State Aid to Infrastructure: Do Competitively Selected Operators Obtain an Undue Advantage? Bruges European Economic Research Papers (BEER) 33/2015

Addressing high and volatile natural resource prices, uncertain supply prospects, reindustrialization attempts and environmental damages related to resource use, resource efficiency has evolved into a highly debated proposal among academia, policy makers, firms and international financial institutions (IFIs). In 2011, the European Union (EU) declared resource efficiency as one of its seven flagship initiatives in its Europe 2020 strategy. This paper contributes to the discussions by assessing its key initiative, the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe (EC 2011 571), following two streams of evaluation. In a first step, resource efficiency is linked to two theoretical frameworks regarding sustainability, (i) the sustainability triangle (consisting of economic, social and ecological dimensions) and (ii) balanced sustainability (combining weak and strong sustainability). Subsequently, both sustainability frameworks are used to assess to which degree the Roadmap follows the concept of sustainability. It can be concluded that it partially respects the sustainability triangle as well as balanced sustainability, primarily lacking a social dimension. In a second step, following Steger and Bleischwitz (2009), the impact of resource efficiency on competitiveness as advocated in the Roadmap is empirically evaluated. Using an Arellano–Bond dynamic panel data model reveals no robust impact of resource efficiency on competiveness in the EU between 2004 and 2009 – a puzzling result. Further empirical research and enhanced data availability are needed to better understand the impacts of resource efficiency on competitiveness on the macroeconomic, microeconomic and industry level. In that regard, strengthening the methodologies of resource indicators seem essential. Last but certainly not least, political will is required to achieve the transition of the EU-economy into a resource efficient future.

Bioactive Compounds in Some Culinary Aromatic Herbs and Their Effects on Human Health

Culinary herbs are herbaceous (leafy) plants that add flavour and colour to all types of meals. There is a wide variety of herbs that are used for culinary purposes worldwide, which are also recognized for their beneficial health effects, and thus have also been used in folk medicine. Besides their nutritional value herbs are rich in many phytochemical components with bioactive effects, thus improving human health. The aim of the present work was to make a general overview of some of these herbs, including their gastronomic usage, their chemical composition in bioactive components and their reported health effects. This work showed that the health effects are very diverse and differ according to the herb in question. However, some of the most frequently citted biological activities include antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects.

Pollen record and age determiation of sediments from the Labaz Lake area

Pollen records from perennially frozen sequences provide vegetation and climate reconstruction for the last 48,000 14C years in the central part of Taymyr Peninsula. Open larch forest with Alnus fruticosa and Betula nana grew during the Kargin (Middle Weichselian) Interstade, ca. 48,000-25,000 14C yr B.P. The climate was generally warmer and wetter than today. Open steppe-like communities with Artemisia, Poaceae, Asteraceae, and herb tundralike communities with dwarf Betula and Salix dominated during the Sartan (Late Weichselian) Stade, ca. 24,000-10,300 14C yr B.P. The statistical information method used for climate reconstruction shows that the coldest climate was ca. 20,000-17,000 14C yr B.P. A warming (Allerød Interstade?) with mean July temperature ca. 1.5°C warmer than today occurred ca. 12,000 14C yr B.P. The following cooling with temperatures about 3°-4°C cooler than present and precipitation about 100 mm lower corresponds well with the Younger Dryas Stade. Tundra-steppe vegetation changed to Betula nana-Alnus fruticosa shrub tundra ca. 10,000 14C yr B.P. Larch appeared in the area ca. 9400 14C yr B.P. and disappeared after 2900 14C yr B.P. Cooling events ca. 10,500, 9600, and 8200 14C yr B.P. characterized the first half of the Holocene. A significant warming occurred ca. 8500 14C yr B.P., but the Holocene temperature maximum was at about 6000-4500 14C yr B.P. The vegetation cover approximated modern conditions ca. 2800 14C yr B.P. Late Holocene warming events occurred at ca. 3500, 2000, and 1000 14C yr B.P. A cooling (Little Ice Age?) took place between 500 and 200 14C yr ago.

Relative abundances of planktonic foraminifera from surface sediments of the Drake Passage, Southern Ocean (Table 1)

Based on a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of Recent sediments samples (top 3 cm of cores as well as Petersen grab samples) from the Drake Passage, between South America and Antarctica, the distribution of planktonic foraminifera and their relation to oceanographic conditions was investigated. The Antarctic Convergence - the northern limit of the cold Antarctic Surface Water - is shown to be of major importance in controlling the distributional pattern of planktonic species as well as their total numbers. South of the convergence, Globigerina pachyderma is usually the only species found in the sediment. It occurs with abundances not greater than 6000 per gram dry sediment, and at most stations less than 100 specimens per gram of dry sediment were recovered. At a number of deep-sea stations below 3700 m depth approx. no planktonic foraminifera were found at all. It is most probable, that at least some of these stations are located below the limit of CaCO3 dissolution. North of the Antarctic Convergence planktonic foraminiferal numbers are much higher and range from 1800 to 120000 per gram of dry sediment. Eight species are the major constituents of the population: Globigerina pachyderma, Globigerina bulloides, Globogerina quinqueloba, Globigerina inflata, Globorotalia truncatolinoides, Globorotalia scitula, Globigerinita glutinata and Globigerinita uvula. The widespread occurrence of Globorotalia truncatulinoides, which in the northern hemisphere is usually a subtropical form, is especially noteworthy. Another Globigerina, morphologically similar to G. pachyderma, has been recognized frequently north of the Antarctic Convergence. Globigerina megastoma which has its type area in the Drake Passage, has been found only rarely. Orbulina universa occurs in samples from the areas of higher water temperature around the South American Continent. Globigerina pachyderma is predominantly sinistrally coiled throughout the area investigated, but a slight increase in the percentage of dextrally coiled specimens may be noticed with increasing water temperature, i.e. from south to north.

1971 University of Michigan Football Team

1973 University of Michigan Football Team

1974 University of Michigan Football Team

University of Michigan Football Team 1903

Back Row: stud. mngr, Thomas Roberts, Tom Hammond, John Curtis, John Garrels, Cecil Gooding, "Germany" Schulz, David Dunlap, Frank Longman, coach Fielding Yost, Ray Barnett, trainer Keene Fitzpatrick

Middle Row: Rolla Bigelow, Herb Graver, Joe Maddock, Curtis Redden, George Gregory, Willie Heston

front Row: James DePree, Walter Eyke, John James, Duncan Thomson, Eugene Person, Fred Norcross, Hal Weeks

University of Michigan 150-pound football team, 1948

Top Row: Dick Bodycomb, Gus Eaton, Bud Marshall, Tony Cybulski, Herb Taggart, Bob Kash, Burl Selden (ass't coach), Cliff Keen (coach).

Third Row: Gene Kiddon, Gordon Smith, Vaughn Lowther, Jim Coleman, Larry Shaw, James Johnson, Frank Whitehouse, Gene Freed, Everet Knapp, George Sipp, Stan Emerling.

Second Row: Bill Clark, James Richter, Jack Keller, Dave Bradbury Fred Koehn, Hyman Berman, Bill Parshall, Bill Connoly, M. Richard Fleishman, Frank Murphy, Jim Briskin, Leon Hinz.

Bottom Row: John Wilcox, Prentice Ryan, Ed Morey, Jim Costa, Barry Breakey, Jere Ogle, Jim Armelagos, Don O'Connell, Jerry Burns, John Picard, James Sakai, Ted Karmazin.

University of Michigan Men's Basketball Team, 2000

Back Row: Assistant Tom Sorboro, Assistant Kurtis Townsend, Darius Taylor, Rotolu Adebiyi, Brandon Smith, Josh Asselin, Peter Vignier, Chris Young, Leland Anderson, LaVell Blanchard, Herb Gibson, Assistant Scott Trost, Assistant Lorenzo Neely.

Front Row: Trainer Steve Stricker, Mike Gotfredson, Gavin Groninger, Kevin Gaines, head coach Brian Ellerbe, Jamal Crawford, Leon Jones, Ramal Hunter, equip. mngr. Bob Bland.

University of Michigan Men's Basketball Team, 2001

Back Row: assoc. head coach Scott Trost, asst. coach Kurtis Townsend, asst. coach Terence Greene, LaVell Blanchard, Bernard Robinson Jr., Chris Young, Josh Moore, Josh Asselin, Rotolu Adebiyi, director of basketball operations Tom Sorboro, trainer Steve Stricker, equip. mngr. Bob Bland.

Front Row: Avery Queen, Mike Gotfredson, Leon Jones, head coach Brian Ellerbe, Gavin Groninger, Herb Gibson, Maurice Searight

University of Michigan Men's Basketball Team, 2002

Back Row (standing): Coach Tommy Amaker, director of basketball operations Kirsten Green, strength coach Jim Plocki, asst. coach Charles E. Ramsey, Dommanic Ingerson, Bernard Robinson Jr., Chuck Bailey, Josh Moore, Ron Garber, Colin Dill, LaVell Blanchard, Herb Gibson, asst. coach Billy Schmidt, equip. mngr. Bob Bland, asst. coach Chuck Swenson.

Front Row: admin. asst. Steve Grialou, mngr. Alan Hibino, Avery Queen, Marcus Bennett, captain Rotolu Adebiyi, captain Chris Young, captain Leon Jones, Gavin Groninger, Mike Gotfredson, mngr. Lucien St. Gerard, trainer Eric Broekhuizen.

The gardeners labyrinth, or, A new art of gardening : wherein is laid down new and rare inventions and secrets of gardening not heretofore known : for sowing, planting, and setting all manner of roots, herbs, and flowers, both for the use of the kitchen garden, and a garden of pleasure ... /

"Reprinted for the first time since the edition dated 1652, from the copy now owned by Mrs. Rosetta E. Clarkson."--T.p. verso.

Physoderma maculare; Physodermataceae

Physoderma maculare Wallr.

Elsinoe australis; Myriangiaceae

Elsinoe australis Bitanc. & Jenkins