper are twofold: a to determine if there are significant differences on the determinants of public expenditures and tax revenues between the so-called PIGS and the remaining Eurozone member states; b to uncover possible explanations for the different situations in which these countries find themselves nowadays. The paper focus on the effects of the cyclical state of the economy on those fiscal variables, and on the actual adherence to the fiscal rules imposed by the Maastricht Treaty. Based on the estimated results we conclude that the anti-cyclical reaction with respect to the unemployment rate is much stronger among non-PIGS. We also find that fiscal rules have, in general, not been followed by those two groups of countries. Moreover, PIGS, in spite of their economic frailties, have tried to emulate the fiscal behavior of their more prosperous Eurozone partners instead of executing more rigorous policies.

Current Transformations of the Eurozone Financial and Institutional Space

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Kornіvska Valerіa O.

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of studying the processes of reforming the financial and institutional space of the eurozone, which in the long run creates the foundation for basic changes, which will result in not just a postcrisis “restart” of the system of financial institutions, but the creation of new mechanisms of liquidity circulation and in view of this the restructuring of the current model of investment process from mainly the banking into the market (stock one. On the basis of the analysis of the credit cooperation between banking institutions of the eurozone and the real sector there made conclusions about the limited effectiveness of the current model of investment support due to the inability of the dominant financial institutions (banks to enable economic recovery under conditions of the gap between the complementary interaction of banking institutions and the real sector of the economy. The paper justifies that the gap between the complementarity of the banking system and the real sector emerged also in connection with the formation of the negative in the general economic context complementarity of the state and the banking sector, which greatly distorts the competitive foundations of the European financial and institutional space, contributes to the banking lobby, hinders the process of reforming the banking space, which will be of limited effectiveness in the future

Risk assessment and stock market volatility in the Eurozone: 1986-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, Rui; Oliveira, Álvaro

2015-04-01

This paper studies the stock market return's volatility in the Eurozone as an input for evaluating the market risk. Stock market returns are endogenously determined by long-term interest rate changes and so is the return's conditional variance. The conditional variance is the time-dependent variance of the underlying variable. In other words, it is the variance of the returns measured at each moment t, so it changes through time depending on the specific market structure at each time observation. Thus, a multivariate EGARCH model is proposed to capture the complex nature of this network. By network, in this context, we mean the chain of stock exchanges that co-move and interact in such a way that a shock in one of them propagates up to the other ones (contagion). Previous studies provide evidence that the Eurozone stock exchanges are deeply integrated. The results indicate that asymmetry and leverage effects exist along with fat tails and endogeneity. In-sample and out-of-sample forecasting tests provide clear evidence that the multivariate EGARCH model performs better than the univariate counterpart to predict the behavior of returns both before and after the 2008 crisis.

Sovereign Adaptive Risk Modeling and Implications for the Eurozone GREXIT Case

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Morgan Escalera

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the Financial Stability Board (FSB and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS created a list of systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs with the intention of determining which financial institutions were important enough to the global market that their failure would result in systemic collapse. In this work, we create a model that modifies the BCBS’s five indicators of size, interconnectedness, cross-jurisdictional activities, complexity, and substitutability and apply these measures of systemic stress to governments. Although the cross-jurisdictional activities and size were almost identical to the SIFI calculations, the others had to be adapted to mirror the intent of the BCBS. Interconnectedness is calculated by simulation of what would happen to nearby countries if a country defaulted. Substitutability is estimated by the number of services that would no longer be provided if the government ceased to exist. Complexity is market-based and is derived from credit default swap (CDS spreads. The original application of the model was to track the systemic interdependence of the Eurozone, with particular emphasis on the case of Greece. We anticipate that this model can be used in regional fiscal situations beyond the Eurozone.

The Impact of The Sovereign Debt Crisis on The Eurozone Countries

OpenAIRE

Trabelsi, Mohamed Ali

2012-01-01

The turmoil affecting capital markets since summer 2007 and its intensification since mid-September 2008 inflicted noticeable blows to world economy. These last years the euro-zone’s financial institutions seem to be seriously hit by aggravating tensions. In 2010, this crisis intensified with the Greek debt crisis. It dated back to autumn 2010 with the Irish public debt. In this paper, we analyse the recent developments in the eurozone, mainly the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and S...

Expansion of Industrial Plantations Continues to Threaten Malayan Tiger Habitat

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Varada S. Shevade

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Southeast Asia has some of the highest deforestation rates globally, with Malaysia being identified as a deforestation hotspot. The Malayan tiger, a critically endangered subspecies of the tiger endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. In this study, we estimate the natural forest loss and conversion to plantations in Peninsular Malaysia and specifically in its tiger habitat between 1988 and 2012 using the Landsat data archive. We estimate a total loss of 1.35 Mha of natural forest area within Peninsular Malaysia over the entire study period, with 0.83 Mha lost within the tiger habitat. Nearly half (48% of the natural forest loss area represents conversion to tree plantations. The annual area of new plantation establishment from natural forest conversion increased from 20 thousand ha year−1 during 1988–2000 to 34 thousand ha year−1 during 2001–2012. Large-scale industrial plantations, primarily those of oil palm, as well as recently cleared land, constitute 80% of forest converted to plantations since 1988. We conclude that industrial plantation expansion has been a persistent threat to natural forests within the Malayan tiger habitat. Expanding oil palm plantations dominate forest conversions while those for rubber are an emerging threat.

’When Poverty Comes in at the Door, Love Flies Out the Window’: The Influence of Eurozone Reforms Upon the Social Dimension of the EU – and Vice Versa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Ulla

2016-01-01

Th e economic crisis has brought the intriguing question of its eff ects on Social Europe sharply into focus. Th is contribution therefore goes to the heart of the puzzles and explores the mutual infl uence of Eurozone reforms and broader Union social policies with an additional focus on pointing...... and the internal construction of the Eurozone, which is growing, but not really focused on. It is, inter alia, concluded that the Eurozone reforms bring Social Europe in a new – also viewed by many as a dangerous, illegitimate and undemocratic – direction detached from the prevailing intentions in the EU as such....

DCCA cross-correlation in blue-chips companies: A view of the 2008 financial crisis in the Eurozone

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Guedes, E.; Dionísio, A.; Ferreira, P. J.; Zebende, G. F.

2017-08-01

In this paper we analyze the blue-chips (up to 50% of the total index) companies in the Eurozone. Our motivation being analysis of the effect of the 2008 financial crisis. For this purpose, we apply the DCCA cross-correlation coefficient (ρDCCA) between the country stock market index and their respective blue-chips. Then, with the cross-correlation coefficient, we qualify and quantify how each blue-chip is adherent to its country index, evaluating the type of cross-correlation among them. Subsequently, for each blue-chip, we propose to study the 2008 financial crisis by measuring the adherence between post and pre-crisis. From this analysis, we can construct an adhesion map of each company with respect to the global index. Our database is formed of 12 Eurozone countries.

Spanning trees and the Eurozone crisis

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Dias, João

2013-12-01

The sovereign debt crisis in the euro area has not yet been solved and recent developments in Spain and Italy have further deteriorated the situation. In this paper we develop a new approach to analyze the ongoing Eurozone crisis. Firstly, we use Maximum Spanning Trees to analyze the topological properties of government bond rates’ dynamics. Secondly, we combine the information given by both Maximum and Minimum Spanning Trees to obtain a measure of market dissimilarity or disintegration. Thirdly, we extend this measure to include a convenient distance not limited to the interval [0, 2]. Our empirical results show that Maximum Spanning Tree gives an adequate description of the separation of the euro area into two distinct groups: those countries strongly affected by the crisis and those that have remained resilient during this period. The measures of market dissimilarity also reveal a persistent separation of these two groups and, according to our second measure, this separation strongly increased during the period July 2009-March 2012.

The crisis and fiscal policies in the peripheral countries of the Eurozone.

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Navarro, Vicente

2012-01-01

This article explains the political causes of the current financial crisis of the eurozone peripheral countries (Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Ireland) and how the crisis affects their welfare states. It examines how their profoundly conservative governments (dictatorships in Spain, Portugal, and Greece and authoritarian regime in Ireland) during the post-World War II period and the dominance of their states by right-wing forces have made these countries very vulnerable to the speculations of the financial markets.

AN OVERVIEW AT MACROECONOMIC LEVEL THROUGH ACCOUNTING FIGURES PROVIDED BY THE ECB ASSESSMENT ON EUROZONE BANKING SYSTEM

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Olivera Ecaterina OROS

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Along with the main macroeconomic indicators, the credit risk indicators became an important leverage in monitoring and evaluating the standard of living at a national level and the country’s economic evolution. These two types of indicators show a strong interconnection, and the correct assessment of the credit risk indicators becomes a must. As a consequence, the central banks and the main regulators in the Europe aria provided for a strict monitoring of such indicators and further on, for constant update of the banking supervisory regulations. In October 2013, the European Central bank (ECB issued the Note of Comprehensive Assessment that will be carried out during 2014, on the Euro-zone1 banking system. The outcome of the assessment will impact not only the accounting figures of the banking system, but also might change the macroeconomic overview of Euro-zone and the IASB's Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting.

The Eurozone Crisis: A Constitutional Analysis

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Anna Sting

2015-08-01

Full Text Available “Every power comes through crisis” has long been a motif of European integration. The financial and sovereign debt crises, which have shaken the European Union (EU in recent years, are at first glance no different. Treaty reforms, intergovernmental treaties such as the Fiscal Compact and the Treaty Establishing a European Stability Mechanism (ESM Treaty have significantly altered the constitutional landscape of the EU and its Member States. The crisis has also inspired many European legal scholars to critically analyse the EU’s system of economic governance, as have other events throughout the history of the European Union, from the Empty Chair Crisis to the referenda in the aftermath of the Treaty of Maastricht and the failure of the Constitution for the European Union. What does seem to be different is the way in which scholars approach the issue of the Eurozone crisis. Instead of a purely legal perspective on economic governance, European legal scholars have realised that in order to understand and analyse the euro crisis, interdisciplinarity is the word of the moment.

THE CRISIS FROM THE EUROZONE

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Nicu Trandafir

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The implosion of the European financial system? The global financial crisis – which still fumes – completed by a series of adjectives: economic, moral, social, political, has shaken the intelectual and political elite causing strong debates and the analysis of the causes, effects and, especially, the solutions of this true ”cyclone”. Some preached even the end of the world for the beginning of another world! It is unanimous the idea according to which the fool monetary system of the world must be deeply re-formed/restructured, not only tamed. For the European Union, the critical problems appeared on the ground of national debt crisis. The countries burdened by national debts – Greece, Spain, Portugal etc – can break down in a conflict - caused by the dilemma who will pay: tax payers, bankers, public sector’s employees, investors! There is the major risk of breaking out a monetary and commercial ”war” as soon as governments face the population rage as consequence of the decrease of incomes and increase of unemployment. Eurozone and European Union are in danger. Profound crisis, institutional block and the lack of efficient solutions will become chronic, and the lack of trust of people in politicians and in the European project will increase.

Rebalancing the Eurozone Troubled Economies

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Ziółkowski Michał

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to assess how much rebalancing of the six eurozone troubled economies (Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus was achieved since the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007/2008, to what extent migrations were a mitigating factor on their labor markets and how much the troubled countries were assisted in their adjustment by other countries. The first part of the article shows an overall macroeconomic picture of the troubled economies' rebalancing together with a presentation of the etiology of the problem (i.e. accumulation of imbalances. The second part presents the role of migrations and the third part the role of the Eurosystem and international financial assistance in the rebalancing process. The research is based on comparing developments in selected indicators across countries. The conclusions are that the rebalancing in the troubled countries was either at most limited or actually their economies continued to fall out of balance (various indicators showing various developments make the situation ambiguous, migrations were either not much supportive for rebalancing of the troubled economies or they did not provide any dent to unemployment at all and that the troubled countries were provided with significant international assistance mainly in the form of the ECB policies causing the rise in the Target balances.

Exchange-traded funds of the eurozone sovereign debt

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Drenovak Mikica

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Periods of high uncertainty bring liquidity concerns to the forefront for sovereign bond investors. Arguably the most liquid and cost-effective way for retail and small institutional investors to gain diversified sovereign bond exposure is through an exchange traded fund (ETF. In this paper we study the performance, country exposure, and replicating characteristics of a sample of 31 European index ETFs with exposure to eurozone sovereign debt. The obtained results are presented in the context of underlying index selection rules, types of replication, and movements in sovereign debt interest rates and sovereign CDS spreads. It is demonstrated that the ETFs focused on accurately track corresponding bond indices. This is consistent with earlier findings for equity index ETFs. Our results may be of interest for institutional investors, regulators, and everyone interested in sovereign debt investments.

Social Progress in Romania and other Central and Eastern European Non- Eurozone States

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VIRGINIA CÂMPEANU

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Our research paper refers to the social progress achieved in the last 10 years by Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland and Hungary as non- Eurozone members (CEE-6, compared to the minimum and maximum levels in the EU-28, depending on their economic development levels. This analysis isa part of the larger-scale study regarding the readinessassessment of Romania and other five Central and Eastern European countries (CEE-6 for accession to the Eurozone in terms of the real convergence. We extended the analysis of the real economic convergence to the sphere of social convergence. The purpose of the extended analysis is to compare the living standards in Romania, CEE-6 and other European Union member states (EU-28 and to draw conclusions on the social convergence as a complement to real economic convergence. Using a new analytical tool, the global composite index “Social Progress Index” at different levels of disaggregation, this article reveals the social gaps between CEE-6 and the EU and identifies strengths, and weaknesses for these countries to achieve social progress on the road to real economic and social convergence with the EU.The aim is to provide to the national decision-makers some milestones to remove weaknesses and to turn threats into opportunities in the future social and economic policies.

The resurgence of cultural borders in international finance during the financial crisis: Evidence from Eurozone cross-border depositing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleimeier, S.; Sander, H.; Heuchemer, S.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate that cultural borders in international finance resurge during financial crises. To investigate the role of cultural borders during both tranquil and crisis periods, we employ a unique data set that focuses on Eurozone cross-border depositing in a gravity-model

In the absence of fiscal union, the Eurozone needs a more flexible monetary policy: A comment

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Andrea Terzi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article is a comment on Alessandrini and Fratianni (2015 (A&F, on how can the euro area cope with inter-regional differences in the absence of fiscal union. A&F develop a model to support their proposals, against which twomain remarks are raised here. First, diverging current account imbalances shaped the eurozone countries’ vulnerability, but were not a cause of the euroarea 2010-2012 liquidity crisis. Second, A&F’s quantity-theoretic view of monetary policy implementation is inapplicable to a floating currency like the euro, or to the Target2 payment system. A&F’s proposal of adding a current account constraint to the existing fiscal constraint for EA countries could have a positive impact if a country running a large current account balance and having fiscal room, as defined by the EU rules, were pressed to engage in expansionary fiscal policy. The problem with such a double constraint, however, is that the stronger the impact on the other EA countries, the sooner fiscal room would be exhausted. This criticism however does not imply that in the absence of fiscal union there is no stable solution; a coordinated pro-quota fiscal expansion would provide such stable solution. JEL: E42, E52, E58

Realized (co)variances of eurozone sovereign yields during the crisis: The impact of news and the Securities Markets Programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beetsma, R.M.W.J.; de Jong, Frank; Giuliodori, M.; Widijanto, D.

We use realized variances and covariances based on intraday data to measure the dependence structure of eurozone sovereign yields. Our analysis focuses on the impact of news, obtained from the Eurointelligence newsflash, on the dependence structure. More news tends to raise the volatility of yields

Paved with good intentions: global financial integration, the eurozone, and the hellish road to the fabled gold standard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Underhill, G.R.D.; Claes, D.H.; Knutsen, C.H.

2011-01-01

Regional systems of governance may resolve some of the dilemmas of global financial integration, and the eurozone is among the most advanced examples of attempts to do so. This paper argues that the recent Euroland sovereign debt crisis is a test of this proposition, and the outcome leaves the EU

Paved with good intentions: global financial integration, the eurozone, and the imaginary road to the fabled gold standard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Underhill, G.R.D.

2010-01-01

Regional systems of governance may resolve some of the dilemmas of global financial integration, and the eurozone is among the most advanced examples of attempts to do so. This paper argues that the recent Euroland sovereign debt crisis is a test of this proposition, and the outcome leaves the EU

German Economic Expansion under the Conditions of the European Debt Crisis and Military-Political Conflict in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Михаил Михайлович Кухтин

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The German economic expansion in the EU is examined in the article. Berlin is using the European debt crisis and the political instability in Ukraine to strengthen its positions in the world. Interests of weak countries of the Eurozone are being ignored. Chancellor A. Merkel is striving for a gradual revision of European legislation in Germany’s favor. Today’s Berlin is supporting Ukrainian nationalists, hoping to hinder the growth of Russian influence in Eastern Europe with their help. The aggravation of international competition does not allow Germany to pursue a different European policy.

Determinants of non-performing loans: The case of Eurozone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makri Vasiliki

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study is to identify the factors affecting the non-performing loans rate (NPL of Eurozone’s banking systems for the period 2000-2008, just before the beginning of the recession. In our days, Eurozone is in the middle of an unprecedented financial crisis, calling into question the soundness of the banking systems of European countries. Looking at both macro-variables (e.g. annual percentage growth rate of gross domestic product, public debt as % of gross domestic product, unemployment and micro-variables (e.g. loans to deposits ratio, return on assets, return on equity, we investigate which factors determine NPL on aggregate level. Overall, our findings reveal strong correlations between NPL and various macroeconomic (public debt, unemployment, annual percentage growth rate of gross domestic product and bank-specific (capital adequacy ratio, rate of nonperforming loans of the previous year and return on equity factors.

Financial crises as catalysts for regional cooperation? Chances and obstacles for financial integration in ASEAN+3, MERCOSUR and the eurozone

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krapohl, S.

2015-01-01

This article compares and analyses the different answers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations+3 (ASEAN+3), Mercado Común del Dur (MERCOSUR) and the eurozone on financial crises in their respective regions. All three regions were hit by economic turmoil between 1997 and 2012, but whereas

Towards a European Division of Labour : Do Europe’s Crises Highlight Structural Challenges to Sustainable Economic Growth in the Eurozone?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scholten, D.J.; Scholten, M.

2014-01-01

The financial and economic crises of the last few years in many Southern Eurozone countries are generally studied individually, without reference to other such crises in the region. In this note, we argue that they may also be approached as symptoms of an underlying structural challenge facing the

Business cycle synchronization among member countries of Eurozone during the process of European integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svatopluk Kapounek

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the correlation of the business cycles between the Eurozone member states in the period 1957–2003. The analysed period is divided into the four parts (1959–1972, 1973–1985, 1986–1994, 1995–2003, which correspond to integration waves and relate approximately to the European integration process. The empirical analysis is based on the time series correlation. The authors discuss the impact of the EC enlargements on the business cycles correlation as well as on qualitative changes in the interaction between the states.

Liquidity supply and money velocity co-movements in the Eurozone – Time-Frequency Domain Approach

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Svatopluk Kapounek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The authors focus on financial stability in the Eurozone and propose alternative indicator for macro-prudential policy implementation. Rapid growth of the shadow banking system biases increase in loans to identify financial instability. The velocity of money represented money demand in the economy. The empirical part of the paper applies wavelet analysis to identify cyclical co-movements in money velocity and liquidity supply. The authors provide recommendations for policymakers to stabilize global liquidity shocks and reduce procyclical effects by institutions which supply official liquidity in their domestic currency – central banks.

Sovereign debt threatens the Union: the genesis of a federation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loubert, A.

2012-01-01

Eurozone sovereign debt crisis - Europe's ‘Alexander Hamilton Moment’ - American sovereign debt crisis of 1780s - Articles of Confederation - U.S. Constitution - Assumption of states' debt - Constitutional transformation key factor in enabling Alexander Hamilton's debt restructuring.

From Subprime and Eurozone Crisis with Full Speed into the Next Financial Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Strašek Sebastjan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper offers an analysis of the road from subprime and eurozone crisis to the elements of a new systemic crisis. Our aim is to research common issues that accompany each of these crises and to explore elements that hint that the financial systems are moving toward a new crisis. By holding short-term interest rates near zero, the central banks have encouraged malinvestment and speculation. Fuelling the bubble is the fear of missing out on trade. We find that actual events and movements on security markets follow a typical pattern, which indicates a serious threat for the next financial crisis. We also find enough signs that old crises lessons haven’t been learned.

The effect of innovative activity in firm performance and development: Analysing data from eurozone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilias A. Makris

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of Innovative Activity on firm performance and growth. Active Research and Development is considered to be directly related with development, prosperity and growth, in micro and macro level and a key factor in hindering economic recession. Design/methodology/approach – We analyse economic data from listed firms of selected eurozone country-members in order to associate Research and Development with performance indicators in firm and country level. For that purpose, several firm data were collected from WorldScope data base and macroeconomic data from Worldbank database. The period examined is between 2002 and 2012, with a special focus on current financial crisis (after 2007. The empirical process includes, descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Findings – Findings indicate the crucial effect of innovative process in economic performance and development in firm and country level. The latter highlights the urgent need for public support in order to spur innovative activity and high-tech exports, especially in countries that were heavily affected by recession. Research limitations/implications – Some research limitations are the large number of missing cases in WordScope database, as many firms after the beginning of current crisis exit stock market. Furthermore, the other part of the economy, the Small and Medium Enterprises does not exist in the analysis, as listed firms are mainly large and mature companies. Originality/value – The results tend to highlight the need for common policy measures in eurozone, in regard to such issues, instead of imposing horizontal budgetary constraints in specific countries (like Southern Europe, hindering the vicious recessionary circle.

Germany versus the United States: Monetary Dominance in the Eurozone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chee-Heong Quah

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study inspects if there is greater convergence with Germany amongst the Eurozone founding members and if their relations with the hegemonic economy have been more symmetrical after “euroization”. The dimensions explored are those inspired by the optimum currency areas (OCA framework. To some extent, the findings could signify if real convergence has been significantly endogenous. At the same time, to assess the relative dominance of Germany, the features against Germany are compared to those against US. In addition, the paper also appraises some aspects of economic performance to check whether economic conditions across the states have improved and converged after unification. In some convergence aspects, findings suggest remarkable convergence with Germany and across the states but also relative convergence with US. On economic performance, results indicate substantial improvements in inflation and unemployment. Amongst the founding states, Ireland has idiosyncratically shown serious divergences in a number of the convergence and performance measures.

An Analysis of the Recent Eurozone Recovery: is It Sustainable?

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Ivo Pezzuto

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the topic of the surprise European Economy recovery in 2017 and its possible implications. The article aims to provide a broad and comprehensive understanding of the triggering factors that have contributed to this unexpected economic revival and to the slow and uneven economic recovery in Europe after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and the Great Recession. The article also aims to highlight the potential downside risks related to the still unsolved structural issues that caused the debt overhang and macroeconomic imbalances in Europe in the past decade. Thus, the European Union and the Eurozone seem to be on course for a potential brighter future in the years to come but internal and external risks might still undermine the path to sustained growth, full economic recovery, and stronger integration in the region unless proper political, economic, fiscal, and monetary governance and policies are assured to make the euro area more resilient to future systemic shocks.

THE CONTAGION EFFECT AND THE RESPONSE OF THE EUROZONE TO THE SOVEREIGN DEBT PROBLEM

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Claudiu Peptine

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses a number of phenomena that characterize the euro area, one of them being the contagion effect. This is one of the mechanisms by which financial instability becomes so widespread that the crisis reached global dimensions. The following lines argue that contagion plays a crucial role in exacerbating the sovereign debt problems in the Eurozone. Consequently, the management of the crisis by the competent authorities should focus on policy measures that are able to mitigate the contagion. Therefore, many of the European Central Bank interventions (ECB in the European Union were motivated by the need for understanding and mitigating the contagion phenomenon.

Four currencies outside the eurozone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imre Vámos

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose - In the European Union only a few countries have remained outside the eurozone. Among these countries with independent monetary policies few pursue a floating exchange rate regime: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania (IMF, 2013. The purpose of the paper is to examine whether there is a cointegrating relationship between the same underlying economic fundamentals and the real and nominal exchange rate of these countries against the euro. Design/methodology/approach – The quarterly data used for analysis for the period between 2000 and 2014 were provided by the Eurostat and European economy databases. After testing for unit root in the logarithmised data series Engel-Granger and Johansen tests are applied to discover the existence of longrun equilibrium relationships between the exchange rates and fundamentals explaining balance of payments equilibrium. Findings –Based on a uniform behavioural exchange rate model cointegration can only be revealed in the case of the Polish nominal exchange rate data, though simple OLS estimations indicate a strong relationship between fundamentals and exchange rates in the case of all the four countries. Research limitations/implications – The paper points out that it is difficult to prove the existence of any such relationship: making forecasts of the paths of equilibrium exchange rates is hampered by the lack of an adequate model, the short time series and the strong volatility of these currencies, especially the Hungarian forint and the Romanian leu. Another reason for the low explanatory value of various models can be frequent central bank intervention. Originality/value – As Dick et al. (2015 reveals good exchange rate estimates rely on the forecasters ability to understand the relation between fundamentals and the exchange rates mostly in times when exchange rate more strongly deviate from their PPP value. Therefore, applying more approaches for exchange rate analysis helps us

Expansion of Industrial Plantations Continues to Threaten Malayan Tiger Habitat

OpenAIRE

Varada S. Shevade; Peter V. Potapov; Nancy L. Harris; Tatiana V. Loboda

2017-01-01

Southeast Asia has some of the highest deforestation rates globally, with Malaysia being identified as a deforestation hotspot. The Malayan tiger, a critically endangered subspecies of the tiger endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. In this study, we estimate the natural forest loss and conversion to plantations in Peninsular Malaysia and specifically in its tiger habitat between 1988 and 2012 using the Landsat data archive. We estimate a total loss ...

Policy learning in the Eurozone crisis: modes, power and functionality.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlop, Claire A; Radaelli, Claudio M

In response to the attacks on the sovereign debt of some Eurozone countries, European Union (EU) leaders have created a set of preventive and corrective policy instruments to coordinate macro-economic policies and reforms. In this article, we deal with the European Semester, a cycle of information exchange, monitoring and surveillance. Countries that deviate from the targets are subjected to increasing monitoring and more severe 'corrective' interventions, in a pyramid of responsive exchanges between governments and EU institutions. This is supposed to generate coordination and convergence towards balanced economies via mechanisms of learning. But who is learning what? Can the EU learn in the 'wrong' mode? We contribute to the literature on theories of the policy process by showing how modes of learning can be operationalized and used in empirical analysis. We use policy learning as theoretical framework to establish empirically the prevalent mode of learning and its implications for both the power of the Commission and the normative question of whether the EU is learning in the 'correct' mode.

Managing external imbalances in Montenegro - will faciliate integration to EU

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Jacimović Danijela

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Montenegro as a new state has had similar approach to the development models as other European transition economies. High openness to foreign investments andeuroisation have influenced high liquidity, fiscal and financial expansion. With the current crisis, Montenegro is experiencing significant slowdown of economic activity, external imbalances, shortage of foreign capital, low credit activity, fiscal tightening and increase of public debt. This article aims to investigate the main effects to balance of payment imbalances in Montenegro. It compares economic indicators with the Eurozone countries, especially with the countries of the Eurozone periphery, trying to find similiraties and differences and possible policy recommendations, based on the experience in the Eurozone.

Targeting global protected area expansion for imperiled biodiversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Venter, Oscar; Fuller, Richard A; Segan, Daniel B; Carwardine, Josie; Brooks, Thomas; Butchart, Stuart H M; Di Marco, Moreno; Iwamura, Takuya; Joseph, Liana; O'Grady, Damien; Possingham, Hugh P; Rondinini, Carlo; Smith, Robert J; Venter, Michelle; Watson, James E M

2014-06-01

Governments have agreed to expand the global protected area network from 13% to 17% of the world's land surface by 2020 (Aichi target 11) and to prevent the further loss of known threatened species (Aichi target 12). These targets are interdependent, as protected areas can stem biodiversity loss when strategically located and effectively managed. However, the global protected area estate is currently biased toward locations that are cheap to protect and away from important areas for biodiversity. Here we use data on the distribution of protected areas and threatened terrestrial birds, mammals, and amphibians to assess current and possible future coverage of these species under the convention. We discover that 17% of the 4,118 threatened vertebrates are not found in a single protected area and that fully 85% are not adequately covered (i.e., to a level consistent with their likely persistence). Using systematic conservation planning, we show that expanding protected areas to reach 17% coverage by protecting the cheapest land, even if ecoregionally representative, would increase the number of threatened vertebrates covered by only 6%. However, the nonlinear relationship between the cost of acquiring land and species coverage means that fivefold more threatened vertebrates could be adequately covered for only 1.5 times the cost of the cheapest solution, if cost efficiency and threatened vertebrates are both incorporated into protected area decision making. These results are robust to known errors in the vertebrate range maps. The Convention on Biological Diversity targets may stimulate major expansion of the global protected area estate. If this expansion is to secure a future for imperiled species, new protected areas must be sited more strategically than is presently the case.

Transgenerational metamorphosis in Shakespeare’s Winter’s tale and the eurozone crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerald Wooster

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale – set in Palermo, and also Bohemia - suggests that where there is close affection and love there also may be more exposure to envy, jealousy, uncontrolled anger,attempts to punish, and guilt. It involves inter-sibling and inter-group dynamics, attributions, misattributions, but also transgenerational metapmorphosis creating new meanings, and how envy and jealousy - if reconciled – may redeem guilt and generate psychic surpluses rather than only deficits. The paper outlines these but also relates such dynamics to the current crisis of the Eurozone and Kleinian splitting and projective identification. It suggests that the crisis is the first time Germany that Germany has been able to split from guilt (Schuld – especially for the Holocaust – and been able to project guilt for debt (also Schuld in German onto the peripheral European countries, and that transgenerational metapmorphosis will depend on recovering the good in credit as the inverse of debt. Key words: Jealousy, Guilt, Debt.

Transgenerational metamorphosis in Shakespeare’s Winter’s tale and the eurozone crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerald Wooster

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale – set in Palermo, and also Bohemia - suggests that where there is close affection and love there also may be more exposure to envy, jealousy, uncontrolled anger,attempts to punish, and guilt. It involves inter-sibling and inter-group dynamics, attributions, misattributions, but also transgenerational metapmorphosis creating new meanings, and how envy and jealousy - if reconciled – may redeem guilt and generate psychic surpluses rather than only deficits. The paper outlines these but also relates such dynamics to the current crisis of the Eurozone and Kleinian splitting and projective identification. It suggests that the crisis is the first time Germany that Germany has been able to split from guilt (Schuld – especially for the Holocaust – and been able to project guilt for debt (also Schuld in German onto the peripheral European countries, and that transgenerational metapmorphosis will depend on recovering the good in credit as the inverse of debt. Keywords: Jealousy; Guilt; Debt 

Management of Peatland Shrub- and Forest-Dominated Communities for Threatened and Endangered Species

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Robertson, Kevin

1998-01-01

... or agricultural uses, and they support several threatened, endangered, and sensitive species (TES). Several of these plant communities are rare due to alterations in fire and hydrology over large expanses of the region...

The Eurozone Crisis: Muddling through on the Way to a More Perfect Euro Union?

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Joshua Aizenman

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Taking a historical perspective of economic changes, this paper argues that muddling through crises-induced reforms characterizes well the evolutionary process of forming currency unions. The economic distortions facing the euro include structural challenges in the labor and product markets, and financial distortions. While both structural and financial distortions are costly and prevalent, they differ in fundamental ways. Financial distortions are moving at the speed of the Internet, and their welfare costs are determined more by the access to credit lines and leverage, than by the GDP of each country. In contrast, the structural distortions are moving at a slow pace relative to the financial distortions, and their effects are determined by inter-generational dynamics. These considerations suggest that the priority should be given to dealing with the financial distortions. A more perfect Eurozone is not assured without successfully muddling through painful periodic crises.

Application of Artificial Intelligence Methods for Analysis of Material and Non-material Determinants of Functioning of Young Europeans in Times of Crisis in the Eurozone

OpenAIRE

Gawlik, Remigiusz

2014-01-01

The study presents an analysis of possible applications of artificial intelligence methods for understanding, structuring and supporting the decision-making processes of European Youth in times of crisis in the Eurozone. Its main purpose is selecting a research method suitable for grasping and explaining the relations between social, economic and psychological premises when taking important life decisions by young Europeans at the beginning of their adult life. The interdisciplinary ap...

How the Eurosystem’s Treatment of Collateral in its Open Market Operations Weakens Fiscal Discipline in the Eurozone (and what to do about it)

OpenAIRE

Buiter, Willem H.; Sibert, Anne

2005-01-01

Market interest rates on sovereign debt issued by the 12 Eurozone national governments differ very little from each other, despite the credit ratings of these governments ranging from triple A to single A, and despite significant differences among their objective indicators of fiscal-financial sustainability. We argue that this market failure is at least in part due to a policy failure: the operational practices of the European Central Bank and the rest of the Eurosystem in its collateralised...

Population growth, urban expansion, and private forestry in western Oregon.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffrey D. Kline; David L. Azuma; Ralph J. Alig

2004-01-01

Private forestlands in the United States face increasing pressures from growing populations, resulting in greater numbers of people living in closer proximity to forests. What often is called the "wildland/urban interface" is characterized by expansion of residential and other developed land uses onto forested landscapes in a manner that threatens forestlands...

Competitividade e restrição externa na Zona do Euro Competitiveness and external constraint in the Eurozone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Sander Diniz

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The recent debt crisis in Greece, Ireland and Portugal has exposed the fragility existing in the Eurozone for promoting development and economic convergence between the countries that have adopted the currency. Way beyond the fear of insolvency, what is observed is a growing disparity of the most-developed countries in comparison to the less-developed ones, with perverse consequences for the last ones. Once the nominal exchange rates are fixed, the divergent movements in relative prices and wages between the countries have led to totally distinct paths for the real exchange rates. Worsening the scenario, one can observe the incompleteness of the political union, the monetarist focus of the ECB and the lack of labor mobility between the countries, what distances from the argument stated by the theory and puts in jeopardize the future of the Monetary Union.

Future urban land expansion and implications for global croplands.

Science.gov (United States)

Bren d'Amour, Christopher; Reitsma, Femke; Baiocchi, Giovanni; Barthel, Stephan; Güneralp, Burak; Erb, Karl-Heinz; Haberl, Helmut; Creutzig, Felix; Seto, Karen C

2017-08-22

Urban expansion often occurs on croplands. However, there is little scientific understanding of how global patterns of future urban expansion will affect the world's cultivated areas. Here, we combine spatially explicit projections of urban expansion with datasets on global croplands and crop yields. Our results show that urban expansion will result in a 1.8-2.4% loss of global croplands by 2030, with substantial regional disparities. About 80% of global cropland loss from urban expansion will take place in Asia and Africa. In both Asia and Africa, much of the cropland that will be lost is more than twice as productive as national averages. Asia will experience the highest absolute loss in cropland, whereas African countries will experience the highest percentage loss of cropland. Globally, the croplands that are likely to be lost were responsible for 3-4% of worldwide crop production in 2000. Urban expansion is expected to take place on cropland that is 1.77 times more productive than the global average. The loss of cropland is likely to be accompanied by other sustainability risks and threatens livelihoods, with diverging characteristics for different megaurban regions. Governance of urban area expansion thus emerges as a key area for securing livelihoods in the agrarian economies of the Global South.

Threats from urban expansion, agricultural transformation and forest loss on global conservation priority areas

Science.gov (United States)

Moilanen, Atte; Di Minin, Enrico

2017-01-01

Including threats in spatial conservation prioritization helps identify areas for conservation actions where biodiversity is at imminent risk of extinction. At the global level, an important limitation when identifying spatial priorities for conservation actions is the lack of information on the spatial distribution of threats. Here, we identify spatial conservation priorities under three prominent threats to biodiversity (residential and commercial development, agricultural expansion, and forest loss), which are primary drivers of habitat loss and threaten the persistence of the highest number of species in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and for which spatial data is available. We first explore how global priority areas for the conservation of vertebrate (mammals, birds, and amphibians) species coded in the Red List as vulnerable to each threat differ spatially. We then identify spatial conservation priorities for all species vulnerable to all threats. Finally, we identify the potentially most threatened areas by overlapping the identified priority areas for conservation with maps for each threat. We repeat the same with four other well-known global conservation priority area schemes, namely Key Biodiversity Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, the global Protected Area Network, and Wilderness Areas. We find that residential and commercial development directly threatens only about 4% of the global top 17% priority areas for species vulnerable under this threat. However, 50% of the high priority areas for species vulnerable to forest loss overlap with areas that have already experienced some forest loss. Agricultural expansion overlapped with ~20% of high priority areas. Biodiversity Hotspots had the greatest proportion of their total area under direct threat from all threats, while expansion of low intensity agriculture was found to pose an imminent threat to Wilderness Areas under future agricultural expansion. Our results

The Impact of Theory of Optimal Currency Areas on Discursus of Political Parties ČSSD and ODS about the Entry to the Eurozone Between the Years 2010 - 2012

OpenAIRE

Müller, Lukáš

2012-01-01

This essay is about the theory of optimal currency areas (OCA) and its reflection in public discussion of two biggest political parties in Czech Republic - ODS and ČSSD, about Czech Republic entering the European Monetary Union (EMU). Although EMU hadn't met the criteria of OCA before the examined period, both parties entered the elections in May 2010 with more or less pro-european program despite decreasing support of eurozone in Czech public opinion. While ČSSD only limitedly mentioned the ...

Integrating cellular automata, artificial neural network and fuzzy set theory to simulate threatened orchards: Application to Maragheh, Iran

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Azari, M; Tayyebi, A; Helbich, M; Ahadnejad Reveshty, M

2016-01-01

Urbanization processes challenge the growth of orchards areas in many cities in Iran. In Maragheh orchards are crucial ecological, economical, and tourist sources. To explore orchards threatened by urban expansion, this study aims, first, to develop a new model by coupling cellular automata and

A meta-analysis of global urban land expansion.

Science.gov (United States)

Seto, Karen C; Fragkias, Michail; Güneralp, Burak; Reilly, Michael K

2011-01-01

The conversion of Earth's land surface to urban uses is one of the most irreversible human impacts on the global biosphere. It drives the loss of farmland, affects local climate, fragments habitats, and threatens biodiversity. Here we present a meta-analysis of 326 studies that have used remotely sensed images to map urban land conversion. We report a worldwide observed increase in urban land area of 58,000 km(2) from 1970 to 2000. India, China, and Africa have experienced the highest rates of urban land expansion, and the largest change in total urban extent has occurred in North America. Across all regions and for all three decades, urban land expansion rates are higher than or equal to urban population growth rates, suggesting that urban growth is becoming more expansive than compact. Annual growth in GDP per capita drives approximately half of the observed urban land expansion in China but only moderately affects urban expansion in India and Africa, where urban land expansion is driven more by urban population growth. In high income countries, rates of urban land expansion are slower and increasingly related to GDP growth. However, in North America, population growth contributes more to urban expansion than it does in Europe. Much of the observed variation in urban expansion was not captured by either population, GDP, or other variables in the model. This suggests that contemporary urban expansion is related to a variety of factors difficult to observe comprehensively at the global level, including international capital flows, the informal economy, land use policy, and generalized transport costs. Using the results from the global model, we develop forecasts for new urban land cover using SRES Scenarios. Our results show that by 2030, global urban land cover will increase between 430,000 km(2) and 12,568,000 km(2), with an estimate of 1,527,000 km(2) more likely.

Evidence for coral range expansion accompanied by reduced diversity of Symbiodinium genotypes

KAUST Repository

Grupstra, Carsten G. B.

2017-05-15

Zooxanthellate corals are threatened by climate change but may be able to escape increasing temperatures by colonizing higher latitudes. To determine the effect of host range expansion on symbiont genetic diversity, we examined genetic variation among populations of Symbiodinium psygmophilum associated with Oculina patagonica, a range-expanding coral that acquires its symbionts through horizontal transmission. We optimized five microsatellite primer pairs for S. psygmophilum and tested them on Oculina spp. samples from the western North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. We then used them to compare symbiont genotype diversity between an Iberian core and an expansion front population of O. patagonica. Only one multilocus S. psygmophilum genotype was identified at the expansion front, and it was shared with the core population, which harbored seven multilocus genotypes. This pattern suggests that O. patagonica range expansion is accompanied by reduced symbiont genetic diversity, possibly due to limited dispersal of symbionts or local selection.

Structural asymmetries at the roots of the eurozone crisis: what’s new for industrial policy in the EU?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Botta

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we analyze and try to measure productive and technological asymmetries between central and peripheral economies in the eurozone. We assess the effects such asymmetries would likely bring about on center–periphery divergence/convergence patterns, and derive some implications as to the design of future industrial policy at the European level. We stress that future European Union (EU industrial policy should be regionally focused and specifically target structural changes in the periphery as the main way to favor center–periphery convergence and avoid the reappearance of past external imbalances. To this end, a wide battery of industrial policy tools should be considered ranging from subsidies and fiscal incentives to innovative firms, public financing of R&D efforts, sectoral policies, and public procurements for home-produced goods. All in all, future EU industrial policy should be much more interventionist than it currently is, and dispose of much larger funds with respect to the present setting in order to effectively pursue both short-run stabilization and long-run development goals.

Reactions to threatening health messages.

Science.gov (United States)

Ten Hoor, Gill A; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Y; Kalagi, Janice; de Groot, Lianne; Grootjans, Karlijne; Huschens, Alexander; Köhninger, Constanze; Kölgen, Lizan; Pelssers, Isabelle; Schütt, Toby; Thomas, Sophia; Ruiter, Robert A C; Kok, Gerjo

2012-11-21

Threatening health messages that focus on severity are popular, but frequently have no effect or even a counterproductive effect on behavior change. This paradox (i.e. wide application despite low effectiveness) may be partly explained by the intuitive appeal of threatening communication: it may be hard to predict the defensive reactions occurring in response to fear appeals. We examine this hypothesis by using two studies by Brown and colleagues, which provide evidence that threatening health messages in the form of distressing imagery in anti-smoking and anti-alcohol campaigns cause defensive reactions. We simulated both Brown et al. experiments, asking participants to estimate the reactions of the original study subjects to the threatening health information (n = 93). Afterwards, we presented the actual original study outcomes. One week later, we assessed whether this knowledge of the actual study outcomes helped participants to more successfully estimate the effectiveness of the threatening health information (n = 72). Results showed that participants were initially convinced of the effectiveness of threatening health messages and were unable to anticipate the defensive reactions that in fact occurred. Furthermore, these estimates did not improve after participants had been explained the dynamics of threatening communication as well as what the effects of the threatening communication had been in reality. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the effectiveness of threatening health messages is intuitively appealing. What is more, providing empirical evidence against the use of threatening health messages has very little effect on this intuitive appeal.

Predicting the impact of climate change on threatened species in UK waters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miranda C Jones

Full Text Available Global climate change is affecting the distribution of marine species and is thought to represent a threat to biodiversity. Previous studies project expansion of species range for some species and local extinction elsewhere under climate change. Such range shifts raise concern for species whose long-term persistence is already threatened by other human disturbances such as fishing. However, few studies have attempted to assess the effects of future climate change on threatened vertebrate marine species using a multi-model approach. There has also been a recent surge of interest in climate change impacts on protected areas. This study applies three species distribution models and two sets of climate model projections to explore the potential impacts of climate change on marine species by 2050. A set of species in the North Sea, including seven threatened and ten major commercial species were used as a case study. Changes in habitat suitability in selected candidate protected areas around the UK under future climatic scenarios were assessed for these species. Moreover, change in the degree of overlap between commercial and threatened species ranges was calculated as a proxy of the potential threat posed by overfishing through bycatch. The ensemble projections suggest northward shifts in species at an average rate of 27 km per decade, resulting in small average changes in range overlap between threatened and commercially exploited species. Furthermore, the adverse consequences of climate change on the habitat suitability of protected areas were projected to be small. Although the models show large variation in the predicted consequences of climate change, the multi-model approach helps identify the potential risk of increased exposure to human stressors of critically endangered species such as common skate (Dipturus batis and angelshark (Squatina squatina.

Health Inequalities and Active Aging: What Can Social Workers Do?

OpenAIRE

Won Min, Jong

2013-01-01

The ongoing Eurozone crisis brought Spain harsh austerity measures of higher tax and cuts in medical care and social services. The growing economic hardship may lead to greater economic inequality. Income inequality, in turn, could cause inequitable health differences in population, called “health inequalities.” All of the events pose great challenges and risk to older adults, and threatens their efforts toward achieving healthy and active aging in Spain. This paper provides an ov...

Reactions to threatening health messages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ten Hoor Gill A

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Threatening health messages that focus on severity are popular, but frequently have no effect or even a counterproductive effect on behavior change. This paradox (i.e. wide application despite low effectiveness may be partly explained by the intuitive appeal of threatening communication: it may be hard to predict the defensive reactions occurring in response to fear appeals. We examine this hypothesis by using two studies by Brown and colleagues, which provide evidence that threatening health messages in the form of distressing imagery in anti-smoking and anti-alcohol campaigns cause defensive reactions. Methods We simulated both Brown et al. experiments, asking participants to estimate the reactions of the original study subjects to the threatening health information (n = 93. Afterwards, we presented the actual original study outcomes. One week later, we assessed whether this knowledge of the actual study outcomes helped participants to more successfully estimate the effectiveness of the threatening health information (n = 72. Results Results showed that participants were initially convinced of the effectiveness of threatening health messages and were unable to anticipate the defensive reactions that in fact occurred. Furthermore, these estimates did not improve after participants had been explained the dynamics of threatening communication as well as what the effects of the threatening communication had been in reality. Conclusions These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the effectiveness of threatening health messages is intuitively appealing. What is more, providing empirical evidence against the use of threatening health messages has very little effect on this intuitive appeal.

Monetary Policy Transmission and the Labour Market in the Non‑eurozone Visegrad Group Countries in 2000–2014. Evidence from a SVAR Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Włodarczyk Przemysław

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper is aimed at filling the gap in existing economic research by delivering new evidence on the money‑labour nexus in the emerging markets of the non‑eurozone Visegrad group countries (i.e. Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Analyses are based on the Strucutral VAR (SVAR models of the monetary transmission mechanism, estimated using monthly data from the 2000:1-2014:2 period. In order to obtain impulse responses, the short‑run restrictions set, based on the monetary transmission theory, is imposed. Two different identification schemes are considered. The results confirm that there exists a nexus between monetary policy, employment, and unemployment. According to the obtained estimates monetary policy shocks invoked lagged, hump‑shaped reactions of output, employment and unemployment in each of the analysed countries.

In the absence of fiscal union, the Eurozone needs a more flexible monetary policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietro Alessandrini

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper makes three points. The first is that external imbalances between Member States are relevant for the performance of a monetary union when the latter is not backed by a strong political commitment and a solid political framework. Eurozone policymakers have ignored these inter-member imbalances and have instead concentrated on union-wide imbalances, so much so that statistical data on the former phenomenon still remain largely incomplete. There are signs that a correction is in the making, which we hope will lead to a comprehensive quantitative knowledge of intra-EMU imbalances. The second objective of the paper is to design specific policies aimed at reducing inter-member external disequilibria, for example by fixing targets on current-account imbalances symmetrically applied to both deficit and surplus countries. The contrast between the keen attention of the EZ policymakers on national fiscal imbalances and the belated and lukewarm attention given to external imbalances is striking. The third aim of the paper is to propose a more flexible monetary policy aimed at controlling the distribution of liquidity among Member States, resulting from inter-member external imbalances. Our proposal is that National Central Banks should add a risk premium cost to official interest rates on banks that accumulate “excessive” borrowings or deposits to compensate, respectively, for outflows and inflows of the monetary base due to the effect of external imbalances. JEL classification: E42, E52, E58

Population increase in Kirtland's warbler and summer range expansion to Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, USA

Science.gov (United States)

John R. Probst; Deahn Donner; Carol I. Bocetti; Steve Sjogren

2003-01-01

The threatened Kirtland`s warbler Dendroica kirtlandii breeds in stands of young jack pine Pinus banksiana growing on well-drained soils in Michigan, USA. We summarize information documenting the range expansion of Kirtland`s warbler due to increased habitat management in the core breeding range in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan...

Global protected area expansion is compromised by projected land-use and parochialism.

Science.gov (United States)

Montesino Pouzols, Federico; Toivonen, Tuuli; Di Minin, Enrico; Kukkala, Aija S; Kullberg, Peter; Kuusterä, Johanna; Lehtomäki, Joona; Tenkanen, Henrikki; Verburg, Peter H; Moilanen, Atte

2014-12-18

Protected areas are one of the main tools for halting the continuing global biodiversity crisis caused by habitat loss, fragmentation and other anthropogenic pressures. According to the Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity, the protected area network should be expanded to at least 17% of the terrestrial world by 2020 (http://www.cbd.int/sp/targets). To maximize conservation outcomes, it is crucial to identify the best expansion areas. Here we show that there is a very high potential to increase protection of ecoregions and vertebrate species by expanding the protected area network, but also identify considerable risk of ineffective outcomes due to land-use change and uncoordinated actions between countries. We use distribution data for 24,757 terrestrial vertebrates assessed under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 'red list of threatened species', and terrestrial ecoregions (827), modified by land-use models for the present and 2040, and introduce techniques for global and balanced spatial conservation prioritization. First, we show that with a coordinated global protected area network expansion to 17% of terrestrial land, average protection of species ranges and ecoregions could triple. Second, if projected land-use change by 2040 (ref. 11) takes place, it becomes infeasible to reach the currently possible protection levels, and over 1,000 threatened species would lose more than 50% of their present effective ranges worldwide. Third, we demonstrate a major efficiency gap between national and global conservation priorities. Strong evidence is shown that further biodiversity loss is unavoidable unless international action is quickly taken to balance land-use and biodiversity conservation. The approach used here can serve as a framework for repeatable and quantitative assessment of efficiency, gaps and expansion of the global protected area network globally, regionally and nationally, considering

Global forecasts of urban expansion to 2030 and direct impacts on biodiversity and carbon pools

OpenAIRE

Seto, Karen C.; Güneralp, Burak; Hutyra, Lucy R.

2012-01-01

Urban land-cover change threatens biodiversity and affects ecosystem productivity through loss of habitat, biomass, and carbon storage. However, despite projections that world urban populations will increase to nearly 5 billion by 2030, little is known about future locations, magnitudes, and rates of urban expansion. Here we develop spatially explicit probabilistic forecasts of global urban land-cover change and explore the direct impacts on biodiversity hotspots and tropical carbon biomass. ...

Švýcarská ekonomika na počátku 21. století

OpenAIRE

Skalická, Veronika

2012-01-01

The bachelor thesis deals with the Swiss economy in the early 21st century. The economy of Switzerland is one of the most developed in the world, but recent events such as the eurozone debt crisis could threaten its position. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the current state of the Swiss economy, while defining the main sources of risks and predicting the future development of the Swiss economy. A significiant part of the thesis also focuses on the characteristics of each sector in Switz...

National Training Center Fort Irwin expansion area aquatic resources survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cushing, C.E.; Mueller, R.P.

1996-02-01

Biologists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) were requested by personnel from Fort Irwin to conduct a biological reconnaissance of the Avawatz Mountains northeast of Fort Irwin, an area for proposed expansion of the Fort. Surveys of vegetation, small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic resources were conducted during 1995 to characterize the populations and habitats present with emphasis on determining the presence of any species of special concern. This report presents a description of the sites sampled, a list of the organisms found and identified, and a discussion of relative abundance. Taxonomic identifications were done to the lowest level possible commensurate with determining the status of the taxa relative to its possible listing as a threatened, endangered, or candidate species. Consultation with taxonomic experts was undertaken for the Coleoptera ahd Hemiptera. In addition to listing the macroinvertebrates found, the authors also present a discussion related to the possible presence of any threatened or endangered species or species of concern found in Sheep Creek Springs, Tin Cabin Springs, and the Amargosa River.

77 FR 20774 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-06

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 223 RIN 0648-XZ58 Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of the Bearded Seal AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Miscarriage - threatened

Science.gov (United States)

... might take place before the 20th week of pregnancy. Causes Some pregnant women have some vaginal bleeding , with ... injuries or stress during the first trimester of pregnancy can cause threatened miscarriage. It occurs in almost half of ...

76 FR 14883 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

...-XZ58 Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of..., published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the... published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the...

Breaking up Is Hard to Do: Why the Eurozone Will Survive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Aslett

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Since revelations of the Greek fiscal deficit in the fall of 2009, the breakup of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU has moved from unthinkable to plausible. The debate over the future  of the EMU has become increasingly relevant, as numerous efforts to solve the Greek crisis have not  been successful. Neither have basic competitiveness differences between countries in the core and  periphery of the European Union been eliminated. Proposed solutions include development of a  banking union, regulatory measures to monitor trade and capital imbalances, fiscal reforms on the  part of countries in trouble, and centralized fiscal capacity on the part of the EMU itself to offset the liabilities of the indebted states. While the crisis seems to be contained, it is by no means solved.  This leads to the question: “Will the euro survive?” We answer this question in the affirmative, but  in doing so we argue that continuation of the EMU is different from the question of whether the  EMU should have been created in the first place. Some reasons for continuation of the EMU were  present at its creation; others have developed in a path‐dependent way as the Eurozone has evolved.

Urban expansion dynamics and natural habitat loss in China: a multiscale landscape perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chunyang; Liu, Zhifeng; Tian, Jie; Ma, Qun

2014-09-01

China's extensive urbanization has resulted in a massive loss of natural habitat, which is threatening the nation's biodiversity and socioeconomic sustainability. A timely and accurate understanding of natural habitat loss caused by urban expansion will allow more informed and effective measures to be taken for the conservation of biodiversity. However, the impact of urban expansion on natural habitats is not well-understood, primarily due to the lack of accurate spatial information regarding urban expansion across China. In this study, we proposed an approach that can be used to accurately summarize the dynamics of urban expansion in China over two recent decades (1992-2012), by integrating data on nighttime light levels, a vegetation index, and land surface temperature. The natural habitat loss during the time period was evaluated at the national, ecoregional, and local scales. The results revealed that China had experienced extremely rapid urban growth from 1992 to 2012 with an average annual growth rate of 8.74%, in contrast with the global average of 3.20%. The massive urban expansion has resulted in significant natural habitat loss in some areas in China. Special attention needs to be paid to the Pearl River Delta, where 25.79% or 1518 km(2) of the natural habitat and 41.99% or 760 km(2) of the local wetlands were lost during 1992-2012. This raises serious concerns about species viability and biodiversity. Effective policies and regulations must be implemented and enforced to sustain regional and national development in the context of rapid urbanization. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

78 FR 75306 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-11

...; 4500030113] RIN 1018-AY21 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken... the conservation of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). In addition, we announce... prairie-chicken as a threatened species under the Act. We also announce the availability of the final...

Reactions to threatening health messages

OpenAIRE

ten Hoor, Gill A; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Y; Kalagi, Janice; de Groot, Lianne; Grootjans, Karlijne; Huschens, Alexander; K?hninger, Constanze; K?lgen, Lizan; Pelssers, Isabelle; Sch?tt, Toby; Thomas, Sophia; Ruiter, Robert AC; Kok, Gerjo

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Threatening health messages that focus on severity are popular, but frequently have no effect or even a counterproductive effect on behavior change. This paradox (i.e. wide application despite low effectiveness) may be partly explained by the intuitive appeal of threatening communication: it may be hard to predict the defensive reactions occurring in response to fear appeals. We examine this hypothesis by using two studies by Brown and colleagues, which provide evidence th...

Using demography and movement behavior to predict range expansion of the southern sea otter.

Science.gov (United States)

Tinker, M.T.; Doak, D.F.; Estes, J.A.

2008-01-01

In addition to forecasting population growth, basic demographic data combined with movement data provide a means for predicting rates of range expansion. Quantitative models of range expansion have rarely been applied to large vertebrates, although such tools could be useful for restoration and management of many threatened but recovering populations. Using the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) as a case study, we utilized integro-difference equations in combination with a stage-structured projection matrix that incorporated spatial variation in dispersal and demography to make forecasts of population recovery and range recolonization. In addition to these basic predictions, we emphasize how to make these modeling predictions useful in a management context through the inclusion of parameter uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. Our models resulted in hind-cast (1989–2003) predictions of net population growth and range expansion that closely matched observed patterns. We next made projections of future range expansion and population growth, incorporating uncertainty in all model parameters, and explored the sensitivity of model predictions to variation in spatially explicit survival and dispersal rates. The predicted rate of southward range expansion (median = 5.2 km/yr) was sensitive to both dispersal and survival rates; elasticity analysis indicated that changes in adult survival would have the greatest potential effect on the rate of range expansion, while perturbation analysis showed that variation in subadult dispersal contributed most to variance in model predictions. Variation in survival and dispersal of females at the south end of the range contributed most of the variance in predicted southward range expansion. Our approach provides guidance for the acquisition of further data and a means of forecasting the consequence of specific management actions. Similar methods could aid in the management of other recovering populations.

Uniunea fiscală și problema datoriilor Zonei euro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionela Bălțătescu

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The present paper summarizes the main characteristics of the Eurozone institutional setup and the related economic and political incentives that drive Eurozone governments to increase their public debts, disregarding the limits agreed in the European treatises. The first part of the paper contains a review of the Eurozone institutional setup and of the incentives it creates for Eurozone member states to increase their deficits and public debts. The second part of the paper carries out a short review and criticism of the main strategies and policy tools to fight Eurozone debt problem: ECB bond buying, EFSF/ESM leverage, Eurobonds and Euro-TARP. The main conclusion of the paper is that establishing a fiscal union in EU does not solve by itself the public debt problem of Eurozone member states if the institutional mechanism of debt accumulation, debt rollover and risk socialization are not dismantled.

Threatening faces and social anxiety: A literature review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Staugaard, Søren Risløv

2010-01-01

A threatening facial expression is a potent social sign of hostility or dominance. During the past 20 years, photographs of threatening faces have been increasingly included as stimuli in studies with socially anxious participants, based on the hypothesis that a threatening face is especially...... salient to people with fears of social interaction or negative evaluation. The purpose of this literature review is to systematically evaluate the accumulated research and suggest possible avenues for further research. The main conclusion is that photographs of threatening faces engage a broad range...... of perceptual processes in socially anxious participants, particularly when exposure times are very short...

Coendangered hard-ticks: threatened or threatening?

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Cozma Vasile

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract The overwhelming majority of animal conservation projects are focused on vertebrates, despite most of the species on Earth being invertebrates. Estimates state that about half of all named species of invertebrates are parasitic in at least one stage of their development. The dilemma of viewing parasites as biodiversity or pest has been discussed by several authors. However, ticks were omitted. The latest taxonomic synopses of non-fossil Ixodidae consider valid 700 species. Though, how many of them are still extant is almost impossible to tell, as many of them are known only from type specimens in museums and were never collected since their original description. Moreover, many hosts are endangered and as part of conservation efforts of threatened vertebrates, a common practice is the removal of, and treatment for external parasites, with devastating impact on tick populations. There are several known cases when the host became extinct with subsequent coextinction of their ectoparasites. For our synoptic approach we have used the IUCN status of the host in order to evaluate the status of specifically associated hard-ticks. As a result, we propose a number of 63 coendangered and one extinct hard-tick species. On the other side of the coin, the most important issue regarding tick-host associations is vectorial transmission of microbial pathogens (i.e. viruses, bacteria, protozoans. Tick-borne diseases of threatened vertebrates are sometimes fatal to their hosts. Mortality associated with pathogens acquired from ticks has been documented in several cases, mostly after translocations. Are ticks a real threat to their coendangered host and should they be eliminated? Up to date, there are no reliable proofs that ticks listed by us as coendangered are competent vectors for pathogens of endangered animals.

Bone-anchored maxillary expansion and bilateral interoral mandibular distraction osteogenesis in adult with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Ping; Zhu, Min; Lu, Xiao-Feng; Fang, Bing

2013-05-01

Severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) threatens patients' lives. To solve ventilation problem, snoring, and avoid another orthognathic surgery for mandibular advancement, bone-anchored rapid maxillary expansion and bilateral interoral mandibular distraction osteogenesis were tried on a 20-year-old Chinese male patient with severe skeletal class II malocclusion and OSAS.The patient had polysomnography (apnea-hypopnea index 54.2), body mass index measurement (19.7 kg/m), and cephalometry before the treatment. Bone-anchored rapid maxillary expansion was performed for the correction of maxillary transverse and minor sagittal deficiency and the improvement of nasal airflow by decreasing nasal resistance. Bilateral interoral mandibular distraction osteogenesis was operated to lengthen the small, retruded mandible by 15 mm. Orthodontic treatment after the maxillary expansion and mandibular distraction osteogenesis can help obtain stable occlusion.The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a questionnaire for temporomandibular joint, cephalometric analysis, polysomnography, acoustic rhinometry, and multislice spiral computed tomography were performed to evaluate changes from the treatment. All the results showed that the patient had a significantly alleviated OSAS. In addition, an acceptable occlusion was also obtained.

Outcome of pregnancy complicated by threatened abortion.

Science.gov (United States)

Dongol, A; Mool, S; Tiwari, P

2011-01-01

Threatened abortion is the most common complication in the first half of pregnancy. Most of these pregnancies continue to term with or without treatment. Spontaneous abortion occurs in less than 30% of these women. Threatened abortion had been shown to be associated with increased incidence of antepartum haemorrhage, preterm labour and intra uterine growth retardation. This study was to asses the outcome of threatened abortion following treatment. This prospective study was carried out in Dhulikhel Hospital - Kathmandu University Hospital from January 2009 till May 2010. Total 70 cases of threatened abortion were selected, managed with complete bed rest till 48 hrs of cessation of bleeding, folic acid supplementation, uterine sedative, and hormonal treatment till 28 weeks of gestation. Ultrasonogram was performed for diagnosis and to detect the presence of subchorionic hematoma. Patients were followed up until spontaneous abortion or up to delivery of the fetus. The measures used for the analysis were maternal age, parity, gestational age at the time of presentation, previous abortions, presence of subchorionic hematoma, complete abortion, continuation of pregnancy, antepartum hemorrhage, intrauterine growth retardation and intrauterine death of fetus. Out of 70 cases subchorionic haematoma was found in 30 (42.9%) cases. There were 12 (17.1%) patients who spontaneously aborted after diagnosis of threatened abortion during hospital stay, 5 (7.1%) aborted on subsequent visits while 53 (75.8%) continued pregnancy till term. Among those who continued pregnancy intrauterine growth retardation was seen in 7 (13.2%), antepartum hemorrhage in 4 (7.5%), preterm premature rupture of membrane in 3 (5.66%) and IUD in 3 (5.66%). Spontaneous abortion was found more in cases with subchorionic hematoma of size more than 20 cm2. In cases of threatened abortion with or without the presence of subchorionic hematoma, prognostic outcome is better following treatment with bed rest

Efficiency or speculation? A time-varying analysis of European sovereign debt

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Paulo

2018-01-01

The outbreak of the Greek debt crisis caused turmoil in European markets and drew attention to the problem of public debt and its consequences. The increase in the return rates of sovereign debts was one of these consequences. However, like any other asset, sovereign debt returns are expected to have a memoryless behaviour. Analysing a total of 15 European countries (Eurozone and non-Eurozone), and applying a time-varying analysis of the Hurst exponent, we found evidence of long-range memory in sovereign bonds. When analysing the spreads between each bond and the German one, it is possible to conclude that Eurozone countries' spreads show more evidence of long-range dependence. Considering the Eurozone countries most affected by the Eurozone crisis, that long-range dependence is more evident, but started before the crisis, which could be interpreted as possible speculation by investors.

Global forecasts of urban expansion to 2030 and direct impacts on biodiversity and carbon pools.

Science.gov (United States)

Seto, Karen C; Güneralp, Burak; Hutyra, Lucy R

2012-10-02

Urban land-cover change threatens biodiversity and affects ecosystem productivity through loss of habitat, biomass, and carbon storage. However, despite projections that world urban populations will increase to nearly 5 billion by 2030, little is known about future locations, magnitudes, and rates of urban expansion. Here we develop spatially explicit probabilistic forecasts of global urban land-cover change and explore the direct impacts on biodiversity hotspots and tropical carbon biomass. If current trends in population density continue and all areas with high probabilities of urban expansion undergo change, then by 2030, urban land cover will increase by 1.2 million km(2), nearly tripling the global urban land area circa 2000. This increase would result in considerable loss of habitats in key biodiversity hotspots, with the highest rates of forecasted urban growth to take place in regions that were relatively undisturbed by urban development in 2000: the Eastern Afromontane, the Guinean Forests of West Africa, and the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka hotspots. Within the pan-tropics, loss in vegetation biomass from areas with high probability of urban expansion is estimated to be 1.38 PgC (0.05 PgC yr(-1)), equal to ∼5% of emissions from tropical deforestation and land-use change. Although urbanization is often considered a local issue, the aggregate global impacts of projected urban expansion will require significant policy changes to affect future growth trajectories to minimize global biodiversity and vegetation carbon losses.

List identifies threatened ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Showstack, Randy

2012-09-01

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on 9 September that it will develop a new Red List of Ecosystems that will identify which ecosystems are vulnerable or endangered. The list, which is modeled on the group's Red List of Threatened Species™, could help to guide conservation activities and influence policy processes such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, according to the group. “We will assess the status of marine, terrestrial, freshwater, and subterranean ecosystems at local, regional, and global levels,” stated Jon Paul Rodriguez, leader of IUCN's Ecosystems Red List Thematic Group. “The assessment can then form the basis for concerted implementation action so that we can manage them sustainably if their risk of collapse is low or restore them if they are threatened and then monitor their recovery.”

Global Forecasts of Urban Expansion to 2030 and Direct Impacts on Biodiversity and Carbon Pools

Science.gov (United States)

Seto, K. C.; Guneralp, B.; Hutyra, L.

2012-12-01

Urban land cover change threatens biodiversity and affects ecosystem productivity through loss of habitat, biomass, and carbon storage. Yet, despite projections that world urban populations will increase to 4.3 billion by 2030, little is known about future locations, magnitudes, and rates of urban expansion. Here we develop the first global probabilistic forecasts of urban land cover change and explore the impacts on biodiversity hotspots and tropical carbon biomass. If current trends in population density continue, then by 2030, urban land cover will expand between 800,000 and 3.3 million km2, representing a doubling to five-fold increase from the global urban land cover in 2000. This would result in considerable loss of habitats in key biodiversity hotspots, including the Guinean forests of West Africa, Tropical Andes, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. Within the pan-tropics, loss in forest biomass from urban expansion is estimated to be 1.38 PgC (0.05 PgC yr-1), equal to approximately 5% of emissions from tropical land use change. Although urbanization is often considered a local issue, the aggregate global impacts of projected urban expansion will require significant policy changes to affect future growth trajectories to minimize global biodiversity and forest carbon losses.

Urban Expansion and Agricultural Land Loss in China: A Multiscale Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaifang Shi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available China’s rapid urbanization has contributed to a massive agricultural land loss that could threaten its food security. Timely and accurate mapping of urban expansion and urbanization-related agricultural land loss can provide viable measures to be taken for urban planning and agricultural land protection. In this study, urban expansion in China from 2001 to 2013 was mapped using the nighttime stable light (NSL, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI, and water body data. Urbanization-related agricultural land loss during this time period was then evaluated at national, regional, and metropolitan scales by integrating multiple sources of geographic data. The results revealed that China’s total urban area increased from 31,076 km2 in 2001 to 80,887 km2 in 2013, with an average annual growth rate of 13.36%. This widespread urban expansion consumed 33,080 km2 of agricultural land during this period. At a regional scale, the eastern region lost 18,542 km2 or 1.2% of its total agricultural land area. At a metropolitan scale, the Shanghai–Nanjing–Hangzhou (SNH and Pearl River Delta (PRD areas underwent high levels of agricultural land loss with a decrease of 6.12% (4728 km2 and 6.05% (2702 km2 of their total agricultural land areas, respectively. Special attention should be paid to the PRD, with a decline of 13.30% (1843 km2 of its cropland. Effective policies and strategies should be implemented to mitigate urbanization-related agricultural land loss in the context of China’s rapid urbanization.

Thermal expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Y.

2015-01-01

Thermal expansion of fuel pellet is an important property which limits the lifetime of the fuels in reactors, because it affects both the pellet and cladding mechanical interaction and the gap conductivity. By fitting a number of available measured data, recommended equations have been presented and successfully used to estimate thermal expansion coefficient of the nuclear fuel pellet. However, due to large scatter of the measured data, non-consensus data have been omitted in formulating the equations. Also, the equation is strongly governed by the lack of appropriate experimental data. For those reasons, it is important to develop theoretical methodologies to better describe thermal expansion behaviour of nuclear fuel. In particular, first-principles and molecular dynamics simulations have been certainly contributed to predict reliable thermal expansion without fitting the measured data. Furthermore, the two theoretical techniques have improved on understanding the change of fuel dimension by describing the atomic-scale processes associated with lattice expansion in the fuels. (author)

Anti-TNF-alpha therapy for sight threatening uveitis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.W. Lindstedt (Eric); G.S. Baarsma (Seerp); R.W.A.M. Kuijpers (Robert); P.M. van Hagen (Martin)

2005-01-01

textabstractAIM: To describe the effect of additional treatment with anti-TNF-alpha therapy in a case series of 13 patients with serious sight threatening uveitis. METHODS: 13 patients with serious sight threatening uveitis were included, of whom six had Behcet's disease, five had idiopathic

Low-temperature thermal expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collings, E.W.

1986-01-01

This chapter discusses the thermal expansion of insulators and metals. Harmonicity and anharmonicity in thermal expansion are examined. The electronic, magnetic, an other contributions to low temperature thermal expansion are analyzed. The thermodynamics of the Debye isotropic continuum, the lattice-dynamical approach, and the thermal expansion of metals are discussed. Relative linear expansion at low temperatures is reviewed and further calculations of the electronic thermal expansion coefficient are given. Thermal expansions are given for Cu, Al and Ti. Phenomenologic thermodynamic relationships are also discussed

Globally threatened vertebrates on islands with invasive species.

Science.gov (United States)

Spatz, Dena R; Zilliacus, Kelly M; Holmes, Nick D; Butchart, Stuart H M; Genovesi, Piero; Ceballos, Gerardo; Tershy, Bernie R; Croll, Donald A

2017-10-01

Global biodiversity loss is disproportionately rapid on islands, where invasive species are a major driver of extinctions. To inform conservation planning aimed at preventing extinctions, we identify the distribution and biogeographic patterns of highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates (classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature) and invasive vertebrates on ~465,000 islands worldwide by conducting a comprehensive literature review and interviews with more than 500 experts. We found that 1189 highly threatened vertebrate species (319 amphibians, 282 reptiles, 296 birds, and 292 mammals) breed on 1288 islands. These taxa represent only 5% of Earth's terrestrial vertebrates and 41% of all highly threatened terrestrial vertebrates, which occur in vertebrates was available for 1030 islands (80% of islands with highly threatened vertebrates). Invasive vertebrates were absent from 24% of these islands, where biosecurity to prevent invasions is a critical management tool. On the 76% of islands where invasive vertebrates were present, management could benefit 39% of Earth's highly threatened vertebrates. Invasive mammals occurred in 97% of these islands, with Rattus sp. as the most common invasive vertebrate (78%; 609 islands). Our results provide an important baseline for identifying islands for invasive species eradication and other island conservation actions that reduce biodiversity loss.

40 CFR 230.30 - Threatened and endangered species.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Threatened and endangered species. 230... Impacts on Biological Characteristics of the Aquatic Ecosystem § 230.30 Threatened and endangered species. (a) An endangered species is a plant or animal in danger of extinction throughout all or a...

Globally threatened dragonflies (Odonata) in Eastern Africa and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents the status of East African dragonfly species (Odonata) listed globally as threatened on "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". The area considered includes Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Malawi. From a total of 323 species known from these countries, 31 are listed in ...

Krizový management eurozóny: případová studie Španělska

OpenAIRE

Bůšek, Jakub

2014-01-01

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the steps taken by the Eurozone crisis management on a case study of Spain. The first part defines the Eurozone crisis management, its institutional structure and powers. The second part focuses on the description and evaluation of the actions taken by the Eurozone crisis management in Spain. At the end there are recommendations for the next steps of the crisis management in Spain.

Negative thermal expansion materials: technological key for control of thermal expansion

OpenAIRE

Koshi Takenaka

2012-01-01

Most materials expand upon heating. However, although rare, some materials contract upon heating. Such negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials have enormous industrial merit because they can control the thermal expansion of materials. Recent progress in materials research enables us to obtain materials exhibiting negative coefficients of linear thermal expansion over −30 ppm K−1. Such giant NTE is opening a new phase of control of thermal expansion in composites. Specifically examining pra...

Face threatening acts in familiar communicational space in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Such a constitution of face is referred to as a Face Threatening Act. This paper studies the face threatening acts in the interactional space among characters in Adichie's Purple Hibiscus and establishes how those acts aid or mar the illocutionary goals of participants. The study concludes that the 'face' is inseparable from ...

Following Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion, Do Tooth-Borne or Bone-Borne Appliances Provide More Skeletal Expansion and Dental Expansion?

Science.gov (United States)

Hamedi-Sangsari, Adrien; Chinipardaz, Zahra; Carrasco, Lee

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare outcome measurements of skeletal and dental expansion with bone-borne (BB) versus tooth-borne (TB) appliances after surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE). This study was performed to provide quantitative measurements that will help the oral surgeon and orthodontist in selecting the appliance with, on average, the greatest amount of skeletal expansion and the least amount of dental expansion. A computerized database search was performed using PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar on publications in reputable oral surgery and orthodontic journals. A systematic review and meta-analysis was completed with the predictor variable of expansion appliance (TB vs BB) and outcome measurement of expansion (in millimeters). Of 487 articles retrieved from the 6 databases, 5 articles were included, 4 with cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) data and 1 with non-CBCT 3-dimensional cast data. There was a significant difference in skeletal expansion (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-1.30; P appliances. However, there was no significant difference in dental expansion (SMD, 0.05; 95% CI, -0.24 to 0.34; P = .03). According to the literature, to achieve more effective skeletal expansion and minimize dental expansion after SARPE, a BB appliance should be favored. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

District Heating Expansion Potential with Low-Temperature and End-Use Heat Savings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Steffen; Grundahl, Lars

2018-01-01

District heating has the potential to play a key role in the transition towards a renewable energy system. However, the development towards reduced heat demands threatens the feasibility of district heating. Despite this challenge, opportunity exists in the form of fourth generation district...... heating, which operates at lower temperatures and enables better renewable integration. This article investigates this challenge by examining the district heating potential within three scenarios: The first is a reference scenario with current heat demand and temperatures, the second includes heat demand...... costs. The models are applied using an example case of The Northern Region of Denmark. The article concludes that the district heating potential is highest in the reference scenario. When heat savings are introduced, district heating expansions, in most cases, will not be feasible. Introducing low...

Investigating evolutionary constraints on the detection of threatening stimuli in preschool children.

Science.gov (United States)

Zsido, Andras N; Deak, Anita; Losonci, Adrienn; Stecina, Diana; Arato, Akos; Bernath, Laszlo

2018-04-01

Numerous objects and animals could be threatening, and thus, children learn to avoid them early. Spiders and syringes are among the most common targets of fears and phobias of the modern word. However, they are of different origins: while the former is evolutionary relevant, the latter is not. We sought to investigate the underlying mechanisms that make the quick detection of such stimuli possible and enable the impulse to avoid them in the future. The respective categories of threatening and non-threatening targets were similar in shape, while low-level visual features were controlled. Our results showed that children found threatening cues faster, irrespective of the evolutionary age of the cues. However, they detected non-threatening evolutionary targets faster than non-evolutionary ones. We suggest that the underlying mechanism may be different: general feature detection can account for finding evolutionary threatening cues quickly, while specific features detection is more appropriate for modern threatening stimuli. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The outcome of pregnancy after threatened abortion.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertz, J B; Heisterberg, L

1985-01-01

A prospectively collected group of 93 pregnancies complicated by threatened abortion was carefully monitored throughout pregnancy, during birth and in the perinatal period, and any deviation from a completely uneventful course was registered. Comparison was made with a selected group of 282 non-risk pregnant women. A significant association was found between threatened abortion and the overall number of complications in the second half of pregnancy requiring medical intervention and/or admission to hospital, impending pre-term birth requiring betamimetics, pre-term birth, retention of the placenta, birth weight below 2000 g, light-for-dates infants in case of pre-term birth or birth weight below 2000 g, and hyperbilirubinemia in infants with birth weight below 2000 g. The incidences of perinatal mortality and congenital malformations did not differ significantly from those of the control group. Pregnancies complicated by threatened abortion constitute a risk group requiring careful obstetric and perinatal supervision and follow-up.

Threatened fertility and gonadal function after a polytraumatic, life-threatening injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ward Michael

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Trauma literature regarding management of genitalia trauma affecting future fertility and gonadal function in the face of coexisting life-threatening injuries is underdeveloped. We present a unique case that necessitated integrative management of a 24-year-old male who became entangled within the blades of a manure spreader and presented with life-threatening trauma in addition to severe genital trauma, including penile degloving, bilateral testicular avulsion and bilateral spermatic cord laceration. During the initial stabilization and surgical management, urology and plastic surgery were consulted to assess the urogenital injuries. Together, the surgical team orchestrated potentially life-saving interventions while successfully performing both a testicular sperm extraction and a testicular revascularization. Viable sperm was collected on the day of surgery and initial follow-up showed preserved sexual function and adequate perfusion to the testicle. This report presents a case and provides a review discussing the management of traumatic genital injuries and the importance of early involvement of surgical specialties in genitalia trauma to optimize future fertility and gonadal function. The literature search was performed in August 2008 using Medline for articles only in English, including any of the following terms: polytrauma, trauma, penis, testicle, degloving, avulsion, spermatic cord, laceration, fertility, reproduction or revascularization.

Measuring Nominal and Real Convergence of Selected CEE Countries by the Taylor Rule

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Böing Tobias

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We propose using a simple Taylor rule to evaluate business cycle convergence of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland with the Eurozone. Our findings indicate an ongoing convergence of those CEE countries to the Eurozone, but with instabilities and heterogeneity between the countries. Especially Poland has shown a high degree of convergence in recent years. But there are still relevant differences in Taylor rates of each country to the Eurozone of about two percentage points.

Negative thermal expansion materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.S.O.

1997-01-01

The recent discovery of negative thermal expansion over an unprecedented temperature range in ZrW 2 O 8 (which contracts continuously on warming from below 2 K to above 1000 K) has stimulated considerable interest in this unusual phenomenon. Negative and low thermal expansion materials have a number of important potential uses in ceramic, optical and electronic applications. We have now found negative thermal expansion in a large new family of materials with the general formula A 2 (MO 4 ) 3 . Chemical substitution dramatically influences the thermal expansion properties of these materials allowing the production of ceramics with negative, positive or zero coefficients of thermal expansion, with the potential to control other important materials properties such as refractive index and dielectric constant. The mechanism of negative thermal expansion and the phase transitions exhibited by this important new class of low-expansion materials will be discussed. (orig.)

Negative thermal expansion materials: technological key for control of thermal expansion.

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaka, Koshi

2012-02-01

Most materials expand upon heating. However, although rare, some materials contract upon heating. Such negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials have enormous industrial merit because they can control the thermal expansion of materials. Recent progress in materials research enables us to obtain materials exhibiting negative coefficients of linear thermal expansion over -30 ppm K -1 . Such giant NTE is opening a new phase of control of thermal expansion in composites. Specifically examining practical aspects, this review briefly summarizes materials and mechanisms of NTE as well as composites containing NTE materials, based mainly on activities of the last decade.

Negative thermal expansion materials: technological key for control of thermal expansion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koshi Takenaka

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Most materials expand upon heating. However, although rare, some materials contract upon heating. Such negative thermal expansion (NTE materials have enormous industrial merit because they can control the thermal expansion of materials. Recent progress in materials research enables us to obtain materials exhibiting negative coefficients of linear thermal expansion over −30 ppm K−1. Such giant NTE is opening a new phase of control of thermal expansion in composites. Specifically examining practical aspects, this review briefly summarizes materials and mechanisms of NTE as well as composites containing NTE materials, based mainly on activities of the last decade.

Negative thermal expansion materials: technological key for control of thermal expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaka, Koshi

2012-01-01

Most materials expand upon heating. However, although rare, some materials contract upon heating. Such negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials have enormous industrial merit because they can control the thermal expansion of materials. Recent progress in materials research enables us to obtain materials exhibiting negative coefficients of linear thermal expansion over −30 ppm K −1 . Such giant NTE is opening a new phase of control of thermal expansion in composites. Specifically examining practical aspects, this review briefly summarizes materials and mechanisms of NTE as well as composites containing NTE materials, based mainly on activities of the last decade. (topical review)

Thermal expansion of coking coals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orlik, M.; Klimek, J. (Vyzkumny a Zkusebni Ustav Nova Hut, Ostrava (Czechoslovakia))

1992-12-01

Analyzes expansion of coal mixtures in coke ovens during coking. Methods for measuring coal expansion on both a laboratory and pilot plant scale are comparatively evaluated. The method, developed, tested and patented in Poland by the Institute for Chemical Coal Processing in Zabrze (Polish standard PN-73/G-04522), is discussed. A laboratory device developed by the Institute for measuring coal expansion is characterized. Expansion of black coal from 10 underground mines in the Ostrava-Karvina coal district and from 9 coal mines in the Upper Silesia basin in Poland is comparatively evaluated. Investigations show that coal expansion reaches a maximum for coal types with a volatile matter ranging from 20 to 25%. With increasing volatile matter in coal, its expansion decreases. Coal expansion increases with increasing swelling index. Coal expansion corresponds with coal dilatation. With increasing coal density its expansion increases. Coal mixtures should be selected in such a way that their expansion does not cause a pressure exceeding 40 MPa. 11 refs.

Stigma by Prejudice Transfer: Racism Threatens White Women and Sexism Threatens Men of Color.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Diana T; Chaney, Kimberly E; Manuel, Sara K; Wilton, Leigh S; Remedios, Jessica D

2017-04-01

In the current research, we posited the stigma-by-prejudice-transfer effect, which proposes that stigmatized group members (e.g., White women) are threatened by prejudice that is directed at other stigmatized group members (e.g., African Americans) because they believe that prejudice has monolithic qualities. While most stigma researchers assume that there is a direct correspondence between the attitude of prejudiced individuals and the targets (i.e., sexism affects women, racism affects racial minorities), the five studies reported here demonstrate that White women can be threatened by racism (Study 1, 3, 4, and 5) and men of color by sexism (Study 2). Robust to perceptions of liking and the order in which measures were administered, results showed that prejudice transfers between racism and sexism were driven by the presumed social dominance orientation of the prejudiced individual. In addition, important downstream consequences, such as the increased likelihood of anticipated stigma, expectations of unfair treatment, and the attribution of negative feedback to sexism, appeared for stigmatized individuals.

Virial Expansion Bounds

Science.gov (United States)

Tate, Stephen James

2013-10-01

In the 1960s, the technique of using cluster expansion bounds in order to achieve bounds on the virial expansion was developed by Lebowitz and Penrose (J. Math. Phys. 5:841, 1964) and Ruelle (Statistical Mechanics: Rigorous Results. Benjamin, Elmsford, 1969). This technique is generalised to more recent cluster expansion bounds by Poghosyan and Ueltschi (J. Math. Phys. 50:053509, 2009), which are related to the work of Procacci (J. Stat. Phys. 129:171, 2007) and the tree-graph identity, detailed by Brydges (Phénomènes Critiques, Systèmes Aléatoires, Théories de Jauge. Les Houches 1984, pp. 129-183, 1986). The bounds achieved by Lebowitz and Penrose can also be sharpened by doing the actual optimisation and achieving expressions in terms of the Lambert W-function. The different bound from the cluster expansion shows some improvements for bounds on the convergence of the virial expansion in the case of positive potentials, which are allowed to have a hard core.

How does labour market structure affect the response of economies to shocks?

OpenAIRE

Aurelijus Dabusinskas; István Kónya; Stephen Millard

2015-01-01

The recent crisis in the Eurozone has led to much discussion about the structure of labour markets in different Eurozone economies. In particular, there has been much talk of the need for structural labour market reform in the Eurozone periphery. But, there are many aspects of labour market structure – eg, wage flexibility, flexibility in hiring and firing, benefits, etc – and it is not clear a priori which aspects really matter. In this paper, we analyse how cross-country differences in labo...

More, more, more: the dark side of self-expansion motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Burris, Christopher T; Rempel, John K; Munteanu, Armand R; Therrien, Patrick A

2013-05-01

Self-expansion without regard for others' well-being may represent the dark side of an otherwise healthy motive. Guided by Amoebic Self-Theory (AST), we developed the Engulfing Self Scale (ESS) to measure acquisitive tendencies across AST's three domains of the self. Four studies revealed that bodily engulfment appeared generally benign, and that the problematic aspects of social engulfment were generally restricted to interpersonal contexts. Spatial-symbolic engulfment motivation was linked to a breadth of problematic indices such as psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychological entitlement, social dominance orientation, economic system justification, greed, and valuation of power. It also predicted reluctance to expose a cheating group leader when doing so would threaten one's own positive outcomes, greater justification of a looter's behavior when prompted take his or her perspective, and greater justification of self-serving reward allocations after defeating an ostensible competitor. Spatial-symbolic engulfment may be a motivational fountainhead for behaviors that negate others' well-being.

Ultra-low thermal expansion realized in giant negative thermal expansion materials through self-compensation

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Fei-Ran; Kuang, Hao; Hu, Feng-Xia; Wu, Hui; Huang, Qing-Zhen; Liang, Fei-Xiang; Qiao, Kai-Ming; Li, Jia; Wang, Jing; Liu, Yao; Zhang, Lei; He, Min; Zhang, Ying; Zuo, Wen-Liang; Sun, Ji-Rong; Shen, Bao-Gen

2017-10-01

Materials with zero thermal expansion (ZTE) or precisely tailored thermal expansion are in urgent demand of modern industries. However, the overwhelming majority of materials show positive thermal expansion. To develop ZTE or negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials as compensators has become an important challenge. Here, we present the evidence for the realization of ultra-low thermal expansion in Mn-Co-Ge-In particles. The bulk with the Ni2In-type hexagonal structure undergoes giant NTE owing to a martensitic magnetostructural transition. The major finding is that the thermal expansion behavior can be totally controlled by modulating the crystallinity degree and phase transition from atomic scale. Self-compensation effect leads to ultra-low thermal expansion with a linear expansion coefficient as small as +0.68 × 10-6/K over a wide temperature range around room temperature. The present study opens an avenue to reach ZTE particularly from the large class of giant NTE materials based on phase transition.

Ultra-low thermal expansion realized in giant negative thermal expansion materials through self-compensation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei-Ran Shen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Materials with zero thermal expansion (ZTE or precisely tailored thermal expansion are in urgent demand of modern industries. However, the overwhelming majority of materials show positive thermal expansion. To develop ZTE or negative thermal expansion (NTE materials as compensators has become an important challenge. Here, we present the evidence for the realization of ultra-low thermal expansion in Mn–Co–Ge–In particles. The bulk with the Ni2In-type hexagonal structure undergoes giant NTE owing to a martensitic magnetostructural transition. The major finding is that the thermal expansion behavior can be totally controlled by modulating the crystallinity degree and phase transition from atomic scale. Self-compensation effect leads to ultra-low thermal expansion with a linear expansion coefficient as small as +0.68 × 10−6/K over a wide temperature range around room temperature. The present study opens an avenue to reach ZTE particularly from the large class of giant NTE materials based on phase transition.

Best estimate analysis of the thermal expansion scenario during shutdown in a PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macian, R.; Nechvatal, L.

2001-01-01

In this paper we examine the consequences following the hypothetical failure of the Residual Heat Removal (RHR) system during the shutdown operating mode in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). If the RHR system decay heat removal capability cannot be ensured, then the decay heat released in the core will heat up the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) inventory and will cause it to expand. If the thermal expansion is such that the entire RCS becomes ''water-solid'', that is, completely filled with water, then further expansion will result in a rapid increase of the RCS pressure. Such a situation could threaten the integrity of the RCS pressure boundary and lead to a dangerous break in the primary system or in the lines of the systems connected to it, e.g. RHR system. The pressure increase can be arrested by the opening of the pressurizer relief valves (PORVs) or, in those PWRs in which the RHR system is not isolated after it fails, by the opening of the pressure relief valve in the RHR system line. The purpose of the analyses presented in this paper is to determine whether mitigating measures, such as the opening of only one of the PORV and the RHR relief valve, are capable of preventing a fast pressure increase. (author)

Ultra-low thermal expansion realized in giant negative thermal expansion materials through self-compensation

OpenAIRE

Fei-Ran Shen; Hao Kuang; Feng-Xia Hu; Hui Wu; Qing-Zhen Huang; Fei-Xiang Liang; Kai-Ming Qiao; Jia Li; Jing Wang; Yao Liu; Lei Zhang; Min He; Ying Zhang; Wen-Liang Zuo; Ji-Rong Sun

2017-01-01

Materials with zero thermal expansion (ZTE) or precisely tailored thermal expansion are in urgent demand of modern industries. However, the overwhelming majority of materials show positive thermal expansion. To develop ZTE or negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials as compensators has become an important challenge. Here, we present the evidence for the realization of ultra-low thermal expansion in Mn–Co–Ge–In particles. The bulk with the Ni2In-type hexagonal structure undergoes giant NTE o...

76 FR 77465 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-13

... Population Segments of the Bearded Seal AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic... population segments (DPS) of the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) as threatened species under the... posed to this population by the projected habitat changes. Extension of Final Listing Determination The...

Thermal expansion of granite rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephansson, O.

1978-04-01

The thermal expansion of rocks is strongly controlled by the thermal expansion of the minerals. The theoretical thermal expansion of the Stripa Granite is gound to be 21 . 10 -6 [deg C] -1 at 25 deg C and 38 . 10 -6 [deg C] -1 at 400 deg C. The difference in expansion for the rock forming minerals causes micro cracking at heating. The expansion due to micro cracks is found to be of the same order as the mineral expansion. Most of the micro cracks will close at pressures of the order of 10 - 20 MPa. The thermal expansion of a rock mass including the effect of joints is determined in the pilot heater test in the Stripa Mine

Density of Threatened and Endangered Species

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — A compiled density of threatened and endangered species built around 2000m wide hexagonal cells. The dataset was created by generating a blank hex grid, intersecting...

For or Against the Eurozone? Romanian Students’ Perspective on the Economic Crisis and Their Future as European Citizens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alina-Daniela MIHALCEA

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the context of globalization and of the aftermath of the economic crisis, the pillars on which the EU stands no longer satisfy the demands and necessities of the European citizens (Van Ham, 2005; Habermas, 2012.  The euro crisis has generated, on one hand, a gap between the “center” and the “periphery” that can be correlated with the fragmentation both of the EU’s spheres of influence and of the European financial market (Dobrescu & Palada, 2012; EFCR, 2013.  On the other hand, the euro crisis has generated a lack of solidarity and confidence in the European project. At this point, the major challenge for the European Union is not only the Euro-zone crisis, but also the level of confidence amongst young people. Recent polls (Gallup, 2013; Pew Research Center, 2013 indicate a dramatic rise in pessimism among Europe’s young people that have been labeled as “the Lost Generation” (European Commission, 2012. This paper explores the impact of the economic crisis on Romanian students’ attitudes towards the future of the European project and towards their European identity. The study aims at identifying the major concerns of Romanian students in terms of their future as European citizens. Our approach of this subject covers two perspectives: the first one is the utilitarian perspective, that is taking into consideration the actual advantages of the Europeanization process and the sustainability of the European social and economic model in the current national economic context; the second one is the identity perspective, that is taking into account the impact of the economic crisis on the Romanian students’ sense of belonging to the European community. The results of our study indicate that, overall, the Romanian youth holds an optimistic view concerning the EU, however they express some concerns in terms of lack of solidarity and fear of national identity loss.

The capacity of Australia's protected-area system to represent threatened species.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, James E M; Evans, Megan C; Carwardine, Josie; Fuller, Richard A; Joseph, Liana N; Segan, Dan B; Taylor, Martin F J; Fensham, R J; Possingham, Hugh P

2011-04-01

The acquisition or designation of new protected areas is usually based on criteria for representation of different ecosystems or land-cover classes, and it is unclear how well-threatened species are conserved within protected-area networks. Here, we assessed how Australia's terrestrial protected-area system (89 million ha, 11.6% of the continent) overlaps with the geographic distributions of threatened species and compared this overlap against a model that randomly placed protected areas across the continent and a spatially efficient model that placed protected areas across the continent to maximize threatened species' representation within the protected-area estate. We defined the minimum area needed to conserve each species on the basis of the species' range size. We found that although the current configuration of protected areas met targets for representation of a given percentage of species' ranges better than a random selection of areas, 166 (12.6%) threatened species occurred entirely outside protected areas and target levels of protection were met for only 259 (19.6%) species. Critically endangered species were among those with the least protection; 12 (21.1%) species occurred entirely outside protected areas. Reptiles and plants were the most poorly represented taxonomic groups, and amphibians the best represented. Spatial prioritization analyses revealed that an efficient protected-area system of the same size as the current protected-area system (11.6% of the area of Australia) could meet representation targets for 1272 (93.3%) threatened species. Moreover, the results of these prioritization analyses showed that by protecting 17.8% of Australia, all threatened species could reach target levels of representation, assuming all current protected areas are retained. Although this amount of area theoretically could be protected, existing land uses and the finite resources available for conservation mean land acquisition may not be possible or even effective

Krisen i eurozonen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plaschke, Henrik

2013-01-01

The crisis in the Eurozone is part of a general structural crisis with both global and regional dimensions. The US generated financial crisis was imported into the Eurozone due to the structural weaknesses and accumulated tensions built up during the years following the introduction of the common...... currency. These tensions express themselves in an accumulation of private debts and in huge balance-of-payments imbalances within the Eurozone. The sovereign debt crisis is the result of these weaknesses and tensions rather than their cause. By insisting on reductions on public spending as a general...

Resonant state expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lind, P.

1993-02-01

The completeness properties of the discrete set of bound state, virtual states and resonances characterizing the system of a single nonrelativistic particle moving in a central cutoff potential is investigated. From a completeness relation in terms of these discrete states and complex scattering states one can derive several Resonant State Expansions (RSE). It is interesting to obtain purely discrete expansion which, if valid, would significantly simplify the treatment of the continuum. Such expansions can be derived using Mittag-Leffler (ML) theory for a cutoff potential and it would be nice to see if one can obtain the same expansions starting from an eigenfunction theory that is not restricted to a finite sphere. The RSE of Greens functions is especially important, e.g. in the continuum RPA (CRPA) method of treating giant resonances in nuclear physics. The convergence of RSE is studied in simple cases using square well wavefunctions in order to achieve high numerical accuracy. Several expansions can be derived from each other by using the theory of analytic functions and one can the see how to obtain a natural discretization of the continuum. Since the resonance wavefunctions are oscillating with an exponentially increasing amplitude, and therefore have to be interpreted through some regularization procedure, every statement made about quantities involving such states is checked by numerical calculations.Realistic nuclear wavefunctions, generated by a Wood-Saxon potential, are used to test also the usefulness of RSE in a realistic nuclear calculation. There are some fundamental differences between different symmetries of the integral contour that defines the continuum in RSE. One kind of symmetry is necessary to have an expansion of the unity operator that is idempotent. Another symmetry must be used if we want purely discrete expansions. These are found to be of the same form as given by ML. (29 refs.)

Oxytocin increases amygdala reactivity to threatening scenes in females.

Science.gov (United States)

Lischke, Alexander; Gamer, Matthias; Berger, Christoph; Grossmann, Annette; Hauenstein, Karlheinz; Heinrichs, Markus; Herpertz, Sabine C; Domes, Gregor

2012-09-01

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is well known for its profound effects on social behavior, which appear to be mediated by an OT-dependent modulation of amygdala activity in the context of social stimuli. In humans, OT decreases amygdala reactivity to threatening faces in males, but enhances amygdala reactivity to similar faces in females, suggesting sex-specific differences in OT-dependent threat-processing. To further explore whether OT generally enhances amygdala-dependent threat-processing in females, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a randomized within-subject crossover design to measure amygdala activity in response to threatening and non-threatening scenes in 14 females following intranasal administration of OT or placebo. Participants' eye movements were recorded to investigate whether an OT-dependent modulation of amygdala activity is accompanied by enhanced exploration of salient scene features. Although OT had no effect on participants' gazing behavior, it increased amygdala reactivity to scenes depicting social and non-social threat. In females, OT may, thus, enhance the detection of threatening stimuli in the environment, potentially by interacting with gonadal steroids, such as progesterone and estrogen. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE OUTCOME OF PREGNANCY IN PATIENTS WITH THREATENED ABORTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prathap

2015-10-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess the Outcome of pregnancy in patients with threatened abortion. METHODS: A Prospective observational study was done on 106 pregnant women with threatened abortion. Out comes in the form of antenatal complications, mode of delivery and postnatal co mplications were noted. Analysis of the data was done using SPSS version 13. RESULTS: In the study of 106 patients 18% had spontaneous abortion. Pre - labour rupture of membranes were seen in 20% of patients and 21% had preterm labour. Threatened abortion di d not affect mode of delivery. PPROM, preterm births were more in women presenting with first trimester bleeding; PIH, PROM, and postpartum complications were more in women presenting beyond 20 weeks gestation though statistically not significant. 13.2% of women had heavy bleeding at admission out of which 50% aborted subsequently – significantly higher than the light bleeding group. CONCLUSION: The overall maternal and perinatal outcome in women with threatened abortion is suboptimal. Women with heavy blee ding are more likely to abort than women with light bleeding. Among the prognostic factors, only the amount of bleeding had significant prognostic accuracy

78 FR 22506 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing as Endangered and Threatened and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-16

... and Plants; Listing as Endangered and Threatened and Designation of Critical Habitat for Texas Golden... habitat determination for these two East Texas plants. The final listing rule will publish under the... reopening of the public comment period on the September 11, 2012, proposed endangered status for the Texas...

Isotropic Negative Thermal Expansion Metamaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Lingling; Li, Bo; Zhou, Ji

2016-07-13

Negative thermal expansion materials are important and desirable in science and engineering applications. However, natural materials with isotropic negative thermal expansion are rare and usually unsatisfied in performance. Here, we propose a novel method to achieve two- and three-dimensional negative thermal expansion metamaterials via antichiral structures. The two-dimensional metamaterial is constructed with unit cells that combine bimaterial strips and antichiral structures, while the three-dimensional metamaterial is fabricated by a multimaterial 3D printing process. Both experimental and simulation results display isotropic negative thermal expansion property of the samples. The effective coefficient of negative thermal expansion of the proposed models is demonstrated to be dependent on the difference between the thermal expansion coefficient of the component materials, as well as on the circular node radius and the ligament length in the antichiral structures. The measured value of the linear negative thermal expansion coefficient of the three-dimensional sample is among the largest achieved in experiments to date. Our findings provide an easy and practical approach to obtaining materials with tunable negative thermal expansion on any scale.

Does query expansion limit our learning? A comparison of social-based expansion to content-based expansion for medical queries on the internet.

Science.gov (United States)

Pentoney, Christopher; Harwell, Jeff; Leroy, Gondy

2014-01-01

Searching for medical information online is a common activity. While it has been shown that forming good queries is difficult, Google's query suggestion tool, a type of query expansion, aims to facilitate query formation. However, it is unknown how this expansion, which is based on what others searched for, affects the information gathering of the online community. To measure the impact of social-based query expansion, this study compared it with content-based expansion, i.e., what is really in the text. We used 138,906 medical queries from the AOL User Session Collection and expanded them using Google's Autocomplete method (social-based) and the content of the Google Web Corpus (content-based). We evaluated the specificity and ambiguity of the expansion terms for trigram queries. We also looked at the impact on the actual results using domain diversity and expansion edit distance. Results showed that the social-based method provided more precise expansion terms as well as terms that were less ambiguous. Expanded queries do not differ significantly in diversity when expanded using the social-based method (6.72 different domains returned in the first ten results, on average) vs. content-based method (6.73 different domains, on average).

Records of threatened bird and mammal species in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylvia Torrecilha

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We conducted a detailed review of threatened bird and mammal occurrence records obtained from surveys across Mato Grosso do Sul, midwestern region of Brazil which has an extent of 357,145 km2, aiming to support environmental and biodiversity conservation initiatives, as strategic plans to protect threatened species in this region. We included all records of species categorized as threatened by the Brazilian and global red list of threatened species. We collected 760 records of threatened birds and mammals in Mato Grosso do Sul State, with 319 records of 40 bird’s species and 441 records of 24 mammal’s species. The status of the 40 bird species under de Brazilian threat category were as follow: 1 Critically Threatened (CR, 6 Endangered (EN, 11 Vulnerable (VU, 11 Near Threatened (NT, and 11 species only in the IUCN red list. Under the IUCN category for the bird´s species, were as follow: 3 EN, 13 VU, 18 NT, 5 Least Concern (LC and 1 taxon has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List. Regarding mammal’s species under the Brazilian threat category were as follow: 2 EN, 18 VU, 2 NT and 1 only in the IUCN red list. Under the IUCN status the species ranged from 2 EN, 6 VU, 10 NT, and 6 LC. Each record identified corresponds to the existence of at least one occurrence of threatened birds or mammals in a particular region. The records of threatened species belongs to the three biomes in the state: 269 mammal’s records and 147 bird’s records from Cerrado (Neotropical Savanna biome, 117 mammal’s records and 162 bird’s records from Pantanal (Wetland biome, and 55 mammal’s records and 10 bird’s records from Atlantic Forest biome. In addition, we also included in the dataset environmental information where each record was obtained. Supplementary Files 1- Records of Threatened Mammals_MS_Brazil and Supplementary File 2. Records of Threatened Birds of_MS_Brazil Keywords: Threatened species, Protected areas, Database, Brazil

The Relations Among Threatened Species, Their Protection, and Taboos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johan Colding

1997-06-01

Full Text Available We analyzed the role of taboos for the protection of species listed as "threatened" by the World Conservation Union (IUCN, and also for species known to be endemic and keystone. The study was limited to taboos that totally avoid or prohibit any use of particular species and their populations. We call them specific-species taboos . Through a literature review, 70 currently existing examples of specific-species taboos were identified and analyzed. The species avoided were grouped into biological classes. Threat categories were determined for each species, based on the IUCN Red Data Book. We found that ~ 30% of the identified taboos prohibit any use of species listed as threatened by IUCN. Of the specific-species taboos, 60% are set on reptiles and mammals. In these two classes, ~ 50% of the species are threatened, representing all of the threatened species in our analysis, with the exception of one bird species. Both endemic and keystone species that are important for ecosystem functions are avoided by specific-species taboos. Specific-species taboos have important ecological ramifications for the protection of threatened and ecologically important populations of species. We do not suggest that specific-species taboos are placed on species because they are, or have been, endangered; instead, we emphasize that species are avoided for a variety of other reasons. It is urgent to identify and analyze resource practices and social mechanisms of traditional societies, such as taboos, and to investigate their possible ecological significance. Although it may provide insights of value for conservation, not only of species, but also of ecosystem processes and functions, such information is being lost rapidly.

Combining geodiversity with climate and topography to account for threatened species richness.

Science.gov (United States)

Tukiainen, Helena; Bailey, Joseph J; Field, Richard; Kangas, Katja; Hjort, Jan

2017-04-01

Understanding threatened species diversity is important for long-term conservation planning. Geodiversity-the diversity of Earth surface materials, forms, and processes-may be a useful biodiversity surrogate for conservation and have conservation value itself. Geodiversity and species richness relationships have been demonstrated; establishing whether geodiversity relates to threatened species' diversity and distribution pattern is a logical next step for conservation. We used 4 geodiversity variables (rock-type and soil-type richness, geomorphological diversity, and hydrological feature diversity) and 4 climatic and topographic variables to model threatened species diversity across 31 of Finland's national parks. We also analyzed rarity-weighted richness (a measure of site complementarity) of threatened vascular plants, fungi, bryophytes, and all species combined. Our 1-km 2 resolution data set included 271 threatened species from 16 major taxa. We modeled threatened species richness (raw and rarity weighted) with boosted regression trees. Climatic variables, especially the annual temperature sum above 5 °C, dominated our models, which is consistent with the critical role of temperature in this boreal environment. Geodiversity added significant explanatory power. High geodiversity values were consistently associated with high threatened species richness across taxa. The combined effect of geodiversity variables was even more pronounced in the rarity-weighted richness analyses (except for fungi) than in those for species richness. Geodiversity measures correlated most strongly with species richness (raw and rarity weighted) of threatened vascular plants and bryophytes and were weakest for molluscs, lichens, and mammals. Although simple measures of topography improve biodiversity modeling, our results suggest that geodiversity data relating to geology, landforms, and hydrology are also worth including. This reinforces recent arguments that conserving nature's stage

76 FR 35755 - Listing Endangered and Threatened Species: Threatened Status for the Oregon Coast Coho Salmon...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-20

... Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Evolutionarily Significant Unit AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... the Oregon Coast (OC) Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch... coho salmon ESU as threatened under the ESA in 1995 (60 FR 38011; July 25, 1995). Since then, we have...

Income Inequality, Cohesiveness and Commonality in the Euro Area: A Semi-Parametric Boundary-Free Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gordon Anderson

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The cohesiveness of constituent nations in a confederation such as the Eurozone depends on their equally shared experiences. In terms of household incomes, commonality of distribution across those constituent nations with that of the Eurozone as an entity in itself is of the essence. Generally, income classification has proceeded by employing “hard”, somewhat arbitrary and contentious boundaries. Here, in an analysis of Eurozone household income distributions over the period 2006–2015, mixture distribution techniques are used to determine the number and size of groups or classes endogenously without resort to such hard boundaries. In so doing, some new indices of polarization, segmentation and commonality of distribution are developed in the context of a decomposition of the Gini coefficient and the roles of, and relationships between, these groups in societal income inequality, poverty, polarization and societal segmentation are examined. What emerges for the Eurozone as an entity is a four-class, increasingly unequal polarizing structure with income growth in all four classes. With regard to individual constituent nation class membership, some advanced, some fell back, with most exhibiting significant polarizing behaviour. However, in the face of increasing overall Eurozone inequality, constituent nations were becoming increasingly similar in distribution, which can be construed as characteristic of a more cohesive society.

An Incomplete Optimal Currency Area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreyer, Johannes Kabderian; Graversen, Mads Byskov

2014-01-01

The main objective of this study is to test if the Eurozone a decade after its launch can be considered an optimal currency area (OCA) as defined by Mundell (1961). In an OCA, asymmetric shocks – as the ones experienced by the Eurozone following the recent financial crisis – may be dampened by tw...... on migration rates. We use panel regressions to test these relationships and find out that migration between member states is very low after the Euro’s first decade. Combined with the lack of significant fiscal transfers we conclude that the currency union is still not an OCA.......The main objective of this study is to test if the Eurozone a decade after its launch can be considered an optimal currency area (OCA) as defined by Mundell (1961). In an OCA, asymmetric shocks – as the ones experienced by the Eurozone following the recent financial crisis – may be dampened by two...... instruments: fiscal transfers from one country to another, or migration. As fiscal transfers in the Eurozone are low, we study the economic significance of migration flows as automatic stabilizers of the currency area. We assume that there is a strong relationship between unemployment and relative wealth...

Threatened and Endangered Terrestrial Animal Species Richness

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — These data represent predicted current distributions of all U.S. listed threatened and endangered mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians in the Middle-Atlantic...

77 FR 41168 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-12

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... available for review pursuant to section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). DATES: Comments and... the ESA. NMFS regulations governing permits for threatened and endangered species are promulgated at...

76 FR 57717 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-16

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS..., importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226). Permits Permit 15926... will be captured by fyke net, identified to species, enumerated and measured. Dead or moribund fish...

Threatened species indicate hot-spots of top-down regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wallach, A. D.

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The introduction of alien mesopredators and herbivores has been implicated as the main driver of mammalian extinction in Australia. Recent studies suggest that the devastating effects of invasive species are mitigated by top-order predators. The survival of many threatened species may therefore depend on the presence and ecological functioning of large predators. Australia’s top predator, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo, has been intensively persecuted across the continent and it is extremely rare to find dingo populations that are not being subjected to lethal control. We predicted that the presence of threatened species point out places where dingo populations are relatively intact, and that their absence may indicate that dingoes are either rare or socially fractured. A comparison of a site which harbors a threatened marsupial, the kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei, and a neighboring site where the kowari is absent, offers support for this suggested pattern.

Management of threatened abortion with real-time sonography.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, S G

1980-02-01

Real-time sonography was used to evaluate 158 patients with threatened abortion. Fetal motion was first detected during the seventh gestational week and with increasing frequency thereafter in 73 patients with viable pregnancies continuing to term. Only 2 of 65 patients who aborted demonstrated fetal motion. The presence or absence of fetal motion was most reliable after 7 weeks' gestation for establishing a prognosis for a given pregnancy. Seventy-two of 74 pregnancies with fetal motion continued to term, whereas 63 of 64 pregnancies without fetal motion aborted. A method for using real-time sonography in the management of threatened abortion is presented.

Acupuncture as a therapeutic treatment option for threatened miscarriage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Betts Debra

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Threatened miscarriage involves vaginal bleeding in a pregnancy that remains viable. This is a common early pregnancy complication with increased risk factors for early pregnancy loss, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM, preterm delivery, low birth weight babies and maternal antepartum haemorrhage. Currently there are no recommended medical treatment options, rather women receive advice that centres on a 'wait and see' approach. For women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage providing supportive care in a subsequent pregnancy improves live birthing outcomes, but the provision of supportive care to women experiencing threatened miscarriage has to date not been examined. Discussion While it is known that 50-70% of miscarriages occur due to chromosomal abnormalities, the potential for therapeutic intervention amongst the remaining percentage of women remains unknown. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM therapies have the potential to provide supportive care for women presenting with threatened miscarriage. Within fertility research, acupuncture demonstrates beneficial hormonal responses with decreased miscarriage rates, raising the possibility acupuncture may promote specific beneficial effects in early pregnancy. With the lack of current medical options for women presenting with threatened miscarriage it is timely to examine the possible treatment benefits of providing CAM therapies such as acupuncture. Summary Despite vaginal bleeding being a common complication of early pregnancy there is often reluctance from practitioners to discuss with women and medical personal how and why CAM may be beneficial. In this debate article, the physiological processes of early pregnancy together with the concept of providing supportive care and acupuncture are examined. The aim is to raise awareness and promote discussion as to the beneficial role CAM may have for women presenting with threatened miscarriage.

Sea level driven marsh expansion in a coupled model of marsh erosion and migration

Science.gov (United States)

Kirwan, Matthew L.; Walters, David C.; Reay, William G.; Carr, Joel

2016-01-01

Coastal wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth, where ecosystem services such as flood protection depend nonlinearly on wetland size and are threatened by sea level rise and coastal development. Here we propose a simple model of marsh migration into adjacent uplands and couple it with existing models of seaward edge erosion and vertical soil accretion to explore how ecosystem connectivity influences marsh size and response to sea level rise. We find that marsh loss is nearly inevitable where topographic and anthropogenic barriers limit migration. Where unconstrained by barriers, however, rates of marsh migration are much more sensitive to accelerated sea level rise than rates of edge erosion. This behavior suggests a counterintuitive, natural tendency for marsh expansion with sea level rise and emphasizes the disparity between coastal response to climate change with and without human intervention.

Methods of ex vivo expansion of human cord blood cells: challenges, successes and clinical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Frédéric; Ruggeri, Annalisa; Nagler, Arnon

2016-03-01

More than 40,000 unrelated cord blood transplantations (UCBT) have been performed worldwide as treatment for patients with malignant or non-malignant life threatening hematologic disorders. However, low absolute numbers of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) within a single cord blood unit has remained a limiting factor for this transplantation modality, particularly in adult recipients. Further, because UCB contains low numbers of mostly naïve T cells, immune recovery after UCBT is slow, predisposing patients to severe infections. Other causes of UCBT failure has included graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and relapse of the underlying disease. In this article, we first review the current landscape of cord blood engineering aimed at improving engraftment. This includes approaches of UCB-HSPCs expansion and methods aimed at improving UCB-HSCPs homing. We then discuss recent approaches of cord blood engineering developed to prevent infection [generation of multivirus-specific cytotoxic T cells (VSTs) from UCB], relapse [transduction of UCB-T cells with tumor-specific chimeric receptor antigens (CARs)] and GVHD (expansion of regulatory T cells from UCB). Although many of these techniques of UCB engineering remain currently technically challenging and expensive, they are likely to revolutionize the field of UCBT in the next decades.

Energy expansion planning by considering electrical and thermal expansion simultaneously

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbasi, Ali Reza; Seifi, Ali Reza

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This paper focused on the expansion planning optimization of energy systems. • Employing two form of energy: the expansion of electrical and thermal energies. • The main objective is to minimize the costs. • A new Modified Honey Bee Mating Optimization (MHBMO) algorithm is applied. - Abstract: This study focused on the expansion planning optimization of energy systems employing two forms of energy: the expansion of electrical and thermal energies simultaneously. The main objective of this investigation is confirming network adequacy by adding new equipment to the network, over a given planning horizon. The main objective of the energy expansion planning (EEP) is to minimize the real energy loss, voltage deviation and the total cost of installation equipments. Since the objectives are different and incommensurable, it is difficult to solve the problem by the conventional approaches that may optimize a single objective. So, the meta-heuristic algorithm is applied to this problem. Here, Honey Bee Mating Optimization algorithm (HBMO) as a new evolutionary optimization algorithm is utilized. In order to improve the total ability of HBMO for the global search and exploration, a new modification process is suggested such a way that the algorithm will search the total search space globally. Also, regarding the uncertainties of the new complicated energy systems, in this paper for the first time, the EEP problem is investigated in a stochastic environment by the use of probabilistic load flow technique based on Point Estimate Method (PEM). In order to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, two modified test systems are used as case studies

Sight threatening retinopathy in a child with sickle cell &beta ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sight threatening changes in the retina are a well-recognized complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). However they usually occur in older patients with Haemoglobin SC or Sβ+thal patterns. It is rarely found under the age of 20 years in patients who are Hb SS or Sβ<°thal. This is a report of sight threatening retinopathy in ...

Assessing and Managing the Current and Future Pest Risk from Water Hyacinth, (Eichhornia crassipes), an Invasive Aquatic Plant Threatening the Environment and Water Security.

Science.gov (United States)

Kriticos, Darren J; Brunel, Sarah

2016-01-01

Understanding and managing the biological invasion threats posed by aquatic plants under current and future climates is a growing challenge for biosecurity and land management agencies worldwide. Eichhornia crassipes is one of the world's worst aquatic weeds. Presently, it threatens aquatic ecosystems, and hinders the management and delivery of freshwater services in both developed and developing parts of the world. A niche model was fitted using CLIMEX, to estimate the potential distribution of E. crassipes under historical and future climate scenarios. Under two future greenhouse gas emission scenarios for 2080 simulated with three Global Climate Models, the area with a favourable temperature regime appears set to shift polewards. The greatest potential for future range expansion lies in Europe. Elsewhere in the northern hemisphere temperature gradients are too steep for significant geographical range expansion under the climate scenarios explored here. In the Southern Hemisphere, the southern range boundary for E. crassipes is set to expand southwards in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand; under current climate conditions it is already able to invade the southern limits of Africa. The opportunity exists to prevent its spread into the islands of Tasmania in Australia and the South Island of New Zealand, both of which depend upon hydroelectric facilities that would be threatened by the presence of E. crassipes. In Europe, efforts to slow or stop the spread of E. crassipes will face the challenge of limited internal biosecurity capacity. The modelling technique demonstrated here is the first application of niche modelling for an aquatic weed under historical and projected future climates. It provides biosecurity agencies with a spatial tool to foresee and manage the emerging invasion threats in a manner that can be included in the international standard for pest risk assessments. It should also support more detailed local and regional management.

Assessing and Managing the Current and Future Pest Risk from Water Hyacinth, (Eichhornia crassipes, an Invasive Aquatic Plant Threatening the Environment and Water Security.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darren J Kriticos

Full Text Available Understanding and managing the biological invasion threats posed by aquatic plants under current and future climates is a growing challenge for biosecurity and land management agencies worldwide. Eichhornia crassipes is one of the world's worst aquatic weeds. Presently, it threatens aquatic ecosystems, and hinders the management and delivery of freshwater services in both developed and developing parts of the world. A niche model was fitted using CLIMEX, to estimate the potential distribution of E. crassipes under historical and future climate scenarios. Under two future greenhouse gas emission scenarios for 2080 simulated with three Global Climate Models, the area with a favourable temperature regime appears set to shift polewards. The greatest potential for future range expansion lies in Europe. Elsewhere in the northern hemisphere temperature gradients are too steep for significant geographical range expansion under the climate scenarios explored here. In the Southern Hemisphere, the southern range boundary for E. crassipes is set to expand southwards in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand; under current climate conditions it is already able to invade the southern limits of Africa. The opportunity exists to prevent its spread into the islands of Tasmania in Australia and the South Island of New Zealand, both of which depend upon hydroelectric facilities that would be threatened by the presence of E. crassipes. In Europe, efforts to slow or stop the spread of E. crassipes will face the challenge of limited internal biosecurity capacity. The modelling technique demonstrated here is the first application of niche modelling for an aquatic weed under historical and projected future climates. It provides biosecurity agencies with a spatial tool to foresee and manage the emerging invasion threats in a manner that can be included in the international standard for pest risk assessments. It should also support more detailed local and regional

76 FR 43986 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-22

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS..., in the form of Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act... the ``taking'' of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The term ``take'' is defined under the...

75 FR 14133 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS..., in the form of Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act... the ``taking'' of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The term ``take'' is defined under the...

75 FR 14132 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The proposed modification is to extend the existing permit... regulations prohibit the ``taking'' of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The term ``take'' is...

Cortical reactions to verbal abuse: event-related brain potentials reflecting the processing of socially threatening words.

Science.gov (United States)

Wabnitz, Pascal; Martens, Ulla; Neuner, Frank

2012-09-12

Human information processing is sensitive to aversive stimuli, in particular to negative cues that indicate a threat to physical integrity. We investigated the extent to which these findings can be transferred to stimuli that are associated with a social rather than a physical threat. Event-related potentials were recorded during silent reading of neutral, positive, physically threatening, and socially threatening words, whereby socially threatening words were represented by swear words. We found facilitated processing of positive and physically threatening words in contrast to both neutral and socially threatening words at a first potential that emerged at about 120 ms after stimulus onset. At a semantic processing stage reflected by the N400, processing of all classes of affective words, including socially threatening words, differed from neutral words. We conclude that socially threatening words as well as neutral words capture more attentional resources than positive and physically threatening words at early stages. However, social threatening words are processed in a manner similar to other emotional words and different from neutral words at higher levels.

Expansion joints for LMFBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzenus, M.; Hundhausen, W.; Jansing, W.

1980-01-01

This discourse recounts efforts put into the SNR-2 project; specifically the development of compensation devices. The various prototypes of these compensation devices are described and the state of the development reviewed. Large Na (sodium)-heat transfer systems require a lot of valuable space if the component lay-out does not include compensation devices. So, in order to condense the spatial requirement as much as possible, expansion joints must be integrated into the pipe system. There are two basic types to suit the purpose: axial expansion joints and angular expansion joints. The expansion joints were developed on the basis of specific design criteria whereby differentiation is made between expansion joints of small and large nominal diameter. Expansion joints for installation in the sodium-filled primary piping are equipped with safety bellows in addition to the actual working bellows. Expansion joints must be designed and mounted in a manner to completely withstand seismic forces. The design must exclude any damage to the bellows during intermittent operations, that is, when sodium is drained the bellows' folds must be completely empty; otherwise residual solidified sodium could destroy the bellows when restarting. The expansion joints must be engineered on the basis of the following design data for the secondary system of the SNR project: working pressure: 16 bar; failure mode pressure: 5 events; failure mode: 5 sec., 28.5 bar, 520 deg. C; working temperature: 520 deg. C; temperature transients: 30 deg. C/sec.; service life: 200,000 h; number of load cycles: 10 4 ; material: 1.4948 or 1.4919; layer thickness of folds: 0.5 mm; angular deflection (DN 800): +3 deg. C or; axial expansion absorption (DN 600): ±80 mm; calculation: ASME class. The bellows' development work is not handled within this scope. The bellows are supplied by leading manufacturers, and warrant highest quality. Multiple bellows were selected on the basis of maximum elasticity - a property

Expansion joints for LMFBR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dzenus, M.; Hundhausen, W.; Jansing, W.

1979-10-15

This discourse recounts efforts put into the SNR-2 project; specifically the development of compensation devices. The various prototypes of these compensation devices are described and the state of development reviewed. The expansion joints were developed on the basis of specific design criteria whereby differentiation is made between expansion joints of small and large nominal diameter. Expansion joints for installation in the sodium-filled primary piping are equipped with safety bellows in addition to the actual working bellows.

Sensitive maintenance: a cognitive process underlying individual differences in memory for threatening information.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Jan H; Hock, Michael; Krohne, Heinz Walter

2012-01-01

Dispositional styles of coping with threat influence memory for threatening information. In particular, sensitizers excel over repressors in their memory for threatening information after long retention intervals, but not after short ones. We therefore suggested that sensitizers, but not repressors, employ active maintenance processes during the retention interval to selectively retain threatening material. Sensitive maintenance was studied in 2 experiments in which participants were briefly exposed to threatening and nonthreatening pictures (Experiment 1, N = 128) or words (Experiment 2, N = 145). Following, we administered unannounced recognition tests before and after an intervening task that generated either high or low cognitive load, assuming that high cognitive load would impede sensitizers' memory maintenance of threatening material. Supporting our hypotheses, the same pattern of results was obtained in both experiments: Under low cognitive load, sensitizers forgot less threat material than repressors did; no such differences were observed under high cognitive load.

Expansions for Coulomb wave functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boersma, J.

1969-01-01

In this paper we derive a number of expansions for Whittaker functions, regular and irregular Coulomb wave functions. The main result consists of a new expansion for the irregular Coulomb wave functions of orders zero and one in terms of regular Coulomb wave functions. The latter expansions are

Diseases threatening banana biodiversity in Uganda ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Recent on station and on-farm studies suggest the major diseases threatening banana biodiversity in Uganda include: 1)Black sigatoka which severely affects all East African Highland (EA-AAA) banana cultivars and a range of introduced genotypes; 2) Fusarium wilt which affects several introduced genotypes though all EA ...

Threatening auditory hallucinations and Cotard syndrome in Parkinson disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Factor, Stewart A; Molho, Eric S

2004-01-01

Psychotic symptoms are commonly reported in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). In particular, patients experience nonthreatening visual hallucinations that can occur with insight (so called hallucinosis) or without. Auditory hallucinations are uncommon, and schizophrenialike symptoms such as pejorative and threatening auditory hallucinations and delusions that are persecutory, referential, somatic, religious, or grandiose have rarely been reported. The authors present 2 PD patients who experienced threatening auditory hallucinations, without visual hallucinations, and schizophrenialike delusions with detailed description of the clinical phenomenology including 1 patient with Cotard syndrome.

The biogeography of threatened insular iguanas and opportunities for invasive vertebrate management

Science.gov (United States)

Tershy, Bernie R.; Newton, Kelly M.; Spatz, Dena R.; Swinnerton, Kirsty; Iverson, John B.; Fisher, Robert N.; Harlow, Peter S.; Holmes, Nick D.; Croll, Donald A.; Iverson, J.B.; Grant, T. D.; Knapp, C. R.; Pasachnik, S. A.

2016-01-01

Iguanas are a particularly threatened group of reptiles, with 61% of species at risk of extinction. Primary threats to iguanas include habitat loss, direct and indirect impacts by invasive vertebrates, overexploitation, and human disturbance. As conspicuous, charismatic vertebrates, iguanas also represent excellent flagships for biodiversity conservation. To assist planning for invasive vertebrate management and thus benefit threatened iguana recovery, we identified all islands with known extant or extirpated populations of Critically Endangered and Endangered insular iguana taxa as recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. For each island, we determined total area, sovereignty, the presence of invasive alien vertebrates, and human population. For the 23 taxa of threatened insular iguanas we identified 230 populations, of which iguanas were extant on 185 islands and extirpated from 45 islands. Twenty-one iguana taxa (91% of all threatened insular iguana taxa) occurred on at least one island with invasive vertebrates present; 16 taxa had 100% of their population(s) on islands with invasive vertebrates present. Rodents, cats, ungulates, and dogs were the most common invasive vertebrates. We discuss biosecurity, eradication, and control of invasive vertebrates to benefit iguana recovery: (1) on islands already free of invasive vertebrates; (2) on islands with high iguana endemicity; and (3) for species and subspecies with small total populations occurring across multiple small islands. Our analyses provide an important first step toward understanding how invasive vertebrate management can be planned effectively to benefit threatened insular iguanas.

Conformal expansions and renormalons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathsman, J.

2000-02-07

The coefficients in perturbative expansions in gauge theories are factorially increasing, predominantly due to renormalons. This type of factorial increase is not expected in conformal theories. In QCD conformal relations between observables can be defined in the presence of a perturbative infrared fixed-point. Using the Banks-Zaks expansion the authors study the effect of the large-order behavior of the perturbative series on the conformal coefficients. The authors find that in general these coefficients become factorially increasing. However, when the factorial behavior genuinely originates in a renormalon integral, as implied by a postulated skeleton expansion, it does not affect the conformal coefficients. As a consequence, the conformal coefficients will indeed be free of renormalon divergence, in accordance with previous observations concerning the smallness of these coefficients for specific observables. The authors further show that the correspondence of the BLM method with the skeleton expansion implies a unique scale-setting procedure. The BLM coefficients can be interpreted as the conformal coefficients in the series relating the fixed-point value of the observable with that of the skeleton effective charge. Through the skeleton expansion the relevance of renormalon-free conformal coefficients extends to real-world QCD.

78 FR 26302 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-06

...; 4500030113] RIN 1018-AY21 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken... the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). In addition, we announce the reopening of the public comment period on the December 11, 2012, proposed rule to list the lesser prairie-chicken as a...

Bearing-Mounting Concept Accommodates Thermal Expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Nespodzany, Robert; Davis, Toren S.

1995-01-01

Pins or splines allow radial expansion without slippage. Design concept for mounting rotary bearing accommodates differential thermal expansion between bearing and any structure(s) to which bearing connected. Prevents buildup of thermal stresses by allowing thermal expansion to occur freely but accommodating expansion in such way not to introduce looseness. Pin-in-slot configuration also maintains concentricity.

Determinants of bird conservation-action implementation and associated population trends of threatened species.

Science.gov (United States)

Luther, David A; Brooks, Thomas M; Butchart, Stuart H M; Hayward, Matt W; Kester, Marieke E; Lamoreux, John; Upgren, Amy

2016-12-01

Conservation actions, such as habitat protection, attempt to halt the loss of threatened species and help their populations recover. The efficiency and the effectiveness of actions have been examined individually. However, conservation actions generally occur simultaneously, so the full suite of implemented conservation actions should be assessed. We used the conservation actions underway for all threatened and near-threatened birds of the world (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species) to assess which biological (related to taxonomy and ecology) and anthropogenic (related to geoeconomics) factors were associated with the implementation of different classes of conservation actions. We also assessed which conservation actions were associated with population increases in the species targeted. Extinction-risk category was the strongest single predictor of the type of conservation actions implemented, followed by landmass type (continent, oceanic island, etc.) and generation length. Species targeted by invasive nonnative species control or eradication programs, ex situ conservation, international legislation, reintroduction, or education, and awareness-raising activities were more likely to have increasing populations. These results illustrate the importance of developing a predictive science of conservation actions and the relative benefits of each class of implemented conservation action for threatened and near-threatened birds worldwide. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Kovach, Ryan P.; Jones, Leslie A.; Al-Chokhachy, Robert K.; Boyer, Matthew C.; Leary, Robb F.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Luikart, Gordon; Allendorf, Fred W.

2014-01-01

Climate change will decrease worldwide biodiversity through a number of potential pathways, including invasive hybridization (cross-breeding between invasive and native species). How climate warming influences the spread of hybridization and loss of native genomes poses difficult ecological and evolutionary questions with little empirical information to guide conservation management decisions. Here we combine long-term genetic monitoring data with high-resolution climate and stream temperature predictions to evaluate how recent climate warming has influenced the spatio-temporal spread of human-mediated hybridization between threatened native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) and non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the world’s most widely introduced invasive fish. Despite widespread release of millions of rainbow trout over the past century within the Flathead River system, a large relatively pristine watershed in western North America, historical samples revealed that hybridization was prevalent only in one (source) population. During a subsequent 30-year period of accelerated warming, hybridization spread rapidly and was strongly linked to interactions between climatic drivers—precipitation and temperature—and distance to the source population. Specifically, decreases in spring precipitation and increases in summer stream temperature probably promoted upstream expansion of hybridization throughout the system. This study shows that rapid climate warming can exacerbate interactions between native and non-native species through invasive hybridization, which could spell genomic extinction for many species.

Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Kovach, Ryan P.; Jones, Leslie A.; Al-Chokhachy, Robert; Boyer, Matthew C.; Leary, Robb F.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Luikart, Gordon; Allendorf, Fred W.

2014-07-01

Climate change will decrease worldwide biodiversity through a number of potential pathways, including invasive hybridization (cross-breeding between invasive and native species). How climate warming influences the spread of hybridization and loss of native genomes poses difficult ecological and evolutionary questions with little empirical information to guide conservation management decisions. Here we combine long-term genetic monitoring data with high-resolution climate and stream temperature predictions to evaluate how recent climate warming has influenced the spatio-temporal spread of human-mediated hybridization between threatened native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) and non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the world's most widely introduced invasive fish. Despite widespread release of millions of rainbow trout over the past century within the Flathead River system, a large relatively pristine watershed in western North America, historical samples revealed that hybridization was prevalent only in one (source) population. During a subsequent 30-year period of accelerated warming, hybridization spread rapidly and was strongly linked to interactions between climatic drivers--precipitation and temperature--and distance to the source population. Specifically, decreases in spring precipitation and increases in summer stream temperature probably promoted upstream expansion of hybridization throughout the system. This study shows that rapid climate warming can exacerbate interactions between native and non-native species through invasive hybridization, which could spell genomic extinction for many species.

76 FR 80960 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Recovery Permit Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-27

..., Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, for the purpose of enhancing the species' survival. Permit... certain activities with endangered or threatened species. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such...

δ expansion applied to quantum electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, C.M.; Boettcher, S.; Milton, K.A.

1992-01-01

A recently proposed technique known as the δ expansion provides a nonperturbative treatment of a quantum field theory. The δ-expansion approach can be applied to electrodynamics in such a way that local gauge invariance is preserved. In this paper it is shown that for electrodynamic processes involving only external photon lines and no external electron lines the δ expansion is equivalent to a fermion loop expansion. That is, the coefficient of δ n in the δ expansion is precisely the sum of all n-electron-loop Feynman diagrams in a conventional weak-coupling approximation. This equivalence does not extend to processes having external electron lines. When external electron lines are present, the δ expansion is truly nonperturbative and does not have a simple interpretation as a resummation of conventional Feynman diagrams. To illustrate the nonperturbative character of the δ expansion we perform a speculative calculation of the fermion condensate in the massive Schwinger model in the limit of large coupling constant

Monitoring rubber plantation expansion using Landsat data time series and a Shapelet-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Su; Rogan, John; Sangermano, Florencia

2018-02-01

The expansion of tree plantations in tropical forests for commercial rubber cultivation threatens biodiversity which may affect ecosystem services, and hinders ecosystem productivity, causing net carbon emission. Numerous studies refer to the challenge of reliably distinguishing rubber plantations from natural forest, using satellite data, due to their similar spectral signatures, even when phenology is incorporated into an analysis. This study presents a novel approach for monitoring the establishment and expansion of rubber plantations in Seima Protection Forest (SPF), Cambodia (1995-2015), by detecting and analyzing the 'shapelet' structure in a Landsat-NDVI time series. This paper introduces a new classification procedure consisting of two steps: (1) an exhaustive-searching algorithm to detect shapelets that represent a period for relatively low NDVI values within an image time series; and (2) a t-test used to determine if NDVI values of detected shapelets are significantly different than their non-shapelet trend, thereby indicating the presence of rubber plantations. Using this approach, historical rubber plantation events were mapped over the twenty-year timespan. The shapelet algorithm produced two types of information: (1) year of rubber plantation establishment; and (2) pre-conversion land-cover type (i.e., agriculture, or natural forest). The overall accuracy of the rubber plantation map for the year of 2015 was 89%. The multi-temporal map products reveal that more than half of the rubber planting activity (57%) took place in 2010 and 2011, following the granting of numerous rubber concessions two years prior. Seventy-three percent of the rubber plantations were converted from natural forest and twenty-three percent were established on non-forest land-cover. The shapelet approach developed here can be used reliably to improve our understanding of the expansion of rubber production beyond Seima Protection Forest of Cambodia, and likely elsewhere in the

Agriculture in the climate change negotiations; ensuring that food production is not threatened.

Science.gov (United States)

Muldowney, J; Mounsey, J; Kinsella, L

2013-06-01

With the human population predicted to reach nine billion by 2050, demand for food is predicted to more than double over this time period, a trend which will lead to increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. Furthermore, expansion in food production is predicted to occur primarily in the developing world, where adaptation to climate change may be more difficult and opportunities to mitigate emissions limited. In the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 'ensuring that food production is not threatened' is explicitly mentioned in the objective of the Convention. However, the focus of negotiations under the Convention has largely been on reducing GHG emissions from energy, and industrial activities and realizing the potential of forestry as a carbon sink. There has been little attention by the UNFCCC to address the challenges and opportunities for the agriculture sector. Since 2006, concerted efforts have been made to raise the prominence of agriculture within the negotiations. The most recent The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and 'The Emissions Gap Report' by the UNEP highlighted the significant mitigation potential of agriculture, which can help contribute towards keeping global temperature rises below the 2°C limit agreed in Cancun. Agriculture has to be a part of the solution to address climate change, but this will also require a focus on how agriculture systems can adapt to climate change in order to continue to increase food output. However, to effectively realize this potential, systematic and dedicated discussion and decisions within the UNFCCC are needed. UNFCCC discussions on a specific agriculture agenda item started in 2012, but are currently inconclusive. However, Parties are generally in agreement on the importance of agriculture in contributing to food security and employment as well as the need to improve understanding of agriculture and how it can contribute to

Accelerating the loop expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingermanson, R.

1986-01-01

This thesis introduces a new non-perturbative technique into quantum field theory. To illustrate the method, I analyze the much-studied phi 4 theory in two dimensions. As a prelude, I first show that the Hartree approximation is easy to obtain from the calculation of the one-loop effective potential by a simple modification of the propagator that does not affect the perturbative renormalization procedure. A further modification then susggests itself, which has the same nice property, and which automatically yields a convex effective potential. I then show that both of these modifications extend naturally to higher orders in the derivative expansion of the effective action and to higher orders in the loop-expansion. The net effect is to re-sum the perturbation series for the effective action as a systematic ''accelerated'' non-perturbative expansion. Each term in the accelerated expansion corresponds to an infinite number of terms in the original series. Each term can be computed explicitly, albeit numerically. Many numerical graphs of the various approximations to the first two terms in the derivative expansion are given. I discuss the reliability of the results and the problem of spontaneous symmetry-breaking, as well as some potential applications to more interesting field theories. 40 refs

Thermal expansion data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, D.

1984-01-01

This paper gives regression data for a modified second order polynomial fitted to the expansion data of, and percentage expansions for dioxides with (a) the fluorite and antifluorite structure: AmO 2 , BkO 2 , CeO 2 , CmO 2 , HfO 2 , Li 2 O, NpO 2 , PrO 2 , PuO 2 , ThO 2 , UO 2 , ZrO 2 , and (b) the rutile structure: CrO 2 , GeO 2 , IrO 2 , MnO 2 , NbO 2 , PbO 2 , SiO 2 , SnO 2 , TeO 2 , TiO 2 and VO 2 . Reduced expansion curves for the dioxides showed only partial grouping into iso-electronic series for the fluorite structures and showed that the 'law of corresponding states' did not apply to the rutile structures. (author)

Evidence-based interventions of threatened miscarriage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Li

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Threatened miscarriage is the commonest complication of early pregnancy and affects about 20% of pregnancies. It presents with vaginal bleeding with or without abdominal cramps. Increasing age of women, smoking, obesity or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS and a previous history of miscarriage are risk factors for threatened miscarriage. The pathophysiology has been associated with changes in levels of cytokines or maternal immune dysfunction. Clinical history and examination, maternal serum biochemistry and ultrasound findings are important to determine the treatment options and provide valuable information for the prognosis. Bed rest is the commonest advice, but there is little evidence of its value. Other options include progesterone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG and muscle relaxants. The complementary and alternative medicine (CAM therapies such as acupuncture and Chinese herbs have also been tried. There is some evidence from clinical studies indicating that CAM therapies may reduce the rate of miscarriage, but the quality of studies is poor. Thus, further double-blind, randomized-controlled trials are necessary to confirm its effectiveness, especially acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Thermal expansion of beryllium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solodukhin, A.V.; Kruzhalov, A.V.; Mazurenko, V.G.; Maslov, V.A.; Medvedev, V.A.; Polupanova, T.I.

1987-01-01

Precise measurements of temperature dependence of the coefficient of linear expansion in the 22-320 K temperature range on beryllium oxide monocrystals are conducted. A model of thermal expansion is suggested; the range of temperature dependence minimum of the coefficient of thermal expansion is well described within the frames of this model. The results of the experiment may be used for investigation of thermal stresses in crystals

Markov Switching Monetary Policy in a two-country DSGE model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mavromatis, K.

2013-01-01

Using real-time data for the US and the Eurozone I find evidence in favor of 1) regime changes in US monetary policy since 1999 and 2) the fact that the responses inflation and output in the Eurozone are sensitive to the regime of US monetary policy. I examine this case theoretically through the

Convergence of mayer expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brydges, D.C.

1986-01-01

The tree graph bound of Battle and Federbush is extended and used to provide a simple criterion for the convergence of (iterated) Mayer expansions. As an application estimates on the radius of convergence of the Mayer expansion for the two-dimensional Yukawa gas (nonstable interaction) are obtained

Mapping Indigenous land management for threatened species conservation: An Australian case-study.

Science.gov (United States)

Renwick, Anna R; Robinson, Catherine J; Garnett, Stephen T; Leiper, Ian; Possingham, Hugh P; Carwardine, Josie

2017-01-01

Much biodiversity lives on lands to which Indigenous people retain strong legal and management rights. However this is rarely quantified. Here we provide the first quantitative overview of the importance of Indigenous land for a critical and vulnerable part of biodiversity, threatened species, using the continent of Australia as a case study. We find that three quarters of Australia's 272 terrestrial or freshwater vertebrate species listed as threatened under national legislation have projected ranges that overlap Indigenous lands. On average this overlap represents 45% of the range of each threatened species while Indigenous land is 52% of the country. Hotspots where multiple threatened species ranges overlap occur predominantly in coastal Northern Australia. Our analysis quantifies the vast potential of Indigenous land in Australia for contributing to national level conservation goals, and identifies the main land management arrangements available to Indigenous people which may enable them to deliver those goals should they choose to do so.

50 CFR 17.8 - Import exemption for threatened, CITES Appendix-II wildlife.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Import exemption for threatened, CITES Appendix-II wildlife. 17.8 Section 17.8 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE..., EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND PLANTS (CONTINUED) ENDANGERED AND THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS...

Threatened and neglected forests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellicane, P.J.; Gutkowski, R.M.; Czarnock, J.

1997-01-01

Polands once considerable forest resource suffered destruction during World War II and is now a victim of the legacy of past forest practices, the toxic effects of industrial pollution, and the urgent needs of its people today. Polish forest are threatened by a variety of abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors. Extremes of climate and declining groundwater tables add to the problem. Pollution is the most serious problem, particularly air pollution. Much of the air pollution in Poland is attributable to mining and burning high-sulfur coal. Besides describing the causes of the forest decline, this article discusses solutions

The Dominant Robot: Threatening Robots Cause Psychological Reactance, Especially When They Have Incongruent Goals

Science.gov (United States)

Roubroeks, M. A. J.; Ham, J. R. C.; Midden, C. J. H.

Persuasive technology can take the form of a social agent that persuades people to change behavior or attitudes. However, like any persuasive technology, persuasive social agents might trigger psychological reactance, which can lead to restoration behavior. The current study investigated whether interacting with a persuasive robot can cause psychological reactance. Additionally, we investigated whether goal congruency plays a role in psychological reactance. Participants programmed a washing machine while a robot gave threatening advice. Confirming expectations, participants experienced more psychological reactance when receiving high-threatening advice compared to low-threatening advice. Moreover, when the robot gave high-threatening advice and expressed an incongruent goal, participants reported the highest level of psychological reactance (on an anger measure). Finally, high-threatening advice led to more restoration, and this relationship was partially mediated by psychological reactance. Overall, results imply that under certain circumstances persuasive technology can trigger opposite effects, especially when people have incongruent goal intentions.

At a global scale, do climate change threatened species also face a greater number of non-climatic threats?

Science.gov (United States)

Fortini, Lucas B.; Dye, Kaipo

2017-01-01

For many species the threats of climate change occur in a context of multiple existing threats. Given the current focus of global change ecology in identifying and understanding species vulnerable to climate change, we performed a global analysis to characterize the multi-threat context for species threatened by climate change. Utilizing 30,053 species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, we sought to evaluate if species threatened by climate change are more likely threatened by a greater number of non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Our results show that species threatened by climate change are generally impacted by 21% more non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Across all species, this pattern is related to IUCN risk status, where endangered species threatened by climate change face 33% more non-climatic threats than endangered species not threatened by climate change. With the clear challenges of assessing current and projected impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems, research often requires reductionist approaches that result in downplaying this multi-threat context. This cautionary note bears relevance beyond climate change threatened species as we also

Status of the globally threatened forest birds of northeast Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glauco Alves Pereira

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Atlantic Forest of northeast Brazil hosts a unique biota which is among the most threatened in the Neotropics. Near-total conversion of forest habitat to sugar cane monocultures has left the region's endemic forest-dependent avifauna marooned in a few highly-fragmented and degraded forest remnants. Here we summarise the current status of 16 globally threatened species based on surveys conducted over the last 11 years. We found a bleak situation for most of these species and consider that three endemics: Glaucidium mooreorum (Pernambuco Pygmy-owl, Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti (Cryptic Treehunter and Philydor novaesi (Alagoas Foliage-gleaner are most likely globally extinct. Some positive news can, however, be reported for both Leptodon forbesi (White-collared Kite and Synallaxis infuscata (Pinto's Spinetail which may warrant re-evaluation of their respective red list statuses. We outline a road map to prioritise conservation interventions in the region directed at preventing the extinction of this suite of threatened bird species and their companion biota.

Intraspecific morphological and genetic variation of common species predicts ranges of threatened ones

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Trevon L.; Thomassen, Henri A.; Peralvo, Manuel; Buermann, Wolfgang; Milá, Borja; Kieswetter, Charles M.; Jarrín-V, Pablo; Devitt, Susan E. Cameron; Mason, Eliza; Schweizer, Rena M.; Schlunegger, Jasmin; Chan, Janice; Wang, Ophelia; Schneider, Christopher J.; Pollinger, John P.; Saatchi, Sassan; Graham, Catherine H.; Wayne, Robert K.; Smith, Thomas B.

2013-01-01

Predicting where threatened species occur is useful for making informed conservation decisions. However, because they are usually rare, surveying threatened species is often expensive and time intensive. Here, we show how regions where common species exhibit high genetic and morphological divergence among populations can be used to predict the occurrence of species of conservation concern. Intraspecific variation of common species of birds, bats and frogs from Ecuador were found to be a significantly better predictor for the occurrence of threatened species than suites of environmental variables or the occurrence of amphibians and birds. Fully 93 per cent of the threatened species analysed had their range adequately represented by the geographical distribution of the morphological and genetic variation found in seven common species. Both higher numbers of threatened species and greater genetic and morphological variation of common species occurred along elevation gradients. Higher levels of intraspecific divergence may be the result of disruptive selection and/or introgression along gradients. We suggest that collecting data on genetic and morphological variation in common species can be a cost effective tool for conservation planning, and that future biodiversity inventories include surveying genetic and morphological data of common species whenever feasible. PMID:23595273

Pregnancy outcome of threatened abortion with demonstrable fetal cardiac activity: a cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tongsong, T; Srisomboon, J; Wanapirak, C; Sirichotiyakul, S; Pongsatha, S; Polsrisuthikul, T

1995-08-01

Pregnancy with visible fetal heart beat complicated by first trimester threatened abortion had significant increased risk of subsequent spontaneous abortion compared with normal pregnancy. To compare pregnancy outcomes in cases complicated by first trimester threatened abortion with those that were not. Prospective cohort study of 255 cases of first trimester threatened abortions but with visible heart beat and 265 other normal pregnancies. Spontaneous abortion rates of 5.5% (with relative abortal risk of 2.91) was found for study group, compared to 1.88% for controls (p abortion rate than those without.

$\\delta$-Expansion at Finite Temperature

OpenAIRE

Ramos, Rudnei O.

1996-01-01

We apply the $\\delta$-expansion perturbation scheme to the $\\lambda \\phi^{4}$ self-interacting scalar field theory in 3+1 D at finite temperature. In the $\\delta$-expansion the interaction term is written as $\\lambda (\\phi^{2})^{ 1 + \\delta}$ and $\\delta$ is considered as the perturbation parameter. We compute within this perturbative approach the renormalized mass at finite temperature at a finite order in $\\delta$. The results are compared with the usual loop-expansion at finite temperature.

Electrical Resistance Alloys and Low-Expansion Alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjer, Torben

1996-01-01

The article gives an overview of electrical resistance alloys and alloys with low thermal expansion. The electrical resistance alloys comprise resistance alloys, heating alloys and thermostat alloys. The low expansion alloys comprise alloys with very low expansion coefficients, alloys with very low...... thermoelastic coefficients and age hardenable low expansion alloys....

Disjoint sum expansion method in FTA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan Keqiang

1987-01-01

An expansion formula for transforming boolean algebraic expressions into disjoint form was proved. Based on this expansion formula, a method for transforming system failure function into disjoint form was devised. The fact that the expansion can be done for several elements simulatneously makes the method flexible and fast. Some examples from fault tree analysis (FTA) and network analysis were examined by the new method to show its algorithm and its merit. Besides, by means of the proved expansion formula some boolean algebraic relations can proved very easily

Maxwell superalgebras and Abelian semigroup expansion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.K. Concha

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The Abelian semigroup expansion is a powerful and simple method to derive new Lie algebras from a given one. Recently it was shown that the S-expansion of so(3,2 leads us to the Maxwell algebra M. In this paper we extend this result to superalgebras, by proving that different choices of abelian semigroups S lead to interesting D=4 Maxwell Superalgebras. In particular, the minimal Maxwell superalgebra sM and the N-extended Maxwell superalgebra sM(N recently found by the Maurer–Cartan expansion procedure, are derived alternatively as an S-expansion of osp(4|N. Moreover, we show that new minimal Maxwell superalgebras type sMm+2 and their N-extended generalization can be obtained using the S-expansion procedure.

Maxwell superalgebras and Abelian semigroup expansion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Concha, P.K.; Rodríguez, E.K. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria, 1, 10125 Torino (Italy)

2014-09-15

The Abelian semigroup expansion is a powerful and simple method to derive new Lie algebras from a given one. Recently it was shown that the S-expansion of so(3,2) leads us to the Maxwell algebra M. In this paper we extend this result to superalgebras, by proving that different choices of abelian semigroups S lead to interesting D=4 Maxwell Superalgebras. In particular, the minimal Maxwell superalgebra sM and the N-extended Maxwell superalgebra sM{sup (N)} recently found by the Maurer–Cartan expansion procedure, are derived alternatively as an S-expansion of osp(4|N). Moreover, we show that new minimal Maxwell superalgebras type sM{sub m+2} and their N-extended generalization can be obtained using the S-expansion procedure.

Protected areas and agricultural expansion: Biodiversity conservation versus economic growth in the Southeast of Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Moraes, Mayra Cristina Prado de; Mello, Kaline de; Toppa, Rogério Hartung

2017-03-01

The conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural land and urban areas plays a threat to the protected areas and the natural ecosystems conservation. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of the agricultural expansion and its impact on the landscape spatial and temporal patterns in a buffer zone of a protected area located in the transition zone between the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The land use and land cover were mapped between 1971 and 2008 and landscape metrics were calculated to provide a spatiotemporal analysis of the forest structure and the expansion of the croplands. The results showed that the landscape patterns were affected by the economic cycles. The predominant crop surrounding the protected area is sugar cane, which increased by 39% during this period, followed by citrus. This landscape change is connected to the Brazilian oil crisis in 1973. The rapid expansion of sugar cane was largely driven by Brazil's biofuel program, the "Proálcool" (pro-alcohol), a project in 1975 that mixed ethanol with gas for automotive fuel. The forest loss occurred mainly between 1971 and 1988, decreasing the forest cover from 17% in 1971 to 12.7% in 2008. Most of the forest patches are smaller than 50 ha and has low connectivity. Throughout the years, the fragments in the buffer zone have become smaller and with an elongated shape, and the park has become isolated. This forest fragmentation process and the predominance of monoculture lands in the buffer zone threaten the protected areas, and can represent a barrier for these areas to provide the effective biodiversity conservation. The measures proposed are necessary to ensure the capability of this ecosystem to sustain its original biodiversity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex Differences in Violent versus Non-Violent Life-Threatening Altruism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carey J. Fitzgerald

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Many studies on Hamilton's (1964 inclusive fitness theory have used the burning house and kidney donation examples of life-threatening altruism. However, these examples may not be sufficiently exhibiting the risk involved with life-threatening altruism that would have occurred in hunter-gatherer societies, such as fighting off attackers and/or predators. The present study examined participants' estimated likelihood to perform altruistic acts for specific kin members/friends in two violent life-threatening situations (i.e., being mugged and being chased and two non-violent life-threatening situations (i.e., the burning house and kidney donation examples. Participants were 216 undergraduate students who completed a questionnaire on altruism toward an actual kin member/friend. Each questionnaire contained four life-or-death scenarios (two violent and two non-violent in which either the participant's sibling, cousin, or best friend was in danger and needed help. Results indicated that people were more likely to help siblings than cousins and friends in both the violent and non-violent hypothetical scenarios. Participants indicated a greater likelihood to help people in violent situations than in non-violent situations. Women indicated a greater estimated likelihood than men to help people in non-violent situations while men indicated a greater estimated likelihood than women to help people in violent situations. Both male and female participants indicated a greater estimated likelihood to help women than men in violent situations.

Incidence and management of life-threatening adverse events during cardiac catheterization for congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, C Huie; Hegde, Sanjeet; Marshall, Audrey C; Porras, Diego; Gauvreau, Kimberlee; Balzer, David T; Beekman, Robert H; Torres, Alejandro; Vincent, Julie A; Moore, John W; Holzer, Ralf; Armsby, Laurie; Bergersen, Lisa

2014-01-01

Continued advancements in congenital cardiac catheterization and interventions have resulted in increased patient and procedural complexity. Anticipation of life-threatening events and required rescue measures is a critical component to preprocedural preparation. We sought to determine the incidence and nature of life-threatening adverse events in congenital and pediatric cardiac catheterization, risk factors, and resources necessary to anticipate and manage events. Data from 8905 cases performed at the 8 participating institutions of the Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Project on Outcomes were captured between 2007 and 2010 [median 1,095/site (range 133-3,802)]. The incidence of all life-threatening events was 2.1 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.8-2.4 %], whereas mortality was 0.28 % (95 % CI 0.18-0.41 %). Fifty-seven life-threatening events required cardiopulmonary resuscitation, whereas 9 % required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Use of a risk adjustment model showed that age events. Using this model, standardized life-threatening event ratios were calculated, thus showing that one institution had a life-threatening event rate greater than expected. Congenital cardiac catheterization and intervention can be performed safely with a low rate of life-threatening events and mortality; preprocedural evaluation of risk may optimize preparation of emergency rescue and bailout procedures. Risk predictors (age < 1, hemodynamic vulnerability, and procedure risk category) can enhance preprocedural patient risk stratification and planning.

Uniform gradient expansions

CERN Document Server

Giovannini, Massimo

2015-01-01

Cosmological singularities are often discussed by means of a gradient expansion that can also describe, during a quasi-de Sitter phase, the progressive suppression of curvature inhomogeneities. While the inflationary event horizon is being formed the two mentioned regimes coexist and a uniform expansion can be conceived and applied to the evolution of spatial gradients across the protoinflationary boundary. It is argued that conventional arguments addressing the preinflationary initial conditions are necessary but generally not sufficient to guarantee a homogeneous onset of the conventional inflationary stage.

Fetal growth and perinatal outcome of pregnancies continuing after threatened abortion.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, A G; Gopalan, S; Dhaliwal, L K

1996-05-01

The present study was conducted with the aim to find out the effect of threatened abortion in the current pregnancy on the subsequent perinatal outcome and follow the growth pattern of the fetuses of such complicated pregnancies. The study group consisted of 55 women with threatened abortion and 55 women with normal pregnancies formed the control group. Most of the patients presented at 6-12 weeks' gestation. The fetal growth was monitored by both clinical as well as ultrasound (USG) parameters. The mean growth rates were almost identical throughout gestation. The mean values of each parameter of the study group were found lying with 95% confidence limit values of their control group. The apparent increased incidence of low lying placenta in early pregnancy probably contributed to threatened abortion. There was no significant difference in preterm delivery, low birth-weight and overall perinatal outcome.

Thin foil expansion into a vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mora, P.

2005-01-01

Plasma expansion into a vacuum is an old problem which has been renewed recently in various contexts: expansion of ultra-cold plasmas, cluster expansion, of dust grains, expansion of thin foils. In this presentation I will first discuss the physics of the expansion of a thin foil irradiated by an ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulse. The expansion results in the formation of high energy ions. For an infinitely steep plasma-vacuum interface the fastest ions are located in the outer part of the expansion and their velocity is given by ν m ax∼ 2 C s (In ω p it) where c s (Zk B T e /m i )''1/2 is the ion-acoustic velocity ω p i=(n e 0Ze''2/m i e 0 )''1/2 is the ion plasma frequency, n e 0 is the electron density in the unperturbed plasma, Z is the ion charge number. In the above expression, t is either the pulse duration or the effective acceleration time (in particular t∼L/2c s , where L is the width of the foil, when the electron cooling is taken into account). A salient characteristic of the expansion is the occurrence of a double layer structure and a peak of the accelerating electric field at the ion front. I will explain the origin of the peak and predict its temporal behavior. This peak has been diagnosed in recent experiments. I will also discuss the effect of a 2-temperatures electron distribution function on the expansion, showing the dominant role of the hot electron component. Finally I will discuss the occurrence of ion spikes in the expansion when the initial density profile is smooth. The ion spike is due to a wave breaking which cannot be handled in a satisfactory way by a fluid code and requires a kinetic description. A. simple collisionless particle code has been used to treat the evolution of the spike after the wave breaking and the results will be shown. (Author)

Housing and construction markets

Science.gov (United States)

Delton Alderman

2013-01-01

The UNECE region's economic recovery has been sluggish; national income in more than half of the region’s countries has yet to return to 2008 levels and unemployment remains high. Numerous risks remain that could endanger even moderate growth in 2014 and beyond as the eurozone crisis appears to be deepening. Further deterioration in the eurozone or an economic...

The Thermal Expansion Of Feldspars

Science.gov (United States)

Hovis, G. L.; Medford, A.; Conlon, M.

2009-12-01

Hovis and others (1) investigated the thermal expansion of natural and synthetic AlSi3 feldspars and demonstrated that the coefficient of thermal expansion (α) decreases significantly, and linearly, with increasing room-temperature volume (VRT). In all such feldspars, therefore, chemical expansion limits thermal expansion. The scope of this work now has been broadened to include plagioclase and Ba-K feldspar crystalline solutions. X-ray powder diffraction data have been collected between room temperature and 925 °C on six plagioclase specimens ranging in composition from anorthite to oligoclase. When combined with thermal expansion data for albite (2,3,4) a steep linear trend of α as a function of VRT emerges, reflecting how small changes in composition dramatically affect expansion behavior. The thermal expansion data for five synthetic Ba-K feldspars ranging in composition from 20 to 100 mole percent celsian, combined with data for pure K-feldspar (3,4), show α-VRT relationships similar in nature to the plagioclase series, but with a slope and intercept different from the latter. Taken as a group all Al2Si2 feldspars, including anorthite and celsian from the present study along with Sr- (5) and Pb-feldspar (6) from other workers, show very limited thermal expansion that, unlike AlSi3 feldspars, has little dependence on the divalent-ion (or M-) site occupant. This apparently is due to the necessitated alternation of Al and Si in the tetrahedral sites of these minerals (7), which in turn locks the tetrahedral framework and makes the M-site occupant nearly irrelevant to expansion behavior. Indeed, in feldspar series with coupled chemical substitution it is the change away from a 1:1 Al:Si ratio that gives feldspars greater freedom to expand. Overall, the relationships among α, chemical composition, and room-temperature volume provide useful predictive tools for estimating feldspar thermal expansion and give insight into the controls of expansion behavior in

User's Manual for the Biodiversity and Threatened and Endangered Species Experts (BioTES) Tool

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sebesta, Georgia

1996-01-01

The Biodiversity and Threatened and Endangered Species Experts (BioTES), version 1.0 helps installation and government personnel locate points of contact for experts in the areas of biodiversity and threatened and endangered species...

Thermal expansion of L-ascorbic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolaï, B.; Barrio, M.; Tamarit, J.-Ll.; Céolin, R.; Rietveld, I. B.

2017-04-01

The specific volume of vitamin C has been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction as a function of temperature from 110 K up to complete degradation around 440 K. Its thermal expansion is relatively small in comparison with other organic compounds with an expansivity α v of 1.2(3) × 10-4 K-1. The structure consists of strongly bound molecules in the ac plane through a dense network of hydrogen bonds. The thermal expansion is anisotropic. Along the b axis, the expansion has most leeway and is about 10 times larger than in the other directions.

Chemical graph-theoretic cluster expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, D.J.

1986-01-01

A general computationally amenable chemico-graph-theoretic cluster expansion method is suggested as a paradigm for incorporation of chemical structure concepts in a systematic manner. The cluster expansion approach is presented in a formalism general enough to cover a variety of empirical, semiempirical, and even ab initio applications. Formally such approaches for the utilization of chemical structure-related concepts may be viewed as discrete analogues of Taylor series expansions. The efficacy of the chemical structure concepts then is simply bound up in the rate of convergence of the cluster expansions. In many empirical applications, e.g., boiling points, chromatographic separation coefficients, and biological activities, this rate of convergence has been observed to be quite rapid. More note will be made here of quantum chemical applications. Relations to questions concerning size extensivity of energies and size consistency of wave functions are addressed

Defining chemical expansion: the choice of units for the stoichiometric expansion coefficient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marrocchelli, Dario; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Bishop, Sean R.

2014-01-01

Chemical expansion refers to the spatial dilation of a material that occurs upon changes in its composition. When this dilation is caused by a gradual, iso-structural increase in the lattice parameter with composition, it is related to the composition change by the stoichiometric expansion coeffi...... are provided for changes in oxygen content in fluorite, perovskite, and Ruddlesden-Popper (K2NiF4) phase materials used in solid oxide fuel cells....

Current cultures in threatening, comforting, and challenging ecologies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Vliert, Evert

2015-01-01

Places of residence have multiple, yet largely unintegrated, cultural characteristics. Here I make a distinction between human environments that offer demanding winters or summers together with collective poverty (threatening ecologies), undemanding temperate climates irrespective of income per head

globally threatened biodiversity of the eastern arc mountains

African Journals Online (AJOL)

On the 2015 Red List there are 43 globally threatened species of birds occurring in the ..... Total amphibian species richness increased with increased habitat ...... In Kilengwe Forest, a forest in Morogoro Rural District that is dominated by J.

Edgeworth expansion for functionals of continuous diffusion processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Podolskij, Mark; Yoshida, Nakahiro

This paper presents new results on the Edgeworth expansion for high frequency functionals of continuous diffusion processes. We derive asymptotic expansions for weighted functionals of the Brownian motion and apply them to provide the Edgeworth expansion for power variation of diffusion processes....... Our methodology relies on martingale embedding, Malliavin calculus and stable central limit theorems for semimartingales. Finally, we demonstrate the density expansion for studentized statistics of power variations.......This paper presents new results on the Edgeworth expansion for high frequency functionals of continuous diffusion processes. We derive asymptotic expansions for weighted functionals of the Brownian motion and apply them to provide the Edgeworth expansion for power variation of diffusion processes...

Expansion lyre-shaped tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andro, Jean.

1973-01-01

The invention relates the expansion lyre-shaped tube portions formed in dudgeoned tubular bundles between two bottom plates. An expansion lyre comprises at least two sets of tubes of unequal lengths coplanar and symmetrical with respect to the main tube axis, with connecting portions between the tubes forming said sets. The invention applies to apparatus such as heat exchangers, heaters, superheaters or breeders [fr

Tachycardia may prognosticate life- or organ-threatening diseases in children with abdominal pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayakawa, Itaru; Sakakibara, Hiroshi; Atsumi, Yukari; Hataya, Hiroshi; Terakawa, Toshiro

2017-06-01

Abdominal pain is common in children, but expeditious diagnosis of life- or organ-threatening diseases can be challenging. An evidence-based definition of tachycardia in children was established recently, but its diagnostic utility has not yet been studied. To test the hypothesis that abdominal pain with tachycardia may pose a higher likelihood of life- or organ-threatening diseases in children. A nested case-control study was conducted in a pediatric emergency department in 2013. Tachycardia was defined as a resting heart rate of more than 3 standard deviations above the average for that age. Life- or organ-threatening diseases were defined as "disorders that might result in permanent morbidity or mortality without appropriate intervention." A triage team recorded vital signs before emergency physicians attended patients. Patients with tachycardia (cases) and without tachycardia (controls) were systematically matched for age, sex, and month of visit. The groups were compared for the presence of life- or organ-threatening diseases. There were 1683 visits for abdominal pain, 1512 of which had vital signs measured at rest. Eighty-three patients experienced tachycardia, while 1429 did not. Fifty-eight cases and 58 controls were matched. Life- or organ-threatening diseases were more common in the case group (19%) than the control group (5%, p=0.043). The relative risk of tachycardia to the presence of the diseases was 3.7 (95% confidence interval 1.2-12.0). Tachycardia significantly increased the likelihood of life- or organ-threatening diseases. Tachycardia in children with abdominal pain should alert emergency physicians to the possibility of serious illness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

At a global scale, do climate change threatened species also face a greater number of non-climatic threats?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas B. Fortini

2017-07-01

Full Text Available For many species the threats of climate change occur in a context of multiple existing threats. Given the current focus of global change ecology in identifying and understanding species vulnerable to climate change, we performed a global analysis to characterize the multi-threat context for species threatened by climate change. Utilizing 30,053 species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, we sought to evaluate if species threatened by climate change are more likely threatened by a greater number of non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Our results show that species threatened by climate change are generally impacted by 21% more non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Across all species, this pattern is related to IUCN risk status, where endangered species threatened by climate change face 33% more non-climatic threats than endangered species not threatened by climate change. With the clear challenges of assessing current and projected impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems, research often requires reductionist approaches that result in downplaying this multi-threat context. This cautionary note bears relevance beyond climate change threatened species as we also found other (but not all anthropogenic threats are also similarly associated with more threats. Our findings serve as a reminder that ecological research should seriously consider these potential threat interactions, especially for species under elevated conservation concern.

On the Equisummability of Hermite and Fourier Expansions

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We prove an equisummability result for the Fourier expansions and Hermite expansions as well as special Hermite expansions. We also prove the uniform boundedness of the Bochner-Riesz means associated to the Hermite expansions for polyradial functions.

DEVELOPMENT OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT AND CLINICAL RESEARCH OF THREATENED ABORTION

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LI Jing-xia; XIE Gan-gong

2005-01-01

In the present paper, the authors review recent development of acupuncture treatment of threatened abortion from 1) clinical application of "Linggui Bafa"(灵龟八法Eight Methods of Intelligent Turtle), 2) body acupoints, and 3) acupuncture combined with Chinese materia medica, and clinical study from 1) effect of acupuncture on the blood flow of uterus, and 2) effect of acupuncture on plasma progesterone level. In addition, acupuncture therapy is also used to help women in gestation and can effectively raise the pregnant rate. "Linggui Bafa" is rather effective in preventing threatened abortion and should be studied further.

A Metacognitive Perspective on the Cognitive Deficits Experienced in Intellectually Threatening Environments

OpenAIRE

Schmader, Toni; Forbes, Chad E.; Zhang, Shen; Mendes, Wendy Berry

2009-01-01

Three studies tested the hypothesis that negative metacognitive interpretations of anxious arousal under stereotype threat create cognitive deficits in intellectually threatening environments. Study 1 showed that among minority and White undergraduates, anxiety about an intelligence test predicted lower working memory when participants were primed with doubt as compared to confidence. Study 2 replicated this pattern with women and showed it to be unique to intellectually threatening environme...

Threatened and Endangered Freshwater Fish and Mussel Species Richness

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — These data represent predicted current distributions of all US listed Threatened and Endangered freshwater fish and freshwater mussels in the Middle-Atlantic region....

Life-threatening Cerebral Edema Caused by Acute Occlusion of a Superior Vena Cava Stent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofue, Keitaro; Takeuchi, Yoshito; Arai, Yasuaki; Sugimura, Kazuro

2013-01-01

A71-year-old man with advanced lung cancer developed a life-threatening cerebral edema caused by the acute occlusion of a superior vena cava (SVC) stent and was successfully treated by an additional stent placement. Although stent occlusion is a common early complication, no life-threatening situations have been reported until now. Our experience highlights the fact that acute stent occlusion can potentially lead to the complete venous shutdown of the SVC, resulting in life-threatening cerebral edema, after SVC stent placement. Immediate diagnosis and countermeasures are required.

PROTECTION OF THREATENED WITNESSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Claudia CANTEMIR-STOICA

2016-05-01

Full Text Available First, I wish to make a presentation of historically institution and subsequently parallels between past and current regulators to expose whether the legislature has reached desire - namely ensuring effective protection of witnesses threatened and vulnerable. Also, I decided to analyze the topic from the perspective of the criminal procedural provisions of Law 682/2002 and witness protection, which are republished to expose the conditions and criteria by which to ensure this status. I also want to present besides theoretical and practical ways in which the National Office for Witness Protection gives effective legal provisions. Not least, I will bring criticism of current regulation and not by law ferenda proposals.

Plasma expansion: fundamentals and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engeln, R; Mazouffre, S; Vankan, P; Bakker, I; Schram, D C

2002-01-01

The study of plasma expansion is interesting from a fundamental point of view as well as from a more applied point of view. We here give a short overview of the way properties like density, velocity and temperature behave in an expanding thermal plasma. Experimental data show that the basic phenomena of plasma expansion are to some extent similar to those of the expansion of a hot neutral gas. From the application point of view, we present first results on the use of an expanding thermal plasma in the plasma-activated catalysis of ammonia, from N 2 -H 2 mixtures

On genus expansion of superpolynomials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mironov, Andrei, E-mail: mironov@itep.ru [Lebedev Physics Institute, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); ITEP, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation); Morozov, Alexei, E-mail: morozov@itep.ru [ITEP, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation); Sleptsov, Alexei, E-mail: sleptsov@itep.ru [ITEP, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation); Laboratory of Quantum Topology, Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk 454001 (Russian Federation); KdVI, University of Amsterdam (Netherlands); Smirnov, Andrey, E-mail: asmirnov@math.columbia.edu [ITEP, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation); Columbia University, Department of Mathematics, New York (United States)

2014-12-15

Recently it was shown that the (Ooguri–Vafa) generating function of HOMFLY polynomials is the Hurwitz partition function, i.e. that the dependence of the HOMFLY polynomials on representation R is naturally captured by symmetric group characters (cut-and-join eigenvalues). The genus expansion and expansion through Vassiliev invariants explicitly demonstrate this phenomenon. In the present paper we claim that the superpolynomials are not functions of such a type: symmetric group characters do not provide an adequate linear basis for their expansions. Deformation to superpolynomials is, however, straightforward in the multiplicative basis: the Casimir operators are β-deformed to Hamiltonians of the Calogero–Moser–Sutherland system. Applying this trick to the genus and Vassiliev expansions, we observe that the deformation is fully straightforward only for the thin knots. Beyond the family of thin knots additional algebraically independent terms appear in the Vassiliev and genus expansions. This can suggest that the superpolynomials do in fact contain more information about knots than the colored HOMFLY and Kauffman polynomials. However, even for the thin knots the beta-deformation is non-innocent: already in the simplest examples it seems inconsistent with the positivity of colored superpolynomials in non-(anti)symmetric representations, which also happens in I. Cherednik's (DAHA-based) approach to the torus knots.

7 CFR 650.22 - Rare, threatened, and endangered species of plants and animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Rare, threatened, and endangered species of plants and... Related Environmental Concerns § 650.22 Rare, threatened, and endangered species of plants and animals. (a) Background. (1) A variety of plant and animal species of the United States are so reduced in numbers that...

Threatened and endangered wildlife survey: Vacherie Dome area, Louisiana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

Review of the available literature concerning the previous distribution of animals now considered to be threatened or endangered suggests that the following species may once have occupied the project area in Webster and Bienville Parishes, Louisiana: Florida panther, bald eagle, Arctic peregrine falcon, red-cockaded woodpecker, ivory-billed woodpecker, red wolf, and Eskimo curlew. The Louisiana pine snake is not officially listed at this time although it is considered to be a candidate for inclusion on the federal list pending further research on its population and distribution. Based on previous experience within northwestern Louisiana and other recent evidence, it is concluded that the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is the only animal listed or proposed as threatened or endangered which may actually now be found there

Signature movements lead to efficient search for threatening actions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeroen J A van Boxtel

Full Text Available The ability to find and evade fighting persons in a crowd is potentially life-saving. To investigate how the visual system processes threatening actions, we employed a visual search paradigm with threatening boxer targets among emotionally-neutral walker distractors, and vice versa. We found that a boxer popped out for both intact and scrambled actions, whereas walkers did not. A reverse correlation analysis revealed that observers' responses clustered around the time of the "punch", a signature movement of boxing actions, but not around specific movements of the walker. These findings support the existence of a detector for signature movements in action perception. This detector helps in rapidly detecting aggressive behavior in a crowd, potentially through an expedited (subcortical threat-detection mechanism.

On summation of perturbation expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horzela, A.

1985-04-01

The problem of the restoration of physical quantities defined by divergent perturbation expansions is analysed. The Pad'e and Borel summability is proved for alternating perturbation expansions with factorially growing coefficients. The proof is based on the methods of the classical moments theory. 17 refs. (author)

OPEC future capacity expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandrea, I.

2005-01-01

This conference presentation examined OPEC future capacity expansions including highlights from 2000-2004 from the supply perspective and actions by OPEC; OPEC spare capacity in 2005/2006; medium-term capacity expansion and investments; long-term scenarios, challenges and opportunities; and upstream policies in member countries. Highlights from the supply perspective included worst than expected non-OPEC supply response; non-OPEC supply affected by a number of accidents and strikes; geopolitical tensions; and higher than expected demand for OPEC crude. OPEC's actions included closer relationship with other producers and consumers; capacity expansions in 2004 and 2005/2006; and OPEC kept the market well supplied with crude in 2004. The presentation also provided data using graphical charts on OPEC net capacity additions until 2005/2006; OPEC production versus spare capacity from 2003 to 2005; OPEC production and capacity to 2010; and change in required OPEC production from 2005-2020. Medium term expansion to 2010 includes over 60 projects. Medium-term risks such as project execution, financing, costs, demand, reserves, depletion, integration of Iraq, and geopolitical tensions were also discussed. The presentation concluded that in the long term, large uncertainties remain; the peak of world supply is not imminent; and continued and enhanced cooperation is essential to market stability. tabs., figs

On Learning Ring-Sum-Expansions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Paul; Simon, H. -U.

1992-01-01

The problem of learning ring-sum-expansions from examples is studied. Ring-sum-expansions (RSE) are representations of Boolean functions over the base {#123;small infinum, (+), 1}#125;, which reflect arithmetic operations in GF(2). k-RSE is the class of ring-sum-expansions containing only monomials...... of length at most k:. term-RSE is the class of ring-sum-expansions having at most I: monomials. It is shown that k-RSE, k>or=1, is learnable while k-term-RSE, k>2, is not learnable if RPnot=NP. Without using a complexity-theoretical hypothesis, it is proven that k-RSE, k>or=1, and k-term-RSE, k>or=2 cannot...... be learned from positive (negative) examples alone. However, if the restriction that the hypothesis which is output by the learning algorithm is also a k-RSE is suspended, then k-RSE is learnable from positive (negative) examples only. Moreover, it is proved that 2-term-RSE is learnable by a conjunction...

The bootstrap and edgeworth expansion

CERN Document Server

Hall, Peter

1992-01-01

This monograph addresses two quite different topics, in the belief that each can shed light on the other. Firstly, it lays the foundation for a particular view of the bootstrap. Secondly, it gives an account of Edgeworth expansion. Chapter 1 is about the bootstrap, witih almost no mention of Edgeworth expansion; Chapter 2 is about Edgeworth expansion, with scarcely a word about the bootstrap; and Chapters 3 and 4 bring these two themes together, using Edgeworth expansion to explore and develop the properites of the bootstrap. The book is aimed a a graduate level audience who has some exposure to the methods of theoretical statistics. However, technical details are delayed until the last chapter (entitled "Details of Mathematical Rogour"), and so a mathematically able reader without knowledge of the rigorous theory of probability will have no trouble understanding the first four-fifths of the book. The book simultaneously fills two gaps in the literature; it provides a very readable graduate level account of t...

Expansion on stromal cells preserves the undifferentiated state of human hematopoietic stem cells despite compromised reconstitution ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnusson, Mattias; Sierra, Maria I; Sasidharan, Rajkumar; Prashad, Sacha L; Romero, Melissa; Saarikoski, Pamela; Van Handel, Ben; Huang, Andy; Li, Xinmin; Mikkola, Hanna K A

2013-01-01

Lack of HLA-matched hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) limits the number of patients with life-threatening blood disorders that can be treated by HSC transplantation. So far, insufficient understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing human HSC has precluded the development of effective protocols for culturing HSC for therapeutic use and molecular studies. We defined a culture system using OP9M2 mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) stroma that protects human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) from differentiation and apoptosis. In addition, it facilitates a dramatic expansion of multipotent progenitors that retain the immunophenotype (CD34+CD38-CD90+) characteristic of human HSPC and proliferative potential over several weeks in culture. In contrast, transplantable HSC could be maintained, but not significantly expanded, during 2-week culture. Temporal analysis of the transcriptome of the ex vivo expanded CD34+CD38-CD90+ cells documented remarkable stability of most transcriptional regulators known to govern the undifferentiated HSC state. Nevertheless, it revealed dynamic fluctuations in transcriptional programs that associate with HSC behavior and may compromise HSC function, such as dysregulation of PBX1 regulated genetic networks. This culture system serves now as a platform for modeling human multilineage hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell hierarchy and studying the complex regulation of HSC identity and function required for successful ex vivo expansion of transplantable HSC.

Expansion on stromal cells preserves the undifferentiated state of human hematopoietic stem cells despite compromised reconstitution ability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mattias Magnusson

Full Text Available Lack of HLA-matched hematopoietic stem cells (HSC limits the number of patients with life-threatening blood disorders that can be treated by HSC transplantation. So far, insufficient understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing human HSC has precluded the development of effective protocols for culturing HSC for therapeutic use and molecular studies. We defined a culture system using OP9M2 mesenchymal stem cell (MSC stroma that protects human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC from differentiation and apoptosis. In addition, it facilitates a dramatic expansion of multipotent progenitors that retain the immunophenotype (CD34+CD38-CD90+ characteristic of human HSPC and proliferative potential over several weeks in culture. In contrast, transplantable HSC could be maintained, but not significantly expanded, during 2-week culture. Temporal analysis of the transcriptome of the ex vivo expanded CD34+CD38-CD90+ cells documented remarkable stability of most transcriptional regulators known to govern the undifferentiated HSC state. Nevertheless, it revealed dynamic fluctuations in transcriptional programs that associate with HSC behavior and may compromise HSC function, such as dysregulation of PBX1 regulated genetic networks. This culture system serves now as a platform for modeling human multilineage hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell hierarchy and studying the complex regulation of HSC identity and function required for successful ex vivo expansion of transplantable HSC.

Fuel Thermal Expansion (FTHEXP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reymann, G.A.

1978-07-01

A model is presented which deals with dimensional changes in LWR fuel pellets caused by changes in temperature. It is capable of dealing with any combination of UO 2 and PuO 2 in solid, liquid or mixed phase states, and includes expansion due to the solid-liquid phase change. The function FTHEXP models fuel thermal expansion as a function of temperature, fraction of PuO 2 , and the fraction of fuel which is molten

Node-Expansion Operators for the UCT Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Yajima, Takayuki; Hashimoto, Tsuyoshi; Matsui, Toshiki; Hashimoto, Junichi; Spoerer, Kristian

Recent works on the MCTS and UCT framework in the domain of Go focused on introducing knowledge to the playout and on pruning variations from the tree, but so far node expansion has not been investigated. In this paper we show that delaying expansion according to the number of the siblings delivers a gain of more than 92% when compared to normal expansion. We propose three improvements; one that uses domain knowledge and two that are domain-independent methods. Experimental results show that all advanced operators significantly improve the UCT performance when compared to the basic delaying expansion. From the results we may conclude that the new expansion operators are an appropriate means to improve the UCT algorithm.

Threatened fish and fishers along the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Coast.

Science.gov (United States)

Begossi, Alpina; Salivonchyk, Svetlana; Hallwass, Gustavo; Hanazaki, Natalia; Lopes, Priscila F M; Silvano, Renato A M

2017-12-01

Small-scale fisheries of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Coast (BAFC) depend on fish resources for food and income. Thus, if the catch diminishes or if fish species that are a target for fishers are overexploited or impacted, this could affect fishers' livelihoods. The exclusion of threatened fish species from the catch is believed to be a threat to small-scale fisheries, which is likely to be the case along the BAFC. Many fish species are currently listed as threatened or vulnerable, whereas there is not enough biological information available to determine the status of the majority of the other species. Failure to protect the BAFC biodiversity might negatively impact fishers' income and the regional economy of local small-scale fisheries. We collected data from 1986 to 2009 through 347 interviews and 24-h food recall surveys at seven southeastern coastal sites of the Atlantic Forest. We show that important species of consumed fish are currently threatened: of the 65 species mentioned by fishers as the most consumed fishes, 33% are decreasing and 54% have an unknown status. Thus, biological and ecological data for BAFC marine species are urgently needed, along with co-management, to promote fish conservation.

Management of Maritime Communities for Threatened and Endangered Species

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gehlhausen, Sophia

1998-01-01

...). Since the DoD mission has not required large-scale urbanization of the coast, these ecosystems also provide high quality habitat for several federally threatened and endangered plant and animal species (TES...

Thermal expansion in small metallic particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, A.S.

1985-01-01

An anomalously low thermal expansion observable in small particles is attributed to extending effect of the shell. It is shown that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the oxide-film-coated aluminium particles calculated using elastic constants and coefficients of thermal expansion of massive materials agres well with those measured experimentally. The linear dilatation of the shell, its stress to rupture and the values of the structural tension are estimated vs the temperature

Dataset of herbarium specimens of threatened vascular plants in Catalonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Nualart, Neus; Ibáñez, Neus; Luque, Pere; Pedrol, Joan; Vilar, Lluís; Guàrdia, Roser

2017-01-01

This data paper describes a specimens' dataset of the Catalonian threatened vascular plants conserved in five public Catalonian herbaria (BC, BCN, HGI, HBIL and MTTE). Catalonia is an administrative region of Spain that includes large autochthon plants diversity and 199 taxa with IUCN threatened categories (EX, EW, RE, CR, EN and VU). This dataset includes 1,618 records collected from 17 th century to nowadays. For each specimen, the species name, locality indication, collection date, collector, ecology and revision label are recorded. More than 94% of the taxa are represented in the herbaria, which evidence the paper of the botanical collections as an essential source of occurrence data.

[Tissular expansion in giant congenital nevi treatment].

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen Van Nuoi, V; Francois-Fiquet, C; Diner, P; Sergent, B; Zazurca, F; Franchi, G; Buis, J; Vazquez, M-P; Picard, A; Kadlub, N

2014-08-01

Surgical management of giant melanotic naevi remains a surgical challenge. Tissue expansion provides tissue of the same quality for the repair of defects. The aim of this study is to review tissular expansion for giant melanotic naevi. We conducted a retrospective study from 2000 to 2012. All children patients who underwent a tissular expansion for giant congenital naevi had been included. Epidemiological data, surgical procedure, complication rate and results had been analysed. Thirty-tree patients had been included; they underwent 61 procedures with 79 tissular-expansion prosthesis. Previous surgery, mostly simple excision had been performed before tissular expansion. Complete naevus excision had been performed in 63.3% of the cases. Complications occurred in 45% of the cases, however in 50% of them were minor. Iterative surgery increased the complication rate. Tissular expansion is a valuable option for giant congenital naevus. However, complication rate remained high, especially when iterative surgery is needed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Negative thermal expansion in functional materials: controllable thermal expansion by chemical modifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jun; Hu, Lei; Deng, Jinxia; Xing, Xianran

2015-06-07

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is an intriguing physical property of solids, which is a consequence of a complex interplay among the lattice, phonons, and electrons. Interestingly, a large number of NTE materials have been found in various types of functional materials. In the last two decades good progress has been achieved to discover new phenomena and mechanisms of NTE. In the present review article, NTE is reviewed in functional materials of ferroelectrics, magnetics, multiferroics, superconductors, temperature-induced electron configuration change and so on. Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) of functional materials is emphasized due to the importance for practical applications. The NTE functional materials present a general physical picture to reveal a strong coupling role between physical properties and NTE. There is a general nature of NTE for both ferroelectrics and magnetics, in which NTE is determined by either ferroelectric order or magnetic one. In NTE functional materials, a multi-way to control thermal expansion can be established through the coupling roles of ferroelectricity-NTE, magnetism-NTE, change of electron configuration-NTE, open-framework-NTE, and so on. Chemical modification has been proved to be an effective method to control thermal expansion. Finally, challenges and questions are discussed for the development of NTE materials. There remains a challenge to discover a "perfect" NTE material for each specific application for chemists. The future studies on NTE functional materials will definitely promote the development of NTE materials.

Applications of the large mass expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleischer, J.; Kotikov, A.V.; ); Veretin, O.L.

1998-01-01

The method of the large mass expansion (LME) is investigated for selfenergy and vertex functions in two-loop order. It has the technical advantage that in many cases the expansion coefficients can be expressed analytically. As long as only one non-zero external momentum squared, q 2 , is involved also the Taylor expansion (TE) w.r.t. small q 2 yields high precision results in a domain sufficient for most applications. In the case of only one non-zero mass M and only one external momentum squared, the expansion w.r.t. q 2 /M 2 is identical for the TE and the LME. In this case the combined techniques yield analytic expressions for many diagrams, which are quite easy to handle numerically. (author)

Phylogenetic Signal of Threatening Processes among Hylids: The Need for Clade-Level Conservation Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah J. Corey

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Rapid, global declines among amphibians are partly alarming because many occur for apparently unknown or enigmatic reasons. Moreover, the relationship between phylogeny and enigmatic declines in higher clades of the amphibian phylogeny appears at first to be an intractable problem. I present a working solution by assessing threatening processes potentially underlying enigmatic declines in the family, Hylidae. Applying comparative methods that account for various evolutionary scenarios, I find extreme concentrations of threatening processes, including pollution and habitat loss, in the clade Hylini, potentially influenced by traits under selection. The analysis highlights hotspots of declines under phylogenetic influence in the genera Isthmohyla, Plectrohyla and Ptychohyla, and geographically in Mexico and Guatemala. The conservation implications of concentrated phylogenetic influence across multiple threatening processes are twofold: Data Deficient species of threatened clades should be prioritized in future surveys and, perhaps, a greater vulnerability should be assigned to such clades for further consideration of clade-level conservation priorities.

Hematoma Expansion Following Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Science.gov (United States)

Brouwers, H. Bart; Greenberg, Steven M.

2013-01-01

Intracerebral hemorrhage, the most devastating form of stroke, has no specific therapy proven to improve outcome by randomized controlled trial. Location and baseline hematoma volume are strong predictors of mortality, but are non-modifiable by the time of diagnosis. Expansion of the initial hematoma is a further marker of poor prognosis that may be at least partly preventable. Several risk factors for hematoma expansion have been identified, including baseline ICH volume, early presentation after symptom onset, anticoagulation, and the CT angiography spot sign. Although the biological mechanisms of hematoma expansion remain unclear, accumulating evidence supports a model of ongoing secondary bleeding from ruptured adjacent vessels surrounding the initial bleeding site. Several large clinical trials testing therapies aimed at preventing hematoma expansion are in progress, including aggressive blood pressure reduction, treatment with recombinant factor VIIa guided by CT angiography findings, and surgical intervention for superficial hematomas without intraventricular extension. Hematoma expansion is so far the only marker of outcome that is amenable to treatment and thus a potentially important therapeutic target. PMID:23466430

Identification of invasive and expansive plant species based on airborne hyperspectral and ALS data

Science.gov (United States)

Szporak-Wasilewska, Sylwia; Kuc, Gabriela; Jóźwiak, Jacek; Demarchi, Luca; Chormański, Jarosław; Marcinkowska-Ochtyra, Adriana; Ochtyra, Adrian; Jarocińska, Anna; Sabat, Anita; Zagajewski, Bogdan; Tokarska-Guzik, Barbara; Bzdęga, Katarzyna; Pasierbiński, Andrzej; Fojcik, Barbara; Jędrzejczyk-Korycińska, Monika; Kopeć, Dominik; Wylazłowska, Justyna; Woziwoda, Beata; Michalska-Hejduk, Dorota; Halladin-Dąbrowska, Anna

2017-04-01

The aim of Natura 2000 network is to ensure the long term survival of most valuable and threatened species and habitats in Europe. The encroachment of invasive alien and expansive native plant species is among the most essential threat that can cause significant damage to protected habitats and their biodiversity. The phenomenon requires comprehensive and efficient repeatable solutions that can be applied to various areas in order to assess the impact on habitats. The aim of this study is to investigate of the issue of invasive and expansive plant species as they affect protected areas at a larger scale of Natura 2000 network in Poland. In order to determine the scale of the problem we have been developing methods of identification of invasive and expansive species and then detecting their occurrence and mapping their distribution in selected protected areas within Natura 2000 network using airborne hyperspectral and airborne laser scanning data. The aerial platform used consists of hyperspectral HySpex scanner (451 bands in VNIR and SWIR), Airborne Laser Scanner (FWF) Riegl Lite Mapper and RGB camera. It allowed to obtain simultaneous 1 meter resolution hyperspectral image, 0.1 m resolution orthophotomaps and point cloud data acquired with 7 points/m2. Airborne images were acquired three times per year during growing season to account for plant seasonal change (in May/June, July/August and September/October 2016). The hyperspectral images were radiometrically, geometrically and atmospherically corrected. Atmospheric correction was performed and validated using ASD FieldSpec 4 measurements. ALS point cloud data were used to generate several different topographic, vegetation and intensity products with 1 m spatial resolution. Acquired data (both hyperspectral and ALS) were used to test different classification methods including Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering (MTMF), Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machines (SVM), among others

Misdiagnosed Ovarian Pregnancy to Threatened Abortion: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roghaieh Rahmani Beilondi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study is about a patient with a history of infertility and polycystic ovarian disease who was admitted with spotting and severe abdominal pain, There was one misdiagnosis about this patient and progesterone was prescribed for treating of threatened abortion, following transvaginal ultrasound, one heterogeneous echogenic mass with dimensions of 5.8 × 18 in the vicinity of the left ovary was reported in favor of ectopic pregnancy. The patient was hospitalized and treated with methotrexate with diagnosis of an ovarian ectopic pregnancy. Pregnant women with complaints of bleeding and spotting in early pregnancy should be evaluated in terms of ectopic pregnancy in addition of abortion and molar pregnancy. The aim of this study was to introduce a new case of misdiagnosed ovarian pregnancy instead of threatened abortion.

Net Effects of Ecotourism on Threatened Species Survival.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ralf C Buckley

Full Text Available Many threatened species rely on ecotourism for conservation funding, but simultaneously suffer direct ecological impacts from ecotourism. For a range of IUCN-Redlisted terrestrial and marine bird and mammal species worldwide, we use population viability analyses to calculate the net effects of ecotourism on expected time to extinction, in the presence of other anthropogenic threats such as poaching, primary industries and habitat loss. Species for which these calculations are currently possible, for one or more subpopulations, include: orangutan, hoolock gibbon, golden lion tamarin, cheetah, African wild dog, New Zealand sealion, great green macaw, Egyptian vulture, and African penguin. For some but not all of these species, tourism can extend expected survival time, i.e., benefits outweigh impacts. Precise outcomes depend strongly on population parameters and starting sizes, predation, and ecotourism scale and mechanisms. Tourism does not currently overcome other major conservation threats associated with natural resource extractive industries. Similar calculations for other threatened species are currently limited by lack of basic population data.

Net Effects of Ecotourism on Threatened Species Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Ralf C; Morrison, Clare; Castley, J Guy

2016-01-01

Many threatened species rely on ecotourism for conservation funding, but simultaneously suffer direct ecological impacts from ecotourism. For a range of IUCN-Redlisted terrestrial and marine bird and mammal species worldwide, we use population viability analyses to calculate the net effects of ecotourism on expected time to extinction, in the presence of other anthropogenic threats such as poaching, primary industries and habitat loss. Species for which these calculations are currently possible, for one or more subpopulations, include: orangutan, hoolock gibbon, golden lion tamarin, cheetah, African wild dog, New Zealand sealion, great green macaw, Egyptian vulture, and African penguin. For some but not all of these species, tourism can extend expected survival time, i.e., benefits outweigh impacts. Precise outcomes depend strongly on population parameters and starting sizes, predation, and ecotourism scale and mechanisms. Tourism does not currently overcome other major conservation threats associated with natural resource extractive industries. Similar calculations for other threatened species are currently limited by lack of basic population data.

Sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy at presentation to screening services in Fiji.

Science.gov (United States)

Damato, Erika M; Murray, Neil; Szetu, John; Sikivou, Biu Telaite; Emma, Stephanie; McGhee, Charles N J

2014-10-01

To report the spectrum of retinopathy at first presentation to photoscreening services, to determine the proportion of patients that present with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR), and to raise awareness of the burden of diabetic eye disease in Fiji. This retrospective observational cohort study used data from the initial visit of all new patients presenting to the diabetes retinal screening service at the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji over the 3-month period between July and September 2012. Patients were assessed using a detailed questionnaire regarding diabetes type, duration of disease, medications, complications and co-morbidities, and blood sugar control. Patients subsequently underwent non-mydriatic fundus photography according to Pacific diabetes retinal screening guidelines. Images were graded at the time of acquisition, and data were entered onto a computerized database. For the purposes of this study, information regarding retinopathy grading, visual acuity and patient demographics was used. A total of 522 new patients were screened over the 3-month period. STDR was observed in 27% of patients, with 15% observed to have bilateral STDR. Diabetes control was generally poor. Blindness and visual impairment were observed in 2.7% and 6.7% of the cohort, respectively. Severe and advanced diabetic retinopathy was present in this population presenting to screening. This was observed 4 years after the formal expansion of the screening services and reflects the high prevalence of diabetes in the population. The need for increased public awareness and greater resource allocation into diabetes and its complications is emphasized.

Renormalization group and mayer expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, G.

1984-01-01

Mayer expansions promise to become a powerful tool in exact renormalization group calculations. Iterated Mayer expansions were sucessfully used in the rigorous analysis of 3-dimensional U (1) lattice gauge theory by Gopfert and the author, and it is hoped that they will also be useful in the 2-dimensional nonlinear σ-model, and elsewhere

Asymptotic expansions for high-contrast elliptic equations

KAUST Repository

Calo, Victor M.; Efendiev, Yalchin R.; Galvis, Juan

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present a high-order expansion for elliptic equations in high-contrast media. The background conductivity is taken to be one and we assume the medium contains high (or low) conductivity inclusions. We derive an asymptotic expansion with respect to the contrast and provide a procedure to compute the terms in the expansion. The computation of the expansion does not depend on the contrast which is important for simulations. The latter allows avoiding increased mesh resolution around high conductivity features. This work is partly motivated by our earlier work in [Domain decomposition preconditioners for multiscale flows in high-contrast media, Multiscale Model Simul. 8 (2010) 1461-1483] where we design efficient numerical procedures for solving high-contrast problems. These multiscale approaches require local solutions and our proposed high-order expansion can be used to approximate these local solutions inexpensively. In the case of a large-number of inclusions, the proposed analysis can help to design localization techniques for computing the terms in the expansion. In the paper, we present a rigorous analysis of the proposed high-order expansion and estimate the remainder of it. We consider both high-and low-conductivity inclusions. © 2014 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Asymptotic expansions for high-contrast elliptic equations

KAUST Repository

Calo, Victor M.

2014-03-01

In this paper, we present a high-order expansion for elliptic equations in high-contrast media. The background conductivity is taken to be one and we assume the medium contains high (or low) conductivity inclusions. We derive an asymptotic expansion with respect to the contrast and provide a procedure to compute the terms in the expansion. The computation of the expansion does not depend on the contrast which is important for simulations. The latter allows avoiding increased mesh resolution around high conductivity features. This work is partly motivated by our earlier work in [Domain decomposition preconditioners for multiscale flows in high-contrast media, Multiscale Model Simul. 8 (2010) 1461-1483] where we design efficient numerical procedures for solving high-contrast problems. These multiscale approaches require local solutions and our proposed high-order expansion can be used to approximate these local solutions inexpensively. In the case of a large-number of inclusions, the proposed analysis can help to design localization techniques for computing the terms in the expansion. In the paper, we present a rigorous analysis of the proposed high-order expansion and estimate the remainder of it. We consider both high-and low-conductivity inclusions. © 2014 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Crude oil pipeline expansion summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-02-01

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has been working with producers to address issues associated with the development of new pipeline capacity from western Canada. This document presents an assessment of the need for additional oil pipeline capacity given the changing mix of crude oil types and forecasted supply growth. It is of particular interest to crude oil producers and contributes to current available information for market participants. While detailed, the underlying analysis does not account for all the factors that may come into play when individual market participants make choices about which expansions they may support. The key focus is on the importance of timely expansion. It was emphasized that if pipeline expansions lags the crude supply growth, then the consequences would be both significant and unacceptable. Obstacles to timely expansion are also discussed. The report reviews the production and supply forecasts, the existing crude oil pipeline infrastructure, opportunities for new market development, requirements for new pipeline capacity and tolling options for pipeline development. tabs., figs., 1 appendix

Expansion dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoll, J.

1985-10-01

A quantum dynamical model is suggested which describes the expansion and disassembly phase of highly excited compounds formed in energetic heavy-ion collisions. First applications in two space and one time dimensional model world are discussed and qualitatively compared to standard freeze-out concepts. (orig.)

Spatial Linkage and Urban Expansion: AN Urban Agglomeration View

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, L. M.; Tang, X.; Liu, X. P.

2017-09-01

Urban expansion displays different characteristics in each period. From the perspective of the urban agglomeration, studying the spatial and temporal characteristics of urban expansion plays an important role in understanding the complex relationship between urban expansion and network structure of urban agglomeration. We analyze urban expansion in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRD) through accessibility to and spatial interaction intensity from core cities as well as accessibility of road network. Results show that: (1) Correlation between urban expansion intensity and spatial indicators such as location and space syntax variables is remarkable and positive, while it decreases after rapid expansion. (2) Urban expansion velocity displays a positive correlation with spatial indicators mentioned above in the first (1980-1990) and second (1990-2000) period. However, it exhibits a negative relationship in the third period (2000-2010), i.e., cities located in the periphery of urban agglomeration developing more quickly. Consequently, the hypothesis of convergence of urban expansion in rapid expansion stage is put forward. (3) Results of Zipf's law and Gibrat's law show urban expansion in YRD displays a convergent trend in rapid expansion stage, small and medium-sized cities growing faster. This study shows that spatial linkage plays an important but evolving role in urban expansion within the urban agglomeration. In addition, it serves as a reference to the planning of Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration and regulation of urban expansion of other urban agglomerations.

Magnetized relativistic electron-ion plasma expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Benkhelifa, El-Amine; Djebli, Mourad

2016-03-01

The dynamics of relativistic laser-produced plasma expansion across a transverse magnetic field is investigated. Based on a one dimensional two-fluid model that includes pressure, enthalpy, and rest mass energy, the expansion is studied in the limit of λD (Debye length) ≤RL (Larmor radius) for magnetized electrons and ions. Numerical investigation conducted for a quasi-neutral plasma showed that the σ parameter describing the initial plasma magnetization, and the plasma β parameter, which is the ratio of kinetic to magnetic pressure are the key parameters governing the expansion dynamics. For σ ≪ 1, ion's front shows oscillations associated to the break-down of quasi-neutrality. This is due to the strong constraining effect and confinement of the magnetic field, which acts as a retarding medium slowing the plasma expansion.

Life threatening arrhythmias: Knowledge and skills among nurses ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: Although the majority of the participants scored highly in their level of knowledge regarding life threatening arrhythmias, they scored poorly in most of the observed skills when identifying and treating this patient group. It is important that hospital administration take into consideration the identified areas of ...

Renormalization group and Mayer expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, G.

1984-02-01

Mayer expansions promise to become a powerful tool in exact renormalization group calculations. Iterated Mayer expansions were sucessfully used in the rigorous analysis of 3-dimensional U(1) lattice gauge theory by Goepfert and the author, and it is hoped that they will also be useful in the 2-dimensional nonlinear sigma-model, and elsewhere. (orig.)

expansion method

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

of a system under investigation is to model the system in terms of some ... The organization of the paper is as follows: In §2, a brief account of the (G /G)- expansion ...... It is interesting to note that from the general results, one can easily recover.

Investing in threatened species conservation: does corruption outweigh purchasing power?

Science.gov (United States)

Garnett, Stephen T; Joseph, Liana N; Watson, James E M; Zander, Kerstin K

2011-01-01

In many sectors, freedom in capital flow has allowed optimization of investment returns through choosing sites that provide the best value for money. These returns, however, can be compromised in countries where corruption is prevalent. We assessed where the best value for money might be obtained for investment in threatened species that occur at a single site, when taking into account corruption. We found that the influence of corruption on potential investment decisions was outweighed by the likely value for money in terms of pricing parity. Nevertheless global conservation is likely to get best returns in terms of threatened species security by investing in "honest" countries than in corrupt ones, particularly those with a high cost of living.

Expansion of Tubular with Elastomers in Multilateral Wells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Velden

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The use of solid expandable tubular technology during the last decade has focused on solving many challenges in well drilling and delivery including zonal isolation, deep drilling, conservation of hole sizes, etc. not only as pioneered solution but also providing cost effective and long lasting solutions. Concurrently, the technology was extended for construction of multilateral in typical wells. The process of horizontal tubular expansion is similar to the vertical expansion of expandable tubular in down-hole environment with the addition of uniformly distributed force due to its weight. The expansion is targeted to increase its diameter such that post expansion characteristics remain within allowable limits. In this study a typical expandable tubular of 57.15 mm outer diameter and 6.35 mm wall thickness was used with two different elastomer seals of 5 and 7 mm thickness placed at equal spacing of 200 mm. The developed stress contours during expansion process clearly showed the high stress areas in the vicinity of expansion region which lies around the mandrel. These high stresses may result in excessive wear of the mandrel. It was also found out that the drawing force increases as the mandrel angle, expansion ratio, and friction coefficient increases. A mandrel angle of 20o  requires minimum expansion force and can be considered as an optimum geometrical parameter to lower the power required for expansion.

Assessment of the fetomaternal circulation in threatened abortion by transvaginal color Doppler.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurjak, A; Zudenigo, D; Predanic, M; Kupesic, S; Funduk, B

1994-01-01

Transvaginal color Doppler was used to investigate blood flow in the fetomaternal circulation of 60 women with threatened abortion and 90 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy. The obtained Doppler sonograms were analyzed and the resistance index (RI) was calculated in the maternal circulation, while in the fetal circulation the pulsatility index (PI) was used. There was no significant difference in the RI values of the maternal circulation between women with normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by bleeding, but with normal pregnancy outcome (p > 0.05). No differences in RI values of the uterine, arcuate and radial arteries were found between pregnancies with threatened abortion and normal pregnancy outcome and women with abnormal outcome (p > 0.05). In 9 of 21 women with visible retrochorionic hematoma, the RI of the spiral arteries was higher on the hematoma side in comparison to the opposite side (p abortion, the RI of the spiral arteries was lower in comparison to the control group. Such findings could be caused by the vasodilatating products of inflammation which probably exist in such areas. There was no significant difference in terms of the PI of fetal blood vessels between normal pregnancy and threatened abortions with normal outcome, as well as between threatened abortions with normal outcome and subsequent abortions of live fetuses (p > 0.05).

Adiabatic supernova expansion into the circumstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Band, D.L.; Liang, E.P.

1987-01-01

We perform one dimensional numerical simulations with a Lagrangian hydrodynamics code of the adiabatic expansion of a supernova into the surrounding medium. The early expansion follows Chevalier's analytic self-similar solution until the reverse shock reaches the ejecta core. We follow the expansion as it evolves towards the adiabatic blast wave phase. Some memory of the earlier phases of expansion is retained in the interior even when the outer regions expand as a blast wave. We find the results are sensitive to the initial configuration of the ejecta and to the placement of gridpoints. 6 refs., 2 figs

78 FR 48943 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Act Listing Determination for...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-12

... Atmospheric Administration Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Act Listing...; Endangered Species Act Listing Determination for Alewife and Blueback Herring AGENCY: National Marine... (Alosa aestivalis) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) throughout all or a significant...

77 FR 16554 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Receipt of Applications for Incidental Take...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-21

... nesting habitat of endangered and threatened sea turtle species in Sarasota County, Florida, for the... nesting habitat of the threatened loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), endangered leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), endangered hawksbill sea...

76 FR 74070 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-30

... Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Dated: November 21, 2011. Lynn M. Lewis...-FF03E00000] Endangered and Threatened Species; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION... permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species under the authority of the Endangered...

78 FR 9415 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-08

...). Authority: The authority for this notice is the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531...-FF03E00000] Endangered and Threatened Species; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION... permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species under the authority of the Endangered...

Life threatening spinal shock and complete neurological recovery ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mild to moderate trauma to the spinal cord that is complicated by existing cervical canal stenosis or spondylosis can be a life threatening event. It is against this background that we present a 41 year old male with cervical spinal stenosis who developed marked quadriparesis and respiratory embarrassment following ...

Breeding distribution and ecology of the threatened Madagascar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Madagascar Plover Charadrius thoracicus is a threatened wader endemic to Madagascar. We report the first detailed study of its distribution and breeding ecology. Madagascar Plovers breed on the west coast of Madagascar between the Mahavavy delta in the north and Fort-Dauphin in the south-east. Between 2002 ...

EURO BÖLGESİ BORÇ KRİZİ İLE AVRUPA DÖVİZ KURU MEKANİZMASI KRİZİNİN KARŞILAŞTIRMALI ANALİZİ

OpenAIRE

BAYAR, Yrd.Doç.Dr.Yılmaz

2014-01-01

European integration process has reached stage of economic and monetary union nowadays. European Union met European Exchange-Rate Mechanism crisis and the ongoing Eurozone sovereign debt crisis during this integration process. Although European Exchange-Rate Mechanism crisis is a currency crisis which arose from a speculative attacks to foreign exchange rates and Eurozone sovereign debt crisis is a debt crisis which has arisen from the negative effects of global financial crisis, differences ...

The Ukrainian Crisis and European Security: Implications for the United States and U.S. Army

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

14 Chris Giles and Stefan Wagstyl, “IMF Warns of Third Eurozone Recession Since Finan- cial Crisis,” Financial Times, October 8, 2014. 15 Ulrich...Jones, and Kathrin Hille, “Russian Air Incursions Rattle Baltic States,” Financial Times, September 25, 2014. 25 Andrew Higgins , “Tensions Surge in...Opening of the Munich Security Conference, January 31, 2014. Giles, Chris , and Stefan Wagstyl, “IMF Warns of Third Eurozone Recession Since Financial

Decennial plan of expansion 1994-2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-12-01

The Decennial Plan of Expansion 1994-2003 of Electric sector reproduces the results of the studies occurred during the planning cycle of 1992/93 from the Coordinator Groups of the Electric System Planning. Based in the market forecasting, economic-financier and time for finishing the the works, the Decennial Plan of Expansion presents the schedule of the main generation and transmission works for the next ten years, the annual spend in generation, transmission and distribution, the costs of expansion and the evaluation of attending conditions in electric system in Brazil. (C.G.C.)

In vitro evaluation of force-expansion characteristics in a newly designed orthodontic expansion screw compared to conventional screws

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oshagh Morteza

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objective : Expansion screws like Hyrax, Haas and other types, produce heavy interrupted forces which are unfavorable for dental movement and could be harmful to the tooth and periodontium. The other disadvantage of these screws is the need for patient cooperation for their regular activation. The purpose of this study was to design a screw and compare its force- expansion curve with other types. Materials and Methods : A new screw was designed and fabricated in the same dimension, with conventional types, with the ability of 8 mm expansion (Free wire length: 12 mm, initial compression: 4.5 mm, spring wire diameter: 0.4 mm, spring diameter: 3 mm, number of the coils: n0 ine, material: s0 tainless steel. In this in vitro study, the new screw was placed in an acrylic orthodontic appliance, and after mounting on a stone cast, the force-expansion curve was evaluated by a compression test machine and compared to other screws. Results : Force-expansion curve of designed screw had a flatter inclination compared to other screws. Generally it produced a light continuous force (two to 3.5 pounds for every 4 mm of expansion. Conclusion : In comparison with heavy and interrupted forces of other screws, the newly designed screw created light and continuous forces.

Cesarean Delivery for a Life‑threatening Preterm Placental Abruption

African Journals Online (AJOL)

exact etiology is still unclear, however, associated risk factors include maternal hypertension, advanced maternal age, polyhydramnios, multiparity, abdominal trauma, intrauterine growth restriction, intrauterine infection, premature rupture of membranes, threatened miscarriage, and cocaine abuse.[6]. According to Sher and ...

Financing electricity expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyman, L.S.

1994-01-01

Expansion of electricity supply is associated with economic development. The installation and enlargement of power systems in developing countries entails a huge financial burden, however. Energy consumers in such countries must pay not only for supplies but for the cost of raising the capital for expansion on the international markets. Estimates are presented for the capital expenditure for electricity supply over the period 1990 to 2020 for the major world regions, using approximations for the cost of plant and capital and for the returns earned. These data lead to the conclusion that the five regions with the lowest per capita incomes are those which will need the major part of the capital expenditure and the highest percentage of external finance. (6 tables) (UK)

Preparation of Shrinkage Compensating Concrete with HCSA Expansive Agent

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Changcheng; Jia, Fujia

2017-10-01

Shrinkage compensating concrete (SCC) has become one of the best effective methods of preventing and reducing concrete cracking. SCC is prepared by HCSA high performance expansive agent for concrete which restrained expansion rate is optimized by 0.057%. Slump, compressive strength, restrained expansion rate and cracking resistance test were carried out on SCC. The results show that the initial slump of fresh SCC was about 220mm-230mm, while slump after 2 hours was 180mm-200mm. The restrained expansion rate of SCC increased with the mixing amount of expansive agent. After cured in water for 14 days, the restrained expansion rate of C35 and C40 SCC were 0.020%-0.032%. With the dosage of expansive agent increasing, restrained expansion rate of SCC increased, maximum compressive stress and cracking stress improved, cracking temperature fell, thus cracking resistance got effectively improvement.

Use of expansion joints in power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birker; Rommerswinkel.

1976-01-01

The paper discusses the mode of action of different systems of expansion joints. Special regard is given to the problems of expansion of pipelines of high rated diameter as employed in today's large power plant turbines. Due to the limited space available, the important role of the spring rate of the bellows for the reaction forces and moments acting on the connection points is pointed out. Apart from this details are given on the fabrication and materials selection of expansion joint bellows, and problems are discussed which arise in connection with the mechanical or hydraulic deformation of bellows with one or more walls. The non-destructive methods now in use for the testing of expansion pipe joints are mentioned along with experiments to test their behaviour under changing loads. The paper concludes on some remarks concerning proper transport, storage and installation of expansion pipe joints. (orig./AK) [de

[Pre-hospital management of adults with life-threatening emergencies].

Science.gov (United States)

Wattel, Francis; Dubois, François

2012-01-01

In France, acute life-threatening situations are handled by the French Secours a Personne (assistance to persons) and emergency medical facilities. An unequivocal success, this early management of life-threatening emergency situations relies upon centralized call reception, medical dispatching, and immediate on-site emergency medical care. We describe the different emergency care providers and steps involved in the response to emergency situations. Each call centre (Samu, phone number 15; Sapeurs-Pompiers, 18) provides a response tailored to the nature of incoming calls for assistance. A check-list of grounds for an "automatic response" by the SDIS (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours--the French fire brigade) is in use, ensuring that firefighters are often the first on the spot, while the knowledge and skills of the dispatching physician are essential to ascertain the patient's needs, to preserve life and vital functions, and to ensure the patient is sent to the appropriate emergency healthcare facility. In life-threatening emergency situations, patients must be brought straight to the appropriate reference emergency healthcare facility, as quickly as possible, without prior admittance to an emergency department. This is the procedure for extremely acute emergency situations in the following areas: trauma (multiple trauma and/or uncontrolled bleeding, spinal cord trauma), delivery bleeding, other life-threatening situations such as ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrest (sudden death), cerebrovascular stroke and ensuing brain damage, some acute respiratory situations such as anaphylactic shock, foreign-body inhalation, electrocution, drowning, drug overdose, certain forms of poisoning, and conditions requiring initial hyperbaric oxygen (diving accidents, acute carbon monoxide and smoke poisoning). The reasons for suboptimal emergency care in life-threatening situations are currently a major issue, with medical facilities being reduced in some areas

76 FR 15932 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Listing of Nine Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-22

... Loggerhead Sea Turtles as Endangered or Threatened AGENCIES: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, as endangered or threatened... populations of loggerhead sea turtle'' as an endangered species under the ESA. NMFS published a notice in the...

Chromatic Derivatives, Chromatic Expansions and Associated Spaces

OpenAIRE

Ignjatovic, Aleksandar

2009-01-01

This paper presents the basic properties of chromatic derivatives and chromatic expansions and provides an appropriate motivation for introducing these notions. Chromatic derivatives are special, numerically robust linear differential operators which correspond to certain families of orthogonal polynomials. Chromatic expansions are series of the corresponding special functions, which possess the best features of both the Taylor and the Shannon expansions. This makes chromatic derivatives and ...

Warp drive with zero expansion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natario, Jose [Department of Mathematics, Instituto Superior Tecnico (Portugal)

2002-03-21

It is commonly believed that Alcubierre's warp drive works by contracting space in front of the warp bubble and expanding the space behind it. We show that this contraction/expansion is but a marginal consequence of the choice made by Alcubierre and explicitly construct a similar spacetime where no contraction/expansion occurs. Global and optical properties of warp-drive spacetimes are also discussed.

Investing in Threatened Species Conservation: Does Corruption Outweigh Purchasing Power?

Science.gov (United States)

Garnett, Stephen T.; Joseph, Liana N.; Watson, James E. M.; Zander, Kerstin K.

2011-01-01

In many sectors, freedom in capital flow has allowed optimization of investment returns through choosing sites that provide the best value for money. These returns, however, can be compromised in countries where corruption is prevalent. We assessed where the best value for money might be obtained for investment in threatened species that occur at a single site, when taking into account corruption. We found that the influence of corruption on potential investment decisions was outweighed by the likely value for money in terms of pricing parity. Nevertheless global conservation is likely to get best returns in terms of threatened species security by investing in “honest” countries than in corrupt ones, particularly those with a high cost of living. PMID:21818383

The δ expansion for stochastic quantization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, C.M.; Cooper, F.; Milton, K.A.; Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexic o 87545; Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklaho ma 73019)

1989-01-01

Using a recently proposed perturbation expansion called the δ expansion, we show how to solve the Langevin equation associated with a gphi 4 field theory. We illustrate the technique in zero- and one-dimensional space-time, and then generalize this approach to d dimensions

Mobile phone use for contacting emergency services in life-threatening circumstances.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Olivia; Briggs, Andrew; Kemp, Tom; Gray, Alastair; MacIntyre, Kate; Rowley, Jack; Willett, Keith

2012-03-01

The potential health benefits of mobile phone use have not been widely studied, except for telemedicine-type applications. This study seeks to determine whether initial contact with emergency services via a mobile phone in life-threatening situations is associated with potential health benefits when compared to contact via a landline. A record-linkage study was carried out in which data from all emergency dispatches for immediately life-threatening events from a United Kingdom county ambulance service were linked to the Patient Admission System at two major local hospitals. Mortality (at the scene, at the emergency department [ED], and during hospitalization); transfer to the ED; admission (inpatient care, and intensive care unit); and length of stay were analyzed for calls classified as Code Red (immediately life-threatening) by initial exposure (mobile phone vs. landline), while controlling for potential confounding variables. Of 354,199 ambulances dispatched to attend emergency incidents, 66% transported patients to the hospital while 2% stood down due to death at the scene. Mobile phone compared to landline reporting of emergencies resulted in significant reductions in the risk of death at the scene (odds ratio [OR] 0.77), but not for death in the ED or during inpatient admission. The risk of being transferred to the ED and subsequent inpatient admission were significantly lower with reporting from mobile phones compared to landline (OR 0.93 and OR 0.82, respectively). In this study, evidence of statistical association was demonstrated between the use of mobile phones to alert ambulance services in life-threatening situations and improved outcomes for patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Considering FACTS in Optimal Transmission Expansion Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Soleimani

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The expansion of power transmission systems is an important part of the expansion of power systems that requires enormous investment costs. Since the construction of new transmission lines is very expensive, it is necessary to choose the most efficient expansion plan that ensures system security with a minimal number of new lines. In this paper, the role of Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS devices in the effective operation and expansion planning of transmission systems is examined. Effort was taken to implement a method based on sensitivity analysis to select the optimal number and location of FACTS devices, lines and other elements of the transmission system. Using this method, the transmission expansion plan for a 9 and a 39 bus power system was performed with and without the presence of FACTS with the use of DPL environment in Digsilent software 15.1. Results show that the use of these devices reduces the need for new transmission lines and minimizes the investment cost.

Simulation program for multiple expansion Stirling machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, G.; Weiss, M.; Fauvel, R.; Reader, G.; Bingham, E.R.

1992-01-01

Multiple expansion Stirling machines have been a topic of interest at the University of Calgary for some years. Recently a second-order computer simulation program with integral graphics package for Stirling cryocoolers with up to four stages of expansion were developed and made available to the Stirling community. Adaptation of the program to multiple expansion Stirling power systems is anticipated. This paper briefly introduces the program and presents a specimen result

Controlling Thermal Expansion: A Metal-Organic Frameworks Route.

Science.gov (United States)

Balestra, Salvador R G; Bueno-Perez, Rocio; Hamad, Said; Dubbeldam, David; Ruiz-Salvador, A Rabdel; Calero, Sofia

2016-11-22

Controlling thermal expansion is an important, not yet resolved, and challenging problem in materials research. A conceptual design is introduced here, for the first time, for the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as platforms for controlling thermal expansion devices that can operate in the negative, zero, and positive expansion regimes. A detailed computer simulation study, based on molecular dynamics, is presented to support the targeted application. MOF-5 has been selected as model material, along with three molecules of similar size and known differences in terms of the nature of host-guest interactions. It has been shown that adsorbate molecules can control, in a colligative way, the thermal expansion of the solid, so that changing the adsorbate molecules induces the solid to display positive, zero, or negative thermal expansion. We analyze in depth the distortion mechanisms, beyond the ligand metal junction, to cover the ligand distortions, and the energetic and entropic effect on the thermo-structural behavior. We provide an unprecedented atomistic insight on the effect of adsorbates on the thermal expansion of MOFs as a basic tool toward controlling the thermal expansion.

The Economic Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Pennsylvania.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Carter C; Donohue, Julie M; Saltzman, Evan; Woods, Dulani; Eibner, Christine

2013-01-01

The Affordable Care Act is a substantial reform of the U.S. health care insurance system. Using the RAND COMPARE model, researchers assessed the act's potential economic effects on Pennsylvania, factoring in an optional expansion of Medicaid, and found the state would enjoy significant net benefits. With or without the expansion of Medicaid, the act will increase insurance coverage to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, but the COMPARE model estimates that the expansion of Medicaid eligibility would cover an additional 350,000 people and bring more than $2 billion in federal spending into the state annually than if the state did not expand. Should the state expand Medicaid, the additional spending will add more than $3 billion a year to the state's GDP and support 35,000 jobs. But Medicaid expansion is not without cost for the state; the estimated cumulative effect on Pennsylvania's Medicaid spending will be $180 million higher with the expansion than without between 2014 and 2020. Substantial reductions in uncompensated care costs for hospitals are possible even without expansion, but savings to hospitals for uncompensated care funding are even larger with the Medicaid expansion, amounting to $550 million or more each year.

Controlling Thermal Expansion: A Metal–Organic Frameworks Route

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Controlling thermal expansion is an important, not yet resolved, and challenging problem in materials research. A conceptual design is introduced here, for the first time, for the use of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as platforms for controlling thermal expansion devices that can operate in the negative, zero, and positive expansion regimes. A detailed computer simulation study, based on molecular dynamics, is presented to support the targeted application. MOF-5 has been selected as model material, along with three molecules of similar size and known differences in terms of the nature of host–guest interactions. It has been shown that adsorbate molecules can control, in a colligative way, the thermal expansion of the solid, so that changing the adsorbate molecules induces the solid to display positive, zero, or negative thermal expansion. We analyze in depth the distortion mechanisms, beyond the ligand metal junction, to cover the ligand distortions, and the energetic and entropic effect on the thermo-structural behavior. We provide an unprecedented atomistic insight on the effect of adsorbates on the thermal expansion of MOFs as a basic tool toward controlling the thermal expansion. PMID:28190918

Platform Expansion Design as Strategic Choice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Staykova, Kalina S.; Damsgaard, Jan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we address how the strategic choice of platform expansion design impacts the subse-quent platform strategy. We identify two distinct approaches to platform expansion – platform bun-dling and platform constellations, which currently co-exist. The purpose of this paper is to outline...

Thermal expansion behavior in fabricated cellular structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oruganti, R.K.; Ghosh, A.K.; Mazumder, J.

2004-01-01

Thermal expansion behavior of cellular structures is of interest in applications where undesirable deformation and failure are caused by thermal expansion mismatch. This report describes the role of processing-induced effects and metallurgical aspects of melt-processed cellular structures, such as a bi-material structure designed to contract on heating, as well as uni-material structures of regular and stochastic topology. This bi-material structure utilized the principle of internal geometric constraints to alter the expansion behavior of the internal ligaments to create overall contraction of the structure. Homogenization design method was used to design the structure, and fabrication was by direct metal deposition by laser melting of powder in another part of a joint effort. The degree of porosity and grain size in the fabricated structure are characterized and related to the laser deposition parameters. The structure was found to contract upon heating over a short range of temperature subsequent to which normal expansion ensued. Also examined in this report are uni-material cellular structures, in which internal constraints arise from residual stress variations caused by the fabrication process, and thereby alter their expansion characteristics. A simple analysis of thermal strain of this material supports the observed thermal expansion behavior

75 FR 30769 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Listing of Nine Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-02

... Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Parts 223 and 224 RIN 0648-AY49 Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Listing of Nine Distinct Population Segments of Loggerhead Sea Turtles as Endangered or... loggerhead sea turtles as endangered or threatened, which was published on March 16, 2010, until September 13...

Secret-key expansion from covert communication

Science.gov (United States)

Arrazola, Juan Miguel; Amiri, Ryan

2018-02-01

Covert communication allows the transmission of messages in such a way that it is not possible for adversaries to detect that the communication is occurring. This provides protection in situations where knowledge that two parties are talking to each other may be incriminating to them. In this work, we study how covert communication can be used for a different purpose: secret key expansion. First, we show that any message transmitted in a secure covert protocol is also secret and therefore unknown to an adversary. We then propose a covert communication protocol where the amount of key consumed in the protocol is smaller than the transmitted key, thus leading to secure secret key expansion. We derive precise conditions for secret key expansion to occur, showing that it is possible when there are sufficiently low levels of noise for a given security level. We conclude by examining how secret key expansion from covert communication can be performed in a computational security model.

Biomass is beginning to threaten the wood-processors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beer, G.; Sobinkovic, B.

2004-01-01

In this issue an exploitation of biomass in Slovak Republic is analysed. Some new projects of constructing of the stoke-holds for biomass processing are published. The grants for biomass are ascending the prices of wood raw material, which is thus becoming less accessible for the wood-processors. An excessive wood export threatens the domestic processors

From greedy to lazy expansions and their driving dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dajani, K.; Kraaikamp, C.

2001-01-01

In this paper we study the ergodic properties of non-greedy series expansions to non-integer bases β > 1. It is shown that the so-called 'lazy' expansion is isomorphic to the 'greedy' expansion. Furthermore, a class of expansions to base β > 1, β =2 Z, 'in between' the lazy and the greedy

RTEL1 Inhibits Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions and Fragility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aisling Frizzell

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG⋅CAG repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vitro. The expansion-blocking activity of RTEL1 also required Rad18 and HLTF, homologs of yeast Rad18 and Rad5. These findings are reminiscent of budding yeast Srs2, which inhibits expansions, unwinds hairpins, and prevents triplet-repeat-induced chromosome fragility. Accordingly, we found expansions and fragility were suppressed in yeast srs2 mutants expressing RTEL1, but not Fbh1. We propose that RTEL1 serves as a human analog of Srs2 to inhibit (CTG⋅CAG repeat expansions and fragility, likely by unwinding problematic hairpins.

Selective processing of threatening information: effects of attachment representation and anxiety disorder on attention and memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeijlmans van Emmichoven, Ingeborg A; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; de Ruiter, Corine; Brosschot, Jos F

2003-01-01

To investigate the effect of the mental representation of attachment on information processing, 28 anxiety disorder outpatients, as diagnosed by the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Revised, were administered the Adult Attachment Interview and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. They also completed an emotional Stroop task with subliminal and supraliminal exposure conditions, a free recall memory task, and a recognition test. All tasks contained threatening, neutral, and positively valenced stimuli. A nonclinical comparison group of 56 participants completed the same measures. Results on the Stroop task showed color-naming interference for threatening words in the supraliminal condition only. Nonclinical participants with insecure attachment representations showed a global response inhibition to the Stroop task. Clinical participants with secure attachment representations showed the largest Stroop interference of the threatening words compared to the other groups. Results on the free recall task showed superior recall of all types of stimuli by participants with secure attachment representations. In the outpatient group, participants with secure attachment representations showed superior recall of threatening words on the free recall task, compared to insecure participants. Results on the recognition task showed no differences between attachment groups. We conclude that secure attachment representations are characterized by open communication about and processing of threatening information, leading to less defensive exclusion of negative material during the attentional stage of information processing and to better recall of threatening information in a later stage. Attachment insecurity, but not the type of insecurity, seems a decisive factor in attention and memory processes.

Thermal expansion studies on Hafnium titanate (HfTiO4)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panneerselvam, G.; Subramanian, G.G.S.; Antony, M.P.

2006-01-01

The lattice thermal expansion characteristics of hafnium titanate (HfTiO 4 ) have been studied by measuring the lattice parameter as a function of temperature by high temperature X-ray diffraction technique (HT-XRD) in the temperature range 298-1973K. Percentage linear thermal expansion and mean linear thermal expansion coefficients were computed from the lattice parameter data. The thermal expansion of HfTiO 4 is highly anisotropic. The expansivity along 'a' axis is large; as compared to the expansivity along 'b' axis which is negative below 1073 K. The percentage linear thermal expansion in the temperature range 298-1973 K along a, b and c axis are 2.74, 0.901 and 1.49 respectively. Thermal expansion values obtained in the present study are in reasonable agreement with the existing thermal expansion data. (author)

RAPD-PCR molecular analysis of the threatened Cabrera's vole ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Optimal management and conservation programs of the threatened Cabrera's vole require investigating potential molecular genetic markers in the genomic background, if the few remaining fragile populations are to ... The results described Cabrera's vole populations as a single genetic unit with slightly restricted gene flow.

Hypersonic expansion of the Fokker--Planck equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez-Feria, R.

1989-01-01

A systematic study of the hypersonic limit of a heavy species diluted in a much lighter gas is made via the Fokker--Planck equation governing its velocity distribution function. In particular, two different hypersonic expansions of the Fokker--Planck equation are considered, differing from each other in the momentum equation of the heavy gas used as the basis of the expansion: in the first of them, the pressure tensor is neglected in that equation while, in the second expansion, the pressure tensor term is retained. The expansions are valid when the light gas Mach number is O(1) or larger and the difference between the mean velocities of light and heavy components is small compared to the light gas thermal speed. They can be applied away from regions where the spatial gradient of the distribution function is very large, but it is not restricted with respect to the temporal derivative of the distribution function. The hydrodynamic equations corresponding to the lowest order of both expansions constitute two different hypersonic closures of the moment equations. For the subsequent orders in the expansions, closed sets of moment equations (hydrodynamic equations) are given. Special emphasis is made on the order of magnitude of the errors of the lowest-order hydrodynamic quantities. It is shown that if the heat flux vanishes initially, these errors are smaller than one might have expected from the ordinary scaling of the hypersonic closure. Also it is found that the normal solution of both expansions is a Gaussian distribution at the lowest order

14 CFR 23.969 - Fuel tank expansion space.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel tank expansion space. 23.969 Section 23.969 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT....969 Fuel tank expansion space. Each fuel tank must have an expansion space of not less than two...

Research progress on expansive soil cracks under changing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Bei-xiao; Zheng, Cheng-feng; Wu, Jin-kun

2014-01-01

Engineering problems shunned previously rise to the surface gradually with the activities of reforming the natural world in depth, the problem of expansive soil crack under the changing environment becoming a control factor of expansive soil slope stability. The problem of expansive soil crack has gradually become a research hotspot, elaborates the occurrence and development of cracks from the basic properties of expansive soil, and points out the role of controlling the crack of expansive soil strength. We summarize the existing research methods and results of expansive soil crack characteristics. Improving crack measurement and calculation method and researching the crack depth measurement, statistical analysis method, crack depth and surface feature relationship will be the future direction.

Rabbit biocontrol and landscape-scale recovery of threatened desert mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedler, Reece D; Brandle, Robert; Read, John L; Southgate, Richard; Bird, Peter; Moseby, Katherine E

2016-08-01

Funding for species conservation is insufficient to meet the current challenges facing global biodiversity, yet many programs use expensive single-species recovery actions and neglect broader management that addresses threatening processes. Arid Australia has the world's worst modern mammalian extinction record, largely attributable to competition from introduced herbivores, particularly European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and predation by feral cats (Felis catus) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes). The biological control agent rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) was introduced to Australia in 1995 and resulted in dramatic, widespread rabbit suppression. We compared the area of occupancy and extent of occurrence of 4 extant species of small mammals before and after RHDV outbreak, relative to rainfall, sampling effort, and rabbit and predator populations. Despite low rainfall during the first 14 years after RHDV, 2 native rodents listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the dusky hopping-mouse (Notomys fuscus) and plains mouse (Pseudomys australis), increased their extent of occurrence by 241-365%. A threatened marsupial micropredator, the crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda), underwent a 70-fold increase in extent of occurrence and a 20-fold increase in area of occupancy. Both bottom-up and top-down trophic effects were attributed to RHDV, namely decreased competition for food resources and declines in rabbit-dependent predators. Based on these sustained increases, these 3 previously threatened species now qualify for threat-category downgrading on the IUCN Red List. These recoveries are on a scale rarely documented in mammals and give impetus to programs aimed at targeted use of RHDV in Australia, rather than simply employing top-down threat-based management of arid ecosystems. Conservation programs that take big-picture approaches to addressing threatening processes over large spatial scales should be prioritized to maximize

Principles of Thermal Expansion in Feldspars

Science.gov (United States)

Hovis, Guy; Medford, Aaron; Conlon, Maricate; Tether, Allison; Romanoski, Anthony

2010-05-01

Following the recent thermal expansion work of Hovis et al. (1) on AlSi3 feldspars, we have investigated the thermal expansion of plagioclase, Ba-K, and Ca-K feldspar crystalline solutions. X-ray powder diffraction data were collected between room temperature and 925 °C on six natural plagioclase specimens ranging in composition from anorthite to oligoclase, the K-exchanged equivalents of these plagioclase specimens, and five synthetic Ba-K feldspars with compositions ranging from 25 to 99 mol % BaAl2Si2O8. The resulting thermal expansion coefficients (α) for volume have been combined with earlier results for end-member Na- and K-feldspars (2,3). Unlike AlSi3 feldspars, Al2Si2 feldspars, including anorthite and celsian from the present study plus Sr- and Pb-feldspar from other workers (4,5), show essentially constant and very limited thermal expansion, regardless of divalent cation size. In the context of structures where the Lowenstein rule (6) requires Al and Si to alternate among tetrahedra, the proximity of bridging Al-O-Si oxygen ions to divalent neighbors (ranging from 0 to 2) produces short Ca-O (or Ba-O) bonds (7,8) that apparently are the result of local charge-balance requirements (9). Gibbs et al. (10) suggest that short bonds such as these have a partially covalent character. This in turn stiffens the structure. Thus, for feldspar series with coupled substitution the change away from a purely divalent M-site occupant gives the substituting (less strongly bonded) monovalent cations increasingly greater influence on thermal expansion. Overall, then, thermal expansion in the feldspar system is well represented on a plot of α against room-temperature volume, where one sees a quadrilateral bounded by data for (A) AlSi3 feldspars whose expansion behavior is controlled largely by the size of the monovalent alkali-site occupant, (B) Al2Si2 feldspars whose expansion is uniformly limited by partially-covalent bonds between divalent M-site occupants and

Satellite tracking of threatened species

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, M.; Lunsford, A.; Ellis, D.; Robinson, J.; Coronado, P.; Campbell, W.

1998-01-01

In 1990, a joint effort of two U.S. federal agencies, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, began. We initially joined forces in a project that used satellite telemetry to discover the winter home of a tiny dwindling population of Siberian Cranes. Since then several projects have emerged, and a web site was created to follow some of these activities. This web site is called the Satellite Tracking of Threatened Species and its location is http://sdcd.gsfc.nasa.gov/ISTO/satellite_tracking. It describes the overall program, and links you to three subsections that describe the projects in more detail: Satellite Direct Readout, Birdtracks, and Birdworld.

[Species composition and geographical distribution of threatened fishes in Yunnan Province of Southwest China].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Zhong, Jin-Xin

2013-05-01

Based on the related published papers, and by using Geographic Information System (ArcGIS 9.3), this paper analyzed the species composition and geographical distribution of threatened fishes in Yunnan Province of Southwest China. There were 83 threatened species living in the Province, belonging to 5 orders, 13 families, and 47 genera. Cypriniformes was absolutely dominant, with 64 species, followed by Siluriformes, with 16 species. Cyprinidae fishes had 51 species, accounting for 79.7% of Cypriniformes. The most species of Cyprinid fishes were of Barbinae (14 species), Cyprininae (10 species), and Cultrinae (10 species). The threatened fishes could be divided into two zoogeographical regions, i. e., Tibetan Plateau region and Oriental region, and their species composition and geographical distribution were resulted from the historical evolution adapted to the related environments. Whatever in rivers and in lakes, the Cyprinid fishes were both absolutely dominant, occupying 36.1% and 31.3% of the total, respectively. The Cyprinid fishes in rivers were mostly of endangered species, while those in lakes were mostly of vulnerable species. The factors affecting the threatened fishes in the Province were discussed from the two aspects of geodynamic evolution and present situation.

Zirconium titanate: stability and thermal expansion; Titanato de circonio: estabilidad termodinamica y expansion termica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez-Lopez, E.; Moreno, R.; Baudin, C.

2011-07-01

Zirconium titanate is a well known compound in the field of electro ceramics, although it has also been used in catalyst and sensors applications. The crystallographic thermal expansion anisotropy of this compound makes it a potential candidate as constituent of structural components. In general, to assure the structural integrity and microstructural homogeneity of a ceramic piece, relatively low cooling rates from the fabrication temperature are required. This requirement is essential for zirconium titanate because thermal expansion as well as phase distribution is affected by small variations in the composition and cooling rate. This work reviews the available data on the phase equilibrium relationships in the systems ZrO{sub 2}-TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2}-TiO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The main discrepancies as well as the possible origins of them are discussed. Additionally, the crystallographic thermal expansion data in the current literature are reviewed. (Author) 56 refs.

Semiclassical expansions on and near caustics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meetz, K.

1984-09-01

We show that the standard WKB expansion can be generalized so that it reproduces the behavior of the wave function on and near a caustic in two-dimensional space time. The expansion is related to the unfolding polynomials of the elementary catastrophes occurring in two dimensions: the fold and the cusp catastrophe. The method determines control parameters and transport coefficients in a self-consistent way from differential equations and does not refer to the asymptotic expansion of Feynman path integrals. The lowest order equations are solved explicitly in terms of the multivalued classical action. The result is a generalized semiclassical approximation on and beyond a caustic. (orig.)

Interbasis expansions for isotropic harmonic oscillator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Shi-Hai, E-mail: dongsh2@yahoo.com [Departamento de Física, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Edificio 9, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Mexico D.F. 07738 (Mexico)

2012-03-12

The exact solutions of the isotropic harmonic oscillator are reviewed in Cartesian, cylindrical polar and spherical coordinates. The problem of interbasis expansions of the eigenfunctions is solved completely. The explicit expansion coefficients of the basis for given coordinates in terms of other two coordinates are presented for lower excited states. Such a property is occurred only for those degenerated states for given principal quantum number n. -- Highlights: ► Exact solutions of harmonic oscillator are reviewed in three coordinates. ► Interbasis expansions of the eigenfunctions is solved completely. ► This is occurred only for those degenerated states for given quantum number n.

Cosmic growth history and expansion history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linder, Eric V.

2005-01-01

The cosmic expansion history tests the dynamics of the global evolution of the universe and its energy density contents, while the cosmic growth history tests the evolution of the inhomogeneous part of the energy density. Precision comparison of the two histories can distinguish the nature of the physics responsible for the accelerating cosmic expansion: an additional smooth component--dark energy--or a modification of the gravitational field equations. With the aid of a new fitting formula for linear perturbation growth accurate to 0.05%-0.2%, we separate out the growth dependence on the expansion history and introduce a new growth index parameter γ that quantifies the gravitational modification

Correlation expansion: a powerful alternative multiple scattering calculation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Haifeng; Wu Ziyu; Sebilleau, Didier

2008-01-01

We introduce a powerful alternative expansion method to perform multiple scattering calculations. In contrast to standard MS series expansion, where the scattering contributions are grouped in terms of scattering order and may diverge in the low energy region, this expansion, called correlation expansion, partitions the scattering process into contributions from different small atom groups and converges at all energies. It converges faster than MS series expansion when the latter is convergent. Furthermore, it takes less memory than the full MS method so it can be used in the near edge region without any divergence problem, even for large clusters. The correlation expansion framework we derive here is very general and can serve to calculate all the elements of the scattering path operator matrix. Photoelectron diffraction calculations in a cluster containing 23 atoms are presented to test the method and compare it to full MS and standard MS series expansion

The use of noninvasive and minimally invasive methods in endocrinology for threatened mammalian species conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kersey, David C; Dehnhard, Martin

2014-07-01

Endocrinology is an indispensable tool in threatened species research. The study of endocrinology in threatened species not only advances knowledge of endocrine mechanism but also contributes to conservation efforts of studied species. To this end, endocrinology has been traditionally used to understand reproductive and adrenocortical endocrine axes by quantifying excreted steroid metabolites. From these studies a large body of knowledge was created that contributed to the field of endocrinology, aided conservation efforts, and created a template by which to validate and conduct this research for other species. In this regard noninvasive hormone monitoring has become a favored approach to study the basic endocrinology of wildlife species. Due to the increased understanding of endocrine physiology of threatened species, breeding rates of captive population have improved to levels allowing for reintroduction of species to restored natural ecosystems. Although these approaches are still employed, advances in biochemical, molecular, and genomic technologies are providing inroads to describe lesser known endocrine activity in threatened species. These new avenues of research will allow for growth of the field with greater depth and breadth. However, for all approaches to endocrinology, limitations on resources and access to animals will require innovation of current methodologies to permit broad application for use in threatened species research. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program threatened and endangered species survey: Progress report. Environmental Restoration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, A.L.; Awl, D.J.; Gabrielsen, C.A.

1994-09-01

The Endangered Species Act (originally passed in 1973) is a Federal statute that protects both animal and plant species. The Endangered Species Act identifies species which are, without careful management, in danger of becoming extinct and species that are considered threatened. Along with the designation of threatened or endangered, the Endangered Species Act provides for the identification of appropriate habitat for these species. Since 1993, the United States Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program has supported a program to survey the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for threatened and endangered species. The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program initiated vascular plant surveys during fiscal year 1993 and vertebrate animal surveys during fiscal year 1994 to determine the baseline condition of threatened and endangered species on the ORR at the present time. Data collected during these surveys are currently aiding Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Remedial Investigations on the ORR. They also provide data for ER and Waste Management decision documents, ensure that decisions have technical and legal defensibility, provide a baseline for ensuring compliance with principal legal requirements and will increase public confidence in DOE`s adherence to all related environmental resources rules, laws, regulations, and instructions. This report discusses the progress to date of the threatened and endangered species surveys of the ORR.

Closing Kynect and Restructuring Medicaid Threaten Kentucky's Health and Economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Charles B; Vanderford, Nathan L

2017-08-01

Following passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the United States, the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange, Kynect, began operating in Kentucky in October 2013. Kentucky expanded Medicaid eligibility in January 2014. Together, Kynect and Medicaid expansion provided access to affordable health care coverage to hundreds of thousands of individuals in Kentucky. However, following the Kentucky gubernatorial election in 2015, the newly inaugurated governor moved to dismantle Kynect and restructure the Medicaid expansion, jeopardizing public health gains and the state economy. As the first state to announce both the closure and restructuring of a state health insurance marketplace and Medicaid expansion, Kentucky may serve as a test case for the rest of the nation for reversal of ACA-related health policies. This article describes Kynect and the Kentucky Medicaid expansion and examines the potential short-term and long-term impacts that may occur following changes in state health policy. Furthermore, this article will offer potential strategies to ameliorate the expected negative impacts of disruption of both Kynect and the Medicaid expansion, such as the creation of a new state insurance marketplace under a new governor, the implementation of a private option, and increasing the state minimum wage for workers. Copyright © 2017 by Duke University Press.

Dogs Evaluate Threatening Facial Expressions by Their Biological Validity--Evidence from Gazing Patterns.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanni Somppi

Full Text Available Appropriate response to companions' emotional signals is important for all social creatures. The emotional expressions of humans and non-human animals have analogies in their form and function, suggesting shared evolutionary roots, but very little is known about how animals other than primates view and process facial expressions. In primates, threat-related facial expressions evoke exceptional viewing patterns compared with neutral or positive stimuli. Here, we explore if domestic dogs (Canis familiaris have such an attentional bias toward threatening social stimuli and whether observed emotional expressions affect dogs' gaze fixation distribution among the facial features (eyes, midface and mouth. We recorded the voluntary eye gaze of 31 domestic dogs during viewing of facial photographs of humans and dogs with three emotional expressions (threatening, pleasant and neutral. We found that dogs' gaze fixations spread systematically among facial features. The distribution of fixations was altered by the seen expression, but eyes were the most probable targets of the first fixations and gathered longer looking durations than mouth regardless of the viewed expression. The examination of the inner facial features as a whole revealed more pronounced scanning differences among expressions. This suggests that dogs do not base their perception of facial expressions on the viewing of single structures, but the interpretation of the composition formed by eyes, midface and mouth. Dogs evaluated social threat rapidly and this evaluation led to attentional bias, which was dependent on the depicted species: threatening conspecifics' faces evoked heightened attention but threatening human faces instead an avoidance response. We propose that threatening signals carrying differential biological validity are processed via distinctive neurocognitive pathways. Both of these mechanisms may have an adaptive significance for domestic dogs. The findings provide a novel

Treatment of divergent expansions in scattering theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gersten, A.; Malin, S.

1978-01-01

One of the biggest obstacles in applying quantum field theory to realistic scattering problems are the divergencies of pertubation expansions for large coupling constants and the divergencies of partial wave expansions for massless particles exchanges. There exist, however, methods of summation of the divergent expansions which can lead to significant application in physics. In this paper we treat the problem of summing such expansions using three methods: (i) a generalization of the Pade approximation to the multivariable case. The suggested definition is unique and preserves unitarity. (ii) The summation of divergent partial waves for arbitrary spins. (iii) A successful application of a series inversion to the 3 P 1 nucleon-nucleon phase shift up to 200 MeV. (orig./WL) [de

The loop expansion as a divergent-power-series expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murai, N.

1981-01-01

The loop expansion should be divergent, possibly an asymptotic one, in the Euclidean path integral formulation. This consideration is important in applications of the symmetric and mass-independent renormalization. The [1,1] Pade approximant is calculated in a PHI 4 model. Its classical vacua may be not truely stable for nonzero coupling constant. (author)

The heavy quark expansion of QCD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Falk, A.F. [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

1997-06-01

These lectures contain an elementary introduction to heavy quark symmetry and the heavy quark expansion. Applications such as the expansion of heavy meson decay constants and the treatment of inclusive and exclusive semileptonic B decays are included. Heavy hadron production via nonperturbative fragmentation processes is also discussed. 54 refs., 7 figs.

The heavy quark expansion of QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falk, A.F.

1997-01-01

These lectures contain an elementary introduction to heavy quark symmetry and the heavy quark expansion. Applications such as the expansion of heavy meson decay constants and the treatment of inclusive and exclusive semileptonic B decays are included. Heavy hadron production via nonperturbative fragmentation processes is also discussed. 54 refs., 7 figs

Thermal expansion of doped lanthanum gallates

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Since the components are in intimate mechanical contact, any stress generated due to their thermal expansion mis- match during thermal cycling could lead to catastrophic failure of the cell. The functional materials must have similar thermal expansions to avoid mechanical stresses. Hence it is useful to study the thermal ...

Thermal and hygroscopic expansion characteristics of bamboo

OpenAIRE

Huang, Puxi; Chang, Wen-shao; Ansell, Martin P.; Bowen, Chris R.; Chew, John Y. M.; Adamak, Vana i

2017-01-01

The expansion and contraction of bamboo caused by temperature and moisture variations must be evaluated\\ud if bamboo is to be utilised as a building material. However, detailed expansion data, especially data in the ascent and\\ud descent processes of temperature and moisture are unexplored. The aim of this study is to investigate the expansion\\ud characteristics of Phyllostachys edulis (Moso bamboo) in ascent and descent processes of temperature and moisture.\\ud The measurement of linear ther...

Semiclassical expansions for confined N fermion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krivine, H.; Martorell, J.; Casas, M.

1989-01-01

A new derivation of the Wigner Kirkwood expansion for N-fermion systems is presented, showing explicitly the connection to the WKB approximation for a single level. This allows to study separately the two ansatz required to obtain the semiclassical expansions: the asymptotic expansions in powers of ℎ and the smoothing of quantal effects. We discuss the one dimensional and three dimensional, with spherical symmetry, cases. Applications for standard potentials used in nuclear physics are described in detail

Breaking the Link between Environmental Degradation and Oil Palm Expansion: A Method for Enabling Sustainable Oil Palm Expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Smit, Hans Harmen; Meijaard, Erik; van der Laan, Carina; Mantel, Stephan; Budiman, Arif; Verweij, Pita

2013-01-01

Land degradation is a global concern. In tropical areas it primarily concerns the conversion of forest into non-forest lands and the associated losses of environmental services. Defining such degradation is not straightforward hampering effective reduction in degradation and use of already degraded lands for more productive purposes. To facilitate the processes of avoided degradation and land rehabilitation, we have developed a methodology in which we have used international environmental and social sustainability standards to determine the suitability of lands for sustainable agricultural expansion. The method was developed and tested in one of the frontiers of agricultural expansion, West Kalimantan province in Indonesia. The focus was on oil palm expansion, which is considered as a major driver for deforestation in tropical regions globally. The results suggest that substantial changes in current land-use planning are necessary for most new plantations to comply with international sustainability standards. Through visualizing options for sustainable expansion with our methodology, we demonstrate that the link between oil palm expansion and degradation can be broken. Application of the methodology with criteria and thresholds similar to ours could help the Indonesian government and the industry to achieve its pro-growth, pro-job, pro-poor and pro-environment development goals. For sustainable agricultural production, context specific guidance has to be developed in areas suitable for expansion. Our methodology can serve as a template for designing such commodity and country specific tools and deliver such guidance. PMID:24039700

Positive modulation of a neutral declarative memory by a threatening social event.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Rodrigo S; Bavassi, Luz; Campos, Jorge; Allegri, Ricardo F; Molina, Victor A; Forcato, Cecilia; Pedreira, María E

2015-12-01

Memories can be altered by negative or arousing experiences due to the activation of the stress-responsive sympatho-adrenal-medullary axis (SYM). Here, we used a neutral declarative memory that was acquired during multi-trial training to determine the effect of a threatening event on memory without emotional valence. To this end, participants received a new threatening social protocol before learning pairs of meaningless syllables and were tested either 15 min, 2 days or 8 days after acquisition. We first demonstrated that this threatening social situation activates not only the SYM axis (Experiment 1) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA; Experiment 2), but also, it improves the acquisition or early consolidation of the syllable pairs (Experiment 3). This improvement is not a transient effect; it can be observed after the memory is consolidated. Furthermore, this modulation increases the persistence of memory (Experiment 4). Thus, it is possible to affect memories with specific events that contain unrelated content and a different valence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

76 FR 63322 - Endangered and Threatened Species Permit Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-12

... from Helianthus paradoxus (Pecos sunflower) from plants in Texas. Permit TE-829761 Applicant: Bureau of... for endangered plant species, and 50 CFR 17.72 for threatened plant species. Applications Available...: Texas A & M University, Galveston, Texas. Applicant requests a new permit for husbandry and holding of...

Mechanism of actuation in conducting polymers: Osmotic expansion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bay, Lasse; Jacobsen, Torben; West, Keld

2001-01-01

Conducting polymers expand or contract when their redox state is changed. This expansion/contraction effect can be separated in an intrinsic part because of changes of the polymer backbone on reduction/oxidation and a part depending on the surrounding electrolyte phase, because of osmotic expansion...... is compared with measurements on PPy(DBS) films. The experiments show that the expansion decreases as the electrolyte concentration is increased. This means that a considerable part of the total expansion is due to the osmotic effect. The osmotic effect should be taken into account when interpreting...

Mapping Brazilian Cropland Expansion, 2000-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Zalles, V.; Hansen, M.; Potapov, P.

2016-12-01

Brazil is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of agricultural goods. Despite undergoing significant increases in its cropland area in the last decades, it remains one of the countries with the most potential for further agricultural expansion. Most notably, the expansion in production areas of commodity crops such as soybean, corn, and sugarcane has become the leading cause of land cover conversion in Brazil. Natural land covers, such as the Amazon and Cerrado forests, have been negatively affected by this agricultural expansion, causing carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, altered water cycles, and many other disturbances to ecosystem services. Monitoring of change in cropland area extent can provide relevant information to decision makers seeking to understand and manage land cover change drivers and their impacts. In this study, the freely-available Landsat archive was leveraged to produce a large-scale, methodologically consistent map of cropland cover at 30 m. resolution for the entire Brazilian territory in the year 2000. Additionally, we mapped cropland expansion from 2000 to 2013, and used statistical sampling techniques to accurately estimate cropland area per Brazilian state. Using the Global Forest Change product produced by Hansen et al. (2013), we can disaggregate forest cover loss due to cropland expansion by year, revealing spatiotemporal trends that could advance our understanding of the drivers of forest loss.

Thermal expansion of fibre-reinforced composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, B.

1991-07-01

The integral thermal expansion and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of carbon and Kevlar fibre-reinforced composites were measured with high accuracy from 5 K to room temperature. For this, a laser dilatometer and a sophisticated measuring procedure were used. CTE dependence on the orientation angle ω of angle-ply laminates was determined for samples with 5 different fibre alignments (UD 0deg, +/-30deg, +/-45deg, +/-60deg and UD 90deg). A high variability of the CTE with the orientation angle was shown. At angles of approximately +/-30deg even negative CTEs were found. With suitable reinforcing fibres being selected, their absolute values rose up to 30-100% of the positive CTEs of metals. Hence, composites of this type would be suitable as compensating materials in metal constructions where little thermal expansion is desired. To check the lamination theory, theoretical computations of the CTE- ω -dependence were compared with the measured values. An excellent agreement was found. Using the lamination theory, predictions about the expansion behaviour of angle-ply laminates can be made now, if the thermal and mechanical properties of the unidirectional (UD) laminate are known. Furthermore, it is possible to carry out simulation computations aimed at investigating the influence of a single parameter of the UD-laminate (e.g. shear modulus) on the expansion of the angle-ply laminate. (orig.) [de

IFNγ inhibits G-CSF induced neutrophil expansion and invasion of the CNS to prevent viral encephalitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramakrishna, Chandran; Cantin, Edouard M

2018-01-01

Emergency hematopoiesis facilitates the rapid expansion of inflammatory immune cells in response to infections by pathogens, a process that must be carefully regulated to prevent potentially life threatening inflammatory responses. Here, we describe a novel regulatory role for the cytokine IFNγ that is critical for preventing fatal encephalitis after viral infection. HSV1 encephalitis (HSE) is triggered by the invasion of the brainstem by inflammatory monocytes and neutrophils. In mice lacking IFNγ (GKO), we observed unrestrained increases in G-CSF levels but not in GM-CSF or IL-17. This resulted in uncontrolled expansion and infiltration of apoptosis-resistant, degranulating neutrophils into the brainstem, causing fatal HSE in GKO but not WT mice. Excessive G-CSF in GKO mice also induced granulocyte derived suppressor cells, which inhibited T-cell proliferation and function, including production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Unexpectedly, we found that IFNγ suppressed G-CSF signaling by increasing SOCS3 expression in neutrophils, resulting in apoptosis. Depletion of G-CSF, but not GM-CSF, in GKO mice induced neutrophil apoptosis and reinstated IL-10 secretion by T cells, which restored their ability to limit innate inflammatory responses resulting in protection from HSE. Our studies reveals a novel, complex interplay among IFNγ, G-CSF and IL-10, which highlights the opposing roles of G-CSF and IFNγ in regulation of innate inflammatory responses in a murine viral encephalitis model and reveals G-CSF as a potential therapeutic target. Thus, the antagonistic G-CSF-IFNγ interactions emerge as a key regulatory node in control of CNS inflammatory responses to virus infection.

On equivalence of high temperature series expansion and coupling parameter series expansion in thermodynamic perturbation theory of fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sai Venkata Ramana, A.

2014-01-01

The coupling parameter series expansion and the high temperature series expansion in the thermodynamic perturbation theory of fluids are shown to be equivalent if the interaction potential is pairwise additive. As a consequence, for the class of fluids with the potential having a hardcore repulsion, if the hard-sphere fluid is chosen as reference system, the terms of coupling parameter series expansion for radial distribution function, direct correlation function, and Helmholtz free energy follow a scaling law with temperature. The scaling law is confirmed by application to square-well fluids

Optical illusions and life-threatening traffic crashes: A perspective on aerial perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Redelmeier, Donald A; Raza, Sheharyar

2018-05-01

Aerial perspective illusion is a feature of visual perception where landscapes appear relatively close in clear light and distant in dim light. We hypothesized that bright sunlight might cause drivers to perceive distant terrain as relatively close and misinterpret the approach speed of surrounding landscape as unduly slow. This hypothesis would mean, in turn, that drivers in bright sunlight may underestimate their progress on the road, compensate by traveling at a faster baseline speed, and ultimately increase the prevailing risk of a life-threatening traffic crash. We conducted three pilot studies to illustrate how the illusion might contribute to a life- threatening traffic crash. The first illustration used a questionnaire to demonstrate that most respondents were mistaken when judging the distance between simple balls in different positions. The second illustration involved an experimental manipulation to assess whether aerial perspective influenced judgments about the relative positions of vehicles in traffic. The third illustration analyzed a segment of high-volume fast-speed traffic and found an increased frequency of speeding under bright sunlight. Together with past work based on the visual arts, these examples illustrate how an aerial perspective illusion can affect distance perception, may appear in realistic traffic situations, and could potentially contribute to the risk of a life-threatening traffic crash. An awareness of this hypothesis might lead to applications on how optical illusions could extend to everyday traffic and might potentially inform safety warnings to prevent life- threatening crashes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Threatened fishes of the world: Misgurnus fossilis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cobitidae)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hartvich, P.; Lusk, Stanislav; Rutkayová, J.

2010-01-01

Roč. 87, č. 1 (2010), s. 39-40 ISSN 0378-1909 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : threatened fishes * Europe * Cobitidae Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 0.792, year: 2010

Estimates of expansion time scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, E.M.

1979-01-01

Monte Carlo simulations of the expansion of a spacefaring civilization show that descendants of that civilization should be found near virtually every useful star in the Galaxy in a time much less than the current age of the Galaxy. Only extreme assumptions about local population growth rates, emigration rates, or ship ranges can slow or halt an expansion. The apparent absence of extraterrestrials from the solar system suggests that no such civilization has arisen in the Galaxy. 1 figure

Strategic Complexity and Global Expansion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oladottir, Asta Dis; Hobdari, Bersant; Papanastassiou, Marina

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of global expansion strategies of newcomer Multinational Corporations (MNCs) by focusing on Iceland, Israel and Ireland. We argue that newcomer MNCs from small open economies pursue complex global expansion strategies (CGES). We distinguish....... The empirical evidence suggests that newcomer MNCs move away from simplistic dualities in the formulation of their strategic choices towards more complex options as a means of maintaining and enhancing their global competitiveness....

Range expansion of heterogeneous populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Reiter, Matthias; Rulands, Steffen; Frey, Erwin

2014-04-11

Risk spreading in bacterial populations is generally regarded as a strategy to maximize survival. Here, we study its role during range expansion of a genetically diverse population where growth and motility are two alternative traits. We find that during the initial expansion phase fast-growing cells do have a selective advantage. By contrast, asymptotically, generalists balancing motility and reproduction are evolutionarily most successful. These findings are rationalized by a set of coupled Fisher equations complemented by stochastic simulations.

Low Thermal Expansion Glass Ceramics

CERN Document Server

Bach, Hans

2005-01-01

This book appears in the authoritative series reporting the international research and development activities conducted by the Schott group of companies. This series provides an overview of Schott's activities for scientists, engineers, and managers from all branches of industry worldwide in which glasses and glass ceramics are of interest. Each volume begins with a chapter providing a general idea of the current problems, results, and trends relating to the subjects treated. This new extended edition describes the fundamental principles, the manufacturing process, and applications of low thermal expansion glass ceramics. The composition, structure, and stability of polycrystalline materials having a low thermal expansion are described, and it is shown how low thermal expansion glass ceramics can be manufactured from appropriately chosen glass compositions. Examples illustrate the formation of this type of glass ceramic by utilizing normal production processes together with controlled crystallization. Thus g...

Low thermal expansion glass ceramics

CERN Document Server

1995-01-01

This book is one of a series reporting on international research and development activities conducted by the Schott group of companies With the series, Schott aims to provide an overview of its activities for scientists, engineers, and managers from all branches of industry worldwide where glasses and glass ceramics are of interest Each volume begins with a chapter providing a general idea of the current problems, results, and trends relating to the subjects treated This volume describes the fundamental principles, the manufacturing process, and applications of low thermal expansion glass ceramics The composition, structure, and stability of polycrystalline materials having a low thermal expansion are described, and it is shown how low thermal expansion glass ceramics can be manufactured from appropriately chosen glass compositions Examples illustrate the formation of this type of glass ceramic by utilizing normal production processes together with controlled crystallization Thus glass ceramics with thermal c...

Regulation of gas infrastructure expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Joode, J.

2012-01-01

The topic of this dissertation is the regulation of gas infrastructure expansion in the European Union (EU). While the gas market has been liberalised, the gas infrastructure has largely remained in the regulated domain. However, not necessarily all gas infrastructure facilities - such as gas storage facilities, LNG import terminals and certain gas transmission pipelines - need to be regulated, as there may be scope for competition. In practice, the choice of regulation of gas infrastructure expansion varies among different types of gas infrastructure facilities and across EU Member States. Based on a review of economic literature and on a series of in-depth case studies, this study explains these differences in choices of regulation from differences in policy objectives, differences in local circumstances and differences in the intrinsic characteristics of the infrastructure projects. An important conclusion is that there is potential for a larger role for competition in gas infrastructure expansion.

RTEL1 inhibits trinucleotide repeat expansions and fragility.

Science.gov (United States)

Frizzell, Aisling; Nguyen, Jennifer H G; Petalcorin, Mark I R; Turner, Katherine D; Boulton, Simon J; Freudenreich, Catherine H; Lahue, Robert S

2014-03-13

Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG⋅CAG) repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vitro. The expansion-blocking activity of RTEL1 also required Rad18 and HLTF, homologs of yeast Rad18 and Rad5. These findings are reminiscent of budding yeast Srs2, which inhibits expansions, unwinds hairpins, and prevents triplet-repeat-induced chromosome fragility. Accordingly, we found expansions and fragility were suppressed in yeast srs2 mutants expressing RTEL1, but not Fbh1. We propose that RTEL1 serves as a human analog of Srs2 to inhibit (CTG⋅CAG) repeat expansions and fragility, likely by unwinding problematic hairpins. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Southwesterners’ views of threatened and endangered species management: does ethnic/racial diversity make a difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Patricia L. Winter; George T. Cvetkovich

2008-01-01

This paper presents an examination of trust in the Forest Service to manage threatened and endangered species as measured through a survey of residents of four Southwestern States. Of particular interest were variations by ethnic/racial group, gender, concern about threatened and endangered species, and self-assessed knowledge. Increasing diversity in the United States...

Longitudinal expansion of field line dipolarization

Science.gov (United States)

Saka, O.; Hayashi, K.

2017-11-01

We examine the substorm expansions that started at 1155 UT 10 August 1994 in the midnight sector focusing on the longitudinal (eastward) expansion of field line dipolarization in the auroral zone. Eastward expansion of the dipolarization region was observed in all of the H, D, and Z components. The dipolarization that started at 1155 UT (0027 MLT) from 260° of geomagnetic longitude (CMO) expanded to 351°(PBQ) in about 48 min. The expansion velocity was 0.03-0.04°/s, or 1.9 km/s at 62°N of geomagnetic latitude. The dipolarization region expanding to the east was accompanied by a bipolar event at the leading edge of the expansion in latitudes equatorward of the westward electrojet (WEJ). In the midnight sector at the onset meridian, the Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer (MAP) on board geosynchronous satellite L9 measured electrons and ions between 10 eV and 40 keV. We conclude from the satellite observations that this dipolarization was characterized by the evolution of temperature anisotropies, an increase of the electron and ion temperatures, and a rapid change in the symmetry axis of the temperature tensor. The field line dipolarization and its longitudinal expansion were interpreted in terms of the slow MHD mode triggered by the current disruption. We propose a new magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling (MI-coupling) mechanism based on the scenario that transmitted westward electric fields from the magnetosphere in association with expanding dipolarization produced electrostatic potential (negative) in the ionosphere through differences in the mobility of collisional ions and collisionless electrons. The field-aligned currents that emerged from the negative potential region are arranged in a concentric pattern around the negative potential region, upward toward the center and downward on the peripheral.

Threatened bird species on two little-known mountains (Chiperone ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The montane forests of northern Mozambique and southern Malawi support several bird species of global conservation concern, and particularly in Malawi are seriously threatened by deforestation. However, the status of these in northern Mozambique remains poorly known. We report that some 1 600 ha of mid-altitude and ...

Dopady Velké recese na bankovní sektor eurozóny: Stochastická analýza produkční hranice

OpenAIRE

Obořil, Josef

2012-01-01

This thesis investigates the impact of the Great Recession on cost efficiency of panel data of 4291 banks of the eurozone in the years 2003 - 2010, using the stochastic frontier approach. The main finding is that recession in Europe has a positive impact on cost efficiency; however, there was a decline already connected with the outbreak of the Great Recession in the US. Secondly, significant determinants of cost efficiency in the eurozone are total assets, total business, interest margin, an...

The Impact of Macroeconomic News on the Euro-Dollar Exchange Rate

OpenAIRE

Caruso, Alberto

2016-01-01

This paper studies the effect of macroeconomic "news" (market now-cast errors related to the flow of data releases on macroeconomic fundamentals) on the daily USD/EUR exchange rate. I consider a large number of real-time macroeconomic announcements from both the US and the euro-zone, and the related market expectations as reported by Bloomberg. For the euro-zone I also study country level announcements for the four biggest economies (Germany, France, Italy, Spain). The results for the whole s...

Wilson expansion in the minimal subtraction scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, V.A.

1989-01-01

The small distance expansion of the product of composite fields is constructed for an arbitrary renormalization procedure of the type of minimal subtraction scheme. Coefficient functions of the expansion are expressed explicitly through the Green functions of composite fields. The expansion has the explicity finite form: the ultraviolet (UV) divergences of the coefficient functions and composite fields are removed by the initial renormalization procedure while the infrared (IR) divergences in massless diagrams with nonvanishing contribution into the coefficient functions are removed by the R-operation which is the IR part of the R-operation. The latter is the generalization of the dimensional renormalization in the case when both UV and IR divergences are present. To derive the expansion, a ''pre-subtracting operator'' is introduced and formulas of the counter-term technique are exploited

Thermal Expansion Anomaly Regulated by Entropy

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zi-Kui; Wang, Yi; Shang, Shunli

2014-11-01

Thermal expansion, defined as the temperature dependence of volume under constant pressure, is a common phenomenon in nature and originates from anharmonic lattice dynamics. However, it has been poorly understood how thermal expansion can show anomalies such as colossal positive, zero, or negative thermal expansion (CPTE, ZTE, or NTE), especially in quantitative terms. Here we show that changes in configurational entropy due to metastable micro(scopic)states can lead to quantitative prediction of these anomalies. We integrate the Maxwell relation, statistic mechanics, and first-principles calculations to demonstrate that when the entropy is increased by pressure, NTE occurs such as in Invar alloy (Fe3Pt, for example), silicon, ice, and water, and when the entropy is decreased dramatically by pressure, CPTE is expected such as in anti-Invar cerium, ice and water. Our findings provide a theoretic framework to understand and predict a broad range of anomalies in nature in addition to thermal expansion, which may include gigantic electrocaloric and electromechanical responses, anomalously reduced thermal conductivity, and spin distributions.

Territorial expansion and primary state formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Charles S

2010-04-20

A major research problem in anthropology is the origin of the state and its bureaucratic form of governance. Of particular importance for evaluating theories of state origins are cases of primary state formation, whereby a first-generation state evolves without contact with any preexisting states. A general model of this process, the territorial-expansion model, is presented and assessed with archaeological data from six areas where primary states emerged in antiquity: Mesoamerica, Peru, Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China. In each case, the evidence shows a close correspondence in time between the first appearance of state institutions and the earliest expansion of the state's political-economic control to regions lying more than a day's round-trip from the capital. Although additional research will add detail and clarity to the empirical record, the results to date are consistent with the territorial-expansion model, which argues that the success of such long-distance expansion not only demanded the bureaucratization of central authority but also helped provide the resources necessary to underwrite this administrative transformation.

Caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-07-03

Jul 3, 2011 ... She currently works with funding support from the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and the ... Children with life-limiting illnesses may also develop life-threatening ... bodies in an age-appropriate manner a basic.

75 FR 8053 - A Framework for Categorizing the Relative Vulnerability of Threatened and Endangered Species to...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-23

... EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket without change and to make the... Categorizing the Relative Vulnerability of Threatened and Endangered Species to Climate Change AGENCY... Framework for Categorizing the Relative Vulnerability of Threatened and Endangered Species to Climate Change...

Thermal expansion of quaternary nitride coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Tasnádi, Ferenc; Wang, Fei; Odén, Magnus; Abrikosov, Igor A.

2018-04-01

The thermal expansion coefficient of technologically relevant multicomponent cubic nitride alloys are predicted using the Debye model with ab initio elastic constants calculated at 0 K and an isotropic approximation for the Grüneisen parameter. Our method is benchmarked against measured thermal expansion of TiN and Ti(1-x)Al x N as well as against results of molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the thermal expansion coefficients of Ti(1-x-y)X y Al x N (X  =  Zr, Hf, Nb, V, Ta) solid solutions monotonously increase with the amount of alloying element X at all temperatures except for Zr and Hf, for which they instead decrease for y≳ 0.5 .

Thermal and Hygric Expansion of High Performance Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Toman

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The linear thermal expansion coefficient of two types of high performance concrete was measured in the temperature range from 20 °C to 1000 °C, and the linear hygric expansion coefficient was determined in the moisture range from dry material to saturation water content. Comparative methods were applied for measurements of both coefficients. The experimental results show that both the effect of temperature on the values of linear thermal expansion coefficients and the effect of moisture on the values of linear hygric expansion coefficients are very significant and cannot be neglected in practical applications.

Parabolic cyclinder functions : examples of error bounds for asymptotic expansions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Vidunas; N.M. Temme (Nico)

2002-01-01

textabstractSeveral asymptotic expansions of parabolic cylinder functions are discussedand error bounds for remainders in the expansions are presented. Inparticular Poincaré-type expansions for large values of the argument$z$ and uniform expansions for large values of the parameter areconsidered.

Integrating population and genetic monitoring to understand changes in the abundance of a threatened seabird

Science.gov (United States)

Catalina Vásquez-Carrillo; R. William Henry; Laird Henkel; M. Zachariah. Peery

2013-01-01

Population monitoring programs for threatened species are rarely designed to disentangle the effects of movements from changes in birth and death rates on estimated trends in abundance. Here, we illustrate how population and genetic monitoring can be integrated to understand the cause of large changes in the abundance of a threatened species of seabird, the Marbled...

A unification of boson expansion theories. (III) Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobaczewski, J.

1981-10-01

A general scheme of constructing boson expansions that was proposed in earlier work is applied to a number or examples. The Fukutome expansion is obtained by considering the spinor representation of the SO(2N+1) group. Its hermitian, Holstein-Primakofr-type version is also derived. The generalized Dyson expansions for even and odd fermion systems are given in terms of two spinor representations of the SO(2N) group. For fixed fermion number systems the relevant boson expansions are obtained by considering the fundamental representations of SU(N) while for fixed seniority those of Sp(N) are concerned. The collective boson expansions corresponding to the Ginocchio model, the interacting boson model of Arima and Iachello and the Elliot model are given for the symmetric representations of SO(8) and SU(1+1) and any representation of SU(3)

Discrete expansions of continuum functions. General concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang, J.; Ershov, S.N.; Gareev, F.A.; Kazacha, G.S.

1979-01-01

Different discrete expansions of the continuum wave functions are considered: pole expansion (according to the Mittag-Lefler theorem), Weinberg states. The general property of these groups of states is their completeness in the finite region of space. They satisfy the Schroedinger type equations and are matched with free solutions of the Schroedinger equation at the boundary. Convergence of expansions for the S matrix, the Green functions and the continuous-spectrum wave functions is studied. A new group of states possessing the best convergence is introduced

Edgeworth expansion for the pre-averaging estimator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Podolskij, Mark; Veliyev, Bezirgen; Yoshida, Nakahiro

In this paper, we study the Edgeworth expansion for a pre-averaging estimator of quadratic variation in the framework of continuous diffusion models observed with noise. More specifically, we obtain a second order expansion for the joint density of the estimators of quadratic variation and its...... asymptotic variance. Our approach is based on martingale embedding, Malliavin calculus and stable central limit theorems for continuous diffusions. Moreover, we derive the density expansion for the studentized statistic, which might be applied to construct asymptotic confidence regions....

Oblique photon expansion of QED structure functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chahine, C.

1986-01-01

In the oblique photon expansion, the collinear part of photon emission is summed up to all orders in perturbation theory. The number of oblique or non-collinear photons is the expansion order. Unlike in perturbation theory, every term of the expansion is both infrared finite and gauge invariant. The zero oblique photon contribution to the electromagnetic structure tensor in QED is computed in detail. The behaviors of the structure functions F1 and F2 are discussed in the soft and ultra-soft limits

Natural disease resistance in threatened staghorn corals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven V Vollmer

Full Text Available Disease epidemics have caused extensive damage to tropical coral reefs and to the reef-building corals themselves, yet nothing is known about the abilities of the coral host to resist disease infection. Understanding the potential for natural disease resistance in corals is critically important, especially in the Caribbean where the two ecologically dominant shallow-water corals, Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, have suffered an unprecedented mass die-off due to White Band Disease (WBD, and are now listed as threatened under the US Threatened Species Act and as critically endangered under the IUCN Red List criteria. Here we examine the potential for natural resistance to WBD in the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis by combining microsatellite genotype information with in situ transmission assays and field monitoring of WBD on tagged genotypes. We show that six percent of staghorn coral genotypes (3 out of 49 are resistant to WBD. This natural resistance to WBD in staghorn corals represents the first evidence of host disease resistance in scleractinian corals and demonstrates that staghorn corals have an innate ability to resist WBD infection. These resistant staghorn coral genotypes may explain why pockets of Acropora have been able to survive the WBD epidemic. Understanding disease resistance in these corals may be the critical link to restoring populations of these once dominant corals throughout their range.

The crisis in the Area Zone and the role of ECB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonida Lamcja

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the first comprehensive Target database of the Eurozone and interprets it from an economic perspective. We show that the Target accounts measure the intra-Eurozone balances of payments and indirectly also international credit given through the Eurosystem in terms of reallocating the ECB’s net refinancing credit. The Target and liabilities are interestbearing. Their interest rate equals the ECB’s main refinancing rate. However, interest revenues and expenses are socialized within the Euro system. Many think that the Target imbalances are a normal side effect of the Eurozone payment system, as they won’t occur in a currency system. The term Target balances has created much confusion even among academics; because it is a catchy term with several meanings that are not obviously connected with each other at first glance. In several countries, private debts arising from a property booble were transferred to sovereign debt as a result of banking system bailouts and government responses to slowing economies post-bubble.

The Sovereign Debt Crisis in Europe, Save Banks Not States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schäfer, Hans-Bernd

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The European central bank is a bank of banks but not a bank of states. This reduces the capabilities of member states to finance deficits. The role of the central bank to cope with the debt crises is institutionally more limited than in most other Western countries. The European Stability Mechanism has not enough financial power to bail out all distressed countries in the Eurozone. Eurobonds could increase lending capacities but would require a change of the European treaty, which is not in sight. They violate the no bail out clause of Art.125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The policy option is therefore debt restructuring of distressed countries and a bailout of financial institutions to avoid conflagration. This option would also shift some of the burden to creditors outside the Eurozone rather than to shift all risk on the people in solvent countries within the Eurozone.

AUTO-EXPANSIVE FLOW

Science.gov (United States)

Physics suggests that the interplay of momentum, continuity, and geometry in outward radial flow must produce density and concomitant pressure reductions. In other words, this flow is intrinsically auto-expansive. It has been proposed that this process is the key to understanding...

Genetic factors in Threatened Species Recovery Plans on three continents

Science.gov (United States)

Threatened species' recovery planning is applied globally to stem the current species extinction crisis. Evidence supports a key role of genetic processes, such as inbreeding depression, in determining species viability. We examined whether genetic factors are considered in threa...

Current account imbalances in the monetary union and the great recession: Causes and policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uxó Jorge

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Current account imbalances within the eurozone are at the roots of its economic crisis. We argue that, though relevant, emphasis should shift from competitiveness to differential rates of growth of domestic demand as its chief explanatory factor. Euro core countries have experienced a shortage of domestic demand, with wage restraint playing a key role. This has led them to experience a current account surplus, which could not be understood independently of a buoyant domestic demand in the peripheral countries, funded with private debt. As a byproduct of that strong demand, the periphery suffered from wage inflation and a loss of competitiveness. This dual growth pattern is unsustainable as indebtedness cannot go on without any limit. Neither wage cuts nor fiscal austerity in the periphery will help to solve this mess: although trade balance would be restored, it would lead to a negative shock in aggregate demand, threatening their ability to settle debts at due dates.

Studies of Expansive Learning: Foundations, Findings and Future Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yrjö Engeström

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The paper examines studies based on the theory of expansive learning, formulated in 1987. In recent years the theory has been used in a wide variety of studies and interventions. The theory builds on foundational ideas put forward by Vygotsky, Leont’ev, Il’enkov, and Davydov, key figures in the Russian school of cultural-historical activity theory. Studies based on the theory are reviewed in six sections: expansive learning as transformation of the object, expansive learning as movement in the zone of proximal development, expansive learning as cycles of learning actions, expansive learning as boundary crossing and network building, expansive learning as distributed and discontinuous movement, and formative interventions.A separate section is devoted to critiques of expansive learning. It is concluded that the ultimate test of learning theories is how they help practitioners to generate learning that grasps pressing issues the humankind is facing. The theory of expansive learning currently expands its analyses both up and down, outward and inward. Moving up and outward, it tackles learning in fields or networks of interconnected activity systems with their partially shared and often contested objects. Moving down and inward, it tackles issues of subjectivity, experiencing, personal sense, emotion, embodiment, identity, and moral commitment.

A Power Series Expansion and Its Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongwei

2006-01-01

Using the power series solution of a differential equation and the computation of a parametric integral, two elementary proofs are given for the power series expansion of (arcsin x)[squared], as well as some applications of this expansion.

Expansion Under Climate Change: The Genetic Consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Garnier, Jimmy; Lewis, Mark A

2016-11-01

Range expansion and range shifts are crucial population responses to climate change. Genetic consequences are not well understood but are clearly coupled to ecological dynamics that, in turn, are driven by shifting climate conditions. We model a population with a deterministic reaction-diffusion model coupled to a heterogeneous environment that develops in time due to climate change. We decompose the resulting travelling wave solution into neutral genetic components to analyse the spatio-temporal dynamics of its genetic structure. Our analysis shows that range expansions and range shifts under slow climate change preserve genetic diversity. This is because slow climate change creates range boundaries that promote spatial mixing of genetic components. Mathematically, the mixing leads to so-called pushed travelling wave solutions. This mixing phenomenon is not seen in spatially homogeneous environments, where range expansion reduces genetic diversity through gene surfing arising from pulled travelling wave solutions. However, the preservation of diversity is diminished when climate change occurs too quickly. Using diversity indices, we show that fast expansions and range shifts erode genetic diversity more than slow range expansions and range shifts. Our study provides analytical insight into the dynamics of travelling wave solutions in heterogeneous environments.

Rapid decline of the volcanically threatened Montserrat oriole.

Science.gov (United States)

Geoff M. Hilton; Phil W. Atkinson; Gerard A.L. Gray; Wayne J. Arendt; David W. Gibbons

2003-01-01

Prior to 1995, the Montserrat oriole (Icterus oberi) was confined to ca. 30 km2 of hill forest on the Lesser Antillean island of Montserrat, but was not listed as globally threatened. Since then, the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano has destroyed more than half of the species’ range. Recent intensive monitoring has indicated that the species has also declined...

Improvement of Expansive Soils Using Chemical Stabilizers

Science.gov (United States)

Ikizler, S. B.; Senol, A.; Khosrowshahi, S. K.; Hatipoğlu, M.

2014-12-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of two chemical stabilizers on the swelling potential of expansive soil. A high plasticity sodium bentonite was used as the expansive soil. The additive materials including fly ash (FA) and lime (L) were evaluated as potential stabilizers to decrease the swelling pressure of bentonite. Depending on the type of additive materials, they were blended with bentonite in different percentages to assess the optimum state and approch the maximum swell pressure reduction. According to the results of swell pressure test, both fly ash and lime reduce the swelling potential of bentonite but the maximum improvement occurs using bentonite-lime mixture while the swelling pressure reduction approaches to 49%. The results reveal a significant reduction of swelling potential of expansive soil using chemical stabilizers. Keywords: Expansive soil; swell pressure; chemical stabilization; fly ash; lime

75 FR 17377 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Initiation of 5-Year Review for Southern Resident Killer Whales

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-06

... list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plant species at 50 CFR 17.11 (for animals) and 17.12... endangered nor threatened for one or more of the following reasons: (1) the species is considered extinct; (2...

Thermal expansion: Metallic elements and alloys. [Handbook

Science.gov (United States)

Touloukian, Y. S.; Kirby, R. K.; Taylor, R. E.; Desai, P. D.

1975-01-01

The introductory sections of the work are devoted to the theory of thermal expansion of solids and to methods for the measurement of the linear thermal expansion of solids (X-ray methods, high speed methods, interferometry, push-rod dilatometry, etc.). The bulk of the work is devoted to numerical data on the thermal linear expansion of all the metallic elements, a large number of intermetallics, and a large number of binary alloy systems and multiple alloy systems. A comprehensive bibliography is provided along with an index to the materials examined.

Some Improved Nonperturbative Bounds for Fermionic Expansions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lohmann, Martin, E-mail: marlohmann@gmail.com [Universita di Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Matematica (Italy)

2016-06-15

We reconsider the Gram-Hadamard bound as it is used in constructive quantum field theory and many body physics to prove convergence of Fermionic perturbative expansions. Our approach uses a recursion for the amplitudes of the expansion, discovered in a model problem by Djokic (2013). It explains the standard way to bound the expansion from a new point of view, and for some of the amplitudes provides new bounds, which avoid the use of Fourier transform, and are therefore superior to the standard bounds for models like the cold interacting Fermi gas.

A non-uniform expansion mechanical safety model of the stent.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, J; Huang, N; Du, Q

2009-01-01

Stents have a serial unstable structure that readily leads to non-uniform expansion. Non-uniform expansion in turn creates a stent safety problem. We explain how a stent may be simplified to a serial unstable structure, and present a method to calculate the non-uniform expansion of the stent on the basis of the serial unstable structure. We propose a safety criterion based on the expansion displacement instead of the strain, and explain that the parameter Rd, the ratio of the maximum displacement of the elements to normal displacement, is meaningful to assess the safety level of the stent. We also examine how laser cutting influences non-uniform expansion. The examples illustrate how to calculate the parameter Rd to assess non-uniform expansion of the stent, and demonstrate how the laser cutting offset and strengthening coefficient of the material influence the stent expansion behaviour. The methods are valuable for assessing stent safety due to non-uniform expansion.

Synthesis, microstructure and thermal expansion studies

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. We report on the synthesis, microstructure and thermal expansion studies on Ca0.5+/2Sr0.5+/2Zr4P6−2Si2O24 ( = 0.00 to 1.00) system which belongs to NZP family of low thermal expansion ceramics. The ceramics synthesized by co-precipitation method at lower calcination and the sintering temperatures ...

Operator expansion in quantum chromodynamics beyond perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novikov, V.A.; Shifman, M.A.; Vainshtejn, A.I.; Zakharov, V.I.

1980-01-01

The status of operator expansion at short distances is descussed within the frameworks of nonperturbatue QCD. The question of instanton effects is investigated in various aspects. Two-point functions induced by the gluonic currents are considered. It is shown that certain gluonic correlations vanish in the field of definite duality. It is proved that there does exist a very special relation between the expansion coefficients required by consistancy between instanton calculations and the general operator expansion. At last a certain modification of the naive version of operator expansion is proposed, which allows one to go beyond the critical power and construct, if necessary, an infinite series

Studying medium effects with the optimized δ expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krein, G.; Menezes, D.P.; Nielsen, M.; Pinto, M.B.

1995-04-01

The possibility of using the optimized δ expansion for studying medium effects on hadronic properties in quark or nuclear matter is investigated. The δ expansion is employed to study density effects with two commonly used models in hadron and nuclear physics, the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model for the dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and the Walecka model for the equation of state of nuclear matter. The results obtained with the δ expansion are compared to those obtained with the traditional Hartree-Fock approximation. Perspectives for using the δ expansion in other field theoretic models in hadron and nuclear physics are discussed. (author). 17 refs, 9 figs

Studying medium effects with the optimized {delta} expansion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krein, G [Instituto de Fisica Teorica (IFT), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Menezes, D P [Santa Catarina Univ., Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica; Nielsen, M [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica; Pinto, M B [Montpellier-2 Univ., 34 (France). Lab. de Physique Mathematique

1995-04-01

The possibility of using the optimized {delta} expansion for studying medium effects on hadronic properties in quark or nuclear matter is investigated. The {delta} expansion is employed to study density effects with two commonly used models in hadron and nuclear physics, the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model for the dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and the Walecka model for the equation of state of nuclear matter. The results obtained with the {delta} expansion are compared to those obtained with the traditional Hartree-Fock approximation. Perspectives for using the {delta} expansion in other field theoretic models in hadron and nuclear physics are discussed. (author). 17 refs, 9 figs.

Origami structures for tunable thermal expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Boatti, Elisa; Bertoldi, Katia

Materials with engineered thermal expansion, capable of achieving targeted and extreme area/volume changes in response to variations in temperature, are important for a number of aerospace, optical, energy, and microelectronic applications. While most of the proposed structures with tunable coefficient of thermal expansion consist of bi-material 2D or 3D lattices, here we propose a periodic metastructure based on a bilayer Miura-Ori origami fold. We combine experiments and simulations to demonstrate that by tuning the geometrical and mechanical parameters an extremely broad range of thermal expansion coefficients can be obtained, spanning both negative and positive values. Additionally, the thermal properties along different directions can be adjusted independently. Differently from all previously reported systems, the proposed structure is non-porous.

Anisotropic thermal expansion in flexible materials

Science.gov (United States)

Romao, Carl P.

2017-10-01

A definition of the Grüneisen parameters for anisotropic materials is derived based on the response of phonon frequencies to uniaxial stress perturbations. This Grüneisen model relates the thermal expansion in a given direction (αi i) to one element of the elastic compliance tensor, which corresponds to the Young's modulus in that direction (Yi i). The model is tested through ab initio prediction of thermal expansion in zinc, graphite, and calcite using density functional perturbation theory, indicating that it could lead to increased accuracy for structurally complex systems. The direct dependence of αi i on Yi i suggests that materials which are flexible along their principal axes but rigid in other directions will generally display both positive and negative thermal expansion.

Cluster expansion of the wavefunction. Symmetry-adapted-cluster expansion, its variational determination, and extension of open-shell orbital theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakatsuji, H.; Hirao, K.

1978-01-01

The symmetry-adapted-cluster (SAC) expansion of an exact wavefunction is given. It is constructed from the generators of the symmetry-adapted excited configurations having the symmetry under consideration, and includes their higher-order effect and self-consistency effect. It is different from the conventional cluster expansions in several important points, and is suitable for applications to open-shell systems as well as closed-shell systems. The variational equation for the SAC wavefunction has a form similar to the generalized Brillouin theorem in accordance with the inclusion of the higher-order effect and the self-consistency effect. We have expressed some existing open-shell orbital theories equivalently in the conventional cluster expansion formulas, and on this basis, we have given the pseudo-orbital theory which is an extension of open-shell orbital theory in the SAC expansion formula

Do all types of restructuring threaten employees' well-being? An exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Widerszal-Bazyl, Maria; Mockałło, Zofia

2015-01-01

Most research on the negative impact of restructuring on employees' health considers restructuring involving personnel reduction. The aim of this study was to explore the assumption that the type of restructuring, business expansion versus restructuring not involving expansion (only reductions and/or change of ownership), influences its psychological responses: appraisal of the change, psychosocial working conditions and well-being after the change. The study was carried out among 857 employees that experienced restructuring in 2009 and/or 2010 and 538 employees from companies not restructured at that time. The main variables, i.e., assessment of change in terms of personal benefits and losses, psychosocial job characteristics and well-being were measured using a questionnaire developed in "The psychological health and well-being in restructuring: key effects and mechanisms" project (PSYRES). It was found that the employees who experienced business expansion in comparison to those who experienced exclusively change of ownership had a higher appraisal of change, while those who experienced restructuring not involving business expansion did not differ from those who experienced change of ownership. As far as psychosocial working conditions are concerned, those employees who experienced exclusively business expansion did not differ from those in the not restructured companies (except for quantitative demands that were higher), while most psychosocial working conditions of the employees who experienced restructuring not involving expansion were poorer than in the not restructured companies. Also, well-being measures of the employees who experienced exclusively business expansion did not differ from those in the not restructured companies (except for innovative behavior that was even higher), while well-being measure of those who experienced restructuring not involving expansion was poorer than of those in the not restructured companies. Restructuring involving

Threatening communication: A qualitative study of fear appeal effectiveness beliefs among intervention developers, policymakers, politicians, scientists, and advertising professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Y; Ruiter, Robert A C; Kok, Gerjo

2014-01-01

Threatening communication is a widely applied method in behavior change interventions, which at the same time has been heavily criticized in the psychological literature. The current paper describes a study of the reasons for this persistent wide application of threatening communication. We conducted qualitative interviews with 33 key actors in behavior change intervention development in The Netherlands. Specifically, we interviewed intervention developers, policymakers, politicians, scientists, and advertising professionals. The interviews were transcribed and subsequently coded using NVivo. We found that participants most closely involved with the actual intervention development were generally convinced that threatening information was to be prevented, but often did not understand the exact processes involved. They were often under the impression that rather than a potent efficacy enhancing element, a behavioral suggestion would suffice to prevent threatening communication from backfiring. As participants were further removed from the actual intervention development, they generally tended to be more in favor of threatening communication. The main reasons for use of threatening information were to attract attention or prompt self-reflection through confrontation, because target population members were assumed to like threatening information and respond rationally to increased risk perceptions by changing their behavior, or simply because no alternatives were available. In addition, intervention developers frequently had to deal with supervisors or funders who preferred threatening communication. Thus, when communicating with practitioners, it seems fruitful to provide them with a toolbox of evidence-based behavior change methods that promote adaptive, rather than maladaptive, behavior; to promote basing interventions on the most relevant behavioral determinants as identified by determinant analyses; and to equip intervention developers with the tools to persuade

Elastic-plastic analysis of tube expansion in tubesheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasraie, B.; O'Donnell, W.J.; Porowski, J.S.; Selz, A.

1983-01-01

Conditions for expansion of tubes in tubesheets are often determined by the test. The tightness of the joint and pull out force are used as criteria for evaluation of the results. For closely spaced tubes, it is also necessary to control development of the plastic regions in the ligaments surrounding the tube being expanded. High local strains may occur and excessive distortion may result if the expansion of the tube is continued beyond the admissible limits. Elastic-plastic finite element analyses are performed herein in order to establish conditions for rolling of the tubes in tubesheets of low ligament efficiency. Such penetration patterns are often required in the design of tubular reactors for catalytic processes. The model considered includes individual tube expansion in tubesheets with triangular penetration patterns. The effect of prior expansion of the neighboring tubes is also evaluated. Gap elements are used to model the initial clearance of the tube in the hole. Development of the plastic zones and distortion of the ligaments is monitored during radial expansion of the tube diameter. The residual stresses between the tube and the hole surface and the history of gap closing after removal of the expansion tool are determined. The effect of axial extension of the tube on the tube thinning is determined. Tube thinning is often used as a measure of tube expansion in manufacturing processes. For the analyzed ligament efficiency, reliable joints are obtained for a thinning range within 2% to 3%

ECB Banking Supervision and beyond

OpenAIRE

Lannoo, Karel

2014-01-01

With publication of the results of its Comprehensive Assessment at the end of October 2014, the European Central Bank has set the standard for its new mandate as supervisor. But this was only the beginning. The heavy work started in early November, with the day-to-day supervision of the 120 most significant banks in the eurozone under the Single Supervisory Mechanism. The centralisation of the supervision in the eurozone will pose a number of challenges for the ECB in the coming months and ye...

Did ECB Liquidity Injections Help the Real Economy?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daetz, Stine Louise; Subrahmanyam, Marti G.; Tang, Dragon Yongjun

on corporate policies in the Eurozone, is an important but unanswered issue. We analyze a large panel of individual corporations across countries in the Eurozone, and find that non-financial corporations issued more long-term debt and hoarded more cash following the ECB liquidity injections. However......, this increase in corporate liquidity was not employed in a productive manner, as corporations generally did not subsequently increase their investments or employment, regardless of their banking connections. The exceptions to this weak response were corporations in countries with corresponding accommodative...

Instability of a planar expansion wave.

Science.gov (United States)

Velikovich, A L; Zalesak, S T; Metzler, N; Wouchuk, J G

2005-10-01

An expansion wave is produced when an incident shock wave interacts with a surface separating a fluid from a vacuum. Such an interaction starts the feedout process that transfers perturbations from the rippled inner (rear) to the outer (front) surface of a target in inertial confinement fusion. Being essentially a standing sonic wave superimposed on a centered expansion wave, a rippled expansion wave in an ideal gas, like a rippled shock wave, typically produces decaying oscillations of all fluid variables. Its behavior, however, is different at large and small values of the adiabatic exponent gamma. At gamma > 3, the mass modulation amplitude delta(m) in a rippled expansion wave exhibits a power-law growth with time alpha(t)beta, where beta = (gamma - 3)/(gamma - 1). This is the only example of a hydrodynamic instability whose law of growth, dependent on the equation of state, is expressed in a closed analytical form. The growth is shown to be driven by a physical mechanism similar to that of a classical Richtmyer-Meshkov instability. In the opposite extreme gamma - 1 gas with low . Exact analytical expressions for the growth rates are derived for both cases and favorably compared to hydrodynamic simulation results.

Thermal expansion absorbing structure for pipeline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagata, Takashi; Yamashita, Takuya.

1995-01-01

A thermal expansion absorbing structure for a pipeline is disposed to the end of pipelines to form a U-shaped cross section connecting a semi-circular torus shell and a short double-walled cylindrical tube. The U-shaped longitudinal cross-section is deformed in accordance with the shrinking deformation of the pipeline and absorbs thermal expansion. Namely, since the central lines of the outer and inner tubes of the double-walled cylindrical tube deform so as to incline, when the pipeline is deformed by thermal expansion, thermal expansion can be absorbed by a simple configuration thereby enabling to contribute to ensure the safety. Then, the entire length of the pipeline can greatly be shortened by applying it to the pipeline disposed in a high temperature state compared with a method of laying around a pipeline using only elbows, which has been conducted so far. Especially, when it is applied to a pipeline for an FBR-type reactor, the cost for the construction of a facility of a primary systems can greater be reduced. In addition, it can be applied to a pipeline for usual chemical plants and any other structures requiring absorption of deformation. (N.H.)

The {β}-expansion formalism in perturbative QCD and its extension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kataev, A.L. [Institute for Nuclear Research of the Academy of Sciences of Russia,60th October Anniversary Prospect 7a, 117312, Moscow (Russian Federation); Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology,Institutskii per. 9, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Mikhailov, S.V. [Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, JINR,Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation)

2016-11-11

We discuss the {β}-expansion for renormalization group invariant quantities tracing this expansion to the different contractions of the corresponding incomplete BPHZ R-operation. All of the coupling renormalizations, which follow from these contractions, should be taken into account for the {β}-expansion. We illustrate this feature considering the nonsinglet Adler function D{sup NS} in the third order of perturbation. We propose a generalization of the {β}-expansion for the renormalization group covariant quantities — the {β,γ}-expansion.

Life-threatening hypokalemia following rapid correction of respiratory acidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Kendra; You, David; Collins, Eileen G; Leehey, David J; Laghi, Franco

2013-01-01

A 56-year-old woman with a history of paraplegia and chronic pain due to neuromyelitis optica (Devic's syndrome) was admitted to a spinal cord injury unit for management of a sacral decubitus ulcer. During the hospitalization, she required emergency transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) because of progressive deterioration of respiratory muscle function, severe respiratory acidosis, obtundation and hypotension. Upon transfer to the ICU, arterial blood gas revealed severe acute-on-chronic respiratory acidosis (pH 7.00, PCO2 120 mm Hg, PO2 211 mm Hg). The patient was immediately intubated and mechanically ventilated. Intravenous fluid boluses of normal saline (10.5 L in about 24 h) and vasopressors were started with rapid correction of hypotension. In addition, she was given hydrocortisone. Within 40 min of initiation of mechanical ventilation, there was improvement in acute respiratory acidosis. Sixteen hours later, however, the patient developed life-threatening hypokalemia (K(+) of 2.1 mEq/L) and hypomagnesemia (Mg of 1.4 mg/dL). Despite aggressive potassium supplementation, hypokalemia continued to worsen over the next several hours (K(+) of 1.7 mEq/L). Urine studies revealed renal potassium wasting. We reason that the recalcitrant life-threatening hypokalemia was caused by several mechanisms including total body potassium depletion (chronic respiratory acidosis), a shift of potassium from the extracellular to intracellular space (rapid correction of respiratory acidosis with mechanical ventilation), increased sodium delivery to the distal nephron (normal saline resuscitation), hyperaldosteronism (secondary to hypotension plus administration of hydrocortisone) and hypomagnesemia. We conclude that rapid correction of respiratory acidosis, especially in the setting of hypotension, can lead to life-threatening hypokalemia. Serum potassium levels must be monitored closely in these patients, as failure to do so can lead to potentially lethal consequences

Temperature expansions for magnetic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cangemi, D.; Dunne, G.

1996-01-01

We derive finite temperature expansions for relativistic fermion systems in the presence of background magnetic fields, and with nonzero chemical potential. We use the imaginary-time formalism for the finite temperature effects, the proper-time method for the background field effects, and zeta function regularization for developing the expansions. We emphasize the essential difference between even and odd dimensions, focusing on 2+1 and 3+1 dimensions. We concentrate on the high temperature limit, but we also discuss the T=0 limit with nonzero chemical potential. Copyright copyright 1996 Academic Press, Inc

Threatened and endangered fish and wildlife of the midwest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schafer, D.W.; Robeck, K.E.

1980-06-01

This report contains information of federally-listed endangered and/or threatened fish and wildlife occurring in the midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The information was compiled as a support document for the Regional Issue Identification and Assessment (RIIA) project sponsored by the Regional Assessments Division of the Office of Technology Impacts within the Department of Energy. The information on midwestern endangered species distribution, habitats, and reasons for population decline included in this document are designed to help assess the potential for adverse impacts if energy activities are sited within the general range of an endangered species. It is hoped that this document will thereby enhance the reliability of one portion of energy-related assessments performed in the Midwest. This report considers only those species listed prior to October 1979 as endangered and/or threatened in the federal endangered species list published in the Federal Register and that have been known to occur in the region in the last 20 years.

Life-Threatening Atypical Case of Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tajmir-Riahi, Azadeh; Wörl, Petra; Harrer, Thomas; Schliep, Stefan; Schuler, Gerold; Simon, Miklos

2017-01-01

Antibiotics are known to cause severe cutaneous adverse reactions, such as the rare acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP). Unlike Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis, AGEP is rarely life-threatening. Systemic involvement is not typical, and if present usually coincides with a mild elevation of the hepatic enzymes and a decrease in renal function. Hence, AGEP is known to have a good prognosis and to be life-threatening only in elderly patients or patients with chronic diseases. Herein, we report a case of AGEP in a young healthy male leading to systemic inflammatory response syndrome and to treatment in an intensive care unit after being treated with 5 different antibiotics. Initial symptoms were not indicative for AGEP and the patient's course of disease led promptly to critical cardiorespiratory symptoms and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. We assume that the administration of the 5 different antibiotics resulted in type IV allergy as well as secondary infection with Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus, while the underlying periodontitis also contributed to the severity of this case. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

77 FR 59582 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on Petitions To List the Northeastern Pacific...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-28

... Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... carcharias) as a threatened or endangered distinct population segment (DPS) under the Endangered Species Act... under the U.S. Endangered Species Act'' because NatureServe assessments ``have different criteria...

Thermal expansion data of (Th,U)O2 fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sengupta, A.K.; Banerjee, J.; Bhagat, R.K.; Ramachandran, R.; Majumdar, S.; Purushotham, D.S.C.

2000-04-01

Thermal expansion data for sintered ThO 2 and ThO 2 containing 2, 4, 6, 10 and 20% UO 2 pellets were measured using a high temperature dilatometer in the temperature range from ambient to 1773 K. The dilatometer was first calibrated using a standard graphite sample as reference material. The reproducibility of the dilatometer was tested by measuring the coefficient of expansion of tungsten (NBS SRM 737) and comparing the data with that recommended by National Bureau of Standard. It was observed that there is close agreement between the experimental and reported data. The coefficient of expansion data of (Th,U)O 2 fuel indicate that out of all the six compositions, ThO 2 +2%UO 2 showed the maximum expansion of around 1.75% at 1773 K. However, the expansion data for all the compositions were very close to each other. Empirical equation correlating thermal expansion and temperature for all six compositions have been generated and reported. (author)

Ring-Expansion/Contraction Radical Crossover Reactions of Cyclic Alkoxyamines: A Mechanism for Ring Expansion-Controlled Radical Polymerization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsushi Narumi

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Macrocyclic polymers present an important class of macromolecules, displaying the reduced radius of gyration or impossibility to entangle. A rare approach for their synthesis is the ring expansion-controlled radical “vinyl” polymerization, starting from a cyclic alkoxyamine. We here describe ring-expansion radical crossover reactions of cyclic alkoxyamines which run in parallel to chain-propagation reactions in the polymerization system. The radical crossover reactions extensively occurred at 105–125 °C, eventually producing high molecular weight polymers with multiple inherent dynamic covalent bonds (NOC bonds. A subsequent ring-contraction radical crossover reaction and the second ring-expansion radical crossover reaction are also described. The major products for the respective three stages were shown to possess cyclic morphologies by the molecular weight profiles and the residual ratios for the NOC bonds (φ in %. In particular, the high φ values ranging from ca. 80% to 98% were achieved for this cyclic alkoxyamine system. This result verifies the high availability of this system as a tool demonstrating the ring-expansion “vinyl” polymerization that allows them to produce macrocyclic polymers via a one-step vinyl polymerization.

Supersonic expansion of argon into vacuum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Habets, A H.M.

1977-01-21

A theoretical description of a free supersonic expansion process is given. Three distinct regions in the expansion are discussed, namely the continuum region, the gradual transition to the collisionless regime, and the free-molecular-flow stage. Important topics are the peaking-factor formalism, the thermal-conduction model, and the virtual-source formalism. The formation of the molecular beam from the expansion and condensation phenomena occurring in the expanding gas are discussed. The molecular beam machine used in the measurements is described and special attention is given to the cryopumps used in the supersonic sources as well as to the time-of-flight analysis of the molecular beam velocity distributions. Finally, the processing of experimental data is discussed, particularly the least-squares determination of best-fit representations of the measurements.

Radial expansion for spinning conformal blocks

CERN Document Server

Costa, Miguel S.; Penedones, João; Trevisani, Emilio

2016-07-12

This paper develops a method to compute any bosonic conformal block as a series expansion in the optimal radial coordinate introduced by Hogervorst and Rychkov. The method reduces to the known result when the external operators are all the same scalar operator, but it allows to compute conformal blocks for external operators with spin. Moreover, we explain how to write closed form recursion relations for the coefficients of the expansions. We study three examples of four point functions in detail: one vector and three scalars; two vectors and two scalars; two spin 2 tensors and two scalars. Finally, for the case of two external vectors, we also provide a more efficient way to generate the series expansion using the analytic structure of the blocks as a function of the scaling dimension of the exchanged operator.

Supersonic expansion of argon into vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habets, A.H.M.

1977-01-01

A theoretical description of a free supersonic expansion process is given. Three distinct regions in the expansion are discussed, namely the continuum region, the gradual transition to the collisionless regime, and the free-molecular-flow stage. Important topics are the peaking-factor formalism, the thermal-conduction model, and the virtual-source formalism. The formation of the molecular beam from the expansion and condensation phenomena occurring in the expanding gas are discussed. The molecular beam machine used in the measurements is described and special attention is given to the cryopumps used in the supersonic sources as well as to the time-of-flight analysis of the molecular beam velocity distributions. Finally, the processing of experimental data is discussed, particularly the least-squares determination of best-fit representations of the measurements

The relevance of grid expansion under zonal markets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertsch, Joachim; Hagspiel, Simeon; Just, Lisa [ewi Energy Research and Scenarios gGmbH, Cologne (Germany); Cologne Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Economics; Brown, Tom [Frankfurt Institute of Advanced Studies (Germany)

2015-12-15

The European electricity market design is based on zonal markets with uniform prices. Locational price signals within these zones - necessary to ensure long-term efficiency - are not provided. Specifically, if intra-zonal congestion occurs due to missing grid expansion, the market design is revealed as inherently incomplete. This might lead to severe, unwanted distortions of the electricity market, both in the short- and in the long-term. In this paper, we study these distortions with a specific focus on the impact of restricted grid expansion under zonal markets. For this, we use a long term fundamental dispatch and investment model of the European electricity system and gradually restrict the allowed expansion of the transmission grid per decade. We find that the combination of an incomplete market design and restricted grid expansion leads to a misallocation of generation capacities and the inability to transport electricity to where it is needed. Consequences are severe and lead to load curtailment of up to 2-3 %. Moreover, missing grid expansion makes it difficult and costly to reach envisaged energy targets in the power sector. Hence, we argue that in the likely event of restricted grid expansion, either administrative measures or - presumably more efficient - an adaptation of the current market design to include locational signals will become necessary.

The relevance of grid expansion under zonal markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertsch, Joachim; Hagspiel, Simeon; Just, Lisa

2015-01-01

The European electricity market design is based on zonal markets with uniform prices. Locational price signals within these zones - necessary to ensure long-term efficiency - are not provided. Specifically, if intra-zonal congestion occurs due to missing grid expansion, the market design is revealed as inherently incomplete. This might lead to severe, unwanted distortions of the electricity market, both in the short- and in the long-term. In this paper, we study these distortions with a specific focus on the impact of restricted grid expansion under zonal markets. For this, we use a long term fundamental dispatch and investment model of the European electricity system and gradually restrict the allowed expansion of the transmission grid per decade. We find that the combination of an incomplete market design and restricted grid expansion leads to a misallocation of generation capacities and the inability to transport electricity to where it is needed. Consequences are severe and lead to load curtailment of up to 2-3 %. Moreover, missing grid expansion makes it difficult and costly to reach envisaged energy targets in the power sector. Hence, we argue that in the likely event of restricted grid expansion, either administrative measures or - presumably more efficient - an adaptation of the current market design to include locational signals will become necessary.

Threatened species richness along a Himalayan elevational gradient: quantifying the influences of human population density, range size, and geometric constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Paudel, Prakash Kumar; Sipos, Jan; Brodie, Jedediah F

2018-02-07

A crucial step in conserving biodiversity is to identify the distributions of threatened species and the factors associated with species threat status. In the biodiversity hotspot of the Himalaya, very little is known about which locations harbour the highest diversity of threatened species and whether diversity of such species is related to area, mid-domain effects (MDE), range size, or human density. In this study, we assessed the drivers of variation in richness of threatened birds, mammals, reptiles, actinopterygii, and amphibians along an elevational gradient in Nepal Himalaya. Although geometric constraints (MDE), species range size, and human population density were significantly related to threatened species richness, the interaction between range size and human population density was of greater importance. Threatened species richness was positively associated with human population density and negatively associated with range size. In areas with high richness of threatened species, species ranges tend to be small. The preponderance of species at risk of extinction at low elevations in the subtropical biodiversity hotspot could be due to the double impact of smaller range sizes and higher human density.

Controlled Thermal Expansion Alloys

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — There has always been a need for controlled thermal expansion alloys suitable for mounting optics and detectors in spacecraft applications.  These alloys help...

Duodenal Wedge Resection for Large Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour Presenting with Life-Threatening Haemorrhage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Shaw

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs are an uncommon malignancy of the gastrointestinal (GI tract. We present a case of life-threatening haemorrhage caused by a large ulcerating duodenal GIST arising from the third part of the duodenum managed by a limited duodenal wedge resection. Case Presentation. A 61-year-old patient presented with acute life-threatening gastrointestinal bleeding. After oesophagogastroduodenoscopy failed to demonstrate the source of bleeding, a 5 cm ulcerating exophytic mass originating from the third part of the duodenum was identified at laparotomy. A successful limited wedge resection of the tumour mass was performed. Histopathology subsequently confirmed a duodenal GIST. The patient remained well at 12-month followup with no evidence of local recurrence or metastatic spread. Conclusion. Duodenal GISTs can present with life-threatening upper GI haemorrhage. In the context of acute haemorrhage, even relatively large duodenal GISTs can be treated by limited wedge resection. This is a preferable alternative to duodenopancreatectomy with lower morbidity and mortality but comparable oncological outcome.

Introduction of threatened species in a fragmented and deteriorated landscape

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vergeer, P.

2005-01-01

In The Netherlands, heathlands and species-rich grassland are strongly reduced in both area and habitat quality mainly due to fragmentation, eutrophication and acidification. As a result, many plant and animal species have become (locally) extinct, or are threatened by extinction as they are forced

36 CFR 1229.12 - What are the requirements during a state of war or threatened war?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... during a state of war or threatened war? 1229.12 Section 1229.12 Parks, Forests, and Public Property... § 1229.12 What are the requirements during a state of war or threatened war? (a) Destruction of records... war between the United States and any other nation or when hostile action appears imminent, the head...

Controlling Thermal Expansion: A Metal?Organic Frameworks Route

OpenAIRE

Balestra, Salvador R. G.; Bueno-Perez, Rocio; Hamad, Said; Dubbeldam, David; Ruiz-Salvador, A. Rabdel; Calero, Sofia

2016-01-01

Controlling thermal expansion is an important, not yet resolved, and challenging problem in materials research. A conceptual design is introduced here, for the first time, for the use of metal?organic frameworks (MOFs) as platforms for controlling thermal expansion devices that can operate in the negative, zero, and positive expansion regimes. A detailed computer simulation study, based on molecular dynamics, is presented to support the targeted application. MOF-5 has been selected as model m...

Surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Pogrel, M A; Kaban, L B; Vargervik, K; Baumrind, S

1992-01-01

Twelve adults with maxillary width discrepancy of greater than 5 mm were treated by surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion. The procedure consisted of bilateral zygomatic buttress and midpalatal osteotomies combined with the use of a tooth-borne orthopedic device postoperatively. Mean palatal expansion of 7.5 mm (range of 6 to 13 mm), measured in the first molar region, was achieved within 3 weeks in all patients. Expansion remained stable during the 12-month study period, with a mean relapse for the entire group of 0.88 +/- 0.48 mm. Morbidity was limited to mild postoperative discomfort. The results of this preliminary study indicated that surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion is a safe, simple, and reliable procedure for achieving a permanent increase in skeletal maxillary width in adults. Further study is necessary to document the three-dimensional movements of the maxillary segments and long-term stability of the skeletal and dental changes.

Threatening communication: a qualitative study of fear appeal effectiveness beliefs among intervention developers, policymakers, politicians, scientists, and advertising professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Y; Ruiter, Robert A C; Kok, Gerjo

2014-04-01

Threatening communication is a widely applied method in behavior change interventions, which at the same time has been heavily criticized in the psychological literature. The current paper describes a study of the reasons for this persistent wide application of threatening communication. We conducted qualitative interviews with 33 key actors in behavior change intervention development in The Netherlands. Specifically, we interviewed intervention developers, policymakers, politicians, scientists, and advertising professionals. The interviews were transcribed and subsequently coded using NVivo. We found that participants most closely involved with the actual intervention development were generally convinced that threatening information was to be prevented, but often did not understand the exact processes involved. They were often under the impression that rather than a potent efficacy enhancing element, a behavioral suggestion would suffice to prevent threatening communication from backfiring. As participants were further removed from the actual intervention development, they generally tended to be more in favor of threatening communication. The main reasons for use of threatening information were to attract attention or prompt self-reflection through confrontation, because target population members were assumed to like threatening information and respond rationally to increased risk perceptions by changing their behavior, or simply because no alternatives were available. In addition, intervention developers frequently had to deal with supervisors or funders who preferred threatening communication. Thus, when communicating with practitioners, it seems fruitful to provide them with a toolbox of evidence-based behavior change methods that promote adaptive, rather than maladaptive, behavior; to promote basing interventions on the most relevant behavioral determinants as identified by determinant analyses; and to equip intervention developers with the tools to persuade

Total matrix metalloproteinase-8 serum levels in patients labouring preterm and patients with threatened preterm delivery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr Laudański

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Preterm labour and prematurity are still a main cause of perinatal morbidity nowadays. The aim of our study was to assess the role of MMP-8 as a predictive marker of preterm delivery. Four groups of patients were involved to the study: I - pregnant women at 24-34 weeks of gestation with any symptoms of threatened preterm labour; II - threatened preterm labour patients between 24-34 weeks of gestation; III - preterm vaginal delivery patients; IV - healthy term vaginal delivery patients. Serum concentration of total MMP-8 was measured using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. There were no significant differences in the median concentrations of total MMP-8 between physiological pregnancy and threatened preterm labour patients with existing uterine contractility. No significant differences of total MMP-8 were either found between healthy term and preterm labouring patients. The studies on a larger population are needed to reject the hypothesis that preterm labour is connected with increased MMP-8 plasma concentrations of women in preterm labour and threatened preterm delivery.

Perturbation Expansion in Dynamical Nuclear Field Theory and Its Relation with Boson Expansion Theory : Nuclear Physics

OpenAIRE

Teruo, KISHIMOTO; Tetsuo, KAMMURI; Institute of Physics, University of Tsukuba; Department of Physics, Osaka University

1990-01-01

With the Dynamical Nuclear Field Theory (DNFT) in the Tamm-Dancoff representation we examine higher order corrections in the vibrational mode of a spherical nuclear system. Due to the effects of bubble diagrams, the perturbation expansion in terms of the unrenormalized coupling strength and boson energy fails at full self-consistency. On the other hand, it becomes applicable in the form of linked-cluster expansion when we use thses constants renormalized by the effect of bubble diagrams, in t...

Eta-Expansion Does The Trick

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Malmkjær, Karoline; Palsberg, Jens

1995-01-01

Partial-evaluation folklore has it that massaging one's source programs can make them specialize better. In Jones, Gomard, and Sestoft's recent textbook, a whole chapter is dedicated to listing such “binding-time improvements”: nonstandard use of continuation-passing style, eta-expansion, and a p......Partial-evaluation folklore has it that massaging one's source programs can make them specialize better. In Jones, Gomard, and Sestoft's recent textbook, a whole chapter is dedicated to listing such “binding-time improvements”: nonstandard use of continuation-passing style, eta...... across dynamic case expressions. This requirement precisely accounts for the nonstandard use of continuation-passing style encountered in partial evaluation. Eta-expansion thus acts as a uniform binding-time coercion between values and contexts, be they of function type, product type, or disjoint......-expansion, and a popular transformation called “The Trick.” We provide a unified view of these binding-time improvements, from a typing perspective. Just as a proper treatment of product values in partial evaluation requires partially static values, a proper treatment of disjoint sums requires moving static contexts...

Cluster expansion for vacuum confining fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonov, Yu.A.

1987-01-01

Colored particle Green functions in vacuum background random fields are written as path integrals. Averaging over random fields is done using the cluster (cumulant) expansion. The existence of a finite correlation length for vacuum background fields is shown to produce the linear confinement, in agreement with the results, obtained with the help of averaged Hamiltonians. A modified form of cluster expansion for nonabelian fields is introduced using the path-ordered cumulants

Stochastic quantization and 1/N expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunelli, J.C.; Mendes, R.S.

1992-10-01

We study the 1/N expansion of field theories in the stochastic quantization method of Parisi and Wu using the supersymmetric functional approach. This formulation provides a systematic procedure to implement the 1/N expansion which resembles the ones used in the equilibrium. The 1/N perturbation theory for the non linear sigma model in two dimensions is worked out as an example. (author). 19 refs., 5 figs

Comparison among Magnus/Floquet/Fer expansion schemes in solid-state NMR

Science.gov (United States)

Takegoshi, K.; Miyazawa, Norihiro; Sharma, Kshama; Madhu, P. K.

2015-04-01

We here revisit expansion schemes used in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for the calculation of effective Hamiltonians and propagators, namely, Magnus, Floquet, and Fer expansions. While all the expansion schemes are powerful methods there are subtle differences among them. To understand the differences, we performed explicit calculation for heteronuclear dipolar decoupling, cross-polarization, and rotary-resonance experiments in solid-state NMR. As the propagator from the Fer expansion takes the form of a product of sub-propagators, it enables us to appreciate effects of time-evolution under Hamiltonians with different orders separately. While 0th-order average Hamiltonian is the same for the three expansion schemes with the three cases examined, there is a case that the 2nd-order term for the Magnus/Floquet expansion is different from that obtained with the Fer expansion. The difference arises due to the separation of the 0th-order term in the Fer expansion. The separation enables us to appreciate time-evolution under the 0th-order average Hamiltonian, however, for that purpose, we use a so-called left-running Fer expansion. Comparison between the left-running Fer expansion and the Magnus expansion indicates that the sign of the odd orders in Magnus may better be reversed if one would like to consider its effect in order.

Comparison among Magnus/Floquet/Fer expansion schemes in solid-state NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takegoshi, K.; Miyazawa, Norihiro; Sharma, Kshama; Madhu, P. K.

2015-01-01

We here revisit expansion schemes used in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for the calculation of effective Hamiltonians and propagators, namely, Magnus, Floquet, and Fer expansions. While all the expansion schemes are powerful methods there are subtle differences among them. To understand the differences, we performed explicit calculation for heteronuclear dipolar decoupling, cross-polarization, and rotary-resonance experiments in solid-state NMR. As the propagator from the Fer expansion takes the form of a product of sub-propagators, it enables us to appreciate effects of time-evolution under Hamiltonians with different orders separately. While 0th-order average Hamiltonian is the same for the three expansion schemes with the three cases examined, there is a case that the 2nd-order term for the Magnus/Floquet expansion is different from that obtained with the Fer expansion. The difference arises due to the separation of the 0th-order term in the Fer expansion. The separation enables us to appreciate time-evolution under the 0th-order average Hamiltonian, however, for that purpose, we use a so-called left-running Fer expansion. Comparison between the left-running Fer expansion and the Magnus expansion indicates that the sign of the odd orders in Magnus may better be reversed if one would like to consider its effect in order

Comparison among Magnus/Floquet/Fer expansion schemes in solid-state NMR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takegoshi, K., E-mail: takeyan@kuchem.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Miyazawa, Norihiro [Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, 606-8502 Kyoto (Japan); Sharma, Kshama [TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, 21 Brundavan Colony, Narsingi, Hyderabad 500 075 (India); Madhu, P. K. [TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, 21 Brundavan Colony, Narsingi, Hyderabad 500 075 (India); Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005 (India)

2015-04-07

We here revisit expansion schemes used in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for the calculation of effective Hamiltonians and propagators, namely, Magnus, Floquet, and Fer expansions. While all the expansion schemes are powerful methods there are subtle differences among them. To understand the differences, we performed explicit calculation for heteronuclear dipolar decoupling, cross-polarization, and rotary-resonance experiments in solid-state NMR. As the propagator from the Fer expansion takes the form of a product of sub-propagators, it enables us to appreciate effects of time-evolution under Hamiltonians with different orders separately. While 0th-order average Hamiltonian is the same for the three expansion schemes with the three cases examined, there is a case that the 2nd-order term for the Magnus/Floquet expansion is different from that obtained with the Fer expansion. The difference arises due to the separation of the 0th-order term in the Fer expansion. The separation enables us to appreciate time-evolution under the 0th-order average Hamiltonian, however, for that purpose, we use a so-called left-running Fer expansion. Comparison between the left-running Fer expansion and the Magnus expansion indicates that the sign of the odd orders in Magnus may better be reversed if one would like to consider its effect in order.

A summation procedure for expansions in orthogonal polynomials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garibotti, C.R.; Grinstein, F.F.

1977-01-01

Approximants to functions defined by formal series expansions in orthogonal polynomials are introduced. They are shown to be convergent even out of the elliptical domain where the original expansion converges

78 FR 60254 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 222-226). NMFS issues permits based on findings... conduct water quality, [[Page 60255

Evolution of density-dependent movement during experimental range expansions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fronhofer, E A; Gut, S; Altermatt, F

2017-12-01

Range expansions and biological invasions are prime examples of transient processes that are likely impacted by rapid evolutionary changes. As a spatial process, range expansions are driven by dispersal and movement behaviour. Although it is widely accepted that dispersal and movement may be context-dependent, for instance density-dependent, and best represented by reaction norms, the evolution of density-dependent movement during range expansions has received little experimental attention. We therefore tested current theory predicting the evolution of increased movement at low densities at range margins using highly replicated and controlled range expansion experiments across multiple genotypes of the protist model system Tetrahymena thermophila. Although rare, we found evolutionary changes during range expansions even in the absence of initial standing genetic variation. Range expansions led to the evolution of negatively density-dependent movement at range margins. In addition, we report the evolution of increased intrastrain competitive ability and concurrently decreased population growth rates in range cores. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding movement and dispersal as evolving reaction norms and plastic life-history traits of central relevance for range expansions, biological invasions and the dynamics of spatially structured systems in general. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Edgeworth Expansion Based Model for the Convolutional Noise pdf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yonatan Rivlin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, the Edgeworth expansion up to order 4 was used to represent the convolutional noise probability density function (pdf in the conditional expectation calculations where the source pdf was modeled with the maximum entropy density approximation technique. However, the applied Lagrange multipliers were not the appropriate ones for the chosen model for the convolutional noise pdf. In this paper we use the Edgeworth expansion up to order 4 and up to order 6 to model the convolutional noise pdf. We derive the appropriate Lagrange multipliers, thus obtaining new closed-form approximated expressions for the conditional expectation and mean square error (MSE as a byproduct. Simulation results indicate hardly any equalization improvement with Edgeworth expansion up to order 4 when using optimal Lagrange multipliers over a nonoptimal set. In addition, there is no justification for using the Edgeworth expansion up to order 6 over the Edgeworth expansion up to order 4 for the 16QAM and easy channel case. However, Edgeworth expansion up to order 6 leads to improved equalization performance compared to the Edgeworth expansion up to order 4 for the 16QAM and hard channel case as well as for the case where the 64QAM is sent via an easy channel.

Identifying and treating a life-threatening disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Beverley

2014-02-01

Meningococcal septicaemia is a life-threatening condition that all nurses working in emergency and urgent care settings are likely to come across during their careers. This article presents, and reflects on, a case study involving a woman with the disease whose signs and symptoms were atypical, and who was not therefore diagnosed with the condition immediately. The author aims to raise awareness among emergency nurses and nurse practitioners of the atypical signs and symptoms of the infection, and its consequences. The article also discusses how referring to patient scenarios can improve practice.

Conservation Action Based on Threatened Species Capture Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Richness in Breeding and Wintering Populations of Central Asian Birds

Science.gov (United States)

Schweizer, Manuel; Ayé, Raffael; Kashkarov, Roman; Roth, Tobias

2014-01-01

Although phylogenetic diversity has been suggested to be relevant from a conservation point of view, its role is still limited in applied nature conservation. Recently, the practice of investing conservation resources based on threatened species was identified as a reason for the slow integration of phylogenetic diversity in nature conservation planning. One of the main arguments is based on the observation that threatened species are not evenly distributed over the phylogenetic tree. However this argument seems to dismiss the fact that conservation action is a spatially explicit process, and even if threatened species are not evenly distributed over the phylogenetic tree, the occurrence of threatened species could still indicate areas with above average phylogenetic diversity and consequently could protect phylogenetic diversity. Here we aim to study the selection of important bird areas in Central Asia, which were nominated largely based on the presence of threatened bird species. We show that although threatened species occurring in Central Asia do not capture phylogenetically more distinct species than expected by chance, the current spatially explicit conservation approach of selecting important bird areas covers above average taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of breeding and wintering birds. We conclude that the spatially explicit processes of conservation actions need to be considered in the current discussion of whether new prioritization methods are needed to complement conservation action based on threatened species. PMID:25337861

Thermal and Hygric Expansion of High Performance Concrete

OpenAIRE

J. Toman; R. Černý

2001-01-01

The linear thermal expansion coefficient of two types of high performance concrete was measured in the temperature range from 20 °C to 1000 °C, and the linear hygric expansion coefficient was determined in the moisture range from dry material to saturation water content. Comparative methods were applied for measurements of both coefficients. The experimental results show that both the effect of temperature on the values of linear thermal expansion coefficients and the effect of moisture on th...

Cycle expansions: From maps to turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Y.

2010-03-01

We present a derivation, a physical explanation and applications of cycle expansions in different dynamical systems, ranging from simple one-dimensional maps to turbulence in fluids. Cycle expansion is a newly devised powerful tool for computing averages of physical observables in nonlinear chaotic systems which combines many innovative ideas developed in dynamical systems, such as hyperbolicity, invariant manifolds, symbolic dynamics, measure theory and thermodynamic formalism. The concept of cycle expansion has a deep root in theoretical physics, bearing a close analogy to cumulant expansion in statistical physics and effective action functional in quantum field theory, the essence of which is to represent a physical system in a hierarchical way by utilizing certain multiplicative structures such that the dominant parts of physical observables are captured by compact, maneuverable objects while minor detailed variations are described by objects with a larger space and time scale. The technique has been successfully applied to many low-dimensional dynamical systems and much effort has recently been made to extend its use to spatially extended systems. For one-dimensional systems such as the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation, the method turns out to be very effective while for more complex real-world systems including the Navier-Stokes equation, the method is only starting to yield its first fruits and much more work is needed to enable practical computations. However, the experience and knowledge accumulated so far is already very useful to a large set of research problems. Several such applications are briefly described in what follows. As more research effort is devoted to the study of complex dynamics of nonlinear systems, cycle expansion will undergo a fast development and find wide applications.

Lessons from Early Medicaid Expansions Under Health Reform..

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Lessons from Early Medicaid Expansions Under Health Reform, Interviews with Medicaid Officials In a new study entitled Lessons from Early Medicaid Expansions Under...

Rivaroxaban-Induced Nontraumatic Spinal Subdural Hematoma: An Uncommon Yet Life-Threatening Complication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mazen Zaarour

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the last decade, the desire for safer oral anticoagulants (OACs led to the emergence of newer drugs. Available clinical trials demonstrated a lower risk of OACs-associated life-threatening bleeding events, including intracranial hemorrhage, compared to warfarin. Nontraumatic spinal hematoma is an uncommon yet life-threatening neurosurgical emergency that can be associated with the use of these agents. Rivaroxaban, one of the newly approved OACs, is a direct factor Xa inhibitor. To the best of our knowledge, to date, only two published cases report the incidence of rivaroxaban-induced nontraumatic spinal subdural hematoma (SSDH. Our case is the third one described and the first one to involve the cervicothoracic spine.

Life-threatening motor vehicle crashes in bright sunlight

OpenAIRE

Redelmeier, Donald A.; Raza, Sheharyar

2017-01-01

Abstract Bright sunlight may create visual illusions that lead to driver error, including fallible distance judgment from aerial perspective. We tested whether the risk of a life-threatening motor vehicle crash was increased when driving in bright sunlight. This longitudinal, case-only, paired-comparison analysis evaluated patients hospitalized because of a motor vehicle crash between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2014. The relative risk of a crash associated with bright sunlight was estim...

Thermal expansion accompanying the glass-liquid transition and crystallization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Q. Jiang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available We report the linear thermal expansion behaviors of a Zr-based (Vitreloy 1 bulk metallic glass in its as-cast, annealed and crystallized states. Accompanying the glass-liquid transition, the as-cast Vitreloy 1 shows a continuous decrease in the thermal expansivity, whereas the annealed glass shows a sudden increase. The crystallized Vitreloy 1 exhibits an almost unchanged thermal expansivity prior to its melting. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the nucleation of crystalline phases can induce a significant thermal shrinkage of the supercooled liquid, but with the growth of these nuclei, the thermal expansion again dominates. These results are explained in the framework of the potential energy landscape, advocating that the configurational and vibrational contributions to the thermal expansion of the glass depend on both, structure and temperature.

Thermal expansion model for multiphase electronic packaging materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allred, B.E.; Warren, W.E.

1991-01-01

Control of thermal expansion is often necessary in the design and selection of electronic packages. In some instances, it is desirable to have a coefficient of thermal expansion intermediate between values readily attainable with single or two phase materials. The addition of a third phase in the form of fillers, whiskers, or fibers can be used to attain intermediate expansions. To help design the thermal expansion of multiphase materials for specific applications, a closed form model has been developed that accurately predicts the effective elastic properties of isotropic filled materials and transversely isotropic lamina. Properties of filled matrix materials are used as inputs to the lamina model to obtain the composite elastic properties as a function of the volume fraction of each phase. Hybrid composites with two or more fiber types are easily handled with this model. This paper reports that results for glass, quartz, and Kevlar fibers with beta-eucryptite filled polymer matrices show good agreement with experimental results for X, Y, and Z thermal expansion coefficients

Life-threatening asthma attack during prolonged fingolimod treatment: case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zecca C

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Chiara Zecca,1,* Matteo Caporro,1,* Sandor Györik,2 Claudio Gobbi11Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Department of Neurology, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Ospedale Regionale di Bellinzona, Bellinzona, Switzerland*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: Fingolimod (FTY mediates bronchoconstriction by interacting with sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. The majority of the reported adverse respiratory events occur during the first weeks of treatment.Case presentation: A 49-year-old woman developed a life-threatening asthma attack after 6 months of continuous FTY treatment. The adverse event required prolonged hospitalization, and the patient recovered without sequelae after FTY interruption. A history of previous airway hyperreactivity and a concurrent viral respiratory infection possibly acted as predisposing factors.Conclusion: This first description of a severe, life-threatening asthma attack during prolonged FTY treatment suggests the need for long-term clinical surveillance, especially in patients with known predisposing factors.Keywords: multiple sclerosis, bronchial hyper-reactivity

Asymptotic expansions for high-contrast linear elasticity

KAUST Repository

Poveda, Leonardo A.; Huepo, Sebastian; Calo, Victor M.; Galvis, Juan

2015-01-01

We study linear elasticity problems with high contrast in the coefficients using asymptotic limits recently introduced. We derive an asymptotic expansion to solve heterogeneous elasticity problems in terms of the contrast in the coefficients. We study the convergence of the expansion in the H1 norm. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.

Asymptotic expansions for high-contrast linear elasticity

KAUST Repository

Poveda, Leonardo A.

2015-03-01

We study linear elasticity problems with high contrast in the coefficients using asymptotic limits recently introduced. We derive an asymptotic expansion to solve heterogeneous elasticity problems in terms of the contrast in the coefficients. We study the convergence of the expansion in the H1 norm. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.

The critical thermal expansion of gadolinium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, K.; Lanchester, P.C.

1978-01-01

Measurements have been made of the critical thermal expansion of single crystals of gadolinium, prepared by solid state electrotransport processing. Although the expansion data can be fitted to a simple power law with exponents lambda + =-0.25, lambda - =-0.33, these values are not predicted by theory and a discontinuity remains at Tsub(c)=293.620 K. It is suggested that the results relate to a region of crossover to uniaxial dipolar behaviour. (Auth.)

Foundations on Expansive Soils; A Review

OpenAIRE

Behzad Kalantari

2012-01-01

This study describes various types of foundation designs to be considered for structural engineering projects when the subsoil foundation consists of expansive or swelling soils. Among civil and architectural engineers expansive soils are known to be difficult foundation materials and problematic. These type of soils swell when they are subjected to moistures and shrink due to moisture loss. Because of this different behaviour upon wetting and drying, they cause minor to major structural dama...

Preliminary thermal expansion screening data for tuffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lappin, A.R.

1980-03-01

A major variable in evaluating the potential of silicic tuffs for use in geologic disposal of heat-producing nuclear wastes is thermal expansion. Results of ambient-pressure linear expansion measurements on a group of tuffs that vary treatly in porosity and mineralogy are presente here. Thermal expansion of devitrified welded tuffs is generally linear with increasing temperature and independent of both porosity and heating rate. Mineralogic factors affecting behavior of these tuffs are limited to the presence or absence of cristobalite and altered biotite. The presence of cristobalite results in markedly nonlinear expansion above 200 0 C. If biotite in biotite-hearing rocks alters even slightly to expandable clays, the behavior of these tuffs near the boiling point of water can be dominated by contraction of the expandable phase. Expansion of both high- and low-porosity tuffs containing hydrated silicic glass and/or expandable clays is complex. The behavior of these rocks appears to be completely dominated by dehydration of hydrous phases and, hence, should be critically dependent on fluid pressure. Valid extrapolation of the ambient-pressure results presented here to depths of interest for construction of a nuclear-waste repository will depend on a good understanding of the interaction of dehydration rates and fluid pressures, and of the effects of both micro- and macrofractures on the response of tuff masss

Electric Grid Expansion Planning with High Levels of Variable Generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadley, Stanton W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); You, Shutang [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Shankar, Mallikarjun [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Liu, Yilu [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-02-01

Renewables are taking a large proportion of generation capacity in U.S. power grids. As their randomness has increasing influence on power system operation, it is necessary to consider their impact on system expansion planning. To this end, this project studies the generation and transmission expansion co-optimization problem of the US Eastern Interconnection (EI) power grid with a high wind power penetration rate. In this project, the generation and transmission expansion problem for the EI system is modeled as a mixed-integer programming (MIP) problem. This study analyzed a time series creation method to capture the diversity of load and wind power across balancing regions in the EI system. The obtained time series can be easily introduced into the MIP co-optimization problem and then solved robustly through available MIP solvers. Simulation results show that the proposed time series generation method and the expansion co-optimization model and can improve the expansion result significantly after considering the diversity of wind and load across EI regions. The improved expansion plan that combines generation and transmission will aid system planners and policy makers to maximize the social welfare. This study shows that modelling load and wind variations and diversities across balancing regions will produce significantly different expansion result compared with former studies. For example, if wind is modeled in more details (by increasing the number of wind output levels) so that more wind blocks are considered in expansion planning, transmission expansion will be larger and the expansion timing will be earlier. Regarding generation expansion, more wind scenarios will slightly reduce wind generation expansion in the EI system and increase the expansion of other generation such as gas. Also, adopting detailed wind scenarios will reveal that it may be uneconomic to expand transmission networks for transmitting a large amount of wind power through a long distance

76 FR 30957 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-27

... and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (List). Recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by...] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan, First... plan, you may submit your comments in writing by any one of the following methods: U.S. mail: Field...

77 FR 24975 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Recovery Plan for the Utah Prairie Dog

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-26

...-FF06E00000] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Recovery Plan for the Utah Prairie Dog... Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens). This species is federally listed as threatened under the... recovery plan for the Utah prairie dog. The Service and other Federal agencies also will take these...

75 FR 57055 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Utah Prairie Dog

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-17

...] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Utah Prairie Dog AGENCY: Fish... recovery plan for the Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens). This species is federally listed as threatened... and peer reviewers in an appendix to the approved recovery plan. The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys...

Dynamical effects in the Colomb expansion following nuclear fragmentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.C.; Donangelo, R.J.; Schechter, H.

1987-01-01

The effects of the Colomb expansion on the fragment Kinetic energy spectrum for a fragmentating hot nuclear system is investigated. In particular, 12 C fragment spectra are calculated and compared with those predicted by the uniform expansion approximation. The results indicate that energy spectra of fragments are quite sensitive to the details of the Coulomb expansion treatment. (Author) [pt

Hadronic mass-relations from topological expansion and string model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaidalov, A.B.

1980-01-01

Hadronic mass-relations from topological expansion and string model are derived. For this purpose the space- time picture of hadron interactions at high energies corresponding to planar diagrams of topological expansion is considered. Simple relations between intercepts and slopes of Regge trajectories based on the topological expansion and q anti q-string picture of hadrons are obtained [ru

Thermal expansion of Ti-substituted barium hexaferrite

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hernandez-Gomez, P.; Francisco, de C.; Brabers, V.A.M.; Dalderop, J.H.J.

2000-01-01

Thermal expansion measurements in the range of 20–500 °C were carried out on both poly- and single crystalline samples of the hexagonal magnetoplumbite ferrite with composition BaTiFe11O19. The continuous scanning of the thermal expansion reveals the existence of a -type anomaly near the Curie

Bosnia: Crime and Corruption Threaten Successful Implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Johnson, Harold

2000-01-01

Endemic crime and corruption in Bosnia are threatening the successful implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and until the situation is satisfactorily addressed the conditions for the complete...

76 FR 8374 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-14

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2011-N021; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of applications to...

76 FR 33334 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-08

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2011-N112; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of applications to...

75 FR 52012 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-24

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2010-N181; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of applications to...

75 FR 5101 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-01

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2010-N010; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of applications to...

76 FR 18576 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-04

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2011-N056; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of applications to...

76 FR 10063 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-23

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2011-N026; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of applications to...

75 FR 27361 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-14

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2010-N095; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of applications to...

Candida albicans-associated necrotizing vasculitis producing life-threatening gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Sargent, Jeremy

2012-02-01

Patients undergoing treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at risk for fungal infections including disseminated candidiasis. We describe a case of systemic Candida albicans infection associated with life-threatening gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to unusual necrotizing vasculitis involving the gastrointestinal tract. We explore the association between Candida and such vasculopathy.

Contribution to the knowledge of threatened terrestrial fauna of Brazil: data from PETROBRAS environmental impact assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basbaum, Marcos A.; Fonseca, Renata A.A. [SEEBLA - Servicos de Engenharia Emilio Baumgart Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: mbasbaum.seebla@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: renataamorim.seebla@petrobras.com.br; Torggler, Bianca F.; Fernandes, Renato; Guimaraes, Ricardo Z.P. [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: torggler@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: renatofer@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: rzaluar@petrobras.com.br

2009-12-19

One of the major problems related to the protection of threatened species in Brazil is the current lack of primary data on their occurrence. PETROBRAS, due to the processes of environmental licensing of new pipelines, held numerous studies on the occurrence of several species. Most of these studies took place in Atlantic Forest remnants located in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas and Pernambuco. This study compared primary data from these Environmental Impact Assessments with the Brazilian list of threatened species published by MMA (Brazilian Ministry of Environment). Many threatened species were recorded in areas where native forest fragments are reduced in number and size, such as those in the Northeastern region. (author)

78 FR 43145 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-19

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC767 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: This...

75 FR 15454 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-Year Status Reviews of 14 Southwestern Species

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-29

...] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-Year Status Reviews of 14 Southwestern Species AGENCY: Fish... species or subspecies of fish, wildlife, or plant, and any distinct population segment of any species of... extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. C. Threatened species (T) means any species...

Finnish Higher Education Expansion and Regional Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Saarivirta, Toni

2010-01-01

This paper concentrates on the expansion of Finnish higher education between the 1960s and 1970s, exposes its background in the light of the policy decisions that were made, compares the unique features of this expansion with those of certain other countries, discusses the impact of the controlled "top down" governance of higher…

Spherical-wave expansions of piston-radiator fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittmann, R C; Yaghjian, A D

1991-09-01

Simple spherical-wave expansions of the continuous-wave fields of a circular piston radiator in a rigid baffle are derived. These expansions are valid throughout the illuminated half-space and are useful for efficient numerical computation in the near-field region. Multipole coefficients are given by closed-form expressions which can be evaluated recursively.

Series expansion of the modified Einstein Procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Seema Chandrakant Shah-Fairbank

2009-01-01

This study examines calculating total sediment discharge based on the Modified Einstein Procedure (MEP). A new procedure based on the Series Expansion of the Modified Einstein Procedure (SEMEP) has been developed. This procedure contains four main modifications to MEP. First, SEMEP solves the Einstein integrals quickly and accurately based on a series expansion. Next,...

Conservation Genetics of Threatened Dalbergia Timber Species in Indochina

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartvig, Ida

Tropical forests all over the world are disappearing at high rates primarily due to anthropogenic ecosystem changes. A high number of tropical tree species is threatened with extinction due to deforestation and unsustainable levels of logging, and the implementation of effective conservation plans...... is often hindered by the lack of basic knowledge of their biology. This study represents the first region-wide analysis of population genetic diversity for tree species in Indochina and provides valuable knowledge on how threatened tree species are affected by landscape features, ancient or recent habitat...... as several separate species and accurately identified the CITES-listed D. cochinchinensis. The results can be used to update threat assessments with correct taxonomic information and the method can be implemented as an identification tool in field studies as well as in enforcement of CITES regulations...

When a face type is perceived as threatening: Using general recognition theory to understand biased categorization of Afrocentric faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleider-Offutt, Heather M; Bond, Alesha D; Williams, Sarah E; Bohil, Corey J

2018-03-07

Prior research indicates that stereotypical Black faces (e.g., wide nose, full lips: Afrocentric) are often associated with crime and violence. The current study investigated whether stereotypical faces may bias the interpretation of facial expression to seem threatening. Stimuli were prerated by face type (stereotypical, nonstereotypical) and expression (neutral, threatening). Later in a forced-choice task, different participants categorized face stimuli as stereotypical or not and threatening or not. Regardless of prerated expression, stereotypical faces were judged as more threatening than were nonstereotypical faces. These findings were supported using computational models based on general recognition theory (GRT), indicating that decision boundaries were more biased toward the threatening response for stereotypical faces than for nonstereotypical faces. GRT analysis also indicated that perception of face stereotypicality and emotional expression are dependent, both across categories and within individual categories. Higher perceived stereotypicality predicts higher perception of threat, and, conversely, higher ratings of threat predict higher perception of stereotypicality. Implications for racial face-type bias influencing perception and decision-making in a variety of social and professional contexts are discussed.

78 FR 34653 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-10

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC717 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Notice of decision and availability of...

78 FR 4836 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-23

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... steelhead promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plan specifies fishery management...: January 17, 2013. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources...

77 FR 31835 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-30

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC049 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS..., 2012. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine...

76 FR 49735 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-11

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA631 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS.... Therese Conant, Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine...

Memecylon clarkeanum Cogn. (Melastomataceae - a Threatened Species, New Record for India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ambikabai Raghavanpillai Sivu

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Memecylon clarkeanum Cogn., an endemic and threatened species of Sri Lanka characterized by narrowly filiform foliar sclereids is reported and described as a new record for India from Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad districts of Kerala.

75 FR 45650 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-03

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2010-N149; 60120-1113-0000-D2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permits. SUMMARY: We announce our receipt of an application to...

75 FR 20621 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-20

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R3-ES-2009-N0054]; [30120-1113-0000-F6] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of permit applications; request for comments. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and...

Mara River and Associated Wetland as a Refuge of Threatened ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was carried out in Mara River and Lake Kirumi in January/February, 2005 to investigate the importance oJ. the wetland as a refuge site for indigenous cichlids particularly tilapiines which have either disappeared from Lake Victoria or threatened. Fish samples were obtained using experimental gillnets whose ...

Rapid replacement of bridge deck expansion joints study - phase I.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-01

Bridge deck expansion joints are used to allow for movement of the bridge deck due to thermal expansion, dynamics loading, and : other factors. More recently, expansion joints have also been utilized to prevent the passage of winter de-icing chemical...

Global operator expansions in conformally invariant relativistic quantum field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoer, B.; Swieca, J.A.; Voelkel, A.H.

1974-01-01

A global conformal operator expansions in the Minkowski region in several models and their formulation in the general theory is presented. Whereas the vacuum expansions are termwise manisfestly conformal invariant, the expansions away from the vacuum do not share this property

Expansion reduction of clayey soils through Surcharge application and Lime Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. López-Lara

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Expansive clayey soils produce heaving and cracking of floor slabs and walls. Expansive soils owe their characteristics to the presence of swelling clay minerals. This soil expands and contracts due to changes in the moisture content of the soil. In this study the surcharge required to counteract soil expansion was measured in natural expansive soils (untreated soils and lime treated soils starting at 19.61 kPa (2 Ton/m2 and continuing with increments of 19.61 kPa. Additionaly in lime treated soils the amount of lime was determined under different surcharges in order to reduce the expansion. The test results indicated that the surcharges applied to untreated soils were not proportional to the decrease of expansion which is probably due to the increase of soil density. In fact, only the initial surcharge of 19.61 kPa significantly decreased the expansion. According to the results, the soil expansion was considerably reduced (1.54% with the surcharge of 78.45 kPa, therefore this surcharge can be considered as the Swelling pressure. On the other hand the soil tested (high compressibility clay was stabilized with 6% of lime (without surcharges which was determined with the lowest value of liquid limit and plastic index as well as expansion test. After the application of surcharges and lime treatment to expansive soil, the surcharges of 39.22 kPa and 58.84 kPa decreased expansion and increased their resistance. This was concluded by similar low values of expansion (without settlements under both surcharges of each treated soil tested (2, 4 and 6% of lime. It can be concluded that the surcharge contributed to the decrease of soil expansion due to the decrease of the amount of lime required (6% without surcharge. So, 4% of lime was enough for the surcharge of 19.61 kPa and 2% of lime required the surcharge minimum of 39.22 kPa. This shows that the surcharge of a house on expansive soil reduces soil expansion and therefore reduces costs of any

77 FR 25687 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition to List Speckled Hind as...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

... Hind as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries... speckled hind (Epinephelus drummondhayi) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA... under the U.S. Endangered Species Act'' because NatureServe assessments ``have different criteria...

Expansion patterns and parallaxes for planetary nebulae

Science.gov (United States)

Schönberner, D.; Balick, B.; Jacob, R.

2018-02-01

Aims: We aim to determine individual distances to a small number of rather round, quite regularly shaped planetary nebulae by combining their angular expansion in the plane of the sky with a spectroscopically measured expansion along the line of sight. Methods: We combined up to three epochs of Hubble Space Telescope imaging data and determined the angular proper motions of rim and shell edges and of other features. These results are combined with measured expansion speeds to determine individual distances by assuming that line of sight and sky-plane expansions are equal. We employed 1D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of nebular evolution to correct for the difference between the spectroscopically measured expansion velocities of rim and shell and of their respective shock fronts. Results: Rim and shell are two independently expanding entities, driven by different physical mechanisms, although their model-based expansion timescales are quite similar. We derive good individual distances for 15 objects, and the main results are as follows: (i) distances derived from rim and shell agree well; (ii) comparison with the statistical distances in the literature gives reasonable agreement; (iii) our distances disagree with those derived by spectroscopic methods; (iv) central-star "plateau" luminosities range from about 2000 L⊙ to well below 10 000 L⊙, with a mean value at about 5000 L⊙, in excellent agreement with other samples of known distance (Galactic bulge, Magellanic Clouds, and K648 in the globular cluster M 15); (v) the central-star mass range is rather restricted: from about 0.53 to about 0.56 M⊙, with a mean value of 0.55 M⊙. Conclusions: The expansion measurements of nebular rim and shell edges confirm the predictions of radiation-hydrodynamics simulations and offer a reliable method for the evaluation of distances to suited objects. Results of this paper are based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in Cycle 16 (GO11122

On the comparsion of the Spherical Wave Expansion-to-Plane Wave Expansion and the Sources Reconstruction Method for Antenna Diagnostics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alvarez, Yuri; Cappellin, Cecilia; Las-Heras, Fernando

2008-01-01

A comparison between two recently developed methods for antenna diagnostics is presented. On one hand, the Spherical Wave Expansion-to-Plane Wave Expansion (SWE-PWE), based on the relationship between spherical and planar wave modes. On the other hand, the Sources Reconstruction Method (SRM), based...

A matched expansion approach to practical self-force calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, Warren G; Wiseman, Alan G

2005-01-01

We discuss a practical method of computing the self-force on a particle moving through a curved spacetime. This method involves two expansions to calculate the self-force, one arising from the particle's immediate past and the other from the more distant past. The expansion in the immediate past is a covariant Taylor series and can be carried out for all geometries. The more distant expansion is a mode sum, and may be carried out in those cases where the wave equation for the field mediating the self-force admits a mode expansion of the solution. In particular, this method can be used to calculate the gravitational self-force for a particle of mass μ orbiting a black hole of mass M to order μ 2 , provided μ/M << 1. We discuss how to use these two expansions to construct a full self-force, and in particular investigate criteria for matching the two expansions. As with all methods of computing self-forces for particles moving in black hole spacetimes, one encounters considerable technical difficulty in applying this method; nevertheless, it appears that the convergence of each series is good enough that a practical implementation may be plausible

Instability of a planar expansion wave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velikovich, A.L.; Zalesak, S.T.; Metzler, N.; Wouchuk, J.G.

2005-01-01

An expansion wave is produced when an incident shock wave interacts with a surface separating a fluid from a vacuum. Such an interaction starts the feedout process that transfers perturbations from the rippled inner (rear) to the outer (front) surface of a target in inertial confinement fusion. Being essentially a standing sonic wave superimposed on a centered expansion wave, a rippled expansion wave in an ideal gas, like a rippled shock wave, typically produces decaying oscillations of all fluid variables. Its behavior, however, is different at large and small values of the adiabatic exponent γ. At γ>3, the mass modulation amplitude δm in a rippled expansion wave exhibits a power-law growth with time ∝t β , where β=(γ-3)/(γ-1). This is the only example of a hydrodynamic instability whose law of growth, dependent on the equation of state, is expressed in a closed analytical form. The growth is shown to be driven by a physical mechanism similar to that of a classical Richtmyer-Meshkov instability. In the opposite extreme γ-1 -1/2 , and then starts to decrease. The mechanism driving the growth is the same as that of Vishniac's instability of a blast wave in a gas with low γ. Exact analytical expressions for the growth rates are derived for both cases and favorably compared to hydrodynamic simulation results

Cosmological expansion and local physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faraoni, Valerio; Jacques, Audrey

2007-01-01

The interplay between cosmological expansion and local attraction in a gravitationally bound system is revisited in various regimes. First, weakly gravitating Newtonian systems are considered, followed by various exact solutions describing a relativistic central object embedded in a Friedmann universe. It is shown that the 'all or nothing' behavior recently discovered (i.e., weakly coupled systems are comoving while strongly coupled ones resist the cosmic expansion) is limited to the de Sitter background. New exact solutions are presented which describe black holes perfectly comoving with a generic Friedmann universe. The possibility of violating cosmic censorship for a black hole approaching the big rip is also discussed

76 FR 5338 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-31

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA183 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... regulations (50 CFR parts 222-226) governing listed fish and wildlife permits. [[Page 5339

78 FR 77659 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-24

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XD040 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... NMFS regulations (50 CFR parts 222-226) governing listed fish and wildlife permits. [[Page 77660...

76 FR 2664 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-14

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS...) and 14092 (applicant: California Department of Fish and Game). In that notice, the permit application... American green sturgeon associated with conducting surveys measuring fish response to initial and...

76 FR 6401 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-04

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA110 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife submitted to NMFS, pursuant to the protective...

78 FR 4834 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-23

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC444 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... species. Dated: January 16, 2013. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected...