Climate and sea-level variations along the northwestern Tethyan margin during the Valanginian C-isotope excursion: Mineralogical evidence from the Vocontian Basin (SE France)

A high resolution mineralogical study (bulk-rock and clay-fraction) was carried out upon the hemipelagic strata of the Angles section (Vocontian Basin, SE France) in which the Valanginian positive C-isotope excursion occurs. To investigate sea-level fluctuations and climate change respectively, a Detrital Index (DI: (phyllosilicates and quartz)/calcite) and a Weathering Index (WI: kaolinite/(illite + chlorite)) were established and compared to second-order sea-level fluctuations. In addition, the mineralogical data were compared with the High Nutrient Index (HNI, based on calcareous nannofossil taxa) data obtained by Duchamp-Alphonse et al. (2007), in order to assess the link between the hydrolysis conditions recorded on the surrounding continents and the trophic conditions inferred for the Vocontian Basin. It appears that the mineralogical distribution along the northwestern Tethyan margin is mainly influenced by sea-level changes during the Early Valanginian (Pertransiens to Stephanophorus ammonite Zones) and by climate variations from the late Early Valanginian to the base of the Hauterivian (top of the Stephanophorus to the Radiatus ammonite Zones). The sea-level fall observed in the Pertransiens ammonite Zone (Early Valanginian) is well expressed by an increase in detrital inputs (an increase in the DI) associated with a more proximal source and a shallower marine environment, whereas the sea-level rise recorded in the Stephanophorus ammonite Zone corresponds to a decrease in detrital influx (a decrease in the DI) as the source becomes more distal and the environment deeper. Interpretation of both DI and WI, indicates that the positive C-isotope excursion (top of the Stephanophorus to the Verrucosum ammonite Zones) is associated with an increase of detrital inputs under a stable, warm and humid climate, probably related to greenhouse conditions, the strongest hydrolysis conditions being reached at the maximum of the positive C-isotope excursion. From the Verrucosum ammonite Zone to the base of the Hauterivian (Radiatus ammonite Zone) climatic conditions evolved from weak hydrolysis conditions and, most likely, a cooler climate (resulting in a decrease in detrital inputs) to a seasonal climate in which more humid seasons alternated with more arid ones. The comparison of the WI to the HNI shows that the nutrification recorded al: the Angles section from the top of the Stephanophorus to the Radiatus ammonite Zones (including the positive C-isotope shift), is associated with climatic changes in the source areas. At that time, increased nutrient inputs were generally triggered by increased weathering processes in the source areas due to acceleration in the hydrological cycle under greenhouse conditions This scenario accords with the widely questioned palaeoenvironmental model proposed by Lini et al., (1992) and suggests that increasing greenhouse conditions are the main factor that drove the palaeoenvironmental changes observed in the hemipelagic realm of the Vocontian Basin, during the Valanginian positive C-isotope shift. This high-resolution mineralogical study highlights short-term climatic changes during the Valanginian, probably associated to rapid changes in the C-cycle. Coeval Massive Parana-Etendeka flood basalt eruptions may explain such rapid perturbations. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

East 1 St Street Interchange and I-35 Widening, From MP 94.3 to Oralabor Road, Polk County, Iowa, Project # IM-035-4(140)92--13-77, Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) De Minimis Impact Finding, 2015

From Proposed Action: "The proposed action consists of reconstructing the East 1st Street/I-35 interchange with a Diverging Diamond interchange, widening I-35 from four (4) lanes to six (6) lanes, and widening East 1st Street from four (4) lanes to five (5) lanes from Delaware Avenue to Frisk Drive. The project also proposes to reconstruct the intersections of East 1st Street/Creekview Drive and East 1st Street/Frisk Drive."

West 1 St Street/ IA 57 from Highland Drive to Center Street/Franklin Street, Blackhawk County, Iowa, Project # STP-57-2(28)--2C-07, Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) De Minimis Impact Finding, 2015

From Proposed Action: "Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments (INRCOG) and the City of Cedar Falls, in coordination with the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), are proposing to upgrade and modernize an approximate 4,900-foot segment of Iowa Highway 57 (IA 57), locally known as West 1st Street, in Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa."

The Adoption of Technologies, Policies, and Systems for Improving Fleet Fuel Performance, 2007

The dramatic rise in fuel prices and growing environmental concerns are pressing freight transportation companies to pursue new systems and methods to improve fuel efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. While select major carriers appear to be leading efforts to adopt technologies that support a dramatic improvement in fuel performance, there appears to be little understanding as to the breadth and depth of efforts being taken by the broader motor carrier community, consisting of over 20,000 companies of all sizes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of adoption of technologies and policies to support improved fuel efficiency among motor carrier fleets.

Do fire and seed additions alter strong seed timing and priority effects on prairie establishment?, 2011

Many prairie restoration projects are hampered by a lack of knowledge on how to restore the high diversity found in prairies, while at the same time preventing the establishment of a large weedy component. Methods are needed to increase diversity and abundance of native species while minimizing exotic species invasions in both 1) newly planted restorations and 2) established restorations. We established an experiment in Story and Monona counties in 2005 to determine the effects of different native cover crop species and timing of seeding on the establishment of new prairie restorations. We found that adding a 30-species prairie mix in early spring led to diverse native communities, but adding the mix in the late summer or the following year after cover crops established led to low diversity communities dominated by exotics. The identity of cover crops affected communities less than timing of seed additions. A second seed addition added to ash after a spring fire in the seventh year (Monona County site) increased recruitment from the prairie mix slightly, but the increase was not enough to cause convergence in the treatments. Surprisingly, the second seed addition increased diversity only in communities that were already the most diverse (i.e., in plots seeded with the prairie mix in early spring before cover crops established). These results imply that 1) cover crops are not effective for establishing prairie and 2) over seeding into established plots may not be an easy and efficient way to increase native recruitment and lower weedy species abundances. Therefore, focusing on establishing high levels of recruitment and diversity and excluding weedy species during the critical time early in establishment should be a priority for new projects.

Neuronal inputs and outputs of aging and longevity.

An animal's survival strongly depends on its ability to maintain homeostasis in response to the changing quality of its external and internal environment. This is achieved through intracellular and intercellular communication within and among different tissues. One of the organ systems that plays a major role in this communication and the maintenance of homeostasis is the nervous system. Here we highlight different aspects of the neuronal inputs and outputs of pathways that affect aging and longevity. Accordingly, we discuss how sensory inputs influence homeostasis and lifespan through the modulation of different types of neuronal signals, which reflects the complexity of the environmental cues that affect physiology. We also describe feedback, compensatory, and feed-forward mechanisms in these longevity-modulating pathways that are necessary for homeostasis. Finally, we consider the temporal requirements for these neuronal processes and the potential role of natural genetic variation in shaping the neurobiology of aging.

Risk and global change : developing scientific methods for advocacy and awareness raising

Les catastrophes sont souvent perçues comme des événements rapides et aléatoires. Si les déclencheurs peuvent être soudains, les catastrophes, elles, sont le résultat d'une accumulation des conséquences d'actions et de décisions inappropriées ainsi que du changement global. Pour modifier cette perception du risque, des outils de sensibilisation sont nécessaires. Des méthodes quantitatives ont été développées et ont permis d'identifier la distribution et les facteurs sous- jacents du risque.¦Le risque de catastrophes résulte de l'intersection entre aléas, exposition et vulnérabilité. La fréquence et l'intensité des aléas peuvent être influencées par le changement climatique ou le déclin des écosystèmes, la croissance démographique augmente l'exposition, alors que l'évolution du niveau de développement affecte la vulnérabilité. Chacune de ses composantes pouvant changer, le risque est dynamique et doit être réévalué périodiquement par les gouvernements, les assurances ou les agences de développement. Au niveau global, ces analyses sont souvent effectuées à l'aide de base de données sur les pertes enregistrées. Nos résultats montrent que celles-ci sont susceptibles d'être biaisées notamment par l'amélioration de l'accès à l'information. Elles ne sont pas exhaustives et ne donnent pas d'information sur l'exposition, l'intensité ou la vulnérabilité. Une nouvelle approche, indépendante des pertes reportées, est donc nécessaire.¦Les recherches présentées ici ont été mandatées par les Nations Unies et par des agences oeuvrant dans le développement et l'environnement (PNUD, l'UNISDR, la GTZ, le PNUE ou l'UICN). Ces organismes avaient besoin d'une évaluation quantitative sur les facteurs sous-jacents du risque, afin de sensibiliser les décideurs et pour la priorisation des projets de réduction des risques de désastres.¦La méthode est basée sur les systèmes d'information géographique, la télédétection, les bases de données et l'analyse statistique. Une importante quantité de données (1,7 Tb) et plusieurs milliers d'heures de calculs ont été nécessaires. Un modèle de risque global a été élaboré pour révéler la distribution des aléas, de l'exposition et des risques, ainsi que pour l'identification des facteurs de risque sous- jacent de plusieurs aléas (inondations, cyclones tropicaux, séismes et glissements de terrain). Deux indexes de risque multiples ont été générés pour comparer les pays. Les résultats incluent une évaluation du rôle de l'intensité de l'aléa, de l'exposition, de la pauvreté, de la gouvernance dans la configuration et les tendances du risque. Il apparaît que les facteurs de vulnérabilité changent en fonction du type d'aléa, et contrairement à l'exposition, leur poids décroît quand l'intensité augmente.¦Au niveau local, la méthode a été testée pour mettre en évidence l'influence du changement climatique et du déclin des écosystèmes sur l'aléa. Dans le nord du Pakistan, la déforestation induit une augmentation de la susceptibilité des glissements de terrain. Les recherches menées au Pérou (à base d'imagerie satellitaire et de collecte de données au sol) révèlent un retrait glaciaire rapide et donnent une évaluation du volume de glace restante ainsi que des scénarios sur l'évolution possible.¦Ces résultats ont été présentés à des publics différents, notamment en face de 160 gouvernements. Les résultats et les données générées sont accessibles en ligne (http://preview.grid.unep.ch). La méthode est flexible et facilement transposable à des échelles et problématiques différentes, offrant de bonnes perspectives pour l'adaptation à d'autres domaines de recherche.¦La caractérisation du risque au niveau global et l'identification du rôle des écosystèmes dans le risque de catastrophe est en plein développement. Ces recherches ont révélés de nombreux défis, certains ont été résolus, d'autres sont restés des limitations. Cependant, il apparaît clairement que le niveau de développement configure line grande partie des risques de catastrophes. La dynamique du risque est gouvernée principalement par le changement global.¦Disasters are often perceived as fast and random events. If the triggers may be sudden, disasters are the result of an accumulation of actions, consequences from inappropriate decisions and from global change. To modify this perception of risk, advocacy tools are needed. Quantitative methods have been developed to identify the distribution and the underlying factors of risk.¦Disaster risk is resulting from the intersection of hazards, exposure and vulnerability. The frequency and intensity of hazards can be influenced by climate change or by the decline of ecosystems. Population growth increases the exposure, while changes in the level of development affect the vulnerability. Given that each of its components may change, the risk is dynamic and should be reviewed periodically by governments, insurance companies or development agencies. At the global level, these analyses are often performed using databases on reported losses. Our results show that these are likely to be biased in particular by improvements in access to information. International losses databases are not exhaustive and do not give information on exposure, the intensity or vulnerability. A new approach, independent of reported losses, is necessary.¦The researches presented here have been mandated by the United Nations and agencies working in the development and the environment (UNDP, UNISDR, GTZ, UNEP and IUCN). These organizations needed a quantitative assessment of the underlying factors of risk, to raise awareness amongst policymakers and to prioritize disaster risk reduction projects.¦The method is based on geographic information systems, remote sensing, databases and statistical analysis. It required a large amount of data (1.7 Tb of data on both the physical environment and socio-economic parameters) and several thousand hours of processing were necessary. A comprehensive risk model was developed to reveal the distribution of hazards, exposure and risk, and to identify underlying risk factors. These were performed for several hazards (e.g. floods, tropical cyclones, earthquakes and landslides). Two different multiple risk indexes were generated to compare countries. The results include an evaluation of the role of the intensity of the hazard, exposure, poverty, governance in the pattern and trends of risk. It appears that the vulnerability factors change depending on the type of hazard, and contrary to the exposure, their weight decreases as the intensity increases.¦Locally, the method was tested to highlight the influence of climate change and the ecosystems decline on the hazard. In northern Pakistan, deforestation exacerbates the susceptibility of landslides. Researches in Peru (based on satellite imagery and ground data collection) revealed a rapid glacier retreat and give an assessment of the remaining ice volume as well as scenarios of possible evolution.¦These results were presented to different audiences, including in front of 160 governments. The results and data generated are made available online through an open source SDI (http://preview.grid.unep.ch). The method is flexible and easily transferable to different scales and issues, with good prospects for adaptation to other research areas. The risk characterization at a global level and identifying the role of ecosystems in disaster risk is booming. These researches have revealed many challenges, some were resolved, while others remained limitations. However, it is clear that the level of development, and more over, unsustainable development, configures a large part of disaster risk and that the dynamics of risk is primarily governed by global change.

Cultural events as tourism supply in coastal Catalan resorts

During the last three decades, the number of tourism events has been growing in Catalan coastal resorts because of the recover of Catalan cultural traditions, festivals and folklore, and also because of tourism growth. Catalan tourism resorts use events as catalysers for new supply and as a mean to differentiate and singularize themselves from their competitors. The tourism potential of cultural events is undeniable but there are some problems that prevent a more effective impact as economic and regional development agents. This paper reflects some discussions and conclusions obtained from the analysis of 264 valid responses of a survey made to different Catalan event organizers in 2008 and 2009. We describe and characterize cultural event supply in coastal resorts in order to study the events tourism importance, their capacity to generate and spread economic development, and their managerial model. The analysis is made in a geographical basis, comparing the results of the territorial organization of events of the city of Barcelona, coastal and inland municipalities. Finally some considerations about event regional tourism policy and tourism development are discussed.

Computational analysis of the genetic and environmental contributions to disease-related human phenotypes: From predicting adverse lipid response of HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy to genome-wide association studies of cardiovascular and lipid related disorders

Genetic variants influence the risk to develop certain diseases or give rise to differences in drug response. Recent progresses in cost-effective, high-throughput genome-wide techniques, such as microarrays measuring Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), have facilitated genotyping of large clinical and population cohorts. Combining the massive genotypic data with measurements of phenotypic traits allows for the determination of genetic differences that explain, at least in part, the phenotypic variations within a population. So far, models combining the most significant variants can only explain a small fraction of the variance, indicating the limitations of current models. In particular, researchers have only begun to address the possibility of interactions between genotypes and the environment. Elucidating the contributions of such interactions is a difficult task because of the large number of genetic as well as possible environmental factors.In this thesis, I worked on several projects within this context. My first and main project was the identification of possible SNP-environment interactions, where the phenotypes were serum lipid levels of patients from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) treated with antiretroviral therapy. Here the genotypes consisted of a limited set of SNPs in candidate genes relevant for lipid transport and metabolism. The environmental variables were the specific combinations of drugs given to each patient over the treatment period. My work explored bioinformatic and statistical approaches to relate patients' lipid responses to these SNPs, drugs and, importantly, their interactions. The goal of this project was to improve our understanding and to explore the possibility of predicting dyslipidemia, a well-known adverse drug reaction of antiretroviral therapy. Specifically, I quantified how much of the variance in lipid profiles could be explained by the host genetic variants, the administered drugs and SNP-drug interactions and assessed the predictive power of these features on lipid responses. Using cross-validation stratified by patients, we could not validate our hypothesis that models that select a subset of SNP-drug interactions in a principled way have better predictive power than the control models using "random" subsets. Nevertheless, all models tested containing SNP and/or drug terms, exhibited significant predictive power (as compared to a random predictor) and explained a sizable proportion of variance, in the patient stratified cross-validation context. Importantly, the model containing stepwise selected SNP terms showed higher capacity to predict triglyceride levels than a model containing randomly selected SNPs. Dyslipidemia is a complex trait for which many factors remain to be discovered, thus missing from the data, and possibly explaining the limitations of our analysis. In particular, the interactions of drugs with SNPs selected from the set of candidate genes likely have small effect sizes which we were unable to detect in a sample of the present size (<800 patients).In the second part of my thesis, I performed genome-wide association studies within the Cohorte Lausannoise (CoLaus). I have been involved in several international projects to identify SNPs that are associated with various traits, such as serum calcium, body mass index, two-hour glucose levels, as well as metabolic syndrome and its components. These phenotypes are all related to major human health issues, such as cardiovascular disease. I applied statistical methods to detect new variants associated with these phenotypes, contributing to the identification of new genetic loci that may lead to new insights into the genetic basis of these traits. This kind of research will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these pathologies, a better evaluation of disease risk, the identification of new therapeutic leads and may ultimately lead to the realization of "personalized" medicine.

Impact of quality and environmental investment on business competitiveness and profitability: The case of travel agencies

Few studies have examined the combined effect of implementing quality and environmental management within the service sector. This void is more evident if we focus on segments in which small businesses predominate and even more so if we look for highly competitive sectors that are very variable and that have high business mortality. After analysing 198 surveys of Spanish travel agency managers using structural equations, it can be concluded that practices of quality management have a significant direct impact on business competitiveness but not on this business's financial results, at least directly. However, there is a significant relationship between environmental management practices and economic benefits. This article suggests that commitment to quality and the environment can allow small businesses in the service sector to have a competitive advantage that will separate surviving and ceased operations, particularly in sectors that are rapidly evolving and highly competitive.

The role of culture in international students' image formation: the emergence of expected and perceived university image

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, vaikuttaako kansainvälisen opiskelijan kulttuuritausta opiskelijan odotetun ja koetun yliopistoimagon muodostumiseen. Jotta kulttuurin vaikutuksia yliopistoimagoon voitiin tutkia, tutkimuksessa tunnistettiin yliopistoimagon muodostumiseen oleellisesti vaikuttavat tekijät. Kulttuurin roolia organisaation imagon muodostumisessa ei ole tutkittu aiemmissa tieteellisissä julkaisuissa. Näin ollen tämän tutkimuksen voidaan katsoa edistäneen nykyistä imagotutkimusta. Tutkimuksen kohdeyliopistona oli Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto (LTY). Tutkimuksen empiirinen osa toteutettiin kvantitatiivisena Internet - pohjaisena kyselytutkimuksena tilastollisen analyysin menetelmin. Otos (N=179) koostui kaikista Lappeenrannan teknillisessä yliopistossa lukuvuonna 2005-2006 opiskelleista kansainvälisistä opiskelijoista. Kyselyyn vastasi 68,7 % opiskelijoista. Johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että kulttuurilla ei ole merkittävää vaikutusta yliopistoimagon muodostumiseen. Tutkimuksessa saatiin selville, että yliopiston Internet-sivujen laatu vaikuttaa positiivisesti odotetun yliopistoimagon muodostumiseen, kun taas koettuun yliopistoimagoon vaikuttavat positiivisesti odotettu yliopistoimago, pedagoginen laatu sekä opetusympäristö. Markkinoinnin näkökulmasta tulokset voidaan vetää yhteen toteamalla, että yliopistojen ei tarvitsisi räätälöidä tutkimuksessa tunnistettuja imagoon vaikuttavia tekijöitä eri kulttuureistatulevia opiskelijoita varten.

R&D Expenditures and Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence on Finnish Data

Tutkielman tavoitteena on tutkia yrityksen tutkimus- ja tuotekehitystoiminnan (T&K) vaikutuksia yrityksen suorituskykyyn. Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan myös lyhyesti T&K- toimintaa osana yrityksen toimintoja ja ympäristöä. Tutkielman empiirisessä osassa tutkitaan poikkileikkausmenetelmää käyttäen T&K- menojen vaikutusta yrityksen kasvuun, kannattavuuteen ja osakkeen hintaan (tuottoon). Tutkielman empiirinen osa toteutettiin keräämällä tilinpäätös- ja osaketiedot 65 yritykselle vuosilta 1999-2005. T&K- menojen vaikutusta yrityksen kasvuun, kannattavuuteen ja osakkeen tuottoon tutkittiin eri aikavälejä käyttäen, jotta mahdolliset syy-seuraussuhteet voitaisiin luotettavasti osoittaa. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että yrityksen T&K- menoilla on positiivinen vaikutus yrityksen kasvuun ja kannattavuuteen ja,siten tulokset tukevat kahta tutkimuksen päähypoteesia. Yrityksen T&K- menoilla ja osakkeen tuoton välillä ei kuitenkaan käytetyllä aineistolla empiiristä yhteyttä löytynyt, joten kolmas päähypoteesi hylättiin.

Molecular insight into heart development and congenital heart disease: An update review from the Arab countries.

Congenital heart defect (CHD) has a major influence on affected individuals as well as on the supportive and associated environment such as the immediate family. Unfortunately, CHD is common worldwide with an incidence of approximately 1% and consequently is a major health concern. The Arab population has a high rate of consanguinity, fertility, birth, and annual population growth, in addition to a high incidence of diabetes mellitus and obesity. All these factors may lead to a higher incidence and prevalence of CHD within the Arab population than in the rest of the world, making CHD of even greater concern. Sadly, most Arab countries lack appropriate public health measures directed toward the control and prevention of congenital malformations and so the importance of CHD within the population remains unknown but is thought to be high. In approximately 85% of CHD patients, the multifactorial theory is considered as the pathologic basis. The genetic risk factors for CHD can be attributed to large chromosomal aberrations, copy number variations (CNV) of particular regions in the chromosome, and gene mutations in specific nuclear transcription pathways and in the genes that are involved in cardiac structure and development. The application of modern molecular biology techniques such as high-throughput nucleotide sequencing and chromosomal array and methylation array all have the potential to reveal more genetic defects linked to CHD. Exploring the genetic defects in CHD pathology will improve our knowledge and understanding about the diverse pathways involved and also about the progression of this disease. Ultimately, this will link to more efficient genetic diagnosis and development of novel preventive therapeutic strategies, as well as gene-targeted clinical management. This review summarizes our current understanding of the molecular basis of normal heart development and the pathophysiology of a wide range of CHD. The risk factors that might account for the high prevalence of CHD within the Arab population and the measures required to be undertaken for conducting research into CHD in Arab countries will also be discussed.

Aggressivity, violence, sociability and conflict resolution: What genes can tell us.

Conflicts are inherent to the human condition, as they are for all living beings. Disputes about resources or access to mating partners are among the most common causes of conflict. Conflict is herein defined as a struggle or contest between individuals or parties, and may involve a variety of aggressive behaviours. In humans, aggressiveness, violence and conflicts, including individual predisposal to conflict resolution, have traditionally been said to have deep cultural roots, but recent research in both neuroscience and genetics has shown the influence of genes on such complex behavioural traits. In this paper, recent data on the genetic aspects of these interrelated behaviours will be put together, including the effects of particular genes, the influence of stress and gender on gene regulation, and gene-environment interactions, all of which may influence biological predisposal to conflict resolution. Other genetically influenced behavioural aspects involved in conflicts and conflict resolution, such as sociability, will also be discussed. The importance of taking into account genetic and biological data to provide strategies for conflict resolution will be highlighted.