Elevation Research Articles

Neural representation of three-dimensional acoustic space in the human temporal lobe.

Sound localization is an important function of the human brain, but the underlying cortical mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we recorded auditory stimuli in three-dimensional space and then replayed the stimuli through earphones during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). By employing a machine learning algorithm, we successfully decoded sound location from the blood oxygenation level-dependent signals in the temporal lobe. Analysis of the data revealed that different cortical patterns were evoked by sounds from different locations. Specifically, discrimination of sound location along the abscissa axis evoked robust responses in the left posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right mid-STG, discrimination along the elevation (EL) axis evoked robust responses in the left posterior middle temporal lobe (MTL) and right STG, and discrimination along the ordinate axis evoked robust responses in the left mid-MTL and right mid-STG. These results support a distributed representation of acoustic space in human cortex.

Global annual soil respiration in relation to climate, soil properties and vegetation characteristics: Summary of available data

Soil respiration (Rs) is a key process in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Measurement and simulation of Rs has received much attention recently. We collected annual Rs field datasets to examine key controls of temporal and spatial variability in annual Rs at the global scale. Published studies that reported annual field Rs, mean annual temperature (MAT), annual precipitation (AP), soil (0–20cm) properties and vegetation characteristics were compiled. MAT, AP and soil organic carbon (SOC) were the three most important variables in these datasets, together being responsible for 50% of the variance in annual Rs in a global model (MAT&AP&SOC-model). Combining other site soil properties (e.g. pH) and vegetation variables, such as tree age (TA), tree height (TH), litter fall biomass (LF) and leaf area index (LAI), into the MAT&AP&SOC-model improved model performance. The site characteristic that explained the most variation in Rs was AP followed by MAT, SOC, net primary productivity (NPP), pH, TA, TH, LF, LAI, elevation (EL) and diameter at breast height (DBH). Among the simulated models, the model based on MAT, AP, SOC and pH had the best fit for annual Rs variance. There was a highly significant logarithmic relationship between Rr/Rs (the contribution of root respiration to Rs) and AP. The AP value of 0.4m was a threshold for Rr/Rs, corresponding to Rr/Rs of 0.4 which reflects water limitation of root growth and plant productivity.

HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELING FOR EXPLORATION OF THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF KASHMIR MUSK DEER IN DACHIGAM NATIONAL PARK, KASHMIR

Musk deer are highly important as a medicinal speci es that are severely exploited throughout their ran ge of occurrence due to the medicinal value of the musk p roduced only by the male individuals. Methods used for studying the populations and distributions of other ungulates do not work well with musk deer and the presence of a unified methodology for studying musk deer appear to be lacking worldwide. Therefore, th e development of a simple predictive model for studyi ng the distribution of the musk deer habitats stand s as an important task to be accomplished. Two kinds of research questions were pursued during the present study-examining through field research what kind of habitat musk deer used and mapping the habitat in the park using a GIS and remote sensing environment. The parameters which were found to have a profound influence in predicting the species’s spatial distr ibution have been used in the modeling of the curre nt habitat suitability for the Kashmir musk deer ( Moschus cupreus ). The study was conducted at the upper reaches (elevations 2200 m and above) of the Dachig am National Park, Kashmir (34°05΄18.40 ΄΄ N34°06 ΄04.69 ΄΄ N and 75°03 ΄32.05 ΄΄ E-75°04 ΄27.26 ΄΄ E) during January 2005-January 2008 to evaluate the characteristics of the musk deer habitats. The envi ronmental attributes which were found to have a profound influence in predicting the species’s spat ial distribution included the slope exposures in th e range of 293°Northwest -68° Northeast, slope gradie nts of 25-40° and elevations of 2100 m and above, with the preference ratings of aspect > slope > ele vation and, therefore, were considered for the development of the habitat suitability model for pr ediction of the spatial distribution of the Kashmir musk deer. The current suitable musk deer habitat i n Dachigam National Park is estimated in the extent of about 40 sq. km. (~28% area of the national park ). The model results were found to have a good performance in making fair predictions (about 50% a rea of the National Park has been validated for predictions). The spatial distribution of musk deer reflected the musk deer habitats mostly spread thr ough the Picea smithiana and blue pine forest and some habitats close to th e alpine scrub nearby to the rocky cliffs. The potential of the model has been utilize d in finding the density of musk deer. Possible 60 musk deer survive in Dachigam National Park with a densi ty of 0.42 individuals per sq. km. However, the weighted mean density in the musk deer habitats was about 1.55 individuals per sq. km.

POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ONCE-DAILY ORAL THERAPEUTIC DOSE OF EITHER GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE OR GLUCOSAMINE/CHONDROITIN SULFATE ON BLOOD CELLS COUNT IN RATS

This st udy was designed to investigate t he possible adverse effects that may be induced by once - daily therapeutic doses of either glucos amine sulf ate or glucosamine /chondroitin sulfa te administered orally to rats for 30 days on blood cells (RBCs, WBCs and platelets) counts . Forty three white healthy adult Albino rats of both sexes were selected randomly for this study. They were divided into three groups (І, ІІ, ІІІ). Group І re ceived 0.05 ml distilled water, group ІІ received once daily therapeuti c dose of glucos amine sulphate and group ІІІ received once d aily therapeutic dose of glucos amine sulphate/chondroitin sulphate orally . The treatment period was for 30 days. At day 31, the ani mals were subjected to light ether anaesthesia and blood was withdrawn from the eye by retro - orbital puncture for the estimation of blood cells (RBCs, WBCs and platelets) count. Treatment with single daily therapeutic dose of either GS alone or GS/CS for 3 0 days on blood cells count in rats produced a non significant change in RBCs counts compared to control and to each other . There were no statistically significant differences in total WBCs count at day 31 in animals administered once daily therapeutic dos e of either GS or GS/CS orally compared to control group. In contrast, there was a statistically significant elevation in total WBCs count in GS/CS - treated rats compared to that in the GS - treated rats. The results of this study also showed that there was statistically significant decrease in neutrophils percentage in both drug treatment groups compared to control group . A statistically significant reduction in the percentage of monocytes was observed in GS/CS group compared to the corresponding percentage in animals of control group; while, there were non - significant differences in the percentage of monocytes in GS treated rats compared to that in the control group. There were no significant differences in the percentage of monocytes at day 31 of GS/CS com pared to the corresponding percentage in GS - treated rats. There were no sta tistically significant differences in the percentage of lymphocyte in rats administered once daily therapeutic dose of GS orally at day 31 compared to that in the control group. I n contrast, rats orally administered once daily therapeutic dose of GS/CS for 30 days produ ced a statistically significant elevation in the percent of lymphocytes compared to that in animals of the control group. Moreover, GS/CS produced a statistically si gnificant elevation in the percentage of lymphocytes compared to that in GS - treated rats. Oral administration of once daily therapeutic dose of GS for 30 days produced a statistically significant elevation in platelets count compared to that of controls. In contrast, there were no statisti cally significant differences in platelets count in rats treated with GS/CS compared to the corresponding count of control animals. Besides, there was a statistically significant ele vation in platelets counts in animals ad ministered once daily therapeutic dose of GS at day 31 compared to the corresponding count in GS/CS - treated rats. According to the data obtained from this study, w e can conclude that GS alone or GS/CS produced different effects on blood cell counts; where, the increase in lymphocyte percentage seen in GS/CS - treated rats not in GS alone may reflect that CS component may induce lymphocytosis . W hile, the decreased of either monocytes or neutrophils percentage may be due to their consumption to combat infection in group of animals treated with GS/CS . Finally, the increased platelets count observed in GS - treated group may explain that GS may possess hyper - coagulable pro perty. Keyw ords: glucos amine sulphate, glucosamine sulphate/ chondroitin sulphate, RBCs, WBCs, platelets, blood cell count s .

GEOMORPHOLOGY USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM AND GLOBEL MAPPER

An effort has been made to evaluate drainage morphometry and its influence on landform processes, geology and erosion characteristics in Jordan Valle y and surrounding area. Geological maps 1:50,000 scale and the professional Google Earth images were used for analysis of various morphometric, lithological and landform characteristics of Jordan Valley basin. Mo rphometric analysis was carried out at sub basin le vel using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Globel Mapper (GM) to analyze the influence of drainage morphometry on landforms, drainage pattern and land erosion. Different landforms were recognized in th e basin based on visual exposition of 3D Digital Elev ation Model (DEM) that obtained from the thousands of points of the elevations by using GIS and GM, escar pments, plateau spurs, narrow wadies “vallies” and main wadies floor, foot slopes. The sub basins that take number 2, 5 and 6 are associated with high de nsity dentritic drainage pattern because of impermeable f ormation and high slope then high surface runoff an d high erosion. The sub basins number 1, 3, 4 are ass ociated to a low density dentritic drainage pattern due to the topography of the area that is flat shape and t he formation is impermeable. A1, A2 and A3 are a tr ellis drainage pattern with high density because of the m oderate slope and high fracturing formation.

Study of Disaster Mitigation for Car Nicobar Isl and Using Remote Sensing and GIS

December 26th 2004 earthquake wi th 9.3 Mw caused one of the deadl ies t Tsunami in the human history . Subsidence of land mass t o 1.5 m along the e astern part of ent ire Andaman and Nicobar islands and up l i ft of 1.5 m in the western margins of the island system were observed. Most of the islands are const i tuted wi th folded mountain bel ts, except Car Nicobar. The epicenter of December 26, 2004 Sumatra earthquake was 163 km away from Great Nicobar, the southernmost island and hence i t was strongly fe l t in the ent ire Andaman & Nicobar group of i slands including Car Nicobar. Evidence of subsidence was also observed at the Car Nicobar the northernmost island of the Nicobar group (N9.2 o lat . , E92.4 o long). Car Nicobar is being almost f lat terrain to the east and an e levated terrain wi th maximum elevat ion of about 70 m to the west and hence the destruct ive Tsunami waves engul fed in t he eastern part of the island. This island was worst af fected in terms of damage and loss of li fe . The objective of this study is to mi t igate the impact of disasters in the form of Tsunami and earthquake and cyclone for the Car Nicobar Island. Remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) are important tools to prepare thematic maps by incorporat ing the e levat ion data, to del ineate the extent of t sunami inundat ion and the areas to locate potent ial hazard zones of Car Nicobar Island. Preparat ion of i nundat ion maps of coastal areas helps to ident i fy regions from tsunami at tack. Tsunami risk analysis helps to manage the evacuation planning and to diminish the loss of the li fe by tsunami . Preparat ion of land-use pat tern is re levant for rehabi l i tation man agement and to reduce potent ial damages. From the past source, i t i s very c lear that the Car Nicobar was most af fected by se ismic induced tsunami. The study is carried out to sort out the risks of potent ial inundat ion area due to the tsunami along heavily populated coast l ine and provides demarcat ions of sui table si tes for rehabi l i tat ion and tools to generate the evacuation plane to mi t igate disaster happening.

Bayesian Network and Factor Analysis for Modeling Pine Wilt Disease Prevalence

A Bayesian network (BN) model was developed to predict susceptibility to PWD(Pine Wilt Disease). The distribution of PWD was identified using QuickBird and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images taken at different times. Seven factors that influence the distribution of PWD were extracted from the QuickBird images and were used as the independent variables. The results showed that the BN model predicted PWD with high accuracy. In a sensitivity analysis, elevation (EL), the normal differential vegetation index (NDVI), the distance to settlements (DS) and the distance to roads (DR) were strongly associated with PWD prevalence, and slope (SL) exhibited the weakest association with PWD prevalence. The study showed that BN is an effective tool for modeling PWD prevalence and quantifying the impact of various factors.

Scapular Kinematics and Subacromial-Impingement Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis

The literature does not present a consistent pattern of altered scapular kinematics in patients with shoulder-impingement syndrome (SIS). To perform meta-analyses of published comparative studies to determine the consistent differences in scapular kinematics between subjects with SIS and controls. In addition, the purpose was to analyze factors of the data-collection methods to explain the inconsistencies in reported kinematics. The results of this study will help guide future research and enable our understanding of the relationship between scapular kinematics and SIS. A search identified 65 studies; 9 papers met inclusion criteria. Sample sizes, means, and SDs of 5 scapular-kinematic variables were extracted or obtained from each paper's lead author. Standard difference in the mean between SIS and controls was calculated. Moderator variables were plane of arm elevation, level of arm elevation (ARM) and population (POP). Overall, the SIS group had less scapular upward rotation (UR) and external rotation (ER) and greater clavicular elevation (ELE) and retraction (RET) but no differences in scapular posterior tilt (PT). In the frontal plane, SIS subjects showed greater PT and ER, and in the scapular plane, less UR and ER and greater ELE and RET. There was also greater ELE and RET in the sagittal plane. There was less UR at the low ARM and greater ELE and RET at the high ARM with SIS. Athletes and overhead workers showed less UR, while athletes showed greater PT and workers showed less PT and ER. The general population with SIS had greater ELE and RET only. Subjects with SIS demonstrated altered scapular kinematics, and these differences are influenced by the plane, ARM, and POP. Athletes and overhead workers have a different pattern of scapular kinematics than the general population. The scapular plane is most likely to demonstrate altered kinematics. These factors should be considered when designing futures studies to assess the impact of altered kinematics in patients with SIS.

北京山区防护林优势树种分布与环境的关系

Shelter forests of the Beijing mountain area are a major ecological barrier of Beijing.Forest cover protection and construction,and health and stability of forest ecosystems are critically important to the ecological security of Beijing.This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the restoration of degraded vegetation,protection of natural vegetation,and construction and management of shelter forests.Based on the dominant species of the shelter forest in the Beijing mountain area,26 representative natural forest plots were established across 13 natural reserves or forest management areas in 7 counties of the Beijing mountain area.To reveal the distribution pattern of arbor species in the area and explore how environmental factors influence the distribution pattern,Detrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis(DCCA) was used to analyze the relationships between the distribution of dominant arbors and 14 environmental factors.Environmental factors tested included soil infiltration rates(IR),pH value(pH),alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen(AN),available phosphorus(AP),available potassium(AK),organic matter(OM),total nitrogen(TN),total phosphorus(TP),total potassium(TK),elevation(ELE),slope(SLO),aspect(ASP),thickness of soil(TOS),and soil water content(SWC).Twenty six sample plots were divided into 5 communities: Pinus tabulaeformis(I),Platycladus orientalis(Ⅱ),Quercus(Ⅲ),Populus-Betula(IV) and Larix principis-rupprechtii(V) according to the dominant arbor species in the area and their importance values.Analysis of environmental factors revealed that elevation was significantly positively correlated with OM(0.6),AN(0.683),SWC(0.598)(P0.001),TN(0.556)(P0.01),TOS(0.477) and AK(0.419)(P0.05),and negatively correlated with TK(-0.423)(P0.05).Results of DCCA ordination showed that elevation was dominant among the 14 environmental factors that affected community distribution.The first DCCA axis accounted for the largest fraction of the variation and showed gradients of elevation,soil water content and organic matter.Along the first axis,community distribution ranged from broad-leaved forest to coniferous forest.The second DCCA axis showed variation due to slope and aspect.On the whole,the five types of communities coincided with the distribution of DCCA ordination diagram demonstrating the importance of environmental gradients in shaping community distribution.From the left of the first DCCA axis community types were Ⅳ,Ⅴ,Ⅰ,Ⅱ,whereas community type Ⅲ was widely distributed along the elevation gradient.The DCCA ordination of main arbor species with importance values ≥15 displayed two distribution patterns.First,an arbor species was dominant or subdominant in a community and rarely emerged in other communities,the arbor species similarly distributed in the community.Second,an arbor species was dominant or subdominant in many communities,the arbor species distributed among these communities.Furthermore,the influence of environmental factors was quantitatively assessed.Fourteen environmental factors were divided into topographic and soil factors,and the effects of environmental factors on community distribution were quantified.The results indicated that together,the tested factors could explain 43.19% of the distribution.Within that,topographic factors accounted for 20.36% of the variation,soil factors for 11.9%,and topographic-soil-factor interaction for 10.39%.Other,undetermined,factors accounted for an additional 56.81% of the variation.

Delineation of Management Zones for Southern Root-Knot Nematode using Fuzzy Clustering of Terrain and Edaphic Field Characteristics

Management zones (MZs) for southern root-knot nematode (RKN) from the integration of terrain (TR) and edaphic (ED) field features might facilitate variable rate nematicide applications. This study was conducted on 11 coastal plain fields in the USA. The relationships between RKN populations and five soil ED and TR attributes (apparent soil electrical conductivity [shallow (ECa-s) and deep (ECa-d)], elevation (EL), slope (SL), and changes in bare soil reflectance) were analyzed using canonical correlation. Using two ED and TR data sets, canonical predictors were used for zone delineation. Although the results showed that the zones with RKN population above the RKN field average were associated with the lowest values of ECa-s, ECa-d, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and SL with respect to field average values, zone segregation was enough using ECa-s and ECa-d data. The results suggest the potential for using soil properties to identify RKN risk zones.

Development and validation of fuzzy logic inference to determine optimum rates of N for corn on the basis of field and crop features

A fuzzy inference system (FIS) was developed to generate recommendations for spatially variable applications of N fertilizer. Key soil and plant properties were identified based on experiments with rates ranging from 0 to 250 kg N ha -1 conducted over three seasons (2005, 2006 and 2007) on fields with contrasting apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa), elevation (ELE) and slope (SLP) features. Mid-season growth was assessed from remotely sensed imagery at 1-m 2 resolution. Optimization of N rate by the FIS was defined against maximum corn growth in the weeks following in-season N application. The best mid-season growth was in areas of low ECa, high ELE and low SLP. Under favourable soil conditions, maximum mid-season growth was obtained with low in-season N. Responses to N fertilizer application were better where soil conditions were naturally unfavourable to growth. The N sufficiency index (NSI) was used to judge plant N status just prior to in-season N application. Expert knowledge was formalized as a set of rules involving ECa, ELE, SLP and NSI levels to deliver economically optimal N rates (EONRs). The resulting FIS was tested on an independent set of data (2008). A simulation revealed that using the FIS would have led to an average N saving of 41 kg N ha -1 compared to the recommended uniform rate of 170 kg N ha -1 , without a loss of yield. The FIS therefore appears to be useful for incorporating expert knowledge into spatially variable N recommendations.

Cost effectiveness of multi detector ct angiography of the coronary arteries for the diagnosis of suspected non-st eleva tion acute coronary syndrome (nste-acs) in the emergency department. mathematical analysis with a decision model

The purpose of our study is to model cost-effectiveness of MDCTA for the diagnosis of NSTE-ACS with initially negative enzymes, in the emergency department. In Belgium, the use of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCTA) is probably cost-effective in the diagnosis of NSTE-ACS in the acute setting A decision tree model was developed and a mathematical study was performed that included two hypothetical strategies: MDCTA and admission with classic clinical follow-up and treatment. Cost-effectiveness for the Belgian situation was simulated with sensitivity analysis using known values for diagnostic performance and known costs for the different strategies or components of strategies.

On the SIR of a cellular infrared optical wireless system for an aircraft

In this paper, first, path loss models are developed for infrared optical wireless transmission inside an aircraft cabin. Second, a cellular network in the aircraft is considered and signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) maps are determined via simulation. For this purpose, a Monte Carlo ray-tracing (MCRT) simulation is performed in a geometric computer-aided design (CAD) cabin model with defined position, azimuth (AZ), elevation (EL) and field of view (FOV) properties of transmitters and receivers. Mathematical models are developed for line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) path losses along particular paths, including estimation of the path loss exponent and the shadowing component. The shadowing is modeled according to a log-normal distribution with zero mean and standard deviation sigma. The validity of this model is confirmed in the paper. It is shown that irradiance distribution under LOS conditions experiences an attenuation with a path loss exponent of 1.92 and a shadowing standard deviation of 0.81 dB. In NLOS conditions, however, the path loss exponent varies, depending on the nature of the NLOS cases considered. The presented NLOS scenarios yield path loss exponent values of 2.26 and 1.28, and shadowing standard deviation values of 1.27 dB and 0.7 dB, respectively. Finally, the cabin is divided into cells and SIR maps are presented for different frequency reuse factors. It is shown that at the edges of the circular cells with diameter of 2.8 m, a SIR of -5.5 dB is achieved in a horizontal cross section of the cabin for frequency reuse of 1, and -2 dB and 3 dB for frequency reuse factors of 2 and 3, respectively. This means that in an aircraft cabin, for reuse factors less than three, viable communication at the cell edges is not feasible without additional interference avoidance or interference mitigation techniques.

Meteorological Estimations for selected stations in the North of Iraq

In this research , the meteorological phenomenons ( the rainfall , monthly evaporation , min. & max. temperature , wind velocity and the percentage humidity ) for the following stations (Mosul , Sinjar , Rabeaa , Telafer , Erbil and Salahaldin ) in the north of Iraq were studied using simple correlation between stations . The result of analysis indicated a good correlation in some stations . Also multiple correlation have been applied to study the effect of elevation (E.L.) of station above m.s.l. and a displacement (D), distance from a reference point , (which are Mosul and Telafer ) . Analytical relations were derived for these stations to estimate the missing data and to generalize it for the north part of the country . For simplicity, contour maps were drawn for these three variables E.L. , D, and the value of phenomena is drawn . Key word : climatic phenomenons , M.S.L. & displacement , contour maps .

Biophysical and anthropogenic controls of forest fires in the Deccan Plateau, India

Forest fires constitute one of the most serious environmental problems in several forested regions of India. In the Indian sub-continent, relatively few studies have focused on the assessment of biophysical and anthropogenic controls of forest fires at a landscape scale and the spatial aspects of these relationships. In this study, we used fire count data sets from satellite remote sensing data covering 78 districts over four different states of the Deccan Plateau, India, for assessing the underlying causes of fires. Spatial data for explanatory variables of fires pertaining to topography, vegetation, climate, anthropogenic and accessibility factors have been gathered corresponding with fire presence/absence. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the probability of the presence of fires as a function of the explanatory variables. Results for fire area estimates suggested that, of the total fires covering 47,043km 2 that occurred during the year 2000 for the entire Indian region, 29.0% occurred in the Deccan Plateau, with Andhra Pradesh having 13.5%, Karnataka 14.7%, Kerala 0.1%, and Tamilnadu 1.15%. Results from the logistic regression suggest that the strongest influences on the fire occurrences were the amount of forest area, biomass densities, rural population density (PD), average precipitation of the warmest quarter, elevation (ELE) and mean annual temperature (MAT). Among these variables, biomass density (BD) and average precipitation of the warmest quarter had the highest significance, followed by others. These results on the best predictors of forest fires can be used both as a strategic planning tool to address broad scale fire risk concerns, and also as a tactical guide to help forest managers to design fire mitigation measures at the district level.

Russia's Project 2008: Reforming the Military and Preparing a Coup

war that, since 2004, has spread into the North Caucasus. The extension of this war places the entire region of the North Caucasus at risk for an unending, long-term terrorist insurgency. This threat can no longer be ignored; indeed, it places the integrity and stability of the Russian Federa tion at risk. Therefore, the conflict now receives overwhelming governmental, media, and mili tary attention, right up to President Vladimir Putin, who traveled to Dagestan and the Caspi an coast in mid-2005. Indeed, close examination of developments in reforming the force structure of Russia's multiple armed forces since 2002-2003-when practical application of such reforms began, along with a change in threat assessment that led to a new emphasis on terror ism and insurgency-indicates Chechnya's impact on those changes in force structure.1 The second, perhaps even more portentous threat, is the succession to Putin. The Russian constitution prohibits Putin from succeeding himself after his term ends in This con stitutional obstacle presents Russia's elite with a very difficult problem. The various means by which they hope to overcome this obstacle have been called Project 2008. Succession, that is, the transfer of power and especially the transfer of power by wholly legitimate democratic means, is a primary weakness of Russia's polit ical system.2 Every succession since 1991 has been the result of violence or electoral fraud, if not both.3 The recurrence of these phenomena is one of the most important indicators that Russia's elite refuses to be bound by any sys tem of laws or of legal-political institutions. Consequently, democratic institutions that can ensure the legitimacy of a succession-or even of a government in power-have atrophied, and Russia's political history is characterized by one-man rule and constant struggles among the elite over his support.4 Western diplomats, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, have publicly expressed a preference that Putin observe the terms of the constitution and not succeed himself in 2008.5 Obviously, if he were to attempt such a coup or stage one similar to the coup that led to his ele vation, he would set off a constitutional crisis, and a phony election could trigger both an exter nal and internal campaign to unseat him. Clear ly, the prospect of another color revolution similar to those in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyr gyzstan terrifies the Kremlin's current masters. They have good reason for fearing such a denouement. Putin's underlings actually cele brate that they have smashed all institutions and bureaucratic veto groups as well as any hope of autonomous political action from the Duma. Igor Bunin, director general of the Cen ter for Political Technologies, stated that Putin's reforms have aimed to convert the entire state system into a monocentric adminis tration in which he and his entourage have all the power. In such a system, conflicts within the bureaucracy are supposedly absent because it is vertically integrated. Hence, the govern ment becomes a technical instrument rather than a policy initiator, a position reserved for Putin and his entourage in the presidential chancellery.6 Putin, his chancellery, and their media spokesmen evidently believe they have achieved a result that has eluded Russian rulers since Nicholas I, namely officialdom's recurrent dream of a perfectly integrated vertical hierar chy that functions strictly as a machine. Because this machine supposedly incarnated the tsar's position as superseding all factional, partial, and sectoral interests, it was wholly depoliticized. Stephen Blank is a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Army War College. His research focuses on contempo rary strategy and defense and foreign policy in the Common wealth of Independent States. Copyright @ 2006 American Peace Society

Raynaud's Phenomenon and the Possible Use of Foods

ABSTRACT: In this article we focus on the possible use of foods to alleviate Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP). RP isevoked, pr edominately, by cold and r esults in a potent v ascular constr iction of the micr ovascular blood v essels inthe hands , thus leading to r educed hand blood flo w and the elev ation of pain sensation. To alleviate RP b y diet, foodcomponents need to be able to pr omote hand skin blood flo w, which may be achiev ed using fish oil, garlic, ginkgobiloba, L-carnitine, or inositol nicotinate, or to increase hand skin temperature, using evening primrose oil, ginkgobiloba, or inositol nicotinate. Although there are a number of studies documenting such improvements with theseingredients, they often are poorly designed. Hence, there is a need for more controlled studies to substantiate theiruse, but also to test alternative foods or target new ones. Therefore, we also discuss some alternate food options andbriefly outline clinical dr ugs for the tr eatment of RP , as their mechanisms of action may also be possible tar gets forfood. It is the intention of this article to address the research needs of this field and to provide a better understandingof alternative options for those with RP.Keywords: Raynaud’s, vascular constriction, dietary intervention, nutraceutical, functional foods

Fine-resolution mapping of soil organic carbon based on multivariate secondary data

Our objective was to quantify the improvement in fine-resolution maps of soil organic carbon stock (CS, Mg C ha − 1 ) resulting from utilizing multivariate sources of secondary information. Different geostatistical techniques for mapping CS in the top 0.3 m of soil with or without secondary information were assessed in three large no-till fields (49 to 65 ha) in Nebraska, which were sampled at a density of 3.9 to 4.2 samples ha − 1 . Geostatistical methods evaluated were ordinary kriging (OK), co-kriging (COK), kriging with external drift (KED), and regression kriging (RK). Ancillary variables assumed to provide indirect information on spatial patterns of CS included maps of soil series, surface reflectance derived from satellite images (REF), relative elevation (EL), and soil electrical conductivity (EC). Root mean square error (RMSE) of CS predicted by OK ranged from 10.8 to 12.5 Mg C ha − 1 for the three sites. Methods that utilized secondary information reduced the RMSE by 5% to 38% compared to OK. Relative improvements in map accuracy were highest (16% to 38%) in multivariate regression kriging approaches, which also performed better than COK, KED, or RK methods that utilized only one ancillary variable. The relative gain from incorporating secondary information increased with decreasing sampling density. Reducing sampling intensity of CS to one half of the original samples increased the bias and RMSE of maps of CS produced by OK, whereas no or only little loss of map accuracy occurred in RK. Among the hybrid methods tested, RK performed best in terms of consistently increasing map accuracy and flexible modeling of the multivariate relationships between CS and secondary information. Among the ancillary variables, EC was most useful for CS mapping. Terrain attributes had limited value at the three study sites, while the value of REF depended on the surface conditions at the time of image acquisition. To reduce uncertainties, we recommend using independently measured, multivariate secondary information in RK approaches for mapping of soil organic carbon.

Mountains as an Existential Resource, Expression in Religion, Environment and Culture

The 80 years of human encounter with Everest is a short period in the history of mankind. The Himalayas are 1500 miles long and if laid flat stretch from the east coast of the US to Texas. In this vast mountain range, Mt. Everest also known as Chomol ungma (Mother Goddess of the World), Sagarmatha, and Peak XV until 1856, borders Tibet and Nepal at a staggering eleva tion of 8848 m. Everest is so high it pierces the jet stream of the cruising altitude of most airplanes. The mountain has four faces (south, north, east, and west) and over 14 different routes. To date, almost 300 expeditions have attempted to climb it via all 14 routes, some in more ingenious ways than others. The success rate being approximately 35%. Clinton Dent first raised the issue of climbing Everest in 1885 but it was an American woman Miss Meta Breevort who was the first to dream of climbing the mountain in 1876. Early expedi tions began in Darjeeling, a town known for its tea and tucked away on the Indo-Nepalese border with magnificent views of Mt. Kanchenjunga and a small one of Everest some 100 miles away.

Paciente de 71 años con dolor óseo: a propósito de un caso

Case about a 71 years old patient consulting for mechanical left hip pain of one month evolution. We ask for a pelvis X-ray because there is a diffu culty for adduction in the phisical exploration. This is written by the radiologist like diffuse eleva tion of the bone suggesting Paget disease. The change of the pain to inflamatory induces us to investigate further and think about differe n t i a l diagnosis. We got in the blood test normocro m i c normocitic anemia, ESR elevation, AF elevation and a high SPA. The bone gammagraphy shows bo ne methastasis. With this case we want to show the import a n c e of describing radiology findings without giving diagnostics and in the other hand go through the differential diagnosis of the bone pain.