Experiment: Marine fungi may benefit from ocean acidification

Recent studies have discussed the consequences of ocean acidification for bacterial processes and diversity. However, the decomposition of complex substrates in marine environments, a key part of the flow of energy in ecosystems, is largely mediated by marine fungi. Although marine fungi have frequently been reported to prefer low pH levels, this group has been neglected in ocean acidification research. We present the first investigation of direct pH effects on marine fungal abundance and community structure. In microcosm experiments repeated in 2 consecutive years, we incubated natural North Sea water for 4 wk at in situ seawater pH (8.10 and 8.26), pH 7.82 and pH 7.67. Fungal abundance was determined by colony forming unit (cfu) counts, and fungal community structure was investigated by the culture-independent fingerprint method Fungal Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (F-ARISA). Furthermore, pH at the study site was determined over a yearly cycle. Fungal cfu were on average 9 times higher at pH 7.82 and 34 times higher at pH 7.67 compared to in situ seawater pH, and we observed fungal community shifts predominantly at pH 7.67. Currently, surface seawater pH at Helgoland Roads remains >8.0 throughout the year; thus we cannot exclude that fungal responses may differ in regions regularly experiencing lower pH values. However, our results suggest that under realistic levels of ocean acidification, marine fungi will reach greater importance in marine biogeochemical cycles. The rise of this group of organisms will affect a variety of biotic interactions in the sea.

The First Universal Suffrage Election, at County (Gewog) Level, in Bhutan

Following a Royal Edict to adopt universal suffrage in election for local government institutions, maiden elections were held in 199 gewogs (counties) in Bhutan in 2002 to elect their chief executives. This paper gives an account of this first time event in a country where most villagers had never seen secret ballots and poll booths. It synthesizes detailed data, mostly qualitative, collected soon after the election was over, and assesses aspects of electoral participation that His Majesty the King of Bhutan has introduced steadily to deepen democracy. Beginning with a glance at the territorial organization of the Bhutanese state within which the counties are embedded, the paper compares the electoral results with the relevant election rules.

Did the least developed countries benefit from duty-free quota-free access to the Japanese market?

Countries classified as least developed countries (LDCs) were granted duty-free quota-free (DFQF) access to the Japanese market. This study examines the impact of that access and finds that, in general, it did not benefit the LDCs. The construction of concordance tables for Japan's 9 digit tariff line codes enables analysis at the tariff line level, which overcomes a possible aggregation bias. The exogenous nature of DFQF access mitigates the endogeneity problem. Various estimation models, including the triple difference estimator, show that in general the LDCs did not benefit from DFQF access to the Japanese market. The total value of imports from LDCs has been increasing, but the imports granted both zero tariffs and substantial preference margins over non-LDC countries were not successful. These findings suggest that for LDCs the tariff barrier is a relatively small obstacle: Trade is affected more strongly by other factors, such as infrastructure, nontariff barriers, geographic distance, and cultural differences.

Changes in source of profits and business strategies? : some evidence from the Philippines' universal banks in the 2000s

In the 2000s, the Philippines' local banking sector have conducted very conservative lending behavior and at the same time, gradually but continuously improved their profitability in terms of ROE (return on equity). A set of analyses on the flow of funds and segment reports (information) of local universal banks, whose loans outstanding to the industrial sector have dominated more than three fourths of the total outstanding, shows that (1) they have actively manage assets overseas, (2) their profitability has come from investment activities in the securities markets, and (3) some universal banks have shifted their resources into the consumer/retail segment. Although further refinement in the dataset is needed for a more detailed analysis, diverse business strategies would be expected among the local universal banks in the near future.

Asset composition of the Philippines' universal and commercial banks : monetary policy or self-discipline?

The central bank of the Philippines (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, BSP) has improved its monetary policy measures since the 2000s. After rationalizing the country's banking sector since late-1990s, its monetary policy and the uniiversal/commercial banks' (UCBs) behavior in allocating their assets has changed since mid-2000s. Though further and more detailed studies are nesessary, based on the results of simple correlation analyses conducted in this paper suggest a possible mixture of the country's monetary policy and their own decision-making in asset allocations, instead of a "follow-through" attitude.

Estudio y análisis de la adaptación del mobiliario universitario a los parámetros de accesibilidad universal y diseño para todos del edificio multidepartamental de la Universidad de Alcalá de Henares situado en Guadalajara. Aproximación a un modelo de fichas técnicas de diagóstico y control.

La sociedad y el mundo en general, en cuanto a la integración social de todos, han ido evolucionando favorablemente. La accesibilidad hoy en día ya no es un hecho que preocupe a una minoría, sino cada vez son más las personas que se dedican a que este desarrollo vaya por el buen camino. En este trabajo lo que se pretende es recoger las condiciones que deben tenerse en cuenta al proyectar, y sobre todo, las características que debe cumplir el mobiliario que vamos a escoger para nuestro edificio, de forma que facilitemos el uso del mismo a todas las personas, sea cual sea su condición, de una forma lo más autónoma, segura y confortable posible. Se presenta como ejemplo el Edificio Multidepartamental de la Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, situado en Guadalajara, sobre el que estudiaremos, mediante un modelo de fichas técnicas de diagnóstico y control, el mobiliario de las aulas, de la cafetería, los puntos de información, los espacios higiénico-sanitarios, el mobiliario urbano exterior y la señalización y paneles informativos. El mobiliario debe estar situado de forma que no entorpezca la circulación de los usuarios del centro y éste, debe poder ser utilizado por todos ellos, estudiantes con y sin discapacidad, profesores, etc.… Debe existir suficiente espacio alrededor de mesas y sillas para maniobrar y permitir la aproximación frontal de las personas en sillas de ruedas, también se debe evaluar la accesibilidad en aseos y baños, máquinas expendedoras….

Descentralización universal o El fuero vascongado aplicado a todas las provincias : con un exámen comparativo de las instituciones vascongadas, suizas y americanas / Julián Arrese.

Digitalización Vitoria-Gasteiz Archivos y Bibliotecas Abril 1994 18-6