Fort Richardson Ordnance Detonations and the Harbor Porpoise: A Case Study in Marine Mammal Bioacoustics

Hearing is extremely important for cetaceans because it is their “principal sense” (Weilgart, 2007) thus the harbor porpoise and other marine animals are highly dependent on sound for survival. This is why we should care about the impact of noise on animals like the harbor porpoise. Since sound travels so well in water, an explosion, sonar, boat noise, etc. can affect a very large area and thus many different species of marine mammals. Although military actions such as low frequency sonar have made recent news, noise has been affecting cetaceans, especially beaked whales, since at least 1991 (Weilgart, 2007). This study is an investigation of the possible impacts of artillery detonated on land on harbor porpoise hearing and covers some of the history of Fort Richardson, the legal and historical aspects and history of this type of concern, the science and physics of sound, marine mammal hearing and general biology of the harbor porpoise. Data were collected at the Fort Richardson Army base during June of 2007 by researchers from the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island and will be used to determine the possible impacts that these detonations could have on the harbor porpoise.

Tribalism as a Minimax-Regret Strategy: Evidence from Voting in the 2007 Kenyan Elections

Although many studies find that voting in Africa approximates an ethnic census in that voting is primarily along ethnic lines, hardly any of the studies have sought to explain ethnic voting following a rational choice framework. Using data of voter opinions from a survey conducted two weeks before the December 2007 Kenyan elections, we find that the expected benefits associated with a win by each of the presidential candidates varied significantly across voters from different ethnic groups. We hypothesize that decision to participate in the elections was influenced by the expected benefits as per the minimax-regret voting model. We test the predictions of this model using data of voter turnout in the December 2007 elections and find that turnout across ethnic groups varied systematically with expected benefits. The results suggest that individuals participated in the elections primarily to avoid the maximum regret should a candidate from another ethnic group win. The results therefore offer credence to the minimax regret model as proposed by Ferejohn and Fiorina (1974) and refute the Downsian expected utility model.

The role of deregulated E2F1 expression in brain tumors

Mutations disabling the retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway are among the most common in human cancers, including brain cancer. These mutations promote tumor development through deregulated control of the E2F family of transcription factors. E2F1 belongs to a class of E2F's identified as transcriptional activators and involved in the G1/S phase transition of the cell. However, E2F-1 presents with a paradox as it is considered to have membership in two gene classes, functioning as both an oncogene and a tumor suppressor. This unusual trait generates a degree of uncertainty on the role that E2F1 plays in the development or maintenance of any given tumor. Here we show that E2F1 functions as an oncogene in brain tumors through the generation of mice engineered to overexpress E2F1 specifically within glial cells and neuronal progenitors as directed by the GFAP promoter. Mice carrying the transgene develop with high penetrance a phenotype characterized by neurological deficits including paresia, ataxia, head tilt and seizures. MRI imagining of the tgE2F1 mice reveals a low incidence of mild hydrocephalus, and most notably, histological analysis demonstrates that 25% of tgE2F1 mice present with the spontaneous formation of malignant brain tumors. Overall these neoplasms show histological features from a wide range of aggressive brain cancers including medulloblastoma, choroid plexus carcinoma, primary neuroectodermic tumor and malignant gliomas. Isolation and characterization of astrocytes from the tgE2F1 animal reveals a highly proliferative population of cells with 55% ± 2.5 of the tgE2F1astrocytes, 35% ± 3.4 normal mouse astrocytes in S-phase and the acquired capacity to grow in anchorage independent conditions. Additionally tgE2F1 astrocytes show an aberrant phenotype with random chromosomal fusions and nearly all cells demonstrating polyploidy. Taken together, this model forces a comparison to human brain tumor formation. Mouse age as related to tumoral mimics the human scenario with juvenile tgE2F1 mice presenting embryonal tumors typically identified in children, and older tgE2F1 mice demonstrating gliomas. In this regard, this study suggests a global role for E2F1 in the formation and maintenance of multilineage brain tumors, irrefutably establishing E2F1 as an oncogene in the brain. ^

Gastric cancer survival amongst Hispanics- A Hispanic paradox? A case series study using the SEER 1973--2005 data registry

Stomach cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world, and ranked 16th in the US in 2008. The age-adjusted rates among Hispanics were 2.8 times that of non-Hispanic Whites in 1998-2002. In spite of that, previous research has found that Hispanics with non-cardia adenocarcinoma of the stomach have a slightly better survival than non-Hispanic Whites. However, such previous research did not include a comparison with African-Americans, and it was limited to data released for the years 1973-2000 in the nine original Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Cancer Registries. This finding was interpreted as related to the Hispanic Paradox, a phenomenon that refers to the fact that Hispanics in the USA tend to paradoxically have substantially better health than other ethnic groups in spite of what their aggregate socio-economic indicators would predict. We extended such research to the SEER 17 Registry, 1973-2005, with varying years of diagnosis per registry, and compared the survival of non-cardia adenocarcinoma of the stomach according to ethnicity (Hispanics, non-Hispanic Whites and African-Americans), while controlling for age, gender, marital status, stage of disease and treatment using Cox regression survival analysis. We found that Hispanic ethnicity by itself did not confer an advantage on survival from non-cardia adenocarcinoma of the stomach, but that being born abroad was independently associated with the apparent 'Hispanic Paradox' previously reported, and that such advantage was seen among foreign born persons across all race/ethnic groups.^

The attention/support to students in the socio-labor transition

In the present paper I intend to put forward some inquiries regarding the socio-labor guidance and transition of the young people in the co-ordinates of contemporary society. The outstanding paradox in which some young people are immersed when trying to get a first, second, third employment is also analyzed: "The job of looking for a job". This is a common experience shared by many young people when they try to find a place in the complex labor panorama. Looking for a job is a recurrent situation in contemporary society, given the high dose of precarious employment in which the productive world moves. Life-long jobs belong to the past and what is normal is that people strive to enter the competitive labor market repeatedly. Moreover, the paper offers the partial results of a larger research project that approaches tutorship, decision taking and expectations before the academic-labor future of the studentship in the last years of secondary school. Finally, I suggest some insights in the line that it is not longer feasible to work with old-fashioned guidance, trying to channel people's vocation and offering them information so that they get a job that provides them with the happiness of "doing what you like". Behind these ideas lay the normal biographies, the predictable itineraries. Labor market complexity makes the transition to working life very difficult. Once immersed in it, biographies and labor itineraries are constructed and reconstructed at the rhythm of the changing fortunes of times.

A paradox : Increased psicho-social problems-less counselling intervention

This work is based upon conclusions drawn from the research project: "A Profile of vocational occupational counselling and placement and employment services" in La Plata and greater La Plata (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). This research was carried out between 1998 and 2002 and explored four axes or systems: Health - Labour-Social Policies and Education. In the case of this last axis, reference was made to information about school counselling teams (psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, social workers, etc.) who should have the responsibility for the counselling task, and moved their activity towards the attention of urgencies requested by educational institutions, to cope with current psycho-social problems, losing sight of the importance of counselling from a prevention perspective, for avoiding possible risk situations. Results achieved within this context (La Plata, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, Ensenada and Berisso), due to the strategic importance of the region in the national context, allowed us to establish meaningful relationships, correlations and projective inferences in other social and regional spheres.

The attention/support to students in the socio-labor transition

In the present paper I intend to put forward some inquiries regarding the socio-labor guidance and transition of the young people in the co-ordinates of contemporary society. The outstanding paradox in which some young people are immersed when trying to get a first, second, third employment is also analyzed: "The job of looking for a job". This is a common experience shared by many young people when they try to find a place in the complex labor panorama. Looking for a job is a recurrent situation in contemporary society, given the high dose of precarious employment in which the productive world moves. Life-long jobs belong to the past and what is normal is that people strive to enter the competitive labor market repeatedly. Moreover, the paper offers the partial results of a larger research project that approaches tutorship, decision taking and expectations before the academic-labor future of the studentship in the last years of secondary school. Finally, I suggest some insights in the line that it is not longer feasible to work with old-fashioned guidance, trying to channel people's vocation and offering them information so that they get a job that provides them with the happiness of "doing what you like". Behind these ideas lay the normal biographies, the predictable itineraries. Labor market complexity makes the transition to working life very difficult. Once immersed in it, biographies and labor itineraries are constructed and reconstructed at the rhythm of the changing fortunes of times.

A paradox : Increased psicho-social problems-less counselling intervention

This work is based upon conclusions drawn from the research project: "A Profile of vocational occupational counselling and placement and employment services" in La Plata and greater La Plata (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). This research was carried out between 1998 and 2002 and explored four axes or systems: Health - Labour-Social Policies and Education. In the case of this last axis, reference was made to information about school counselling teams (psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, social workers, etc.) who should have the responsibility for the counselling task, and moved their activity towards the attention of urgencies requested by educational institutions, to cope with current psycho-social problems, losing sight of the importance of counselling from a prevention perspective, for avoiding possible risk situations. Results achieved within this context (La Plata, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, Ensenada and Berisso), due to the strategic importance of the region in the national context, allowed us to establish meaningful relationships, correlations and projective inferences in other social and regional spheres.

The attention/support to students in the socio-labor transition

In the present paper I intend to put forward some inquiries regarding the socio-labor guidance and transition of the young people in the co-ordinates of contemporary society. The outstanding paradox in which some young people are immersed when trying to get a first, second, third employment is also analyzed: "The job of looking for a job". This is a common experience shared by many young people when they try to find a place in the complex labor panorama. Looking for a job is a recurrent situation in contemporary society, given the high dose of precarious employment in which the productive world moves. Life-long jobs belong to the past and what is normal is that people strive to enter the competitive labor market repeatedly. Moreover, the paper offers the partial results of a larger research project that approaches tutorship, decision taking and expectations before the academic-labor future of the studentship in the last years of secondary school. Finally, I suggest some insights in the line that it is not longer feasible to work with old-fashioned guidance, trying to channel people's vocation and offering them information so that they get a job that provides them with the happiness of "doing what you like". Behind these ideas lay the normal biographies, the predictable itineraries. Labor market complexity makes the transition to working life very difficult. Once immersed in it, biographies and labor itineraries are constructed and reconstructed at the rhythm of the changing fortunes of times.

A paradox : Increased psicho-social problems-less counselling intervention

This work is based upon conclusions drawn from the research project: "A Profile of vocational occupational counselling and placement and employment services" in La Plata and greater La Plata (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). This research was carried out between 1998 and 2002 and explored four axes or systems: Health - Labour-Social Policies and Education. In the case of this last axis, reference was made to information about school counselling teams (psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, social workers, etc.) who should have the responsibility for the counselling task, and moved their activity towards the attention of urgencies requested by educational institutions, to cope with current psycho-social problems, losing sight of the importance of counselling from a prevention perspective, for avoiding possible risk situations. Results achieved within this context (La Plata, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, Ensenada and Berisso), due to the strategic importance of the region in the national context, allowed us to establish meaningful relationships, correlations and projective inferences in other social and regional spheres.

Oxygen isotope composition of planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber in sediment core GeoB1413 from the eastern edge of the South Atlantic central gyre

Die Paläozeanographie versucht die Klimageschichte des Quartärs zu rekonstruieren und die Zusammenhänge zwischen Klimaänderungen und ozeanischer Zirkulation besser zu verstehen. Ein wichtiges Hilfsmittel stellen die planktischen Foraminiferen dar. Die Analyse planktischer Foraminiferengemeinschaften hat gezeigt, daß die Verbreitung dieser Protozoa durch die Umweltbedingungen in den Oberflächenwasserströmen bestimmt wird (BoLTOVSKOY, 1969; CIFELLI& BENIER, 1976; OTIENS, 1991). Durch ihre Ablagerung und Erhaltung am Meeresboden speichern sie diese Informationen und bilden einen Indikator für Wassermassen und Oberflächenwassertemperaturschichtung. Zeitliche und räumliche Veränderungen der Faunenvergesellschaftungen und der Verhältnisse stabiler Sauerstoff- und Kohlenstoffisotope einzelner Foraminiferenarten haben damit einen maßgeblichen Beitrag zur Kenntnis der spätquartären Temperatur- und Zirkulationsänderungen der Oberflächenströme geliefert (SHACKLETON & OPDYKE, 1973; BE et al., 1976; RUDDIMAN & McooYRE, 1976; VINCENT & BERGER, 1981; CLIMAP, 1981; RA VELO et al., 1990). Mit Hilfe der planktischen Foraminiferen soll diese Arbeit einen Beitrag zur Rekonstruktion der spätquartären Ozeanographie des Südatlantiks liefern. Die Oberflächenströme des Südatlantiks sind das Bindeglied im Wärmeaustausch zwischen niederen und hohen Breiten. Durch den Südäquatorialstrom (SEC) werden warme Wassermassen, die sich aufgrund der hohen Sonneneinstrahlung im tropischen Atlantik gebildet haben, in den Nordatlantik transportiert. Die Wärme wird im Nordatlantik unter Bildung des Nordatlantischen-Tiefenwassers (NADW) an die Atmosphäre abgegeben. Durch dieses Ereignis wird maßgeblich das nordeuropäische Klima beeinflußt (BROECKER & DENTON, 1989). Die Intensität des SEC wird durch den saisonal variierenden SE-, NE-Passat gesteuert, der hauptsächlich durch die Präzession der geneigten Erdachse bzw. durch die Insolation auf der Nordhalbkugel kontrolliert wird (Mc OOYRE et aI., 1989; MOLFINO & Mc INTYRE, 1990). Der SEC fließt entlang des Äquators von Ost nach West und kalte, nährstotfreiche, tiefere Wassermassen (Südatlantisches-Zentralwasser (SACW)) steigen vor allem im Osten auf und erzeugen das hochproduktive äquatoriale Auftriebsgebiet. Im Osten ist der Temperaturgradient in der Wassersäule steiler, und die Thermoklinentiefe nimmt von Ost nach West zu. Die Lage der Thermokline ist damit ein wesentlicher Faktor, der den Wärmehaushalt im Atlantik mitbestimmt. So wird z. B. im äquatorialen Auftriebsgebiet und im Auftriebsgebiet des küstennahen Benguela-Stroms, wo die Thermoklinentiefe durch aufsteigende kalte Wassermassen gering ist, eine Wärmezunahme von 100 W/qm im Wärmehaushalt erreicht (PETERSON & STRAMMA, 1991). Zur spätquartären Rekonstruktion des Wärmeflusses und der Oberflächenzirkulation im Südostatlantik ist es daher wichtig, auch die zeitlichen und räumlichen Veränderungen tieferer Wasserschichten (bis 300 m) zu erfassen.

Abundance and biomass of planktonic diatom Proboscia alata and associated species, chlorophyll a, organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations in waters over the Bering Sea middle shelf in August 2001

During most of the vegetation season from late May to early September large-sized diatom alga Proboscia alata forms local patches with high abundances and biomasses in different oceanographic domains of the eastern Bering Sea shelf. For 0-25 m layer average abundance and biomass of species in these patches are 700000 cells/l and 5 g/m**3 (wet weight), while corresponding estimates for the layer of maximal species concentrations are 40000000 cells/l and 38 g/m**3 (wet weight) or 1.6 g C/m**3. These levels of abundance and biomass are typical for the spring diatom bloom in the region. Outbursts of P. alata mass development are important for the carbon cycle in the pelagic zone of the shelf area in the summer season. The paradox of P. alata summertime blooms over the middle shelf lies in their occurrences against the background of the sharp seasonal pycnocline and deficiency in nutrients in the upper mixed layer. Duration of the outbursts in P. alata development is about two weeks and size of patches with high abundances can be as large as 200 km across. Degradation of the P. alata summertime outbursts may occur during 4-5 days. Rapid sinking of cells through the seasonal pycnocline results in intense transport of organic matter to bottom sediments. One of possible factors responsible for rapid degradation of the blooms is affect on the population by ectoparasitic flagellates. At terminal stages of the P. alata blooms percentage of infected cells can reach 70-99%.

Development strategy in Bihar through revitalizing the agricultural sector : a preliminary analysis

Based mainly on secondary data and partly on primary information obtained through field surveys in selected rural areas in Bihar in 2011, this paper firstly argues the critical importance of agricultural growth for overall economic development, and then reviews the sluggish growth of agriculture in Bihar in the past and examines the major reasons for this. The long-term negligence of agricultural research (especially development and diffusion endeavors for improved rice varieties suitable to the local conditions of Bihar) by the state government and some sort of ‘backwardness’ in tube-well irrigation technology can be pointed out as important constraints. There is, in particular, the ‘paradox’ in Bihar agriculture of why rice and wheat yields have remained so low in spite of the relatively well-developed irrigation by tube-wells. Finally, by showing the process of a rapid increase in autumn and winter rice yields during the 1990s in West Bengal, it is suggested that Bihar farmers and policy-makers should learn from the experience of West Bengal in order to get some hints for the development of the rice sector in Bihar.

Revisiting the Classics to recover the Physical Sense in electrical noise

This paper shows a physically cogent model for electrical noise in resistors that has been obtained from Thermodynamical reasons. This new model derived from the works of Johnson and Nyquist also agrees with the Quantum model for noisy systems handled by Callen and Welton in 1951, thus unifying these two Physical viewpoints. This new model is a Complex or 2-D noise model based on an Admittance that considers both Fluctuation and Dissipation of electrical energy to excel the Real or 1-D model in use that only considers Dissipation. By the two orthogonal currents linked with a common voltage noise by an Admittance function, the new model is shown in frequency domain. Its use in time domain allows to see the pitfall behind a paradox of Statistical Mechanics about systems considered as energy-conserving and deterministic on the microscale that are dissipative and unpredictable on the macroscale and also shows how to use properly the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem.