A climate change risk analysis for world ecosystems

We quantify the risks of climate-induced changes in key ecosystem processes during the 21st century by forcing a dynamic global vegetation model with multiple scenarios from 16 climate models and mapping the proportions of model runs showing forest/nonforest shifts or exceedance of natural variability in wildfire frequency and freshwater supply. Our analysis does not assign probabilities to scenarios or weights to models. Instead, we consider distribution of outcomes within three sets of model runs grouped by the amount of global warming they simulate: <2°C (including simulations in which atmospheric composition is held constant, i.e., in which the only climate change is due to greenhouse gases already emitted), 2–3°C, and >3°C. High risk of forest loss is shown for Eurasia, eastern China, Canada, Central America, and Amazonia, with forest extensions into the Arctic and semiarid savannas; more frequent wildfire in Amazonia, the far north, and many semiarid regions; more runoff north of 50°N and in tropical Africa and northwestern South America; and less runoff in West Africa, Central America, southern Europe, and the eastern U.S. Substantially larger areas are affected for global warming >3°C than for <2°C; some features appear only at higher warming levels. A land carbon sink of ≈1 Pg of C per yr is simulated for the late 20th century, but for >3°C this sink converts to a carbon source during the 21st century (implying a positive climate feedback) in 44% of cases. The risks continue increasing over the following 200 years, even with atmospheric composition held constant.

Provider diversity in the English NHS: a study of recent developments in four local health economies

Objectives: The overall objective of the research was to assess the impact of provider diversity on quality and innovation in the English NHS. The aims were to map the extent of diverse provider activity, identify the differences in performance between Third Sector Organisations (TSOs), for-profit private enterprises, and incumbent organisations within the NHS, and the factors that affect the entry and growth of new private and TSOs. Methods: Case studies of four Local Health Economies (LHEs). Data included: semi-structured interviews with 48 managerial and clinical staff from NHS organizations and providers from the private and Third Sector; some documentary evidence; a focus group with service users; and routine data from the Care Quality Commission and Companies House. Data collection was mainly between November 2008 and November 2009. Results: Involvement of diverse providers in the NHS is limited. Commissioners’ local strategies influence degrees of diversity. Barriers to the entry for TSOs include lack of economies of scale in the bidding process. Private providers have greater concern to improve patient pathways and patient experience, whereas TSOs deliver quality improvements by using a more holistic approach and a greater degree of community involvement. Entry of new providers drives NHS Trusts to respond by making improvements. Information sharing diminishes as competition intensifies. Conclusions: There is scope to increase the participation of diverse providers in the NHS, but care must be taken not to damage public accountability, overall productivity, equity and NHS providers (especially acute hospitals, which are likely to remain in the NHS) in the process.

Classification and fault detection methods for fuel cell monitoring and quality control

In this paper, various types of fault detection methods for fuel cells are compared. For example, those that use a model based approach or a data driven approach or a combination of the two. The potential advantages and drawbacks of each method are discussed and comparisons between methods are made. In particular, classification algorithms are investigated, which separate a data set into classes or clusters based on some prior knowledge or measure of similarity. In particular, the application of classification methods to vectors of reconstructed currents by magnetic tomography or to vectors of magnetic field measurements directly is explored. Bases are simulated using the finite integration technique (FIT) and regularization techniques are employed to overcome ill-posedness. Fisher's linear discriminant is used to illustrate these concepts. Numerical experiments show that the ill-posedness of the magnetic tomography problem is a part of the classification problem on magnetic field measurements as well. This is independent of the particular working mode of the cell but influenced by the type of faulty behavior that is studied. The numerical results demonstrate the ill-posedness by the exponential decay behavior of the singular values for three examples of fault classes.

Compliance and conformity or confidence restored? : job clubs and becoming employed

A case study of the Job Club Program for unemployed people, as it was run in a single location in Victoria, Australia. Documents and describes the views of those involved and explores their perceptions of the successes and failures of the program.

Structure and functioning of complex sport organisations

Research used case studies with leading Australian National Sport Organisations to examine how their structures impacted their ability to operate as cohesive, functional organisations. The specific focus was on identifying barriers to functioning and the mechanism organisations used to overcome these barriers and improve the organisational dimension of their performance.

Geochemical and isotopic characterization of the Bodélé Depression dust source and implications for transatlantic dust transport to the Amazon Basin

The Bodélé Depression (Chad) in the central Sahara/Sahel region of Northern Africa is the most important source of mineral dust to the atmosphere globally. The Bodélé Depression is purportedly the largest source of Saharan dust reaching the Amazon Basin by transatlantic transport. Here, we have undertaken a comprehensive study of surface sediments from the Bodélé Depression and dust deposits (Chad, Niger) in order to characterize geochemically and isotopically (Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes) this dust source, and evaluate its importance in present and past African dust records. We similarly analyzed sedimentary deposits from the Amazonian lowlands in order to assess postulated accumulation of African mineral dust in the Amazon Basin, as well as its possible impact in fertilizing the Amazon rainforest. Our results identify distinct sources of different ages and provenance in the Bodélé Depression versus the Amazon Basin, effectively ruling out an origin for the Amazonian deposits, such as the Belterra Clay Layer, by long-term deposition of Bodélé Depression material. Similarly, no evidence for contributions from other potential source areas is provided by existing isotope data (Sr, Nd) on Saharan dusts. Instead, the composition of these Amazonian deposits is entirely consistent with derivation from in-situ weathering and erosion of the Precambrian Amazonian craton, with little, if any, Andean contribution. In the Amazon Basin, the mass accumulation rate of eolian dust is only around one-third of the vertical erosion rate in shield areas, suggesting that Saharan dust is “consumed” by tropical weathering, contributing nutrients and stimulating plant growth, but never accumulates as such in the Amazon Basin. The chemical and isotope compositions found in the Bodélé Depression are varied at the local scale, and have contrasting signatures in the “silica-rich” dry lake-bed sediments and in the “calcium-rich” mixed diatomites and surrounding sand material. This unexpected finding implies that the Bodélé Depression material is not “pre-mixed” at the source to provide a homogeneous source of dust. Rather, different isotope signatures can be emitted depending on subtle vagaries of dust-producing events. Our characterization of the Bodélé Depression components indicate that the Bodélé “calcium-rich” component, identified here, is most likely released via eolian processes of sand grain saltation and abrasion and may be significant in the overall global budget of dusts carried out by the Harmattan low-level jet during the winter.

Identification of a new class of protein kinases represented by eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase

The several hundred members of the eukaryotic protein kinase superfamily characterized to date share a similar catalytic domain structure, consisting of 12 conserved subdomains. Here we report the existence and wide occurrence in eukaryotes of a protein kinase with a completely different structure. We cloned and sequenced the human, mouse, rat, and Caenorhabditis elegans eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2 kinase) and found that with the exception of the ATP-binding site, they do not contain any sequence motifs characteristic of the eukaryotic protein kinase superfamily. Comparison of different eEF-2 kinase sequences reveals a highly conserved region of ≈200 amino acids which was found to be homologous to the catalytic domain of the recently described myosin heavy chain kinase A (MHCK A) from Dictyostelium. This suggests that eEF-2 kinase and MHCK A are members of a new class of protein kinases with a novel catalytic domain structure.

Are amoxycillin and folate inhibitors as effective as other antibiotics for acute sinusitis? A meta-analysis

Objectives: To examine whether antibiotics are indicated in treating uncomplicated acute sinusitis and, if so, whether newer and more expensive antibiotics with broad spectra of antimicrobial activity are more effective than amoxycillin or folate inhibitors.

Account book of David Townsend, 1774-1791

Account book kept by Dr. David Townsend (1753-1829) that records patients treated, illnesses, and fees charged in Boston, Massachusetts, and neighboring towns from 1774 to 1791. His patients included a number of soldiers and sailors, as well as figures like the French-American writer John Hector St. John (1735-1813). Townsend's treatments typically consisted of delivering cathartics or emetics. For the family of Samuel Appleton, Townsend administered smallpox inoculation in 1776, charging him 4 pounds, 4 shillings. Townsend sometimes recorded the occupation or race of the patient. For example, he attended the delivery of a child of Sappho Henshaw, "black girl," in 1786; in 1787 he attended to an unnamed "black man at [who lived at the] corner of Board Alley" in the North End of Boston. Other patients included John Hancock (1736-1793) and members of Hancock's household, as well as Federalist publisher John Fenno (1751-1798).

The Philadelphia Negro : a social study /

Includes bibliographical references and index.