The rejuvenation of tourism in Barbados 1993-2003 - Reflections on the Butler model

This article examines how Barbados as a mature resort destination has set about rejuvenating its tourism product since the early 1990s, when the number of stop-over tourist arrivals showed year-on-year declines. This has been achieved in three principal ways: the extensive upgrading of existing hotel facilities, especially at the luxury end of the market: the increase of overall tourist capacity, and the development of niche markets, especially golf tourism. At both the outset and the conclusion, the rejuvenation of tourism in Barbados between 1993 and 2003 is viewed in light of Butler's (1980) model of resort-cycle development.

Gentlemen, stop your engines!

For fifty years, computer chess has pursued an original goal of Artificial Intelligence, to produce a chess-engine to compete at the highest level. The goal has arguably been achieved, but that success has made it harder to answer questions about the relative playing strengths of man and machine. The proposal here is to approach such questions in a counter-intuitive way, handicapping or stopping-down chess engines so that they play less well. The intrinsic lack of man-machine games may be side-stepped by analysing existing games to place computer engines as accurately as possible on the FIDE ELO scale of human play. Move-sequences may also be assessed for likelihood if computer-assisted cheating is suspected.

High performance blocking filters for the region 1µm to 20µm

A set of filters based on the sequence of semiconductor edges is described which offers continuity of short-wave infrared blocking. The rejection throughout the stop region is greater than 103 for each filter and the transmission better than 70% through one octave with a square cutoff. The cutoff points are located at intervals of about two-thirds of an octave. Filters at 2.6 ,µm, 5.5 µm, and 12 µm which use a low-passing multilayer in combination with a semiconductor absorption edge are described in detail. The design of multilayers for optimum performance is discussed by analogy with the synthesis of electric circuit filters.

The unpatriotism of the economic constitution? Rights to free movement and their impact on national and European identity

Abstract: Instead of the political reading of the EU Constitution adopted by advocates of constitutional patriotism, this article examines the European economic constitution. The four single market freedoms can be used by the Court of Justice to strike down Member State laws which represent deeply held aspects of national cultural identity. The article examines whether the court does in fact act in this way and proceeds to argue that the issue of identity protection does not stop with the court. In those policy areas where the court is more interventionist, and its case-law is perceived as an identity threat, one is likely to find binding Treaty-based derogations. Where, in contrast, the effect of the court's case-law poses less of a threat, one is more likely to see non-binding declarations. The article examines a number of policy areas in which specific cultural derogations and declarations are to be found, including abortion, property acquisition, football and alcohol control.

An integrated assessment of carbon dioxide capture and storage in the UK

Geological carbon dioxide storage (CCS) has the potential to make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of the UK. Amid concerns over maintaining security, and hence diversity, of supply, CCS could allow the continued use of coal, oil and gas whilst avoiding the CO2 emissions currently associated with fossil fuel use. This project has explored some of the geological, environmental, technical, economic and social implications of this technology. The UK is well placed to exploit CCS with a large offshore storage capacity, both in disused oil and gas fields and saline aquifers. This capacity should be sufficient to store CO2 from the power sector (at current levels) for a least one century, using well understood and therefore likely to be lower-risk, depleted hydrocarbon fields and contained parts of aquifers. It is very difficult to produce reliable estimates of the (potentially much larger) storage capacity of the less well understood geological reservoirs such as non-confined parts of aquifers. With the majority of its large coal fired power stations due to be retired during the next 15 to 20 years, the UK is at a natural decision point with respect to the future of power generation from coal; the existence of both national reserves and the infrastructure for receiving imported coal makes clean coal technology a realistic option. The notion of CCS as a ‘bridging’ or ‘stop-gap’ technology (i.e. whilst we develop ‘genuinely’ sustainable renewable energy technologies) needs to be examined somewhat critically, especially given the scale of global coal reserves. If CCS plant is built, then it is likely that technological innovation will bring down the costs of CO2 capture, such that it could become increasingly attractive. As with any capitalintensive option, there is a danger of becoming ‘locked-in’ to a CCS system. The costs of CCS in our model for UK power stations in the East Midlands and Yorkshire to reservoirs in the North Sea are between £25 and £60 per tonne of CO2 captured, transported and stored. This is between about 2 and 4 times the current traded price of a tonne of CO2 in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. In addition to the technical and economic requirements of the CCS technology, it should also be socially and environmentally acceptable. Our research has shown that, given an acceptance of the severity and urgency of addressing climate change, CCS is viewed favourably by members of the public, provided it is adopted within a portfolio of other measures. The most commonly voiced concern from the public is that of leakage and this remains perhaps the greatest uncertainty with CCS. It is not possible to make general statements concerning storage security; assessments must be site specific. The impacts of any potential leakage are also somewhat uncertain but should be balanced against the deleterious effects of increased acidification in the oceans due to uptake of elevated atmospheric CO2 that have already been observed. Provided adequate long term monitoring can be ensured, any leakage of CO2 from a storage site is likely to have minimal localised impacts as long as leaks are rapidly repaired. A regulatory framework for CCS will need to include risk assessment of potential environmental and health and safety impacts, accounting and monitoring and liability for the long term. In summary, although there remain uncertainties to be resolved through research and demonstration projects, our assessment demonstrates that CCS holds great potential for significant cuts in CO2 emissions as we develop long term alternatives to fossil fuel use. CCS can contribute to reducing emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere in the near term (i.e. peak-shaving the future atmospheric concentration of CO2), with the potential to continue to deliver significant CO2 reductions over the long term.

Use of the statistical properties of the wavelet-transform coefficients for optimization of integration time in Fourier transform spectrometry

We show that an analysis of the mean and variance of discrete wavelet coefficients of coaveraged time-domain interferograms can be used as a specification for determining when to stop coaveraging. We also show that, if a prediction model built in the wavelet domain is used to determine the composition of unknown samples, a stopping criterion for the coaveraging process can be developed with respect to the uncertainty tolerated in the prediction.

Evaluation of the environmental specificity of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of probe (PSE1284)-positive cells extracted from rhizosphere soil

We explicitly tested for the first time the ‘environmental specificity’ of traditional 16S rRNAtargeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) through comparison of the bacterial diversity actually targeted in the environment with the diversity that should be exactly targeted (i.e. without mismatches) according to in silico analysis. To do this, we exploited advances in modern Flow Cytometry that enabled improved detection and therefore sorting of sub-micron-sized particles and used probe PSE1284 (designed to target Pseudomonads) applied to Lolium perenne rhizosphere soil as our test system. The 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM)-PSE1284-hybridised population, defined as displaying enhanced green fluorescence in Flow Cytometry, represented 3.51±1.28% of the total detected population when corrected using a nonsense (NON-EUB338) probe control. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene libraries constructed from Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorted (FACS) -recovered fluorescent populations (n=3), revealed that 98.5% (Pseudomonas spp. comprised 68.7% and Burkholderia spp. 29.8%) of the total sorted population was specifically targeted as evidenced by the homology of the 16S rRNA sequences to the probe sequence. In silico evaluation of probe PSE1284 with the use of RDP-10 probeMatch justified the existence of Burkholderia spp. among the sorted cells. The lack of novelty in Pseudomonas spp. sequences uncovered was notable, probably reflecting the well-studied nature of this functionally important genus. To judge the diversity recorded within the FACS-sorted population, rarefaction and DGGE analysis were used to evaluate, respectively, the proportion of Pseudomonas diversity uncovered by the sequencing effort and the representativeness of the Nycodenz® method for the extraction of bacterial cells from soil.

Calciferols and bait shyness in the laboratory rat

Rodenticides with delayed action are generally more effective than fast-acting compounds because of the phenomenon of bait shyness. Calciferols have a stop-feed effect quite soon after dosing, and physiological effects are measurable within one day of dosing. We investigated whether bait shyness might result from these fairly rapid effects in the laboratory rat. We found evidence of bait shyness following recovery from sub-lethal dosing with two forms of calciferol. Use of intubation as well as feeding showed that the response was to the bait carrier rather than to detection of calciferols per se.

Genome-wide association mapping to candidate polymorphism resolution in the unsequenced barley genome

Although commonplace in human disease genetics, genome-wide association (GWA) studies have only relatively recently been applied to plants. Using 32 phenotypes in the inbreeding crop barley, we report GWA mapping of 15 morphological traits across ∼500 cultivars genotyped with 1,536 SNPs. In contrast to the majority of human GWA studies, we observe high levels of linkage disequilibrium within and between chromosomes. Despite this, GWA analysis readily detected common alleles of high penetrance. To investigate the potential of combining GWA mapping with comparative analysis to resolve traits to candidate polymorphism level in unsequenced genomes, we fine-mapped a selected phenotype (anthocyanin pigmentation) within a 140-kb interval containing three genes. Of these, resequencing the putative anthocyanin pathway gene HvbHLH1 identified a deletion resulting in a premature stop codon upstream of the basic helix-loop-helix domain, which was diagnostic for lack of anthocyanin in our association and biparental mapping populations. The methodology described here is transferable to species with limited genomic resources, providing a paradigm for reducing the threshold of map-based cloning in unsequenced crops.

Reflexive stasis, scale reversal and the myth of modern cinema

This chapter looks at three films whose Portuguese urban settings offer a privileged ground for the re-evaluation of the classical-modern-postmodern categorisation with regard to cinema. They are The State of Things (Wim Wenders, 1982), Foreign Land (Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas, 1995) and Mysteries of Lisbon (Raúl Ruiz, 2010). In them, the city is the place where characters lose their bearings, names, identities, and where vicious circles, mirrors, replicas and mise-en-abyme bring the vertiginous movement that had characterised the modernist city of 1920s cinema to a halt. Curiously, too, it is the place where so-called postmodern aesthetics finally finds an ideal home in self-ironical tales that expose the film medium’s narrative shortcomings. Intermedial devices, whether Polaroid stills or a cardboard cut-out theatre, are then resorted to in order to turn a larger-than-life reality into framed, manageable narrative miniatures. The scaled-down real, however, turns out to be a disappointing simulacrum, a memory ersatz that unveils the illusory character of cosmopolitan teleology. In my approach, I start by examining the intertwined and transnational genesis of these films that resulted in three correlated visions of the end of history and of storytelling, typical of postmodern aesthetics. I move on to consider intermedia miniaturism as an attempt to stop time within movement, an equation that inevitably brings to mind the Deleuzian movement-time binary, which I revisit in an attempt to disentangle it from the classical-modern opposition. I conclude by proposing reflexive stasis and scale reversal as the common denominator across all modern projects, hence, perhaps, a more advantageous model than modernity to signify artistic and political values.

Clinical evaluation and COL2A1 gene analysis in 21 Brazilian families with Stickler syndrome: Identification of novel mutations, further genotype/phenotype correlation, and its implications for the diagnosis

We present clinical and molecular evaluation from a large cohort of patients with Stickler syndrome: 78 individuals from 21 unrelated Brazilian families. The patients were selected in a Hospital with a craniofacial dysmorphology assistance service and clinical diagnosis was based on the presence of cleft palate associated to facial and ocular anomalies of Stickler syndrome. Analysis of COL2A1 gene revealed 9 novel and 4 previously described pathogenic mutations. Except for the mutation c.556G>T (p.Gly186X), all the others were located in the triple helical domain. We did not find genotype/phenotype correlation in relation to type and position of the mutation in the triple helical domain. However, a significantly higher proportion of myopia in patients with mutations located in this domain was observed in relation to those with the mutation in the non-tripe helical domain (c.556G>T; P < 0.04). A trend towards a higher prevalence of glaucoma, although not statistically significant, was observed in the presence of the mutation c.556G>T. It is possible. that this mutation alters the splicing of the mRNA instead of only creating a premature stop codon and therefore it can lead to protein products of different ocular effects. One novel DNA variation (c.1266+7G>C) occurs near a splice site and it was observed to co-segregate with the phenotype in one of the two families with this DNA variation. As in silico analysis predicted that the c.1266+7G>C DNA variation can affect the efficiency of the splicing, we still cannot rule it out as non-pathogenic. Our study also showed that ascertainment through cleft palate associated to other craniofacial signs can be very efficient for identification of Stickler syndrome patients. Still, high frequency of familial cases and high frequency of underdevelopment of distal lateral tibial epiphyses observed in our patients suggested that the inclusion of this information can improve the clinical diagnosis of Stickler syndrome. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Carpenter Syndrome: Extended RAB23 Mutation Spectrum and Analysis of Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay

Carpenter syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a combination of craniosynostosis, polysyndactyly, obesity, and other congenital malformations, is caused by mutations in RAB23, encoding a member of the Rab-family of small GTPases. In 15 out of 16 families previously reported, the disease was caused by homozygosity for truncating mutations, and currently only a single missense mutation has been identified in a compound heterozygote. Here, we describe a further 8 independent families comprising 10 affected individuals with Carpenter syndrome, who were positive for mutations in RAB23. We report the first homozygous missense mutation and in-frame deletion, highlighting key residues for RAB23 function, as well as the first splice-site mutation. Multi-suture craniosynostosis and polysyndactyly have been present in all patients described to date, and abnormal external genitalia have been universal in boys. High birth weight was not evident in the current group of patients, but further evidence for laterality defects is reported. No genotype-phenotype correlations are apparent. We provide experimental evidence that transcripts encoding truncating mutations are subject to nonsense-mediated decay, and that this plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many RAB23 mutations. These observations refine the phenotypic spectrum of Carpenter syndrome and offer new insights into molecular pathogenesis. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Deficiency of the human complement regulatory protein factor H associated with low levels of component C9

We identified a 4-year-old Brazilian boy from a family of Japanese descent and history of consanguinity, who suffered from severe recurrent pneumonia. He carries factor H (FH) deficiency associated with reduced levels of component C9 and low serum levels of C3 and factor B. His mother also presented low levels of these proteins and factor I, while his father and sister had only lower levels of FH. Western blot assays confirmed the complete absence of FH and FHL-1 polypeptides in this patient. Sequencing of the proband`s FH cDNA revealed a homozygous G453A substitution, encoding an Arg(127)His change. His mother, father and sister are heterozygous for this substitution. Despite the absence of FH in the plasma, this protein was detected in the patient`s fibroblasts, suggesting that Arg(127) may be important for FH secretion. Low concentrations of C9 were detected in the proband serum but no mutations in the patient`s C9 gene or promoter have been identified, suggesting that this is a consequence of uncontrolled complement activation and high C9 consumption.

Screening of ARHSP-TCC Patients Expands the Spectrum of SPG11 Mutations and Includes a Large Scale Gene Deletion

Autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia with thinning of corpus callosum (ARHSP-TCC) is a complex form of HSP initially described in Japan but subsequently reported to have a worldwide distribution with a particular high frequency in multiple families from the Mediterranean basin. We recently showed that ARHSP-TCC is commonly associated with mutations in SPG11/KIAA1840 on chromosome 15q. We have now screened a collection of new patients mainly originating from Italy and Brazil, in order to further ascertain the spectrum of mutations in SPG11, enlarge the ethnic origin of SPG11 patients, determine the relative frequency at the level of single Countries (i.e., Italy), and establish whether there is one or more common mutation. In 25 index cases we identified 32 mutations; 22 are novel, including 9 nonsense, 3 small deletions, 4 insertions, 1 in/del, 1 small duplication, 1 missense, 2 splice-site, and for the first time a large genomic rearrangement. This brings the total number of SPG11 mutated patients in the SPATAX collection to 111 cases in 44 families and in 17 isolated cases, from 16 Countries, all assessed using homogeneous clinical criteria. While expanding the spectrum of mutations in SPG11, this larger series also corroborated the notion that even within apparently homogeneous population a molecular diagnosis cannot be achieved without full gene sequencing. (C) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.