A 139-year dendroclimatic cycle, cultural/environmental history, sunspots, and longer-term cycles

Higher resolution time-stratigraphic records suggest correlation of lower frequency paleoclimatic events with Milankovitch obliquity/precessional cycles and of higher frequency events with the evidently resonance-related Pettersson maximum tidal force (MTF) model. Subsequently published records, mainly pollen, seemingly confirm that atmospheric resonances may have modulated past climatic changes in phase with average MTF cycles of 1668, 1112, and 556 years, as calculated in anomalistic years from planetary movements by Stacey. Stacey accepts Pettersson's dating of AD 1433 (517 YBP) for the last major perihelian spring tide based solely on calculations of moon- and earth-orbital relations to the sun. Use of AD 1433 as an origin for the tidal resonance model seemingly continues to provide a best fit for the timing of cyclical patterns in the presented paleoclimate time series.

Socio-cultural influences on sanitation, fish handling and artisanal fish processing within the fishing communities

The fishery sector in Uganda has seen important changes in the last two decades. Among the changes registered, is the expansion of fish markets locally, regionally and internationally. Upon which, remarkable benefits have been realized at local and national levels, for instance, it is estimated that an average of 40m$ is being earned annually as foreign exchange. Besides, presently fish accounts for over 50% of total animal protein in take. However, it is argued that sustaining these gains has become an up hill task due to failure to maintain fish quality as a result of the rudimentary and inappropriate sanitary, fish handling and artisanal fish processing practices that both directly and indirectly affect the quality of fish and fish products. Therefore, against this background, a study of 507 respondents was undertaken among the Lake Victoria Communities specifically in Wakiso, Mayuge and Mukono districts. The study examined the perceptions of fishers on the social cultural practices of sanitation, fish handling and artisanal fish processing and consequently identified factors that influenced these practices.

Sanitation, fish handling and artisanal fish processing within fishing communities: socio-cultural influences

postive transformation of the fisheries sector in Uganda has of recent been scatted by failure to mountain fish quality and safety,akey prerequiste for retaining and gaining fish markets. The social cultural study established the extent to which social cutural practices had affected the levels and the use of sanitation facilities,fish handling facilities and artisanal fish processing techniques and the factors that influenced these practices in the fishing communities of lake victoria. This information is of significance for the purpose of advocacy and mobilization of fishers in order to improve sanitation, fish handling and artisanal fishing processing situation in the fishing communities.

The role of social,economic and cultural factors in the management of satellite lake fisheries in Uganda

The fisheries of small lakes are important for producing fish for local populations not clear the larger lakes.The satelite support important fisheries and other economic activities like fishing water for domestic purpose and tourism besides socio-cultural functions.

Tracing the Origins of Hakka and Chaoshanese by Mitochondrial DNA Analysis

Hakka and Chaoshanese are two unique Han populations residing in southern China but with northern Han (NH) cultural traditions and linguistic influences. Although most of historical records indicate that both populations migrated from northern China in the last two thousand years, no consensus on their origins has been reached so far. To shed more light on the origins of Hakka and Chaoshanese, mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) of 170 Hakka from Meizhou and 102 Chaoshanese from Chaoshan area, Guangdong Province, were analyzed. Our results show that some southern Chinese predominant haplogroups, e.g. B, F, and M7, have relatively high frequencies in both populations. Although median network analyses show that Hakka/Chaoshanese share some haplotypes with NH, interpopulation comparison reveals that both populations show closer affinity with southern Han (SH) populations than with NH. In consideration of previous results from nuclear gene (including Y chromosome) research, it is likely that matrilineal landscapes of both Hakka and Chaoshanese have largely been shaped by the local people during their migration southward and/or later colonization in southern China, and factors such as cultural assimilation, patrilocality, and even sex-bias in the immigrants might have played important roles during the process. Am J Phys Anthropol 141:124-130, 2010. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.