Presence and possible cause of periodicities in 20th-century extreme coastal surge: Belfast Harbour, Northern Ireland.

Identifying 20th-century periodic coastal surge variation is strategic for the 21st-century coastal surge estimates, as surge periodicities may amplify/reduce future MSL enhanced surge forecasts. Extreme coastal surge data from Belfast Harbour (UK) tide gauges are available for 1901–2010 and provide the potential for decadal-plus periodic coastal surge analysis. Annual extreme surge-elevation distributions (sampled every 10-min) are analysed using PCA and cluster analysis to decompose variation within- and between-years to assess similarity of years in terms of Surge Climate Types, and to establish significance of any transitions in Type occurrence over time using non-parametric Markov analysis. Annual extreme surge variation is shown to be periodically organised across the 20th century. Extreme surge magnitude and distribution show a number of significant cyclonic induced multi-annual (2, 3, 5 & 6 years) cycles, as well as dominant multi-decadal (15–25 years) cycles of variation superimposed on an 80 year fluctuation in atmospheric–oceanic variation across the North Atlantic (relative to NAO/AMO interaction). The top 30 extreme surge events show some relationship with NAO per se, given that 80% are associated with westerly dominant atmospheric flows (+ NAO), but there are 20% of the events associated with blocking air massess (− NAO). Although 20% of the top 30 ranked positive surges occurred within the last twenty years, there is no unequivocal evidence of recent acceleration in extreme surge magnitude related to other than the scale of natural periodic variation.

Okupar, resistir, insistir : uma etnografia das práticas de ocupação urbana Fortaleza / Ceará

The objective of this dissertation is understand the relationships built between subjects who occupy buildings in a state of abandonment to revitalize them - called okupas, noting which individuals construct such meanings on the practice of occupation and how to organize the construction and maintenance of a collective life project. Having the Okupa Squat Torém, located in the neighborhood of Fatima in the southern city of Fortaleza-CE, as locus and observed through the ethnographic method, followed the social practices of urban segment. I invested in a data collection revealed that the custom of okupas and their domestic habits, inside and outside of okupa, emphasizing the interaction situations, like most appropriate occasions to observe the constant negotiation and refinement of his cunning to intervene in the city . Among the objectives of this research, the main thing is to observe which senses are assigned to the practice of the occupation by okupas. For this, reflecting from the specifics of this urban phenomenon and talking mostly with the tradition of research in the field of anthropology, I tried to address some issues regarding the practice of okupação and organization of the group, which the principles and movements that make these contacts with city etc. The appropriation made by the subjects on the urban space here means understanding them as a cultural expression of a number of collective values, resulting from experience and perception of okupas like themselves. The intention is to show how this practice intervention and collective action has appeared in contemporary times and how my ethnography can contribute to a dialogue on the practices of mobilization and update of the city, considering the Theory of Recognition Axel Honneth (2003) as an analytical category useful to describe the forms of reciprocity experienced by okupas

A cultura de índio, seu menino, vem de longe aqui : formação histórica e territorialização dos Tremembé/CE

This dissertation is based on the ethnography of a strategic selection of three Tremembé ethnic situations, which are situated in the backlands of Acaraú and Itarema, municipalities located in Ceará State (Northeast Brazil). My main aims are the following. Firstly, I reconstitute the historical and social formation of three localities, called Lagoa dos Negros, Telhas, and Queimadas, related to a particular origin myth which refers to Almofala, an extinct colonial Aldeamento in the seashore, where the Tremembé indians and other native populations were converted and gathered under missionary administration. According to the origin myth, these three localities were set up after a strong drought which happened in 1888 (the so called three eights) when a group of Tremembé families moved to the countryside and established close to the Lagoa dos Negros and, later on, they were segmented into smaller groups which started to live in other areas and places not far from the former location. Notably, I develop an anthropological approach to understand the historical formation of these three localities. Secondly, I analyze some processes of territorialization, which were emerged from the 1980s and had important consequences to these indigenous families throughout the next two decades. This historical dimension is re-appropriated and ressignified in ethnic terms. A third point of my work is the analysis of the construction of territorialities and also the cultural and symbolic dimensions which are formulated by the Tremembé Indians who live in these localities. Therefore, I investigate some cultural traditions and rituals, such as the Torém dance, but I also examine their multiple semantics, which constitute a transversal direction throughout the history understood by the Tremembé of the different social situations I researched. To sum up, there is a process of cultural actualization, which is still going on and presents itself through the ludic sphere as well as their political and religions dimensions, which are usually associated to the ritual presentation of the Torém

Submarine landform assemblages and sedimentary processes related to glacier surging in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

High-resolution swath-bathymetry data from inner Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, reveal characteristic landform assemblages formed during and after surges of tidewater glaciers, and provide new insights into the dynamics of surging glaciers. Glacier front oscillations and overriding related to surge activity lead to the formation of overridden moraines, glacial lineations of two types, terminal moraines, associated debris lobes and De Geer moraines. In contrast to submarine landform assemblages from other Svalbard fjords, the occurrence of two kinds of glacial lineations and the presence of De Geer moraines suggest variability in the landforms produced by surge-type tidewater glaciers. All the landforms in inner Kongsfjorden were deposited during the last c. 150 years. Lithological and acoustic data from the innermost fjord reveal that suspension settling from meltwater plumes as well as ice rafting are dominant sedimentary processes in the fjord, leading to the deposition of stratified glacimarine muds with variable numbers of clasts. Reworking of sediments by glacier surging results in the deposition of sediment lobes containing massive glacimarine muds. Two sediment cores reveal minimum sediment accumulation rates related to the Kongsvegen surge from 1948; these were 30 cm a-1 approximately 2.5 km beyond the glacier front shortly after surge termination, and rapidly dropped to an average rate of 1.8 cm a-1 in ∼1950, during glacier retreat.

Okupar, resistir, insistir : uma etnografia das práticas de ocupação urbana Fortaleza / Ceará

The objective of this dissertation is understand the relationships built between subjects who occupy buildings in a state of abandonment to revitalize them - called okupas, noting which individuals construct such meanings on the practice of occupation and how to organize the construction and maintenance of a collective life project. Having the Okupa Squat Torém, located in the neighborhood of Fatima in the southern city of Fortaleza-CE, as locus and observed through the ethnographic method, followed the social practices of urban segment. I invested in a data collection revealed that the custom of okupas and their domestic habits, inside and outside of okupa, emphasizing the interaction situations, like most appropriate occasions to observe the constant negotiation and refinement of his cunning to intervene in the city . Among the objectives of this research, the main thing is to observe which senses are assigned to the practice of the occupation by okupas. For this, reflecting from the specifics of this urban phenomenon and talking mostly with the tradition of research in the field of anthropology, I tried to address some issues regarding the practice of okupação and organization of the group, which the principles and movements that make these contacts with city etc. The appropriation made by the subjects on the urban space here means understanding them as a cultural expression of a number of collective values, resulting from experience and perception of okupas like themselves. The intention is to show how this practice intervention and collective action has appeared in contemporary times and how my ethnography can contribute to a dialogue on the practices of mobilization and update of the city, considering the Theory of Recognition Axel Honneth (2003) as an analytical category useful to describe the forms of reciprocity experienced by okupas

A cultura de índio, seu menino, vem de longe aqui : formação histórica e territorialização dos Tremembé/CE

This dissertation is based on the ethnography of a strategic selection of three Tremembé ethnic situations, which are situated in the backlands of Acaraú and Itarema, municipalities located in Ceará State (Northeast Brazil). My main aims are the following. Firstly, I reconstitute the historical and social formation of three localities, called Lagoa dos Negros, Telhas, and Queimadas, related to a particular origin myth which refers to Almofala, an extinct colonial Aldeamento in the seashore, where the Tremembé indians and other native populations were converted and gathered under missionary administration. According to the origin myth, these three localities were set up after a strong drought which happened in 1888 (the so called three eights) when a group of Tremembé families moved to the countryside and established close to the Lagoa dos Negros and, later on, they were segmented into smaller groups which started to live in other areas and places not far from the former location. Notably, I develop an anthropological approach to understand the historical formation of these three localities. Secondly, I analyze some processes of territorialization, which were emerged from the 1980s and had important consequences to these indigenous families throughout the next two decades. This historical dimension is re-appropriated and ressignified in ethnic terms. A third point of my work is the analysis of the construction of territorialities and also the cultural and symbolic dimensions which are formulated by the Tremembé Indians who live in these localities. Therefore, I investigate some cultural traditions and rituals, such as the Torém dance, but I also examine their multiple semantics, which constitute a transversal direction throughout the history understood by the Tremembé of the different social situations I researched. To sum up, there is a process of cultural actualization, which is still going on and presents itself through the ludic sphere as well as their political and religions dimensions, which are usually associated to the ritual presentation of the Torém

Deluges that have gone before: floods in Australian history

As flash floods, tidal surges, cyclones, burst riverbanks and downpours have impacted on much of Eastern Australia, we've heard many references to the floods that have gone before. These floods stand as markers and reference points, in both practical and symbolic ways. But what do we really know of these past floods? And what happens as we move beyond lived memory? Using the Brisbane floods of 1974 and 1893 as reference points, Rear Vision traces some of the stories of flood, and asks what is remembered, whose stories remain, and whether the murky state of collective memory obscures other stories, and other floods.

A method for building community resilience to climate change in emerging coastal cities

Rapidly urbanising coastal locations represent prototypes of future cities. While these "sea change" locations will face a range of issues associated with rapid growth such as infrastructure provision and enhancement of social capital, anticipated environmental impacts are likely to add significant challenges. Climate change is likely to have dramatic impacts on sea change communities through diminished potable water supplies, rising sea levels, storm surges, and increased intensity of flood events - with indirect impacts on health, financial sectors, and biodiversity. Given the inherent diversity within sea change communities with regard to age, culture, and socio-economic status there are likely to be differences in ways of adapting, the ability to adapt, and the desired direction of any changes. Cognizant of the potential enormity of climate change impacts, the need for rapid responses, and the diversity within communities, this paper proposes a participatory and transformative method to work with communities in responding to climate change and variability within rapidly urbanising coastal locations. The method focuses on determining probable futures for various communities of place and interest within sea change areas and aims to build the capacity for dynamic on-going learning to achieve those futures, both within and between the communities. Through this process community members may be empowered with dynamic and future-orientated learning skills that build upon community knowledge, innovation, and resilience.

The microbiome and mental health: looking back, moving forward with lessons from allergic diseases

Relationships between gastrointestinal viscera and human emotions have been documented by virtually all medical traditions known to date. The focus on this relationship has waxed and waned through the centuries, with noted surges in interest driven by cultural forces. Here we explore some of this history and the emerging trends in experimental and clinical research. In particular, we pay specific attention to how the hygiene hypothesis and emerging research on traditional dietary patterns has helped re-ignite interest in the use of microbes to support mental health. At present, the application of microbes and their structural parts as a means to positively influence mental health is an area filled with promise. However, there are many limitations within this new paradigm shift in neuropsychiatry. Impediments that could block translation of encouraging experimental studies include environmental forces that work toward dysbiosis, perhaps none more important than westernized dietary patterns. On the other hand, it is likely that specific dietary choices may amplify the value of future microbial-based therapeutics. Pre-clinical and clinical research involving microbiota and allergic disorders has predated recent work in psychiatry, an early start that provides valuable lessons. The microbiome is intimately connected to diet, nutrition, and other lifestyle variables; microbial-based psychopharmacology will need to consider this contextual application, otherwise the ceiling of clinical expectations will likely need to be lowered.

Charitable incentives for blood donation are promising, but require careful consideration

In outlining his proposal for a charitable incentive schemefor blood donors, Sass (2013) highlights the ongoing challengeof translating widespread public support for blooddonation into actual donors. Sass rightly points out that a reliableand effective blood supply depends on regular donations,rather than sporadic surges in response to exceptionalevents like September 11. He argues that prospective donorsmight be more effectively motivated to donate if each donationis rewarded or recognized with a financial contributionto public health care services or medical research. Sass anticipatessuch “health-related charitable incentives” wouldencourage prosocial behavior by enhancing the beneficialimpact of blood donation. The increased consequentialistvalue of each blood donation would strengthen preexistingprosocial motivations, and would augment the signalingvalue of donation as an altruistic activity. Unfortunately,Sass’s account of the donor–societal relationship is incomplete,due to his reliance on the traditional conception ofdonation as an act of unilateral altruism. He neglects to considerthe potential influence of reciprocity and solidarity inmotivating prosocial behavior and donation in particular(Sykora 2009), and the implications of these elements for ´his proposal. In this commentary, I outline a stronger argumentfor his charitable incentive proposal and discuss someof the potential concerns the proposal may raise.

El efecto de la definición regulatoria de banda ancha sobre la difusión y la competencia del mercado de servicios de Internet fijo en Colombia

A partir de la dinámica evolutiva de la economía de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones y el establecimiento de estándares mínimos de velocidad en distintos contextos regulatorios a nivel mundial, en particular en Colombia, en el presente artículo se presentan diversas aproximaciones empíricas para evaluar los efectos reales que conlleva el establecimiento de definiciones de servicios de banda ancha en el mercado de Internet fijo. Con base en los datos disponibles para Colombia sobre los planes de servicios de Internet fijo ofrecidos durante el periodo 2006-2012, se estima para los segmentos residencial y corporativo el proceso de difusión logístico modificado y el modelo de interacción estratégica para identificar los impactos generados sobre la masificación del servicio a nivel municipal y sobre las decisiones estratégicas que adoptan los operadores, respectivamente. Respecto a los resultados, se encuentra, por una parte, que las dos medidas regulatorias establecidas en Colombia en 2008 y 2010 presentan efectos significativos y positivos sobre el desplazamiento y el crecimiento de los procesos de difusión a nivel municipal. Por otra parte, se observa sustituibilidad estratégica en las decisiones de oferta de velocidad de descarga por parte de los operadores corporativos mientras que, a partir del análisis de distanciamiento de la velocidad ofrecida respecto al estándar mínimo de banda ancha, se demuestra que los proveedores de servicios residenciales tienden a agrupar sus decisiones de velocidad alrededor de los niveles establecidos por regulación.