Settlement-Size Scaling among Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherer Settlement Systems in the New World

PubMed Central

Haas, W. Randall; Klink, Cynthia J.; Maggard, Greg J.; Aldenderfer, Mark S.

2015-01-01

Settlement size predicts extreme variation in the rates and magnitudes of many social and ecological processes in human societies. Yet, the factors that drive human settlement-size variation remain poorly understood. Size variation among economically integrated settlements tends to be heavy tailed such that the smallest settlements are extremely common and the largest settlements extremely large and rare. The upper tail of this size distribution is often formalized mathematically as a power-law function. Explanations for this scaling structure in human settlement systems tend to emphasize complex socioeconomic processes including agriculture, manufacturing, and warfare—behaviors that tend to differentially nucleate and disperse populations hierarchically among settlements. But, the degree to which heavy-tailed settlement-size variation requires such complex behaviors remains unclear. By examining the settlement patterns of eight prehistoric New World hunter-gatherer settlement systems spanning three distinct environmental contexts, this analysis explores the degree to which heavy-tailed settlement-size scaling depends on the aforementioned socioeconomic complexities. Surprisingly, the analysis finds that power-law models offer plausible and parsimonious statistical descriptions of prehistoric hunter-gatherer settlement-size variation. This finding reveals that incipient forms of hierarchical settlement structure may have preceded socioeconomic complexity in human societies and points to a need for additional research to explicate how mobile foragers came to exhibit settlement patterns that are more commonly associated with hierarchical organization. We propose that hunter-gatherer mobility with preferential attachment to previously occupied locations may account for the observed structure in site-size variation. PMID:26536241

The Noblest of Thoughts: Literature and American History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Betty; Levy, Tedd

Drawing on the literary heritage of New England, this collection of articles highlights the works of six different authors spanning the early English settlements to the post-Civil War period. Originally presented at six seminars for teachers and designed to feature humanities in Connecticut schools, the articles and their authors are as follows:…

Human exploration and settlement of Mars - The roles of humans and robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, Michael B.

1991-01-01

The scientific objectives and strategies for human settlement on Mars are examined in the context of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). An integrated strategy for humans and robots in the exploration and settlement of Mars is examined. Such an effort would feature robotic, telerobotic, and human-supervised robotic phases.

Dynamic Landscapes and Sea Level Change in Human Evolution and Dispersal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, G. C.; Devès, M. H.; Bailey, G.; Inglis, R.; Williams, M.

2012-12-01

Archaeological studies of human settlement in its wider landscape setting usually focus on climate change as the principal environmental driver of change in the physical features of the landscape, even on the long time scales of early human evolution. We emphasize that landscapes evolve dynamically due to an interplay of processes occurring over different timescales. Tectonic deformation, volcanism, sea level changes, by acting on the topography, the lithology and on the patterns of erosion-deposition in a given area, can moderate or amplify the influence of climate at the regional and local scale. These processes impose or alleviate physical barriers to movement, and modify the distribution and accessibility of plant and animal resources in ways critical to human ecological and evolutionary success (King and Bailey, JHE 2006; Bailey and King, Antiquity 2011). The DISPERSE project, an ERC-funded collaboration between the University of York and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris,are developing systematic methods for reconstructing landscapes associated with active tectonics, volcanism and sea level change at a variety of scales in order to study their potential impact on patterns of human evolution and dispersal. These approaches use remote sensing techniques combined with archaeological and tectonic field surveys on land and underwater. Examples are shown from Europe, the Middle East and Africa to illustrate the ways in which changes of significance to human settlement can occur at a range of geographical scales and on time scales that range from lifetimes to tens of millennia, creating and sustaining attractive conditions for human settlement and exercising powerful selective pressures on human development.

Early evidence of Acheulean settlement in northwestern Europe--la Noira site, a 700,000 year-old occupation in the center of France.

PubMed

Moncel, Marie-Hélène; Despriée, Jackie; Voinchet, Pierre; Tissoux, Hélène; Moreno, Davinia; Bahain, Jean-Jacques; Courcimault, Gilles; Falguères, Christophe

2013-01-01

The human settlement of Europe during Pleistocene times was sporadic and several stages have been recognized, both from paleaoanthropological and archaeological records. If the first phase of hominin occupation (as early as 1.4 Ma) seems mainly restricted to the southern part of the continent, the second phase, characterized by specific lithic tools (handaxes), is linked to Acheulean settlements and to the emergence of Homo heidelbergensis, the ancestor of Neanderthals. This phase reached northwestern Europe and is documented in numerous sites in Germany, Great Britain and northern France, generally after 600 ka. At la Noira (Brinay, Central France), the Middle Pleistocene alluvial formation of the Cher River covers an archaeological level associated with a slope deposit (diamicton). The lithic assemblage from this level includes Large Cutting Tools (LCTs), flakes and cores, associated with numerous millstone slabs. The lithic series is classified as Acheulean on the basis of both technological and typological analyses. Cryoturbation features indicate that the slope deposits and associated archaeological level were strongly frozen and disturbed after hominin occupation and before fluvial deposition. Eight sediment samples were dated by the electron spin resonance (ESR) method and the weighted average age obtained for the fluvial sands overlying the slope deposits is 665±55 ka. This age is older than previous chronological data placing the first European Acheulean assemblages north of 45(th) parallel north at around 500 ka and modifies our current vision of the initial peopling of northern Europe. Acheulean settlements are older than previously assumed and the oldest evidences are not only located in southern Europe. La Noira is the oldest evidence of Acheulean presence in north-western Europe and attests to the possibility of pioneering phases of Acheulean settlement which would have taken place on a Mode 1-type substratum as early as 700 ka. The lithic assemblage from la Noira thus provides behavioral and technological data on early Acheulean occupation in Europe and contributes to our understanding of the diffusion of this tradition.

Early Evidence of Acheulean Settlement in Northwestern Europe - La Noira Site, a 700 000 Year-Old Occupation in the Center of France

PubMed Central

Moncel, Marie-Hélène; Despriée, Jackie; Voinchet, Pierre; Tissoux, Hélène; Moreno, Davinia; Bahain, Jean-Jacques; Courcimault, Gilles; Falguères, Christophe

2013-01-01

The human settlement of Europe during Pleistocene times was sporadic and several stages have been recognized, both from paleaoanthropological and archaeological records. If the first phase of hominin occupation (as early as 1.4 Ma) seems mainly restricted to the southern part of the continent, the second phase, characterized by specific lithic tools (handaxes), is linked to Acheulean settlements and to the emergence of Homo heidelbergensis, the ancestor of Neanderthals. This phase reached northwestern Europe and is documented in numerous sites in Germany, Great Britain and northern France, generally after 600 ka. At la Noira (Brinay, Central France), the Middle Pleistocene alluvial formation of the Cher River covers an archaeological level associated with a slope deposit (diamicton). The lithic assemblage from this level includes Large Cutting Tools (LCTs), flakes and cores, associated with numerous millstone slabs. The lithic series is classified as Acheulean on the basis of both technological and typological analyses. Cryoturbation features indicate that the slope deposits and associated archaeological level were strongly frozen and disturbed after hominin occupation and before fluvial deposition. Eight sediment samples were dated by the electron spin resonance (ESR) method and the weighted average age obtained for the fluvial sands overlying the slope deposits is 665±55 ka. This age is older than previous chronological data placing the first European Acheulean assemblages north of 45th parallel north at around 500 ka and modifies our current vision of the initial peopling of northern Europe. Acheulean settlements are older than previously assumed and the oldest evidences are not only located in southern Europe. La Noira is the oldest evidence of Acheulean presence in north-western Europe and attests to the possibility of pioneering phases of Acheulean settlement which would have taken place on a Mode 1-type substratum as early as 700 ka. The lithic assemblage from la Noira thus provides behavioral and technological data on early Acheulean occupation in Europe and contributes to our understanding of the diffusion of this tradition. PMID:24278105

Biotic and abiotic effects of human settlements in the wildland-urban interface

Treesearch

Avi Bar-Massada; Volker C. Radeloff; Susan I. Stewart

2014-01-01

The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the area in which human settlements adjoin or intermix with ecosystems. Although research on the WUI has been focused on wildfire risk to settlements, we argue here that there is a need to quantify the extent of areas in which human settlements interact with adjoining ecosystems, regardless of their ability to support fire spread....

The Forest as a Resource: From Prehistory to History in the Arkansas Ozarks

Treesearch

George Sabo; Jami Joe Lockhart; Jerry E. Hilliard

2004-01-01

Study of past human land use in the Lee Creek Unit of the Ozark National Forest challenges the existence of "pristine" forests predating the arrival of historic Americans. The distribution of early nineteenth century American settlements corresponds closely to the distribution of late prehistoric Native American archeological sites. One explanation for this...

The Human Settlements Authority Act, 1988 (No. 2 of 1988), 4 June 1986.

PubMed

1988-01-01

This Act establishes in Swaziland the Human Settlements Authority, whose members are appointed by the Minister responsible for human settlements. The Authority shall "1) assist the Government in formulating policy relating to human settlements and uphold and give effect to such policy; 2) ensure the orderly development of existing and future urban and rural settlements; 3) establish a finance mechanism for ensuring the supply and maintenance of improved shelter and infrastructure throughout Swaziland, which shall include a system of revenue recovery; 4) prepare appropriate standards for the provision of land, shelter and infrastructure by both private and public developers; 5) regulate real estate transactions including the standardization of lease agreements, rent control and sale of land and buildings; 6) encourage and support research in appropriate methods of providing affordable shelter and infrastructure; and 7) perform all other acts or things as are required by this Act." Under the Act, no person shall establish a human settlement, housing scheme, or private housing scheme without the written permission of the Authority. Further provisions of the Act deal with the membership and meetings of the Authority, the granting of permission for human settlements, and human settlement development plans, among other things. On 4 June 1986, the Government of Swaziland also enacted the National Housing Board Act, 1988 (No. 3 of 1988). This Act establishes a National Housing Board, subject to the provisions of the Human Settlements Act, 1988, to "provide affordable housing generally in Swaziland and take over such housing schemes as the Government may determine." Further provisions of the Act deal with the functions, membership, finances, staffing, assets, and administration of the Board. See Swaziland Government Gazette, Extraordinary, Vol. 26, No. 581, 2 March 1988, pp. S6-S11. full text

Density-dependent coral recruitment displays divergent responses during distinct early life-history stages

PubMed Central

Evensen, Nicolas R.; Gómez-Lemos, Luis A.; Babcock, Russell C.

2017-01-01

Population growth involves demographic bottlenecks that regulate recruitment success during various early life-history stages. The success of each early life-history stage can vary in response to population density, interacting with intrinsic (e.g. behavioural) and environmental (e.g. competition, predation) factors. Here, we used the common reef-building coral Acropora millepora to investigate how density-dependence influences larval survival and settlement in laboratory experiments that isolated intrinsic effects, and post-settlement survival in a field experiment that examined interactions with environmental factors. Larval survival was exceptionally high (greater than 80%) and density-independent from 2.5 to 12 days following spawning. By contrast, there was a weak positive effect of larval density on settlement, driven by gregarious behaviour at the highest density. When larval supply was saturated, settlement was three times higher in crevices compared with exposed microhabitats, but a negative relationship between settler density and post-settlement survival in crevices and density-independent survival on exposed surfaces resulted in similar recruit densities just one month following settlement. Moreover, a negative relationship was found between turf algae and settler survival in crevices, whereas gregarious settlement improved settler survival on exposed surfaces. Overall, our findings reveal divergent responses by coral larvae and newly settled recruits to density-dependent regulation, mediated by intrinsic and environmental interactions. PMID:28573015

Marie Russo: An Oral History of the Italian Settlement House

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beard, Kathryn H.

2010-01-01

The Settlement House Movement in the United States was a response by progressive reformers to meet the needs of urban poor and immigrant families in the early years of the 20th century. Some settlements were outreach services of churches. There are limited accounts of the experiences of the individuals who used the settlement houses. This study…

A goal and strategy for human exploration of the moon and Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pivirotto, Donna Shirley

1990-01-01

Eventual settlement of the solar system, beginning with the moon and Mars, is proposed, and a strategy for the exploration of and initial settlement of the moon and Mars, based on the model of European settlement of the Americas, is discussed. Strategies suggest an allocation of functions between humans and telerobots to conduct the exploration and initial settlement.

Study on Activation Mechanism and Sustainable Development of Rural Human Settlements Based on Landscape Construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Sui; Lin, Lin; Chaoyang, Sun

2018-06-01

The quality of rural human settlement environment is directly related to the quality of urban human settlements, which is a big problem in the development of China's social economy. In the special period of social transformation and the key stage of building a well-off society comprehensively, it is of great practical significance to pay attention to the optimization of rural human settlement environment. China is in the transition from traditional rural landscape to modern rural landscape. However, how to realize the smooth transformation and the sustainable development of rural landscape is urgent and tough issues.

Continuity versus discontinuity of the human settlement of Europe between the late Early Pleistocene and the early Middle Pleistocene. The mandibular evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bermúdez de Castro, José María; Martinón-Torres, María; Rosell, Jordi; Blasco, Ruth; Arsuaga, Juan Luís; Carbonell, Eudald

2016-12-01

One of the most interesting aspects of the settlement of Europe is the possible continuity or discontinuity of the populations living in this continent during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. In this paper we present an analysis of the mandibular fossil record from four important Pleistocene European sites, Gran Dolina-TD6-2 (Sierra de Atapuerca), Mauer, Arago, and Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos. We focus this study in the recognition of key derived mandibular features that may be useful to assess the relationship among the populations represented at these sites. In order to make an approach to the ecological scenario, we also present a short review and discussion of the archaeological and paleoenvironmental evidences at that time. Our results suggest that probably there was a demographic discontinuity between the late Early Pleistocene populations (MIS 21-MIS 19), and those dated to the MIS 15. Hybridization between residents and new settlers cannot be discarded. However, some features of the Gran Dolina-TD6 hominins point to some relationship between the population represented in this site (probably dated to the MIS 21) and the European Middle Pleistocene and early Late Pleistocene populations. A hypothetical scenario is presented in order to understand this apparent contradiction with the model of discontinuity.

Evidence of genocide 7000 BP--Neolithic paradigm and geo-climatic reality.

PubMed

Teschler-Nicola, M; Gerold, F; Bujatti-Narbeshuber, M; Prohaska, T; Latkoczy, C; Stingeder, G; Watkins, M

1999-12-01

The early Neolithic fortified settlement of Schletz, Lower Austria is emerging as one of the most interesting sites of Linear Pottery culture excavation in Austria. In the course of systematic investigations carried out since 1983, a plethora of unexpected results have been obtained. Specifically, the human skeletal remains of 67 individuals have been found at the base of an oval trench system. Without exception, these remains are characterized by multiple traumatic lesions as well as carnivore gnaw marks. Demographic analysis presents the picture of the entire population of this early farming settlement having been extinguished. Further, the findings suggest that a genocide scenario may have been responsible for the final demise of this settlement. The age and sex distribution reveals a lack of young females, who are interpreted as having been abducted by aggressors. There is however no direct skeletal evidence of aggressors at the site; in fact, the uniformity of Strontium isotope ratios (HR-ICP-MS analysis) implies that all 67 individuals, who were left unburied for months, were indigenous. Supporting evidence of increased levels of inter-human aggression--possibly caused by a broad wave of migration--comes from other contemporary end linear pottery sites in Germany. Such findings are here discussed in the context of a dramatic geological event in the region of the Black Sea shelf at this time (7.550 BP), which led to the submergence of some 100.000 square kilometers of fertile land, and which might have been responsible for subsequent gradual population movements into the interior of Europe.

76 FR 41795 - Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-15

...; Robert M. Chipman. 20110936 G 2003 TIL Settlement; LPF Atlanta LLC; 2003 TIL Settlement. 20110937 G.../2011 20110867 G Ebro Food S.A.; SOS Corporacion Alementaria, S.A.; Ebro Food S.A. 20110918 G 2003 TIL Settlement; Thoma Cressey Fund VIII, L.P.; 2003 TIL Settlement. 20110942 G Wells Fargo & Company; Castle...

Wyoming's Early Settlement and Ethnic Groups, Unit IV.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Terry

This unit on Wyoming's early settlement and ethnic groups provides concepts, activities, stories, charts, and graphs for elementary school students. Concepts include the attraction Wyoming held for trappers; the major social, economic, and religious event called "The Rendezvous"; the different ethnic and religious groups that presently…

A study of a possible early reindeer domestication site on the Iamal peninsula (Russia) using geoarchaeological methods and lipid biomarkers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrault, Loic; Milek, Karen; Dawson, Lorna; Anderson, David

2016-04-01

In past centuries, indigenous hunters in Northern Eurasia shifted from being hunters to being herders of reindeer. Even at low human population densities, large reindeer herds can alter the landscape and leave long-term biochemical signatures in the soil. Although indigenous social-ecological systems have been thought to be resilient in space and time, most are considered to be at risk due to climate and socio-economic changes related to anthropogenic activities. This situation calls for a long-term perspective to place human-animal relations in their respective contexts. As an ancient livelihood still practiced across vast areas of Northern Eurasia, reindeer herding is a nexus for feedbacks between humans, animals and environment. The Iarte site, on the Iuribei River in the central part of the Iamal peninsula is thought to be an important site of reindeer domestication dating back to the 12th century due to the enormous quantities of butchered reindeer bones found in recent excavations. The large amount of buried reindeer bones found at the settlement suggests that herds should have stood near the site despite the lack of any architectural remains of corrals or pens. The history of a possible early relation to domesticate reindeer can be described with geoarchaeological methods, including lipid biomarkers, which can indicate the presence of past human and animal activities. Among lipid biomarkers, faecal markers such as stanols and bile acids have already been used in archaeological contexts to identify and distinguish between different species because they are persistent over time and can have a species specific profile. Near the Iarte settlement, we conducted a soil survey and sampling programme and combined geoarchaeological measurements (including electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility and elemental analysis) with lipid analysis of soil samples, to identify the potential presence of standing reindeer herds. The different soil layers have been investigated to link these activities with past cultural layers. The first results from the lipid analysis show the presence of faecal material in three buried soil horizons. The chemical profiles of these samples differ with their locations: i) the sample located very close to the human settlement has a human profile while, ii) the two samples located farther from the settlements have an animal profile. Apart reindeer, this area contains few other animals and especially no others which congregate together in large numbers, therefore the animal faecal material found could come from reindeer. These results suggest that reindeer were present near this human archaeological site, which confirms the hypothesis of past herding activity. The next stage of this research is to integrate these results with other biomarkers and geoarchaeological methods. This study shows the potential of lipid biomarkers preserved in soils to better understand past human-animal interactions.

Cultural innovation and megafauna interaction in the early settlement of arid Australia.

PubMed

Hamm, Giles; Mitchell, Peter; Arnold, Lee J; Prideaux, Gavin J; Questiaux, Daniele; Spooner, Nigel A; Levchenko, Vladimir A; Foley, Elizabeth C; Worthy, Trevor H; Stephenson, Birgitta; Coulthard, Vincent; Coulthard, Clifford; Wilton, Sophia; Johnston, Duncan

2016-11-10

Elucidating the material culture of early people in arid Australia and the nature of their environmental interactions is essential for understanding the adaptability of populations and the potential causes of megafaunal extinctions 50-40 thousand years ago (ka). Humans colonized the continent by 50 ka, but an apparent lack of cultural innovations compared to people in Europe and Africa has been deemed a barrier to early settlement in the extensive arid zone. Here we present evidence from Warratyi rock shelter in the southern interior that shows that humans occupied arid Australia by around 49 ka, 10 thousand years (kyr) earlier than previously reported. The site preserves the only reliably dated, stratified evidence of extinct Australian megafauna, including the giant marsupial Diprotodon optatum, alongside artefacts more than 46 kyr old. We also report on the earliest-known use of ochre in Australia and Southeast Asia (at or before 49-46 ka), gypsum pigment (40-33 ka), bone tools (40-38 ka), hafted tools (38-35 ka), and backed artefacts (30-24 ka), each up to 10 kyr older than any other known occurrence. Thus, our evidence shows that people not only settled in the arid interior within a few millennia of entering the continent, but also developed key technologies much earlier than previously recorded for Australia and Southeast Asia.

Characteristics of Settling Coral Reef Fish Are Related to Recruitment Timing and Success

PubMed Central

Rankin, Tauna L.; Sponaugle, Su

2014-01-01

Many marine populations exhibit high variability in the recruitment of young into the population. While environmental cycles and oceanography explain some patterns of replenishment, the role of other growth-related processes in influencing settlement and recruitment is less clear. Examination of a 65-mo. time series of recruitment of a common coral reef fish, Stegastes partitus, to the reefs of the upper Florida Keys revealed that during peak recruitment months, settlement stage larvae arriving during dark lunar phases grew faster as larvae and were larger at settlement compared to those settling during the light lunar phases. However, the strength and direction of early trait-mediated selective mortality also varied by settlement lunar phase such that the early life history traits of 2–4 week old recruit survivors that settled across the lunar cycle converged to more similar values. Similarly, within peak settlement periods, early life history traits of settling larvae and selective mortality of recruits varied by the magnitude of the settlement event: larvae settling in larger events had longer PLDs and consequently were larger at settlement than those settling in smaller pulses. Traits also varied by recruitment habitat: recruits surviving in live coral habitat (vs rubble) or areas with higher densities of adult conspecifics were those that were larger at settlement. Reef habitats, especially those with high densities of territorial conspecifics, are more challenging habitats for young fish to occupy and small settlers (due to lower larval growth and/or shorter PLDs) to these habitats have a lower chance of survival than they do in rubble habitats. Settling reef fish are not all equal and the time and location of settlement influences the likelihood that individuals will survive to contribute to the population. PMID:25250964

Middle Stone Age bedding construction and settlement patterns at Sibudu, South Africa.

PubMed

Wadley, Lyn; Sievers, Christine; Bamford, Marion; Goldberg, Paul; Berna, Francesco; Miller, Christopher

2011-12-09

The Middle Stone Age (MSA) is associated with early behavioral innovations, expansions of modern humans within and out of Africa, and occasional population bottlenecks. Several innovations in the MSA are seen in an archaeological sequence in the rock shelter Sibudu (South Africa). At ~77,000 years ago, people constructed plant bedding from sedges and other monocotyledons topped with aromatic leaves containing insecticidal and larvicidal chemicals. Beginning at ~73,000 years ago, bedding was burned, presumably for site maintenance. By ~58,000 years ago, bedding construction, burning, and other forms of site use and maintenance intensified, suggesting that settlement strategies changed. Behavioral differences between ~77,000 and 58,000 years ago may coincide with population fluctuations in Africa.

Historical perspective on the moon base: the British experience

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, E.M.; Finney, B.R.

Among the many historical episodes that have relevance to the establishment of a human base, the voyages of Captain Cook, and the founding of Britain's Botany Bay colony in Australia seems particularly appropriate. The process resulting in the selection of Cook rewards study, as do his relations with the Admiralty, with the scientific establishment and with the scientists who accompanies him. Britain's tight control of the Botany Bay settlement and its unwillingness to promote early self-sufficiency may have delayed the time when Australia became self-supporting. Structuring the lunar base to offer opportunities for private initiatives may hasten the day whenmore » it becomes a self-supporting settlement rather than an externally supported scientific base on an Antarctic model.« less

Wildlife of southern forests habitat & management (Chapter 30): Wildlife Recreation

Treesearch

H. Ken Cordell; John C. Bergstrom; R. Jeff Teasley; Jeremy Thomas

2003-01-01

Southern U.S. forests contribute to sustaining and adding quality to human life in many important ways. From before, during, and continuing now well after early European settlement of the South, native and immigrant populations in the South have lived in, off of and with forests as a major feature of their landscape. One of the important ways people benefit from the...

Residential expansion as a continental threat to U.S. coastal ecosystems

Treesearch

J.G. Bartlett; D.M. Mageean; R.J. O' Connor

2000-01-01

Spatially extensive analysis of satellite, climate, and census data reveals human-environment interactions of regional or continental concern in the United States. A grid-based principal components analysis of Bureau of Census variables revealed two independent demographic phenomena, a-settlement reflecting traditional human settlement patterns and p-settlement...

A comparison of high-resolution pollen-inferred climate data from central Minnesota, USA, to 19th century US military fort climate data and tree-ring inferred climate reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

St Jacques, J.; Cumming, B. F.; Sauchyn, D.; Vanstone, J. R.; Dickenson, J.; Smol, J. P.

2013-12-01

A vital component of paleoclimatology is the validation of paleoclimatological reconstructions. Unfortunately, there is scant instrumental data prior to the 20th century available for this. Hence, typically, we can only do long-term validation using other proxy-inferred climate reconstructions. Minnesota, USA, with its long military fort climate records beginning in 1820 and early dense network of climate stations, offers a rare opportunity for proxy validation. We compare a high-resolution (4-year), millennium-scale, pollen-inferred paleoclimate record derived from varved Lake Mina in central Minnesota to early military fort records and dendroclimatological records. When inferring a paleoclimate record from a pollen record, we rely upon the pollen-climate relationship being constant in time. However, massive human impacts have significantly altered vegetation; and the relationship between modern instrumental climate data and the modern pollen rain becomes altered from what it was in the past. In the Midwest, selective logging, fire suppression, deforestation and agriculture have strongly influenced the modern pollen rain since Euro-American settlement in the mid-1800s. We assess the signal distortion introduced by using the conventional method of modern post-settlement pollen and climate calibration sets to infer climate at Lake Mina from pre-settlement pollen data. Our first February and May temperature reconstructions are based on a pollen dataset contemporaneous with early settlement to which corresponding climate data from the earliest instrumental records has been added to produce a 'pre-settlement' calibration set. The second February and May temperature reconstructions are based on a conventional 'modern' pollen-climate dataset from core-top pollen samples and modern climate normals. The temperature reconstructions are then compared to the earliest instrumental records from Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and it is shown that the reconstructions based on the pre-settlement calibration set give much more credible reconstructions. We then compare the temperature reconstructions based upon the two calibration sets for AD 1116-2002. Significant signal flattening and bias exist when using the conventional modern pollen-climate calibration set rather than the pre-settlement pollen-climate calibration set, resulting in an overestimation of Little Ice Age monthly mean temperatures of 0.5-1.5 oC. Therefore, regional warming from anthropogenic global warming is significantly underestimated when using the conventional method of building pollen-climate calibration sets. We also compare the Lake Mina pollen-inferred effective moisture record to early 19th century climate data and to a four-century tree-ring inferred moisture reconstruction based upon sites in Minnesota and the Dakotas. This comparison shows that regional tree-ring reconstructions are biased towards dry conditions and record wet periods poorly relative to high-resolution pollen reconstructions, giving a false impression of regional aridity. It also suggests that varve chronologies should be based upon cross-dating to ensure a more accurate chronology.

Data on strategically located land and spatially integrated urban human settlements in South Africa.

PubMed

Musakwa, Walter

2017-12-01

In developing countries like South Africa processed geographic information systems (GIS) data on land suitability, is often not available for land use management. Data in this article is based on a published article "The strategically located land index support system for humans settlements land reform in South Africa" (Musakwa et al., 2017) [1]. This article utilities data from Musakwa et al. (2017) [1] and it goes on a step further by presenting the top 25th percentile of areas in the country that are strategically located and suited to develop spatially integrated human settlements. Furthermore the least 25th percentile of the country that are not strategically located and spatially integrated to establish human settlements are also presented. The article also presents the processed spatial datasets that where used to develop the strategically located land index as supplementary material. The data presented is meant to stir debate on spatially integrated human settlements in South Africa.

A High-Resolution Reconstruction of Late Holocene Environmental Change from Laguna Ek'Naab, Northern Holmul Region, Peten, Guatemala

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, L.; Wahl, D.; Estrada-Belli, F.

2015-12-01

Widespread demographic shifts in the southern Maya lowlands at the end of the Classic period have been attributed to environmental change caused by human activity and/or climate variability. Fire was essential to landscape modification and was a primary agent of environmental change associated with prehispanic land use. While several studies have provided insight into the dynamic relationship between natural and anthropogenic drivers of change, defining the specific interplay between natural environmental change, human modification of the environment, and cultural response to changes remains a persistent challenge. Here we present the results of a multi-proxy study that reconstructs fire history, agricultural land use, and environmental change during and after Pre-Columbian Maya settlement. Results are interpreted in the context of settlement history as inferred from archaeological mapping around the study site. Our findings suggest landscape disturbance, as indicated by erosion, local burning, and nearby maize agriculture, was at its peak during the Early Classic period. This disturbance was likely due to large-scale settlement at the nearby site of Witzna'. All proxies indicate a slow decline in disturbance into the Late Classic period, beginning around 1300 cal yr BP. Cival and Chanchich, two proximal site centers to the south of Laguna Ek'Naab, supported their largest populations during the Late Preclassic and Late Classic, with little or no settlement during the Early Classic. The data from Laguna Ek'Naab suggests that Witzna' may have been an important center during the Early Classic. Whether the decreasing environmental degradation after 1240 cal yr BP is do to a decline in local population or changing land use strategies is not discernable based on the data thus far. However, the near complete absence of burning and continued decrease in erosion from 1240-1090 cal yr BP suggests little anthropogenic activity in the area. Burning resumes in the watershed around 1090 cal yr BP and persists until all evidence for agriculture and environmental disturbance disappears at 995 cal yr BP. Permanent abandonment is inferred based on the last appearance of Zea pollen, a lack of burning, and minimal clay input into Laguna Ek'Naab. After this time, the data suggest abandonment through the present.

Biological challenges of true space settlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankins, John C.; Mankins, Willa M.; Walter, Helen

2018-05-01

"Space Settlements" - i.e., permanent human communities beyond Earth's biosphere - have been discussed within the space advocacy community since the 1970s. Now, with the end of the International Space Station (ISS) program fast approaching (planned for 2024-2025) and the advent of low cost Earth-to-orbit (ETO) transportation in the near future, the concept is coming once more into mainstream. Considerable attention has been focused on various issues associated with the engineering and human health considerations of space settlement such as artificial gravity and radiation shielding. However, relatively little attention has been given to the biological implications of a self-sufficient space settlement. Three fundamental questions are explored in this paper: (1) what are the biological "foundations" of truly self-sufficient space settlements in the foreseeable future, (2) what is the minimum scale for such self-sustaining human settlements, and (3) what are the integrated biologically-driven system requirements for such settlements? The paper examines briefly the implications of the answers to these questions in relevant potential settings (including free space, the Moon and Mars). Finally, this paper suggests relevant directions for future research and development in order for such space settlements to become viable in the future.

Balancing conservation management and tourism development with wilderness stewardship in the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Treesearch

F. J. (Freek) Venter

2007-01-01

The Kruger National Park (KNP) faces greatly amplified problems than was the case in the early 1900s when the KNP was established. Areas surrounding the park have experienced a human population explosion with a rapid expansion of farming areas and rural settlements. In the 1970s the KNP was fenced. Ecologically the KNP became an island and previous regional animal...

Exploiting Dragon Envisat Times Series and Other Earth Observation Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marie, Tiphanie; Lai, Xijun; Huber, Claire; Chen, Xiaoling; Uribe, Carlos; Huang, Shifeng; Lafaye, Murielle; Yesou, Herve

2010-10-01

Earth Observation data were used for mapping potential Schistosomiasis japonica distribution, within Poyang Lake (Jiangxi Province, PR China). In the first of two steps, areas suitable for the development of Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host snail of Schistosoma japonicum, were derived from submersion time parameters and vegetation community indicators. Y early maps from 2003 to 2008 indicate five principally potential endemic areas: Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve, Dalianzi Hu, Gan Delta, Po Jiang and Xi He. Monthly maps showing the annual dynamic of potential O. hupensis presence areas were obtained from December 2005 to December 2008. In a second step human potential transmission risk was handled through the mapping of settlements and the identification of some human activities. The urban areas and settlements were mapped all around the lake and fishing net locations in the central part of Poyang Lake were identified. Finally, data crossing of the different parameters highlight the potential risk of transmission in most of the fishing nets areas.

An adaptive paradigm for human space settlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Cameron M.

2016-02-01

Because permanent space settlement will be multigenerational it will have to be viable on ecological timescales so far unfamiliar to those planning space exploration. Long-term viability will require evolutionary and adaptive planning. Adaptations in the natural world provide many lessons for such planning, but implementing these lessons will require a new, evolutionary paradigm for envisioning and carrying out Earth-independent space settlement. I describe some of these adaptive lessons and propose some cognitive shifts required to implement them in a genuinely evolutionary approach to human space settlement.

Prehistoric Human-environment Interactions and Their Impact on Aquatic Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackay, H.; Henderson, A. C. G.; van Hardenbroek, M.; Cavers, G.; Crone, A.; Davies, K. L.; Fonville, T. R.; Head, K.; Langdon, P. G.; Matton, R.; McCormick, F.; Murray, E.; Whitehouse, N. J.; Brown, A. G.

2017-12-01

One of the first widespread human-environment interactions in Scotland and Ireland occurred 3000 years ago when communities first inhabited wetlands, building artificial islands in lakes called crannogs. The reason behind the development and intermittent occupation of crannogs is unclear. We don't know if they were a response to changes in environment or if they were driven by societal influences. Furthermore, the impact of the construction, settlement and human activities on lake ecosystems is unknown, but is a key example of early anthropogenic signatures on the environment. Our research characterises the prehistoric human-environment interactions associated with crannogs by analysing geochemical and biological signals preserved within the crannog and wetland sediments. Records of anthropogenic activities and environmental change have been produced using lipid biomarkers of faecal matter, sedimentary DNA, and the remains of beetles, aquatic invertebrates (chironomids), siliceous algae (diatoms) and pollen. Results of these analyses reveal settlement occupations occurred in phases from the Iron Age to the Medieval Period. The main effects of occupation on the wetland ecosystems are nutrient-driven increases in productivity and shifts in aquatic species from clear water taxa to those associated with more eutrophic conditions. Crannog abandonment reduces nutrient inputs and therefore levels of aquatic productivity, as evidenced by decreases in the abundance of siliceous algae. Despite returns to pre-settlement nutrient and productivity levels, the lake ecosystems do not recover to their previous ecological state: dominant aquatic invertebrate and siliceous algae taxa shift in response to elevated levels of macrophytes within the lakes. Whilst these phase changes in lake ecosystems highlight their adaptive capacity to environmental change, the temporary human interactions associated with crannogs had persisting environmental impacts that shaped the long-term structure of the aquatic ecosystems.

New biomarkers of post-settlement growth in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

PubMed

Fadl, Alyaa Elsaid Abdelaziz; Mahfouz, Magdy Elsayed; El-Gamal, Mona Mabrouk Taha; Heyland, Andreas

2017-10-01

Some sea urchins, including the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, have been successfully used in aquaculture, but their slow growth and late reproduction are challenging to overcome when developing efficient aquaculture production techniques. S. purpuratus develops via an indirect life history that is characterized by a drastic settlement process at the end of a larval period that lasts for several weeks. During this transition, the bilateral larva is transformed into a pentaradial juvenile, which will start feeding and growing in the benthic habitat. Due to predation and other ecological factors, settlement is typically associated with high mortality rates in juvenile populations. Additionally, juveniles require several days to develop a functional mouth and digestive system. During this perimetamorphic period, juveniles use up larval resources until they are capable to digest adult food. Mechanisms underlying the onset of juvenile feeding and metabolism have implications for the recruitment of natural populations as well as aquaculture and are relatively poorly understood in S. purpuratus . The insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling (IIS)/Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway (IIS/TOR) is well conserved among animal phyla and regulates physiological and developmental functions, such as growth, reproduction, aging and nutritional status. We analyzed the expression of FoxO, TOR, and ILPs in post-settlement juveniles in conjunction with their early growth trajectories. We also tested how pre-settlement starvation affected post-settlement expression of IIS. We found that FoxO provides a useful molecular marker in early juveniles as its expression is strongly correlated with juvenile growth. We also found that pre-settlement starvation affects juvenile growth trajectories as well as IIS. Our findings provide preliminary insights into the mechanisms underlying post-settlement growth and metabolism in S. purpuratus . They also have important implications for sea urchin aquaculture, as they show that pre-settlement nutrient environment significantly affects both early growth trajectories and gene expression. This information can be used to develop new biomarkers for juvenile health in sea urchin population ecology and aquaculture aquaculture.

PNAS Plus: Mapping patterns of long-term settlement in Northern Mesopotamia at a large scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menze, Bjoern H.; Ur, Jason A.

2012-04-01

The landscapes of the Near East show both the first settlements and the longest trajectories of settlement systems. Mounding is a characteristic property of these settlement sites, resulting from millennia of continuing settlement activity at distinguished places. So far, however, this defining feature of ancient settlements has not received much attention, or even been the subject of systematic evaluation. We propose a remote sensing approach for comprehensively mapping the pattern of human settlement at large scale and establish the largest archaeological record for a landscape in Mesopotamia, mapping about 14,000 settlement sites-spanning eight millennia-at 15-m resolution in a 23,000-km2 area in northeastern Syria. To map both low- and high-mounded places-the latter of which are often referred to as "tells"-we develop a strategy for detecting anthrosols in time series of multispectral satellite images and measure the volume of settlement sites in a digital elevation model. Using this volume as a proxy to continued occupation, we find a dependency of the long-term attractiveness of a site on local water availability, but also a strong relation to the relevance within a basin-wide exchange network that we can infer from our record and third millennium B.C. intersite routes visible on the ground until recent times. We believe it is possible to establish a nearly comprehensive map of human settlements in the fluvial plains of northern Mesopotamia and beyond, and site volume may be a key quantity to uncover long-term trends in human settlement activity from such a record.

Origins of house mice in ecological niches created by settled hunter-gatherers in the Levant 15,000 y ago

PubMed Central

Weissbrod, Lior; Marshall, Fiona B.; Valla, François R.; Khalaily, Hamoudi; Bar-Oz, Guy; Auffray, Jean-Christophe; Vigne, Jean-Denis; Cucchi, Thomas

2017-01-01

Reductions in hunter-gatherer mobility during the Late Pleistocene influenced settlement ecologies, altered human relations with animal communities, and played a pivotal role in domestication. The influence of variability in human mobility on selection dynamics and ecological interactions in human settlements has not been extensively explored, however. This study of mice in modern African villages and changing mice molar shapes in a 200,000-y-long sequence from the Levant demonstrates competitive advantages for commensal mice in long-term settlements. Mice from African pastoral households provide a referential model for habitat partitioning among mice taxa in settlements of varying durations. The data reveal the earliest known commensal niche for house mice in long-term forager settlements 15,000 y ago. Competitive dynamics and the presence and abundance of mice continued to fluctuate with human mobility through the terminal Pleistocene. At the Natufian site of Ain Mallaha, house mice displaced less commensal wild mice during periods of heavy occupational pressure but were outcompeted when mobility increased. Changing food webs and ecological dynamics in long-term settlements allowed house mice to establish durable commensal populations that expanded with human societies. This study demonstrates the changing magnitude of cultural niche construction with varying human mobility and the extent of environmental influence before the advent of farming. PMID:28348225

Origins of house mice in ecological niches created by settled hunter-gatherers in the Levant 15,000 y ago.

PubMed

Weissbrod, Lior; Marshall, Fiona B; Valla, François R; Khalaily, Hamoudi; Bar-Oz, Guy; Auffray, Jean-Christophe; Vigne, Jean-Denis; Cucchi, Thomas

2017-04-18

Reductions in hunter-gatherer mobility during the Late Pleistocene influenced settlement ecologies, altered human relations with animal communities, and played a pivotal role in domestication. The influence of variability in human mobility on selection dynamics and ecological interactions in human settlements has not been extensively explored, however. This study of mice in modern African villages and changing mice molar shapes in a 200,000-y-long sequence from the Levant demonstrates competitive advantages for commensal mice in long-term settlements. Mice from African pastoral households provide a referential model for habitat partitioning among mice taxa in settlements of varying durations. The data reveal the earliest known commensal niche for house mice in long-term forager settlements 15,000 y ago. Competitive dynamics and the presence and abundance of mice continued to fluctuate with human mobility through the terminal Pleistocene. At the Natufian site of Ain Mallaha, house mice displaced less commensal wild mice during periods of heavy occupational pressure but were outcompeted when mobility increased. Changing food webs and ecological dynamics in long-term settlements allowed house mice to establish durable commensal populations that expanded with human societies. This study demonstrates the changing magnitude of cultural niche construction with varying human mobility and the extent of environmental influence before the advent of farming.

Human settlement and its influencing factors during the historicalperiod in an oasis-desert transition zone of Dunhuang, Hexi Corridor,northwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H.; Dong, G.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

Many ancient cities and settlement sites have been found in Lucaogou, an ancient oasis near Dunhuangcity in northwest China. These settlements indicate that humans inhabited this area during the historicalperiod. However, the chronology and subsistence practices of this area remain unclear. Based on newdata from radiocarbon dating, macrobotanical analysis, and the synthesis of historical documents andhigh-resolution paleoclimatic records, we discuss the inter-relationship between human settlements andplant resource utilization strategies at Lucaogou ancient oasis during historical period. Our resultsindicate that these ancient sites in Lucaogou area were built between the Han dynasty (202 BC-AD 220)and the Ming dynasty (AD 1368-AD 1644). People mainly used foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, barleyand three types of wood (Tamarix, Salix, Populus), probably as fuel for cooking. Human settlement intensityin the area during the historical period was primarily influenced by political situations, whichmight also have been affected by fluctuations in precipitation.

The lithic industry of Sima del Elefante (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain) in the context of Early and Middle Pleistocene technology in Europe.

PubMed

de Lombera-Hermida, Arturo; Bargalló, Amèlia; Terradillos-Bernal, Marcos; Huguet, Rosa; Vallverdú, Josep; García-Antón, Maria-Dolores; Mosquera, Marina; Ollé, Andreu; Sala, Robert; Carbonell, Eudald; Rodríguez-Álvarez, Xosé-Pedro

2015-05-01

This paper presents the lithic assemblages documented at Sima del Elefante (TE) and their importance in the context of the Early and Middle Pleistocene human occupation of Europe. We also study changes in human behaviour within the context of the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Sierra de Atapuerca. This site has characteristics that are of great value for the study of human evolution. The lower levels of TE (Units TE7-TE14) are an essential reference for understanding the early stages of the colonization of Europe. The TE9c level has provided stone tools (Mode 1), faunal remains, and human fossils dated to 1.22 Ma (millions of years ago). Moreover, this is one of the few European sites with a stratigraphic sequence that includes remains of human occupations predating the Jaramillo subchron (Early Pleistocene) and from the Late Middle Pleistocene (Units TE18-TE19). Despite this, the presence of archaeologically sterile units (TE15-17) prevents us from establishing a continuous relationship between the Early and Middle Pleistocene human settlements and, consequently, between their technological and behavioural differences. We can, however compare the technological and palaeoeconomic strategies adopted by different species of hominins during two key phases of the occupation of Europe. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The palaeoenvironmental impact of prehistoric settlement and proto-historic urbanism: tracing the emergence of the Oppidum of Corent, Auvergne, France.

PubMed

Ledger, Paul M; Miras, Yannick; Poux, Matthieu; Milcent, Pierre Yves

2015-01-01

Early human societies and their interactions with the natural world have been extensively explored in palaeoenvironmental studies across Central and Western Europe. Yet, despite an extensive body of scholarship, there is little consideration of the environmental impacts of proto-historic urbanisation. Typically palaeoenvironmental studies of Bronze and Iron Age societies discuss human impact in terms of woodland clearance, landscape openness and evidence for agriculture. Although these features are clearly key indicators of human settlement, and characterise Neolithic and early to Middle Bronze Age impacts at Corent, they do not appear to represent defining features of a protohistoric urban environment. The Late Iron Age Gallic Oppidum of Corent is remarkable for the paucity of evidence for agriculture and strong representation of apophytes associated with disturbance. Increased floristic diversity - a phenomenon also observed in more recent urban environments - was also noted. The same, although somewhat more pronounced, patterns are noted for the Late Bronze Age and hint at the possibility of a nascent urban area. High percentages of pollen from non-native trees such as Platanus, Castanea and Juglans in the late Bronze Age and Gallic period also suggest trade and cultural exchange, notably with the Mediterranean world. Indeed, these findings question the validity of applying Castanea and Juglans as absolute chronological markers of Romanisation. These results clearly indicate the value of local-scale palaeoecological studies and their potential for tracing the phases in the emergence of a proto-historic urban environment.

Human ancient and extant mtDNA from the Gambier Islands (French polynesia): evidence for an early Melanesian maternal contribution and new perspectives into the settlement of easternmost Polynesia.

PubMed

Deguilloux, Marie-France; Pemonge, Marie-Hélène; Dubut, Vincent; Hughes, Sandrine; Hänni, Catherine; Chollet, Lionel; Conte, Eric; Murail, Pascal

2011-02-01

Molecular anthropology has been widely used to infer the origin and processes of the colonization of Polynesia. However, there are still a lack of representative geographical studies of Eastern Polynesia and unchallenged genetic data about ancient Polynesian people. The absence of both of these elements prevents an accurate description of the demographic processes of internal dispersion within the Polynesian triangle. This study provides a twofold analysis of ancient and modern mtDNA in the eastern part of French Polynesia: the Gambier Islands. The paleogenetic analyses conducted on burials of the Temoe Atoll (14(th) -17(th) centuries) represent the first fully authenticated ancient human sequences from Polynesia. The identification of the "Melanesian" Q1 mtDNA lineage in ancient human remains substantiates the Near Oceanic contribution to the early gene pool of this region. Modern samples originate from Mangareva Island. Genealogical investigations enable us to reliably identify the conservation of the Melanesian component in Easternmost Polynesia, despite recent European colonization. Finally, the identification of rare mutations in sequences belonging to haplogroup B4a1a1a provides new perspectives to the debate on the internal peopling of the Polynesian region. Altogether, the results laid out in our study put the emphasis on the necessity of controlled sampling when discussing the internal settlement of Polynesia. 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

45 CFR 79.46 - Compromise or settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Compromise or settlement. 79.46 Section 79.46 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 79.46 Compromise or settlement. (a) Parties may make offers of compromise or settlement at any...

The "Quare" Women: Reformers and Settlement Workers in the Kentucky Mountains.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duff, Betty Parker

Among the many outside influences on Appalachian culture in the late 19th-early 20th centuries were reformers and educators, many of them women who came to the mountains to work as teachers, settlement workers, and nurses. This paper focuses on settlement schools in eastern Kentucky as the locus of interaction between reformers and mountain women.…

The potential effects of pre-settlement processes on post-settlement growth and survival of juvenile northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra) in Gulf of Alaska nursery habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedewa, Erin J.; Miller, Jessica A.; Hurst, Thomas P.; Jiang, Duo

2017-04-01

Early life history traits in marine fish such as growth, size, and timing of life history transitions often vary in response to environmental conditions. Identifying the potential effects of trait variation across life history stages is critical to understanding growth, recruitment, and survival. Juvenile northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra) were collected (2005, 2007, 2009-2011) from two coastal nurseries in the Gulf of Alaska during the early post-settlement period (July-August) to examine variation in early life history traits in relation to water temperature and juvenile densities in nurseries as well as to evaluate the potential for carry-over effects. Size-at-hatch, larval growth, metamorphosis size and timing, and post-metamorphic and recent growth of juveniles were quantified using otolith structural analysis and compared across years and sites. Additionally, traits of fish caught in July and August were compared for evidence of selective mortality. Post-metamorphic and recent growth were related to temperatures in nurseries as well as temperatures during the larval period, indicating a direct influence of concurrent nursery temperatures and a potential indirect effect of thermal conditions experienced by larvae. Correlations between metamorphic traits and fish size at capture demonstrated that interannual variation in size persisted across life history stages regardless of post-settlement growth patterns. No evidence of density-dependent growth or growth-selective mortality were detected during the early post-settlement period; however, differences in hatch size and metamorphosis timing between fish collected in July and August indicate a selective loss of individuals although the pattern varied across years. Overall, variation in size acquired early in life and temperature effects on the phenology of metamorphosis may influence the direction of selection and survival of northern rock sole.

A Geographically Explicit Genetic Model of Worldwide Human-Settlement History

PubMed Central

Liu, Hua; Prugnolle, Franck; Manica, Andrea; Balloux, François

2006-01-01

Currently available genetic and archaeological evidence is generally interpreted as supportive of a recent single origin of modern humans in East Africa. However, this is where the near consensus on human settlement history ends, and considerable uncertainty clouds any more detailed aspect of human colonization history. Here, we present a dynamic genetic model of human settlement history coupled with explicit geographical distances from East Africa, the likely origin of modern humans. We search for the best-supported parameter space by fitting our analytical prediction to genetic data that are based on 52 human populations analyzed at 783 autosomal microsatellite markers. This framework allows us to jointly estimate the key parameters of the expansion of modern humans. Our best estimates suggest an initial expansion of modern humans ∼56,000 years ago from a small founding population of ∼1,000 effective individuals. Our model further points to high growth rates in newly colonized habitats. The general fit of the model with the data is excellent. This suggests that coupling analytical genetic models with explicit demography and geography provides a powerful tool for making inferences on human-settlement history. PMID:16826514

Robotic missions for the moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourke, R. D.; Burke, J. D.

1990-01-01

In the course of the exploration and settlement of the moon, robotic missions will precede and accompany humans. These robotic missions are defined respectively as precursors and adjuncts. Their contribution is twofold: to generate information about the lunar environment (and system performance in that environment), and to emplace elements of infrastructure for subsequent use. This paper describes information that may be gathered by robotic missions and infrastructure elements that may be deployed by them during an early lunar program phase.

Assessing the global warming potential of human settlement expansion in a mesic temperate landscape from 2005 to 2050.

PubMed

Reinmann, Andrew B; Hutyra, Lucy R; Trlica, Andrew; Olofsson, Pontus

2016-03-01

Expansion of human settlements is an important driver of global environmental change that causes land use and land cover change (LULCC) and alters the biophysical nature of the landscape and climate. We use the state of Massachusetts, United States (U.S.) to present a novel approach to quantifying the effects of projected expansion of human settlements on the biophysical nature of the landscape. We integrate nationally available datasets with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios model to model albedo and C storage and uptake by forests and vegetation within human settlements. Our results indicate a 4.4 to 14% decline in forest cover and a 35 to 40% increase in developed land between 2005 and 2050, with large spatial variability. LULCC is projected to reduce rates of forest C sequestration, but our results suggest that vegetation within human settlements has the potential to offset a substantial proportion of the decline in the forest C sink and may comprise up to 35% of the terrestrial C sink by 2050. Changes in albedo and terrestrial C fluxes are expected to result in a global warming potential (GWP) of +0.13 Mg CO2-C-equivalence ha(-1)year(-1) under the baseline trajectory, which is equivalent to 17% of the projected increase in fossil fuel emissions. Changes in terrestrial C fluxes are generally the most important driver of the increase in GWP, but albedo change becomes an increasingly important component where housing densities are higher. Expansion of human settlements is the new face of LULCC and our results indicate that when quantifying the biophysical response it is essential to consider C uptake by vegetation within human settlements and the spatial variability in the influence of C fluxes and albedo on changes in GWP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detailed mtDNA genotypes permit a reassessment of the settlement and population structure of the Andaman Islands.

PubMed

Barik, S S; Sahani, R; Prasad, B V R; Endicott, P; Metspalu, M; Sarkar, B N; Bhattacharya, S; Annapoorna, P C H; Sreenath, J; Sun, D; Sanchez, J J; Ho, S Y W; Chandrasekar, A; Rao, V R

2008-05-01

The population genetics of the Indian subcontinent is central to understanding early human prehistory due to its strategic location on the proposed corridor of human movement from Africa to Australia during the late Pleistocene. Previous genetic research using mtDNA has emphasized the relative isolation of the late Pleistocene colonizers, and the physically isolated Andaman Island populations of Island South-East Asia remain the source of claims supporting an early split between the populations that formed the patchy settlement pattern along the coast of the Indian Ocean. Using whole-genome sequencing, combined with multiplexed SNP typing, this study investigates the deep structure of mtDNA haplogroups M31 and M32 in India and the Andaman Islands. The identification of a so far unnoticed rare polymorphism shared between these two lineages suggests that they are actually sister groups within a single haplogroup, M31'32. The enhanced resolution of M31 allows for the inference of a more recent colonization of the Andaman Islands than previously suggested, but cannot reject the very early peopling scenario. We further demonstrate a widespread overlap of mtDNA and cultural markers between the two major language groups of the Andaman archipelago. Given the "completeness" of the genealogy based on whole genome sequences, and the multiple scenarios for the peopling of the Andaman Islands sustained by this inferred genealogy, our study hints that further mtDNA based phylogeographic studies are unlikely to unequivocally support any one of these possibilities. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Study of Siberian population movements: use of multiple markers].

PubMed

Ludes, Bertrand

2012-06-01

To further explore early Eurasian steppe migration, we determined the Y chromosome and mitochondrial haplotypes of 26 ancient human specimens from the Krasnoyarsk area, dated between the middle of the second millennium BC and the fourth century AD. Our autosomal Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA analyses reveal that, whereas few specimens seem to be related matrilineally or patrilineally, nearly all the subjects belong to haplogroup R1a1--M17, which is thought to mark the eastward migration of early Indo-Europeans. Our results also confirm that, during the Bronze and Iron Ages, southern Siberia was a region of overwhelming European settlement.

The Pre-History of Urban Scaling

PubMed Central

Ortman, Scott G.; Cabaniss, Andrew H. F.; Sturm, Jennie O.; Bettencourt, Luís M. A.

2014-01-01

Cities are increasingly the fundamental socio-economic units of human societies worldwide, but we still lack a unified characterization of urbanization that captures the social processes realized by cities across time and space. This is especially important for understanding the role of cities in the history of human civilization and for determining whether studies of ancient cities are relevant for contemporary science and policy. As a step in this direction, we develop a theory of settlement scaling in archaeology, deriving the relationship between population and settled area from a consideration of the interplay between social and infrastructural networks. We then test these models on settlement data from the Pre-Hispanic Basin of Mexico to show that this ancient settlement system displays spatial scaling properties analogous to those observed in modern cities. Our data derive from over 1,500 settlements occupied over two millennia and spanning four major cultural periods characterized by different levels of agricultural productivity, political centralization and market development. We show that, in agreement with theory, total settlement area increases with population size, on average, according to a scale invariant relation with an exponent in the range . As a consequence, we are able to infer aggregate socio-economic properties of ancient societies from archaeological measures of settlement organization. Our findings, from an urban settlement system that evolved independently from its old-world counterparts, suggest that principles of settlement organization are very general and may apply to the entire range of human history. PMID:24533062

The pre-history of urban scaling.

PubMed

Ortman, Scott G; Cabaniss, Andrew H F; Sturm, Jennie O; Bettencourt, Luís M A

2014-01-01

Cities are increasingly the fundamental socio-economic units of human societies worldwide, but we still lack a unified characterization of urbanization that captures the social processes realized by cities across time and space. This is especially important for understanding the role of cities in the history of human civilization and for determining whether studies of ancient cities are relevant for contemporary science and policy. As a step in this direction, we develop a theory of settlement scaling in archaeology, deriving the relationship between population and settled area from a consideration of the interplay between social and infrastructural networks. We then test these models on settlement data from the Pre-Hispanic Basin of Mexico to show that this ancient settlement system displays spatial scaling properties analogous to those observed in modern cities. Our data derive from over 1,500 settlements occupied over two millennia and spanning four major cultural periods characterized by different levels of agricultural productivity, political centralization and market development. We show that, in agreement with theory, total settlement area increases with population size, on average, according to a scale invariant relation with an exponent in the range [Formula: see text]. As a consequence, we are able to infer aggregate socio-economic properties of ancient societies from archaeological measures of settlement organization. Our findings, from an urban settlement system that evolved independently from its old-world counterparts, suggest that principles of settlement organization are very general and may apply to the entire range of human history.

Through Human Eyes: A New Approach to the Problem of Workforces in Remote Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmonds, W. H. C.

The often unstable workforce in remote areas can possibly be strengthened by stabilizing adjacent human settlements with community design which works from the inside out to emphasize the human, social, cultural, and environmental aspects of the settlements. Because stresses resulting from isolation, loss of social relationships, lack of…

The Palaeoenvironmental Impact of Prehistoric Settlement and Proto-Historic Urbanism: Tracing the Emergence of the Oppidum of Corent, Auvergne, France

PubMed Central

Ledger, Paul M.; Miras, Yannick; Poux, Matthieu; Milcent, Pierre Yves

2015-01-01

Early human societies and their interactions with the natural world have been extensively explored in palaeoenvironmental studies across Central and Western Europe. Yet, despite an extensive body of scholarship, there is little consideration of the environmental impacts of proto-historic urbanisation. Typically palaeoenvironmental studies of Bronze and Iron Age societies discuss human impact in terms of woodland clearance, landscape openness and evidence for agriculture. Although these features are clearly key indicators of human settlement, and characterise Neolithic and early to Middle Bronze Age impacts at Corent, they do not appear to represent defining features of a protohistoric urban environment. The Late Iron Age Gallic Oppidum of Corent is remarkable for the paucity of evidence for agriculture and strong representation of apophytes associated with disturbance. Increased floristic diversity – a phenomenon also observed in more recent urban environments – was also noted. The same, although somewhat more pronounced, patterns are noted for the Late Bronze Age and hint at the possibility of a nascent urban area. High percentages of pollen from non-native trees such as Platanus, Castanea and Juglans in the late Bronze Age and Gallic period also suggest trade and cultural exchange, notably with the Mediterranean world. Indeed, these findings question the validity of applying Castanea and Juglans as absolute chronological markers of Romanisation. These results clearly indicate the value of local-scale palaeoecological studies and their potential for tracing the phases in the emergence of a proto-historic urban environment. PMID:25853251

Early childhood development in deprived urban settlements.

PubMed

Nair, M K C; Radhakrishnan, S Rekha

2004-03-01

Poverty, the root cause of the existence of slums or settlement colonies in urban areas has a great impact on almost all aspects of life of the urban poor, especially the all-round development of children. Examples from countries, across the globe provide evidence of improved early child development, made possible through integrated slum improvement programs, are few in numbers. The observed 2.5% prevalence of developmental delay in the less than 2 year olds of deprived urban settlements, the presence of risk factors for developmental delay like low birth weight, birth asphyxia, coupled with poor environment of home and alternate child care services, highlights the need for simple cost effective community model for promoting early child development. This review on early child development focuses on the developmental status of children in the deprived urban settlements, who are yet to be on the priority list of Governments and international agencies working for the welfare of children, the contributory nature-nurture factors and replicable working models like infant stimulation, early detection of developmental delay in infancy itself, developmental screening of toddlers, skill assessment for preschool children, school readiness programs, identification of mental sub-normality and primary education enhancement program for primary school children. Further, the review probes feasible intervention strategies through community owned early child care and development facilities, utilizing existing programs like ICDS, Urban Basic Services and by initiating services like Development Friendly Well Baby Clinics, Community Extension services, Child Development Referral Units at district hospitals and involving trained manpower like anganwadi/creche workers, public health nurses and developmental therapists. With the decentralization process the local self-government at municipalities and city corporations are financially equipped to be the prime movers to initiate, monitor and promote early child development programs, to emerge as a part and parcel of community owned sustainable development process.

Controlling for Landform Age When Determining the Settlement History of the Kuril Islands

PubMed Central

MacInnes, Breanyn; Fitzhugh, Ben; Holman, Darryl

2014-01-01

Archaeological investigations of settlement patterns in dynamic landscapes can be strongly biased by the evolution of the Earth’s surface. The Kuril Island volcanic arc exemplifies such a dynamic landscape, where landscape-modifying geological forces were active during settlement, including sea-level changes, tectonic emergence, volcanic eruptive processes, coastal aggradation, and dune formation. With all these ongoing processes, in this paper we seek to understand how new landscape formation in the Holocene might bias archaeological interpretations of human settlement in the Kurils. Resolving this issue is fundamental to any interpretation of human settlement history derived from the distribution and age of archaeological sites from the region. On the basis of a comparison of landform ages and earliest archaeological occupation ages on those landforms, we conclude that landform creation did not significantly bias our aggregate archaeological evidence for earliest settlement. Some sections of the archipelago have larger proportions of landform creation dates closer to archaeological evidence of settlement and undoubtedly some archaeological sites have been lost to geomorphic processes. However, comparisons between regions reveal comparable archaeological establishment patterns irrespective of geomorphic antiquity. PMID:25684855

Habitability at the frontlines of sea level rise: a spatiotemporal analysis of settlements and coastal inundation in eight global sea level rise hotspots between 1990 and 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, S. A.; Wrathall, D.

2017-12-01

Over the coming centuries and millennia, sea level rise will greatly redistribute global human population through displacement and migration. Sudden, large-scale displacement is extremely disruptive to society both for migrants and host communities, and there is a great scientific and policy need to anticipate where, when and how this could happen around sea level rise. We can meet these needs by examining how long-term coastal inundation of settlements has already occurred. Using two global geospatial data sets, the Global Human Settlement Layer and the Global Surface Water Layer, we examine the global spatial concentration of settlement inundation that occurred between 1990 and 2015. We focus on the eight sea level rise hotspots identified in Clark et al (2016), which include Bangladesh, Mekong Delta, Indonesia, Japan, Nile Delta, Philippines, and the US Mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and examine areas of convergence between settlement loss density and negative population change. This analysis reveals specific areas of concern within vulnerable countries, and forms the basis for focused investigations of the long-term impact of coastal inundation on various migration systems. This analysis shows us how long-term sets of satellite derived data on human population can help anticipate how sea level rise will alter future patterns of human settlement and migration into the 21st century and beyond.

Impacts of ocean acidification on early life-history stages and settlement of the coral-eating sea star Acanthaster planci.

PubMed

Uthicke, Sven; Pecorino, Danilo; Albright, Rebecca; Negri, Andrew Peter; Cantin, Neal; Liddy, Michelle; Dworjanyn, Symon; Kamya, Pamela; Byrne, Maria; Lamare, Miles

2013-01-01

Coral reefs are marine biodiversity hotspots, but their existence is threatened by global change and local pressures such as land-runoff and overfishing. Population explosions of coral-eating crown of thorns sea stars (COTS) are a major contributor to recent decline in coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef. Here, we investigate how projected near-future ocean acidification (OA) conditions can affect early life history stages of COTS, by investigating important milestones including sperm motility, fertilisation rates, and larval development and settlement. OA (increased pCO2 to 900-1200 µatm pCO2) significantly reduced sperm motility and, to a lesser extent, velocity, which strongly reduced fertilization rates at environmentally relevant sperm concentrations. Normal development of 10 d old larvae was significantly lower under elevated pCO2 but larval size was not significantly different between treatments. Settlement of COTS larvae was significantly reduced on crustose coralline algae (known settlement inducers of COTS) that had been exposed to OA conditions for 85 d prior to settlement assays. Effect size analyses illustrated that reduced settlement may be the largest bottleneck for overall juvenile production. Results indicate that reductions in fertilisation and settlement success alone would reduce COTS population replenishment by over 50%. However, it is unlikely that this effect is sufficient to provide respite for corals from other negative anthropogenic impacts and direct stress from OA and warming on corals.

Starch grains on human teeth reveal early broad crop diet in northern Peru

PubMed Central

Piperno, Dolores R.; Dillehay, Tom D.

2008-01-01

Previous research indicates that the Ñanchoc Valley in northern Peru was an important locus of early and middle Holocene human settlement, and that between 9200 and 5500 14C yr B.P. the valley inhabitants adopted major crop plants such as squash (Cucurbita moschata), peanuts (Arachis sp.), and cotton (Gossypium barbadense). We report here an examination of starch grains preserved in the calculus of human teeth from these sites that provides direct evidence for the early consumption of cultivated squash and peanuts along with two other major food plants not previously detected. Starch from the seeds of Phaseolus and Inga feuillei, the flesh of Cucurbita moschata fruits, and the nuts of Arachis was routinely present on numerous teeth that date to between 8210 and 6970 14C yr B.P. Early plant diets appear to have been diverse and stable through time and were rich in cultivated foods typical of later Andean agriculture. Our data provide early archaeological evidence for Phaseolus beans and I. feuillei, an important tree crop, and indicate that effective food production systems that contributed significant dietary inputs were present in the Ñanchoc region by 8000 14C yr B.P. Starch grain studies of dental remains document plants and edible parts of them not normally preserved in archaeological records and can assume primary roles as direct indicators of ancient human diets and agriculture. PMID:19066222

Role of ISM circulations in Western Kachchh, India during Mid-Late Holocene in disarticulation of Human Settlements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabhi, M.

2017-12-01

Paleoclimatic record indicates that one of the major factors for change in Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) is North Atlantic Oceanic Circulation (NAO). Climatic changes have often been an influential factor in culture developments and dislocation of human settlements. The climatic transformations in Western India are affected by variation in the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM). During last millennial scale, Indian sub-continent has observed varied climatic oscillations due to temperature variations in ocean and continent. People and society are the most affected lot due to this climate and monsoonal changes, which finally leads towards migration or colonization of people. Therefore, a high resolution data is required to delineate the complexity of monsoonal variation. This study focuses on the Mid-Late Holocene monsoonal changes from the sediment record of Western Kachchh. The field of study is at the mount of Kali River, a 45 km long river originating from the hills of Western Mainland Kachchh and debouching into Kori Creek. The exposed cross-section along the river bank has a fluvial unit (Unit-1) at the base followed by human settlement marked as Unit-2 culminating with eolian deposits (Unit-3) at the top. Multiproxy analysis (sedimentologically, optically and geochemically) were carried out to ascertain the climatic perturbations in the region. The lower Unit 1 which range in age from 6-5 Ka shows declining monsoon. The above exposed sediments with anthropogenic activity (Unit 2) cover a time span of 3-2.5 ka indicates monsoonal stability with declining trends. The general weakening of monsoon may be a major factor towards the ending or migration of the human settlement leading to the absence of archeological activity above 2.5ka in the area. The eolian sediments resting above the Unit 2 fall between 450 to 230 yrs represent the trends of Little Ice Age. Sediment record from the opposite bank of the river reveals an age of 1100 yrs supports wet condition which is co-relatable with the global Medieval Warm Period (MWP). Based on detail study it can be interpreted that the area has been highly affected by Indian Summer Monsoon variability since last 5ka and early historic human occupation that has been affected by the climatic transformations.

42 CFR 402.17 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Settlement. 402.17 Section 402.17 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS CIVIL MONEY PENALTIES, ASSESSMENTS, AND EXCLUSIONS General Provisions § 402.17 Settlement. CMS or OIG has...

42 CFR 417.574 - Interim settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Interim settlement. 417.574 Section 417.574 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... PLANS Medicare Payment: Cost Basis § 417.574 Interim settlement. (a) Determination. Within 30 days...

45 CFR 150.413 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Settlement. 150.413 Section 150.413 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS ENFORCEMENT IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKETS Administrative Hearings § 150.413 Settlement. CMS has exclusive...

45 CFR 150.413 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Settlement. 150.413 Section 150.413 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS ENFORCEMENT IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKETS Administrative Hearings § 150.413 Settlement. CMS has exclusive...

Palaeoenvironment and fluvial history of river Danube between the Neolithic settlement sites of Vinca and Starcevo, Serbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penezic, Kristina; Kadereit, Annette; Thiemeyer, Heinrich

2013-04-01

The Neolithic site of Vinca - Belo brdo (ca. 5600 - 4200 BC) is located on the right bank of the Danube River, some 14 km downstream of the city of Belgrade in Serbia. The significance of the Vinca settlement is in its long occupational history, which produced more than 9 meters of settlement layers that provided archaeologists with an understanding of the chronological sequencing and development from the Middle to Late Neolithic in central Serbia. Vinca - Belo brdo was designated as the locus typicus for the Vinca Culture and is considered by many archaeologists as one of the most important sites of the European Neolithic. On the opposite, left side of the river Danube, the early Neolithic site of Starcevo is situated. It spans through the early Neolithic period dated to the seventh and the sixth millennium BC and it is the locus typicus for the Starcevo culture that on the territory of modern-day Serbia precedes the Vinca culture. The vicinity of the Danube influenced the development of these settlements and the relationship between them. Serving as a landmark, border, source of food, but also endangering the sites by a shifting stream course, the Danube is essential. Therefore it is important to define the position of the river during the occupational span of the Neolithic settlements and later. In our study, the early to mid-Holocene environmental changes of the fluvial landscape between the two Neolithic settlement sites are explored. We present preliminary results of recent geomorphological, sedimentological and archaeological investigations, as well as OSL dating, which were combined with relevant information from historical maps and satellite imagery in order to reconstruct the fluvial palaeolandscape.

Juvenile delinquency, the juvenile courts and the settlement movement 1908-1950: Basil Henriques and Toynbee Hall.

PubMed

Bradley, Katharine

2008-01-01

This article explores the relationship between the voluntary sector and the juvenile courts in the period c.1908-1950. It specifically examines the relationship between the settlement movement and the early juvenile courts by analysing the Inner London Juvenile Court, which sat at Toynbee Hall in the East End of London between 1929 and 1953. The settlements, which brought young graduates to deprived urban areas to undertake voluntary social work, were heavily involved in boys' clubs. Many of those who began their careers in settlement youth work went on to work with the early juvenile courts, viewing their experience in clubs as a vital foundation for this work. This article focuses on Basil Henriques, a former resident of Toynbee Hall, warden of the Bernhard Baron Settlement in Stepney and magistrate at the Inner London Juvenile Court, and his 1950 book, Indiscretions of a Magistrate. It concludes that, by critically examining Basil Henriques and Indiscretions, it is possible to begin to fully explore the discourses around citizenship, gender, class and race that informed the views and practices of juvenile court magistrates in the period in which the voluntary sector and the welfare state underwent profound change.

Robert Owen, William Maclure and New Harmony.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mclaren, David J.

1996-01-01

Discusses the utopian philosophy and related educational practices of the early 19th-century communitarian settlement in New Harmony, Indiana. The settlement failed after several years, due in no small part to the falling out between its two main supporters, Robert Owen and William Maclure. (MJP)

45 CFR 96.32 - Financial settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Financial settlement. 96.32 Section 96.32 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION BLOCK GRANTS Financial Management § 96.32 Financial settlement. The State must repay to the Department amounts found after audit...

45 CFR 96.32 - Financial settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Financial settlement. 96.32 Section 96.32 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services GENERAL ADMINISTRATION BLOCK GRANTS Financial Management § 96.32 Financial settlement. The State must repay to the Department amounts found after audit...

45 CFR 96.32 - Financial settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Financial settlement. 96.32 Section 96.32 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION BLOCK GRANTS Financial Management § 96.32 Financial settlement. The State must repay to the Department amounts found after audit...

45 CFR 96.32 - Financial settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Financial settlement. 96.32 Section 96.32 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION BLOCK GRANTS Financial Management § 96.32 Financial settlement. The State must repay to the Department amounts found after audit...

45 CFR 96.32 - Financial settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Financial settlement. 96.32 Section 96.32 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION BLOCK GRANTS Financial Management § 96.32 Financial settlement. The State must repay to the Department amounts found after audit...

Late Holocene lowland fluvial archives and geoarchaeology: Utrecht's case study of Rhine river abandonment under Roman and Medieval settlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dinter, Marieke; Cohen, Kim M.; Hoek, Wim Z.; Stouthamer, Esther; Jansma, Esther; Middelkoop, Hans

2017-06-01

Fluvial lowlands have become attractive human settling areas all around the world over the last few millennia. Because rivers kept changing their course and networks due to avulsion, the sedimentary sequences in these areas are archives of both fluvial geomorphological and archaeological development. We integrated geological and archaeological datasets to demonstrate the concurrence of the gradual abandonment of a major Rhine channel (Utrecht, The Netherlands), the development of human habitation in the area, and the interactions between them. The Utrecht case study highlights the stage-wise abandonment of a natural river channel, due to avulsion, coincident with intensifying human occupation in Roman and Early Medieval times (1st millennium AD). The analyses make maximum use of very rich data sets available for the study area and the tight age control that the geo-archaeological dataset facilitates, offering extra means of time-control to document the pacing of the abandonment process. This allows us to quantify change in river dimensions and meander style and to provide discharge estimates for successive stages of the abandonment phase over a 1000-year period of abandonment succession, from mature river to eventual Late Medieval overbuilt canal when the Rhine branch had lost even more discharge. Continued geomorphic development during this period - which includes the 'Dark Ages' (450-1000 AD) - appears to have been crucial in the development of Utrecht from Roman army fortress to Medieval ecclesial centre. The settlement dynamics in and around the city of Utrecht changed during the various phases of abandonment. In the bifurcating network of river branches forming the Rhine-Meuse delta, the main Rhine branch hosted the Roman limes military border and transport route. The Rhine- Vecht bifurcation at Utrecht provided an excellent location to raise a Roman fort. Continued geomorphic activity during abandonment in Early Medieval times was characterised by enhanced overbank sedimentation and shifts in the position of bifurcations. River flooding became more incidental in this stage, and alluvial-ridge occupancy became sensitive to flooding events for several centuries. We conclude by demonstrating that similar human-river interactions during Roman times occurred in several other deltas within the former Roman empire, with differences depending on the position of a settlement within the delta, the overall hydrological situation, and the ability of societies to control the changing environment.

Designers of Human Settlements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cliff, Ursula

1976-01-01

Reviewed herein are the ideas of nine men who have addressed themselves to the problems of human settlements in this century. The ideas reviewed include those of Arnold Toynbee, Lewis Mumford, Hassan Fathy, Buckminster Fuller, Constantinos Doxiadis, Charles Correa, Paul Mwaluko, Robert McNamara and John F. C. Turner. (BT)

Ekistics, the Science of Human Settlements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doxiadis, Constantinos A.

1970-01-01

Presents the science of ekistics for systematic analysis of historical, contemporary, and proposed human settlements varying from individual to Ecumenopolis size. Five principles are described as applicable to all cities and applied to growing urban developments. Isolation of Dimensions and Elimination of Alternatives (IDEA method) is proposed for…

45 CFR 150.325 - Settlement authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Settlement authority. 150.325 Section 150.325 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS... Governmental Plans-Civil Money Penalties § 150.325 Settlement authority. Nothing in §§ 150.315 through 150.323...

42 CFR 93.409 - Settlement of research misconduct proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. 93... POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.409 Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. (a) HHS may settle a...

42 CFR 93.409 - Settlement of research misconduct proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. 93... POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.409 Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. (a) HHS may settle a...

42 CFR 93.409 - Settlement of research misconduct proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. 93... POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.409 Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. (a) HHS may settle a...

42 CFR 93.409 - Settlement of research misconduct proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. 93... POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.409 Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. (a) HHS may settle a...

42 CFR 93.409 - Settlement of research misconduct proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. 93... POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.409 Settlement of research misconduct proceedings. (a) HHS may settle a...

Early child health in an informal settlement in the Peruvian Amazon.

PubMed

Lee, Gwenyth O; Paredes Olortegui, Maribel; Salmón-Mulanovich, Gabriela; Peñataro Yori, Pablo; Kosek, Margaret

2016-10-12

Informal settlements are common throughout the developing world. In Peru, land occupations, commonly "invasions" in Spanish, are a means by which the extremely poor attempt to obtain access to land. Here, we examine difference in child health between two communities in the Peruvian Amazon, one well-established and one newly formed by 'invasion', as captured incidentally by a prospective epidemiological cohort study. Between 2002 and 2006 a study designed to describe the epidemiology of pediatric enteric infections and child growth in a community-based setting enrolled 442 children in Santa Clara de Nanay, a community adjacent to the city of Iquitos, in Loreto, Peru. In early 2003, a land occupation, commonly called an "invasion" in Spanish, was organized by members of the Santa Clara community, and approximately 20 % of participating study families began occupying privately owned agricultural land adjacent to Santa Clara, thus forming the new community of La Union. Parents in families that chose to invade reported less education than parents in families that chose not to. Children in the new community experienced a higher incidence of diarrheal disease and non-specific fevers, although fewer helminth infections, than children who remained in the established community. At the time of the invasion, there were no differences in anthropometric status between the two groups; however children in the new community experienced greater progressive growth faltering over the course of the longitudinal study. Growth faltering in early childhood represents an enduring loss of human potential. Therefore, our data suggests the human cost of land invasion may be disproportionately borne by the youngest individuals. Innovative policy strategies may be needed to protect this vulnerable group.

Towards a New Assessment of Urban Areas from Local to Global Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaduri, B. L.; Roy Chowdhury, P. K.; McKee, J.; Weaver, J.; Bright, E.; Weber, E.

2015-12-01

Since early 2000s, starting with NASA MODIS, satellite based remote sensing has facilitated collection of imagery with medium spatial resolution but high temporal resolution (daily). This trend continues with an increasing number of sensors and data products. Increasing spatial and temporal resolutions of remotely sensed data archives, from both public and commercial sources, have significantly enhanced the quality of mapping and change data products. However, even with automation of such analysis on evolving computing platforms, rates of data processing have been suboptimal largely because of the ever-increasing pixel to processor ratio coupled with limitations of the computing architectures. Novel approaches utilizing spatiotemporal data mining techniques and computational architectures have emerged that demonstrates the potential for sustained and geographically scalable landscape monitoring to be operational. We exemplify this challenge with two broad research initiatives on High Performance Geocomputation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory: (a) mapping global settlement distribution; (b) developing national critical infrastructure databases. Our present effort, on large GPU based architectures, to exploit high resolution (1m or less) satellite and airborne imagery for extracting settlements at global scale is yielding understanding of human settlement patterns and urban areas at unprecedented resolution. Comparison of such urban land cover database, with existing national and global land cover products, at various geographic scales in selected parts of the world is revealing intriguing patterns and insights for urban assessment. Early results, from the USA, Taiwan, and Egypt, indicate closer agreements (5-10%) in urban area assessments among databases at larger, aggregated geographic extents. However, spatial variability at local scales could be significantly different (over 50% disagreement).

Palama Settlement: 100 years of serving a neighborhood's needs.

PubMed

Rath, P

1995-11-01

The founding of Palama Settlement brought to those who might not be able to afford it public health nurses for maternal care and nutrition, well-baby clinics, tuberculosis clinics, medical and dental clinics, and eventually major support of medical needs during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Palama Settlement celebrates its centennial year with many of its early functions assumed by state and private organizations, but it is prepared to enter the next 100 years of service to the community. Palama was founded by James Arthur Rath with the purpose of serving the community; many people today remember their childhood and Palama Settlement.

Variation in habitat soundscape characteristics influences settlement of a reef-building coral.

PubMed

Lillis, Ashlee; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne; Peters, Jason W; Eggleston, David

2016-01-01

Coral populations, and the productive reef ecosystems they support, rely on successful recruitment of reef-building species, beginning with settlement of dispersing larvae into habitat favourable to survival. Many substrate cues have been identified as contributors to coral larval habitat selection; however, the potential for ambient acoustic cues to influence coral settlement responses is unknown. Using in situ settlement chambers that excluded other habitat cues, larval settlement of a dominant Caribbean reef-building coral, Orbicella faveolata , was compared in response to three local soundscapes, with differing acoustic and habitat properties. Differences between reef sites in the number of larvae settled in chambers isolating acoustic cues corresponded to differences in sound levels and reef characteristics, with sounds at the loudest reef generating significantly higher settlement during trials compared to the quietest site (a 29.5 % increase). These results suggest that soundscapes could be an important influence on coral settlement patterns and that acoustic cues associated with reef habitat may be related to larval settlement. This study reports an effect of soundscape variation on larval settlement for a key coral species, and adds to the growing evidence that soundscapes affect marine ecosystems by influencing early life history processes of foundational species.

Variation in habitat soundscape characteristics influences settlement of a reef-building coral

PubMed Central

Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne; Peters, Jason W.; Eggleston, David

2016-01-01

Coral populations, and the productive reef ecosystems they support, rely on successful recruitment of reef-building species, beginning with settlement of dispersing larvae into habitat favourable to survival. Many substrate cues have been identified as contributors to coral larval habitat selection; however, the potential for ambient acoustic cues to influence coral settlement responses is unknown. Using in situ settlement chambers that excluded other habitat cues, larval settlement of a dominant Caribbean reef-building coral, Orbicella faveolata, was compared in response to three local soundscapes, with differing acoustic and habitat properties. Differences between reef sites in the number of larvae settled in chambers isolating acoustic cues corresponded to differences in sound levels and reef characteristics, with sounds at the loudest reef generating significantly higher settlement during trials compared to the quietest site (a 29.5 % increase). These results suggest that soundscapes could be an important influence on coral settlement patterns and that acoustic cues associated with reef habitat may be related to larval settlement. This study reports an effect of soundscape variation on larval settlement for a key coral species, and adds to the growing evidence that soundscapes affect marine ecosystems by influencing early life history processes of foundational species. PMID:27761342

Post-European Settlement Forest Changes in Oscoda and Ogemaw Counties, Michigan

Treesearch

Carolyn A. Copenheaver; Marc D. Abrams

2002-01-01

Witness trees from Ogemaw and Oscoda counties were used to identify presettlement forest composition in order to compare how different historical land uses altered early settlement and presentday forests. Presettlement forests in Ogemaw County were dominated by Tsuga canadensis (17%), Pinus banksianu (13%), and Fagus...

The reproductive biology and early life ecology of a common Caribbean brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis (Scleractinia: Faviinae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamberland, Valérie F.; Snowden, Skylar; Marhaver, Kristen L.; Petersen, Dirk; Vermeij, Mark J. A.

2017-03-01

Despite the fact that most of the severe demographic bottlenecks in coral populations occur during their earliest life stages, information on the reproductive biology and early life history traits of many coral species is limited and often inferred from adult traits only. This study reports on several atypical aspects of the reproductive biology and early life ecology of the grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis (Linnaeus, 1758), a conspicuous reef-building species on Caribbean reefs. The timing of gamete release of D. labyrinthiformis was monitored in Curaçao over eight consecutive months, and embryogenesis, planulae behavior, and settlement rates were observed and quantified. We further studied growth and symbiont acquisition in juvenile D. labyrinthiformis for 3.5 yr and compared settler survival under ambient and nutrient-enriched conditions in situ. Notably, D. labyrinthiformis reproduced during daylight hours in six consecutive monthly spawning events between May and September 2013, with a peak in June. This is the largest number of reproductive events per year ever observed in a broadcast-spawning Caribbean coral species. In settlement experiments, D. labyrinthiformis planulae swam to the bottom of culture containers 13 h after spawning and rapidly settled when provided with settlement cues (42% within 14 h). After 5 months, the survival and growth rates of settled juveniles were 3.7 and 1.9 times higher, respectively, for settlers that acquired zooxanthellae within 1 month after settlement, compared to those that acquired symbionts later on. Nutrient enrichment increased settler survival fourfold, but only for settlers that had acquired symbionts within 1 month after settlement. With at least six reproductive events per year, a short planktonic larval phase, high settlement rates, and a positive response to nutrient enrichment, the broadcast-spawning species D. labyrinthiformis displays a range of reproductive and early life-history traits that are more often associated with brooding coral species, illustrating that classical divisions of coral species by reproductive mode alone do not always reflect the true biology and ecology of their earliest life stages.

Inconvenient Human Rights: Water and Sanitation in Sweden's Informal Roma Settlements.

PubMed

Davis, Martha F; Ryan, Natasha

2017-12-01

Following an increase in Roma migration under the European "freedom of movement" laws, Swedish municipalities initiated more than 80 evictions of informal Roma settlements on the grounds of poor sanitation between 2013 and 2016. These evictions echo policies from earlier in the 20th century, when Roma living in Sweden were often marginalized through the denial of access to water and sanitation facilities. The recent Swedish evictions also follow similar government actions across Europe, where Roma settlements are controlled through the denial of access to water and sanitation. However, access to water and sanitation-central aspects of human health-are universal human rights that must be available to all people present in a jurisdiction, regardless of their legal status. The evictions described here violated Sweden's obligations under both European and international human rights law. More positive government responses are required, such as providing shelters or camping sites, setting up temporary facilities, and directly engaging with communities to address water and sanitation issues. The authors conclude by providing guidance on how states and municipalities can meet their human rights obligations with respect to water and sanitation for vulnerable Roma individuals and informal settlements in their communities.

School Building in Early Development. Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dijkgraaf, C.; Giertz, L. M.

1975-01-01

Development is characterized by urbanization. New settlements grow either as enlargements of existing ones or as new population concentrations. Three periods may be distinguished in the growth of a settlement: (1) the wild period of first settling, (2) the consolidation period, and (3) the stabilized society. The number of school-aged children per…

Historic vegetation changes in Lincoln County, New Mexico: The Albuquerque Banquet Presentation

Treesearch

E. Hollis Fuchs

2008-01-01

(Please note, this is an abstract only) Repeat photography will demonstrate that since European settlement commenced, the native vegetation of Lincoln County, New Mexico has dramatically changed. Numerous historic photographs have been re-taken, demonstrating how landscapes and ecosystems have changed, not just between early European settlement until the present, but...

The effects of drilling muds on marine invertebrate larvae and adults

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raimondi, P.T.; Barnett, A.M.; Krause, P.R.

1997-06-01

A series of laboratory experiments tested the effects of drilling muds from an active platform off southern California on larvae and adults of marine invertebrates. Red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) were used to determine effects of drilling muds on fertilization, early development, survivorship, and settlement, and experiments on adult brown cup corals (Paracyathus stearnsii) tested effects on adult survivorship, viability, and tissue loss. Exposures to drilling muds did not have an effect on abalone fertilization or early development. However, several exposures to drilling muds resulted in weak, but significant, positive effects of drilling muds on settlement of competent larvae. In contrast,more » settlement of red abalone larvae on natural coralline algal crusts decreased with increasing concentrations of drilling muds. This suggests that drilling muds affect either the abalone`s ability to detect natural settlement inducers, or they affect the inducer itself. Exposure of brown cup corals to concentrations of drilling muds adversely impacted their survivorship and viability. These effects were likely caused by increased tissue mortality of the coral polyps.« less

Carbon footprints of cities and other human settlements in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minx, Jan; Baiocchi, Giovanni; Wiedmann, Thomas; Barrett, John; Creutzig, Felix; Feng, Kuishuang; Förster, Michael; Pichler, Peter-Paul; Weisz, Helga; Hubacek, Klaus

2013-09-01

A growing body of literature discusses the CO2 emissions of cities. Still, little is known about emission patterns across density gradients from remote rural places to highly urbanized areas, the drivers behind those emission patterns and the global emissions triggered by consumption in human settlements—referred to here as the carbon footprint. In this letter we use a hybrid method for estimating the carbon footprints of cities and other human settlements in the UK explicitly linking global supply chains to local consumption activities and associated lifestyles. This analysis comprises all areas in the UK, whether rural or urban. We compare our consumption-based results with extended territorial CO2 emission estimates and analyse the driving forces that determine the carbon footprint of human settlements in the UK. Our results show that 90% of the human settlements in the UK are net importers of CO2 emissions. Consumption-based CO2 emissions are much more homogeneous than extended territorial emissions. Both the highest and lowest carbon footprints can be found in urban areas, but the carbon footprint is consistently higher relative to extended territorial CO2 emissions in urban as opposed to rural settlement types. The impact of high or low density living remains limited; instead, carbon footprints can be comparatively high or low across density gradients depending on the location-specific socio-demographic, infrastructural and geographic characteristics of the area under consideration. We show that the carbon footprint of cities and other human settlements in the UK is mainly determined by socio-economic rather than geographic and infrastructural drivers at the spatial aggregation of our analysis. It increases with growing income, education and car ownership as well as decreasing household size. Income is not more important than most other socio-economic determinants of the carbon footprint. Possibly, the relationship between lifestyles and infrastructure only impacts carbon footprints significantly at higher spatial granularity.

Where to Settle—Settlement Preferences of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Choice of Habitat at a Micro Spatial Scale

PubMed Central

Carl, Christina; Poole, Andrew J.; Williams, Mike R.; de Nys, Rocky

2012-01-01

The global mussel aquaculture industry uses specialised spat catching and nursery culture ropes made of multi-filament synthetic and natural fibres to optimise settlement and retention of mussels for on-growing. However, the settlement ecology and preferences of mussels are poorly understood and only sparse information exists in a commercial context. This study quantified the settlement preferences of pediveligers and plantigrades of Mytilus galloprovincialis on increasingly complex surfaces and settlement locations at a micro spatial scale on and within ropes under commercial hatchery operating conditions using optical microscopy and X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT). M. galloprovincialis has clear settlement preferences for more complex materials and high selectivity for settlement sites from the pediveliger through to the plantigrade stage. Pediveligers of M. galloprovincialis initially settle inside specialised culture ropes. Larger pediveligers were located close to the exterior of ropes as they increased in size over time. In contrast, smaller individuals were located deeper inside of the ropes over time. This study demonstrates that X-ray µCT is an excellent non-destructive technique for mapping settlement and attachment sites of individuals as early as one day post settlement, and quantifies the number and location of settled individuals on and within ropes as a tool to understand and optimise settlement in complex multi-dimensional materials and environments. PMID:23251710

The history of human disturbance in forest ecosystems of southern Indiana

Treesearch

Michael A. Jenkins

2013-01-01

The forests of southern Indiana have been shaped and defined by anthropogenic disturbance. Native Americans influenced composition and structure through land clearing and burning, but the scale and rate of human disturbance intensified with European settlement. Sustained settlement led to the loss of forest land to agriculture and livestock grazing. Forests were also...

Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Scaling Properties of Human Settlements (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Small, C.; Milesi, C.; Elvidge, C.; Baugh, K.; Henebry, G. M.; Nghiem, S. V.

2013-12-01

Growth and evolution of cities and smaller settlements is usually studied in the context of population and other socioeconomic variables. While this is logical in the sense that settlements are groups of humans engaged in socioeconomic processes, our means of collecting information about spatio-temporal distributions of population and socioeconomic variables often lack the spatial and temporal resolution to represent the processes at scales which they are known to occur. Furthermore, metrics and definitions often vary with country and through time. However, remote sensing provides globally consistent, synoptic observations of several proxies for human settlement at spatial and temporal resolutions sufficient to represent the evolution of settlements over the past 40 years. We use several independent but complementary proxies for anthropogenic land cover to quantify spatio-temporal (ST) evolution and scaling properties of human settlements globally. In this study we begin by comparing land cover and night lights in 8 diverse settings - each spanning gradients of population density and degree of land surface modification. Stable anthropogenic night light is derived from multi-temporal composites of emitted luminance measured by the VIIRS and DMSP-OLS sensors. Land cover is represented as mixtures of sub-pixel fractions of rock, soil and impervious Substrates, Vegetation and Dark surfaces (shadow, water and absorptive materials) estimated from Landsat imagery with > 94% accuracy. Multi-season stability and variability of land cover fractions effectively distinguishes between spectrally similar land covers that corrupt thematic classifications based on single images. We find that temporal stability of impervious substrates combined with persistent shadow cast between buildings results in temporally stable aggregate reflectance across seasons at the 30 m scale of a Landsat pixel. Comparison of night light brightness with land cover composition, stability and variability yields several consistent relationships that persist across a variety of settlement types and physical environments. We use the multiple threshold method of Small et al (2011) to represent a continuum of settlement density by segmenting both night light brightness and multi-season land cover characteristics. Rank-size distributions of spatially contiguous segments quantify scaling and connectivity of land cover. Spatial and temporal evolution of rank-size distributions is consistent with power laws as suggested by Zipf's Law for city size based on population. However, unlike Zipf's Law, the observed distributions persist to global scales in which the larger agglomerations are much larger than individual cities. The scaling relations observed extend from the scale of cities and smaller settlements up to vast spatial networks of interconnected settlements.

High-resolution isotopic evidence of specialised cattle herding in the European Neolithic

PubMed Central

Doppler, Thomas; Heyd, Volker; Knipper, Corina; Kuhn, Thomas; Lehmann, Moritz F.; Pike, Alistair W. G.; Schibler, Jörg

2017-01-01

Reconstructing stock herding strategies and land use is key to comprehending past human social organization and economy. We present laser-ablation strontium and carbon isotope data from 25 cattle (Bos taurus) to reconstruct mobility and infer herding management at the Swiss lakeside settlement of Arbon Bleiche 3, occupied for only 15 years (3384–3370 BC). Our results reveal three distinct isotopic patterns that likely reflect different herding strategies: 1) localized cattle herding, 2) seasonal movement, and 3) herding away from the site year-round. Different strategies of herding are not uniformly represented in various areas of the settlement, which indicates specialist modes of cattle management. The pressure on local fodder capacities and the need for alternative herding regimes must have involved diverse access to grazing resources. Consequently, the increasing importance of cattle in the local landscape was likely to have contributed to the progress of socio-economic differentiation in early agricultural societies in Europe. PMID:28746367

Global distribution of Y-chromosome haplogroup C reveals the prehistoric migration routes of African exodus and early settlement in East Asia.

PubMed

Zhong, Hua; Shi, Hong; Qi, Xue-Bin; Xiao, Chun-Jie; Jin, Li; Ma, Runlin Z; Su, Bing

2010-07-01

The regional distribution of an ancient Y-chromosome haplogroup C-M130 (Hg C) in Asia provides an ideal tool of dissecting prehistoric migration events. We identified 465 Hg C individuals out of 4284 males from 140 East and Southeast Asian populations. We genotyped these Hg C individuals using 12 Y-chromosome biallelic markers and 8 commonly used Y-short tandem repeats (Y-STRs), and performed phylogeographic analysis in combination with the published data. The results show that most of the Hg C subhaplogroups have distinct geographical distribution and have undergone long-time isolation, although Hg C individuals are distributed widely across Eurasia. Furthermore, a general south-to-north and east-to-west cline of Y-STR diversity is observed with the highest diversity in Southeast Asia. The phylogeographic distribution pattern of Hg C supports a single coastal 'Out-of-Africa' route by way of the Indian subcontinent, which eventually led to the early settlement of modern humans in mainland Southeast Asia. The northward expansion of Hg C in East Asia started approximately 40 thousand of years ago (KYA) along the coastline of mainland China and reached Siberia approximately 15 KYA and finally made its way to the Americas.

Effects of past logging and grazing on understory plant communities in a montane Colorado forest

Treesearch

Paula J. Fornwalt; Merrill R. Kaufmann; Laurie S. Huckaby

2009-01-01

Throughout Pinus ponderosa-Pseudotsuga menziesii forests of the southern Colorado Front Range, USA, intense logging and domestic grazing began at the time of Euro-American settlement in the late 1800s and continued until the early 1900s. We investigated the long-term impacts of these settlement-era activities on understory plant...

Human footprints in Central Mexico older than 40,000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Silvia; Huddart, David; Bennett, Matthew R.; González-Huesca, Alberto

2006-02-01

The timing, route and origin of the first colonization to the Americas remains one of the most contentious topics in human evolution. A number of migration routes have been suggested and there are different views as to the antiquity of the earliest human occupation. Some believe that settlement happened as early as 30 ka BP, but most of the currently accepted early sites in North America date to the latest Pleistocene, related to the expansion of the Clovis culture, while the oldest directly radiocarbon dated human remains are 11.5 ka BP. In this context new evidence is presented in this paper, in the form of human footprints preserved in indurated volcanic ash, to suggest that Central Mexico was inhabited as early as over 40 ka BP. Human and animal footprints have been found within the upper bedding surfaces of the Xalnene volcanic ash layer that outcrops in the Valsequillo Basin, south of Puebla, Mexico. This ash layer was produced by a subaqueous monogenetic volcano erupting within a palaeo-lake, dammed by lava within the Valsequillo Basin during the Pleistocene. The footprints were formed during low stands in lake level along the former shorelines and indicate the presence of humans, deer, canids, big felids, and probably camels and bovids. The footprints were buried by ash and lake sediments as lake levels rose and transgressed across the site. The ash has been dated to at least 40 ka BP by OSL dating of incorporated, baked lake sediments.

Human activity and landscape change at Adjiyska Vodenitsa, central Bulgaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiverrell, R. C.; Archibald, Z.

2009-04-01

The Classical and early Hellenistic settlement located at Adjiyska Vodenitsa, near Vetren, in the centre of ancient Thrace, is somewhat unusual in displaying well-preserved evidence for the commercial and cultural interactions associated with a river port. The settlement evolved through a series of phases, with traces of activity emerging around the beginning of the fifth, advancing to a progressive close in the second century BCE. The settlement at Adjiyska Vodenitsa owed its raison d'être to river traffic, with the river as the primary means for importing commodities (non-local amphorae and roof tiles). The Pistiros inscription indicates that overland traffic was also important, presumably over the Rhodopes Mountains to the south. The relationship between the site and the Maritsa River is thus important. Located towards the head of the Maritsa basin downstream of the Momina Klissoura gorge near Belovo, the settlement is perched on a steeply-edged toe of the Vetren tributary alluvial fan, with the bluff trimmed by the migrating River Maritsa. The site is c.12-14 metres above the current bed of the River Maritsa, high and dry away from contemporary flooding, intriguing given evidence for flooding during occupation. The fluvial system has clearly been dynamic and changed much during the last 3000 years. Changes in the Maritsa have been constrained with radiocarbon ages obtained for two fan terrace levels. Active channel and overbank environments of the higher B1 terrace are dated to c. 520-400 cal. BC and provide a terminus post quem for the incision to the lower terrace (B2). The radiocarbon dating of basal contexts from the lower terrace palaeo-channels provides a terminus ante quem for abandonment of the higher terrace of cal. AD 1010-1150. Thus basal lowering and a shift to greater lateral channel activity appear to coincide with the abandonment of Adjiyska Vodenitsa. Upstream of the Momina Klissoura Gorge evidence for heightened geomorphic activity probably reflects processes during the late Holocene, with the low level hill slopes flanking the river littered with small agricultural communities. It is easy to envisage the landscape as one made susceptible to erosion by human activity feeding materials through the Momina Klissoura Gorge to the Belovo fan near the settlement at Adjiyska Vodenitsa. Sharp increases in non-arboreal pollen during the period 2880-1620 BP, associated with Greek and Roman times, in the Rila Mountains, have been attributed to seasonal animal husbandry in the higher mountains, with associated permanent settlement in the surrounding lowlands.

Historical and Contemporary DNA Indicate Fisher Decline and Isolation Occurred Prior to the European Settlement of California

PubMed Central

Tucker, Jody M.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Truex, Richard L.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Allendorf, Fred W.

2012-01-01

Establishing if species contractions were the result of natural phenomena or human induced landscape changes is essential for managing natural populations. Fishers (Martes pennanti) in California occur in two geographically and genetically isolated populations in the northwestern mountains and southern Sierra Nevada. Their isolation is hypothesized to have resulted from a decline in abundance and distribution associated with European settlement in the 1800s. However, there is little evidence to establish that fisher occupied the area between the two extant populations at that time. We analyzed 10 microsatellite loci from 275 contemporary and 21 historical fisher samples (1880–1920) to evaluate the demographic history of fisher in California. We did not find any evidence of a recent (post-European) bottleneck in the northwestern population. In the southern Sierra Nevada, genetic subdivision within the population strongly influenced bottleneck tests. After accounting for genetic subdivision, we found a bottleneck signal only in the northern and central portions of the southern Sierra Nevada, indicating that the southernmost tip of these mountains may have acted as a refugium for fisher during the anthropogenic changes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Using a coalescent-based Bayesian analysis, we detected a 90% decline in effective population size and dated the time of decline to over a thousand years ago. We hypothesize that fisher distribution in California contracted to the two current population areas pre-European settlement, and that portions of the southern Sierra Nevada subsequently experienced another more recent bottleneck post-European settlement. PMID:23300783

Accessibility and socio-economic development of human settlements.

PubMed

Hasan, Samiul; Wang, Xiaoming; Khoo, Yong Bing; Foliente, Greg

2017-01-01

Access to facilities, services and socio-economic opportunities plays a critical role in the growth and decline of cities and human settlements. Previous attempts to explain changes in socio-economic indicators by differences in accessibility have not been convincing as countries with highly developed transport infrastructure have only seen marginal benefits of infrastructure improvements. Australia offers an ideal case for investigating the effects of accessibility on development since it is seen as home to some of the most liveable cities in the world while, at the same time, it also has some of the most isolated settlements. We investigate herein the connectivity and accessibility of all 1814 human settlements (population centers exceeding 200 persons) in Australia, and how they relate to the socio-economic characteristics of, and opportunities in, each population center. Assuming population as a proxy indicator of available opportunities, we present a simple ranking metric for a settlement using the number of population and the distance required to access all other settlements (and the corresponding opportunities therein). We find a strikingly unequal distribution of access to opportunities in Australia, with a marked prominence of opportunities in capital cities in four of the eight states. The two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne have a dominant position across all socio-economic indicators, compared to all the other cities. In general, we observe across all the settlements that a decrease in access to opportunities is associated with relatively greater socio-economic disadvantage including increased median age and unemployment rate and decreased median household income. Our methodology can be used to better understand the potential benefits of improved accessibility based on infrastructure development, especially for remote areas and for cities and towns with many socio-economically disadvantaged population.

Accessibility and socio-economic development of human settlements

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaoming; Khoo, Yong Bing; Foliente, Greg

2017-01-01

Access to facilities, services and socio-economic opportunities plays a critical role in the growth and decline of cities and human settlements. Previous attempts to explain changes in socio-economic indicators by differences in accessibility have not been convincing as countries with highly developed transport infrastructure have only seen marginal benefits of infrastructure improvements. Australia offers an ideal case for investigating the effects of accessibility on development since it is seen as home to some of the most liveable cities in the world while, at the same time, it also has some of the most isolated settlements. We investigate herein the connectivity and accessibility of all 1814 human settlements (population centers exceeding 200 persons) in Australia, and how they relate to the socio-economic characteristics of, and opportunities in, each population center. Assuming population as a proxy indicator of available opportunities, we present a simple ranking metric for a settlement using the number of population and the distance required to access all other settlements (and the corresponding opportunities therein). We find a strikingly unequal distribution of access to opportunities in Australia, with a marked prominence of opportunities in capital cities in four of the eight states. The two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne have a dominant position across all socio-economic indicators, compared to all the other cities. In general, we observe across all the settlements that a decrease in access to opportunities is associated with relatively greater socio-economic disadvantage including increased median age and unemployment rate and decreased median household income. Our methodology can be used to better understand the potential benefits of improved accessibility based on infrastructure development, especially for remote areas and for cities and towns with many socio-economically disadvantaged population. PMID:28636630

Human Lunar Destiny: Past, Present, and Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fletcher, David

2002-01-01

This paper offers conceptual strategy and rationale for returning astronauts to the moon. NASA's historic Apollo program enabled humans to make the first expeditionary voyages to the moon and to gather and return samples back to the earth for further study. To continue exploration of the moon within the next ten to fifteen years, one possible mission concept for returning astronauts using existing launch vehicle infrastructure is presented. During these early lunar missions, expeditionary trips are made to geographical destinations and permanent outposts are established at the lunar south pole. As these missions continue, mining operations begin in an effort to learn how to live off the land. Over time, a burgeoning economy based on mining and scientific activity emerges with the formation of more accommodating settlements and surface infrastructure assets. As lunar activity advances, surface infrastructure assets grow and become more complex, lunar settlements and outposts are established across the globe, travel to and from the moon becomes common place, and commerce between earth and the moon develops and flourishes. Colonization and development of the moon is completed with the construction of underground cities and the establishment of a full range of political, religious, educational, and recreational institutions with a diverse population from all nations of the world. Finally, rationale for diversifying concentrations of humanity throughout earth's neighborhood and the greater solar system is presented.

Functional Traits Differ between Cereal Crop Progenitors and Other Wild Grasses Gathered in the Neolithic Fertile Crescent

PubMed Central

Cunniff, Jennifer; Wilkinson, Sarah; Charles, Michael; Jones, Glynis; Rees, Mark; Osborne, Colin P.

2014-01-01

The reasons why some plant species were selected as crops and others were abandoned during the Neolithic emergence of agriculture are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that the traits of Fertile Crescent crop progenitors were advantageous in the fertile, disturbed habitats surrounding early settlements and in cultivated fields. We screened functional traits related to competition and disturbance in a group of grass species that were increasingly exploited by early plant gatherers, and that were later domesticated (crop progenitors); and in a set of grass species for which there is archaeological evidence of gathering, but which were never domesticated (wild species). We hypothesised that crop progenitors would have greater seed mass, growth rate, height and yield than wild species, as these traits are indicative of greater competitive ability, and that crop progenitors would be more resilient to defoliation. Our results show that crop progenitors have larger seed mass than wild species, germinate faster and have greater seedling size. Increased seed size is weakly but positively correlated with a higher growth rate, which is primarily driven by greater biomass assimilation per unit leaf area. Crop progenitors also tend to have a taller stature, greater grain yield and higher resilience to defoliation. Collectively, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that adaptations to competition and disturbance gave crop progenitors a selective advantage in the areas surrounding early human settlements and in cultivated environments, leading to their adoption as crops through processes of unconscious selection. PMID:24489941

A key phase in the recruitment dynamics of coral reef fishes: post-settlement transition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaufman, L.; Ebersole, J.L.; Beets, Jim; McIvor, Carole

1992-01-01

Recent studies of recruitment dynamics in demersal fishes have placed major emphasis on presettlement mortality, and little on events bridging late larval and early juvenile periods. Observations on 68 taxa of Caribbean coral reef fishes before and during settlement revealed the existence of a distinct post-settlement life phase called the transition juvenile, associated with the act of recruitment. Transition juveniles were found as solitary individuals, in conspecific groups, or in heterospecific groups. The groups were either uniform or heterogenous in appearance. The complexity of the transition phase and its apparently widespread occurrence in coral reef fishes suggests that important aspects of population structure may be determined between settlement and first appearance as a full-fledged juvenile.

Weathering the empire: meteorological research in the early British Straits Settlements.

PubMed

Williamson, Fiona

2015-09-01

This article explores meteorological interest and experimentation in the early history of the Straits Settlements. It centres on the establishment of an observatory in 1840s Singapore and examines the channels that linked the observatory to a global community of scientists, colonial officers and a reading public. It will argue that, although the value of overseas meteorological investigation was recognized by the British government, investment was piecemeal and progress in the field often relied on the commitment and enthusiasm of individuals. In the Straits Settlements, as elsewhere, these individuals were drawn from military or medical backgrounds, rather than trained as dedicated scientists. Despite this, meteorology was increasingly recognized as of fundamental importance to imperial interests. Thus this article connects meteorology with the history of science and empire more fully and examines how research undertaken in British dependencies is revealing of the operation of transnational networks in the exchange of scientific knowledge.

Land use dynamics in favorable and unfavorable areas of southwest Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henkner, Jessica; Ahlrichs, Jan; Knopf, Thomas; Scholten, Thomas; Kühn, Peter

2017-04-01

Since the Neolithic Revolution and the beginning of agriculture in central Europe about 7.500 a ago human influence on the environment is increasing. Human activities created a cultural landscape during the Holocene, which led to quasi-natural relief formation. Colluvial deposits are the correlate sediments of human induced soil erosion on slopes and depict an excellent archive for land use and landscape history. The present study combines pedological, archaeological and palynological knowledge with AMS 14C and luminescence datings to build up a chronostratigraphy of colluvial deposits, thereby allowing the reconstruction of past land use and settlement dynamics in the Baar and the Black Forest (SW Germany). Compared with Black Forest the Baar is a favorable area for agricultural land use, where seven main phases of colluvial deposition could be detected. Increased colluviation, and thus land use intensity, took place during the younger Neolithic ( 3700 BCE), the early to middle Bronze Age ( 1400 BCE), the Iron Age ( 500 BCE), the Roman Empire ( 200 CE) and in three phases from the High Middle Ages onwards ( 1100 CE, 1300 CE, 1600 CE). The Black Forest low mountain range is an unfavorable area characterized by low temperatures, high precipitation and steep slopes. Nevertheless, human influence dates back to the Neolithic in the Black Forest. Minor colluvial deposition phases were detected before the Middle Ages and increased formation of colluvial deposits during the High Middle Ages ( 1100 CE) and the Modern Times (>1500 CE). This colluvial stratigraphy shows an intense land use of the Black Forest area from the Middle Ages onwards. The different land use dynamics in the Baar area compared to the Black Forest will be discussed against the paleoenvironmental conditions reconstructed from different archives. It is to analyze whether climate was the main determining factor for the settlement pattern in time and space or if there were other factors responsible. Such other factors might be: different human motivations to settle the land depending on natural or cultural resources, conflicts in neighboring areas or trading relations. Feedback mechanisms of the anthropogenically altered landscape might also interact and determine settlement and land use dynamics.

12 CFR 1024.39 - Early intervention requirements for certain borrowers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Early intervention requirements for certain... SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES ACT (REGULATION X) Mortgage Servicing § 1024.39 Early intervention requirements for... of the user, the revised text is set forth as follows: § 1024.39 Early intervention requirements for...

The Problems of Human Settlements. Draper World Population Fund Report, No. 2, Spring 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piotrow, Phyllis T., Ed.

This report contains ten papers dealing with population growth that focus attention on the quality of life in human settlements and the values and practical policies to be sought. Some of the papers were prepared for the Habitat Conference convened in Vancouver by world governments in June 1976. The first paper discusses world action plans for…

Near-reef elemental signals in the otoliths of settling Pomacentrus amboinensis (Pomacentridae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sih, Tiffany L.; Kingsford, Michael J.

2016-03-01

Settlement is a key life history transition for coral reef fishes, and how long a fish spends close to a reef prior to settlement is poorly understood. We used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and otolith microstructure analysis (daily increments and settlement marks) to determine the length of time larval fish spend near a reef prior to settlement. The otoliths of Pomacentrus amboinensis collected from four neighbouring reefs in the southern Great Barrier Reef showed clear and consistent differences in their elemental signatures prior to and following settlement. Elevated Ba:Ca near settlement and post-settlement was found in fish from all four reefs. However, there was individual variation in elemental profiles, with an increased otolith Ba-to-Ca ratio (near-reef signature) at settlement in 33 % of fish, and up to 8 d prior to settlement in others. Increment widths, often used as a proxy for growth, decreased approaching the settlement mark for all fish, providing further evidence for a "search phase" in larvae. We demonstrated experimentally that otoliths of fish kept in reefal or inter-reefal waters had different elemental chemistry. There were differences in the elemental composition of water samples within the study area, but no consistent trends with distance from reefs. There was poor discrimination of multi-element signatures among fish from different reefs during their pre-settlement phases. However, discrimination improved in the settlement and post-settlement phases of otoliths, indicating that reef waters and perhaps stage of ontogeny affected otolith chemistry. This study demonstrated clear near-reef elemental signatures in fish around settlement. We suggest these differences are due to a combination of water chemistry and physiological influences (e.g., growth). Combining LA-ICP-MS with otolith microstructure analysis can provide high-resolution information on the early life history of reef fishes. Further, a near-reef "search phase" prior to settlement may be common in reef fishes.

Pollen reconstructions, tree-rings and early climate data from Minnesota, USA: a cautionary tale of bias and signal attentuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

St-Jacques, J. M.; Cumming, B. F.; Smol, J. P.; Sauchyn, D.

2015-12-01

High-resolution proxy reconstructions are essential to assess the rate and magnitude of anthropogenic global warming. High-resolution pollen records are being critically examined for the production of accurate climate reconstructions of the last millennium, often as extensions of tree-ring records. Past climate inference from a sedimentary pollen record depends upon the stationarity of the pollen-climate relationship. However, humans have directly altered vegetation, and hence modern pollen deposition is a product of landscape disturbance and climate, unlike in the past with its dominance of climate-derived processes. This could cause serious bias in pollen reconstructions. In the US Midwest, direct human impacts have greatly altered the vegetation and pollen rain since Euro-American settlement in the mid-19th century. Using instrumental climate data from the early 1800s from Fort Snelling (Minnesota), we assessed the bias from the conventional method of inferring climate from pollen assemblages in comparison to a calibration set from pre-settlement pollen assemblages and the earliest instrumental climate data. The pre-settlement calibration set provides more accurate reconstructions of 19th century temperature than the modern set does. When both calibration sets are used to reconstruct temperatures since AD 1116 from a varve-dated pollen record from Lake Mina, Minnesota, the conventional method produces significant low-frequency (centennial-scale) signal attenuation and positive bias of 0.8-1.7 oC, resulting in an overestimation of Little Ice Age temperature and an underestimation of anthropogenic warming. We also compared the pollen-inferred moisture reconstruction to a four-century tree-ring-inferred moisture record from Minnesota and Dakotas, which shows that the tree-ring reconstruction is biased towards dry conditions and records wet periods relatively poorly, giving a false impression of regional aridity. The tree-ring chronology also suggests varve chronology problems. It remains to be explored how widespread this landscape disturbance problem is when conventional pollen-based inference methods are used, and consequently how seriously regional manifestations of global warming might have been underestimated with traditional pollen-based techniques.

Biology as a Key Technological Foundation for Settlement Beyond Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothschild, L. J.; Navarrete, J.; Kent, R. E.; McCutcheon, G.; Pless, E.; Paulino-Lima, I. G.

2017-01-01

Moving materials beyond Earth, whether spacecraft, living organisms, or both, is limited by mass constraints. Yet human survival requires an extensive infrastructure, from environmental regulation to life support. In practice this means habitats, food, oxygen, waste recycling, medicine and so on. Thus, there is a mismatch between what will be required in transit and at destination to fulfill dreams of human settlements and what can realistically moved there. Further, settlement off planet with current transportation systems requires the ability to operate independently of the Earth for prolonged periods of time, requiring long-term storage of supplies and the flexibilityto satisfy new needs.

Fire and bats in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic: more questions than answers?

Treesearch

Timothy C. Carter; W. Mark Ford; Michael A. Menzel

2002-01-01

The role and impact of fire in Southeastern ecosystems has changed dramatically from pre-European and early settlement times through present day. Regionally, pre-settlement fires were caused either by Native Americans throughout the year or by lighting-caused wildfires during the growing season. Today, much of the prescribed burning for forest and game management...

Categories and Terrains of Exclusion: Constructing the "Indian Woman" in the Early Settlement Era in Western Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Sarah

1993-01-01

Describes negative images of Metis and Aboriginal women during the late 1800s in western Canada amid White settlement of Metis land. Discusses the perceived immorality of Indian women; marriages between Indian women and Northwest Mounted Police; physical abuse, sexual abuse, and murder of Native women; and a pass system implemented to bar…

Mapping pre-European settlement vegetation at fine resolutions using a hierarchical Bayesian model and GIS

Treesearch

Hong S. He; Daniel C. Dey; Xiuli Fan; Mevin B. Hooten; John M. Kabrick; Christopher K. Wikle; Zhaofei. Fan

2007-01-01

In the Midwestern United States, the GeneralLandOffice (GLO) survey records provide the only reasonably accurate data source of forest composition and tree species distribution at the time of pre-European settlement (circa late 1800 to early 1850). However, GLO data have two fundamental limitations: coarse spatial resolutions (the square mile section and half mile...

The Evolution of a Tri-Cultural Pattern of Settlements in Hispano New Mexico.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helbock, Richard W.

The first settlements in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, were the 14th century Tewa Indian Pueblos, autonomous socio-economic units based on agriculture. Similar Hispano villages were founded by colonists beginning in the late 16th century and continuing to the early 19th century, when the Chama Valley was used increasingly as a trade route. After…

Frequency of sprout-origin trees in pre-European settlement forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains

Treesearch

Carolyn A. Copenheaver; Tara L. Keyser

2016-01-01

We hypothesized that tree form, recorded in historical public land surveys, would provide a valuable proxy record of regeneration patterns during early-European settlement of North America's eastern deciduous forest. To test this hypothesis, we tallied stem form from witness trees used in land survey records in the southern Appalachian Mountains from 13 counties...

School-Work and Mother-Work: The Interplay of Maternalism and Cultural Politics in the Educational Narratives of Kentucky Settlement Workers, 1910-1930.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tice, Karen W.

1998-01-01

In the early 1900s, college-educated women who came to Appalachia as reformers and teachers developed contradictory relationships with Appalachian mothers. Writings of Lucy Furman and Ethel deLong, who worked in eastern Kentucky settlement schools, reveal intimate cooperative relationships with mothers, even as teachers aimed to replace…

The utilization characteristics of social facilities in the border area of Semarang city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setioko, Bambang; Olivia, Deasy; Pandelaki, Edward E.; Murtini, Titien Woro

2017-06-01

The rapid growth of settlement in border areas is often considered as a problem of big cities in Indonesia, where people from rural areas prefer to move out and settle in the border areas of big cities due to the provision of better social facilities. Border areas generally do not receive adequate attention and are often overlooked by the local government. It is a common phenomenon in Indonesian cities, including in Semarang City. Increased number of settlements in the border areas in Semarang City is in linear with spontaneous urbanization processes which indicate the heterogeneity emerging of settlement areas. In the early stages of Semarang City spatial planning, the need for social facilities in border areas is included based on the regular standard which is commonly applied to the urban core. In a very short period, the numbers and types of existing social facilities are insufficient to fulfill the needs of the community. Nowadays, in the context of rapid urbanization, the growth of social facilities in border areas is very high. The intense growth of settlements in border areas is very high due to the low price of land in Demak Regency in compared to those of other areas in Semarang City. However, only a few developers involved social facilities as a part of housing estate construction. Consequently, most of the occupants utilize a limited number of social facilities provided by the municipal government, which are actually intended to serve the citizens of Semarang City. This research was conducted at Sendang Mulyo Village which is located in the border of Semarang municipal administrative area and included in Demak Regency. This paper discusses the utilization characteristics of social facilities in the border area of Semarang City, with the aim to get the trigger factors. The method analysis consisted of a statistical test and descriptive analysis. The utilization characteristics were formulated based on the relationship between neighborhood and human behavior. The settlements in the border area of Semarang City have different characteristics. The differences led to a gap of the utilization of facilities between people who live in the planned and unplanned settlement. Therefore, the social spatial concept is required to address the issue.

Characterizing dynamic spatial and temporal residential density patterns from 1940-1990 across the North Central United States

Treesearch

Roger B. Hammer; Susan I. Stewart; Richelle L. Winkler; Volker C. Radeloff; Paul R. Voss

2004-01-01

The spatial deconcentration of population during the 20th century and the resulting expansion of human settlements has been a significant cause of anthropogenic landscape change in the United States and many other countries. In the seven-state North Central Region, as in other regions of the US, changing human settlement patterns are most prominent at the outlying...

Coral Settlement on a Highly Disturbed Equatorial Reef System

PubMed Central

Bauman, Andrew G.; Guest, James R.; Dunshea, Glenn; Low, Jeffery; Todd, Peter A.; Steinberg, Peter D.

2015-01-01

Processes occurring early in the life stages of corals can greatly influence the demography of coral populations, and successful settlement of coral larvae that leads to recruitment is a critical life history stage for coral reef ecosystems. Although corals in Singapore persist in one the world’s most anthropogenically impacted reef systems, our understanding of the role of coral settlement in the persistence of coral communities in Singapore remains limited. Spatial and temporal patterns of coral settlement were examined at 7 sites in the southern islands of Singapore, using settlement tiles deployed and collected every 3 months from 2011 to 2013. Settlement occurred year round, but varied significantly across time and space. Annual coral settlement was low (~54.72 spat m-2 yr-1) relative to other equatorial regions, but there was evidence of temporal variation in settlement rates. Peak settlement occurred between March–May and September–November, coinciding with annual coral spawning periods (March–April and October), while the lowest settlement occurred from December–February during the northeast monsoon. A period of high settlement was also observed between June and August in the first year (2011/12), possibly due to some species spawning outside predicted spawning periods, larvae settling from other locations or extended larval settlement competency periods. Settlement rates varied significantly among sites, but spatial variation was relatively consistent between years, suggesting the strong effects of local coral assemblages or environmental conditions. Pocilloporidae were the most abundant coral spat (83.6%), while Poritidae comprised only 6% of the spat, and Acroporidae <1%. Other, unidentifiable families represented 10% of the coral spat. These results indicate that current settlement patterns are reinforcing the local adult assemblage structure (‘others’; i.e. sediment-tolerant coral taxa) in Singapore, but that the replenishment capacity of Singapore’s reefs appears relatively constrained, which could lead to less resilient reefs. PMID:25992562

Coral settlement on a highly disturbed equatorial reef system.

PubMed

Bauman, Andrew G; Guest, James R; Dunshea, Glenn; Low, Jeffery; Todd, Peter A; Steinberg, Peter D

2015-01-01

Processes occurring early in the life stages of corals can greatly influence the demography of coral populations, and successful settlement of coral larvae that leads to recruitment is a critical life history stage for coral reef ecosystems. Although corals in Singapore persist in one the world's most anthropogenically impacted reef systems, our understanding of the role of coral settlement in the persistence of coral communities in Singapore remains limited. Spatial and temporal patterns of coral settlement were examined at 7 sites in the southern islands of Singapore, using settlement tiles deployed and collected every 3 months from 2011 to 2013. Settlement occurred year round, but varied significantly across time and space. Annual coral settlement was low (~54.72 spat m(-2) yr(-1)) relative to other equatorial regions, but there was evidence of temporal variation in settlement rates. Peak settlement occurred between March-May and September-November, coinciding with annual coral spawning periods (March-April and October), while the lowest settlement occurred from December-February during the northeast monsoon. A period of high settlement was also observed between June and August in the first year (2011/12), possibly due to some species spawning outside predicted spawning periods, larvae settling from other locations or extended larval settlement competency periods. Settlement rates varied significantly among sites, but spatial variation was relatively consistent between years, suggesting the strong effects of local coral assemblages or environmental conditions. Pocilloporidae were the most abundant coral spat (83.6%), while Poritidae comprised only 6% of the spat, and Acroporidae <1%. Other, unidentifiable families represented 10% of the coral spat. These results indicate that current settlement patterns are reinforcing the local adult assemblage structure ('others'; i.e. sediment-tolerant coral taxa) in Singapore, but that the replenishment capacity of Singapore's reefs appears relatively constrained, which could lead to less resilient reefs.

Features of the method of large-scale paleolandscape reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nizovtsev, Vyacheslav; Erman, Natalia; Graves, Irina

2017-04-01

The method of paleolandscape reconstructions was tested in the key area of the basin of the Central Dubna, located at the junction of the Taldom and Sergiev Posad districts of the Moscow region. A series of maps was created which shows paleoreconstructions of the original (indigenous) living environment of initial settlers during main time periods of the Holocene age and features of human interaction with landscapes at the early stages of economic development of the territory (in the early and middle Holocene). The sequence of these works is as follows. 1. Comprehensive analysis of topographic maps of different scales and aerial and satellite images, stock materials of geological and hydrological surveys and prospecting of peat deposits, archaeological evidence on ancient settlements, palynological and osteological analysis, analysis of complex landscape and archaeological studies. 2. Mapping of factual material and analyzing of the spatial distribution of archaeological sites were performed. 3. Running of a large-scale field landscape mapping (sample areas) and compiling of maps of the modern landscape structure. On this basis, edaphic properties of the main types of natural boundaries were analyzed and their resource base was determined. 4. Reconstruction of lake-river system during the main periods of the Holocene. The boundaries of restored paleolakes were determined based on power and territorial confinement of decay ooze. 5. On the basis of landscape and edaphic method the actual paleolandscape reconstructions for the main periods of the Holocene were performed. During the reconstructions of the original, indigenous flora we relied on data of palynological studies conducted on the studied area or in similar landscape conditions. 6. The result was a retrospective analysis and periodization of the settlement process, economic development and the formation of the first anthropogenically transformed landscape complexes. The reconstruction of the dynamics of the development of landscapes and lake system in the early and middle Holocene in the middle reaches of the river Dubna helped restore paleo-ecological picture and nature use system in the studied area in the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age. The settlements, existing during several eras, are located mostly at the confluence of rivers or streams in a lake or the main river, i.e., points of the highest concentration of fish, with good overview of areas and existing water barrier against predators. Therefore, monuments of the Mesolithic and Neolithic are mainly located in dense groups. In the Bronze Age there is a transition to a producing economy - floodplain cattle breeding. The monuments of the Bronze Age, and not just settlements, were scattered farther away over the territory, in contrast to the monuments of previous eras. Apparently, Fatyanovo people, by virtue of their producing economy, were less tied to a particular landscape complexes and the resource base was crucial for cultures of appropriating economy (Mesolithic, Neolithic). Based on the analysis of open settlement locations, we can conclude that the studied settlements were clearly incorporated into the landscape conditions needed for settlers' living. The work is performed under project № 17-05-00662of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research

Palaeoenvironmental and coastal changes within the context of early Phoenician colonization in the southern Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, Simon Matthias; Marzoli, Dirce; Moret, Pierre; Brill, Dominik; León Martín, César; Brückner, Helmut

2016-04-01

During the last decade, new chronological data resulted in a re-evaluation of the timing of initial Phoenician colonization in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Against this background, follow-up archaeological studies aimed at improving our understanding of the early contact with the local indigenous population, trading patterns, and knowledge exchange during the time of the first Phoenician colonial settlements. Separated by a distance of only 40 km, and situated in the northwest and northeast of the Strait of Gibraltar (Andalusia, Spain) and thus in a strategically important - yet understudied - area, two of the most important Late Bronze/Early Iron Age settlements in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, La Silla del Papa (Cádiz) and Los Castillejos de Alcorrín (Málaga), have been subject to archaeological investigations during the recent past. Previous geoscientific studies carried out in the lower Río Guadiaro valley and in the direct vicinity of the Phoenician settlement Montilla some 10 km southwest of Alcorrín during the mid-eighties lacked detail, particularly in terms of chronological resolution. Thus, ongoing geoarchaeological research embedded in a German-French DFG-funded interdisciplinary project ("Archeostraits") aims at (i) deciphering palaeoenvironmental and coastal changes in the surroundings of the two mentioned settlements throughout the mid- to late Holocene; (ii) constraining palaeoenvironmental conditions during early Phoenician colonization; and (iii) better understanding human-environment interactions during the Iron Age. This study presents first data collected within the framework of the "Archeostraits" project in the surroundings of both the Atlantic (La Silla del Papa) and Mediterranean (Los Castillejos de Alcorrín) areas of research during two field campaigns in 2015. Research permits were granted by the Consejería de Cultura, Junta de Andalucía. The preliminary interpretation of coring transects along the lower Río Guadiaro (Málaga/Cádiz) allows for the differentiation of successive palaeoenvironments and for establishing a local chronostratigraphy for the sedimentary infill of the valley. Based on these results, the deposition of shallow marine sands, overlying pro-deltaic deposits of alternating sand and mud, and the subsequent development of lagoonal conditions in the lower Guadiaro valley took place before the Phoenicians established first colonies along the coast. Vibracorings carried out in the eastern part of the Laguna de La Janda (Cádiz) point to a distinct phase during which fluvial deposition by the Río Almodóvar dominated. These sandy units interrupt two separate periods of fine-grained, limnic to semi-terrestrial sedimentation. Future work will include further chronological investigations as well as microfaunal, pollen and macroplant analyses of suitable sediment cores, potentially allowing for relating our findings to local or even regional palaeoclimatic and sea-level changes.

Ecological and ecophysiological attributes and responses to fire in eastern oak forests

Treesearch

Marc D. Abrams

2006-01-01

Prior to European settlement vast areas of the eastern U. S. deciduous forest were dominated by oak species. Evidence indicates that periodic understory fire was an important ecological factor in the historical development of oak forests. During European settlement of the late 19th and early 20th century, much of the Eastern United States was impacted by land clearing...

Zonal assessment of environmental driven settlement abandonment in the Trans-Tisza region (Central Europe) during the early phase of the Little Ice Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinke, Zsolt; Ferenczi, László; F. Romhányi, Beatrix; Gyulai, Ferenc; Laszlovszky, József; Mravcsik, Zoltán; Pósa, Patricia; Gábris, Gyula

2017-02-01

This investigation focuses on the transformation of the settlement pattern of a lowland landscape as a social response to the hydrological challenges emerging in the late 13th century (c.) overture of the Little Ice Age (LIA). Results of the applied zonal analysis suggested a strong spatial connection between the geomorphological conditions, the agro-ecological suitability (good-excellent, medium and low) and the stability or instability of settlement patterns. The elevation means of archaeological sites in the deserted zones proved significantly lower than those in zones with permanent settlement pattern (Brunner-Munzel test p ≤ 0.01; n = 377). Additionally, the late medieval (14th-mid-16th centuries) site group was situated, on average, significantly higher than the high medieval (late 10th-13th centuries) site group within the permanent zones (Brunner-Munzel test p ≤ 0.01; n = 219). These outcomes statistically confirm that not only did low-lying inhabited areas shrink significantly, but they also displaced vertically in the first phase of the LIA. When analysing the relation of settlement pattern to soil conditions, the proportion of areas with good-excellent agro-ecological suitability proved 1.5-2 times higher in the permanent zones than in the deserted and uninhabited settlement suitability zones. Using the linear model, different regression coefficients appeared between the extension of the high and medium agro-ecological suitability zones and the number of high and late medieval settlements. The different coefficients in the studied two periods suggest that the issue of agroecological suitability in the High Middle Ages did not bear such importance as in the late Middle Ages. The findings of the paper may contribute to answering the question why the relatively dense settlement pattern of the deserted zones was abandoned almost completely by the end of the 13th c. in areas where flood proneness and weak agro-ecological suitability both meant a serious risk for human communities. Finally, we presumed that if hydro-climatic changes increased water levels, they must have changed the plant composition of the studied landscape as well. Chi-squared test of macrofossil plant remains (narchaeological site = 55; ntaxon = 330) shows that the second part of the 13th c. saw the ratio of species from humid habitat types grow (Χ² = 7.81; df = 1; p = 0.02). Comparison of the two studied processes indicates a broad synchronism between the shrinkage of inhabited areas and the increasing proportion of plants with humid environment tolerance during the second part of the 13th c. The reconstructed transformations in the composition of plant remains and settlement structure signal not a mere transitional change, but a 'longue durée' structural transformation of the landscape.

Lunar base as a precursor to Mars exploration and settlement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendell, Wendell W.

1991-01-01

A well planned program of human exploration of the moon is suggested which would provide a base for increasing human capabilities and experience to levels required for Mars exploration. A strategy intended for immediate Mars exploration and settlement is considered to incur serious programmatic risks from current lack of knowledge on human performance on long-duration deep space missions and lack of experience in designing human space systems. The lunar program provides an opportunity to build up space capability in an evolutionary way and to broaden the participation of the educational system in the space exploration.

Detection of Neolithic Settlements in Thessaly (Greece) Through Multispectral and Hyperspectral Satellite Imagery

PubMed Central

Alexakis, Dimitrios; Sarris, Apostolos; Astaras, Theodoros; Albanakis, Konstantinos

2009-01-01

Thessaly is a low relief region in Greece where hundreds of Neolithic settlements/tells called magoules were established from the Early Neolithic period until the Bronze Age (6,000 – 3,000 BC). Multi-sensor remote sensing was applied to the study area in order to evaluate its potential to detect Neolithic settlements. Hundreds of sites were geo-referenced through systematic GPS surveying throughout the region. Data from four primary sensors were used, namely Landsat ETM, ASTER, EO1 - HYPERION and IKONOS. A range of image processing techniques were originally applied to the hyperspectral imagery in order to detect the settlements and validate the results of GPS surveying. Although specific difficulties were encountered in the automatic classification of archaeological features composed by a similar parent material with the surrounding landscape, the results of the research suggested a different response of each sensor to the detection of the Neolithic settlements, according to their spectral and spatial resolution. PMID:22399961

Detection of neolithic settlements in thessaly (Greece) through multispectral and hyperspectral satellite imagery.

PubMed

Alexakis, Dimitrios; Sarris, Apostolos; Astaras, Theodoros; Albanakis, Konstantinos

2009-01-01

Thessaly is a low relief region in Greece where hundreds of Neolithic settlements/tells called magoules were established from the Early Neolithic period until the Bronze Age (6,000 - 3,000 BC). Multi-sensor remote sensing was applied to the study area in order to evaluate its potential to detect Neolithic settlements. Hundreds of sites were geo-referenced through systematic GPS surveying throughout the region. Data from four primary sensors were used, namely Landsat ETM, ASTER, EO1 - HYPERION and IKONOS. A range of image processing techniques were originally applied to the hyperspectral imagery in order to detect the settlements and validate the results of GPS surveying. Although specific difficulties were encountered in the automatic classification of archaeological features composed by a similar parent material with the surrounding landscape, the results of the research suggested a different response of each sensor to the detection of the Neolithic settlements, according to their spectral and spatial resolution.

Larval traits show temporally consistent constraints, but are decoupled from post-settlement juvenile growth, in an intertidal fish.

PubMed

Thia, Joshua A; Riginos, Cynthia; Liggins, Libby; Figueira, Will F; McGuigan, Katrina

2018-05-05

1.Complex life-cycles may evolve to dissociate distinct developmental phases in an organism's lifetime. However, genetic or environmental factors may restrict trait independence across life stages, constraining ontogenetic trajectories. Quantifying covariance across life-stages and their temporal variability is fundamental in understanding life-history phenotypes and potential distributions and consequences for selection. 2.We studied developmental constraints in an intertidal fish (Bathygobius cocosensis: Gobiidae) with a discrete pelagic larval phase and benthic juvenile phase. We tested whether traits occurring earlier in life affected those expressed later, and whether larval traits were decoupled from post-settlement juvenile traits. Sampling distinct cohorts from three annual breeding seasons afforded tests of temporally variability in trait covariance. 3.From otoliths (fish ear stones), we measured hatch size, larval duration, pelagic growth (larval traits) and early post-settlement growth (juvenile trait) in 124 juvenile B. cocoensis. We used path analyses to model trait relationships with respect to their chronological expression, comparing models among seasons. We also modelled the effect of season and hatch date on each individual trait to quantify their inherent variability. 4.Our path analyses demonstrated a decoupling of larval traits on juvenile growth. Within the larval phase, longer larval durations resulted in greater pelagic growth, and larger size-at-settlement. There was also evidence that larger hatch size might reduce larval durations, but this effect was only marginally significant. Although pelagic and post-settlement growth were decoupled, pelagic growth had post-settlement consequences: individuals with high pelagic growth were among the largest fish at settlement, and remained among the largest early post-settlement. We observed no evidence that trait relationships varied among breeding seasons, but larval duration differed among breeding seasons, and was shorter for larvae hatching later within each season. 5.Overall, we demonstrate mixed support for the expectation that traits in different life-stages are independent. While post-settlement growth was decoupled from larval traits, pelagic development had consequences for the size of newly settled juveniles. Temporal consistency in trait covariances implies that genetic and/or environmental factors influencing them were stable over our three-year study. Our work highlights the importance of individual developmental experiences and temporal variability in understanding population distributions of life-history traits. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Diet and mobility in Early Medieval Bavaria: a study of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes.

PubMed

Hakenbeck, Susanne; McManus, Ellen; Geisler, Hans; Grupe, Gisela; O'Connell, Tamsin

2010-10-01

This study investigates patterns of mobility in Early Medieval Bavaria through a combined study of diet and associated burial practice. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analyzed in human bone samples from the Late Roman cemetery of Klettham and from the Early Medieval cemeteries of Altenerding and Straubing-Bajuwarenstrasse. For dietary comparison, samples of faunal bone from one Late Roman and three Early Medieval settlement sites were also analyzed. The results indicate that the average diet was in keeping with a landlocked environment and fairly limited availability of freshwater or marine resources. The diet appears not to have changed significantly from the Late Roman to the Early Medieval period. However, in the population of Altenerding, there were significant differences in the diet of men and women, supporting a hypothesis of greater mobility among women. Furthermore, the isotopic evidence from dietary outliers is supported by "foreign" grave goods and practices, such as artificial skull modification. These results reveal the potential of carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis for questions regarding migration and mobility. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

How Genes Have Illuminated the History of Early Americans and Latino Americans

PubMed Central

Ruiz-Linares, Andrés

2015-01-01

The American continent currently accounts for ∼15% of the world population. Although first settled thousands of years ago and fitting its label as “the New World,” the European colonial expansion initiated in the late 15th century resulted in people from virtually every corner of the globe subsequently settling in the Americas. The arrival of large numbers of immigrants led to a dramatic decline of the Native American population and extensive population mixing. A salient feature of the current human population of the Americas is, thus, its great diversity. The genetic variation of the Native peoples that recent immigrants encountered had been shaped by demographic events acting since the initial peopling of the continent. Similarly, but on a compressed timescale, the colonial history of the Americas has had a major impact on the genetic makeup of the current population of the continent. A range of genetic analyses has been used to study both the ancient settlement of the continent and more recent history of population mixing. Here, I show how these two strands of research overlap and make use of results from other scientific disciplines to produce a fuller picture of the settlement of the continent at different time periods. The biological diversity of the Americas also provides prominent examples of the complex interaction between biological and social factors in constructing human identities and of the difficulties in defining human populations. PMID:25256008

Climatic and environmental conditions favoring the crossing of the Carpathians by early Neolithic populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perşoiu, Ioana; Perşoiu, Aurel

2015-04-01

The study of the origin and spread of Neolithic has been the subject of heated debate since the early studies of Childe (1942). To what extent the dispersal process was influenced by environmental factors is still debated, one of the issues being whether climatic conditions influencing agricultural practices, could have influenced the dispersal route, "blocking" some of the Neolithic societies in front of ecological barriers. Data from Neolithic sites in SE Europe shows that a continuous stream of people and cultures flowed through the Danube's Iron Gates towards Central Europe, while in the eastern part of Europe this process was delayed, people and cultures "moving" around the Carpathians and crossing them with a delay of ca. 1000 years. One of the possible avenues for this crossing is the floodplain of Someşu Mic River (Transylvanian depression), home to the oldest (~8500 cal. BP) Neolithic settlement in Romania. In this paper, we review the climatic and environmental changes that affected the region at the time of Neolithic dispersal. Pollen and stable isotopes in cave ice indicate an early Holocene rapid warming during summer months, peaking around 7 ka cal. BP; and a delayed warming for autumn and winter months, peaking at 5 ka cal. BP, both followed by a continuous cooling trend towards the present. Someşu Mic River developed and maintained a narrow sinuous channel during the Holocene, with local development of meanders and anabranches, in response to both climatic and geologic controlling factors. Archaeological finds in the floodplain and the lower terraces suggest that human societies in the region responded in sensitive manner to these climatic and environmental changes. During warm and dry periods, with low fluvial activity, the number of settlements increased in the floodplain's perimeter, while during the short cold and humid periods, the number of settlements rapidly increased on the lower terraces and on the valley slopes, disappearing from the flooded valley bottom and flash-flood prone alluvial fans. Our results suggest that once reaching the foothills of the Carpathian Mts., early Neolithic communities encountered a forested landscape and rather than clearing it for agriculture, they have moved along the middle Danube towards Pannonia and Central Europe, as well as along the lower reaches of the Danube's tributaries, following the most suitable and easily accessible terrain for agriculture practices.

Settlement scaling and increasing returns in an ancient society

PubMed Central

Ortman, Scott G.; Cabaniss, Andrew H. F.; Sturm, Jennie O.; Bettencourt, Luís M. A.

2015-01-01

A key property of modern cities is increasing returns to scale—the finding that many socioeconomic outputs increase more rapidly than their population size. Recent theoretical work proposes that this phenomenon is the result of general network effects typical of human social networks embedded in space and, thus, is not necessarily limited to modern settlements. We examine the extent to which increasing returns are apparent in archaeological settlement data from the pre-Hispanic Basin of Mexico. We review previous work on the quantitative relationship between population size and average settled area in this society and then present a general analysis of their patterns of monument construction and house sizes. Estimated scaling parameter values and residual statistics support the hypothesis that increasing returns to scale characterized various forms of socioeconomic production available in the archaeological record and are found to be consistent with key expectations from settlement scaling theory. As a consequence, these results provide evidence that the essential processes that lead to increasing returns in contemporary cities may have characterized human settlements throughout history, and demonstrate that increasing returns do not require modern forms of political or economic organization. PMID:26601129

Habitat quality of a subarctic nursery ground for 0-group plaice ( Pleuronectes platessa L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitas, Vânia; Campos, Joana; Skreslet, Stig; van der Veer, Henk W.

2010-07-01

Habitat quality of a subarctic nursery ground in northern Norway for 0-group plaice Pleuronectes platessa was investigated by following settlement, mortality and growth during 2005 and 2006. Newly settled individuals were first observed in the end of May to early June and settlement lasted until mid-July. Densities peaked in early July and were comparable to those reported in temperate nursery grounds. Mortality estimates after settlement differed between 0.062 d -1 in 2005 and 0.025 d -1 in 2006. Potential predators appeared to be rather similar as those reported in other areas: the brown shrimp Crangoncrangon, the shore crab Carcinus maenas and demersal fish species (gadoids). Population mean growth indicated linear growth until August leveling-off afterwards. 0-group plaice reached a lower mean size (5-6 cm) at the end of the growing season than in temperate areas probably due to later settlement timing in combination with lower summer-autumn water temperatures. The comparison of observed growth rates with predictions of maximum growth models indicated a similar pattern as observed in temperate nursery grounds: Growth appeared to be maximal except for the period after summer. Whether or not this was related to changes in food quality throughout the season, to interspecies competition or to emigration remains to be elucidated.

Land use changes and its climatic implications in Northern Italy during the Dark Ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oeggl, Klaus; Oeggl-Wahlmüller, Notburga; Festi, Daniela; Zagermann, Marcus

2016-04-01

Here we present an interdisciplinary study on land use changes in Northern Italy at the transition from the Roman Empire to the Early Middle Ages. The combination of archaeological data and high-resolution pollen analyses carried out in the Fiavè basin (Trentino) provide a detailed insight in socio-economic changes and its implications with climate in the Dark Ages. The vegetation in this area is dominated up to 1000 m by submediterranian trees like Fraxinus ornus and Ostrya carpinifolia, superseded by a mixed Fagus and Abies forest with variable amounts of Picea abies. Since 2008 archaeological surveys in the Fiavè basin as well as excavations conducted on a fortified hill-top settlement (castrum) in 985m register the settlement development of this settlement cluster and reveal an almost continuous occupation from Roman to Early Medieval Times. In addition a high-resolution pollen record from a 1.30 m thick peat sequence of the bog "Palude di Fiave" discloses four main phases: (1) in the Late Iron Age high amounts of arboreal pollen and the spread of Abies demonstrate a decrease in settlement activity suggested by wetter climate conditions. (2) During the Roman Empire a phase with arable farming in the basin starts. Olea, Juglans and Castanea sativa are introduced and document the onset of horticulture in this region. (3) After 300 AD - during the Migration Period - the wet and cool conditions have had poor impact on settlement activity. Agricultural (Cerealia) and nitrophilous indicators (Plantago, Chenopodiaceae, Urticaceae) are continuously proved. However a change within the cultivated crops in relation to the climate conditions is observed. Subsequently a progressive recovery of Pinus followed by Abies and Fagus marks the climatic improvement at the beginning of the Early Medieval Times. (4) The time from 600 to 800 AD is characterized by increasing frequency and diversity of anthropogenic-related indicators. The implications of these land use changes with climate conditions are discussed.

Early Neolithic water wells reveal the world's oldest wood architecture.

PubMed

Tegel, Willy; Elburg, Rengert; Hakelberg, Dietrich; Stäuble, Harald; Büntgen, Ulf

2012-01-01

The European Neolithization ~6000-4000 BC represents a pivotal change in human history when farming spread and the mobile style of life of the hunter-foragers was superseded by the agrarian culture. Permanent settlement structures and agricultural production systems required fundamental innovations in technology, subsistence, and resource utilization. Motivation, course, and timing of this transformation, however, remain debatable. Here we present annually resolved and absolutely dated dendroarchaeological information from four wooden water wells of the early Neolithic period that were excavated in Eastern Germany. A total of 151 oak timbers preserved in a waterlogged environment were dated between 5469 and 5098 BC and reveal unexpectedly refined carpentry skills. The recently discovered water wells enable for the first time a detailed insight into the earliest wood architecture and display the technological capabilities of humans ~7000 years ago. The timbered well constructions made of old oak trees feature an unopened tree-ring archive from which annually resolved and absolutely dated environmental data can be culled. Our results question the principle of continuous evolutionary development in prehistoric technology, and contradict the common belief that metal was necessary for complex timber constructions. Early Neolithic craftsmanship now suggests that the first farmers were also the first carpenters.

The effects of parasites on the early life stages of a damselfish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, D.; Blomberg, S. P.; Cribb, T. H.; McCormick, M. I.; Grutter, A. S.

2012-12-01

Early life history traits, such as larval growth, influence the success of coral reef fish in the transition from the larval to the juvenile life phase. Few studies, however, have examined the relationship between parasites and growth in the early life history stages of such fishes. This study examined how parasite prevalence (% infected) and load, and the relationship between parasite presence and fish growth, differed among life stages of the damselfish Pomacentrus amboinensis. Parasite prevalence decreased significantly between the larval stage, which was sampled immediately before settlement on the reef (97 %) and recently settled juveniles (60 %); prevalence was also high for 4-month-old juveniles (90 %), 7-month-old juveniles (100 %) and adult fish (100 %). Total numbers of parasites per fish decreased dramatically (fourfold) between larval and recently settled fish, and then increased in the older stages to levels similar to those observed in larvae, but they did so more gradually than did prevalence. One explanation for these patterns is that heavily infected larvae were preferentially removed from the population during or soon after settlement. Daily fish growth, determined from otolith increments, revealed that growth did not differ between parasitised and non-parasitised larval fish, whereas recently settled fish that were parasitised had faster growth; these parasitised recently settled fish also displayed faster growth prior to settlement. These data provide evidence that parasites may explain some of the variation in growth and survival observed among coral reef fishes after settlement and thereby have a greater impact on population dynamics than previously understood.

Macroecological factors shape local-scale spatial patterns in agriculturalist settlements.

PubMed

Tao, Tingting; Abades, Sebastián; Teng, Shuqing; Huang, Zheng Y X; Reino, Luís; Chen, Bin J W; Zhang, Yong; Xu, Chi; Svenning, Jens-Christian

2017-11-15

Macro-scale patterns of human systems ranging from population distribution to linguistic diversity have attracted recent attention, giving rise to the suggestion that macroecological rules shape the assembly of human societies. However, in which aspects the geography of our own species is shaped by macroecological factors remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a first demonstration that macroecological factors shape strong local-scale spatial patterns in human settlement systems, through an analysis of spatial patterns in agriculturalist settlements in eastern mainland China based on high-resolution Google Earth images. We used spatial point pattern analysis to show that settlement spatial patterns are characterized by over-dispersion at fine spatial scales (0.05-1.4 km), consistent with territory segregation, and clumping at coarser spatial scales beyond the over-dispersion signals, indicating territorial clustering. Statistical modelling shows that, at macroscales, potential evapotranspiration and topographic heterogeneity have negative effects on territory size, but positive effects on territorial clustering. These relationships are in line with predictions from territory theory for hunter-gatherers as well as for many animal species. Our results help to disentangle the complex interactions between intrinsic spatial processes in agriculturalist societies and external forcing by macroecological factors. While one may speculate that humans can escape ecological constraints because of unique abilities for environmental modification and globalized resource transportation, our work highlights that universal macroecological principles still shape the geography of current human agricultural societies. © 2017 The Author(s).

Human impact on the karst of the Venetian Fore-Alps, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauro, U.

1993-06-01

People have been exploiting the limestone massifs of the Venetian Fore-Alps since prehistory. The fluviokarstic style of the relief and the location of springs were important controls of settlement and land use. Six principal types of exploitation are recognized and overlapped in time: (1) hunting and early farming, Paleolithic to Iron Age, with the first soil erosion; (2) general deforestation for timber, charcoal, and fuel, Roman to early modern; (3) farm enclosure and improvement, with stone clearing, medieval to modern; (4) trench warfare in World War I; (5) quarrying and specialized farming (dairy, poultry, pigs) since 1950; and (6) developmnent of modern summer and winter tourist facilities. Soil erosion effects from many centuries can still be recognized, war damage remains visible and continues to pollute aquifers, and modern pressure on the karst land and water resources is often severe.

A review of epiphyte community development: surface interactions and settlement on seagrass.

PubMed

Michael, Teena S; Shin, Hyun Woung; Hanna, Richard; Spafford, David C

2008-07-01

A focus of community ecology is the spatial distribution of species assemblages and the interactions among species and abiotic features of the environment. While the ubiquity of species associations is apparent, it is less clear if interactions within a community impart an organizational structure to the community. Do settlement processes in early stages of community development contribute to later community structure? What are the interfacial forces that lead to recruitment and colonization of diverse substrata? This review examines seagrasses as living substrates for epiphyte colonization and the surface interactions which may determine settlement success. These epiphytes include primary producers which contribute to biodiversity and are bioindicators of pollution/nutrient enrichment.

42 CFR 1003.126 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Settlement. 1003.126 Section 1003.126 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES CIVIL... authority to settle any issues or case, without consent of the ALJ. [65 FR 24418, Apr. 26, 2000] ...

42 CFR 402.17 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Settlement. 402.17 Section 402.17 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS CIVIL... exclusive authority to settle any issues or case, without the consent of the ALJ or the Secretary, at any...

42 CFR 1003.126 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Settlement. 1003.126 Section 1003.126 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES CIVIL... authority to settle any issues or case, without consent of the ALJ. [65 FR 24418, Apr. 26, 2000] ...

Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication.

PubMed

Hu, Yaowu; Hu, Songmei; Wang, Weilin; Wu, Xiaohong; Marshall, Fiona B; Chen, Xianglong; Hou, Liangliang; Wang, Changsui

2014-01-07

Domestic cats are one of the most popular pets globally, but the process of their domestication is not well understood. Near Eastern wildcats are thought to have been attracted to food sources in early agricultural settlements, following a commensal pathway to domestication. Early evidence for close human-cat relationships comes from a wildcat interred near a human on Cyprus ca. 9,500 y ago, but the earliest domestic cats are known only from Egyptian art dating to 4,000 y ago. Evidence is lacking from the key period of cat domestication 9,500-4,000 y ago. We report on the presence of cats directly dated between 5560-5280 cal B.P. in the early agricultural village of Quanhucun in Shaanxi, China. These cats were outside the wild range of Near Eastern wildcats and biometrically smaller, but within the size-range of domestic cats. The δ(13)C and δ(15)N values of human and animal bone collagen revealed substantial consumption of millet-based foods by humans, rodents, and cats. Ceramic storage containers designed to exclude rodents indicated a threat to stored grain in Yangshao villages. Taken together, isotopic and archaeological data demonstrate that cats were advantageous for ancient farmers. Isotopic data also show that one cat ate less meat and consumed more millet-based foods than expected, indicating that it scavenged among or was fed by people. This study offers fresh perspectives on cat domestication, providing the earliest known evidence for commensal relationships between people and cats.

Creating, Constructing, and Cultivating Professional Development within a Reggio-Inspired Early Childhood Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haigh, Karen M.

2009-01-01

The study examined the professional development system of an early childhood education program which was influenced by the Reggio Emilia Approach to early learning. This multi-site program thrived within low-income, inner-city communities of Chicago. Literature connected to the program's historical context of the Settlement House and the Reggio…

Sandfly species diversity in association with human activities in the Kani tribe settlements of the Western Ghats, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

PubMed

Ranganathan, Srinivasan; Swaminathan, Subramanian

2015-04-01

Sandfly prevalence in the Kani tribe settlements of Western Ghats in India was investigated. A total of 1,279 sandflies comprising 17 species was obtained. Sandfly abundance showed a negative correlation (r = -0.97, p = 0.003) with increase in altitudinal ranges from 0-1,000 m. When sandfly samples were grouped according to landscape characteristics of the location, the estimated Shannon-Weiner index (H) and species richness index (S) were high and species evenness index (J) was low in settlements located at 0-300 m altitudinal range. On the contrary, the values of H and J were high, while S was low at 301-600 m altitudinal range. With further increase in altitude, species diversity, S and J were low. Though the relative abundance of sandflies decreased with increase in altitude, the influence of altitudinal variation could not be attributed to determine sandfly diversity, since the number of sampling units were not uniform at all the altitudinal gradients due to nonavailability of suitable resting shelters. Sandfly species showed great aggregation at 0-300 m altitude interval, where not only the number of settlements were maximum (n = 19), but also the environmental conditions favoured sandfly abundance due to the concentration of tribal settlements, human dwellings and his activities.

Sandfly species diversity in association with human activities in the Kani tribe settlements of the Western Ghats, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

PubMed Central

Ranganathan, Srinivasan; Swaminathan, Subramanian

2015-01-01

Sandfly prevalence in the Kani tribe settlements of Western Ghats in India was investigated. A total of 1,279 sandflies comprising 17 species was obtained. Sandfly abundance showed a negative correlation (r = -0.97, p = 0.003) with increase in altitudinal ranges from 0-1,000 m. When sandfly samples were grouped according to landscape characteristics of the location, the estimated Shannon-Weiner index (H) and species richness index (S) were high and species evenness index (J) was low in settlements located at 0-300 m altitudinal range. On the contrary, the values of H and J were high, while S was low at 301-600 m altitudinal range. With further increase in altitude, species diversity, S and J were low. Though the relative abundance of sandflies decreased with increase in altitude, the influence of altitudinal variation could not be attributed to determine sandfly diversity, since the number of sampling units were not uniform at all the altitudinal gradients due to nonavailability of suitable resting shelters. Sandfly species showed great aggregation at 0-300 m altitude interval, where not only the number of settlements were maximum (n = 19), but also the environmental conditions favoured sandfly abundance due to the concentration of tribal settlements, human dwellings and his activities. PMID:25946240

Inconvenient Human Rights

PubMed Central

Ryan, Natasha

2017-01-01

Abstract Following an increase in Roma migration under the European “freedom of movement” laws, Swedish municipalities initiated more than 80 evictions of informal Roma settlements on the grounds of poor sanitation between 2013 and 2016. These evictions echo policies from earlier in the 20th century, when Roma living in Sweden were often marginalized through the denial of access to water and sanitation facilities. The recent Swedish evictions also follow similar government actions across Europe, where Roma settlements are controlled through the denial of access to water and sanitation. However, access to water and sanitation—central aspects of human health—are universal human rights that must be available to all people present in a jurisdiction, regardless of their legal status. The evictions described here violated Sweden’s obligations under both European and international human rights law. More positive government responses are required, such as providing shelters or camping sites, setting up temporary facilities, and directly engaging with communities to address water and sanitation issues. The authors conclude by providing guidance on how states and municipalities can meet their human rights obligations with respect to water and sanitation for vulnerable Roma individuals and informal settlements in their communities. PMID:29302163

Human uses of forested watersheds and riparian corridors: hazard mitigation as an ecosystem service, with examples from Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, M. C.

2015-12-01

Humans have long favored settlement along rivers for access to water supply for drinking and agriculture, for transport corridors, and for food sources. Additionally, settlement in or near montane forests include benefits such as food sources, wood supply, esthetic values, and high quality water resources derived from watersheds where upstream human disturbance and environmental degradation is generally reduced. However, the advantages afforded by these riparian and montane settings pose episodic risks for communities located there as floods, landslides, and wildfires cause loss of life, destroy infrastructure, and damage or destroy crops. A basic understanding of flood probability and magnitude as well as hillslope stability by residents in these environments can mitigate these risks. Early humans presumably developed some degree of knowledge about these risks by means of their long periods of occupation in these environments and their observations of seasonal and storm rainfall patterns and river discharge, which became more refined as agriculture developed over the past 10,000 years. Modern global urbanization, particularly in regions of rapid economic growth, has resulted in much of this "organic" knowledge being lost, as rural populations move into megacities, many of which encroach on floodplains and mountain fronts. Moreover, the most likely occupants of these hazardous locations are often economically constrained, increasing their vulnerabity. Effective stewardship of river floodplains and upstream montane forests yields a key ecosystem service, which in addition to the well-known services, ie. water, hydroelectric energy, etc., provides a risk mitigation service, by reducing hazard and vulnerability. Puerto Rico, Panama, and Venezuela illustrate a range of practices and results, providing useful examples for planners and land use managers.

[Infestation by triatomines in rural settlement and resettlement areas the Region of Pontal do Paranapanema, State of São Paulo].

PubMed

da Silva, Rubens Antonio; Sampaio, Susy Mary Perpétuo; Koyanagui, Paulo Hiroshi; Poloni, Marisa; de Carvalho, Maria Esther; Rodrigues, Vera Lúcia Cortiço Corrêa

2007-01-01

This study had the aim of assessing the characteristics of triatomine infestation in human dwellings in rural settlement and resettlement areas with regard to the time when infestation began. We analyzed data relating to 48 triatomine surveys carried out in 105 settlement areas and six resettlement areas in the region of Pontal do Paranapanema between January 1984 and June 2005. Among the 16 surveys in settlement areas, seven (43.8%) had positive findings, all of them in communities established eight or more years previously. Among the 32 surveys in resettlement areas, 23 (71.9%) had positive findings, all of them in communities established for periods shorter than eight years. Since the inhabitants of such communities frequently move, the need for constant vigilance to detect any cases of infestation by vector triatomines in new settlements cannot be overemphasized.

[Settlements, landscapes, and risks of sleeping sickness at the mouth of the Rio Pongo in Guinea-Conakry].

PubMed

Rouamba, J; Bruneau, J C; Sory, I; Kagbadouno, M; Coulibaly, B; Jamonneau, V; Solano, P; Rayaisse, J B; Camara, M; Courtin, F

2013-05-01

Seeking to understand how humans, by the settlements they create (among other means), influence the operation of the pathogen system of sleeping sickness, the authors performed a diachronic analysis of the landscape and settlement dynamics by comparing topographic maps from 1957, a satellite image from 2004, and georeferenced censuses from 2009 and 2001. It appears that the extreme mobility of the population between the continent and the islands is the principal cause for the continuation of this disease at the mouth of the Rio Pongo.

42 CFR 35.13 - Entry for negotiation of release or settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Entry for negotiation of release or settlement. 35.13 Section 35.13 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.13 Entry for negotiation of release...

42 CFR 35.13 - Entry for negotiation of release or settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Entry for negotiation of release or settlement. 35.13 Section 35.13 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.13 Entry for negotiation of release...

42 CFR 35.13 - Entry for negotiation of release or settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Entry for negotiation of release or settlement. 35.13 Section 35.13 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.13 Entry for negotiation of release...

42 CFR 35.13 - Entry for negotiation of release or settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Entry for negotiation of release or settlement. 35.13 Section 35.13 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.13 Entry for negotiation of release...

42 CFR 35.13 - Entry for negotiation of release or settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Entry for negotiation of release or settlement. 35.13 Section 35.13 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.13 Entry for negotiation of release...

42 CFR 93.410 - Final HHS action with no settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.410 Section 93.410 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.410 Final HHS action with no settlement or...

42 CFR 93.410 - Final HHS action with no settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.410 Section 93.410 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.410 Final HHS action with no settlement or...

42 CFR 93.411 - Final HHS action with settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.411 Section 93.411 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.411 Final HHS action with settlement or finding...

42 CFR 93.411 - Final HHS action with settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.411 Section 93.411 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.411 Final HHS action with settlement or finding...

42 CFR 93.410 - Final HHS action with no settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.410 Section 93.410 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.410 Final HHS action with no settlement or...

42 CFR 93.411 - Final HHS action with settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.411 Section 93.411 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.411 Final HHS action with settlement or finding...

42 CFR 93.411 - Final HHS action with settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.411 Section 93.411 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.411 Final HHS action with settlement or finding...

42 CFR 93.410 - Final HHS action with no settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.410 Section 93.410 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.410 Final HHS action with no settlement or...

42 CFR 93.411 - Final HHS action with settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.411 Section 93.411 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.411 Final HHS action with settlement or finding...

42 CFR 93.410 - Final HHS action with no settlement or finding of research misconduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... research misconduct. 93.410 Section 93.410 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... FACILITIES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICIES ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT Responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research Misconduct Issues § 93.410 Final HHS action with no settlement or...

42 CFR 35.14 - Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited. 35.14 Section 35.14 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General...

42 CFR 35.14 - Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited. 35.14 Section 35.14 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General...

42 CFR 35.14 - Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited. 35.14 Section 35.14 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General...

42 CFR 35.14 - Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited. 35.14 Section 35.14 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General...

42 CFR 35.14 - Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Solicitation of legal business; negotiation of release or settlement; assistance prohibited. 35.14 Section 35.14 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General...

Phylogeny and ancient DNA of Sus provides insights into neolithic expansion in Island Southeast Asia and Oceania

PubMed Central

Larson, Greger; Cucchi, Thomas; Fujita, Masakatsu; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth; Robins, Judith; Anderson, Atholl; Rolett, Barry; Spriggs, Matthew; Dolman, Gaynor; Kim, Tae-Hun; Thuy, Nguyen Thi Dieu; Randi, Ettore; Doherty, Moira; Due, Rokus Awe; Bollt, Robert; Djubiantono, Tony; Griffin, Bion; Intoh, Michiko; Keane, Emile; Kirch, Patrick; Li, Kuang-Ti; Morwood, Michael; Pedriña, Lolita M.; Piper, Philip J.; Rabett, Ryan J.; Shooter, Peter; Van den Bergh, Gert; West, Eric; Wickler, Stephen; Yuan, Jing; Cooper, Alan; Dobney, Keith

2007-01-01

Human settlement of Oceania marked the culmination of a global colonization process that began when humans first left Africa at least 90,000 years ago. The precise origins and dispersal routes of the Austronesian peoples and the associated Lapita culture remain contentious, and numerous disparate models of dispersal (based primarily on linguistic, genetic, and archeological data) have been proposed. Here, through the use of mtDNA from 781 modern and ancient Sus specimens, we provide evidence for an early human-mediated translocation of the Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis) to Flores and Timor and two later separate human-mediated dispersals of domestic pig (Sus scrofa) through Island Southeast Asia into Oceania. Of the later dispersal routes, one is unequivocally associated with the Neolithic (Lapita) and later Polynesian migrations and links modern and archeological Javan, Sumatran, Wallacean, and Oceanic pigs with mainland Southeast Asian S. scrofa. Archeological and genetic evidence shows these pigs were certainly introduced to islands east of the Wallace Line, including New Guinea, and that so-called “wild” pigs within this region are most likely feral descendants of domestic pigs introduced by early agriculturalists. The other later pig dispersal links mainland East Asian pigs to western Micronesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. These results provide important data with which to test current models for human dispersal in the region. PMID:17360400

Implications of global climate change for housing, human settlements and public health.

PubMed

Hales, Simon; Baker, Michael; Howden-Chapman, Philippa; Menne, Bettina; Woodruff, Rosalie; Woodward, Alistair

2007-01-01

Global climate change has profound implications for human societies. The present---ecologically unsustainable--trajectory of human development fails to provide for the basic needs of a substantial fraction of the global population, while diminishing the prospects for future generations. Human-caused climate change has already begun to affect weather patterns, physical and biological phenomena, and vulnerable human communities. Because the social processes of production and consumption have their own momentum, and because carbon dioxide has a long atmospheric lifetime, further climate change is inevitable over the coming century, even allowing for the adoption of mitigation measures. This situation implies that we should also try to reduce, and where possible to prevent, the adverse effects of climate changes by planned adaptation. Will human settlements be able to provide a healthy living environment and shelter from extreme climate events, such as cyclones and heat waves? In this paper, we review the nexus between human health, climate change, and the planning of housing and human settlements. We conclude that adapting to a rapidly changing global environment will be a major challenge, in the context of increasing population and per capita consumption, without increasing pressures on natural systems. Energy-efficient cities and the creation of opportunities for poor countries will be important elements of people centered, ecologically sustainable, development in the twenty-first century.

Spatial and temporal variations in prehistoric human settlement and their influencing factors on the south bank of the Xar Moron River, Northeastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Xin; Yi, Shuangwen; Sun, Yonggang; Wu, Shuangye; Lee, Harry F.; Wang, Lin; Lu, Huayu

2017-03-01

The West Liao River Basin is the hub of ancient civilizations as well as the birthplace of rain-fed agriculture in Northern China. In the present study, based on 276 archaeological sites on the south bank of the Xar Moron River, Northeastern China, we trace the changes in prehistoric cultures as well as the shifts in the spatial and temporal patterns of human settlement in the West Liao River Basin. Location information for those sites was obtained from fieldwork. Factors such as climate change, landform evolution of the Horqin Dunefield, and subsistence strategies practiced at the sites were extracted via the meta-analysis of published literature. Our results show that the Holocene Optimum promoted the emergence of Neolithic Culture on the south bank of the Xar Moron River. Monsoon failure might have caused the periodic collapse or transformation of prehistoric cultures at (6.5, 4.7, 3.9, and 3.0) kyr B.P., leaving spaces for new cultural types to develop after these gaps. The rise and fall of different cultures was also determined by subsistence strategies. The Xiaoheyan Culture, with mixed modes of subsistence, weakened after 4.7 kyr B.P., whereas the Upper Xiajiadian Culture, supported by sheep breeding, expanded after 3.0 kyr B.P. Global positioning system data obtained from the archaeological sites reveal that cultures with different subsistence strategies occupied distinct geographic regions. Humans who subsisted on hunting and gathering resided at higher altitudes during the Paleolithic Age (1074 m a.s.l.). Mixed subsistence strategies led humans to settle down at 600-1000 m a.s.l. in the Neolithic Age. Agricultural activities caused humans to migrate to 400-800 m a.s.l. in the early Bronze Age, whereas livestock production shifted human activities to 800-1200 m a.s.l. in the late Bronze Age.

Structural Determinants of Health among Im/Migrants in the Indoor Sex Industry: Experiences of Workers and Managers/Owners in Metropolitan Vancouver

PubMed Central

Krüsi, Andrea; Zhang, Emma; Chettiar, Jill; Shannon, Kate

2017-01-01

Background Globally, im/migrant women are overrepresented in the sex industry and experience disproportionate health inequities. Despite evidence that the health impacts of migration may vary according to the timing and stage of migration (e.g., early arrival vs. long-term migration), limited evidence exists regarding social and structural determinants of health across different stages of migration, especially among im/migrants engaged in sex work. Our aim was to describe and analyze the evolving social and structural determinants of health and safety across the arrival and settlement process for im/migrants in the indoor sex industry. Methods We analyzed qualitative interviews conducted with 44 im/migrant sex workers and managers/owners working in indoor sex establishments (e.g., massage parlours, micro-brothels) in Metropolitan Vancouver, Canada in 2011; quantitative data from AESHA, a larger community-based cohort, were used to describe socio-demographic and social and structural characteristics of im/migrant sex workers. Results Based on quantitative data among 198 im/migrant workers in AESHA, 78.3% were Chinese-born, the median duration in Canada was 6 years, and most (86.4%) serviced clients in formal indoor establishments. Qualitative narratives revealed diverse pathways into sex work upon arrival to Canada, including language barriers to conventional labour markets and the higher pay and relative flexibility of sex work. Once engaged in sex work, fear associated with police raids (e.g., immigration concerns, sex work disclosure) and language barriers to sexual negotiation and health, social and legal supports posed pervasive challenges to health, safety and human rights during long-term settlement in Canada. Conclusions Findings highlight the critical influences of criminalization, language barriers, and stigma and discrimination related to sex work and im/migrant status in shaping occupational health and safety for im/migrants engaged in sex work. Interventions and policy reforms that emphasize human rights and occupational health are needed to promote health and wellbeing across the arrival and settlement process. PMID:28141835

Mobile Gis: a Tool for Informal Settlement Occupancy Audit to Improve Integrated Human Settlement Implementation in Ekurhuleni, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mokoena, B. T.; Musakwa, W.

2016-06-01

Upgrading and relocating people in informal settlements requires consistent commitment, good strategies and systems so as to improve the lives of those who live in them. In South Africa, in order to allocate subsidised housing to beneficiaries of an informal settlement, beneficiary administration needs to be completed to determine the number of people who qualify for a subsidised house. Conventional methods of occupancy audits are often unreliable, cumbersome and non-spatial. Accordingly, this study proposes the use of mobile GIS to conduct these audits to provide up-to-date, accurate, comprehensive and real-time data so as to facilitate the development of integrated human settlements. An occupancy audit was subsequently completed for one of the communities in the Ekurhuleni municipality, Gauteng province, using web-based mobile GIS as a solution to providing smart information through evidence based decision making. Fieldworkers accessed the off-line capturing module on a mobile device recording GPS coordinates, socio-economic information and photographs. The results of this audit indicated that only 56.86% of the households residing within the community could potentially benefit from receiving a subsidised house. Integrated residential development, which includes fully and partially subsidised housing, serviced stands and some fully bonded housing opportunities, would then be key to adequately providing access to suitable housing options within a project in a post-colonial South Africa, creating new post-1994 neighbourhoods, in line with policy. The use of mobile GIS therefore needs to be extended to other informal settlement upgrading projects in South Africa.

Reconstruction of settlement phases at Intermediate Bronze Age structures in the Negev Highlands (Israel) using luminescence dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junge, Andrea; Lomax, Johanna; Shahack-Gross, Ruth; Dunseth, Zachary C.; Finkelstein, Israel; Fuchs, Markus

2016-04-01

OSL dating is usually applied to sediments in paleoenvironmental sciences. However, there is only limited experience with determining the age of archaeological stone structures by OSL using dust deposits associated with these structures. The age of trapped dust deposits may be used to date the onset of settlement (sediment below structures), settlement activity (occupation layer), or the time after settlement (sediment between collapsed walls and roofs). In this study, OSL dating is applied for establishing a chronology of settlement structures situated in the Negev Highlands, Israel. Two archaeological sites are investigated to identify the occupation history, by dating the aeolian dust trapped within the remains of ancient buildings. OSL dating techniques are applied using coarse grain quartz and a standard SAR protocol. First results indicate that the luminescence properties of the trapped sediments are suitable for OSL dating. Therefore, it was possible to date the onset of sedimentation in a later phase of the human occupation or shortly after the settlement was abandoned, which is supported by archaeological evidence gained from pottery finds and the architecture of the buildings.

Non-lethal effects of an invasive species in the marine environment: the importance of early life-history stages.

PubMed

Rius, Marc; Turon, Xavier; Marshall, Dustin J

2009-04-01

Studies examining the effects of invasive species have focussed traditionally on the direct/lethal effects of the invasive on the native community but there is a growing recognition that invasive species may also have non-lethal effects. In terrestrial systems, non-lethal effects of invasive species can disrupt early life-history phases (such as fertilisation, dispersal and subsequent establishment) of native species, but in the marine environment most studies focus on adult rather than early life-history stages. Here, we examine the potential for an introduced sessile marine invertebrate (Styela plicata) to exert both lethal and non-lethal effects on a native species (Microcosmus squamiger) across multiple early life-history stages. We determined whether sperm from the invasive species interfered with the fertilisation of eggs from the native species and found no effect. However, we did find strong effects of the invasive species on the post-fertilisation performance of the native species. The invasive species inhibited the settlement of native larvae and, in the field, the presence of the invasive species was associated with a ten-fold increase in the post-settlement mortality of the native species, as well as an initial reduction of growth in the native. Our results suggest that larvae of the native species avoid settling near the invasive species due to reduced post-settlement survival in its presence. Overall, we found that invasive species can have complex and pervasive effects (both lethal and non-lethal) across the early life-history stages of the native species, which are likely to result in its displacement and to facilitate further invasion.

Patterns of human occupation during the early Holocene in the Central Ebro Basin (NE Spain) in response to the 8.2 ka climatic event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Sampériz, P.; Utrilla, P.; Mazo, C.; Valero-Garcés, B.; Sopena, MC.; Morellón, M.; Sebastián, M.; Moreno, A.; Martínez-Bea, M.

2009-03-01

The Central Ebro River Basin (NE Spain) is the most northern area of truly semi-arid Mediterranean climate in Europe and prehistoric human occupation there has been strongly influenced by this extreme environmental condition. Modern climate conditions single out this region due to the harsh environment, characterised by the highest absolute summer temperatures of the Ebro River Basin. The Bajo Aragón region (SE Ebro River Basin) was intensively populated during the Early Holocene (9400-8200 cal yr BP) but the settlements were abandoned abruptly at around 8200 cal yr BP. We propose that this "archaeological silence" was caused by the regional impact of the global abrupt 8.2 ka cold event. Available regional paleoclimate archives demonstrate the existence of an aridity crisis then that interrupted the humid Early Holocene. That environmental crisis would have forced hunter-gatherer groups from the Bajo Aragón to migrate to regions with more favourable conditions (i.e. more humid mountainous areas) and only return in the Neolithic. Coherently, archaeological sites persist during this crisis in the nearby Iberian Range (Maestrazgo) and the North Ebro River area (Pre-Pyrenean mountains and along the northwestern Ebro Basin).

Early Neolithic Water Wells Reveal the World's Oldest Wood Architecture

PubMed Central

Tegel, Willy; Elburg, Rengert; Hakelberg, Dietrich; Stäuble, Harald; Büntgen, Ulf

2012-01-01

The European Neolithization ∼6000−4000 BC represents a pivotal change in human history when farming spread and the mobile style of life of the hunter-foragers was superseded by the agrarian culture. Permanent settlement structures and agricultural production systems required fundamental innovations in technology, subsistence, and resource utilization. Motivation, course, and timing of this transformation, however, remain debatable. Here we present annually resolved and absolutely dated dendroarchaeological information from four wooden water wells of the early Neolithic period that were excavated in Eastern Germany. A total of 151 oak timbers preserved in a waterlogged environment were dated between 5469 and 5098 BC and reveal unexpectedly refined carpentry skills. The recently discovered water wells enable for the first time a detailed insight into the earliest wood architecture and display the technological capabilities of humans ∼7000 years ago. The timbered well constructions made of old oak trees feature an unopened tree-ring archive from which annually resolved and absolutely dated environmental data can be culled. Our results question the principle of continuous evolutionary development in prehistoric technology, and contradict the common belief that metal was necessary for complex timber constructions. Early Neolithic craftsmanship now suggests that the first farmers were also the first carpenters. PMID:23284685

Anthropic signatures in alluvium of the Upper Little Tennessee River valley, Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, USA

Treesearch

Lixin Wang; David S. Leigh

2015-01-01

Human activities have become important influences on the fluvial systems of eastern North America since post-colonial settlement. This research identifies post-settlement anthropic signatures in alluvial sediments in the Upper Little Tennessee River, USA. Agricultural and mining activities were scattered and discontinuous in this relatively remote region of...

EKISTICS [OIKIETIKH]: The Problem and Science of Human Settlements, Volume 41, Number 246, May 1976. Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Gwen, Ed.

Articles related to educational planning in developing nations are presented. This issue of the journal of the World Society for Ekistics reviews environmental and settlement education programs which offer a wide variety of new approaches. Topics discussed include becoming a planning society; challenges, dilemmas, and strategies of ekistics…

Pre-Columbian urbanism, anthropogenic landscapes, and the future of the Amazon.

PubMed

Heckenberger, Michael J; Russell, J Christian; Fausto, Carlos; Toney, Joshua R; Schmidt, Morgan J; Pereira, Edithe; Franchetto, Bruna; Kuikuro, Afukaka

2008-08-29

The archaeology of pre-Columbian polities in the Amazon River basin forces a reconsideration of early urbanism and long-term change in tropical forest landscapes. We describe settlement and land-use patterns of complex societies on the eve of European contact (after 1492) in the Upper Xingu region of the Brazilian Amazon. These societies were organized in articulated clusters, representing small independent polities, within a regional peer polity. These patterns constitute a "galactic" form of prehistoric urbanism, sharing features with small-scale urban polities in other areas. Understanding long-term change in coupled human-environment systems relating to these societies has implications for conservation and sustainable development, notably to control ecological degradation and maintain regional biodiversity.

Reproductive ecology and early life history traits of the brooding coral, Porites astreoides, from shallow to mesophotic zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodbody-Gringley, Gretchen; Wong, Kevin H.; Becker, Danielle M.; Glennon, Keegan; de Putron, Samantha J.

2018-06-01

Early life history traits of brooding corals are often affected by the environmental conditions experienced by parental colonies. Such parental effects can impact offspring survival, which influences the overall success of a population as well as resilience to environmental challenges. This study examines the reproductive ecology and early life history traits of the brooding coral Porites astreoides across a depth gradient in Bermuda. Fecundity, larval size, larval Symbiodinium density, and settlement success, as well as post-metamorphic juvenile survival, growth, and Symbiodinium density were compared across three reef sites representing an inshore patch reef (2-5 m), an offshore rim reef (8-10 m), and an upper-mesophotic reef (30-33 m). Although fecundity did not differ across sites, larvae produced by colonies on the patch reef site were smaller, had lower Symbiodinium densities, and had lower rates of settlement and juvenile survival compared to larvae from colonies on the rim and upper-mesophotic reef sites. Larvae produced by colonies from the rim and upper-mesophotic sites did not differ in size or Symbiodinium densities; however, rates of settlement, growth, and survival were higher for larvae from the upper-mesophotic site compared to those from the rim reef site. These results indicate that offspring quality and success vary among sites with differing environmental conditions and may imply higher recruitment potential and resilience for upper-mesophotic corals.

A study of the effect of legal settlement on post-concussion symptoms.

PubMed Central

Fee, C R; Rutherford, W H

1988-01-01

Forty-four consecutive patients with concussion for whom a medico-legal report had been written were followed up for 3-4 years after their accidents. Three cases were still pending at the end of the study. Fifty-seven per cent complained of symptoms when the medico-legal reports were written (mean interval from accident 12.9 months), 39% had symptoms at the time of settlement (mean interval 22.1 months) and 34% had symptoms one year later. When these results were compared with a general series from the same department some years earlier, it was found that the symptoms at the time of writing the reports were not significantly different from symptoms at 6 weeks in the earlier series, but the symptoms one year after settlement were almost two-and-a-half times greater than the symptoms at 12 months in the general series. No evidence could be found to suggest any organic basis for the higher symptom rate in the litigation series. It is suggested that the litigation process itself is a factor in the persistence of symptoms and this effect continues after legal settlement has been reached. Early settlement of the cases might significantly reduce morbidity. PMID:3408521

The Dawn of Human Matrilineal Diversity

PubMed Central

Behar, Doron M.; Villems, Richard; Soodyall, Himla; Blue-Smith, Jason; Pereira, Luisa; Metspalu, Ene; Scozzari, Rosaria; Makkan, Heeran; Tzur, Shay; Comas, David; Bertranpetit, Jaume; Quintana-Murci, Lluis; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Wells, R. Spencer; Rosset, Saharon

2008-01-01

The quest to explain demographic history during the early part of human evolution has been limited because of the scarce paleoanthropological record from the Middle Stone Age. To shed light on the structure of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) phylogeny at the dawn of Homo sapiens, we constructed a matrilineal tree composed of 624 complete mtDNA genomes from sub-Saharan Hg L lineages. We paid particular attention to the Khoi and San (Khoisan) people of South Africa because they are considered to be a unique relic of hunter-gatherer lifestyle and to carry paternal and maternal lineages belonging to the deepest clades known among modern humans. Both the tree phylogeny and coalescence calculations suggest that Khoisan matrilineal ancestry diverged from the rest of the human mtDNA pool 90,000–150,000 years before present (ybp) and that at least five additional, currently extant maternal lineages existed during this period in parallel. Furthermore, we estimate that a minimum of 40 other evolutionarily successful lineages flourished in sub-Saharan Africa during the period of modern human dispersal out of Africa approximately 60,000–70,000 ybp. Only much later, at the beginning of the Late Stone Age, about 40,000 ybp, did introgression of additional lineages occur into the Khoisan mtDNA pool. This process was further accelerated during the recent Bantu expansions. Our results suggest that the early settlement of humans in Africa was already matrilineally structured and involved small, separately evolving isolated populations. PMID:18439549

Harmonizing Settlement, Infrastructure, and Population Data to Support Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; de Sherbinin, A. M.; Yetman, G.

2016-12-01

The geospatial data community has been developing global-scale georeferenced population, human settlements, and infrastructure data for more than two decades, pushing available technologies to process ever growing amounts of data and increase the resolution of the outputs. These population, settlement, and infrastructure data products have seen wide use in varied aspects of sustainable development, including agriculture, energy, water, health, land use, transportation, risk management, and climate impact assessment. However, in most cases, data development has been driven by the availability of specific data sources (e.g., census data, night-time lights, radar data, or moderate- to high-resolution imagery), rather than by an integrated view of how best to characterize human settlement patterns over time and space on multiple dimensions using diverse data sources. Such an integrated view would enhance our ability to observe, model, and predict where on the planet people live and work—in the past, present, and future—and under what conditions, i.e., in relationship not only to environmental systems, resources, extremes, and changes, but also to the human settlements and built infrastructure that mediate impacts on both people and the environment. We report here on a new international effort to improve understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of existing and planned georeferenced data products, and to create a collaborative community across the natural, social, health, engineering, and data sciences and the public and private sectors supporting data integration and coordination to meet sustainable development data needs. Opportunities exist to share data and expertise, coordinate activities, pool computing resources, reduce duplication, improve data quality and harmonization, and facilitate effective data use for sustainable development monitoring and decision making, especially with respect to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the international community in September 2015.

Improved Mapping of Human Population and Settlements through Integration of Remote Sensing and Socioeconomic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Sherbinin, A. M.; Yetman, G.; MacManus, K.; Vinay, S.

2017-12-01

The diversity of data on human settlements, infrastructure, and population continues to grow rapidly, with recent releases of data products based on a range of different remote sensing data sources as well as census and administrative data. We report here on recent improvements in data from the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) and partner organizations, aimed at supporting both interdisciplinary research and real-world applications. The fourth version of SEDAC's Gridded Population of the World (GPWv4) now includes variables for age categories, gender, and urban/rural location, and has also been integrated with the Global Human Settlements (GHS) data developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission to produce a GHS-POP grid for the years 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2015. Through a collaboration between Facebook's Connectivity Lab and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), High Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL) data derived from 50-cm DigitalGlobe imagery are now available for selected developing countries at 30-m resolution. SEDAC is also developing interactive mapping and analysis tools to facilitate visualization and access to these often large and complex data products. For example, SEDAC has collaborated with scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to release the Global Man-made Impervious Surfaces & Settlement Extents from Landsat data at 30-m resolution through an innovative map interface. We also summarize recent progress in developing an international data collective that is bringing together both data developers and data users from the public and private sectors to collaborate on expanding data access and use, improving data quality and documentation, facilitating data intercomparison and integration, and sharing of resources and capabilities.

Gene Expression Patterns during the Early Stages of Chemically Induced Larval Metamorphosis and Settlement of the Coral Acropora millepora

PubMed Central

Siboni, Nachshon; Abrego, David; Motti, Cherie A.; Tebben, Jan; Harder, Tilmann

2014-01-01

The morphogenetic transition of motile coral larvae into sessile primary polyps is triggered and genetically programmed upon exposure to environmental biomaterials, such as crustose coralline algae (CCA) and bacterial biofilms. Although the specific chemical cues that trigger coral larval morphogenesis are poorly understood there is much more information available on the genes that play a role in this early life phase. Putative chemical cues from natural biomaterials yielded defined chemical samples that triggered different morphogenetic outcomes: an extract derived from a CCA-associated Pseudoalteromonas bacterium that induced metamorphosis, characterized by non-attached metamorphosed juveniles; and two fractions of the CCA Hydrolithon onkodes (Heydrich) that induced settlement, characterized by attached metamorphosed juveniles. In an effort to distinguish the genes involved in these two morphogenetic transitions, competent larvae of the coral Acropora millepora were exposed to these predictable cues and the expression profiles of 47 coral genes of interest (GOI) were investigated after only 1 hour of exposure using multiplex RT–qPCR. Thirty-two GOI were differentially expressed, indicating a putative role during the early regulation of morphogenesis. The most striking differences were observed for immunity-related genes, hypothesized to be involved in cell recognition and adhesion, and for fluorescent protein genes. Principal component analysis of gene expression profiles resulted in separation between the different morphogenetic cues and exposure times, and not only identified those genes involved in the early response but also those which influenced downstream biological changes leading to larval metamorphosis or settlement. PMID:24632854

Environmental Costs of Government-Sponsored Agrarian Settlements in Brazilian Amazonia.

PubMed

Schneider, Maurício; Peres, Carlos A

2015-01-01

Brazil has presided over the most comprehensive agrarian reform frontier colonization program on Earth, in which ~1.2 million settlers have been translocated by successive governments since the 1970's, mostly into forested hinterlands of Brazilian Amazonia. These settlements encompass 5.3% of this ~5 million km2 region, but have contributed with 13.5% of all land conversion into agropastoral land uses. The Brazilian Federal Agrarian Agency (INCRA) has repeatedly claimed that deforestation in these areas largely predates the sanctioned arrival of new settlers. Here, we quantify rates of natural vegetation conversion across 1911 agrarian settlements allocated to 568 Amazonian counties and compare fire incidence and deforestation rates before and after the official occupation of settlements by migrant farmers. The timing and spatial distribution of deforestation and fires in our analysis provides irrefutable chronological and spatially explicit evidence of agropastoral conversion both inside and immediately outside agrarian settlements over the last decade. Deforestation rates are strongly related to local human population density and road access to regional markets. Agrarian settlements consistently accelerated rates of deforestation and fires, compared to neighboring areas outside settlements, but within the same counties. Relocated smallholders allocated to forest areas undoubtedly operate as pivotal agents of deforestation, and most of the forest clearance occurs in the aftermath of government-induced migration.

Lunar settlements--a socio-economic outlook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluth, B. J.

1988-01-01

The primary ingredient in a Lunar Settlement Program is the people. At the very high cost that will be required to transport, maintain and supply the people who will staff the Lunar operation, it is important to do everything possible to ensure their continued effectiveness in such an isolated, confined, and barren environment. This paper will attempt to identify the issues involved in providing for effective human performance in Lunar Settlements. The approach to be used will be contextual, and thus will not only examine the facets of the Lunar Settlement itself, but will also look at the organizational elements and the design and development processes used in project management from the point of view of long term success and cost effectiveness. The approach will also attempt to look at the Lunar Settlement "in time" as it is connected to events and experiences as they will evolve from the Space Station to Lunar Settlements. Finally, the approach will be contextual in the range of disciplines considered and their impact on planning, evolution, and activities in the entire process of Lunar Settlement. We will hope that Lunar settlers will be able to work and live as effective team members, and to make that possible, the designers, developers, builders, and managers must also function as a coherent team working together to bring about a common goal.

Environmental Costs of Government-Sponsored Agrarian Settlements in Brazilian Amazonia

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Brazil has presided over the most comprehensive agrarian reform frontier colonization program on Earth, in which ~1.2 million settlers have been translocated by successive governments since the 1970’s, mostly into forested hinterlands of Brazilian Amazonia. These settlements encompass 5.3% of this ~5 million km2 region, but have contributed with 13.5% of all land conversion into agropastoral land uses. The Brazilian Federal Agrarian Agency (INCRA) has repeatedly claimed that deforestation in these areas largely predates the sanctioned arrival of new settlers. Here, we quantify rates of natural vegetation conversion across 1911 agrarian settlements allocated to 568 Amazonian counties and compare fire incidence and deforestation rates before and after the official occupation of settlements by migrant farmers. The timing and spatial distribution of deforestation and fires in our analysis provides irrefutable chronological and spatially explicit evidence of agropastoral conversion both inside and immediately outside agrarian settlements over the last decade. Deforestation rates are strongly related to local human population density and road access to regional markets. Agrarian settlements consistently accelerated rates of deforestation and fires, compared to neighboring areas outside settlements, but within the same counties. Relocated smallholders allocated to forest areas undoubtedly operate as pivotal agents of deforestation, and most of the forest clearance occurs in the aftermath of government-induced migration. PMID:26247467

Lunar settlements--a socio-economic outlook.

PubMed

Bluth, B J

1988-07-01

The primary ingredient in a Lunar Settlement Program is the people. At the very high cost that will be required to transport, maintain and supply the people who will staff the Lunar operation, it is important to do everything possible to ensure their continued effectiveness in such an isolated, confined, and barren environment. This paper will attempt to identify the issues involved in providing for effective human performance in Lunar Settlements. The approach to be used will be contextual, and thus will not only examine the facets of the Lunar Settlement itself, but will also look at the organizational elements and the design and development processes used in project management from the point of view of long term success and cost effectiveness. The approach will also attempt to look at the Lunar Settlement "in time" as it is connected to events and experiences as they will evolve from the Space Station to Lunar Settlements. Finally, the approach will be contextual in the range of disciplines considered and their impact on planning, evolution, and activities in the entire process of Lunar Settlement. We will hope that Lunar settlers will be able to work and live as effective team members, and to make that possible, the designers, developers, builders, and managers must also function as a coherent team working together to bring about a common goal.

Effect of cement dosage and early curing towards Kuala Perlis dredged marine sediments: a ɛv - σv and SEM-EDX approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syakeera Nordin, Nurul; Chan, Chee-Ming

2017-11-01

Cement is the primary material used in solidifying the soft soils. This material was applied in solidifying Kuala Perlis dredged marine sediments (DMS). These unwanted sediments are classified as high plasticity silt, MH with 3.36 LL of wc/LL value. At dosage 10 and 20 % of cemented-DMS and 3 days curing time, compression curve results shows the settlement criteria were enhanced than the natural DMS. Unfortunately, the settlement criteria are not complies with the permissible settlement limit and applicable pressure. The formation of cementing compounds appears in the SEM micrograph for 10 and 20 % of cemented-DMS. EDX analysis shows the Ca:Si ratio were increased for cemented-DMS due to the formation of C-S-H gel.

Typology of Slum Management in Coastal Settlement as a Reference of Neighborhood Planning in Konawe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santi; Bachrun, Ratna; Ornam, Kurniati

2017-05-01

Handling slum area actually needs to be done not only in slum areas that are part of a metropolitan city or a large town, but it also need to be conducted in the slum areas in the middle city, small town, and coastal areas. A slum generally includes physical condition, socio-economic conditions of cultural communities who live in the settlements, and the impact of both of these conditions. Environmental coastal settlements in Konawe located in the riverside that lead to loss of quality due to environmental stress of the condition of settlement that are not habitable, can be seen from the problems that exist, namely the existence of housing that goes into river body which causes malfunction of watershed river (DAS), and that is prone to flooding. The purpose of this study is to identify slums in coastal settlements in an effort to improve the quality of structured settlements to obtain a picture of the slum in Konawe, to know the problems regarding the existence of slums and future recommendation of the slum settlement in Konawe. Normative analysis was carried out in this research together with quantitative and qualitative description, as well as methods of spatial analysis (spatial). Identification of slum areas was analyzed based on indicators and parameters issued by the Directorate General of Human Settlements. Problems in some districts in Konawe located in the coastal rivers and coastal areas, consist of drainage, disposal of waste water, waste, and the settlement which is not in accordance with the Spatial Konawe. Among those, there are settlements categorized as slums and some are recommended for refurbishment.

Geographic location, network patterns and population distribution of rural settlements in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asimakopoulos, Avraam; Mogios, Emmanuel; Xenikos, Dimitrios G.

2016-10-01

Our work addresses the problem of how social networks are embedded in space, by studying the spread of human population over complex geomorphological terrain. We focus on villages or small cities up to a few thousand inhabitants located in mountainous areas in Greece. This terrain presents a familiar tree-like structure of valleys and land plateaus. Cities are found more often at lower altitudes and exhibit preference on south orientation. Furthermore, the population generally avoids flat land plateaus and river beds, preferring locations slightly uphill, away from the plateau edge. Despite the location diversity regarding geomorphological parameters, we find certain quantitative norms when we examine location and population distributions relative to the (man-made) transportation network. In particular, settlements at radial distance ℓ away from road network junctions have the same mean altitude, practically independent of ℓ ranging from a few meters to 10 km. Similarly, the distribution of the settlement population at any given ℓ is the same for all ℓ. Finally, the cumulative distribution of the number of rural cities n(ℓ) is fitted to the Weibull distribution, suggesting that human decisions for creating settlements could be paralleled to mechanisms typically attributed to this particular statistical distribution.

Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication

PubMed Central

Hu, Yaowu; Hu, Songmei; Wang, Weilin; Wu, Xiaohong; Marshall, Fiona B.; Chen, Xianglong; Hou, Liangliang; Wang, Changsui

2014-01-01

Domestic cats are one of the most popular pets globally, but the process of their domestication is not well understood. Near Eastern wildcats are thought to have been attracted to food sources in early agricultural settlements, following a commensal pathway to domestication. Early evidence for close human–cat relationships comes from a wildcat interred near a human on Cyprus ca. 9,500 y ago, but the earliest domestic cats are known only from Egyptian art dating to 4,000 y ago. Evidence is lacking from the key period of cat domestication 9,500–4,000 y ago. We report on the presence of cats directly dated between 5560–5280 cal B.P. in the early agricultural village of Quanhucun in Shaanxi, China. These cats were outside the wild range of Near Eastern wildcats and biometrically smaller, but within the size-range of domestic cats. The δ13C and δ15N values of human and animal bone collagen revealed substantial consumption of millet-based foods by humans, rodents, and cats. Ceramic storage containers designed to exclude rodents indicated a threat to stored grain in Yangshao villages. Taken together, isotopic and archaeological data demonstrate that cats were advantageous for ancient farmers. Isotopic data also show that one cat ate less meat and consumed more millet-based foods than expected, indicating that it scavenged among or was fed by people. This study offers fresh perspectives on cat domestication, providing the earliest known evidence for commensal relationships between people and cats. PMID:24344279

Kaletepe Deresi 3 (Turkey): archaeological evidence for early human settlement in Central Anatolia.

PubMed

Slimak, Ludovic; Kuhn, Steven L; Roche, Hélène; Mouralis, Damase; Buitenhuis, Hijlke; Balkan-Atli, Nur; Binder, Didier; Kuzucuoğlu, Catherine; Guillou, Hervé

2008-01-01

Located in the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province, Kaletepe Deresi 3 was discovered in the summer of 2000 and has been under investigation since that time. Volcanic activity in the region generated a number of obsidian intrusions that have attracted humans to the area throughout prehistory. The stratigraphic sequence at Kaletepe Deresi 3, more than 7 m in depth, presents a series of archaeological horizons representing the Lower and Middle Paleolithic. The site contains the longest open-air Paleolithic sequence excavated in Turkey, as well as the first in situ Acheulean industry documented in Anatolia. Tephras in the upper Middle Paleolithic horizons and the rhyolithic bedrock bracket the timespan represented at Kaletepe Deresi 3. The lithic industry at the site illustrates a wide range of technological behaviors and documents changes in raw-material exploitation and artifact manufacture through the Lower and Middle Paleolithic.

Lunar Resource Assessment: Strategies for Surface Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spudis, Paul D.

1992-01-01

Use of the indigenous resources of space to support long-term human presence is an essential element of the settlement of other planetary bodies. We are in a very early stage of understanding exactly how and under what circumstances space resources will become important. The materials and processes to recover them that we now think are critical may not ultimately be the raison d'etre for a resource utilization program. However, the need for strategic thinking proceeds in parallel with efforts to implement such plans and it is not too soon to begin thinking how we could and should use the abundant resources of materials and energy available from the Moon. The following commodities from the Moon are discussed: (1) bulk regolith, for shielding and construction on the lunar surface (ultimately for export to human-tended stations in Earth-Moon space), and (2) oxygen and hydrogen, for propellant and life support.

Inferring human history in East Asia from Y chromosomes.

PubMed

Wang, Chuan-Chao; Li, Hui

2013-06-03

East Asia harbors substantial genetic, physical, cultural and linguistic diversity, but the detailed structures and interrelationships of those aspects remain enigmatic. This question has begun to be addressed by a rapid accumulation of molecular anthropological studies of the populations in and around East Asia, especially by Y chromosome studies. The current Y chromosome evidence suggests multiple early migrations of modern humans from Africa via Southeast Asia to East Asia. After the initial settlements, the northward migrations during the Paleolithic Age shaped the genetic structure in East Asia. Subsequently, recent admixtures between Central Asian immigrants and northern East Asians enlarged the genetic divergence between southern and northern East Asia populations. Cultural practices, such as languages, agriculture, military affairs and social prestige, also have impacts on the genetic patterns in East Asia. Furthermore, application of Y chromosome analyses in the family genealogy studies offers successful showcases of the utility of genetics in studying the ancient history.

Toward a theory of punctuated subsistence change.

PubMed

Ullah, Isaac I T; Kuijt, Ian; Freeman, Jacob

2015-08-04

Discourse on the origins and spread of domesticated species focuses on universal causal explanations or unique regional or temporal trajectories. Despite new data as to the context and physical processes of early domestication, researchers still do not understand the types of system-level reorganizations required to transition from foraging to farming. Drawing upon dynamical systems theory and the concepts of attractors and repellors, we develop an understanding of subsistence transition and a description of variation in, and emergence of, human subsistence systems. The overlooked role of attractors and repellors in these systems helps explain why the origins of agriculture occurred quickly in some times and places, but slowly in others. A deeper understanding of the interactions of a limited set of variables that control the size of attractors (a proxy for resilience), such as population size, number of dry months, net primary productivity, and settlement fixity, provides new insights into the origin and spread of domesticated species in human economies.

Inferring human history in East Asia from Y chromosomes

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

East Asia harbors substantial genetic, physical, cultural and linguistic diversity, but the detailed structures and interrelationships of those aspects remain enigmatic. This question has begun to be addressed by a rapid accumulation of molecular anthropological studies of the populations in and around East Asia, especially by Y chromosome studies. The current Y chromosome evidence suggests multiple early migrations of modern humans from Africa via Southeast Asia to East Asia. After the initial settlements, the northward migrations during the Paleolithic Age shaped the genetic structure in East Asia. Subsequently, recent admixtures between Central Asian immigrants and northern East Asians enlarged the genetic divergence between southern and northern East Asia populations. Cultural practices, such as languages, agriculture, military affairs and social prestige, also have impacts on the genetic patterns in East Asia. Furthermore, application of Y chromosome analyses in the family genealogy studies offers successful showcases of the utility of genetics in studying the ancient history. PMID:23731529

A strategy for investment in space resource utilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendell, Wendell W.

During the first quarter of the next Century, space transportation systems will be capable of routine flights of humans and cargo to the Moon. The general acceptance of permanent human presence in space, as exemplified by at least two manned stations in LEO at that time, will lead to one or more staffed outposts on the Moon. Whether such outposts evolve into sustained, growing settlements will depend, in part, on whether the economic context attracts substantial private investment. A planetary surface provides a material and gravitational environment distinct from that of an orbiting space station and thus provides a setting familiar to non-aerospace sectors of terrestrial industry. Examination of current trends in terms of historical processes which operate on new frontiers suggests that the limited markets and unfamiliar technologies associated with space commercialization today may change dramatically in 20 years when lunar resources are accessible. However, the uncertainty and vagueness of such projections discourages investment at a useful scale unless a strategy for technology development can be implemented which provides tangible and marketable benefits in the intermediate term. At the present time technologies can be identified (a) that will be required (and therefore valuable) at the time of lunar settlement and (b) whose development can be planned to yield marketable intermediate products on Earth. Formation of pre-competitive, collaborative research consortia in the industrial sector could reduce technical and economic risk in the early stages and could promote a favorable political environment for the future growth of space activities.

Winter colonisation and succession of filamentous macroalgae on artificial substrates and possible relationships to Fucus vesiculosus settlement in early summer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraufvelin, Patrik; Ruuskanen, Ari T.; Nappu, Niko; Kiirikki, Mikko

2007-05-01

During the reproduction period of Fucus vesiculosus, which occurs only once a year (in May-June) along the Finnish coast of the northern Baltic Sea, a thick carpet of filamentous algae often covers hard substrates suitable for zygote settlement. By placing out artificial substrates into the field, monthly over a period of eight months prior to F. vesiculosus settlement (October 2001-June 2002), we investigated the autumn/winter/spring colonisation and succession of filamentous algae and their possible relationships with the settlement success of F. vesiculosus under naturally variable field conditions. The substrates exposed in October 2001 became covered by filamentous brown algal Pilayella littoralis mats, which persisted over the settlement period of F. vesiculosus, but now also were accompanied by large amounts of the filamentous green alga Cladophora glomerata. The substrates exposed from November 2001 onwards hosted smaller amounts of P. littoralis during the winter and different filamentous algal communities at the time of F. vesiculosus settlement, i.e. less P. littoralis and C. glomerata, but Dictyosiphon foeniculaceus, Ceramium tenuicorne and Ulva intestinalis instead. We observed recruits of F. vesiculosus on all substrates, except on the ones placed out in October 2001. Significantly more P. littoralis and C. glomerata on the October substrates may explain the failed F. vesiculosus recruitment, although we could not establish direct causal or correlational relationships between filamentous algae and F. vesiculosus settlement. We compared the results with a previous un-replicated pilot study in the same area demonstrating similar response patterns.

Breaking new ground in mapping human settlements from space - The Global Urban Footprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esch, Thomas; Heldens, Wieke; Hirner, Andreas; Keil, Manfred; Marconcini, Mattia; Roth, Achim; Zeidler, Julian; Dech, Stefan; Strano, Emanuele

2017-12-01

Today, approximately 7.2 billion people inhabit the Earth and by 2050 this number will have risen to around nine billion, of which about 70% will be living in cities. The population growth and the related global urbanization pose one of the major challenges to a sustainable future. Hence, it is essential to understand drivers, dynamics, and impacts of the human settlements development. A key component in this context is the availability of an up-to-date and spatially consistent map of the location and distribution of human settlements. It is here that the Global Urban Footprint (GUF) raster map can make a valuable contribution. The new global GUF binary settlement mask shows a so far unprecedented spatial resolution of 0.4″ (∼ 12m) that provides - for the first time - a complete picture of the entirety of urban and rural settlements. The GUF has been derived by means of a fully automated processing framework - the Urban Footprint Processor (UFP) - that was used to analyze a global coverage of more than 180,000 TanDEM-X and TerraSAR-X radar images with 3 m ground resolution collected in 2011-2012. The UFP consists of five main technical modules for data management, feature extraction, unsupervised classification, mosaicking and post-editing. Various quality assessment studies to determine the absolute GUF accuracy based on ground truth data on the one hand and the relative accuracies compared to established settlements maps on the other hand, clearly indicate the added value of the new global GUF layer, in particular with respect to the representation of rural settlement patterns. The Kappa coefficient of agreement compared to absolute ground truth data, for instance, shows GUF accuracies which are frequently twice as high as those of established low resolution maps. Generally, the GUF layer achieves an overall absolute accuracy of about 85%, with observed minima around 65% and maxima around 98%. The GUF will be provided open and free for any scientific use in the full resolution and for any non-profit (but also non-scientific) use in a generalized version of 2.8″ (∼ 84m). Therewith, the new GUF layer can be expected to break new ground with respect to the analysis of global urbanization and peri-urbanization patterns, population estimation, vulnerability assessment, or the modeling of diseases and phenomena of global change in general.

Impacts of sea-level change on human activity at the early Neolithic forager/cultivator site, Kuahuqiao on the east coast of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zong, Yongqiang; Innes, James; Chen, Zhongyuan; Chen, Chun; Wang, Zhanghua; Wang, Hui

2010-05-01

The date and location of the adoption of rice cultivation by foraging cultures in China is of considerable current interest but its understanding is hampered by a lack of information regarding its palaeoenvironmental context. We present detailed multi-proxy palaeoecological research at the earliest-dated site of rice cultivation in the coastal area of east China which has revealed the precise environmental setting of this early Neolithic settlement and its incipient cultivation at c. 7750 cal. BP. Regional and local environmental changes governed the character of the site and the duration of human activity. The rise in relative sea level up to 8000 cal. BP prompted the development of coastal wetland environments at the head of the Hangzhou Bay. A short period of stable sea level allowed natural hydrological succession and terrestrialisation of the site changing from a brackish/freshwater lake to a freshwater marsh/alder carr, which attracted Neolithic foragers to settle and take advantage of the plentiful food resources present in the wetland, wild rice in particular. After a fire clearance of an alder scrub that prepared the ground for settlement, the Kuahuqiao people maintained a reedswamp-type wet grassland in which rice was grown. As relative sea level rose again around 7600-7500 cal. BP, artificial bunding was used to retain nutrient rich water and prevent tidal flooding to provide rice with the consistent water regime it requires. Such bunding resulted in blockage of water which promoted the growth of aquatic plants such as Cattail. Cropping of Cattail stands may have formed part of the subsistence base. Thesite was overwhelmed by marine inundation around 7400-7200 cal. BP as relative sea level rose rapidly for a couple of meters, after which rice cultivation spread to Neolithic sites of Hemudu type elsewhere in the coastal lowlands.

Where and how should be placed humanity to protect against asteroidal and cometary hazards?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steklov, A. F.; Vidmachenko, A. P.; Dashkiev, G. N.; Zhilyaev, B. E.

2018-05-01

For the planetary protection of the planet Earth, we propose to create, deploy and constantly upgrade the "Single Churyumov Network" as a multi-level system of continuous monitoring of near and distant volumes around the Earth. This is necessary to identify and explore potentially dangerous objects that intruding in our atmosphere. To solve the problem of global planetary protection, it is necessary to involve enormous forces and means. According to the definition, terraformation is a change in the cosmic body that will bring the atmosphere, temperature and environmental conditions into a state that is necessary for the life of terrestrial animals, plants and people. Therefore, before sending people, for example, to Mars for a permanent settlement, it is necessary first of all there to create a huge complex of preparatory work with the aim, if not completely transform this planet, at least, to organize there the simplest housing for future settlers. At Venus, you can create settlements in "flying" cities with flotilla peculiar "airships" in the upper atmosphere. Terraformation of Mercury can be carried out at latitudes from 70 deg. to the poles, making it suitable localities for human habitation. They should be located below the surface of the planet at a depth of 3-30 m in a zone of comfortable and constant temperatures of about +20° С. And start terraforming - preferably from the Moon. Such residential complexes should be designed taking into account the need to deploy systems of early detection and counteract the global danger to the Earth by asteroid and comet invasions. That is, the areas of Venus, Mars, Mercury and the Earth - should be equipped with special orbital stations. At these stations, nuclear missile systems for early warning and combating global threats from invasion of asteroids and comets - should be deployed.

Influences of Native American land use on the Colonial Euro-American settlement of the South Carolina Piedmont.

PubMed

Coughlan, Michael R; Nelson, Donald R

2018-01-01

We test the hypothesis that prehistoric Native American land use influenced the Euro-American settlement process in a South Carolina Piedmont landscape. Long term ecological studies demonstrate that land use legacies influence processes and trajectories in complex, coupled social and ecological systems. Native American land use likely altered the ecological and evolutionary feedback and trajectories of many North American landscapes. Yet, considerable debate revolves around the scale and extent of land use legacies of prehistoric Native Americans. At the core of this debate is the question of whether or not European colonists settled a mostly "wild" landscape or an already "humanized" landscape. We use statistical event analysis to model the effects of prehistoric Native American settlement on the rate of Colonial land grants (1749-1775). Our results reveal how abandoned Native American settlements were among the first areas claimed and homesteaded by Euro-Americans. We suggest that prehistoric land use legacies served as key focal nodes in the Colonial era settlement process. As a consequence, localized prehistoric land use legacies likely helped structure the long term, landscape- to regional-level ecological inheritances that resulted from Euro-American settlement.

The Brazilian megamastofauna of the Pleistocene/Holocene transition and its relationship with the early human settlement of the continent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbe, Alex; Hubbe, Mark; Neves, Walter A.

2013-03-01

One of the most intriguing questions regarding the Brazilian Late Quaternary extinct megafauna and Homo sapiens is to what extent they coexisted and how humans could have contributed to the former's extinction. The aim of this article is to review the chronological and archaeological evidences of their coexistence in Brazil and to evaluate the degree of direct interaction between them. Critical assessment of the Brazilian megafauna chronological data shows that several of the late Pleistoscene/early Holocene dates available so far cannot be considered reliable, but the few that do suggest that at least two species (Catonyx cuvieri, ground sloth; Smilodon populator, saber-toothed cat) survived until the beginning of the Holocene in Southeast Brazil. Archaeological data indicates that the first human groups arrived in Brazil and were inhabiting this region during the last millennia of the Pleistocene and, consequently, they coexisted with the extinct fauna in some parts of Brazil for at least one thousand years. There is no robust evidence favoring any kind of direct interaction between humans and megafauna prior to their extinction. To date, it is not possible to properly judge the indirect influence of humans (landscape transformation, introduction of predators, among others) in this extinction event. Intense and to some extent unique climate changes between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene favors the interpretation that they had a major contribution to the megafauna extinction, although the scarcity of data impedes the proper testing of this hypothesis.

Human Presence Increases Parasitic Load in Endangered Lion-Tailed Macaques (Macaca silenus) in Its Fragmented Rainforest Habitats in Southern India

PubMed Central

Hussain, Shaik; Ram, Muthuvarmadam Subramanian; Kumar, Ajith; Shivaji, Sisinthy; Umapathy, Govindhaswamy

2013-01-01

Background Understanding changes in the host-parasite relationship due to habitat fragmentation is necessary for better management and conservation of endangered species in fragmented landscapes. Pathogens and parasites can pose severe threat to species in restricted environments such as forest fragments where there is increased contact of wildlife with human and livestock populations. Environmental stress and reduced nutritional level in forest fragments can influence parasite infection and intensity on the native species. In this study, we examine the impact of habitat fragmentation on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in lion-tailed macaques in a fragmented rainforest in Western Ghats. Methods The prevalence of different gastrointestinal parasites was estimated from 91 fecal samples collected from 9 lion-tailed macaque groups in nine forest fragments. The parasites were identified up to genus level on the basis of the morphology and coloration of the egg, larva and cyst. The covariates included forest fragment area, group size and the presence/absence of human settlements and livestock in proximity. We used a linear regression model to identify the covariates that significantly influenced the prevalence of different parasite taxa. Results Nine gastrointestinal parasite taxa were detected in lion-tailed macaque groups. The groups near human settlements had greater prevalence and number of taxa, and these variables also had significant positive correlations with group size. We found that these parameters were also greater in groups near human settlements after controlling for group size. Livestock were present in all five fragments that had human settlements in proximity. Conclusion The present study suggests that high prevalence and species richness of gastrointestinal parasites in lion-tailed macaque groups are directly related to habitat fragmentation, high anthropogenic activities and high host density. The parasite load partially explains the reason for the decline in immature survival and birth rate in small and isolated rainforest fragments in Anamalai Hills. PMID:23717465

Human presence increases parasitic load in endangered lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) in its fragmented rainforest habitats in Southern India.

PubMed

Hussain, Shaik; Ram, Muthuvarmadam Subramanian; Kumar, Ajith; Shivaji, Sisinthy; Umapathy, Govindhaswamy

2013-01-01

Understanding changes in the host-parasite relationship due to habitat fragmentation is necessary for better management and conservation of endangered species in fragmented landscapes. Pathogens and parasites can pose severe threat to species in restricted environments such as forest fragments where there is increased contact of wildlife with human and livestock populations. Environmental stress and reduced nutritional level in forest fragments can influence parasite infection and intensity on the native species. In this study, we examine the impact of habitat fragmentation on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in lion-tailed macaques in a fragmented rainforest in Western Ghats. The prevalence of different gastrointestinal parasites was estimated from 91 fecal samples collected from 9 lion-tailed macaque groups in nine forest fragments. The parasites were identified up to genus level on the basis of the morphology and coloration of the egg, larva and cyst. The covariates included forest fragment area, group size and the presence/absence of human settlements and livestock in proximity. We used a linear regression model to identify the covariates that significantly influenced the prevalence of different parasite taxa. Nine gastrointestinal parasite taxa were detected in lion-tailed macaque groups. The groups near human settlements had greater prevalence and number of taxa, and these variables also had significant positive correlations with group size. We found that these parameters were also greater in groups near human settlements after controlling for group size. Livestock were present in all five fragments that had human settlements in proximity. The present study suggests that high prevalence and species richness of gastrointestinal parasites in lion-tailed macaque groups are directly related to habitat fragmentation, high anthropogenic activities and high host density. The parasite load partially explains the reason for the decline in immature survival and birth rate in small and isolated rainforest fragments in Anamalai Hills.

Early Human Occupation on the Northeast Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhode, D.; Madsen, D.; Brantingham, P.; Perrault, C.

2010-12-01

The Tibetan Plateau presents great challenges for human occupation: low oxygen, high ultraviolet radiation, harsh seasonal climate, low overall biological productivity. How and when early humans were able to cope physiologically, genetically, and behaviorally with these extremes is important for understanding the history of human adaptive flexibility. Our investigations of prehistoric human settlement on the northeast Tibetan Plateau focus on (a) establishing well-dated evidence for occupation of altitudes >3000 m, (b) the environmental context of high altitude adaptation, and (c) relations of hunting and pastoralism to lower-altitude agrarian systems. We observe two major prehistoric settlement patterns in the Qinghai Lake area. The earliest, ~15,000-7500 yr old, consists of small isolated firehearths with sparse associated stone tools and wild mammal remains (1). Numerous hearths often occur in the same localities, indicating repeated short-duration occupations by small hunting parties. A second pattern, ~9000-4000 yr old, was established during the Holocene climatic optimum. These sites represent prolonged seasonal residential occupation, containing dark anthropogenic midden, hearth and pit constructions, abundant stone tools, occasional ceramics, and abundant diverse faunal remains (including medium-large mammals but lacking domestic sheep/yak)(2). These Plateau-margin base camps allowed greater intensity of use of the high Plateau. Residential occupation was strongly influenced by nearby lower-altitude farming communities; development of the socioeconomic landscape along the Yellow River likely played at least as great a role in Plateau occupation patterns as did Holocene environmental changes. Holocene vegetation changes in the NE Tibetan Plateau have been attributed to climate (3) or anthropogenic modification (4). Our results document changes in shrub/tree presence from ~12,000-4000 BP, similar to pollen records, that likely reflect climate rather than anthropogenic grazing pressure, because domestic yak/sheep remains are absent archaeologically before ~4000 BP. Our results have implications for the age of distinct Tibetan high-altitude physiological adaptations (5), suggested to be as recent as ~2750 BP. Prolonged occupation of Plateau margins commenced much earlier, but year-round occupation above 4000 m likely occurred only with the emergence of yak pastoralism (6). Genetic models need to consider which environmental factors lead to strong selection for genetic divergence (e.g., seasonal vs year-round occupation, occupation at ~3000 m vs >4000 m, etc); settlement history reconstructions such as that presented here can help. (1)Brantingham PJ, et al. 2007, Elsevier Dev Quat Sci 9:129-150; Madsen DB, et al. 2006, J Arch Sci 33:1433-1444. (2)Rhode D, et al. 2007, J Arch Sci 34:600-612. (3)Herzschuh, U, et al. 2010, Glo Ecol Biogeog 19:278-286. (4)Miehe G, et al. 2009, Palaeo Palaeo Palaeo 267:130-147.; Schlütz F., Lehmkuhl F., 2009, Quat Sci Rev 28:1449-1471. (5)Beall C, et al. 2010, PNAS 107:11459-11464; Simonson TS, et al. 2010, Science 329:72-75; Yi X. et al., 2010, Science 329:75-78. (6)Rhode D, et al. 2007, Elsevier Dev Quat Sci 9:205-226.

Technological complexity and the global dispersal of modern humans.

PubMed

Hoffecker, John F; Hoffecker, Ian T

2017-11-01

Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) dispersed out of Africa roughly 120,000 years ago and again after 75,000 years ago. The early dispersal was geographically restricted to the Arabian Peninsula, Levant, and possibly parts of southern Asia. The later dispersal was ultimately global in scope, including areas not previously occupied by Homo. One explanation for the contrast between the two out-of-Africa dispersals is that the modern humans who expanded into Eurasia 120,000 years ago lacked the functionally and structurally complex technology of recent hunter-gatherers. This technology, which includes, for example, mechanical projectiles, snares and traps, and sewn clothing, provides not only expanded dietary breadth and increased rates of foraging efficiency and success in places where plant and animal productivity is low, but protection from cold weather in places where winter temperatures are low. The absence of complex technology before 75,000 years ago also may explain why modern humans in the Levant did not develop sedentary settlements and agriculture 120,000 years ago (i.e., during the Last Interglacial). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impacts of Human Activity on the Microbial Communities of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bywaters, K. B.; Burton, A. S.; Wallace, S. L.; Glass, B. J.

2016-09-01

The impacts of human activities on microbial communities in arctic environments are poorly understood. This project compares the distribution of microbes at the HMP Mars analog site prior to and after human settlement.

Maine: Early Head Start Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Law and Social Policy, Inc. (CLASP), 2012

2012-01-01

Maine has two initiatives that build on Early Head Start (EHS). The first initiative, Fund for a Healthy Maine, has since 2001 provided tobacco settlement money to existing Head Start and EHS programs to expand the number of children who receive full-day, full-year services. Local programs have the option of using these funds for EHS, depending on…

Archaeogeophysical investigations of early Caddo settlement patterning at the Crenshaw site (3MI6)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuelsen, John R.

The Teran map, made during Don Domingo Teran de los Rios' expedition for New Spain, shows a Caddo settlement in 1691 with a vacant mound center and many small farmsteads dispersed across the countryside along both banks of the Red River. This map, combined with the 19th Century photographs taken by William Soule, provides a testable model for the settlement pattern of the Caddo people called the Teran-Soule model. This model states that large numbers of people besides a small caretaker population did not inhabit the mound centers, supporting a vacant mound center hypothesis. Recent studies have begun to challenge this hypothesis, using archaeogeophysical techniques to find structures near Middle to Late Caddo mounds. An archaeogeophysical survey of the Crenshaw site along the Great Bend of the Red River was conducted to determine if structures could be found there. Is the settlement pattern at this early Caddo site, occupied between A.D. 700 and 1400, consistent with the late historic model of a vacant mound center? Is there evidence that both Caddo and Fourche Maline occupations existed in horizontally distinct components? The 3.2 hectare survey identified more than 100 possible structures, of which more than 50 are probably structures associated with the Fourche Maline or early Caddo occupations of the site. Several structures were found in linear patterns, including an oval series of possible structures measuring 90 x 85 m in diameter. While cultural affiliation was not determined for most of these features, some can be attributed to Caddo origin based on architectural attributes, such as extended entranceways. This suggests that Crenshaw was not literally vacant, but the presence of extended entranceways suggests that some of the identified features were special use structures, which does not conflict with the vacant mound center hypothesis. However, the large number of possible structures present with unknown cultural affiliations provides ample opportunities for testing the model.

Impact of diurnal temperature fluctuations on larval settlement and growth of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Lei; Sun, You-Fang; Zhang, Yu-Yang; Zhou, Guo-Wei; Li, Xiu-Bao; McCook, Laurence J.; Lian, Jian-Sheng; Lei, Xin-Ming; Liu, Sheng; Cai, Lin; Qian, Pei-Yuan; Huang, Hui

2017-12-01

Diurnal fluctuations in seawater temperature are ubiquitous on tropical reef flats. However, the effects of such dynamic temperature variations on the early stages of corals are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the responses of larvae and new recruits of Pocillopora damicornis to two constant temperature treatments (29 and 31 °C) and two diurnally fluctuating treatments (28-31 and 30-33 °C with daily means of 29 and 31 °C, respectively) simulating the 3 °C diel oscillations at 3 m depth on the Luhuitou fringing reef (Sanya, China). Results showed that the thermal stress on settlement at 31 °C was almost negated by the fluctuating treatment. Further, neither elevated temperature nor temperature fluctuations caused bleaching responses in recruits, while the maximum excitation pressure over photosystem II (PSII) was reduced under fluctuating temperatures. Although early growth and development were highly stimulated at 31 °C, oscillations of 3 °C had little effects on budding and lateral growth at either mean temperature. Nevertheless, daytime encounters with the maximum temperature of 33 °C in fluctuating 31 °C elicited a notable reduction in calcification compared to constant 31 °C. These results underscore the complexity of the effects caused by diel temperature fluctuations on early stages of corals and suggest that ecologically relevant temperature variability could buffer warming stress on larval settlement and dampen the positive effects of increased temperatures on coral growth.

Following rules in the intermontane west: 19th-century mormon settlement

PubMed Central

Norton, William

2001-01-01

The academic discipline of human geography is concerned with human activities, especially as these relate to physical landscapes and contribute to the modification of those landscapes. Although little attention has been paid to objectivist philosophies to inform human geography, behavior analysis might offer a useful explanatory model. As an example, a behavior analysis of selected aspects of 19th-century Mormon movement and settlement in the intermontane West is conducted. Mormons are a society of believers who practice cooperative effort and support for other members, and the Mormon church is governed by priesthood authority with members being called to perform tasks. This analysis employs the concepts of metacontingency, rule-governed behavior, and delayed reinforcement to analyze how Mormons settled the intermontane West. PMID:22478355

Mars One; creating a human settlement on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wielders, A.; Lansdorp, B.; Flinkenflögel, S.; Versteeg, B.; Kraft, N.; Vaandrager, E.; Wagensveld, M.; Dogra, A.; Casagrande, B.; Aziz, N.

2013-09-01

Mars One will take humanity to Mars in 2023, to establish a permanent settlement from which human kind will prosper, learn, and grow. Before the first crew lands, Mars One will have established a habitable, sustainable outpost designed to receive new astronauts every two years. To accomplish this, Mars One has developed a precise, realistic plan based entirely upon proven technologies. It is both economically and logistically feasible, and already underway with the aggregation and appointment of hardware suppliers and experts in space exploration. In this paper Mars One discusses the benefits of the mission for planetary science in general and Mars studies in particular. Furthermore potential contributions from the planetary community to the Mars One project will be identified.

Evidence for the Involvement of p38 MAPK Activation in Barnacle Larval Settlement

PubMed Central

He, Li-Sheng; Xu, Ying; Matsumura, Kiyotaka; Zhang, Yu; Zhang, Gen; Qi, Shu-Hua; Qian, Pei-Yuan

2012-01-01

The barnacle Balanus ( = Amphibalanus) amphitrite is a major marine fouling animal. Understanding the molecular mechanism of larval settlement in this species is critical for anti-fouling research. In this study, we cloned one isoform of p38 MAPK (Bar-p38 MAPK) from this species, which shares the significant characteristic of containing a TGY motif with other species such as yeast, Drosophila and humans. The activation of p38 MAPK was detected by an antibody that recognizes the conserved dual phosphorylation sites of TGY. The results showed that phospho-p38 MAPK (pp38 MAPK) was more highly expressed at the cyprid stage, particularly in aged cyprids, in comparison to other stages, including the nauplius and juvenile stages. Immunostaining showed that Bar-p38 MAPK and pp38 MAPK were mainly located at the cyprid antennules, and especially the third and fourth segments, which are responsible for substratum exploration during settlement. The expression and localization patterns of Bar-p38 MAPK suggest its involvement in larval settlement. This postulation was also supported by the larval settlement bioassay with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. Behavioral analysis by live imaging revealed that the larvae were still capable of exploring the surface of the substratum after SB203580 treatment. This shows that the effect of p38 MAPK on larval settlement might be by regulating the secretion of permanent proteinaceous substances. Furthermore, the level of pp38 MAPK dramatically decreased after full settlement, suggesting that Bar-p38 MAPK maybe plays a role in larval settlement rather than metamorphosis. Finally, we found that Bar-p38 MAPK was highly activated when larvae confronted extracts of adult barnacle containing settlement cues, whereas larvae pre-treated with SB203580 failed to respond to the crude adult extracts. PMID:23115639

Mapping the Human Planet: Integrating Settlement, Infrastructure, and Population Data to Support Sustainable Development, Climate, and Disaster Data Needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; de Sherbinin, A. M.; Yetman, G.; Downs, R. R.

2017-12-01

A central issue in international efforts to address climate change, large-scale disaster risk, and overall sustainable development is the exposure of human settlements and population to changing climate patterns and a range of geological, climatological, technological, and other hazards. The present and future location of human activities is also important in mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and to ensuring that we "leave no one behind" in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the international community in September 2015. The extent and quality of built infrastructure are key factors in the mortality, morbidity, and economic impacts of disasters, and are simultaneously essential to sustainable development. Earth observations have great potential to improve the coverage, consistency, timeliness, and richness of data on settlements, infrastructure, and population, in ways that complement existing and emerging forms of socioeconomic data collection such as censuses, surveys, and cell phone and Internet traffic. Night-time lights from the Suomi-NPP satellite may be able to provide near real-time data on occupance and economic activity. New "big data" capabilities make it possible to rapidly process high-resolution (50-cm) imagery to detect structures and changes in structures, especially in rural areas where other data are limited. A key challenge is to ensure that these types of data can be translated into forms useful in a range of applications and for diverse user communities, including national statistical offices, local government planners, development and humanitarian organizations, community groups, and the private sector. We report here on efforts, in coordination with the GEO Human Planet Initiative, to develop new data on settlements, infrastructure, and population, together with open data services and tools, to support disaster risk assessment, climate vulnerability analysis, and sustainable development decision making.

Uranium-series dated authigenic carbonates and acheulian sites in southern Egypt

USGS Publications Warehouse

Szabo, B. J.; McHugh, W.P.; Schaber, G.G.; Haynes, C.V.; Breed, C.S.

1989-01-01

Field investigations in southern Egypt have yielded Acheulian artifacts in situ in authigenic carbonate deposits (CaCO3-cemented alluvium) along the edges of nowaggraded paleovalleys (Wadi Arid and Wadi Safsaf). Uranium-series dating of 25 carbonate samples from various localities as far apart as 70 kilometers indicates that widespread carbonate deposition occurred about 45, 141 and 212 ka (thousand years ago). Most of the carbonate appears to have been precipitated from groundwater, which suggests that these three episodes of deposition may be related to late Pleistocene humid climates that facilitated human settlement in this now hyperarid region. Carbonate cements from sediments containing Acheulian artifacts provide a minimum age of 212 ka for early occupation of the paleovalleys.

Prehistoric human settling on the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Fahu; Zhang, Dongju; Dong, Guanghui

2017-04-01

When and where did human first settle down on the Tibetan Plateau is under hot debate among archaeologist, anthropologists, geneticist and paleo-geographers. Based on systematic archaeological, chronological and archaeo-botanical studies of 53 sites in Northeastern Tibetan Plateau, we propose that agriculture facilitated human permanent settlement on the Tibetan Plateau initially since 5200 years ago below 2500 masl and since 3600 years ago up to around 4000 masl, possibly assisted by domesticated animals (Chen et al. 2015). By studying hand- and footprints in Chusang, Meyer et al. (2016) argue that hunter-gatherers permanently occupied central Tibetan Plateau in early Holocene without the help of agriculture. However, we think the limited hand- and footprints evidence found in Chusang could indicate no more than prehistoric hunter-gatherers presence on the remote central Tibetan Plateau in the early Holocene. In addition, by reviewing all the published archaeological data, we propose that human migrated to the Tibetan Plateau from the last Deglacial period to late Holocene mainly from North China via Yellow River valley and its tributary valleys in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP). This migration is constituted of four stages (Upper Paleolithic, Epi-Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age) when human adapted to the high altitude environment and climate change with different strategies and techniques. Particularly, the prevail of microlithic technology in North China provoked hunter-gatherers' first visit to the NETP in relatively ameliorated last Deglacial period, and the the quick development of millet farming and subsequent mixed barley-wheat farming and sheep herding facilitated farmers and herders permanently settled in Tibetan Plateau, even above 3000 masl, during mid- and late Holocene. References: Chen et al., 2015. Agriculture facilitated permanent human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau after 3600 BP. Science, 347: 248-250. Meyer et al., 2016. Permanent human occupation of the central Tibetan Plateau in early Holocene. Science, 355: 64-67.

Transforming Shell and Society Elements in Human Settlements for Sustainable Tourism Development: Setu Babakan, South Jakarta, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koncara, R. M. P.; Tiarasari, R.; Pratiwi, W. D.

2018-05-01

The government has established the settlements around Setu Babakan as Betawi Cultural Village (PBB). The goal of PBB Setu Babakan is to preserve Betawi culture which is fading, and realized by making the location as a tourism destination in South Jakarta. This paper discusses the transformation on the two ekistics elements in human settlements around Setu Babakan; shell and society in the development of tourism. Shell as a physical element is reflected in the citizen’s houses which are adapted into traditional Betawi houses. While the society refers to Setu Babakan’s citizen who participated as economic actors by selling traditional Betawi food and beverages, as well as a performers at the Betawi traditional art performances. In its application, the adaptation of citizen’s houses into traditional Betawi house cannot be done completely. The adaptation that can be done to the residents’ houses is by beautification in the appearance of the building. The application of typical Betawi ornaments makes the settlement feels like Betawi traditional village. This is one of the attractions for tourists. They can enjoy the atmosphere of Betawi village, enjoy Betawi food and beverages, watch Betawi art performance, and enjoy the lake tour at PBB Setu Babakan.

Spatial adaptation as the Madurese migrant resilience form at urban informal sector workers settlement: a case study of Kotalama settlement - Malang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asikin, Damayanti; Antariksa; Dwi Wulandari, Lisa; Indira Rukmi, Wara

2017-12-01

Migration is the movement of the population that will bring the change of society's behavior because of the adjustments occuring at the destination of migrant area. The availability of houses in urban area is not a proportional comparison to the increasing of limited housing space, thus it encourages urban migrants to adapt to the existing conditions. Adaptation will be closely linked to the resilience of migrants in the process of interacting with their environment. The theory of urban settlement architecture continues to grow constantly, so the used paradigm should be interdisciplinary. Thereby, the understanding of adaptation, which is used will concern to various aspects of physical and non-physical environment, and it is viewed as a process and product of human interactions with the environment holistically. Malang city is one of the migration destinations of Madurese people since 1930s, and Kotalama Malang settlement is the settlement that holds the largest Madurese migrant working in informal sector, which has been developed since 1950s. This study was conducted to determine the spatial adaptation of Madurese migrants in urban settlement area as a resilience form towards their settlement environment. The qualitative descriptive method with the discourse analysis approach of searching the data through the observation and the in-depth interview of key person were used to know the adaptation process that happened. The study result indicated that spatial adaptation as a process and product on meso and micro scale conducted by Madurese migrants was the form of resilience towards their settlement environment.

Connectivity clues from short-term variability in settlement and geochemical tags of mytilid mussels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fodrie, F. Joel; Becker, Bonnie J.; Levin, Lisa A.; Gruenthal, Kristen; McMillan, Pat A.

2011-01-01

The use of geochemical tags in calcified structures of fish and invertebrates is an exciting tool for investigating larval population connectivity. Tag evaluation over relatively short intervals (weeks) may detect environmental and ecological variability at a temporal scale highly relevant to larval transport and settlement. We collected newly settled mussels ( Mytilus californianus and M. galloprovincialis) weekly during winter/spring of 2002 along the coast of San Diego, CA, USA, at sites on the exposed coast (SIO) and in a protected coastal bay (HI), to investigate temporal patterns of geochemical tags in mussel shells. Analyses of post-settlement shell via LA-ICP-MS revealed statistically significant temporal variability for all elements we examined (Mg, Mn, Cu, Sr, Cd, Ba, Pb and U). Despite this, our ability to distinguish multielemental signatures between sites was largely conserved. Throughout our 13-week study, SIO and HI mussels could be chemically distinguished from one another in 78-87% of all cases. Settlement varied between 2 and 27 settlers gram-byssus -1 week -1 at SIO and HI, and both sites were characterized by 2-3 weeks with "high" settlement. Geochemical tags recorded in early larval shell of newly settled mussels differed between "high" and "low" settlement weeks at both sites (MANOVA), driven by Mg and Sr at SIO (p = 0.013) and Sr, Cd, Ba and Pb at HI (p < 0.001). These data imply that shifts in larval sources or transport corridors were responsible for observed settlement variation, rather than increased larval production. In particular, increased settlement at HI was observed concurrent with the appearance of geochemical tags (e.g., elevated Cd), suggesting that those larvae were retained in upwelled water near the mouth of the bay. Such shifts may reflect short-term changes in connectivity among sites due to altered transport corridors, and influence the demography of local populations.

Pelagic larval duration and settlement size of a reef fish are spatially consistent, but post-settlement growth varies at the reef scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leahy, Susannah M.; Russ, Garry R.; Abesamis, Rene A.

2015-12-01

Recent research has demonstrated that, despite a pelagic larval stage, many coral reef fishes disperse over relatively small distances, leading to well-connected populations on scales of 0-30 km. Although variation in key biological characteristics has been explored on the scale of 100-1000 s of km, it has rarely been explored at the scale relevant to actual larval dispersal and population connectivity on ecological timescales. In this study, we surveyed the habitat and collected specimens ( n = 447) of juvenile butterflyfish, Chaetodon vagabundus, at nine sites along an 80-km stretch of coastline in the central Philippines to identify variation in key life history parameters at a spatial scale relevant to population connectivity. Mean pelagic larval duration (PLD) was 24.03 d (SE = 0.16 d), and settlement size was estimated to be 20.54 mm total length (TL; SE = 0.61 mm). Both traits were spatially consistent, although this PLD is considerably shorter than that reported elsewhere. In contrast, post-settlement daily growth rates, calculated from otolith increment widths from 1 to 50 d post-settlement, varied strongly across the study region. Elevated growth rates were associated with rocky habitats that this species is known to recruit to, but were strongly negatively correlated with macroalgal cover and exhibited negative density dependence with conspecific juveniles. Larger animals had lower early (first 50 d post-settlement) growth rates than smaller animals, even after accounting for seasonal variation in growth rates. Both VBGF and Gompertz models provided good fits to post-settlement size-at-age data ( n = 447 fish), but the VBGF's estimate of asymptotic length ( L ∞ = 168 mm) was more consistent with field observations of maximum fish length. Our findings indicate that larval characteristics are consistent at the spatial scale at which populations are likely well connected, but that site-level biological differences develop post-settlement, most likely as a result of key differences in quality of recruitment habitat.

Genomic landscape of human diversity across Madagascar

PubMed Central

Pierron, Denis; Heiske, Margit; Razafindrazaka, Harilanto; Rakoto, Ignace; Rabetokotany, Nelly; Ravololomanga, Bodo; Rakotozafy, Lucien M.-A.; Rakotomalala, Mireille Mialy; Razafiarivony, Michel; Rasoarifetra, Bako; Raharijesy, Miakabola Andriamampianina; Razafindralambo, Lolona; Ramilisonina; Fanony, Fulgence; Lejamble, Sendra; Thomas, Olivier; Mohamed Abdallah, Ahmed; Rocher, Christophe; Arachiche, Amal; Tonaso, Laure; Pereda-loth, Veronica; Schiavinato, Stéphanie; Brucato, Nicolas; Ricaut, Francois-Xavier; Kusuma, Pradiptajati; Sudoyo, Herawati; Ni, Shengyu; Boland, Anne; Deleuze, Jean-Francois; Beaujard, Philippe; Grange, Philippe; Adelaar, Sander; Stoneking, Mark; Rakotoarisoa, Jean-Aimé; Radimilahy, Chantal; Letellier, Thierry

2017-01-01

Although situated ∼400 km from the east coast of Africa, Madagascar exhibits cultural, linguistic, and genetic traits from both Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa. The settlement history remains contentious; we therefore used a grid-based approach to sample at high resolution the genomic diversity (including maternal lineages, paternal lineages, and genome-wide data) across 257 villages and 2,704 Malagasy individuals. We find a common Bantu and Austronesian descent for all Malagasy individuals with a limited paternal contribution from Europe and the Middle East. Admixture and demographic growth happened recently, suggesting a rapid settlement of Madagascar during the last millennium. However, the distribution of African and Asian ancestry across the island reveals that the admixture was sex biased and happened heterogeneously across Madagascar, suggesting independent colonization of Madagascar from Africa and Asia rather than settlement by an already admixed population. In addition, there are geographic influences on the present genomic diversity, independent of the admixture, showing that a few centuries is sufficient to produce detectable genetic structure in human populations. PMID:28716916

Environment and Architecture - a Paradigm Shift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Battista, Valerio

The interaction of human cultures and the built environment allows a wide range of interpretations and has been studied inside the domain of many disciplines. This paper discusses three interpretations descending from a systemic approach to the question: - architecture as an "emergence" of the settlement system; - place (and space) as an "accumulator" of time and a "flux" of systems; - landscape as one representation/description of the human settlement. Architecture emerges as a new physical conformation or layout, or as a change in a specific site, arising from actions and representations of political, religious, economical or social powers, being shaped at all times by the material culture belonging to a specific time and place in the course of human evolution. Any inhabited space becomes over time a place as well as a landscape, i.e. a representation of the settlement and a relationship between setting and people. Therefore, any place owns a landscape which, in turn, is a system of physical systems; it could be defined as a system of sites that builds up its own structure stemming from the orographical features and the geometry of land surfaces that set out the basic characters of its space.

Using a Birth Center Model of Care to Improve Reproductive Outcomes in Informal Settlements-a Case Study.

PubMed

Wallace, Jacqueline

2018-06-04

The world is becoming increasingly urban. For the first time in history, more than 50% of human beings live in cities (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, ed. (2015)). Rapid urbanization is often chaotic and unstructured, leading to the formation of informal settlements or slums. Informal settlements are frequently located in environmentally hazardous areas and typically lack adequate sanitation and clean water, leading to poor health outcomes for residents. In these difficult circumstances women and children fair the worst, and reproductive outcomes for women living in informal settlements are grim. Insufficient uptake of antenatal care, lack of skilled birth attendants and poor-quality care contribute to maternal mortality rates in informal settlements that far outpace wealthier urban neighborhoods (Chant and McIlwaine (2016)). In response, a birth center model of maternity care is proposed for informal settlements. Birth centers have been shown to provide high quality, respectful, culturally appropriate care in high resource settings (Stapleton et al. J Midwifery Women's Health 58(1):3-14, 2013; Hodnett et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev CD000012, 2012; Brocklehurst et al. BMJ 343:d7400, 2011). In this paper, three case studies are described that support the use of this model in low resource, urban settings.

Environmental impact of early Sadlermiut settlements at Native Point (Southampton Island, Nunavut, Canada) before the Little Ice Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viehberg, Finn; Pienitz, Reinhard; Plessen, Birgit; Muir, Derek; Wang, Xiaowa

2017-04-01

Several Thule forager groups settled successfully in the Hudson Bay region of the Canadian Arctic starting at ca. AD 1050. First evidence of settlements at Native Point on Southampton Island dates prior to AD 1400 by Sadlermiuts. The village consisted of numerous sod and winter houses which framed a small shallow freshwater body (ca. 20,000 m2). Numerous butchered carcasses of mainly walrus, seal, bowhead whales and caribou remained in the pond and further decayed in the water. Here, we present first results from three short sediment cores taken from the bottom of the settlement pond. Sedimentological, geochemical and micropaleontological analyses show an abrupt change at ca. AD 1500 from pristine aquatic environments to eutrophic conditions. Variation in d15N and d13C of the organic matter suggest that this shift is related to the first butchering activity of Sadlermiuts in the area.

Cook Island artifact geochemistry demonstrates spatial and temporal extent of pre-European interarchipelago voyaging in East Polynesia

PubMed Central

Weisler, Marshall I.; Bolhar, Robert; Ma, Jinlong; St Pierre, Emma; Sheppard, Peter; Walter, Richard K.; Feng, Yuexing; Zhao, Jian-xin; Kirch, Patrick V.

2016-01-01

The Cook Islands are considered the “gateway” for human colonization of East Polynesia, the final chapter of Oceanic settlement and the last major region occupied on Earth. Indeed, East Polynesia witnessed the culmination of the greatest maritime migration in human history. Perennial debates have critiqued whether Oceanic settlement was purposeful or accidental, the timing and pathways of colonization, and the nature and extent of postcolonization voyaging—essential for small founding groups securing a lifeline between parent and daughter communities. Centering on the well-dated Tangatatau rockshelter, Mangaia, Southern Cook Islands, we charted the temporal duration and geographic spread of exotic stone adze materials—essential woodworking tools found throughout Polynesia— imported for more than 300 y beginning in the early AD 1300s. Using a technique requiring only 200 mg of sample for the geochemical analysis of trace elements and isotopes of fine-grained basalt adzes, we assigned all artifacts to an island or archipelago of origin. Adze material was identified from the chiefly complex on the Austral Islands, from the major adze quarry complex on Tutuila (Samoa), and from the Marquesas Islands more than 2,400 km distant. This interaction is the only dated example of down-the-line exchange in central East Polynesia where intermediate groups transferred commodities attesting to the interconnectedness and complexity of social relations fostered during postsettlement voyaging. For the Cook Islands, this exchange may have lasted into the 1600s, at least a century later than other East Polynesian archipelagos, suggesting that interarchipelago interaction contributed to the later development of social hierarchies. PMID:27382159

Prehistoric human settling on the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, F.; Zhang, D.; Dong, G.; Xia, H.

2017-12-01

When and where did human first settle down on the Tibetan Plateau is under hot debate among archaeologist, anthropologists, geneticist and paleo-geographers. Based on systematic archaeological, chronological and archaeo-botanical studies of 53 sites in Northeastern Tibetan Plateau, we propose that agriculture facilitated human permanent settlement on the Tibetan Plateau initially since 5200 years ago below 2500 masl and since 3600 years ago up to around 4000 masl, possibly assisted by domesticated animals (Chen et al. 2015). By redating the age of hand- and footprints in Chusang site in Tibet, Meyer et al. (2017) argue that hunter-gatherers permanently occupied central Tibetan Plateau in early Holocene (before 7.4 ka) without the help of agriculture. Except for the possible problem of dating, however, the limited hand- and footprints could only indicate the presence of prehistoric hunter-gatherers on the remote central Tibetan Plateau in the early Holocene, unable to support the permanent inhabitation assertion (Zhang et al., 2017). To better understand how human spread to, settle on and adapt to the Tibetan Plateau, we are closely working together with anthropologists, archaeologists and geneticists to do system Paleolithic surveys, full excavations, and genetic analysis of ancient and modern human, animals and plants. Our preliminary study show that human migrated to the Tibetan Plateau from the last Deglacial period to late Holocene mainly from North China via Yellow River valley and its tributary valleys in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP). This migration is constituted of four stages (Upper Paleolithic, Epi-Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age) with different adaptation strategies, including microlithic technology, millet and barley farming, and sheep herding and so on (Zhang et al., 2016). In addition, our new finds in Tibet indicate that there are probably more migration routes from southeast and southwest Tibetan Plateau in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene, other than the main routes of upper Yellow River valley in NETP. To better understand and answer those arguments, detailed Paleolithic surveys and studies are especially needed in the future.

Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Nepal: Patterns of Human Fatalities and Injuries Caused by Large Mammals.

PubMed

Acharya, Krishna Prasad; Paudel, Prakash Kumar; Neupane, Prem Raj; Köhl, Michael

2016-01-01

Injury and death from wildlife attacks often result in people feeling violent resentment and hostility against the wildlife involved and, therefore, may undermine public support for conservation. Although Nepal, with rich biodiversity, is doing well in its conservation efforts, human-wildlife conflicts have been a major challenge in recent years. The lack of detailed information on the spatial and temporal patterns of human-wildlife conflicts at the national level impedes the development of effective conflict mitigation plans. We examined patterns of human injury and death caused by large mammals using data from attack events and their spatiotemporal dimensions collected from a national survey of data available in Nepal over five years (2010-2014). Data were analyzed using logistic regression and chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. The results show that Asiatic elephants and common leopards are most commonly involved in attacks on people in terms of attack frequency and fatalities. Although one-horned rhinoceros and bears had a higher frequency of attacks than Bengal tigers, tigers caused more fatalities than each of these two species. Attacks by elephants peaked in winter and most frequently occurred outside protected areas in human settlements. Leopard attacks occurred almost entirely outside protected areas, and a significantly greater number of attacks occurred in human settlements. Attacks by one-horned rhinoceros and tigers were higher in the winter, mainly in forests inside protected areas; similarly, attacks by bears occurred mostly within protected areas. We found that human settlements are increasingly becoming conflict hotspots, with burgeoning incidents involving elephants and leopards. We conclude that species-specific conservation strategies are urgently needed, particularly for leopards and elephants. The implications of our findings for minimizing conflicts and conserving these imperiled species are discussed.

Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Nepal: Patterns of Human Fatalities and Injuries Caused by Large Mammals

PubMed Central

Acharya, Krishna Prasad; Paudel, Prakash Kumar; Neupane, Prem Raj; Köhl, Michael

2016-01-01

Injury and death from wildlife attacks often result in people feeling violent resentment and hostility against the wildlife involved and, therefore, may undermine public support for conservation. Although Nepal, with rich biodiversity, is doing well in its conservation efforts, human-wildlife conflicts have been a major challenge in recent years. The lack of detailed information on the spatial and temporal patterns of human-wildlife conflicts at the national level impedes the development of effective conflict mitigation plans. We examined patterns of human injury and death caused by large mammals using data from attack events and their spatiotemporal dimensions collected from a national survey of data available in Nepal over five years (2010–2014). Data were analyzed using logistic regression and chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. The results show that Asiatic elephants and common leopards are most commonly involved in attacks on people in terms of attack frequency and fatalities. Although one-horned rhinoceros and bears had a higher frequency of attacks than Bengal tigers, tigers caused more fatalities than each of these two species. Attacks by elephants peaked in winter and most frequently occurred outside protected areas in human settlements. Leopard attacks occurred almost entirely outside protected areas, and a significantly greater number of attacks occurred in human settlements. Attacks by one-horned rhinoceros and tigers were higher in the winter, mainly in forests inside protected areas; similarly, attacks by bears occurred mostly within protected areas. We found that human settlements are increasingly becoming conflict hotspots, with burgeoning incidents involving elephants and leopards. We conclude that species-specific conservation strategies are urgently needed, particularly for leopards and elephants. The implications of our findings for minimizing conflicts and conserving these imperiled species are discussed. PMID:27612174

Challenges in sexual and reproductive health of Roma people who live in settlements in Serbia.

PubMed

Sedlecky, Katarina; Rašević, Mirjana

2015-04-01

To investigate the differences in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) between Roma women of reproductive age who live in settlements and the general population of women of the same age in Serbia who do not live in settlements. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 4 (MICS4) was administered to Roma and Serbian women and the results were compared between the two groups. In order to get a qualitative perspective, a specifically designed, short open-ended questionnaire about Roma women was given to Roma Health Mediators (RHMs). Roma women have a higher total fertility rate and adolescent birth rate, and early marriage is much more common among them. Differences are less clear regarding antenatal care and assistance during delivery from skilled personnel. Roma women more frequently rely on traditional contraception, and are less likely to use modern contraceptives than the general female population. Problems in the socio-economic sphere, poor school enrolment and maintenance of traditional patterns in Roma people living in settlements contribute to the disparities observed. Although data on the SRH of the general population of women in Serbia are far from being satisfactory, those for women who live in Roma settlements are much worse. Political actions aimed at the empowerment of Roma women in the spheres of education, employment and health promotion have been implemented with the hope that they might improve the SRH of this vulnerable population group.

Air Quality, Energy Budget, and Offset Policy in South Africa's Low-Income Settlements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hersey, S. P.; Piketh, S.; Burger, R.

2014-12-01

Urban and exurban residential populations in South Africa reside primarily in low-income settlements, including many townships remaining from Apartheid. Over 3 million free government homes have been built in the last 20 years, but the number of people living in informal settlements is the same as at the end of Apartheid in 1994 - a consequence of rapid urbanization. Despite availability of electricity to the vast majority of South Africans, ~80% of electrified homes in low-income areas also burn coal and/or wood as supplementary fuels for cooking and heating. These domestic burning activities represent 70-85% of total PM10mass during winter in South Africa's low-income settlements. Here we analyze data from observations of human-atmosphere systems in: 1) 19 ground monitoring sites in Gauteng Province (Johannesburg and Pretoria), and 2) an intensive sampling campaign in a township in Mpumalanga Province (Industrial Highveld). From ground monitoring, we quantitatively describe seasonal and diurnal trends in PM10 and PM2.5 typical in low-income settlements as compared with industrial and developed suburban areas, and demonstrate the impact of low-income settlements on regional air quality. We also explore the implications of economic development in townships (increased household income, expanded commercialization and widespread electricity usage) on local and regional air quality. Data from the intensive township sampling study provides a seasonal energy budget for domestic burning in low-income settlements and suggests that indoor and ambient air quality are independent systems requiring unique interventions. We conclude with a preview of innovative strategies being developed by industry, government, and academic stakeholders for a not-like-for-like emissions offset policy in South Africa, focused on investments directly into low-income settlements that are aimed at reducing PM exposure.

Early motherhood: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of African Australian teenage mothers in greater Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Ngum Chi Watts, Mimmie Claudine; Liamputtong, Pranee; Mcmichael, Celia

2015-09-10

Motherhood is a significant and important aspect of life for many women around the globe. For women in communities where motherhood is highly desired, motherhood is considered crucial to the woman's identity. Teenage motherhood, occurring at a critical developmental stage of teenagers' lives, has been identified as having adverse social and health consequences. This research aimed to solicit the lived experiences of African Australian young refugee women who have experienced early motherhood in Australia. This qualitative research used in-depth interviews. The research methods and analysis were informed by intersectionality theory, phenomenology and a cultural competency framework. Sixteen African born refugee young women who had experienced teenage pregnancy and early motherhood in Greater Melbourne, Australia took part in this research. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and data analysed using thematic content analysis. Ethics approval for this research was granted by Victoria University Human Research Ethics committee. Motherhood brings increased responsibilities, social recognition, and a sense of purpose for young mothers. Despite the positive aspects of motherhood, participants faced challenges that affected their lives. Most often, the challenges included coping with increased responsibilities following the birth of the baby, managing the competing demands of schooling, work and taking care of a baby in a site of settlement. The young mothers indicated they received good support from their mothers, siblings and close friends, but rarely from the father of their baby and the wider community. Participants felt that teenage mothers are frowned upon by their wider ethnic communities, which left them with feelings of shame and embarrassment, despite the personal perceived benefits of achieving motherhood. We propose that service providers and policy makers support the role of the young mothers' own mother, sisters, their grandmothers and aunts following early motherhood. Such support from significant females will help facilitate young mothers' re-engagement with education, work and other aspects of life. For young migrant mothers, this is particularly important in order to facilitate settlement in a new country and reduce the risk of subsequent mistimed pregnancies. Service providers need to expand their knowledge and awareness of the specific needs of refugee teen mothers living in 'new settings'.

Bread Baking Contest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchette, Amy; And Others

1995-01-01

Describes a classroom project in which elementary students bake homemade bread to learn about the settlement period in Canadian history and the early history of the students' community. Maintains that students learn to compare the lifestyle of the past with the present. (CFR)

Wood plenty, grass good, water none: Vegetation changes in Arizona's upper Verde River watershed from 1850 to 1997

Treesearch

Harley G. Shaw

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare current woodland density and distribution in and around the dry upper Verde River watershed in northwestern Arizona with conditions prior to Anglo settlement. Historic conditions were assessed using early photographs and early diaries and reports. The expedition led by Amiel Weeks Whipple was retraced and areas described in 1854...

Ocean acidification compromises recruitment success of the threatened Caribbean coral Acropora palmata

PubMed Central

Albright, Rebecca; Mason, Benjamin; Miller, Margaret; Langdon, Chris

2010-01-01

Ocean acidification (OA) refers to the ongoing decline in oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of atmospheric CO2. Mounting experimental evidence suggests that OA will have negative consequences for a variety of marine organisms. Whereas the effect of OA on the calcification of adult reef corals is increasingly well documented, effects on early life history stages are largely unknown. Coral recruitment, which necessitates successful fertilization, larval settlement, and postsettlement growth and survivorship, is critical to the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. To determine whether OA threatens successful sexual recruitment of reef-building corals, we tested fertilization, settlement, and postsettlement growth of Acropora palmata at pCO2 levels that represent average ambient conditions during coral spawning (∼400 μatm) and the range of pCO2 increases that are expected to occur in this century [∼560 μatm (mid-CO2) and ∼800 μatm (high-CO2)]. Fertilization, settlement, and growth were all negatively impacted by increasing pCO2, and impairment of fertilization was exacerbated at lower sperm concentrations. The cumulative impact of OA on fertilization and settlement success is an estimated 52% and 73% reduction in the number of larval settlers on the reef under pCO2 conditions projected for the middle and the end of this century, respectively. Additional declines of 39% (mid-CO2) and 50% (high-CO2) were observed in postsettlement linear extension rates relative to controls. These results suggest that OA has the potential to impact multiple, sequential early life history stages, thereby severely compromising sexual recruitment and the ability of coral reefs to recover from disturbance. PMID:21059900

Ocean acidification compromises recruitment success of the threatened Caribbean coral Acropora palmata.

PubMed

Albright, Rebecca; Mason, Benjamin; Miller, Margaret; Langdon, Chris

2010-11-23

Ocean acidification (OA) refers to the ongoing decline in oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of atmospheric CO(2). Mounting experimental evidence suggests that OA will have negative consequences for a variety of marine organisms. Whereas the effect of OA on the calcification of adult reef corals is increasingly well documented, effects on early life history stages are largely unknown. Coral recruitment, which necessitates successful fertilization, larval settlement, and postsettlement growth and survivorship, is critical to the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. To determine whether OA threatens successful sexual recruitment of reef-building corals, we tested fertilization, settlement, and postsettlement growth of Acropora palmata at pCO(2) levels that represent average ambient conditions during coral spawning (∼400 μatm) and the range of pCO(2) increases that are expected to occur in this century [∼560 μatm (mid-CO(2)) and ∼800 μatm (high-CO(2))]. Fertilization, settlement, and growth were all negatively impacted by increasing pCO(2), and impairment of fertilization was exacerbated at lower sperm concentrations. The cumulative impact of OA on fertilization and settlement success is an estimated 52% and 73% reduction in the number of larval settlers on the reef under pCO(2) conditions projected for the middle and the end of this century, respectively. Additional declines of 39% (mid-CO(2)) and 50% (high-CO(2)) were observed in postsettlement linear extension rates relative to controls. These results suggest that OA has the potential to impact multiple, sequential early life history stages, thereby severely compromising sexual recruitment and the ability of coral reefs to recover from disturbance.

Visions of human futures in space and SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Jason T.; Oman-Reagan, Michael P.

2018-04-01

We discuss how visions for the futures of humanity in space and SETI are intertwined, and are shaped by prior work in the fields and by science fiction. This appears in the language used in the fields, and in the sometimes implicit assumptions made in discussions of them. We give examples from articulations of the so-called Fermi Paradox, discussions of the settlement of the Solar System (in the near future) and the Galaxy (in the far future), and METI. We argue that science fiction, especially the campy variety, is a significant contributor to the `giggle factor' that hinders serious discussion and funding for SETI and Solar System settlement projects. We argue that humanity's long-term future in space will be shaped by our short-term visions for who goes there and how. Because of the way they entered the fields, we recommend avoiding the term `colony' and its cognates when discussing the settlement of space, as well as other terms with similar pedigrees. We offer examples of science fiction and other writing that broaden and challenge our visions of human futures in space and SETI. In an appendix, we use an analogy with the well-funded and relatively uncontroversial searches for the dark matter particle to argue that SETI's lack of funding in the national science portfolio is primarily a problem of perception, not inherent merit.

Comparing Strategic Knowledge Gaps for Human Mars Settlement vs. Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackenzie, B. A.

2012-06-01

We list knowledge needed to establish a permanent Mars base, compared that for round-trip human exploration missions. Topics include: site selection, reliable access to water, long term effects of contaminations, and in-situ materials production.

Site Selection for the First Sustainable Mars Base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, D. C.; James, G.; Chamitoff, G.; Clifford, S.

2015-10-01

Water is the most valuable resource needed for human habitability and its location and ease of extraction should be the main constraint for defining a sustainable and growing human settlement on Mars followed by exploration and scientific objectives.

Late Pleistocene/Holocene craniofacial morphology in Mesoamerican Paleoindians: implications for the peopling of the New World.

PubMed

González-José, Rolando; Neves, Walter; Lahr, Marta Mirazón; González, Silvia; Pucciarelli, Héctor; Hernández Martínez, Miquel; Correal, Gonzalo

2005-12-01

Several studies on craniofacial morphology showed that most Paleoindians, who were the first settlers of the New World, clearly differ from modern Amerindians and East Asians, their supposed descendants and sister group, respectively. Here we present new evidence supporting this view from the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene horizon from Mexico, as well as from the most complete set of dated Paleoindian remains. We analyzed the phenotypic resemblance of early Mexicans with other South Paleoamerican and modern human series. Two independent approaches to the data were used. In the first case, individual specimens were tested for morphological similarity with a set of modern reference samples. In the second analysis, Mexican specimens were treated as a sample in order to compute minimum genetic distances. Results from both approaches tend to associate early Mexican skulls with Paleoindians from Brazil, an Archaic sample from Colombia, and several circum-Pacific populations. These results give support to a model in which morphologically generalized groups of non-Northeast Asian descent (the so-called Paleoamericans) entered the continent first, and then dispersed from North to South America through Central America. The large geographic dispersal of Paleoamericans, and their presence in Mexico in the Early Holocene, raise new issues about the continent's settlement scenario. 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Geospatial and Remote Sensing-based Indicators of Settlement Type---Differentiating Informal and Formal Settlements in Guatemala City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owen, Karen K.

This research addresses the need for reliable, repeatable, quantitative measures to differentiate informal (slum) from formal (planned) settlements using commercial very high resolution imagery and elevation data. Measuring the physical, spatial and spectral qualities of informal settlements is an important precursor for evaluating success toward improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers worldwide, as pledged by the United Nations Millennium Development Goal Target 7D. A variety of measures were tested based on surface material spectral properties, texture, built-up structure, road network accessibility, and geomorphology from twelve communities in Guatemala City to reveal statistically significant differences between informal and formal settlements that could be applied to other parts of the world without the need for costly or dangerous field surveys. When information from satellite imagery is constrained to roads and residential boundaries, a more precise understanding of human habitation is produced. A classification and regression tree (CART) approach and linear discriminant function analysis enabled a variable dimensionality reduction from the original 23 to 6 variables that are sufficient to differentiate a settlement as informal or formal. The results demonstrate that the entropy texture of roads, the degree of asphalt road surface, the vegetation patch compactness and patch size, the percent of bare soil land cover, the geomorphic profile convexity of the terrain, and the road density distinguish informal from formal settlements with 87--92% accuracy when results are cross-validated. The variables with highest contribution to model outcome that are common to both approaches are entropy texture of roads, vegetation patch size, and vegetation compactness suggesting that road texture, surface materials and vegetation provide the necessary characteristics to distinguish the level of informality of a settlement. The results will assist urban planners and settlement analysts who must process vast amounts of imagery worldwide, enabling them to report annually on slum conditions. An added benefit is the ability to use the measures in data-poor regions of the world without field surveys.

The Mars imperative: Species survival and inspiring a globalized culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, Donald C.

2015-02-01

Humanity has crossed a unique technological threshold enabling self-guided survival, a first in the history of life on Earth. From a human perspective the Earth may be considered as a single interconnected ecosystem, and given our tenuous understanding and control over the environment as well as our own behaviors, ever-looming specters of social collapse or even extinction dictate enacting immediate off-world diversification and self-preservation efforts. Herein, Mars is touted as the most tenable and sustainable location in which to initiate such permanent diversification. Scientific curiosity alone cannot initiate nor drive such off-world settlement and concerted impetus and public support for such an endeavor is shown to be constrained by human attention span. Lastly, the initial act of settlement uniquely serves as humanities greatest globally inspiring self-initiated endeavor, a tangible benefit capable of inspiring generations, connecting cultures and motivating college enrollments and career path choices in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in a manner similar to the dawn of human space exploration.

Frequent Spread of Plasmodium vivax Malaria Maintains High Genetic Diversity at the Myanmar-China Border, Without Distance and Landscape Barriers.

PubMed

Lo, Eugenia; Lam, Nancy; Hemming-Schroeder, Elizabeth; Nguyen, Jennifer; Zhou, Guofa; Lee, Ming-Chieh; Yang, Zhaoqing; Cui, Liwang; Yan, Guiyun

2017-12-05

In Myanmar, civil unrest and the establishment of internally displaced person (IDP) settlements along the Myanmar-China border have impacted malaria transmission. Microsatellite markers were used to examine source-sink dynamics for Plasmodium vivax between IDP settlements and surrounding villages in the border region. Genotypic structure and diversity were compared across the 3 years following the establishment of IDP settlements, to infer demographic history. We investigated whether human migration and landscape heterogeneity contributed to P. vivax transmission. P. vivax from IDP settlements and local communities consistently exhibited high genetic diversity within populations but low polyclonality within individuals. No apparent genetic structure was observed among populations and years. P. vivax genotypes in China were similar to those in Myanmar, and parasite introduction was unidirectional. Landscape factors, including distance, elevation, and land cover, do not appear to impede parasite gene flow. The admixture of P. vivax genotypes suggested that parasite gene flow via human movement contributes to the spread of malaria both locally in Myanmar and across the international border. Our genetic findings highlight the presence of large P. vivax gene reservoirs that can sustain transmission. Thus, it is important to reinforce and improve existing control efforts along border areas. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Informal settlements and a relational view of health in Nairobi, Kenya: sanitation, gender and dignity.

PubMed

Corburn, Jason; Karanja, Irene

2016-06-01

On an urban planet, slums or informal settlements present an increasing challenge for health promotion. The living conditions in complex informal settlements interact with how people navigate through their daily lives and political institutions to shape health inequities. In this article, we suggest that only a relational place-based characterization of informal settlements can accurately capture the forces contributing to existing urban health inequities and inform appropriate and effective health promotion interventions. We explore our relational framework using household survey, spatial mapping and qualitative focus group data gathered in partnership with residents and non-governmental organizations in the Mathare informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. All data interpretation included participation with local residents and organizations. We focus on the inter-relationships between inadequate sanitation and disease, social, economic and human rights for women and girls, who we show are most vulnerable from poor slum infrastructure. We suggest that this collaborative process results in co-produced insights about the meanings and relationships between infrastructure, security, resilience and health. We conclude that complex informal settlements require relational and context-specific data gathering and analyses to understand the multiple determinants of health and to inform appropriate and effective healthy city interventions. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Watinglo mandible: a second terminal Pleistocene Homo sapiens fossil from tropical Sahul with a test on existing models for the human settlement of the region.

PubMed

Bulbeck, D; O'Connor, S

2011-02-01

This paper analyses a fossil human mandible, dated to circa 10ka, from Watinglo rockshelter on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. The fossil is metrically and morphologically similar to male mandibles of recent Melanesians and Australian Aborigines. It is distinguished from Kow Swamp and Coobool Creek male mandibles (Murray Valley, terminal Pleistocene) by being smaller and having different shape characteristics, as well as smaller teeth and a slower rate of tooth wear. It pairs with the Liang Lemdubu female (Late Glacial Maximum, Aru Islands) in suggesting that the morphology of the terminal Pleistocene inhabitants of tropical Sahul was gracile compared to their contemporaries within the southern Murray drainage. An explanatory scenario for this morphological contrast is developed in the context of the Homo sapiens early fossil record, Australasian mtDNA evidence, terminal Pleistocene climatic variation, and the possibility of multiple entry points into Sahul. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Toward a theory of punctuated subsistence change

PubMed Central

Ullah, Isaac I. T.; Kuijt, Ian; Freeman, Jacob

2015-01-01

Discourse on the origins and spread of domesticated species focuses on universal causal explanations or unique regional or temporal trajectories. Despite new data as to the context and physical processes of early domestication, researchers still do not understand the types of system-level reorganizations required to transition from foraging to farming. Drawing upon dynamical systems theory and the concepts of attractors and repellors, we develop an understanding of subsistence transition and a description of variation in, and emergence of, human subsistence systems. The overlooked role of attractors and repellors in these systems helps explain why the origins of agriculture occurred quickly in some times and places, but slowly in others. A deeper understanding of the interactions of a limited set of variables that control the size of attractors (a proxy for resilience), such as population size, number of dry months, net primary productivity, and settlement fixity, provides new insights into the origin and spread of domesticated species in human economies. PMID:26195737

An Artificial-Gravity Space-Settlement Ground-Analogue Design Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorais, Gregory A.

2016-01-01

The design concept of a modular and extensible hypergravity facility is presented. Several benefits of this facility are described including that the facility is suitable as a full-scale artificial-gravity space-settlement ground analogue for humans, animals, and plants for indefinite durations. The design is applicable as an analogue for on-orbit settlements as well as those on moons, asteroids, and Mars. The design creates an extremely long-arm centrifuge using a multi-car hypergravity vehicle travelling on one or more concentric circular tracks. This design supports the simultaneous generation of multiple-gravity levels to explore the feasibility and value of and requirements for such space-settlement designs. The design synergizes a variety of existing technologies including centrifuges, tilting trains, roller coasters, and optionally magnetic levitation. The design can be incrementally implemented such that the facility can be operational for a small fraction of the cost and time required for a full implementation. Brief concept of operation examples are also presented.

Fisheries

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Artifacts from early coastal settlements show that fishing was an important activity for the inhabitants of Alaska. Today, the fish harvested from the waters around Alaska are in excess of two million metric tones per year. The industry is vitally important to the economy of coastal communities. ...

HABITAT ASSESSMENT MODELS FOR BAY SCALLOP, ARGOPECTEN IRRADIANS

EPA Science Inventory

Bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) inhabit shallow subtidal habitats along the Atlantic coast of the United States and require settlement substrates, such as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), for their early juvenile stages. The short lifespan of bay scallops (1-2 yr) coupled...

Polypropylene fiber reinforced microsilica concrete bridge deck overlay at Link River Bridge

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-02-01

In 1997 ODOT overlaid the Link River Bridge with microsilica concrete, reinforced with polypropylene fibers (FMC). The manufacturer claimed the fibers would reduce plastic shrinkage cracks and settlement cracking during the early life of the concrete...

Spatial-temporal variations of natural suitability of human settlement environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area—A case study in Fengjie County, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Jieqiong; Zhou, Tinggang; Du, Peijun; Xu, Zhigang

2018-01-01

With rapid environmental degeneration and socio-economic development, the human settlement environment (HSE) has experienced dramatic changes and attracted attention from different communities. Consequently, the spatial-temporal evaluation of natural suitability of the human settlement environment (NSHSE) has become essential for understanding the patterns and dynamics of HSE, and for coordinating sustainable development among regional populations, resources, and environments. This study aims to explore the spatialtemporal evolution of NSHSE patterns in 1997, 2005, and 2009 in Fengjie County near the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA). A spatially weighted NSHSE model was established by integrating multi-source data (e.g., census data, meteorological data, remote sensing images, DEM data, and GIS data) into one framework, where the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) linear regression model was applied to calculate the weights of indices in the NSHSE model. Results show that the trend of natural suitability has been first downward and then upward, which is evidenced by the disparity of NSHSE existing in the south, north, and central areas of Fengjie County. Results also reveal clustered NSHSE patterns for all 30 townships. Meanwhile, NSHSE has significant influence on population distribution, and 71.49% of the total population is living in moderate and high suitable districts.

Lessons learned studying design issues for lunar and Mars settlements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litton, C. E.

1997-01-01

In a study of lunar and Mars settlement concepts, an analysis was made of fundamental design assumptions in five technical areas against a model list of occupational and environmental health concerns. The technical areas included the proposed science projects to be supported, habitat and construction issues, closed ecosystem issues, the "MMM" issues (mining, material processing, and manufacturing), and the human elements of physiology, behavior, and mission approach. Four major lessons were learned. First it is possible to relate public health concerns to complex technological development in a proactive design mode, which has the potential for long-term cost savings. Second, it became very apparent that prior to committing any nation or international group to spending the billions to start and complete a lunar settlement, over the next century, that a significantly different approach must be taken from those previously proposed, to solve the closed ecosystem and "MMM" problems. Third, it also appears that the health concerns and technology issues to be addressed for human exploration into space are fundamentally those to be solved for human habitation of the Earth (as a closed ecosystem) in the 21st century. Finally, it is proposed that ecosystem design modeling must develop new tools, based on probabilistic models as a step up from closed circuit models.

Lessons learned studying design issues for lunar and Mars settlements.

PubMed

Litton, C E

1997-01-01

In a study of lunar and Mars settlement concepts, an analysis was made of fundamental design assumptions in five technical areas against a model list of occupational and environmental health concerns. The technical areas included the proposed science projects to be supported, habitat and construction issues, closed ecosystem issues, the "MMM" issues (mining, material processing, and manufacturing), and the human elements of physiology, behavior, and mission approach. Four major lessons were learned. First it is possible to relate public health concerns to complex technological development in a proactive design mode, which has the potential for long-term cost savings. Second, it became very apparent that prior to committing any nation or international group to spending the billions to start and complete a lunar settlement, over the next century, that a significantly different approach must be taken from those previously proposed, to solve the closed ecosystem and "MMM" problems. Third, it also appears that the health concerns and technology issues to be addressed for human exploration into space are fundamentally those to be solved for human habitation of the Earth (as a closed ecosystem) in the 21st century. Finally, it is proposed that ecosystem design modeling must develop new tools, based on probabilistic models as a step up from closed circuit models.

Late Pleistocene human occupation of the hyperarid core in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latorre, Claudio; Santoro, Calogero M.; Ugalde, Paula C.; Gayo, Eugenia M.; Osorio, Daniela; Salas-Egaña, Carolina; De Pol-Holz, Ricardo; Joly, Delphine; Rech, Jason A.

2013-10-01

Few archeological sites in South America contain uncontroversial evidence for when the first peopling of the continent occurred. Largely ignored in this debate, extreme environments are assumed either as barriers to this early wave of migration or without potential for past habitability. Here, we report on a rare 12-13 ka human occupation from Quebrada Maní (site QM12), a plantless, near rainless landscape (1240 m asl and 85 km from the Pacific Ocean) located in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. This location harbored wetlands and riparian woodlands that were fed by increased rainfall further east in the central Andes during the latest Pleistocene. Excavations at QM12 yielded a diverse cultural assemblage of lithics, burned and cut bones, marine gastropods, pigments, plant fibers, and wooden artifacts alongside a prepared fireplace. Sixteen radiocarbon dates from site QM12 on charcoal, marine shells, animal dung, plant remains and wood reveal that the occupation took place between 12.8 and 11.7 ka. These results demonstrate that the Atacama Desert was not a barrier to early American settlement and dispersal, and provide new clues for understanding the cultural complexity and diversity of the peopling of South America during the Last Glacial-interglacial transition.

Rapid settlement of Majuro Atoll, central Pacific, following its emergence at 2000 years CalBP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kayanne, Hajime; Yasukochi, Toru; Yamaguchi, Toru; Yamano, Hiroya; Yoneda, Minoru

2011-10-01

Atoll islands are areas of low, flat land, and the sustainability of habitable land in such environments is sensitive to even slight changes in sea level. The projected rise in sea level during this century may lead to the submergence of atoll islands and the widespread loss of habitable land. However, the actual time sequence of past sea level change, island emergence events, and human settlement of newly emerged islands remain poorly constrained. The results of geomorphological and archaeological surveys, combined with calibrated radiocarbon age dates, at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, central Pacific, reveal that the emergence of the island, triggered by a fall in sea level, was quickly followed by human settlement. The elevation of the central body of the island exceeded high water level at 2000 years CalBP, and the complete formation of the island occurred within an interval of 100 years. The island was colonized by people shortly after emergence, at 2000 years CalBP, prior to the establishment of dense vegetation, and has been continuously settled since that time.

Settlement induction of Acropora palmata planulae by a GLW-amide neuropeptide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erwin, P. M.; Szmant, A. M.

2010-12-01

Complex environmental cues dictate the settlement of coral planulae in situ; however, simple artificial cues may be all that is required to induce settlement of ex situ larval cultures for reef re-seeding and restoration projects. Neuropeptides that transmit settlement signals and initiate the metamorphic cascade have been isolated from hydrozoan taxa and shown to induce metamorphosis of reef-building Acropora spp. in the Indo-Pacific, providing a reliable and efficient settlement cue. Here, the metamorphic activity of six GLW-amide cnidarian neuropeptides was tested on larvae of the Caribbean corals Acropora palmata, Montastraea faveolata and Favia fragum. A. palmata planulae were induced to settle by the exogenous application of the neuropeptide Hym-248 (concentrations ≥1 × 10-6 M), achieving 40-80% attachment and 100% metamorphosis of competent planulae (≥6 days post-fertilization) during two spawning seasons; the remaining neuropeptides exhibited no activity. Hym-248 exposure rapidly altered larval swimming behavior (<1 h) and resulted in >96% metamorphosis after 6 h. In contrast , M. faveolata and F. fragum planulae did not respond to any GLW-amides tested, suggesting a high specificity of neuropeptide activators on lower taxonomic scales in corals. Subsequent experiments for A. palmata revealed that (1) the presence of a biofilm did not enhance attachment efficiency when coupled with Hym-248 treatment, (2) neuropeptide-induced settlement had no negative effects on early life-history developmental processes: zooxanthellae acquisition and skeletal secretion occurred within 12 days, colonial growth occurred within 36 days, and (3) Hym-248 solutions maintained metamorphic activity following storage at room temperature (10 days), indicating its utility in remote field settings. These results corroborate previous studies on Indo-Pacific Acropora spp. and extend the known metamorphic activity of Hym-248 to Caribbean acroporids. Hym-248 allows for directed and reliable settlement of larval cultures and has broad applications to the study and rehabilitation of threatened Acropora populations in the Caribbean.

Tracking Dynamic Changes and Monitoring Socioeconomic Parameters in Algeria Between 1993 and 2012, Using Nighttime Light Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faouzi, B.; Washaya, P.

2017-09-01

This paper is based on using DMSP-OLS data from satellites nighttime light observations to detect both sources of light emissions in Algeria from human settlement areas and gas flaring from oil-extraction and natural gas production. We used the time series of data from DMSP-OLS images to examine the spatial and temporal characteristics of urban development in 48 Algerian provinces from 1993 to 2012. A systematic nighttime light calibration method was used to improve the consistency and comparability of the DSMPOSL images and then a separation is made between light detected from human settlements and light detected from gas flaring in order to allow us to study human settlements without other light emissions and then assess the suitability of using DMSP data in southern Algeria and its ability to monitor gas flaring. Linear regression methods were developed to identify the dynamic change of nighttime light and estimated its growth directions at pixel level. This work is the first to use nighttime light observations to detect and monitor the growth of human settlements in North Africa. In this study, we made use of DMSP-OLS data as a return ticket to the years of crises and we found the most affected provinces during that period. The DMSP-OLS data proved to be an index of growth in the economy during the period of stability in Algeria expressed by positive dynamic changes in the lighted area in all Algerian provinces. We used NTL data as an alternative to annual growth indexes for each province, which are unavailable, and its help as a monitoring system for socioeconomic parameters to fill the gap of data availability. We also proposed nighttime light remote sensing data as a useful tool to control and reduce CO2 emissions in Algeria's petroleum sector.

Human-Environment Interactions during the Last 8000 Years in the Environs of the Ancient City of Ephesus, Western Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, F.; Knipping, M.; Pint, A.; Brückner, H.

2014-12-01

About 6 millennia ago the maximum Holocene transgression reached c. 20 km inland. Thereafter, the coastline has continuously shifted westwards due to the progradation of the Küçük Menderes delta and its tributaries. Consequently, settlement and harbour sites were established following the retreating coastline. Our interdisciplinary geoarchaeological research focuses on (i) the detection of spatial and temporal shifts in the coastline during the past millennia and the human response to these changes; (ii) the human impact on the landscape, especially in the environs of the Roman Harbour and the harbour canal; (iii) the reconstruction of the vegetation history of the Ephesia. More than 200 drill cores were retrieved from geo-bioarchives. For a better understanding of the depositional environments, we carried out geochemical, sedimentological, microfaunal, palynological and parasitological analyses in Ephesus' harbours and in the environs of two Neolithic settlement sites. Diagnostic ceramic finds, AMS-14C age estimates and a tephra layer were used for the chronological framework.The results reveal human impact in sediments: early agricultural use in the Neolithic period; several meters of sediment with a high concentration of fig and grape seeds in the Koressos harbour during the 6th-3rd centuries BC; an accelerated sedimentation rate up to the factor of ten in Hellenistic and Roman times. Heavy metal pollution, sugar melon and fruit tree pollen, as well as eggs of intestinal parasites occur in the Roman harbour and its canal during the prosperity period of the city. Pollen analysis revealed the dominance of deciduous oak, in a landscape with human impact, already since the 6th millennium BC. From Hellenistic times onwards, fruit trees appear next to crop and pasture farming. After the decline of the city in the 7th century AD, pine trees became dominant, presumably on abandoned land. In the Belevi swamp to the northeast of Ephesus, the ash from the Minoan eruption of the Thera volcano (Santorini) in 1630 BC is archived.

Heave, settlement and fracture of chalk during physical modelling experiments with temperature cycling above and below 0 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murton, Julian B.; Ozouf, Jean-Claude; Peterson, Rorik

2016-10-01

To elucidate the early stages of heave, settlement and fracture of intact frost-susceptible rock by temperature cycling above and below 0 °C, two physical modelling experiments were performed on 10 rectangular blocks 450 mm high of fine-grained, soft limestone. One experiment simulated 21 cycles of bidirectional freezing (upward and downward) of an active layer above permafrost, and the other simulated 26 cycles of unidirectional freezing (downward) of a seasonally frozen bedrock in a non-permafrost region. Heave and settlement of the top of the blocks were monitored in relation to rock temperature and unfrozen water content, which ranged from almost dry to almost saturated. In the bidirectional freezing experiment, heave of the wettest block initially occurred abruptly at the onset of freezing periods and gradually during thawing periods (summer heave). After the crossing of a threshold marked by the appearance of a macrocrack in the upper layer of permafrost, summer heave increased by an order of magnitude as segregated ice accumulated incrementally in macrocracks, interrupted episodically by abrupt settlement that coincided with unusually high air temperatures. In the unidirectional freezing experiment, the wet blocks heaved during freezing periods and settled during thawing periods, whereas the driest blocks showed the opposite behaviour. The two wettest blocks settled progressively during the first 15 freeze-thaw cycles, before starting to heave progressively as macrocracks developed. Four processes, operating singly or in combination in the blocks account for their heave and settlement: (1) thermal expansion and contraction caused heave and settlement when little or no water-ice phase change was involved; (2) volumetric expansion of water freezing in situ caused short bursts of heave of the outer millimetres of wet rock; (3) ice segregation deeper in the blocks caused sustained heave during thawing and freezing periods; and (4) freeze-thaw cycling caused consolidation and settlement of wet blocks prior to macrocracking in the unidirectional freezing experiment. Rock fracture developed by growth of segregated ice in microcracks and macrocracks at depths determined by the freezing regime. Overall, the heave, settlement and fracture behaviour of the limestone is similar to that of frost-susceptible soil.

Effects of Global Change on U.S. Urban Areas: Vulnerabilities, Impacts, and Adaptation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Wilbanks, Thomas J.; Kirshen, Paul; Romero-Lnkao, Patricia; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Ruth, Matthias; Solecki, William; Tarr, Joel

2007-01-01

Human settlements, both large and small, are where the vast majority of people on the Earth live. Expansion of cities both in population and areal extent, is a relentless process that will accelerate in the 21st century. As a consequence of urban growth both in the United States and around the globe, it is important to develop an understanding of how urbanization will affect the local and regional environment. Of equal importance, however, is the assessment of how cities will be impacted by the looming prospects of global climate change and climate variability. The potential impacts of climate change and variability has recently been annunciated by the IPCC's "Climate Change 2007" report. Moreover, the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is preparing a series of "Synthesis and Assessment Products" (SAPs) reports to support informed discussion and decision making regarding climate change and variability by policy matters, resource managers, stakeholders, the media, and the general public. We are authors on a SAP describing the effects of global climate change on human settlements. This paper will present the elements of our SAP report that relate to what vulnerabilities and impacts will occur, what adaptation responses may take place, and what possible effects on settlement patterns and characteristics will potentially arise, on human settlements in the U.S. as a result of climate change and climate variability. We will also present some recommendations about what should be done to further research on how climate change and variability will impact human settlements in the U.S., as well as how to engage government officials, policy and decision makers, and the general public in understanding the implications of climate change and variability on the local and regional levels. Additionally, we wish to explore how technology such as remote sensing data coupled with modeling, can be employed as synthesis tools for deriving insight across a spectrum of impacts (e.g. public health, urban planning for mitigation strategies) on how cities can cope and adapt to climate change and variability. This latter point parallels the concepts and ideas presented in the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Decadal Survey report on "Earth Science Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond" wherein the analysis of the impacts of climate change and variability, human health, and land use change are listed as key areas for development of future Earth observing remote sensing systems.

Archaeopedological analysis of land use dynamics in marginal areas in SW Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henkner, Jessica; Ahlrichs, Jan; Scholten, Thomas; Knopf, Thomas; Kühn, Peter

2016-04-01

A common theory to explain human migration is climate change triggering migration and the shift of farming places. Populated areas might have been relocated or extended because of changing resources like a warming climate, soil erosion or a change in demands. But it also has to be taken into account that altered trading relations or changing religious attitudes might have caused migration into and settlement of formerly not used areas. In the case of Southwest Germany it is assumed that people migrated from the favorable Baar (more even areas, soils on loess, lower elevations) to the unfavorable Black Forest and the Swabian Jura with harsher environmental conditions (small valleys, acidic soils, steep slopes, higher elevation). Soils are generally considered as being an important resource related to human activities, especially farming, but also for using wood, water or iron ore. Colluvial deposits as geoarchives reveal the formative impact of humans on their environment: on the development of soil, relief, vegetation, and land use. Land use and therefore settlement history are inscribed in colluvial deposits, which we use as proxies for the kind and intensity of human activities. Especially in marginal areas land use and settlement dynamics are not well investigated. Important questions are how and why did people use the unfavorable land during different times? Which resources were important for different phases of settlement? In this project, soil science methods are used together with archaeological approaches, which is an essential part of archaeopedology. Using colluvial deposits from three study areas it is possible to create pedological and chronological stratigraphies reflecting land use dynamics in favorable and unfavorable areas. First AMS radiocarbon dates from the western Baar in transition to the Black Forest point to human land use with different intensity for 5500 years. Thick lower colluvial layers date back to the third millennium BC. Above-lying colluvial layers date to the 11-12th and to the 13-14th Century. Around Villingen colluvial deposits could be found in approximately 60-80 cm depth dating to 1620-1500 cal BC and in about 50 cm depth dating to 427-543 cal AD. So the age of the lowest colluvial layers are older than the widely accepted beginning of intense settlement in Southwest Germany. Inferred from the periods of intensified colluvial deposition events other reasons than warmer climate may be responsible for migration from favorable to unfavorable regions.

76 FR 5735 - Revisions to EPA's Rule on Protections for Subjects in Human Research Involving Pesticides

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-02

... pregnant women and for children who are the subjects of observational research conducted or supported by... whether human testing is necessary given other methods of research. E. Settlement of the Litigation After... Revisions to EPA's Rule on Protections for Subjects in Human Research Involving Pesticides AGENCY...

Plants, arthropods, and birds of the Rio Grande [chapter 7

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch; Gale L. Wolters; Wang Yong; Mary Jean Mund

1995-01-01

Human populations have increased dramatically along the Rio Grande since European settlement. Human use of water for irrigation and consumption, and human use of land for agriculture, urban centers, livestock grazing, and recreation have changed Rio Grande ecosystems by altering flood cycles, channel geomorphology, upslope processes, and water quality and quantity....

A taxonomy for the evolution of human settlements on the moon and Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barney B.; Mandell, Humboldt C.

1991-01-01

A proposed structure is described for partnerships with shared interests and investments to develop the technology and approach for evolutionary surface systems for the moon and Mars. Five models are presented for cooperation with specific references to the technical evolutionary path of the surface systems. The models encompass the standard customer/provider relationship, a concept for exclusive government use, a joint venture with a government-sponsored non-SEI market, a technology joint-development approach, and a redundancy model to insure competitive pricing. The models emphasize the nonaerospace components of the settlement technologies and the decentralized nature of surface systems that make the project suitable for private industrial development by several companies. It is concluded that the taxonomy be considered when examining collaborative opportunities for lunar and Martian settlement.

A perspective about the total solar eclipse observation from future space settlements and a review of Indonesian space researches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sastradipradja, D.; Dwivany, F. M.; Swandjaja, L.

2016-11-01

Viewing astronomy objects from space is superior to that from Earth due to the absence of terrestrial atmospheric disturbances. Since decades ago, there has been an idea of building gigantic spaceships to live in, i.e., low earth orbit (LEO) settlement. In the context of solar eclipse, the presuming space settlements will accommodate future solar eclipse chasers (amateur or professional astronomers) to observe solar eclipse from space. Not only for scientific purpose, human personal observation from space is also needed for getting aesthetical mental impression. Furthermore, since space science indirectly aids solar eclipse observation, we will discuss the related history and development of Indonesian space experiments. Space science is an essential knowledge to be mastered by all nations.

Human-environment interaction during the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition in the NE Iberian Peninsula. Vegetation history, climate change and human impact during the Early-Middle Holocene in the Eastern Pre-Pyrenees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revelles, J.; Burjachs, F.; Palomo, A.; Piqué, R.; Iriarte, E.; Pérez-Obiol, R.; Terradas, X.

2018-03-01

The synthetic analysis of several pollen records from sub-Mediterranean lowland Pre-Pyrenean regions evidences expansion of forests during the Early Holocene in Northeastern Iberia and the establishment of dense deciduous broadleaf forests during the Holocene Climate Optimum. Pollen records show the broadleaf deciduous forests resilience against cooling phases during the Mid-Holocene period, with slight regressions of oak woodlands and expansion of conifers or xerophytic taxa contemporary to some cooling episodes (i.e. 8.2 and 7.2 kyr cal. BP). Major vegetation changes influenced by climate change occurred in the transition to the Late Holocene, in terms of the start of a succession from broadleaf deciduous forests to evergreen sclerophyllous woodlands. The lack of evidence of previous occupation seems to support the Neolithisation of the NE Iberian Peninsula as a result of a process of migration of farming populations to uninhabited or sparsely inhabited territories. In that context, remarkable changes in vegetation were recorded from 7.3 kyr cal. BP onwards in the Lake Banyoles area, where the establishment of permanent farming settlements caused the deforestation of oak woodlands. In La Garrotxa region, short deforestation episodes affecting broadleaf deciduous forests, together with expansion of grasslands and presence of Cerealia-t were documented in the period 7.4-6.0 kyr cal. BP. Finally, in the coastal area, where less evidence of Early Neolithic occupations is recorded, evidence of Neolithic impact is reflected in the presence of Cerealia-t in 6.5-6.2 kyr cal. BP, but no strong human transformation of landscape was carried out until more recent chronologies.

Late Holocene influence of societies on the fire regime in southern Québec temperate forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blarquez, Olivier; Talbot, Julie; Paillard, Jordan; Lapointe-Elmrabti, Lyna; Pelletier, Nicolas; Gates St-Pierre, Christian

2018-01-01

Climatic change that occurred during the Holocene is often recognized as the main factor for explaining fire dynamics, while the influence of human societies is less apparent. In eastern North America, human influence on fire regime before European settlement has been debated, mainly because of a paucity of sites and paleoecological techniques that can distinguish human influences unequivocally from climate. We applied a multiproxy analysis to a 12 000-year-old paleoecological sequence from a site in the vicinity of known settlement areas that were occupied over more than 7000 years. From this analysis, we were able detect the human influence on the fire regime before and after European colonization. Fire occurrence and fire return intervals (FRI) were based on analysis of sedimentary charcoals at a high temporal and spatial resolution. Fire occurrence was then compared to vegetation that was reconstructed from pollen analysis, from population densities deduced from archeological site dating, from demographic and technological models, and from climate reconstructed using general circulation models and ice-core isotopes. Holocene mean FRI was short (164 ± 134 years) and associated with small charcoal peaks that were likely indicative of surface fires affecting small areas. After 1500 BP, large vegetation changes and human demographic growth that was demonstrated through increased settlement evidence likely caused the observed FRI lengthening (301 ± 201 years), which occurred without significant changes in climate. Permanent settlement by Europeans in the area around 1800 AD was followed by a substantial demographic increase, leading to the establishment of Gatineau, Hull and Ottawa. This trend was accompanied by a shift in the charcoal record toward anthropogenic particles that were reflective of fossil fuel burning and an apparent absence of wood charcoal that would be indicative of complete fire suppression. An anthropogenic fire regime that was characterized by severe and large fires and long fire-return intervals occurred more than 1000 years ago, concomitant with the spread of native agriculture, which intensified with European colonization over the past two centuries.

Creation of Artificial Landscapes Spatial Systems Optimizing Human Habitat on Southern Coasts of the Russian Far East

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golikov, S. Yu; Petukhov, V. I.; Maiorov, I. S.

2017-11-01

The features of artificial landscapes’ spatial systems created for the optimization of industry facilities and settlements (as well as forest and agricultural crops taking into account the optimality of the existing microclimate and the possibilities for its improvement) are discussed in the paper. They improve the population health (through the optimization of the environment of settlements), the health of farm animals, the state of crops (through optimization of the climate), watercourses and forests reducing catastrophes on the shores and slopes by the proper selection and placement of species for artificial planting. They are achieved by revegetation, greening, garden and landscape design. In general, their purpose is to optimize the human environment.

Non-Standard Forms of Human Residence - The Past and the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojtkun, Grzegorz

2017-10-01

Since the dawn a man has been taking numerous settlement actions in places even useless for this purpose, for example in areas water- or permafrost-stricken. A perfect example of this in European conditions have become households built in Friesland, on the Scandinavian Peninsula (Lapland) and in the western part of Jutland Peninsula. The scale of the building development, created within it neighbourly relations, as well as used on that occasion materials, techniques and technologies seem to be particularly interesting in the case of so-called negative evolution of the human environment and the disappearance of active-citizen attitudes. For these reasons, research undertakes aiming to assess the usefulness of construction and settlement solutions in the past should be regarded as reasonable.

Spatio-temporal distribution of injured elephants in Masai Mara and the putative negative and positive roles of the local community.

PubMed

Mijele, Domnic; Obanda, Vincent; Omondi, Patrick; Soriguer, Ramón C; Gakuya, Francis; Otiende, Moses; Hongo, Peter; Alasaad, Samer

2013-01-01

Very few studies have ever focused on the elephants that are wounded or killed as local communities attempt to scare these animals away from their settlements and farms, or on the cases in which local people take revenge after elephants have killed or injured humans. On the other hand, local communities live in close proximity to elephants and hence can play a positive role in elephant conservation by informing the authorities of the presence of injured elephants. Between 2007 and 2011, 129 elephants were monitored in Masai Mara (Kenya), of which 54 had various types of active (intentionally caused) or passive (non-intentionally caused) injuries. Also studied were 75 random control samples of apparently unaffected animals. The observed active injuries were as expected biased by age, with adults suffering more harm; on the other hand, no such bias was observed in the case of passive injuries. Bias was also observed in elephant sex since more males than females were passively and actively injured. Cases of passive and active injuries in elephants were negatively related to the proximity to roads and farms; the distribution of injured elephants was not affected by the presence of either human settlements or water sources. Overall more elephants were actively injured during the dry season than the wet season as expected. Local communities play a positive role by informing KWS authorities of the presence of injured elephants and reported 43% of all cases of injured elephants. Our results suggest that the negative effect of local communities on elephants could be predicted by elephant proximity to farms and roads. In addition, local communities may be able to play a more positive role in elephant conservation given that they are key informants in the early detection of injured elephants.

Importance of triggers and veto-barriers for the implementation of sanitation in informal peri-urban settlements – The case of Cochabamba, Bolivia

PubMed Central

Rauch, Sebastien; Cossio, Claudia; Landaeta, Graciela; McConville, Jennifer

2018-01-01

An estimated 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation which has devastating consequences for human health and the environment. Understanding what constitute sanitation demand is crucial for accelerating the spread of improved sanitation. This study aims to understand the adoption mechanisms for improved sanitation. An informal peri-urban settlement in Cochabamba, Bolivia was selected as a case study to understand adoption patterns. Various qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were employed. The findings showed that pour-flush toilets was the only preferred sanitation alternative at the study site. An adoption framework for waterborne toilets was developed based on diffusion of innovation theory. Factors that influence adoption were identified. Some functioned as triggers and initiated adoption, whereas some factors blocked adoption and constituted veto-barriers. Most factors were connected to the individual household situation and its members, but neighborhood development also affected pour-flush adoption. Based on adoption time the residents were divided into the following adoption groups: first adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards and non-adopters. Each adoption group followed its own adoption route with specific characteristics and respective triggers or veto-barriers. We argue that the strong demand for waterborne toilets in peri-urban areas need to be recognized and the developed framework could be used for customizing sanitation improvement programs for certain target groups. PMID:29617459

Importance of triggers and veto-barriers for the implementation of sanitation in informal peri-urban settlements - The case of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

PubMed

Helgegren, Ida; Rauch, Sebastien; Cossio, Claudia; Landaeta, Graciela; McConville, Jennifer

2018-01-01

An estimated 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation which has devastating consequences for human health and the environment. Understanding what constitute sanitation demand is crucial for accelerating the spread of improved sanitation. This study aims to understand the adoption mechanisms for improved sanitation. An informal peri-urban settlement in Cochabamba, Bolivia was selected as a case study to understand adoption patterns. Various qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were employed. The findings showed that pour-flush toilets was the only preferred sanitation alternative at the study site. An adoption framework for waterborne toilets was developed based on diffusion of innovation theory. Factors that influence adoption were identified. Some functioned as triggers and initiated adoption, whereas some factors blocked adoption and constituted veto-barriers. Most factors were connected to the individual household situation and its members, but neighborhood development also affected pour-flush adoption. Based on adoption time the residents were divided into the following adoption groups: first adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards and non-adopters. Each adoption group followed its own adoption route with specific characteristics and respective triggers or veto-barriers. We argue that the strong demand for waterborne toilets in peri-urban areas need to be recognized and the developed framework could be used for customizing sanitation improvement programs for certain target groups.

Effects of coal contamination on early life history processes of a reef-building coral, Acropora tenuis.

PubMed

Berry, Kathryn L E; Hoogenboom, Mia O; Brinkman, Diane L; Burns, Kathryn A; Negri, Andrew P

2017-01-15

Successful reproduction and larval dispersal are important for the persistence of marine invertebrate populations, and these early life history processes can be sensitive to marine pollution. Coal is emerging as a contaminant of interest due to the proximity of ports and shipping lanes to coral reefs. To assess the potential hazard of this contaminant, gametes, newly developed embryos, larvae and juveniles of the coral Acropora tenuis were exposed to a range of coal leachate, suspended coal, and coal smothering treatments. Fertilisation was the most sensitive reproductive process tested. Embryo survivorship decreased with increasing suspended coal concentrations and exposure duration, effects on larval settlement varied between treatments, while effects on juvenile survivorship were minimal. Leachate exposures had negligible effects on fertilisation and larval settlement. These results indicate that coral recruitment could be affected by spills that produce plumes of suspended coal particles which interact with gametes and embryos soon after spawning. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Early Indians Use Jones Valley. (Reading for "The South: Birmingham Case Study and the South as a Region". Grade Five (Unit IV) Project Social Studies.)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Project Social Studies Curriculum Center.

Readings designed to accompany Unit IV, (ED 069 562) which is intended for fifth grade students, describe the Birmingham region from 1812 to 1872. Nine themes in the study illustrate settlement in the valley, early growth in Birmingham, and the changing use of the area in terms of different perceptions of natural resources. Technical advancement…

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Roma Settlements: A Comparison with the General Population in Slovakia.

PubMed

Halánová, Monika; Veseliny, Eduard; Kalinová, Zuzana; Jarčuška, Peter; Janičko, Martin; Urbančíková, Ingrid; Pella, Daniel; Dražilová, Sylvia; Babinská, Ingrid

2018-05-03

Hepatitis E infection is one of the most frequent causes of acute hepatitis in the world. Currently five human genotypes with different geographical distributions and distinct epidemiologic patterns are identified. In Slovakia, only rare cases of hepatitis E have been reported in past years. Because the most important risk factors associated with HEV infection include consumption of contaminated pork meat and poor hygienic standards, the aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of anti-HEV total antibodies and the main risk factors for HEV in the population living in separated and segregated Roma settlements ( n = 195), which represent places with increased risk of infection in Slovakia and to compare it with the prevalence in the general population ( n = 69). Of 264 respondents included in the study, 47 (17.8%) showed positivity for anti-HEV antibodies, 42 of whom were Roma (21.5%, n = 195) and 5 (7.2%, n = 69) non-Roma. The population living in Roma settlements lives in poorer conditions and are at higher risk of HEV in comparison to the general population. However, differences in living conditions within the settlements do not contributed to lower risk of HEV antibody prevalence between Roma living in settlements.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Roma Settlements: A Comparison with the General Population in Slovakia

PubMed Central

Veseliny, Eduard; Kalinová, Zuzana; Jarčuška, Peter; Urbančíková, Ingrid; Pella, Daniel; Dražilová, Sylvia; Babinská, Ingrid

2018-01-01

Hepatitis E infection is one of the most frequent causes of acute hepatitis in the world. Currently five human genotypes with different geographical distributions and distinct epidemiologic patterns are identified. In Slovakia, only rare cases of hepatitis E have been reported in past years. Because the most important risk factors associated with HEV infection include consumption of contaminated pork meat and poor hygienic standards, the aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of anti-HEV total antibodies and the main risk factors for HEV in the population living in separated and segregated Roma settlements (n = 195), which represent places with increased risk of infection in Slovakia and to compare it with the prevalence in the general population (n = 69). Of 264 respondents included in the study, 47 (17.8%) showed positivity for anti-HEV antibodies, 42 of whom were Roma (21.5%, n = 195) and 5 (7.2%, n = 69) non-Roma. The population living in Roma settlements lives in poorer conditions and are at higher risk of HEV in comparison to the general population. However, differences in living conditions within the settlements do not contributed to lower risk of HEV antibody prevalence between Roma living in settlements. PMID:29751522

Will altered climate affect a discrete population of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyhagen, Fredrik Oulie; Christie, Hartvig; Norderhaug, Kjell Magnus

2018-02-01

The Green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis is a cold-water species that in the 70s and 80s was the main culprit in the major grazing of macrophytes in the Norwegian fjords and coastal areas. Recent reports have questioned a decline in the S. droebachiensis in the Oslofjord, similar to what was observed to occur in the Norwegian coastal population of S. droebachiensis after the 1990s. In surveys from 2013 we collected data on urchin density, test diameter, early urchin settlement and Gonad Index and created a framework in order to investigate if the current Inner Oslofjord populations of S. droebachiensis are different from surveys conducted in 1979 and 1992. This study found significant differences in density, diameter and settlement over time. Highest density in 1992 was at 10 and 15 m, while being at 20 m in 2013. Urchin diameter at the station with most urchins was on average 5 cm in 1992 compared to 3 cm in 2013. Settlement differed both between the number of settlers between 1992 and 2013, and season for highest settlement (summer in 1992, and autumn in 2013). The inner Oslofjord sea urchin data indicate a still healthy population, although environmental data (as temperature and salinity) have changed to less favorable conditions for this species.

Volcanoes in the pre-Columbian life, legend, and archaeology of Costa Rica (Central America)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarado, Guillermo E.; Soto, Gerardo J.

2008-10-01

Costa Rica is located geographically in the southern part of the Central American Volcanic Front, a zone where interaction between the Mesoamerican and South American cultures occurred in pre-Columbian times. Several volcanoes violently erupted during the Holocene, when the first nomadic human hunters and later settlers were present. Volcanic rocks were the most important geo-resource in making artifacts and as construction materials for pre-Columbian inhabitants. Some pottery products are believed to resemble smoking volcanoes, and the settlements around volcanoes would seem to indicate their influence on daily life. Undoubtedly, volcanic eruptions disrupted the life of early settlers, particularly in the vicinity of Arenal and Irazú volcanoes, where archaeological remains show transient effects and displacement caused by periodical eruptions, but later resilient occupations around the volcanoes. Most native languages are extinct, with the exception of those presently spoken in areas far away from active volcanoes, where no words are related to volcanic phenomena or structures. The preserved legends are ambiguous, suggesting that they were either produced during the early Spanish conquest or were altered following the pre-Columbian period.

Natural and anthropogenic impacts on historical heritage along the north Bulgarian Black Sea coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peev, Preslav; Palazov, Atanas; Stancheva, Margarita; Stanchev, Hristo; Krastev, Anton; Shtirkov, Ilko

2014-05-01

Bulgaria is rich in the remains of past human settlements and activity. For example, along northern part of the Bulgarian coast, numerous underwater and coastal archaeological sites from different periods have been discovered - Prehistory, Antiquity (ancient Greek, Hellenistic, Roman), Mediaeval (Early Byzantium, Bulgarian). The most significant of them are: Durankulak archaeological complex with the largest Prehistoric necropolis in the world, Prehistoric necropolis at the area of Lake Shablenska Tuzla, Antique settlements Caron Limen and Bizone, archeological reserve Yalata, Antique and Medieval castle at Cape Kaliakra etc. As, this north part of Bulgarian coast has a huge archaeological potential there is a ground for thinking that the remains of other periods as well as a brand new, previously unknown sites can be discovered in the near future. This does not exclude the probability of being randomly found individual objects that largely can be prevented from archaeological contexts. Therefore it is important that these archeological sites are protected properly and preserved for future generations. In Bulgaria such sites and monuments are legally protected under the Law of cultural heritage and managed by the Ministry of culture and local authorities. However, today most objects and sites, as part of common European historical and cultural heritage are posed to a variety of potential impacts and treats, both natural and human-induced. This study discusses the implications of natural factors, (such as climate change, extreme waves, erosion and shoreline changes) and human contributions (coastal infrastructures, tourism and insufficient management by decision-makers) to coastal and underwater cultural heritage along the north portion of Bulgarian coast. Major natural processes that seriously affect on coastal and maritime heritage environment are direct physical impact by global climate changes, sea level rise and caused increase of waves and storms, acceleration of erosion and coastal landslides. Among human activities that might have direct or indirect adverse impact on cultural heritage the main are coastal and underwater developments and infrastructures. These are building of coast- and shore-protection structures, roads, placing different types of pipeline (a recent case from Bulgaria is envisaged construction of gas pipeline "South Stream"). Other categories of anthropogenic impacts, such as coastal tourism and expansion of settlements, etc. are less negative factors, but locals and visitors can accidentally damage monuments, or in most of the cases by not being aware of the presence and importance of a archeological site. Finally, insufficient decision-making and management of coastal and underwater cultural heritage can also have potential adverse impact. Recommendations for mitigation and protection measures are also outlined in the end. This work is a part of the Project "Submarine Archaeological Heritage on the Western Black Sea Shelf - HERAS", financed by European Union under the CBC Program Romania-Bulgaria.

17 CFR 12.303 - Pre-decision conferences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Law Judge may, in his discretion, conduct one or more pre-decision conferences to be held in... amendments or supplements to the pleadings; (f) Encouraging an early settlement of disputes relating to... a pre-decision conference, the Administrative Law Judge may serve a pre-decision memorandum and...

17 CFR 12.303 - Pre-decision conferences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Law Judge may, in his discretion, conduct one or more pre-decision conferences to be held in... amendments or supplements to the pleadings; (f) Encouraging an early settlement of disputes relating to... a pre-decision conference, the Administrative Law Judge may serve a pre-decision memorandum and...

17 CFR 12.303 - Pre-decision conferences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Law Judge may, in his discretion, conduct one or more pre-decision conferences to be held in... amendments or supplements to the pleadings; (f) Encouraging an early settlement of disputes relating to... a pre-decision conference, the Administrative Law Judge may serve a pre-decision memorandum and...

17 CFR 12.303 - Pre-decision conferences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Law Judge may, in his discretion, conduct one or more pre-decision conferences to be held in... amendments or supplements to the pleadings; (f) Encouraging an early settlement of disputes relating to... a pre-decision conference, the Administrative Law Judge may serve a pre-decision memorandum and...

17 CFR 12.303 - Pre-decision conferences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Law Judge may, in his discretion, conduct one or more pre-decision conferences to be held in... amendments or supplements to the pleadings; (f) Encouraging an early settlement of disputes relating to... a pre-decision conference, the Administrative Law Judge may serve a pre-decision memorandum and...

TIAA-CREF Retirement Options and Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bastable, C. W.; Brady, Gerald P.

1979-01-01

The various retirement income options available to TIAA-CREF participants and federal taxes on each option are explained. The importance of early planning for retirement income is stressed and it is suggested that assessment of future financial needs will indicate the most appropriate settlement mode for retirement. (SF)

The response of tundra springtails (Collembola, Hexapoda) to human activity on the Murman coast of the Kola Penisula, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olejniczak, Izabella; Boniecki, Paweł; Kaliszewicz, Anita; Panteleeva, Ninel

2018-03-01

This study was carried out in the Dalne Zelentsy settlement (69°07‧N, 36°03‧E) on the Barents Sea of the Kola Penisula in Russia. Three transects were established: the 'new garden transect'; the 'old garden transect'; and the 'settlement transect'. Overall, the number of springtails increased with distance from the 'settlement' and decreased from the 'old garden' towards the tundra. However, in the case of the 'new garden transect' there were no clear trends in springtail abundance. Eleven species of springtail were found, with Parisotoma notabilis being found at each of the studied areas along the transects. Trends in the species diversity of the springtail communities were not clear, and the values of H‧ ranged from 1.36 to 2.08. The springtail communities located 10 m from the 'new garden' and the 'old garden' were characterized by low species diversity compared with the other sites along the transects (H‧ values of 1.36 and 1.67, respectively). There were no differences in species diversity among the springtail communities along the 'settlement transect'.

Diatom diet selectivity by early post-larval abalone Haliotis diversicolor supertexta under hatchery conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuyu; Gao, Yahui; Liang, Junrong; Chen, Changping; Zhao, Donghai; Li, Xuesong; Li, Yang; Wu, Wenzhong

2010-11-01

Benthic diatoms constitute the primary diet of abalone during their early stages of development. To evaluate the dietary preferences of early post-larval abalone, Haliotis diversicolor supertexta, we analyzed the gut contents of post-larvae that settled on diatom films. We compared the abundance and species diversity of diatom assemblages in the gut to those of the epiphytic diatom assemblages on the attachment films, and identified 40 benthic diatom species in the gut contents of post-larvae 12 to 24 d after settlement. The most abundant taxa in the gut contents were Navicula spp., Amphora copulate, and Amphora coffeaeformis. Navicula spp. accounted for 64.0% of the cell density. In the attachment films, we identified 110 diatom species belonging to 38 genera. Pennate diatoms were the dominant members including the species Amphiprora alata, Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta, Cylindrotheca closterium, Navicula sp. 2, and A. coffeaeformis. Nano-diatoms (<20 μm in length) accounted for a considerable proportion of the total species number and cell density of the diatom assemblages in the gut contents and on the films. This suggests that nano-diatoms are important to the efficient production of abalone seed. The difference of the composition and abundance of diatoms between in the guts and on the biofilms suggests that early post-larval grazing was selective. An early post-larval abalone preferred nano-diatoms and the genera Navicula and Amphora during the month after settlement.

Rapid Settlement of Majuro Atoll, Central Pacific, Following its Emergence 2000 Years Ago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kayanne, H.; Yamaguchi, T.; Yamano, H.; Yoneda, M.

2010-12-01

Atoll islands are areas of low, flat land, and the sustainability of habitable land in such environments is sensitive to even slight changes in sea level. The rise in sea level projected to occur during this century may lead to the submergence of atoll islands and the widespread loss of habitable land. However, the actual time sequence of past sea level change, island emergence events, and human settlement of newly emerged islands remain poorly constrained. Our excavation survey, combined with calibrated radiocarbon age dates, at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, central Pacific, reveals that emergence of the island, triggered by a fall in sea level, was quickly followed by human settlement. The elevation of the central body of the island exceeded high water level at 2000 years ago, and the complete formation of the island occurred within an interval of 100 years. The island was colonized by people shortly after emergence, at 2000 years ago, prior to the establishment of dense vegetation, and has been continuously settled since that time. Habitable land was created by a fall in sea level, and any future rise in sea level will have a reverse effect, resulting in a loss of habitable land on atoll islands.

Beyond Population Distribution: Enhancing Sociocultural Resolution from Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaduri, B. L.; Rose, A.

2017-12-01

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, since late 1990s, we have focused on developing high resolution population distribution and dynamics data from local to global scales. Increasing resolutions of geographic data has been mirrored by population data sets developed across the community. However, attempts to increase temporal and sociocultural resolutions have been limited given the lack of high resolution data on human settlements and activities. While recent advancements in moderate to high resolution earth observation have led to better physiographic data, the approach of exploiting very high resolution (sub-meter resolution) imagery has also proven useful for generating accurate human settlement maps. It allows potential (social and vulnerability) characterization of population from settlement structures by exploiting image texture and spectral features. Our recent research utilizing machine learning and geocomputation has not only validated "poverty mapping from imagery" hypothesis, but has delineated a new paradigm of rapid analysis of high resolution imagery to enhance such "neighborhood" mapping techniques. Such progress in GIScience is allowing us to move towards the goal of creating a global foundation level database for impervious surfaces and "neighborhoods," and holds tremendous promise for key applications focusing on sustainable development including many social science applications.

Larval Behaviours and Their Contribution to the Distribution of the Intertidal Coral Reef Sponge Carteriospongia foliascens

PubMed Central

Abdul Wahab, Muhammad Azmi; de Nys, Rocky; Webster, Nicole; Whalan, Steve

2014-01-01

Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are an evolutionary and ecologically significant group; however information on processes influencing sponge population distributions is surprisingly limited. Carteriospongia foliascens is a common Indo-Pacific sponge, which has been reported from the intertidal to the mesophotic. Interestingly, the distribution of C. foliascens at inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef is restricted to the intertidal with no individuals evident in adjacent subtidal habitats. The abundance of C. foliascens and substrate availability was first quantified to investigate the influence of substrate limitation on adult distribution. Pre-settlement processes of larval spawning, swimming speeds, phototaxis, vertical migration, and settlement to intertidal and subtidal substrate cues were also quantified. Notably, suitable settlement substrate (coral rubble) was not limiting in subtidal habitats. C. foliascens released up to 765 brooded larvae sponge−1 day−1 during the day, with larvae (80%±5.77) being negatively phototactic and migrating to the bottom within 40 minutes from release. Subsequently, larvae (up to 58.67%±2.91) migrated to the surface after the loss of the daylight cue (nightfall), and after 34 h post-release >98.67% (±0.67) of larvae had adopted a benthic habit regardless of light conditions. Intertidal and subtidal biofilms initiated similar settlement responses, inducing faster (as early 6 h post-release) and more successful metamorphosis (>60%) than unconditioned surfaces. C. foliascens has a high larval supply and larval behaviours that support recruitment to the subtidal. The absence of C. foliascens in subtidal habitats at inshore reefs is therefore proposed to be a potential consequence of post-settlement mortalities. PMID:24853091

Lessons Learned from Biosphere 2: When Viewed as a Ground Simulation/Analogue for Long Duration Human Space Exploration and Settlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacCallum, T.; Poynter, J.; Bearden, D.

A human mission to Mars, or a base on the Moon or Mars, is a longer and more complex mission than any space endeavor undertaken to date. Ground simulations provide a relevant, analogous environment for testing technologies and learning how to manage complex, long duration missions, while addressing inherent mission risks. Multiphase human missions and settlements that may preclude a rapid return to Earth, require high fidelity, end-to-end, at least full mission duration tests in order to evaluate a system's ability to sustain the crew for the entire mission and return the crew safely to Earth. Moreover, abort scenarios are essentially precluded in many mission scenarios, though certain risks may only become evident late in the mission. Aging and compounding effects cannot be simulated through accelerated tests for all aspects of the mission. Until such high fidelity long duration simulations are available, and in order to help prepare those simulations and mission designs, it is important to extract as many lessons as possible from analogous environments. Possibly the best analogue for a long duration space mission is the two year mission of Biosphere 2. Biosphere 2 is a three-acre materially closed ecological system that supported eight crewmembers with food, air and water in a sunlight driven bioregenerative system for two years. It was designed for research applicable to environmental management on Earth and the development of human life support for space. A brief overview of the two-year Biosphere 2 mission is presented, followed by select data and lessons learned that are applicable to the design and operation of a long duration human space mission, settlement or test bed. These lessons include technical, programmatic, and psychological issues

Fire, Ice and Water: Glaciologic, Paleoclimate and Anthropogenic Linkages During Past Mega-Droughts in the Uinta Mountains, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Power, M. J.; Rupper, S.; Codding, B.; Schaefer, J.; Hess, M.

2017-12-01

Alpine glaciers provide a valuable water source during prolonged drought events. We explore whether long-term climate dynamics and associated glacier changes within mountain drainage basins and adjacent landscapes ultimately influence how prehistoric human populations choose settlement locations. The Uinta Mountains of Utah, with a steep present-day precipitation gradient from the lowlands to the alpine zone of 20-100 cm per year, has a rich glacial history related to natural and anthropogenic climate variability. Here we examine how past climate variability has impacted glaciers and ultimately the availability of water over long timescales, and how these changes affected human settlement and subsistence decisions. Through a combination of geomorphologic evidence, paleoclimate proxies, and glacier and climate modelling, we test the hypothesis that glacier-charged hydrologic systems buffer prehistoric populations during extreme drought periods, facilitating long-term landscape management with fire. Initial field surveys suggest middle- and low-elevation glacial valleys contain glacially-derived sediment from meltwater and resulted in terraced river channels and outwash plains visible today. These terraces provide estimates of river discharge during varying stages of glacier advance and retreat. Archaeological evidence from middle- and high-elevations in the Uinta Mountains suggests human populations persisted through periods of dramatic climate change, possibly linked to the persistence of glacially-derived water resources through drought periods. Paleoenvironmental records indicate a long history of fire driven by the combined interaction of climatic variation and human disturbance. This research highlights the important role of moisture variability determining human settlement patterns and landscape management throughout time, and has direct relevance to the impacts of anthropogenic precipitation and glacier changes on vulnerable populations in the coming century, especially in drought-prone regions.

36 CFR 73.9 - World Heritage criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town... significant stage(s) in human history; or (v) Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement or... history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of...

Wilderness in the 'city' revisited: different urbes shape transmission of Echinococcus multilocularis by altering predator and prey communities.

PubMed

Liccioli, Stefano; Giraudoux, Patrick; Deplazes, Peter; Massolo, Alessandro

2015-07-01

The urbanization of Echinococcus multilocularis, the agent of alveolar echinococcosis (AE), is a public health concern worldwide. Here we propose to consider 'urban' habitats under a broad ecological perspective and discuss the effects of human settlements (urbes) on host communities and the process of parasite urbanization. We argue that interactions between landscape features (i.e., landscape composition and configuration) and host communities can shape the heterogeneity of transmission gradients observed within and across different types of human settlement. Due to unique ecological characteristics and public health management priorities, we envisage urban landscapes as a model system to further increase our understanding of host-parasite interactions shaping the circulation of E. multilocularis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age-dependent interaction of apolipoprotein E gene with eastern birthplace in Finland affects severity of coronary atherosclerosis and risk of fatal myocardial infarction--Helsinki Sudden Death Study.

PubMed

Tyynelä, Petri; Goebeler, Sirkka; Ilveskoski, Erkki; Mikkelsson, Jussi; Perola, Markus; Lehtimäki, Terho; Karhunen, Pekka J

2013-05-01

Mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) has been constantly higher in eastern late settlement regions compared to western early settlements in Finland, unrelated to classical risk factors. In line with this, eastern birthplace was an age-dependent predictor of severe coronary atherosclerosis and pre-hospital sudden coronary death among male residents of Helsinki. We investigated a possible interaction of apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene with birthplace on the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary atherosclerosis. APOE genotypes were analyzed in the Helsinki Sudden Death Study series comprising out-of-hospital deaths among males aged 33-70 years (n = 577), who were born in high (east, n = 273) or low (west, n = 304) CHD mortality area. Eastern-born men ≤ 55 years carried 30% more often (P = 0.017) and older men 40% less often (P = 0.022) the APOE ϵ4 allele compared to western-born men (P = 0.003 for birthplace-by-age interaction). In multivariate analysis, the ϵ4 allele associated with the risk of out-of-hospital MI (odds ratio 2.58; 95% CI 1.20-5.55; P = 0.016) only in eastern-born men and with advanced atherosclerosis in both regions of origin, respectively. Birthplace-bound risk of CHD was age-dependently modified by APOE ϵ4 allele, suggesting genetic differences in CHD susceptibility between early and late settlement regions in Finland and providing one explanation for the eastern high mortality.

Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: Multiple stable isotope analysis of the viking age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland.

PubMed

Sayle, Kerry L; Hamilton, W Derek; Cook, Gordon T; Ascough, Philippa L; Gestsdóttir, Hildur; McGovern, Thomas H

2016-05-01

A previous multi-isotope study of archaeological faunal samples from Skútustaðir, an early Viking age settlement on the southern shores of Lake Mývatn in north-east Iceland, demonstrated that there are clear differences in δ(34)S stable isotope values between animals deriving their dietary protein from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reservoirs. The aim of this study was to use this information to more accurately determine the diet of humans excavated from a nearby late Viking age churchyard. δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and δ(34)S analyses were undertaken on terrestrial animal (n = 39) and human (n = 46) bone collagen from Hofstaðir, a high-status Viking-period farmstead ∼10 km north-west of Skútustaðir. δ(34)S values for Hofstaðir herbivores were ∼6‰ higher relative to those from Skútustaðir (δ(34)S: 11.4 ± 2.3‰ versus 5.6 ± 2.8‰), while human δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and δ(34)S values were broad ranging (-20.2‰ to -17.3‰, 7.4‰ to 12.3‰, and 5.5‰ to 14.9‰, respectively). Results suggest that the baseline δ(34)S value for the Mývatn region is higher than previously predicted due to a possible sea-spray effect, but the massive deposition of Tanytarsus gracilentus (midges) (δ(34)S: -3.9‰) in the soil in the immediate vicinity of the lake is potentially lowering this value. Several terrestrial herbivores displayed higher bone collagen δ(34)S values than their contemporaries, suggesting trade and/or movement of animals to the region from coastal areas. Broad ranging δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and δ(34)S values for humans suggest the population were consuming varied diets, while outliers within the dataset could conceivably have been migrants to the area. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Applications of AMS {sup 14}C on Climate and Archaeology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gomes, P. R. S.

2007-10-26

We describe the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) technique and two distinct applications of its use with {sup 14}C to study environmental problems in Brazil, such as forest fires and climate changes in the Amazon region and archaeological studies on the early settlements in the Southeast Brazilian coast.

Early Childhood Education in Turkish Gecekondu.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savas-Ulkuer, Nurper

A longitudinal research project was initiated in the spring of 1988 in Ankara, Turkey in selected gecekondu settlements. A gecekondu is a hastily constructed dwelling used to house newcomers to large cities. Gecekondu dwellers are predominantly disadvantaged, rural people who have migrated to the fringes of urban areas and whose children usually…

Jane Addams, Stories, and Imagination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Susan C.

2009-01-01

Early twentieth-century social activist Jane Addams is best known for her work at Hull House, the settlement house she founded with Ellen Gates Starr in 1889. Adams was also a pacifist, storyteller, writer and philosopher. Through her actions, stories, and writing, Addams modeled a philosophy of democracy-in-action based in imagination and…

Subsistence and Settlement at Rathbun Reservoir Area in South Central Iowa

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

paleolithic of south central Europe. Paper presented at the 42nd annual Society for American Archaeology meetings, New Orleans, LA. 1978 Variability in the...Early Upper Paleolithic of South Central Europe. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, Lawrence. Brown, Lionel A. 1965

Road to the Future: Strategies for Wildlife Crossings and Youth Empowerment to Improve Wildlife Habitat in Roaded Landscapes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanner, Dawn Renee

2010-01-01

As the footprint of human society expands upon the earth, habitat loss and landscape fragmentation is an increasing global problem. That problem includes loss of native habitats as these areas are harvested, converted to agricultural crops, and occupied by human settlement. Roads increase human access to previously inaccessible areas, encourage…

Settlement, mortality and growth of the asari clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) for a collapsed population on a tidal flat in Nakatsu, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tezuka, Naoaki; Kamimura, Satomi; Hamaguchi, Masami; Saito, Hajime; Iwano, Hideki; Egashira, Junichi; Fukuda, Yuichi; Tawaratsumida, Takahiko; Nagamoto, Atsushi; Nakagawa, Koichi

2012-04-01

Although fluctuation and decline in bivalve populations have been reported worldwide, the underlying processes are not yet fully understood. This lack of understanding is partly due to an absence of demographic information for the early post-settlement period. This is the case particularly for annual production of the asari clam (also commonly known as the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum) in Japan, which has greatly decreased in recent years. A remarkable decrease has been observed in the Nakatsu tidal flat, where current yields are less than 0.02% of the maximum yield. Possible explanations for this decline are: 1. limitation on recruitment due to overfishing; and 2. the demographic processes of growth and mortality have been altered by environmental changes, such as rise in seawater temperature or decrease in phytoplankton abundance. However, because of a lack of demographic information (e.g., the initial densities of larval settlement and mortality and growth rates post-settlement), the reasons for the decline, and the relative importance of each period in the life cycle in determining population abundance, remain unclear. Despite the decline, we observed high levels of recruitment of 0-year-class clams on the Nakatsu tidal flat in spring 2005, where more than 10,000 individuals m- 2 3-5 mm in shell length, estimated to have settled during the previous autumn, were observed. To obtain demographic information on the Nakatsu clams, we investigated two factors. First, we investigated the distribution of the 0-year-class clams and their rate of change in density as a combination of mortality, emigration and immigration on the whole tidal flat after a year. Second, we investigated the rate of change in the density and growth of clams after settlement in the center of the flat for 3 years. The rate of decrease in the density of the 0-year-class clams over the whole tidal flat after a year was greater at the stations where the initial density was higher. This suggests that density-dependent processes such as predation or competition may affect population levels. In the center of the flat, the initial density of settlement was more stable than the rate of decrease after settlement. These results suggest that the clam population on this tidal flat is probably suppressed by variable but high mortality rates after settlement, not by recruitment limitation.

Geographic variation in risk factors for SFG rickettsial and leptospiral exposure in Colombia.

PubMed

Padmanabha, Harish; Hidalgo, Marylin; Valbuena, Gustavo; Castaneda, Elizabeth; Galeano, Armando; Puerta, Henry; Cantillo, Cesar; Mantilla, Gilma

2009-10-01

In order to characterize the patterns of human exposure to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial and leptospiral infection, IgG surveys were conducted on 642 residents of ten different areas of the rural district of Necoclí, Colombia. Areas were selected based on forest cover and human settlement pattern, and individual risk factors were elucidated through multivariate logistic models, controlling for variance clustering within communities. Overall, prevalence of high antibody titers indicating previous exposure to SFG rickettsia and leptospira was 29.2% and 35.6%, respectively, and both were most prevalent in the same peri-urban neighborhood. Forest cover .10% demonstrated the strongest independent association with leptospiral exposure, followed by homes with outdoor storage sheds. Isolated rural housing was the only variable independently associated with SFG rickettsia exposure. Community-level variables significantly modified the effects of individual risk factors. For both pathogens the eldest quartile was less exposed in periurban areas although there was no age effect overall for either. Females living in population settlements were more exposed to SFG rickettsiae but there was no sex association in isolated rural houses. Similarly, in sites with forest cover .10%, individuals working at home had higher leptospira seroprevalence, but place of work was not a risk factor in areas of forest cover ,10%. These data suggest that the patterns of maintenance and/or exposure to leptospira and rickettsia vary across different human created landscapes and settlement patterns. While contrasting risk factors may reflect the unique transmission cycles of each pathogen, the observed patterns of geographic variation suggest that both diseases may respond similarly larger scale human-ecological dynamics.

High tolerance to temperature and salinity change should enable scleractinian coral Platygyra acuta from marginal environments to persist under future climate change.

PubMed

Chui, Apple Pui Yi; Ang, Put

2017-01-01

With projected changes in the marine environment under global climate change, the effects of single stressors on corals have been relatively well studied. However, more focus should be placed on the interactive effects of multiple stressors if their impacts upon corals are to be assessed more realistically. Elevation of sea surface temperature is projected under global climate change, and future increases in precipitation extremes related to the monsoon are also expected. Thus, the lowering of salinity could become a more common phenomenon and its impact on corals could be significant as extreme precipitation usually occurs during the coral spawning season. Here, we investigated the interactive effects of temperature [24, 27 (ambient), 30, 32°C] and salinity [33 psu (ambient), 30, 26, 22, 18, 14 psu] on larval settlement, post-settlement survival and early growth of the dominant coral Platygyra acuta from Hong Kong, a marginal environment for coral growth. The results indicate that elevated temperatures (+3°C and +5°C above ambient) did not have any significant effects on larval settlement success and post-settlement survival for up to 56 days of prolonged exposure. Such thermal tolerance was markedly higher than that reported in the literature for other coral species. Moreover, there was a positive effect of these elevated temperatures in reducing the negative effects of lowered salinity (26 psu) on settlement success. The enhanced settlement success brought about by elevated temperatures, together with the high post-settlement survival recorded up to 44 and 8 days of exposure under +3°C and +5°C ambient respectively, resulted in the overall positive effects of elevated temperatures on recruitment success. These results suggest that projected elevation in temperature over the next century should not pose any major problem for the recruitment success of P. acuta. The combined effects of higher temperatures and lowered salinity (26 psu) could even be beneficial. Therefore, corals that are currently present in marginal environments like Hong Kong, as exemplified by the dominant P. acuta, are likely to persist in a warmer and intermittently less saline, future ocean.

High tolerance to temperature and salinity change should enable scleractinian coral Platygyra acuta from marginal environments to persist under future climate change

PubMed Central

Chui, Apple Pui Yi; Ang, Put

2017-01-01

With projected changes in the marine environment under global climate change, the effects of single stressors on corals have been relatively well studied. However, more focus should be placed on the interactive effects of multiple stressors if their impacts upon corals are to be assessed more realistically. Elevation of sea surface temperature is projected under global climate change, and future increases in precipitation extremes related to the monsoon are also expected. Thus, the lowering of salinity could become a more common phenomenon and its impact on corals could be significant as extreme precipitation usually occurs during the coral spawning season. Here, we investigated the interactive effects of temperature [24, 27 (ambient), 30, 32°C] and salinity [33 psu (ambient), 30, 26, 22, 18, 14 psu] on larval settlement, post-settlement survival and early growth of the dominant coral Platygyra acuta from Hong Kong, a marginal environment for coral growth. The results indicate that elevated temperatures (+3°C and +5°C above ambient) did not have any significant effects on larval settlement success and post-settlement survival for up to 56 days of prolonged exposure. Such thermal tolerance was markedly higher than that reported in the literature for other coral species. Moreover, there was a positive effect of these elevated temperatures in reducing the negative effects of lowered salinity (26 psu) on settlement success. The enhanced settlement success brought about by elevated temperatures, together with the high post-settlement survival recorded up to 44 and 8 days of exposure under +3°C and +5°C ambient respectively, resulted in the overall positive effects of elevated temperatures on recruitment success. These results suggest that projected elevation in temperature over the next century should not pose any major problem for the recruitment success of P. acuta. The combined effects of higher temperatures and lowered salinity (26 psu) could even be beneficial. Therefore, corals that are currently present in marginal environments like Hong Kong, as exemplified by the dominant P. acuta, are likely to persist in a warmer and intermittently less saline, future ocean. PMID:28622371

Ancient DNA provides new insights into the history of south Siberian Kurgan people.

PubMed

Keyser, Christine; Bouakaze, Caroline; Crubézy, Eric; Nikolaev, Valery G; Montagnon, Daniel; Reis, Tatiana; Ludes, Bertrand

2009-09-01

To help unravel some of the early Eurasian steppe migration movements, we determined the Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial haplotypes and haplogroups of 26 ancient human specimens from the Krasnoyarsk area dated from between the middle of the second millennium BC. to the fourth century AD. In order to go further in the search of the geographic origin and physical traits of these south Siberian specimens, we also typed phenotype-informative single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our autosomal, Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA analyses reveal that whereas few specimens seem to be related matrilineally or patrilineally, nearly all subjects belong to haplogroup R1a1-M17 which is thought to mark the eastward migration of the early Indo-Europeans. Our results also confirm that at the Bronze and Iron Ages, south Siberia was a region of overwhelmingly predominant European settlement, suggesting an eastward migration of Kurgan people across the Russo-Kazakh steppe. Finally, our data indicate that at the Bronze and Iron Age timeframe, south Siberians were blue (or green)-eyed, fair-skinned and light-haired people and that they might have played a role in the early development of the Tarim Basin civilization. To the best of our knowledge, no equivalent molecular analysis has been undertaken so far.

Welcome mats? The role of seagrass meadow structure in controlling post-settlement survival in a keystone sea-urchin species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prado, Patricia; Romero, Javier; Alcoverro, Teresa

2009-11-01

Processes acting on the early-life histories of marine organisms can have important consequences for the structuring of benthic communities. In particular, the degree of coupling between larval supply and adult abundances can wield considerable influence on the strength of trophic interactions in the ecosystem. These processes have been relatively well described in rocky systems and soft-sediment communities, and it is clear that they are governed by very different bottlenecks. Seagrass meadows make interesting study systems because they bear structural affinities to both soft sediments as well as rocky substrates. We examined the early-life history of Paracentrotus lividus, one of the dominant herbivores in Mediterranean seagrass meadows, to identify the drivers of population dynamics in this species. We measured spatial and temporal variability in sea urchin post-settlement in 10 Posidonia oceanica meadows in the North-Western Mediterranean over a period of two years, and compared the numbers with the one-year old cohort a year later (i.e. the new population recruitment) as well as between successive size-age groups. Urchin post-settlers differed substantially between meadows but were present in both years in all meadows surveyed, suggesting that larval supply was not limiting for any of the studied sites. However, in six of the studied meadows, the one-year cohort of urchins was absent in both years, indicating that post-settlement processes strongly affected urchins in these meadows. In contrast, in four of the studied meadows, there was a strong coupling between post-settlers and one-year cohort individuals. These meadows were structurally different from the others in that they were characterised by an exposed matrix of rhizomes forming a dense seagrass mat. This mat apparently strongly mediates post-settlement mortality, and its presence or absence dictates the successful establishment of urchin populations in seagrass meadows. As the population aged, the relationship between size-age groups decreased evidencing the action of other processes. Yet, these results indicate that differences in physical structure are a vital bottleneck for sea urchin populations in seagrass meadows. Exploring the interaction between ecosystem structure and early-life history may provide a broader and more unified framework to understand the dynamics of a range of benthic habitats, including rocky substrates, soft sediments and seagrass meadows.

Risk assessment predictions of open dumping area after closure using Monte Carlo simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauzi, Nur Irfah Mohd; Radhi, Mohd Shahril Mat; Omar, Husaini

2017-10-01

Currently, there are many abandoned open dumping areas that were left without any proper mitigation measures. These open dumping areas could pose serious hazard to human and pollute the environment. The objective of this paper is to determine the risk assessment at the open dumping area after they has been closed using Monte Carlo Simulation method. The risk assessment exercise is conducted at the Kuala Lumpur dumping area. The rapid urbanisation of Kuala Lumpur coupled with increase in population lead to increase in waste generation. It leads to more dumping/landfill area in Kuala Lumpur. The first stage of this study involve the assessment of the dumping area and samples collections. It followed by measurement of settlement of dumping area using oedometer. The risk of the settlement is predicted using Monte Carlo simulation method. Monte Carlo simulation calculates the risk and the long-term settlement. The model simulation result shows that risk level of the Kuala Lumpur open dumping area ranges between Level III to Level IV i.e. between medium risk to high risk. These settlement (ΔH) is between 3 meters to 7 meters. Since the risk is between medium to high, it requires mitigation measures such as replacing the top waste soil with new sandy gravel soil. This will increase the strength of the soil and reduce the settlement.

Effects of Ethnic Settlements and Land Management Status on Species Distribution Patterns: A Case Study of Endangered Musk Deer (Moschus spp.) in Northwest Yunnan, China.

PubMed

Li, Xueyou; Bleisch, William V; Jiang, Xuelong

2016-01-01

Understanding the status and spatial distribution of endangered species in biologically and ethnologically diverse areas is important to address correlates of cultural and biological diversity. We developed models for endangered musk deer (Moschus spp.) abundance indices in and around protected areas inhabited by different ethnic groups in northwest Yunnan China to address different anthropogenic and management-related questions. We found that prediction of relative abundance of musk deer was best accomplished using ethnicity of settlements, conservation status and poaching pressure in an area. Musk deer were around 5 times more abundant in Tibetan regions relative to Lisu regions. We found no significant negative correlates of gathering and transhumance activities on musk deer abundance. Hunting pressure showed no significant differences between protected and non-protected areas, but showed significant differences among ethnic groups. Hunting pressures in areas adjacent to Lisu settlements was 7.1 times more than in areas adjacent to Tibetan settlements. Our findings indicate protected areas in southwest China are not fully effective in deterring human disturbance caused by traditional practices. We suggest that conservation and management strategies should engage traditional culture and practices with a positive conservation impact. Better understanding of indigenous culture may open up new opportunities for species conservation in much wider tracts of unprotected and human-dominated lands. Traditional practices that are not destructive to biodiversity should be allowed as a way of providing a link between the local communities and protected areas thereby creating incentives for conservation.

Anthropogenic impact of urban settlements on inorganic anions content in selected watercourses in the Subcarpathian Region of Poland.

PubMed

Kolebuk, Tomasz; Madej, Daniel; Pieniążek, Rafał; Bilek, Maciej

2015-01-01

Legislation for environmentally protecting surface waters in Poland and the EU is considered a priority because of the large human impact on this environmental feature in both highly industrialised countries as well as those that are agriculturally well developed. The biggest threats are regarded as being sewage arising from economic, industrial and agricultural pollution along with rain water run-off from fields treated with fertilizers. One of the most characteristic indicators of pollution exposure in surface waters are inorganic anions which form the principal components of town sew- age and fertilizers. The estimate the effect that six selected sites of human settlement have on variously sized watercourses running through. The human environmental impact was based on determination of chlorides, nitrates and sulphates concentrations in such waters. Water samples were obtained from the following rivers and towns, respectively; the Nil in Kolbuszowa, the Mleczka in Przeworsk, the San in Jaroslaw, the Wislok in Rzeszow, the Bystrzyca in Olimpow and an unnamed watercourse in Niwiska. Sampling sites were chosen at 4-6 points along each watercourse for a given locality. Analyte levels were measured by ion chromatography using the Dionex ICS 1000 instrument. Mean chlorides concentrations were found to vary from 8.52 (±0.17, n=3) mg/L to 78.41 (±0.19, n=3) mg/L, mean nitrates were 6.76 (±0.00, n=3) mg/L to 23.97 (±1.50, n=3) mg/L and mean sulphates from 29.89 (±1.57, n=3) mg/L to 62.48 (±2.99, n=3) mg/L. The clearest environmental effect of settlements on watercourses were observed for the small to medium sized towns of Kolbuszowa, Przeworsk and Jaroslaw in the form of frequently elevated chlorides levels from sewage. By designating various sampling locations, along the watercourses for measuring the human environmental impact of nearby settlements, it is possible to identify sources of river pollution and thus take appropriate remedial action, as and when required.

The history of recent limnological changes and human impact on Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradbury, J. Platt; Colman, Steve M.; Reynolds, Richard L.

2004-01-01

Hypereutrophic Upper Klamath Lake has been studied for almost 50 years to evaluate the nature, cause, and effects of its very productive waters. Mitigation of undesirable effects of massive cyanobacterial blooms requires understanding their modern causes as well as their history. Knowledge of the pre-settlement natural limnology of this system can provide guidelines for lake restoration and management of land and water use strategies to maximize the benefits of this aquatic resource. This investigation uses a paleolimnological approach to document the nature and chronology of limnological and biological changes in Upper Klamath Lake for the past 200 years, covering the time when the lake was first described until today. A 45-cm gravity core, dated by 210Pb and diatom correlations, was analyzed for diatoms, pollen, akinetes (resting spores) of the cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, reworked tephra shards, and sediment magnetic characteristics. Pollen profiles show little vegetation change during this time. In contrast, diatoms indicative of increased nutrient fluxes (P and Si) increase moderately, coinciding with the settlement of the region by Euro-Americans. Numerous settlement activities, including draining of lake-margin marshes, upstream agriculture and timber harvest, road construction, and boat traffic, may have affected the lake. Magnetic properties and reworked tephra suggest riparian changes throughout the basin and increased lithogenic sediment delivery to the lake, especially after 1920 when the marshes near the mouth of the Williamson River were drained and converted to agricultural and pasture land. Drainage and channelization also decreased the ability of the marshes to function as traps and filters for upstream water and sediments. Akinetes of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae record progressive eutrophication of Upper Klamath Lake beginning in the 20th century and particularly after 1920 when lake-margin marsh reclamation more than doubled. The coincidence of limnological changes and human activities following European settlement suggests a major impact on the Upper Klamath Lake ecosystem, although ascribing specific limnological changes to specific human activities is difficult.

3D morphometric analysis of fossil canid skulls contradicts the suggested domestication of dogs during the late Paleolithic

PubMed Central

Drake, Abby Grace; Coquerelle, Michael; Colombeau, Guillaume

2015-01-01

Whether dogs were domesticated during the Pleistocene, when humans were hunter-gatherers, or during the Neolithic, when humans began to form permanent settlements and engage in agriculture, remains controversial. Recently discovered Paleolithic fossil skulls, Goyet dated 31,680 +/− 250 YBP and Eliseevichi MAE 447/5298 dated 13,905 +/− 55 YBP, were previously identified as dogs. However, new genetic studies contradict the identification of these specimens as dogs, questioning the validity of traditional measurements used to morphologically identify canid fossil skulls. We employ 3D geometric morphometric analyses to compare the cranial morphology of Goyet and Eliseevichi MAE to that of ancient and modern dogs and wolves. We demonstrate that these Paleolithic canids are definitively wolves and not dogs. Compared to mesaticephalic (wolf-like breeds) dog skulls, Goyet and Eliseevichi MAE, do not have cranial flexion and the dorsal surface of their muzzles has no concavity near the orbits. Morphologically, these early fossil canids resemble wolves, and thus no longer support the establishment of dog domestication in the Paleolithic. PMID:25654325

3D morphometric analysis of fossil canid skulls contradicts the suggested domestication of dogs during the late Paleolithic.

PubMed

Drake, Abby Grace; Coquerelle, Michael; Colombeau, Guillaume

2015-02-05

Whether dogs were domesticated during the Pleistocene, when humans were hunter-gatherers, or during the Neolithic, when humans began to form permanent settlements and engage in agriculture, remains controversial. Recently discovered Paleolithic fossil skulls, Goyet dated 31,680 +/- 250 YBP and Eliseevichi MAE 447/5298 dated 13,905 +/- 55 YBP, were previously identified as dogs. However, new genetic studies contradict the identification of these specimens as dogs, questioning the validity of traditional measurements used to morphologically identify canid fossil skulls. We employ 3D geometric morphometric analyses to compare the cranial morphology of Goyet and Eliseevichi MAE to that of ancient and modern dogs and wolves. We demonstrate that these Paleolithic canids are definitively wolves and not dogs. Compared to mesaticephalic (wolf-like breeds) dog skulls, Goyet and Eliseevichi MAE, do not have cranial flexion and the dorsal surface of their muzzles has no concavity near the orbits. Morphologically, these early fossil canids resemble wolves, and thus no longer support the establishment of dog domestication in the Paleolithic.

Applications of ecological concepts and remote sensing technologies in archaeological site reconnaissance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. Frank; Sever, Thomas L.; Lee, C. Daniel

1991-01-01

The concept of integrating ecological perspectives on early man's settlement patterns with advanced remote sensing technologies shows promise for predictive site modeling. Early work with aerial imagery and ecosystem analysis is discussed with respect to the development of a major project in Maya archaeology supported by NASA and the National Geographic Society with technical support from the Mississippi State Remote Sensing Center. A preliminary site reconnaissance model will be developed for testing during the 1991 field season.

Effects of past logging and grazing on understory plant communities in a montane Colorado forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fornwalt, P.J.; Kaufmann, M.R.; Huckaby, L.S.; Stohlgren, T.J.

2009-01-01

Throughout Pinus ponderosa-Pseudotsuga menziesii forests of the southern Colorado Front Range, USA, intense logging and domestic grazing began at the time of Euro-American settlement in the late 1800s and continued until the early 1900s. We investigated the long-term impacts of these settlement-era activities on understory plant communities by comparing understory composition at a historically logged and grazed site to that of an environmentally similar site which was protected from past use. We found that species richness and cover within functional groups rarely differed between sites in either upland or riparian areas. Multivariate analyses revealed little difference in species composition between sites on uplands, though compositional differences were apparent in riparian zones. Our findings suggest that settlement-era logging and grazing have had only minor long-term impacts on understories of upland Front Range P. ponderosa-P. menziesii forests, though they have had a greater long-term influence on riparian understories, where these activities were likely the most intense. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Catalyzing sustainability: Cornell University's field practicum in conservation and sustainable development

Treesearch

John Schelhas

2000-01-01

Human society is increasingly facing a variety of complex, intertwined environmental conservation and rural development issues. For example, national park objectives have expanded from the conservation of biological diversity to also include contributing to the livelihood and development needs of local people. Human settlements in fragile uplands create conflicts...

The oldest anatomically modern humans from far southeast Europe: direct dating, culture and behavior.

PubMed

Prat, Sandrine; Péan, Stéphane C; Crépin, Laurent; Drucker, Dorothée G; Puaud, Simon J; Valladas, Hélène; Lázničková-Galetová, Martina; van der Plicht, Johannes; Yanevich, Alexander

2011-01-01

Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) are known to have spread across Europe during the period coinciding with the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Whereas their dispersal into Western Europe is relatively well established, evidence of an early settlement of Eastern Europe by modern humans are comparatively scarce. Based on a multidisciplinary approach for the study of human and faunal remains, we describe here the oldest AMH remains from the extreme southeast Europe, in conjunction with their associated cultural and paleoecological background. We applied taxonomy, paleoecology, and taphonomy combined with geomorphology, stratigraphy, archeology and radiocarbon dating. More than 160 human bone remains have been discovered. They originate from a well documented Upper Paleolithic archeological layer (Gravettian cultural tradition) from the site of Buran-Kaya III located in Crimea (Ukraine). The combination of non-metric dental traits and the morphology of the occipital bones allow us to attribute the human remains to Anatomically Modern Humans. A set of human and faunal remains from this layer has been radiocarbon dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. The direct-dating results of human bone establish a secure presence of AMHs at 31,900+240/-220 BP in this region. They are the oldest direct evidence of the presence of AMHs in a well documented archeological context. Based on taphonomical observations (cut marks and distribution of skeletal elements), they represent the oldest Upper Paleolithic modern humans from Eastern Europe, showing post-mortem treatment of the dead as well. These findings are essential for the debate on the spread of modern humans in Europe during the Upper Paleolithic, as well as their cultural behaviors.

Holocene hydrological changes and human presence in NW Arabia: Insights from lipid biomarker analysis of the Tayma palaeolake sediment record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dräger, Nadine; Schwab, Valérie F.; Plessen, Birgit; Neugebauer, Ina; Dinies, Michèle; Engel, Max; Brauer, Achim; Gleixner, Gerd

2017-04-01

Holocene hydrological changes in NW Arabia and their influence on human migration and settlement are scarcely studied due to the lack of suitable climate archives. In particular, mechanisms and sources of increased moisture availability as well as the onset of oasis cultivation and culture during the early Holocene humid period are still not well understood. Here, we present the first Holocene lipid biomarker record of the Arabian Peninsula from the Tayma palaeolake sediment sequence. We applied a combined approach of aquatic, terrestrial and faecal lipid biomarker and compound specific hydrogen isotope analyses, which allow tracing both hydrological and anthropogenic signals in the sediment deposits. Our investigations focused on the early Holocene annually laminated (varved) sediment section (ca. 8500 to 8000 cal. a BP) presenting a phase of maximum lake levels probably caused by increased moisture availability (Dinies et al., 2015; Engel et al., 2012). During the early Holocene high lake level phase our results show increased concentrations of long-chain n-alkanes and faecal biomarkers suggesting grassland expansion and probably human occupation. The increase in grassland during this time is further supported by results from pollen analysis (Dinies et a., 2015). However, the increase in n-alkanes and faecal biomarkers did not occur simultaneously. While the rise of n-alkane concentrations predates the onset of varved sediments by about one century, the increase in faecal biomarker coincides with the beginning of varve preservation. Moreover, comparisons with sedimentological and geochemical data (i.e. diatom layer thickness, organic carbon content, δ13Ccarbonate) suggest a coincidence of highest concentrations of faecal biomarkers and increased lake productivity. We discuss possible causes for these coincidences including prehistoric human activities as well as climate and environmental changes. This study is a contribution to the research project "CLEAR - Holocene Climatic Events of Northern Arabia" (https://clear2018.wordpress.com/). Dinies M, Plessen B, Neef R, Kürschner H (2015): When the desert was green: Grassland expansion during the early Holocene in northwestern Arabia. Quaternary International (382), 293-302. Engel M, Brückner H, Pint A, Wellbrock K, Ginau A, Voss P, Grottker M, Klasen N, Frenzel P (2012): The early Holocene humid period in NW Saudi Arabia - Sediments, microfossils and palaeo-hydrological modelling. Quaternary International (266), 131-141.

Scalable Algorithms for Global Scale Remote Sensing Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vatsavai, R. R.; Bhaduri, B. L.; Singh, N.

2015-12-01

Recent decade has witnessed major changes on the Earth, for example, deforestation, varying cropping and human settlement patterns, and crippling damages due to disasters. Accurate damage assessment caused by major natural and anthropogenic disasters is becoming critical due to increases in human and economic loss. This increase in loss of life and severe damages can be attributed to the growing population, as well as human migration to the disaster prone regions of the world. Rapid assessment of these changes and dissemination of accurate information is critical for creating an effective emergency response. Change detection using high-resolution satellite images is a primary tool in assessing damages, monitoring biomass and critical infrastructures, and identifying new settlements. Existing change detection methods suffer from registration errors and often based on pixel (location) wise comparison of spectral observations from single sensor. In this paper we present a novel probabilistic change detection framework based on patch comparison and a GPU implementation that supports near real-time rapid damage exploration capability.

Carbon Storage in Urban Areas in the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Churkina, G.; Brown, D.; Keoleian, G.

2007-12-01

It is widely accepted that human settlements occupy a small proportion of the landmass and therefore play a relatively small role in the dynamics of the global carbon cycle. Most modeling studies focusing on the land carbon cycle use models of varying complexity to estimate carbon fluxes through forests, grasses, and croplands, but completely omit urban areas from their scope. Here, we estimate carbon storage in urban areas within the United States, defined to encompass a range of observed settlement densities, and its changes from 1950 to 2000. We show that this storage is not negligible and has been continuously increasing. We include natural- and human-related components of urban areas in our estimates. The natural component includes carbon storage in urban soil and vegetation. The human related component encompasses carbon stored long term in buildings, furniture, cars, and waste. The study suggests that urban areas should receive continued attention in efforts to accurately account for carbon uptake and storage in terrestrial systems.

Format for the Game--Logic or Intuition?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Richard D.

1980-01-01

Presents nine steps for game design, and discusses why particular formats were used in the design of five games: CONRAIL Railroad Deregulation, Montauk Exercise, Geothermal Energy, Simulated Nutrition System, and Human Settlement. (CMV)

Remote Sensing Assessment of Lunar Resources: We Know Where to Go to Find What We Need

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillis, J. J.; Taylor, G. J.; Lucey, P. G.

2004-01-01

The utilization of space resources is necessary to not only foster the growth of human activities in space, but is essential to the President s vision of a "sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond." The distribution of resources will shape planning permanent settlements by affecting decisions about where to locate a settlement. Mapping the location of such resources, however, is not the limiting factor in selecting a site for a lunar base. It is indecision about which resources to use that leaves the location uncertain. A wealth of remotely sensed data exists that can be used to identify targets for future detailed exploration. Thus, the future of space resource utilization pre-dominantly rests upon developing a strategy for resource exploration and efficient methods of extraction.

The effect of human settlement on the abundance and community structure of ammonia oxidizers in tropical stream sediments

PubMed Central

Reis, Mariana P.; Ávila, Marcelo P.; Keijzer, Rosalinde M.; Barbosa, Francisco A. R.; Chartone-Souza, Edmar; Nascimento, Andréa M. A.; Laanbroek, Hendrikus J.

2015-01-01

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are a diverse and functionally important group in the nitrogen cycle. Nevertheless, AOA and AOB communities driving this process remain uncharacterized in tropical freshwater sediment. Here, the effect of human settlement on the AOA and AOB diversity and abundance have been assessed by phylogenetic and quantitative PCR analyses, using archaeal and bacterial amoA and 16S rRNA genes. Overall, each environment contained specific clades of amoA and 16S rRNA genes sequences, suggesting that selective pressures lead to AOA and AOB inhabiting distinct ecological niches. Human settlement activities, as derived from increased metal and mineral nitrogen contents, appear to cause a response among the AOB community, with Nitrosomonas taking advantage over Nitrosospira in impacted environments. We also observed a dominance of AOB over AOA in mining-impacted sediments, suggesting that AOB might be the primary drivers of ammonia oxidation in these sediments. In addition, ammonia concentrations demonstrated to be the driver for the abundance of AOA, with an inversely proportional correlation between them. Our findings also revealed the presence of novel ecotypes of Thaumarchaeota, such as those related to the obligate acidophilic Nitrosotalea devanaterra at ammonia-rich places of circumneutral pH. These data add significant new information regarding AOA and AOB from tropical freshwater sediments, albeit future studies would be required to provide additional insights into the niche differentiation among these microorganisms. PMID:26379659

Pre-Primary Education of Roma Children in Serbia: Barriers and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macura-Milovanovic, Suncica

2013-01-01

In Serbia, as in the other countries of the Western Balkans and South-Eastern Europe, the most disadvantaged communities belong to the Roma minority. The present paper demonstrates the conditions of Roma preschool children in Serbia: primarily their early education, but also habitation and health in Roma settlements. The data highlight the…

A STAGE-BASED POPULATION MODEL FOR BAY SCALLOPS (ARGOPECTEN IRRADIANS) AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POPULATION-LEVEL EFFECTS OF HABITAT ATLERATION.

EPA Science Inventory

Bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) inhabit shallow subtidal habitats along the Atlantic coast of the United States and require settlement substrates, such as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), for their early juvenile stages. The short lifespan of bay scallops (1-2 yr) coupled...

The History of Bilingual Education in America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Brad

During early settlement of the New World, schools were conducted in the community's native language. Concern over an official language for the United States can be traced to Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. While British immigrants were in the minority, their influence predominated. English-only laws appeared but were largely ignored. In 1900,…

The American Hero in Children's Literature: A Standards-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butzow, Carol; Butzow, John

2005-01-01

By means of 30 children's picture books--with stories set in times ranging from the early settlement of American until today--this book explores the characteristics of American heroes and the ways in which they have influenced our history, our way of life, and the principles upon which our culture has developed.

Pride of Place: Documenting Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fattal, Laura Felleman

2004-01-01

Plainfield, New Jersey has been a pathway from the Hudson to the Delaware Rivers for Native Americans, a settlement for early settlers, a source for industrial workers, and a residence for homeowners of a wide variety of incomes. The town's architecture recalls its social history. A need was seen to build community through recognition of the…

Women in Cyberspace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucek, Linda E.

Although the early settlements in cyberspace have tended to be male-dominated, diversity does exist on the Internet. In fact, a 1994-95 study revealed that women comprise 34% of Internet users. Feminism, as it came of age in the 1960s, often equated technoscience with the Vietnam War and with forces in opposition to nature and life. Postmodern…

Wind Tunnels: Themes in Maine Literature and Their Relevance to Schooling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Barbara Kent

This paper examines themes in Maine history and literature related to the character of traditional Maine people, particularly coastal people, and their attitudes toward education. The historical survey touches upon early settlement, subsistence farming, frontiers in the woods and on the islands, influence of the sea and sailing, and influences of…

Loss of Parenting Self-Efficacy among Immigrant Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Mehrunnisa Ahmad

2008-01-01

The early settlement experiences of immigrant parents of young children arriving in Canada make it difficult for them to meet their young children's physiological, social and emotional needs, or to help them navigate the structures of their new environment. They lose their sense of self-efficacy in their parenting role in the face of rapid…

Historic and Cultural Roots of Apartheid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chonco, Seshi

1987-01-01

Reviews the historical and cultural roots of the South African system of apartheid. Covers early Dutch settlement, the Anglo-Boer War, the Native Land Act of 1913, and the rise of the National Party. Concludes with a discussion of the different perspectives held by black and white South Africans on the "progress" made in recent years.…

Nurturing Care for Young Children under Conditions of Fragility and Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richter, Linda M.; Lye, Stephen J.; Proulx, Kerrie

2018-01-01

Forced displacement worldwide is at its highest in decades and millions of young children are living in conflict zones, in transitional or enduring refugee contexts, and in demographically diverse marginalized and informal settlements. There is a huge unmet need for delivering early childhood development interventions to ensure the safety and…

On the evidence for human use and control of fire at Schöningen.

PubMed

Stahlschmidt, Mareike C; Miller, Christopher E; Ligouis, Bertrand; Hambach, Ulrich; Goldberg, Paul; Berna, Francesco; Richter, Daniel; Urban, Brigitte; Serangeli, Jordi; Conard, Nicholas J

2015-12-01

When and how humans began to control fire has been a central debate in Paleolithic archaeology for decades. Fire plays an important role in technology, social organization, subsistence, and manipulation of the environment and is widely seen as a necessary adaptation for the colonization of northern latitudes. Many researchers view purported hearths, burnt wooden implements, and heated flints from Schöningen as providing the best evidence for the control of fire in the Lower Paleolithic of Northern Europe. Here we present results of a multianalytical study of the purported hearths along with a critical examination of other possible evidence of human use or control of fire at Schöningen. We conclude that the analyzed features and artifacts present no convincing evidence for human use or control of fire. Our study also shows that a multianalytical, micro-contextual approach is the best methodology for evaluating claims of early evidence of human-controlled fire. We advise caution with macroscopic, qualitative identification of combustion features, burnt flint, and burnt wood without the application of such techniques as micromorphology, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, organic petrology, luminescence, and analysis of mineral magnetic parameters. The lack of evidence for the human control of fire at Schöningen raises the possibility that fire control was not a necessary adaptation for the human settlement of northern latitudes in the Lower Paleolithic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial dynamics of large-scale, multistage crab (Callinectes sapidus) dispersal: Determinants and consequences for recruitment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Etherington, L.L.; Eggleston, D.B.

2003-01-01

We assessed determinants and consequences of multistage dispersal on spatial recruitment of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, within the Croatan, Albemarle, Pamlico Estuarine System (CAPES), North Carolina, U.S.A. Large-scale sampling of early juvenile crabs over 4 years indicated that spatial abundance patterns were size-dependent and resulted from primary post-larval dispersal (pre-settlement) and secondary juvenile dispersal (early post-settlement). In general, primary dispersal led to high abundances within more seaward habitats, whereas secondary dispersal (which was relatively consistent) expanded the distribution of juveniles, potentially increasing the estuarine nursery capacity. There were strong relationships between juvenile crab density and specific wind characteristics; however, these patterns were spatially explicit. Various physical processes (e.g., seasonal wind events, timing and magnitude of tropical cyclones) interacted to influence dispersal during multiple stages and determined crab recruitment patterns. Our results suggest that the nursery value of different habitats is highly dependent on the dispersal potential (primary and secondary dispersal) to and from these areas, which is largely determined by the relative position of habitats within the estuarine landscape.

The Zagora cryptograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coucouzeli, A.

A unique lead seal from the well-known eighth century B.C. settlement of Zagora on the island of Andros dramatically confirms and expands our knowledge of the town planning identified at the site and constituting the earliest example of an orthogonal grid plan in the Greek world. The seal in question is decorated with a symbolic design that constitutes a rare representation of the Dioskouroi as part of the constellation Gemini. This design appears to have acted as a cryptograph enciphering the basic mathematical and astronomical principles behind the planning of Zagora. Besides offering us new insights into early Greek settlement planning, the cryptograph seems to reveal an advanced practical competence in mathematics and celestial observation, which was hitherto unsuspected for such an early period. The Zagora cryptograph also suggests that astronomy and mathematics played a crucial role in the strengthening of the ruling elite's power at Zagora in the framework of the rising city-state or polis. The tight interweaving of astronomical, mathematical, architectural and social considerations in the planning of Zagora is an entirely new discovery for Greece, whose implications are far-reaching.

Transport, accessibility and distribution of activity centers in a modern city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlova, Liya

2017-10-01

Labor connections define the life of the city, the distribution of the centers of gravity, and the functioning of its main subsystems, the leading one being the transport subsystem. A methodology based on the analyzed models was developed to address the problems of forecasting and estimating the location of urban development areas. It is based on the study of human (city population) behavior patterns and the underlying nature of the choice of destinations. This allowed establishing the reason for the said choice and, consequently, the formation and direction of the movement of people and traffic. The study is constructed to reveal the trend of settlement (by labor gravitation) based on the effect of the desired choice of workplace location in relation to residence location. The results of the sociological survey allowed establishing the trend of settlement on the basis of the effect of the desired choice. The study discovered a correlation between the values characterizing the topological structure of the plan: a distinctive “scale of settlement” (average shortest distances between the settlement variant and workplace locations) and the internal heterogeneity of the plan (uneven concentration of facilities and their connections). This allows drafting settlement curves for cities without empirical data.

Over the hills and further away from coast: global geospatial patterns of human and environment over the 20th-21st centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kummu, Matti; de Moel, Hans; Salvucci, Gianluigi; Viviroli, Daniel; Ward, Philip J.; Varis, Olli

2016-03-01

Proximity to the coast and elevation are important geographical considerations for human settlement. Little is known, however, about how spatial variation in these factors exactly relates to human settlements and activities, and how this has developed over time. Such knowledge is important for identifying vulnerable regions that are at risk from phenomena such as food shortages and water stress. Human activities are a key driving force in global change, and thus detailed information on population distribution is an important input to any research framework on global change. In this paper we assess the global geospatial patterns of the distribution of human population and related factors, with regard to the altitude above sea level and proximity to the coast. The investigated factors are physical conditions, urbanisation, agricultural practices, economy, and environmental stress. An important novel element in this study, is that we included the temporal evolution in various factors related to human settlements and agricultural practices over the 20th century, and used projections for some of these factors up to the year 2050. We found population pressure in the proximity of the coast to be somewhat greater than was found in other studies. Yet, the distribution of population, urbanisation and wealth are evolving to become more evenly spread across the globe than they were in the past. Therefore, the commonly believed tendency of accumulation of people and wealth along coasts is not supported by our results. At the same time, food production is becoming increasingly decoupled from the trends in population density. Croplands are spreading from highly populated coastal zones towards inland zones. Our results thus indicate that even though people and wealth continue to accumulate in proximity to the coast, population densities and economic productivity are becoming less diverse in relation to elevation and distance from the coast.

Ontogenetic changes in responses to settlement cues by Anemonefish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixson, D. L.; Munday, P. L.; Pratchett, M.; Jones, G. P.

2011-12-01

Population connectivity for most marine species is dictated by dispersal during the pelagic larval stage. Although reef fish larvae are known to display behavioral adaptations that influence settlement site selection, little is known about the development of behavioral preferences throughout the larval phase. Whether larvae are attracted to the same sensory cues throughout their larval phase, or exhibit distinct ontogenetic shifts in sensory preference is unknown. Here, we demonstrate an ontogenetic shift in olfactory cue preferences for two species of anemonefish, a process that could aid in understanding both patterns of dispersal and settlement. Aquarium-bred naïve Amphiprion percula and A. melanopus larvae were tested for olfactory preference of relevant reef-associated chemical cues throughout the 11-day pelagic larval stage. Age posthatching had a significant effect on the preference for olfactory cues from host anemones and live corals for both species. Preferences of olfactory cues from tropical plants of A. percula, increased by approximately ninefold between hatching and settlement, with A. percula larvae showing a fivefold increase in preference for the olfactory cue produced by the grass species. Larval age had no effect on the olfactory preference for untreated seawater over the swamp-based tree Melaleuca nervosa, which was always avoided compared with blank seawater. These results indicate that reef fish larvae are capable of utilizing olfactory cues early in the larval stage and may be predisposed to disperse away from reefs, with innate olfactory preferences drawing newly hatched larvae into the pelagic environment. Toward the end of the larval phase, larvae become attracted to the olfactory cues of appropriate habitats, which may assist them in identification of and navigation toward suitable settlement sites.

Population continuity, demic diffusion and Neolithic origins in central-southern Germany: the evidence from body proportions.

PubMed

Gallagher, A; Gunther, M M; Bruchhaus, H

2009-01-01

The transition to agro-pastoralism in central Europe has been framed within a dichotomy of "regional continuity" versus exogenous "demic diffusion". While substantial genetic support exists for a model of demographic diffusion from an ancestral source in the Near East, archaeological data furnish weak support for the "wave of advance" model. Nevertheless, archaeological evidence attests the widespread introduction of an exogenous "package" comprising ceramics, cereals, pulses and domesticated animals to central Europe at 5600calBCE. Body proportions are under strong climatic selection and evince remarkable stability within regional lineages. As such, they offer a viable and robust alternative to cranio-facial data in assessing hypothesised continuity and replacement with the transition to agro-pastoralism in central Europe. Humero-clavicular, brachial and crural indices in a large sample (n=75) of Linienbandkeramik (LBK), Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age specimens from the middle Elbe-Saale-Werra valley (MESV) were compared with Eurasian and African terminal Pleistocene, European Mesolithic and geographically disparate recent human specimens. Mesolithic Europeans display considerable variation in humero-clavicular and brachial indices yet none approach the extreme "hyper-polar" morphology of LBK humans from the MESV. In contrast, Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age peoples display elongated brachial and crural indices reminiscent of terminal Pleistocene and "tropically adapted" recent humans. These marked morphological changes likely reflect exogenous immigration during the terminal Fourth millennium cal BC. Population expansion and diffusion is a function of increased mobility and settlement dispersal concomitant with significant technological and subsistence changes in later Neolithic societies during the late fourth millennium cal BCE.

Feeding behavior of Mimomyia (Etorleptiomyia) luzonensis (Ludlow, 1905) (Diptera, Culicidae) in Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Braima, Kamil A; Muslimin, M; M Ghazali, Amir-Ridhwan; Wan-Nor, F; Wilson, J J; Jeffery, J; Abdul-Aziz, N M

2017-07-01

Mosquitoes are vectors of various human diseases in the tropics including yellow fever, dengue, malaria and West Nile virus. Mosquitoes can act as vectors between wildlife and humans, which is particularly important for diseases where wild animals serve as reservoirs of parasites in the absence of human infections. Research has mainly focused on the medical impacts of Anopheles, Aedes, Mansonia and Culex, however, very little attention has been directed towards other mosquito genera, especially those which act as vectors of diseases of wildlife. We have observed adults of Mimomyia (Etorleptiomyia) luzonensis (Ludlow, 1905) feeding on a toad, Ingerophrynus parvus, near an oil palm plantation settlement in Setia Alam, Selangor state, Peninsular Malaysia. Mimomyia is known to feed on reptiles and amphibians, and is a documented vector of several arboviruses, including West Nile virus. The observation of Mimomyia feeding on a common toad near a human settlement highlights a need to understand the relationships between mosquitoes, toads and humans from an ecological perspective. We report on-site observations of the feeding habit of Mimomyia; the first records from Malaysia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nightlights along the Eastern Alpine river network in Austria and Italy as a proxy of human presence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceola, Serena; Montanari, Alberto; Parajka, Juraj; Viglione, Alberto; Bloeschl, Guenter

2016-04-01

Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of human settlements and economic activities in relation to the geographical location of streams and rivers is of fundamental concern for several hydrologic issues such as flood risk and drought management, water pollution and exploitation, as well as stream ecological purposes. Indeed, the human presence close to streams and rivers is known to have consistently increased worldwide, therefore introducing dramatic anthropogenic and environmental changes. This research study analyses the spatial and temporal evolution of human settlements and associated economic activity, derived from nighttime lights, in the Eastern Alpine region. Nightlights, available at a 1 km spatial resolution and for a 22-year period, constitute an excellent data base, which allows to explore in details human signatures. In this experiment, nightlights are associated to five distinct distance-from-river classes, by using the CCM river network data base. From the temporal perspective, nightlights in correspondence of each distance-from-river class within each study region show an overall increasing trend, whereas the spatial trends differs among the study regions. More information about the analysis and project are available at: http://www.water-switch-on.eu/.

Vulnerability of settlements around Mt. Cameroon volcano, Cameroon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zogning, Appolinaire; Spinetti, Claudia; Ngouanet, Chretien; Tchoudam, David; Kouokam, Emmanuel; Thierry, Pierre; Bignami, Christian; Fabrizia Buongiorno, Maria; Ilaria Pannaccione Apa, Maria

2010-05-01

Located at the bottom of the Gulf of Guinea, Cameroon is exposed to a large variety of natural hazards, including volcanism. Most of the hazard are concentrated around the active volcano Mt. Cameroon which combines effusive and explosive types of activity. The threatened stakes are numerous and different exposed: people, settlements, industrial plantations, petrol refinery and many other factories and infrastructures. Until 2005, no risk management plans has been available. In 2006, the French Embassy in Cameroon, within the framework of a financial convention between Cameroon and France, put in place the GRINP (Management of Natural Risks and Civil Protection) project whose objective was to reinforce the capacity of Cameroon's civil protection department and thus, contribute to the improvement of the security of the population faced with catastrophes. The objective was to realize a Risk Prevention Plan at a local council scale, and taking into consideration the specific natural risks of each zone. The general objective of the RPP was to clearly draw land use maps for risks zones, showing the overlay of stakes with risk of different intensities. In 2008 European Commission funded the Mia-Vita project (Mitigating and Assessing Volcanic Impacts on Terrain and human Activities). The aim of the project is to improve the crisis management capabilities based on monitoring and early warning systems and secure communications; reduction of people's vulnerability and development of recovering capabilities after an event occurs for both local communities and ecological systems. Keyword: natural hazards, Mt. Cameroon, vulnerability, risk prevention plan

Ocean acidification boosts larval fish development but reduces the window of opportunity for successful settlement.

PubMed

Rossi, Tullio; Nagelkerken, Ivan; Simpson, Stephen D; Pistevos, Jennifer C A; Watson, Sue-Ann; Merillet, Laurene; Fraser, Peter; Munday, Philip L; Connell, Sean D

2015-12-22

Locating appropriate settlement habitat is a crucial step in the life cycle of most benthic marine animals. In marine fish, this step involves the use of multiple senses, including audition, olfaction and vision. To date, most investigations of larval fish audition focus on the hearing thresholds to various frequencies of sounds without testing an ecological response to such sounds. Identifying responses to biologically relevant sounds at the development stage in which orientation is most relevant is fundamental. We tested for the existence of ontogenetic windows of reception to sounds that could act as orientation cues with a focus on vulnerability to alteration by human impacts. Here we show that larvae of a catadromous fish species (barramundi, Lates calcarifer) were attracted towards sounds from settlement habitat during a surprisingly short ontogenetic window of approximately 3 days. Yet, this auditory preference was reversed in larvae reared under end-of-century levels of elevated CO2, such that larvae are repelled from cues of settlement habitat. These future conditions also reduced the swimming speeds and heightened the anxiety levels of barramundi. Unexpectedly, an acceleration of development and onset of metamorphosis caused by elevated CO2 were not accompanied by the earlier onset of attraction towards habitat sounds. This mismatch between ontogenetic development and the timing of orientation behaviour may reduce the ability of larvae to locate habitat or lead to settlement in unsuitable habitats. The misinterpretation of key orientation cues can have implications for population replenishment, which are only exacerbated when ontogenetic development decouples from the specific behaviours required for location of settlement habitats. © 2015 The Author(s).

Geoarchaeological research on Bronze Age settlement mounds in the Kolkheti lowlands at the Black Sea coast of Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laermanns, Hannes; Heisterkamp, Arne; Kirkitadze, Giorgi; Elashvili, Mikheil; Verheul, Jan; Kelterbaum, Daniel; Helmut, Brückner

2016-04-01

0.0.1 Situated between the Rivers Enguri in the north and Khobistsqali in the south, more than 20 settlement mounds (local name Dikhagudzuba), identified by field survey and remote sensing techniques, give evidence of a densely populated landscape in the coastal lowlands of eastern Georgia during the Bronze Age. While the existing chronology of these mounds is based on ceramic evidence obtained during a previous archaeological research, only limited information is available on their internal architecture and their palaeoenvironmental context, and the chronology of the different layers is as yet lacking. 0.0.2 Within the framework of a geoarchaeological research project, we carried out eleven vibracores on and in direct vicinity of three of the most prominent mounds, situated close to the villages of Orulu and Ergeta. Based on these sediment cores, our study aims at (i) establishing a chronostratigraphical framework for the settlements based on radiocarbon dating; (ii) reconstructing possible phases and gaps of occupation; and (iii) identifying the environmental conditions during the time of their existence. Geochemical and sedimentological analyses were carried out to decipher element contents (XRF), granulometry, and organic contents (LOI, C/N) of sediment samples, supporting the interpretation of the mounds' stratigraphical evolution and related human occupation. The three investigated settlement mounds are similar in dimension and stratigraphy, and different settlement layers could be identified in each of them. The 14C age estimates indicate that their formation occurred during the second half of the 3rd and the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, thus confirming the archaeological interpretation of their Bronze Age origin. Based on the granulometric and geochemical data, palaeoenvironmental conditions in the vicinity of the settlements were dominated by fluvial processes.

Effects of Global Change on U.S. Urban Areas: Vulnerabilities, Impacts, and Adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quattrochi, D. A.; Wilbanks, T. J.; Kirshen, P. H.; Romero-Lankao, P.; Rosenzweig, C. E.; Ruth, M.; Solecki, W.; Tarr, J. A.

2007-05-01

Human settlements, both large and small, are where the vast majority of people on the Earth live. Expansion of cities both in population and areal extent, is a relentless process that will accelerate in the 21st century. As a consequence of urban growth both in the United States and around the globe, it is important to develop an understanding of how urbanization will affect the local and regional environment. Of equal importance, however, is the assessment of how cities will be impacted by the looming prospects of global climate change and climate variability. The potential impacts of climate change and variability has recently been enunciated by the IPCC's "Climate Change 2007" report. Moreover, the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is preparing a series of "Synthesis and Assessment Products" (SAP) reports to support informed discussion and decision making regarding climate change and variability by policy makers, resource managers, stakeholders, the media, and the general public. We are working on a chapter of SAP 4.6 ("Analysis of the Effects of Global Chance on Human Health and Welfare and Human Systems") wherein we wish to describe the effects of global climate change on human settlements. This paper will present the thoughts and ideas that are being formulated for our SAP report that relate to what vulnerabilities and impacts will occur, what adaptation responses may take place, and what possible effects on settlement patterns and characteristics will potentially arise, on human settlements in the U.S. as a result of climate change and climate variability. We wish to present these ideas and concepts as a "work in progress" that are subject to several rounds of review, and we invite comments from listeners at this session on the rationale and veracity of our thoughts. Additionally, we wish to explore how technology such as remote sensing data coupled with modeling, can be employed as synthesis tools for deriving insight across a spectrum of impacts (e.g. public health, urban planning for mitigation strategies) on how cities can cope and adapt to climate change and variability. This latter point parallels the concepts and ideas presented in the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Decadal Survey report on "Earth Science Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond" wherein the analysis of the impacts of climate change and variability, human health, and land use change are listed as key areas for development of future Earth observing remote sensing systems.

Mars - The relationship of robotic and human elements in the IAA International Exploration of Mars study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marov, Mikhail YA.; Duke, Michael B.

1993-01-01

The roles of human and robotic missions in Mars exploration are defined in the context of the short- and long-term Mars programs. In particular, it is noted that the currently implemented and planned missions to Mars can be regarded as robotic precursor missions to human exploration. Attention is given to factors that must be considered in formulating the rationale for human flights to Mars and future human Mars settlements and justifying costly projects.

A novel spatially-explicit condition for the onset of waterborne diseases in complex environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mari, L.; Gatto, M.; Bertuzzo, E.; Casagrandi, R.; Righetto, L.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.; Rinaldo, A.

2012-12-01

In spatial models of waterborne infections the condition that all the local reproduction numbers be larger than one is neither necessary nor sufficient for outbreaks to occur. Here, to properly determine epidemic onset conditions, we examine the transition from stable to unstable of the disease-free equilibrium of a system of nonlinear differential equations characterizing the evolution of susceptible and infected individuals within their respective settlements, and pathogen concentration in their accessible environment. Two different network connectivity layers are assumed to link human settlements: hydrologic pathways serve as ecological corridors for pathogens, while human mobility acts as disease vehicle through susceptibles contracting the disease and asymptomatic infectives shedding bacteria at their temporary destinations. We show that an epidemic outbreak can be triggered if the dominant eigenvalue of a generalized reproduction matrix G0, suitably accounting for spatial distribution of human settlements, hydrological pathways for pathogen dispersal and pathogen redistribution mechanisms due to human mobility, is larger than unity. Matrix G0 and its dominant eigenvalue thus replace the usual reproduction number whenever spatial effects on disease propagation cannot be ignored. Conversely, our novel criterion decays into the standard onset condition based on local reproduction numbers in nonspatial settings. By analyzing realistic test cases we show that within a connected network system the disease can start even if all the local reproduction numbers are smaller than unity, or might not start even if all the local reproduction numbers are larger than unity. We also show that onset geography in complex environments is linked to the dominant eigenvector of matrix G0. Applications to cholera outbreaks in developing countries demonstrate that our approach can be successfully used for disease prediction and emergency management.

75 FR 58428 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Athens County Historical Society and Museum, Athens, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-24

... be Native American, and possibly female. Furthermore, there were no white settlements in the Athens... culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Heather Reed, Curator/Education Coordinator...

Fellow travellers: a concordance of colonization patterns between mice and men in the North Atlantic region.

PubMed

Jones, E P; Skirnisson, K; McGovern, T H; Gilbert, M T P; Willerslev, E; Searle, J B

2012-03-19

House mice (Mus musculus) are commensals of humans and therefore their phylogeography can reflect human colonization and settlement patterns. Previous studies have linked the distribution of house mouse mitochondrial (mt) DNA clades to areas formerly occupied by the Norwegian Vikings in Norway and the British Isles. Norwegian Viking activity also extended further westwards in the North Atlantic with the settlement of Iceland, short-lived colonies in Greenland and a fleeting colony in Newfoundland in 1000 AD. Here we investigate whether house mouse mtDNA sequences reflect human history in these other regions as well. House mice samples from Iceland, whether from archaeological Viking Age material or from modern-day specimens, had an identical mtDNA haplotype to the clade previously linked with Norwegian Vikings. From mtDNA and microsatellite data, the modern-day Icelandic mice also share the low genetic diversity shown by their human hosts on Iceland. Viking Age mice from Greenland had an mtDNA haplotype deriving from the Icelandic haplotype, but the modern-day Greenlandic mice belong to an entirely different mtDNA clade. We found no genetic association between modern Newfoundland mice and the Icelandic/ancient Greenlandic mice (no ancient Newfoundland mice were available). The modern day Icelandic and Newfoundland mice belong to the subspecies M. m. domesticus, the Greenlandic mice to M. m. musculus. In the North Atlantic region, human settlement history over a thousand years is reflected remarkably by the mtDNA phylogeny of house mice. In Iceland, the mtDNA data show the arrival and continuity of the house mouse population to the present day, while in Greenland the data suggest the arrival, subsequent extinction and recolonization of house mice--in both places mirroring the history of the European human host populations. If house mice arrived in Newfoundland with the Viking settlers at all, then, like the humans, their presence was also fleeting and left no genetic trace. The continuity of mtDNA haplotype in Iceland over 1000 years illustrates that mtDNA can retain the signature of the ancestral house mouse founders. We also show that, in terms of genetic variability, house mouse populations may also track their host human populations.

The MeTIBas project: an example of settlement continuity in a coastal changing landscape of southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bavusi, Massimo; Di Leo, Paola; Giammatteo, Tonia; Gioia, Dario; Schiattarella, Marcello

2016-04-01

The MeTIBas (Italian acronym for Innovative Methods and Technologies for the Cultural Heritage in the Basilicata region) project aims to develop an innovative geoarchaeological investigation approach for large areas. Analyses of environmental dynamics, palaeoclimatic proxies, spatial and temporal evolution of settlements and, more in general, of the relationships between man and landscape have been carried also through the implementation of a Territorial Information System, drawing-up of an experimental digital geoarchaeological map, and creation of an open geoarchaeological database. The project methods have been applied in the coastal area of Metaponto, which roughly coincides with the ancient territory of the Greek settlement of Metapontum and its chora and includes a region of about 400 sq. km in the Ionian sector of the Basilicata region, southern Italy. The backshore area of the Metaponto coastal plain was characterized by the presence of wide limno-palustrine environments, reclaimed during the first decades of the last century. Geomorphological mapping, GIS-supported statistics, and analysis of the topographic features of the landforms represent the key to extract the settlement rules and the site dynamics of the study area. Site distribution and relationships with landscape elements allow us to investigate the settlement patterns and human activities and choices. A wide archive of archaeological data on the whole study area - from Prehistoric times to Roman age - has been therefore used to connect the wandering or persistence of the ancient sites in relation with different landforms and their changes during the last 5000 years. The layout of the site arrangement clearly traces the main geomorphological features of the area (i.e. settlements along fluvial scarps, sites on the flat surfaces of marine and fluvial terraces, main villages in the coastal plain). From a chronological viewpoint, after a progressive increase of the settlements and other archaeological elements - sometimes with changes in their function - the human presence becomes dramatically strong during the Greek colonization and the Roman period. Only few archaeological typologies remain the same through time, as for example the farms and their associated features, whilst several sites assume different intended use. From classical to Hellenistic time span, a significant increase of sites can be observed in both the coastal plain and in the intermediate orders of marine terraces, whose top surfaces range from 45 m to 110 m a.s.l.: this could mean that the pre-existing environmental setting of the coastal plain was preserved (i.e. no diffused presence of marshes and swamps) and the plain was not abandoned, but at the same time the terraced surfaces offered similar or better conditions for agricultural practices. From Hellenistic to Roman times, a dramatic collapse of the stable human presence occurred, probably due to historical causes coupled with a landscape deterioration (maybe linked to an increase in flooding occurrence in the coastal plain and in the floodplains of the lower reaches of the main rivers). Results indicate that an intrinsic geomorphological fragility of the territory has accompanied the strong agricultural vocation of the study area, persisting until now.

Mars Summit Explores Options for Human Missions to the Red Planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2013-05-01

The United States "needs to begin the homesteading and settlement of Mars," Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin told participants at the Humans to Mars Summit on 8 May in Washington, D. C. "It is within reach technically and budgetarily. Even in a period of fiscal challenges, the United States needs to consider this program with long-term planning."

Migration out of 1930s Rural Eastern Oklahoma: Insights for Climate Change Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeman, Robert

2006-01-01

The question of how communities and individuals adapt to changing climatic conditions is of pressing concern to scientists and policymakers in light of the growing evidence that human activity has modified the Earth's climate. A number of authors have suggested that widespread changes in human settlement and migration patterns may occur in…

Toward Sustainable Communities: A Resource Book for Municipal and Local Governments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roseland, Mark

This book is intended as a resource for elected officials, municipal staff, and citizens who would like to apply the concept of sustainable development in their communities through an ecosystems approach to human settlements management. The subcomponents of human community life and its impact on the environment are explored. Included are tested,…

Lunar Limb Observatory: An Incremental Plan for the Utilization, Exploration, and Settlement of the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowman, Paul. D., Jr.

1996-01-01

This paper proposes a comprehensive incremental program, Lunar Limb Observatory (LLO), for a return to the Moon, beginning with robotic missions and ending with a permanent lunar settlement. Several recent technological developments make such a program both affordable and scientifically valuable: robotic telescopes, the Internet, light-weight telescopes, shared- autonomy/predictive graphics telerobotic devices, and optical interferometry systems. Reasons for focussing new NASA programs on the Moon include public interest, Moon-based astronomy, renewed lunar exploration, lunar resources (especially helium-3), technological stimulus, accessibility of the Moon (compared to any planet), and dispersal of the human species to counter predictable natural catastrophes, asteroidal or cometary impacts in particular. The proposed Lunar Limb Observatory would be located in the crater Riccioli, with auxiliary robotic telescopes in M. Smythii and at the North and South Poles. The first phase of the program, after site certification, would be a series of 5 Delta-launched telerobotic missions to Riccioli (or Grimaldi if Riccioli proves unsuitable), emplacing robotic telescopes and carrying out surface exploration. The next phase would be 7 Delta-launched telerobotic missions to M. Smythii (2 missions), the South Pole (3 missions), and the North Pole (2 missions), emplacing robotic telescopes to provide continuous all-sky coverage. Lunar base establishment would begin with two unmanned Shuttle/Fitan-Centaur missions to Riccioli, for shelter emplacement, followed by the first manned return, also using the Shuttle/Fitan-Centaur mode. The main LLO at Riccioli would then be permanently or periodically inhabited, for surface exploration, telerobotic rover and telescope operation and maintenance, and support of Earth-based student projects. The LLO would evolve into a permanent human settlement, serving, among other functions, as a test area and staging base for the exploration, settlement, and terraforming of Mars.

Space and the Frontier Mythos: A Re-Examination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cockell, Charles S.; Messier, Douglas; Bormanis, Andre

1997-01-01

Some modern space philosophies emphasize the historical parallels between the conquest of the Martian frontier and the expansion into the American West. These parallels are used as a rationale for planning the exploration and large-scale settlement of Mars. However, many of these historical allegories are in error. Vast differences exist between the geographical realities of Mars and the western frontier. Furthermore, westward expansion took place within a set of political, economic, social, and technological circumstances that are unlikely to be repeated in Martian exploration. The physical conditions and geographical realities of the Martian frontier in exploration and settlement terms are closer to the Antarctic continent. The American West, which had been inhabited by humans for thousands of years, offered a relative degree of comfort to new arrivals. We do not find large numbers of people migrating to the Canadian High Arctic or other polar regions to live. The inhospitable nature of these polar regions are the major limitation to the human desire to live there. The conquest of the American West took place within the context of a complex set of circumstances. Americans believed they had a 'manifest destiny' to extend their civilization across the continent. Many people also went west in search of a better life: for gold, land or other opportunities. The technology also existed at that point to allow large numbers of people to head west on their own at minimal cost. The settlement of Mars will be far different. It is for these reasons that we believe Antarctica is a much better analog for the exploration of Mars. Therefore, Martian exploration and settlement plans should be adjusted accordingly.

Lunar Limb Observatory: an Incremental Plan for the Utilization, Exploration, and Settlement of the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowman, Paul. D., Jr.

1996-10-01

This paper proposes a comprehensive incremental program, Lunar Limb Observatory (LLO), for a return to the Moon, beginning with robotic missions and ending with a permanent lunar settlement. Several recent technological developments make such a program both affordable and scientifically valuable: robotic telescopes, the Internet, light-weight telescopes, shared- autonomy/predictive graphics telerobotic devices, and optical interferometry systems. Reasons for focussing new NASA programs on the Moon include public interest, Moon-based astronomy, renewed lunar exploration, lunar resources (especially helium-3), technological stimulus, accessibility of the Moon (compared to any planet), and dispersal of the human species to counter predictable natural catastrophes, asteroidal or cometary impacts in particular. The proposed Lunar Limb Observatory would be located in the crater Riccioli, with auxiliary robotic telescopes in M. Smythii and at the North and South Poles. The first phase of the program, after site certification, would be a series of 5 Delta-launched telerobotic missions to Riccioli (or Grimaldi if Riccioli proves unsuitable), emplacing robotic telescopes and carrying out surface exploration. The next phase would be 7 Delta-launched telerobotic missions to M. Smythii (2 missions), the South Pole (3 missions), and the North Pole (2 missions), emplacing robotic telescopes to provide continuous all-sky coverage. Lunar base establishment would begin with two unmanned Shuttle/Fitan-Centaur missions to Riccioli, for shelter emplacement, followed by the first manned return, also using the Shuttle/Fitan-Centaur mode. The main LLO at Riccioli would then be permanently or periodically inhabited, for surface exploration, telerobotic rover and telescope operation and maintenance, and support of Earth-based student projects. The LLO would evolve into a permanent human settlement, serving, among other functions, as a test area and staging base for the exploration, settlement, and terraforming of Mars.

Space and the Frontier Mythos: A Re-Examination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cockell, Charles S.; Messier, Douglas; Bormanis, Andre

1997-07-01

Some modern space philosophies emphasize the historical parallels between the conquest of the Martian frontier and the expansion into the American West. These parallels are used as a rationale for planning the exploration and large-scale settlement of Mars. However, many of these historical allegories are in error. Vast differences exist between the geographical realities of Mars and the western frontier. Furthermore, westward expansion took place within a set of political, economic, social, and technological circumstances that are unlikely to be repeated in Martian exploration. The physical conditions and geographical realities of the Martian frontier in exploration and settlement terms are closer to the Antarctic continent. The American West, which had been inhabited by humans for thousands of years, offered a relative degree of comfort to new arrivals. We do not find large numbers of people migrating to the Canadian High Arctic or other polar regions to live. The inhospitable nature of these polar regions are the major limitation to the human desire to live there. The conquest of the American West took place within the context of a complex set of circumstances. Americans believed they had a 'manifest destiny' to extend their civilization across the continent. Many people also went west in search of a better life: for gold, land or other opportunities. The technology also existed at that point to allow large numbers of people to head west on their own at minimal cost. The settlement of Mars will be far different. It is for these reasons that we believe Antarctica is a much better analog for the exploration of Mars. Therefore, Martian exploration and settlement plans should be adjusted accordingly.

Origin and timing of New Zealand's earliest domestic chickens: Polynesian commensals or European introductions?

PubMed Central

Wood, Jamie R.; Herrera, Michael J. B.; Wilmshurst, Janet M.

2016-01-01

Human settlers transported chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) to most East Polynesian archipelagos between AD 1000 and 1300; however, it has long been assumed that New Zealand was an exception. Despite the fact that chicken bones have been recovered from localities of early archaeological middens in New Zealand, their age and genetic relationships have never been critically assessed. Here, we test the assumption that chickens were not introduced to New Zealand during prehistory through ancient DNA and radiocarbon analyses of chicken bones from sites of Māori middens containing prehistoric material. The chickens belong to the widespread mitochondrial control region haplogroup E. Radiocarbon dating reveals that the bones are not prehistoric, but are still the earliest chicken remains known from New Zealand. Two of the bones pre-date permanent European settlement (ca 1803s onwards) but overlap with the arrival of James Cook's second voyage (1773–1774), and, therefore, they are likely to be chickens, or progeny thereof, liberated during that voyage. Our results support the idea that chickens were first introduced to New Zealand by Europeans, and provide new insights into Māori uptake and integration of resources introduced during the early post-European period. PMID:27853601

Origin and timing of New Zealand's earliest domestic chickens: Polynesian commensals or European introductions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Jamie R.; Herrera, Michael J. B.; Scofield, R. Paul; Wilmshurst, Janet M.

2016-08-01

Human settlers transported chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) to most East Polynesian archipelagos between AD 1000 and 1300; however, it has long been assumed that New Zealand was an exception. Despite the fact that chicken bones have been recovered from localities of early archaeological middens in New Zealand, their age and genetic relationships have never been critically assessed. Here, we test the assumption that chickens were not introduced to New Zealand during prehistory through ancient DNA and radiocarbon analyses of chicken bones from sites of Māori middens containing prehistoric material. The chickens belong to the widespread mitochondrial control region haplogroup E. Radiocarbon dating reveals that the bones are not prehistoric, but are still the earliest chicken remains known from New Zealand. Two of the bones pre-date permanent European settlement (ca 1803s onwards) but overlap with the arrival of James Cook's second voyage (1773-1774), and, therefore, they are likely to be chickens, or progeny thereof, liberated during that voyage. Our results support the idea that chickens were first introduced to New Zealand by Europeans, and provide new insights into Māori uptake and integration of resources introduced during the early post-European period.

The cultural and chronological context of early Holocene maize and squash domestication in the Central Balsas River Valley, Mexico

PubMed Central

Ranere, Anthony J.; Piperno, Dolores R.; Holst, Irene; Dickau, Ruth; Iriarte, José

2009-01-01

Molecular evidence indicates that the wild ancestor of maize is presently native to the seasonally dry tropical forest of the Central Balsas watershed in southwestern Mexico. We report here on archaeological investigations in a region of the Central Balsas located near the Iguala Valley in Guerrero state that show for the first time a long sequence of human occupation and plant exploitation reaching back to the early Holocene. One of the sites excavated, the Xihuatoxtla Shelter, contains well-stratified deposits and a stone tool assemblage of bifacially flaked points, simple flake tools, and numerous handstones and milling stone bases radiocarbon dated to at least 8700 calendrical years B.P. As reported in a companion paper (Piperno DR, et al., in this issue of PNAS), starch grain and phytolith residues from the ground and chipped stone tools, plus phytoliths from directly associated sediments, provide evidence for maize (Zea mays L.) and domesticated squash (Cucurbita spp.) in contexts contemporaneous with and stratigraphically below the 8700 calendrical years B.P. date. The radiocarbon determinations, stratigraphic integrity of Xihuatoxtla's deposits, and characteristics of the stone tool assemblages associated with the maize and squash remains all indicate that these plants were early Holocene domesticates. Early agriculture in this region of Mexico appears to have involved small groups of cultivators who were shifting their settlements seasonally and engaging in a variety of subsistence pursuits. PMID:19307573

Fire in Eastern Hardwood Forests through 14,000 Years

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich; Roger W. Perry; Craig A. Harper; Stacy L. Clark

2011-01-01

Fire helped shape the structure and species composition of hardwood forests of the eastern United States over the past 14,000 years. Periodic fires were common in much of this area prior to European settlement, and fire-resilient species proliferated. Early European settlers commonly adopted Native American techniques of applying fire to the landscape. As the demand...

23 CFR 635.124 - Participation in contract claim awards and settlements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... public contract law. (b) The FHWA shall be made aware by the STD of the details of the claim at an early...) When requesting Federal participation, the STD shall set forth in writing the legal and contractual.... Federal-aid participation in such instances shall be supported by a STD audit of the actual costs incurred...

23 CFR 635.124 - Participation in contract claim awards and settlements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... public contract law. (b) The FHWA shall be made aware by the STD of the details of the claim at an early...) When requesting Federal participation, the STD shall set forth in writing the legal and contractual.... Federal-aid participation in such instances shall be supported by a STD audit of the actual costs incurred...

The Blacksmith Craft Program at the BOCES Environmental Education Center at Brookville.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skliar, Norman

The purpose of this booklet is to introduce teachers and students to the Blacksmith's Shop, one of the many craft programs available for student participation at the Brookville Homestead site developed to recreate life as it was in the early days of Long Island's settlement. Active participation in the blacksmithing craft activity is designed to…

Peru v. Yale: A Battle Rages over Machu Picchu

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, David

2009-01-01

In early 1916, the legendary Yale University archaeologist Hiram Bingham III completed his third and final expedition in southern Peru. He shipped home 74 boxes of artifacts from Machu Picchu, a spectacular site in the Andes that is believed to have been the last major settlement of the Inca empire. Those boxes were supposed to be on temporary…

Women Teachers in Western Australian "Bush" Schools, 1900-1939: Passive Victims of Oppressive Structures?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trotman, Janina

2006-01-01

Demography, distance, and the expansion of settlements created problems for the State Department of Education in Western Australia and other Australian states in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Educational administration in Canada and parts of the United States faced similar issues with regard to the provision of schools. A common…

Before 1776: The Massachusetts Bay Colony from Founding to Revolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruenbaum, Thelma

Designed for use at 4th-through-10th-grade level, this short history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony provides a view of colonial life style and culture prior to the American Revolution. The first sections discuss the Puritan migration and early settlement around Boston. Descriptions of colonial housing, furniture, food, clothing, clothing styles,…

HOTEX: An Approach for Global Mapping of Human Built-Up and Settlement Extent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Panshi; Huang, Chengquan; Tilton, James C.; Tan, Bin; Brown De Colstoun, Eric C.

2017-01-01

Understanding the impacts of urbanization requires accurate and updatable urban extent maps. Here we present an algorithm for mapping urban extent at global scale using Landsat data. An innovative hierarchical object-based texture (HOTex) classification approach was designed to overcome spectral confusion between urban and nonurban land cover types. VIIRS nightlights data and MODIS vegetation index datasets are integrated as high-level features under an object-based framework. We applied the HOTex method to the GLS-2010 Landsat images to produce a global map of human built-up and settlement extent. As shown by visual assessments, our method could effectively map urban extent and generate consistent results using images with inconsistent acquisition time and vegetation phenology. Using scene-level cross validation for results in Europe, we assessed the performance of HOTex and achieved a kappa coefficient of 0.91, compared to 0.74 from a baseline method using per-pixel classification using spectral information.

Exurban Development and its Environmental Impact on Land Use in Kurgan City, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrievskikh, Daria

Exurban communities as one of the forms of urban sprawl can cause significant changes in natural land cover. Exurban development refers to an expansion of communities located outside a city and its suburbs. One of the main reasons these settlements develop is a desire to live closer to nature with better ecological conditions. Exurbs often represent prosperous regions inhabited by people with high income. However, exurban development involves the human consumption of natural environments. Specifically, it directly affects community patterns, species patterns, and demographic patterns of surrounding ecosystems, as well as land use. Therefore, it is important to study the impact of exurban settlements on the natural environment. This study uses remote sensing imagery, Census data and primary data to analyze land cover change due to the emergence of exurban communities around Kurgan City, Russia, with an emphasis on the change of natural vegetation such as, forests in addition to human behavior.

Restoration of Ecological Infrastructure in Rural Areas after Earthquake – A Case Study from Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Fei

2018-05-01

After Wenchuan and Lushan earthquake, the experience of Sichuan reconstruction planning is an important sample of agricultural village human settlements safety and regional ecological environment restoration. This paper combines the experience of the reconstruction of Dujiangyan after the Wenchuan earthquake - that is, the concept of sustainable ecological restoration as well as the concept of regional ecological restoration, and the post-disaster recovery study on Ya'an Zhougongshan Chengqing Temple and the surrounding environment after Lushan earthquake, trying to integrate into the process of post - disaster ecological restoration. Through a comprehensive assessment of the thinking on the regional scale issues and the impact of rural ecological infrastructure, we proposed macro-cognitive and multi-level measures of ecological restoration projects in order to provide effective methods to restore regional ecological environment and reconstruct sustainable human settlements in affected areas in the latest Jiuzhaigou earthquake.

Antimicrobial-resistant Klebsiella species isolated from free-range chicken samples in an informal settlement.

PubMed

Fielding, Burtram C; Mnabisa, Amanda; Gouws, Pieter A; Morris, Thureyah

2012-02-29

Sub-therapeutic doses of antimicrobial agents are administered routinely to poultry to aid growth and to prevent disease, with prolonged exposure often resulting in bacterial resistance. Crossover of antibiotic resistant bacteria from poultry to humans poses a risk to human health. In this study, 17 chicken samples collected from a vendor operating in an informal settlement in the Cape Town Metropolitan area, South Africa were screened for antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacilli using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion assay. IN TOTAL, SIX ANTIBIOTICS WERE SCREENED: ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline and trimethoprim. Surprisingly, Klebsiella ozaenae was identified in 96 and K. rhinoscleromatis in 6 (n=102) of the samples tested. Interestingly, ∼40% of the isolated Klebsiella spp. showed multiple resistance to at least three of the six antibiotics tested. Klebsiella ozaenae and K. rhinoscleromatis cause clinical chronic rhinitis and are almost exclusively associated with people living in areas of poor hygiene.

Early human occupation of Western Europe: Paleomagnetic dates for two paleolithic sites in Spain

PubMed Central

Oms, O.; Parés, J. M.; Martínez-Navarro, B.; Agustí, J.; Toro, I.; Martínez-Fernández, G.; Turq, A.

2000-01-01

The lacustrine deposits infilling the intramontane Guadix-Baza Basin, in the Betic Range of Southern Spain, have yielded abundant well-preserved lithic artifacts. In addition, the lake beds contain a wide range of micromammals including Mimomys savini and Allophaiomys burgondiae and large mammals such as Mammuthus and Hippopotamus together with the African saber-toothed felid Megantereon. The association of the lithic artifacts along with the fossil assemblages, themselves of prime significance in the Eurasian mammal biochronology, is providing new insight into the controversy of the human settlement in Southern Europe. Despite the importance of the artifacts and fossil assemblage, estimates of the geological age of the site are still in conflict. Some attempts at dating the sediments have included biochronology, uranium series, amino acid racemization, and stratigraphic correlation with other well-dated sections in the basin, but so far have failed to yield unambiguous ages. Here we present paleomagnetic age dating at the relevant localities and thus provide useful age constraints for this critical paleoanthropological and mammal site. Our data provide firm evidence for human occupation in Southern Europe in the Lower Pleistocene, around 1 mega-annum ago. The current view of when and how hominids first dispersed into Europe needs to be reevaluated. PMID:10973485

Climate change and human occupation in the Southern Arabian lowlands during the last deglaciation and the Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lézine, Anne-Marie; Robert, Christian; Cleuziou, Serge; Inizan, Marie-Louise; Braemer, Frank; Saliège, Jean-François; Sylvestre, Florence; Tiercelin, Jean-Jacques; Crassard, Rémy; Méry, Sophie; Charpentier, Vincent; Steimer-Herbet, Tara

2010-07-01

Paleohydrological and archaeological evidence from the Southern and South-Eastern Arabian Peninsula reveal strong relations between phases of human settlements and climate change linked to the Indian monsoon system. During the early to mid-Holocene, large fresh-water lakes extended in the lowland deserts of Ramlat as-Sab'atayn (Yemen) and Wahiba Sands (Oman), which were very similar to those occurring in the North, in the Rub' al-Khali (Saudi Arabia), at that time. Many archaeological sites, characterized by scattered stone artefacts, ostrich-eggshells and bones around hearths, are related to this lacustrine phase, which culminated around 10 000-8000 cal yr B.P. in the lowland deserts before the lakes progressively dried up. The last record of fresh-water bodies' extensions date back 7300 cal yr B.P. at Shabwa (Yemen) and 7500 cal yr B.P. at al-Haid (Oman). Then, fresh-water was probably available only from seasonal run-off from adjacent highlands, where paleolakes persisted into the late Holocene. Dry climate conditions in the inland desert of Yemen during the late Holocene coincide with a phase of intensive human inhabitation as testified by development of irrigation in the piedmontane areas, numerous necropolises of built collective burials and houses.

Progress and Challenges in Developing Reference Data Layers for Human Population Distribution and Built Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; Yetman, G.; de Sherbinin, A. M.

2015-12-01

Understanding the interactions between environmental and human systems, and in particular supporting the applications of Earth science data and knowledge in place-based decision making, requires systematic assessment of the distribution and dynamics of human population and the built human infrastructure in conjunction with environmental variability and change. The NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University has had a long track record in developing reference data layers for human population and settlements and is expanding its efforts on topics such as intercity roads, reservoirs and dams, and energy infrastructure. SEDAC has set as a strategic priority the acquisition, development, and dissemination of data resources derived from remote sensing and socioeconomic data on urban land use change, including temporally and spatially disaggregated data on urban change and rates of change, the built infrastructure, and critical facilities. We report here on a range of past and ongoing activities, including the Global Human Settlements Layer effort led by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Global Exposure Database for the Global Earthquake Model (GED4GEM) project, the Global Roads Open Access Data Working Group (gROADS) of the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA), and recent work with ImageCat, Inc. to improve estimates of the exposure and fragility of buildings, road and rail infrastructure, and other facilities with respect to selected natural hazards. New efforts such as the proposed Global Human Settlement indicators initiative of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) could help fill critical gaps and link potential reference data layers with user needs. We highlight key sectors and themes that require further attention, and the many significant challenges that remain in developing comprehensive, high quality, up-to-date, and well maintained reference data layers on population and built infrastructure. The need for improved indicators of sustainable development in the context of the post-2015 development framework provides an opportunity to link data efforts directly with international development needs and investments.

DNA typing of ancient parasite eggs from environmental samples identifies human and animal worm infections in Viking-age settlement.

PubMed

Søe, Martin Jensen; Nejsum, Peter; Fredensborg, Brian Lund; Kapel, Christian Moliin Outzen

2015-02-01

Ancient parasite eggs were recovered from environmental samples collected at a Viking-age settlement in Viborg, Denmark, dated 1018-1030 A.D. Morphological examination identified Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., and Fasciola sp. eggs, but size and shape did not allow species identification. By carefully selecting genetic markers, PCR amplification and sequencing of ancient DNA (aDNA) isolates resulted in identification of: the human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura , using SSUrRNA sequence homology; Ascaris sp. with 100% homology to cox1 haplotype 07; and Fasciola hepatica using ITS1 sequence homology. The identification of T. trichiura eggs indicates that human fecal material is present and, hence, that the Ascaris sp. haplotype 07 was most likely a human variant in Viking-age Denmark. The location of the F. hepatica finding suggests that sheep or cattle are the most likely hosts. Further, we sequenced the Ascaris sp. 18S rRNA gene in recent isolates from humans and pigs of global distribution and show that this is not a suited marker for species-specific identification. Finally, we discuss ancient parasitism in Denmark and the implementation of aDNA analysis methods in paleoparasitological studies. We argue that when employing species-specific identification, soil samples offer excellent opportunities for studies of human parasite infections and of human and animal interactions of the past.

Effects of Global Change on U.S. Urban Areas: Vulnerabilities, Impacts, and Adaptation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Wilbanks, Thomas J.; Kirshen, Paul; Romero-Lankao, Patricia; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Ruth, Mattias; Solecki, William; Tarr, Joel

2008-01-01

This slide presentation reviews some of the effects that global change has on urban areas in the United States and how the growth of urban areas will affect the environment. It presents the elements of our Synthesis and Assessment Report (SAP) report that relate to what vulnerabilities and impacts will occur, what adaptation responses may take place, and what possible effects on settlement patterns and characteristics will potentially arise, on human settlements in the U.S. as a result of climate change and climate variability. We will also present some recommendations about what should be done to further research on how climate change and variability will impact human settlements in the U.S., as well as how to engage government officials, policy and decision makers, and the general public in understanding the implications of climate change and variability on the local and regional levels. Additionally, we wish to explore how technology such as remote sensing data coupled with modeling, can be employed as synthesis tools for deriving insight across a spectrum of impacts (e.g. public health, urban planning for mitigation strategies) on how cities can cope and adapt to climate change and variability. This latter point parallels the concepts and ideas presented in the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Decadal Survey report on "Earth Science Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond" wherein the analysis of the impacts of climate change and variability, human health, and land use change are listed as key areas for development of future Earth observing remote sensing systems.

The socio-environmental history of the Peloponnese during the Holocene: Towards an integrated understanding of the past

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiberg, Erika; Unkel, Ingmar; Kouli, Katerina; Holmgren, Karin; Avramidis, Pavlos; Bonnier, Anton; Dibble, Flint; Finné, Martin; Izdebski, Adam; Katrantsiotis, Christos; Stocker, Sharon R.; Andwinge, Maria; Baika, Kalliopi; Boyd, Meighan; Heymann, Christian

2016-03-01

Published archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, and palaeoclimatic data from the Peloponnese in Greece are compiled, discussed and evaluated in order to analyse the interactions between humans and the environment over the last 9000 years. Our study indicates that the number of human settlements found scattered over the peninsula have quadrupled from the prehistoric to historical periods and that this evolution occurred over periods of climate change and seismo-tectonic activity. We show that societal development occurs both during periods of harsh as well as favourable climatic conditions. At some times, some settlements develop while others decline. Well-known climate events such as the 4.2 ka and 3.2 ka events are recognizable in some of the palaeoclimatic records and a regional decline in the number and sizes of settlements occurs roughly at the same time, but their precise chronological fit with the archaeological record remains uncertain. Local socio-political processes were probably always the key drivers behind the diverse strategies that human societies took in times of changing climate. The study thus reveals considerable chronological parallels between societal development and palaeoenvironmental records, but also demonstrates the ambiguities in these correspondences and, in doing so, highlights some of the challenges that will face future interdisciplinary projects. We suggest that there can be no general association made between societal expansion phases and periods of advantageous climate. We also propose that the relevance of climatic and environmental regionality, as well as any potential impacts of seismo-tectonics on societal development, need to be part of the interpretative frameworks.

Early Warning Signals of Social Transformation: A Case Study from the US Southwest.

PubMed

Spielmann, Katherine A; Peeples, Matthew A; Glowacki, Donna M; Dugmore, Andrew

2016-01-01

Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS has largely focused on simple models and controlled experiments in ecology and climate science. When humans are considered in these arenas they are invariably seen as external sources of disturbance or management. In this article we explore ways to include societal components of socio-ecological systems directly in EWS analysis. Given the growing archaeological literature on 'collapses,' or transformations, in social systems, we investigate whether any early warning signals are apparent in the archaeological records of the build-up to two contemporaneous cases of social transformation in the prehistoric US Southwest, Mesa Verde and Zuni. The social transformations in these two cases differ in scope and severity, thus allowing us to explore the contexts under which warning signals may (or may not) emerge. In both cases our results show increasing variance in settlement size before the transformation, but increasing variance in social institutions only before the critical transformation in Mesa Verde. In the Zuni case, social institutions appear to have managed the process of significant social change. We conclude that variance is of broad relevance in anticipating social change, and the capacity of social institutions to mitigate transformation is critical to consider in EWS research on socio-ecological systems.

The Oldest Anatomically Modern Humans from Far Southeast Europe: Direct Dating, Culture and Behavior

PubMed Central

Prat, Sandrine; Péan, Stéphane C.; Crépin, Laurent; Drucker, Dorothée G.; Puaud, Simon J.; Valladas, Hélène; Lázničková-Galetová, Martina; van der Plicht, Johannes; Yanevich, Alexander

2011-01-01

Background Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) are known to have spread across Europe during the period coinciding with the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Whereas their dispersal into Western Europe is relatively well established, evidence of an early settlement of Eastern Europe by modern humans are comparatively scarce. Methodology/Principal Finding Based on a multidisciplinary approach for the study of human and faunal remains, we describe here the oldest AMH remains from the extreme southeast Europe, in conjunction with their associated cultural and paleoecological background. We applied taxonomy, paleoecology, and taphonomy combined with geomorphology, stratigraphy, archeology and radiocarbon dating. More than 160 human bone remains have been discovered. They originate from a well documented Upper Paleolithic archeological layer (Gravettian cultural tradition) from the site of Buran-Kaya III located in Crimea (Ukraine). The combination of non-metric dental traits and the morphology of the occipital bones allow us to attribute the human remains to Anatomically Modern Humans. A set of human and faunal remains from this layer has been radiocarbon dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. The direct-dating results of human bone establish a secure presence of AMHs at 31,900+240/−220 BP in this region. They are the oldest direct evidence of the presence of AMHs in a well documented archeological context. Based on taphonomical observations (cut marks and distribution of skeletal elements), they represent the oldest Upper Paleolithic modern humans from Eastern Europe, showing post-mortem treatment of the dead as well. Conclusion/Significance These findings are essential for the debate on the spread of modern humans in Europe during the Upper Paleolithic, as well as their cultural behaviors. PMID:21698105

Modeling Disjunct Gray Wolf Populations in Semi-Wild Landscapes

Treesearch

Robert G. Haight; David J. Mladenoff; Adrian P. Wydeven

1998-01-01

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) in parts of the United States and Europe live in networks of disjunct populations, many of which are close to human settlement. Because wolf management goals include sustaining disjunct populations, it is important to ask what types of areas and protections are needed for population survival. To predict the effects of different levels of human...

Human impacts on riparian ecosystems of the Middle Rio Grande Valley during historic times

Treesearch

Frank E. Wozniak

1996-01-01

The development of irrigation agriculture in historic times has profoundly impacted riparian ecosystems in the Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. A vital relationship has existed between water resources and settlement in the semi-arid Southwest since prehistoric times. Levels of technology have influenced human generated changes in the riparian ecosystems of the...

Maternal effects and Symbiodinium community composition drive differential patterns in juvenile survival in the coral Acropora tenuis

PubMed Central

Willis, Bette L.; Bay, Line K.

2016-01-01

Coral endosymbionts in the dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium are known to impact host physiology and have led to the evolution of reef-building, but less is known about how symbiotic communities in early life-history stages and their interactions with host parental identity shape the structure of coral communities on reefs. Differentiating the roles of environmental and biological factors driving variation in population demographic processes, particularly larval settlement, early juvenile survival and the onset of symbiosis is key to understanding how coral communities are structured and to predicting how they are likely to respond to climate change. We show that maternal effects (that here include genetic and/or effects related to the maternal environment) can explain nearly 24% of variation in larval settlement success and 5–17% of variation in juvenile survival in an experimental study of the reef-building scleractinian coral, Acropora tenuis. After 25 days on the reef, Symbiodinium communities associated with juvenile corals differed significantly between high mortality and low mortality families based on estimates of taxonomic richness, composition and relative abundance of taxa. Our results highlight that maternal and familial effects significantly explain variation in juvenile survival and symbiont communities in a broadcast-spawning coral, with Symbiodinium type A3 possibly a critical symbiotic partner during this early life stage. PMID:27853562

Romano-British wall paintings: Raman spectroscopic analysis of fragments from two urban sites of early military colonisation.

PubMed

Edwards, H G M; Middleton, P S; Hargreaves, M D

2009-08-01

Raman spectroscopic analyses of 1st century AD Romano-British villa wall-painting fragments from two important military and early urban centres at Colchester and Lincoln have demonstrated some interesting contrasts in technique and palette usage. Colchester, the earliest fortified settlement, developed a sophisticated painting and craft industry compared with Lincoln in the assimilation of novel substrate preparation ideas and pigment adoption. The earliest use of the rather rare purple mineral pigment, caput mortuum, hitherto reported in only a few Roman villas elsewhere in mainland Europe, is in evidence in this early phase settlement and the use of gypsum as a special ground preparation agent as an additive to the more common limewash putty to enhance the effect of the use of lazurite as a pigment is worthy of note in this context. Otherwise, the pigments are seen to be those that are quite normally encountered in Roman villas, namely, haematite, goethite, terre verte, and carbon. The results of this study indicate that at Colchester there was a continued development in technique into the colonial phase compared with a stagnation in Lincoln; these scientific results have created a stimulus for further historical research into pigment and techniques development for wall paintings at the fringe of the Roman Empire in the 1st-3rd Centuries AD.

Romano-British wall paintings: Raman spectroscopic analysis of fragments from two urban sites of early military colonisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, H. G. M.; Middleton, P. S.; Hargreaves, M. D.

2009-08-01

Raman spectroscopic analyses of 1st century AD Romano-British villa wall-painting fragments from two important military and early urban centres at Colchester and Lincoln have demonstrated some interesting contrasts in technique and palette usage. Colchester, the earliest fortified settlement, developed a sophisticated painting and craft industry compared with Lincoln in the assimilation of novel substrate preparation ideas and pigment adoption. The earliest use of the rather rare purple mineral pigment, caput mortuum, hitherto reported in only a few Roman villas elsewhere in mainland Europe, is in evidence in this early phase settlement and the use of gypsum as a special ground preparation agent as an additive to the more common limewash putty to enhance the effect of the use of lazurite as a pigment is worthy of note in this context. Otherwise, the pigments are seen to be those that are quite normally encountered in Roman villas, namely, haematite, goethite, terre verte, and carbon. The results of this study indicate that at Colchester there was a continued development in technique into the colonial phase compared with a stagnation in Lincoln; these scientific results have created a stimulus for further historical research into pigment and techniques development for wall paintings at the fringe of the Roman Empire in the 1st-3rd Centuries AD.

Survival against the odds: ontogenetic changes in selective pressure mediate growth-mortality trade-offs in a marine fish.

PubMed

Gagliano, Monica; McCormick, Mark I; Meekan, Mark G

2007-07-07

For organisms with complex life cycles, variation among individuals in traits associated with survival in one life-history stage can strongly affect the performance in subsequent stages with important repercussions on population dynamics. To identify which individual attributes are the most influential in determining patterns of survival in a cohort of reef fish, we compared the characteristics of Pomacentrus amboinensis surviving early juvenile stages on the reef with those of the cohort from which they originated. Individuals were collected at hatching, the end of the planktonic phase, and two, three, four, six and eight weeks post-settlement. Information stored in the otoliths of individual fish revealed strong carry-over effects of larval condition at hatching on juvenile survival, weeks after settlement (i.e. smaller-is-better). Among the traits examined, planktonic growth history was, by far, the most influential and long-lasting trait associated with juvenile persistence in reef habitats. However, otolith increments suggested that larval growth rate may not be maintained during early juvenile life, when selective mortality swiftly reverses its direction. These changes in selective pressure may mediate growth-mortality trade-offs between predation and starvation risks during early juvenile life. Ontogenetic changes in the shape of selectivity may be a mechanism maintaining phenotypic variation in growth rate and size within a population.

Abrupt Holocene climate change as an important factor for human migration in West Greenland

PubMed Central

D’Andrea, William J.; Huang, Yongsong; Fritz, Sherilyn C.; Anderson, N. John

2011-01-01

West Greenland has had multiple episodes of human colonization and cultural transitions over the past 4,500 y. However, the explanations for these large-scale human migrations are varied, including climatic factors, resistance to adaptation, economic marginalization, mercantile exploration, and hostile neighborhood interactions. Evaluating the potential role of climate change is complicated by the lack of quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions near settlement areas and by the relative stability of Holocene temperature derived from ice cores atop the Greenland ice sheet. Here we present high-resolution records of temperature over the past 5,600 y based on alkenone unsaturation in sediments of two lakes in West Greenland. We find that major temperature changes in the past 4,500 y occurred abruptly (within decades), and were coeval in timing with the archaeological records of settlement and abandonment of the Saqqaq, Dorset, and Norse cultures, which suggests that abrupt temperature changes profoundly impacted human civilization in the region. Temperature variations in West Greenland display an antiphased relationship to temperature changes in Ireland over centennial to millennial timescales, resembling the interannual to multidecadal temperature seesaw associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation. PMID:21628586

Late-glacial and Holocene records of fire and vegetation from Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stahle, Laura N.; Chin, Hahjung; Haberle, Simon; Whitlock, Cathy

2017-12-01

Fire activity was reconstructed at five sites and vegetation history at three sites in northwest Tasmania, Australia in order to examine the climate and human drivers of environmental change in the region. Watershed-scale reconstructions of fire were compared to regional vegetation history. Fire activity was very low until ca. 12,000 cal yr BP. An early-Holocene fire maximum, ca. 11,800-9800 cal yr BP, occurred during the warmest interval of the Holocene as recorded by regional paleoclimate proxy records. This period of elevated burning was also coincident with an increase in arboreal sclerophyll plant taxa. A maximum in rainforest taxa occurred at ca. 8500-5800 cal yr BP concurrent with sharply diminished biomass burning compared with the early Holocene. The increase in rainforest taxa is attributed to elevated effective moisture during this period. Conditions were drier and variable in the late Holocene as compared with earlier periods. A rise in fire activity at ca. 4800-3200 cal yr BP was accompanied by an increase in sclerophyll taxa and decline of rainforest and subalpine taxa. Elevated palynological richness during the late Holocene co-occurred with high levels of charcoal suggesting that fires promoted high floristic diversity. At Cradle Mountain, there is no clear evidence that fire regimes or vegetation were extensively modified by humans prior to European settlement. Climate was the primary driver of fire activity over millennial timescales as explained by the close relationship between charcoal and climate proxy data.

Daily monitoring of the land surface of the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mascaro, J.

2016-12-01

Planet is an integrated aerospace and data analytics company that operates the largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites. With more than 140 cube-sats successfully launched to date, Planet is now collecting approximately 10 million square kilometers of imagery per day (3-5m per pixel, in red, green, blue and near infrared spectral bands). By early 2017, Planet's constellation will image the entire land surface of the Earth on a daily basis. Due to investments in cloud storage and computing, approximately 75% of imagery collected is available to Planet's partners within 24 hours of capture through an Application Program Interface. This unique dataset has enormous applications for monitoring the status of Earth's natural ecosystems, as well as human settlements and agricultural welfare. Through our Ambassadors Program, Planet has made data available for researchers in areas as disparate as human rights monitoring in refugee camps, to assessments of the impact of hydroelectric installations, to tracking illegal gold mining in Amazon forests, to assessing the status of the cryosphere. Here, we share early results from Planet's research partner network, including enhanced spatial and temporal resolution of NDVI data for agricultural health in Saudi Arabia, computation of rates of illegal deforestation in Southern Peru, estimates of tropical forest carbon stocks based on data integration with active sensors, and estimates of glacial flow rates. We synthesize the potentially enormous research and scientific value of Planet's persistent monitoring capability, and discuss methods by which the data will be disseminated into the scientific community.

Gag grouper larvae pathways on the West Florida Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisberg, Robert H.; Zheng, Lianyuan; Peebles, Ernst

2014-10-01

A numerical circulation model, quantitatively assessed against in situ observations, is used to describe the circulation on the West Florida Continental Shelf during spring 2007 when pre-settlement gag (Mycteroperca microlepis) were present in the surf zone near Tampa Bay, Florida. The pre-settlement fish were found to be isotopically distinct from settled juveniles in the area, which is consistent with recent arrival at near shore nursery habitats from offshore spawning grounds. Simulated particle trajectories are employed to test hypotheses relating to either a surface or a near-bottom route of across-shelf transport. The surface-route hypothesis is rejected, whereas the bottom-route hypothesis is found to be consistent with the location of pre-settlement fish and their co-occurrence with macroalgae of offshore, hard-bottom origin. We conclude that gag larvae are transported to the near shore via the bottom Ekman layer and that such transport is facilitated by remote forcing associated with Gulf of Mexico Loop Current interactions with the shelf slope near the Dry Tortugas. Being that such remote forcing occurs inter-annually and not always in phase with the preferred spawning months (late winter through early spring), gag recruitment success should similarly vary with year and location.

45 CFR 1157.21 - Payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL... program income, refunds, and audit recoveries on payment. (1) Grantees and subgrantees shall disburse... disburse program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries and interest earned on...

45 CFR 1174.21 - Payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL... program income, refunds, and audit recoveries on payment. (1) Grantees and subgrantees shall disburse... disburse program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries and interest earned on...

An oasis of fertility on a barren island: earthworms at Papadil, Isle of Rum

Treesearch

K.R. Butt; C.N.  Lowe; Mac Callaham; V.  Nuutinen

2016-01-01

The Isle of Rum, Inner Hebrides, has an impoverished earthworm fauna as the soils are generally acidic and nutrient-poor. Species associated with human habitation are found around deserted crofting settlements subjected to

The Hebrus Valles Exploration Zone: Access to the Martian Surface and Subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davila, A.; Fairén, A. G.; Rodríguez, A. P.; Schulze-Makuch, D.; Rask, J.; Zavaleta, J.

2015-10-01

The Hebrus Valles EZ represents a diverse setting with multiple geological contacts and layers, possible remnant water ice and protected subsurface environments, which could be critical for the establishment of long-term human settlements.

FUTURE SCENARIOS OF CHANGE IN WILDLIFE HABITAT

EPA Science Inventory

Studies in Pennsylvania, Iowa, California, and Oregon show varying losses of terrestrial wildlife habitat in scenarios based on different assumptions about future human land use patterns. Retrospective estimates of losses of habitat since Euro-American settlement in several stud...

Identifying Ancient Settlement Patterns through LiDAR in the Mosquitia Region of Honduras.

PubMed

Fisher, Christopher T; Fernández-Diaz, Juan Carlos; Cohen, Anna S; Neil Cruz, Oscar; Gonzáles, Alicia M; Leisz, Stephen J; Pezzutti, Florencia; Shrestha, Ramesh; Carter, William

2016-01-01

The Mosquitia ecosystem of Honduras occupies the fulcrum between the American continents and as such constitutes a critical region for understanding past patterns of socio-political development and interaction. Heavy vegetation, rugged topography, and remoteness have limited scientific investigation. This paper presents prehistoric patterns of settlement and landuse for a critical valley within the Mosquitia derived from airborne LiDAR scanning and field investigation. We show that (i) though today the valley is a wilderness it was densely inhabited in the past; (ii) that this population was organized into a three-tiered system composed of 19 settlements dominated by a city; and, (iii) that this occupation was embedded within a human engineered landscape. We also add to a growing body of literature that demonstrates the utility of LiDAR as means for rapid cultural assessments in undocumented regions for analysis and conservation. Our ultimate hope is for our work to promote protections to safeguard the unique and critically endangered Mosquitia ecosystem and other similar areas in need of preservation.

A small cohort of Island Southeast Asian women founded Madagascar.

PubMed

Cox, Murray P; Nelson, Michael G; Tumonggor, Meryanne K; Ricaut, François-X; Sudoyo, Herawati

2012-07-22

The settlement of Madagascar is one of the most unusual, and least understood, episodes in human prehistory. Madagascar was one of the last landmasses to be reached by people, and despite the island's location just off the east coast of Africa, evidence from genetics, language and culture all attests that it was settled jointly by Africans, and more surprisingly, Indonesians. Nevertheless, extremely little is known about the settlement process itself. Here, we report broad geographical screening of Malagasy and Indonesian genetic variation, from which we infer a statistically robust coalescent model of the island's initial settlement. Maximum-likelihood estimates favour a scenario in which Madagascar was settled approximately 1200 years ago by a very small group of women (approx. 30), most of Indonesian descent (approx. 93%). This highly restricted founding population raises the possibility that Madagascar was settled not as a large-scale planned colonization event from Indonesia, but rather through a small, perhaps even unintended, transoceanic crossing.

A small cohort of Island Southeast Asian women founded Madagascar

PubMed Central

Cox, Murray P.; Nelson, Michael G.; Tumonggor, Meryanne K.; Ricaut, François-X.; Sudoyo, Herawati

2012-01-01

The settlement of Madagascar is one of the most unusual, and least understood, episodes in human prehistory. Madagascar was one of the last landmasses to be reached by people, and despite the island's location just off the east coast of Africa, evidence from genetics, language and culture all attests that it was settled jointly by Africans, and more surprisingly, Indonesians. Nevertheless, extremely little is known about the settlement process itself. Here, we report broad geographical screening of Malagasy and Indonesian genetic variation, from which we infer a statistically robust coalescent model of the island's initial settlement. Maximum-likelihood estimates favour a scenario in which Madagascar was settled approximately 1200 years ago by a very small group of women (approx. 30), most of Indonesian descent (approx. 93%). This highly restricted founding population raises the possibility that Madagascar was settled not as a large-scale planned colonization event from Indonesia, but rather through a small, perhaps even unintended, transoceanic crossing. PMID:22438500

Study of medieval fortified settlements destruction under natural and anthropogenic factors using remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gainullin, I. I.; Khomyakov, P. V.; Usmanov, B. M.

2018-01-01

Archaeological monuments are an essential part of the cultural landscape. Modern condition of archaeological monuments of the Republic of Tatarstan is discussed in this article. Fortified settlements, with the system of defensive fortifications were selected as the objects of study, as they are easily identified by remote sensing data. Due to the fact, that most of monuments are located on the small rivers banks, the first task of our study was to assess the risk of their destruction by natural processes. The second objective was to evaluate the role of the human factor in archaeological sites destruction. One of the main used methods is archival and modern remote sensing data analysis that also made able to correct the form of study settlements in comparison with existing plans as well as their size and location in the landscape. The results of research will help to identify trends in monuments state and to quantify the risks of their destruction.

Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) 2002-15: Review of Office of Inspector General Patient Dumping Settlements.

PubMed

Zuabi, Nadia; Weiss, Larry D; Langdorf, Mark I

2016-05-01

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986 was enacted to prevent hospitals from "dumping" or refusing service to patients for financial reasons. The statute prohibits discrimination of emergency department (ED) patients for any reason. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services enforces the statute. The objective of this study is to determine the scope, cost, frequency and most common allegations leading to monetary settlement against hospitals and physicians for patient dumping. Review of OIG investigation archives in May 2015, including cases settled from 2002-2015 ( https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/enforcement/cmp/patient_dumping.asp ). There were 192 settlements (14 per year average for 4000+ hospitals in the USA). Fines against hospitals and physicians totaled $6,357,000 (averages $33,435 and $25,625 respectively); 184/192 (95.8%, $6,152,000) settlements were against hospitals and eight against physicians ($205,000). Most common settlements were for failing to screen 144/192 (75%) and stabilize 82/192 (42.7%) for emergency medical conditions (EMC). There were 22 (11.5%) cases of inappropriate transfer and 22 (11.5%) more where the hospital failed to transfer. Hospitals failed to accept an appropriate transfer in 25 (13.0%) cases. Patients were turned away from hospitals for insurance/financial status in 30 (15.6%) cases. There were 13 (6.8%) violations for patients in active labor. In 12 (6.3%) cases, the on-call physician refused to see the patient, and in 28 (14.6%) cases the patient was inappropriately discharged. Although loss of Medicare/Medicaid funding is an additional possible penalty, there were no disclosures of exclusion of hospitals from federal funding. There were 6,035 CMS investigations during this time period, with 2,436 found to have merit as EMTALA violations (40.4%). However, only 192/6,035 (3.2%) actually resulted in OIG settlements. The proportion of CMS-certified EMTALA violations that resulted in OIG settlements was 7.9% (192/2,436). Of 192 hospital and physician settlements with the OIG from 2002-15, most were for failing to provide screening (75%) and stabilization (42%) to patients with EMCs. The reason for patient "dumping" was due to insurance or financial status in 15.6% of settlements. The vast majority of penalties were to hospitals (95% of cases and 97% of payments). Forty percent of investigations found EMTALA violations, but only 3% of investigations triggered fines.

ESR dosimetry study of population in the vicinity of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

PubMed Central

Zhumadilov, Kassym; Ivannikov, Alexander; Stepanenko, Valeriy; Zharlyganova, Dinara; Toyoda, Shin; Zhumadilov, Zhaxybay; Hoshi, Masaharu

2013-01-01

A tooth enamel electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry study was carried out with the purpose of obtaining the individual absorbed radiation doses of population from settlements in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan, which was exposed to radioactive fallout traces from nuclear explosions in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and Lop Nor test base, China. Most of the settlements are located near the central axis of radioactive fallout trace from the most contaminating surface nuclear test, which was conducted on 29 August 1949, with the maximum detected excess dose being 430 ± 93 mGy. A maximum dose of 268 ± 79 mGy was determined from the settlements located close to radioactive fallout trace resulting from surface nuclear tests on 24 August 1956 (Ust-Kamenogorsk, Znamenka, Shemonaikha, Glubokoe, Tavriya and Gagarino). An accidental dose of 56 ± 42 mGy was found in Kurchatov city residents located close to fallout trace after the nuclear test on 7 August 1962. This method was applied to human tooth enamel to obtain individual absorbed doses of residents of the Makanchi, Urdzhar and Taskesken settlements located near the Kazakhstan–Chinese border due to the influence of nuclear tests (1964–1981) at Lop Nor. The highest dose was 123 ± 32 mGy. PMID:23404205

ESR dosimetry study of population in the vicinity of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.

PubMed

Zhumadilov, Kassym; Ivannikov, Alexander; Stepanenko, Valeriy; Zharlyganova, Dinara; Toyoda, Shin; Zhumadilov, Zhaxybay; Hoshi, Masaharu

2013-07-01

A tooth enamel electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry study was carried out with the purpose of obtaining the individual absorbed radiation doses of population from settlements in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan, which was exposed to radioactive fallout traces from nuclear explosions in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and Lop Nor test base, China. Most of the settlements are located near the central axis of radioactive fallout trace from the most contaminating surface nuclear test, which was conducted on 29 August 1949, with the maximum detected excess dose being 430 ± 93 mGy. A maximum dose of 268 ± 79 mGy was determined from the settlements located close to radioactive fallout trace resulting from surface nuclear tests on 24 August 1956 (Ust-Kamenogorsk, Znamenka, Shemonaikha, Glubokoe, Tavriya and Gagarino). An accidental dose of 56 ± 42 mGy was found in Kurchatov city residents located close to fallout trace after the nuclear test on 7 August 1962. This method was applied to human tooth enamel to obtain individual absorbed doses of residents of the Makanchi, Urdzhar and Taskesken settlements located near the Kazakhstan-Chinese border due to the influence of nuclear tests (1964-1981) at Lop Nor. The highest dose was 123 ± 32 mGy.

Phlebotomine sandflies fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) at rural settlements in the municipality of Cáceres, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

PubMed

Alves, Graziella Borges; Oshiro, Elisa Teruya; Leite, Marcio da Cruz; Melão, Aline Vidor; Ribeiro, Letícia Moraes; Mateus, Nathália Lopes Fontoura; Brazil, Reginaldo Peçanha; Andrade Filho, José Dilermando; de Oliveira, Alessandra Gutierrez

2012-01-01

Leishmaniasis is expanding across Brazil, including the State of Mato Grosso (MT). The aim of this study was to characterize the phlebotomine sandfly fauna at threerural settlements located in the municipality of Cáceres, MT, from August 2010 to July 2011. Sandfly captures were conducted at the forest border and in intra and peridomicile areas with automatic light traps, biweekly, from 5pm to 6am. Of the 630 sandflies collected, 348 were female, and 282 were male. Captured specimens were distributed across 11 genera - Brumptomyia, Evandromyia, Expapillata, Lutzomyia, Martinsmyia, Micropygomyia, Nyssomyia, Pintomyia, Psathyromyia, Psychodopygus, and Sciopemyia - and 28 species. Among these, six species had not been marked yet in MT (Brumptomyia avellari, Br. mangabeirai, Evandromyia aldafalcaoae, Micropygomyia echinatopharynx, Micropygomyia peresi, and Pa. campograndensis). Nyssomyia whitmani was the most abundant species across ecotopes at all settlements. Interestingly, Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia cruzi were found in sympatry. The disorganized occupation of the environment that is happening at the rural settlements of Mata Comprida, Laranjeira I and II could provide opportunities for the domiciliation of wild populations of phlebotomine, including vectors of leishmaniasis. Therefore, more studies are needed to understand the epidemiology of the disease in these areas and its impact on the human population.

Ocean Acidification Impacts Larval and Juvenile Growth in the Native Oyster Ostrea lurida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hettinger, A.; Hoey, J. A.; Sanford, E.; Gaylord, B.; Hill, T. M.; Russell, A. D.

2008-12-01

The impacts of ocean acidification have only recently been recognized as a human-induced stressor on marine ecosystems. Ocean acidification can disrupt calcification in organisms that precipitate calcareous structures, including many ecologically and economically important species. We examined how decreased levels of carbonate saturation affected larval and juvenile growth and settlement in the native oyster Ostrea lurida. Larvae were cultured at three carbonate saturation levels that represent present day CO2 concentrations (380 ppm) and two future projected pCO2 scenarios (540 and 970 ppm). These treatments were maintained for 20 days throughout larval duration until settlement occurred. Larval and juvenile growth were determined by calculating change in shell area. Larvae exposed to 970 ppm grew 12% less than larvae held under control conditions (380 ppm). In addition, growth varied among larvae produced by different parents, suggesting that impacts of ocean acidification might vary intraspecifically. Juvenile growth (i.e., new shell added following settlement) was significantly different among CO2 treatments, and juveniles exposed to 970 ppm grew 24% less than juveniles held under control conditions (380 ppm). Carry-over effects from the larval stage influence juvenile growth, and because post-settlement mortality is often high for marine invertebrates, ocean acidification may negatively impact the size of native oyster populations.

Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Injured Elephants in Masai Mara and the Putative Negative and Positive Roles of the Local Community

PubMed Central

Mijele, Domnic; Obanda, Vincent; Omondi, Patrick; Soriguer, Ramón C.; Gakuya, Francis; Otiende, Moses; Hongo, Peter; Alasaad, Samer

2013-01-01

Background Very few studies have ever focused on the elephants that are wounded or killed as local communities attempt to scare these animals away from their settlements and farms, or on the cases in which local people take revenge after elephants have killed or injured humans. On the other hand, local communities live in close proximity to elephants and hence can play a positive role in elephant conservation by informing the authorities of the presence of injured elephants. Methodology/Principal Findings Between 2007 and 2011, 129 elephants were monitored in Masai Mara (Kenya), of which 54 had various types of active (intentionally caused) or passive (non-intentionally caused) injuries. Also studied were 75 random control samples of apparently unaffected animals. The observed active injuries were as expected biased by age, with adults suffering more harm; on the other hand, no such bias was observed in the case of passive injuries. Bias was also observed in elephant sex since more males than females were passively and actively injured. Cases of passive and active injuries in elephants were negatively related to the proximity to roads and farms; the distribution of injured elephants was not affected by the presence of either human settlements or water sources. Overall more elephants were actively injured during the dry season than the wet season as expected. Local communities play a positive role by informing KWS authorities of the presence of injured elephants and reported 43% of all cases of injured elephants. Conclusions Our results suggest that the negative effect of local communities on elephants could be predicted by elephant proximity to farms and roads. In addition, local communities may be able to play a more positive role in elephant conservation given that they are key informants in the early detection of injured elephants. PMID:23936262

Reconstructing ancient sustainability: a comparison of onsite and offsite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubos, Carolin; Dreibrodt, Stefan; Horejs, Barbara

2013-04-01

With the onset of sedentism humans started to convert their surroundings. Whereas reconstructions of geochemical traces of settlement activity (e.g. Arrhenius, 1931) or man's pressure on the soils of landscapes (e.g. van Andel et al., 1990; Bork, 1998) were carried out at many sites holistic approaches questioning the sustainability of ancient societies are missing so far. A new approach, applied to the multi layered settlement mound "Cukurici Höyük" (western Anatolia, Turkey) aims at comparing land use intensity and settlement intensity. Land use intensity of the former settlers will be described by determining slope instability phases and quantifying slope deposits at hills adjacent to the settlement. Geochemical and physical properties as well as bio remains will be analysed of the dated debris layers onsite and quantified as matter fluxes. Matter accumulation onsite, being an indicator for settlement intensities, is compared to slope instability phases offsite, describing the impact of former settlers on their environment. The approach aims at quantifying historical settlement pressure over several settlement phases and might shed light on different phases of sustainability in ancient Times. The planned project is imbedded within the archaeological project (ERC Project / Austrian Archaeological Institute) which investigates alternating societal systems in a changing environment between 7000 and 3000 BC. Focus is laid on architectural research, archaeobotany, archaeozoology, lithics, metallurgy, and ore deposit. In a first geoarchaeological field campaign differentiable slope deposits could be proved. These contained datable organic material as well as pottery sherds dating to different historical phases. A well-established archaeological chronosequence of settlement layers will provide the onsite framework for this new project. The paper presents preliminary results of the outlined approach. Additionally several geochemical methodologies applied to the debris layers will be compared. Ref: van Andel, T.H., Zangger, E., Demitrack, A., 1990. Land Use and Soil Erosion in Prehistoric and Historical Greece. Journal of Field Archaeology, Volume 17, Number 4, pp. 379-396 (18). Arrhenius, O., 1931. Die Bodenanalyse im Dienst der Archäologie. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenernährung, Düngung und Bodenkunde, Teil B10,pp. 427-439. Bork, H.-R., Bork, H., Dalchow, C., Faust, D., Piorr H.-P. und Schatz, T., 1998. Landschaftsentwicklung in Mitteleuropa. Wirkungen des Menschen auf Landschaften. Gotha (Klett-Perthes). 328 p.

Of mice and (Viking?) men: phylogeography of British and Irish house mice.

PubMed

Searle, Jeremy B; Jones, Catherine S; Gündüz, Islam; Scascitelli, Moira; Jones, Eleanor P; Herman, Jeremy S; Rambau, R Victor; Noble, Leslie R; Berry, R J; Giménez, Mabel D; Jóhannesdóttir, Fríoa

2009-01-22

The west European subspecies of house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) has gained much of its current widespread distribution through commensalism with humans. This means that the phylogeography of M. m. domesticus should reflect patterns of human movements. We studied restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence variations in mouse mitochondrial (mt) DNA throughout the British Isles (328 mice from 105 localities, including previously published data). There is a major mtDNA lineage revealed by both RFLP and sequence analyses, which is restricted to the northern and western peripheries of the British Isles, and also occurs in Norway. This distribution of the 'Orkney' lineage fits well with the sphere of influence of the Norwegian Vikings and was probably generated through inadvertent transport by them. To form viable populations, house mice would have required large human settlements such as the Norwegian Vikings founded. The other parts of the British Isles (essentially most of mainland Britain) are characterized by house mice with different mtDNA sequences, some of which are also found in Germany, and which probably reflect both Iron Age movements of people and mice and earlier development of large human settlements. MtDNA studies on house mice have the potential to reveal novel aspects of human history.

Of mice and (Viking?) men: phylogeography of British and Irish house mice

PubMed Central

Searle, Jeremy B.; Jones, Catherine S.; Gündüz, İslam; Scascitelli, Moira; Jones, Eleanor P.; Herman, Jeremy S.; Rambau, R. Victor; Noble, Leslie R.; Berry, R.J.; Giménez, Mabel D.; Jóhannesdóttir, Fríða

2008-01-01

The west European subspecies of house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) has gained much of its current widespread distribution through commensalism with humans. This means that the phylogeography of M. m. domesticus should reflect patterns of human movements. We studied restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence variations in mouse mitochondrial (mt) DNA throughout the British Isles (328 mice from 105 localities, including previously published data). There is a major mtDNA lineage revealed by both RFLP and sequence analyses, which is restricted to the northern and western peripheries of the British Isles, and also occurs in Norway. This distribution of the ‘Orkney’ lineage fits well with the sphere of influence of the Norwegian Vikings and was probably generated through inadvertent transport by them. To form viable populations, house mice would have required large human settlements such as the Norwegian Vikings founded. The other parts of the British Isles (essentially most of mainland Britain) are characterized by house mice with different mtDNA sequences, some of which are also found in Germany, and which probably reflect both Iron Age movements of people and mice and earlier development of large human settlements. MtDNA studies on house mice have the potential to reveal novel aspects of human history. PMID:18826939

Human-mediated extirpation of the unique Chatham Islands sea lion and implications for the conservation management of remaining New Zealand sea lion populations.

PubMed

Rawlence, Nicolas J; Collins, Catherine J; Anderson, Christian N K; Maxwell, Justin J; Smith, Ian W G; Robertson, Bruce C; Knapp, Michael; Horsburgh, Katherine Ann; Stanton, Jo-Ann L; Scofield, R Paul; Tennyson, Alan J D; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth A; Waters, Jonathan M

2016-08-01

While terrestrial megafaunal extinctions have been well characterized worldwide, our understanding of declines in marine megafauna remains limited. Here, we use ancient DNA analyses of prehistoric (<1450-1650 AD) sea lion specimens from New Zealand's isolated Chatham Islands to assess the demographic impacts of human settlement. These data suggest there was a large population of sea lions, unique to the Chatham Islands, at the time of Polynesian settlement. This distinct mitochondrial lineage became rapidly extinct within 200 years due to overhunting, paralleling the extirpation of a similarly large endemic mainland population. Whole mitogenomic analyses confirm substantial intraspecific diversity among prehistoric lineages. Demographic models suggest that even low harvest rates would likely have driven rapid extinction of these lineages. This study indicates that surviving Phocarctos populations are remnants of a once diverse and widespread sea lion assemblage, highlighting dramatic human impacts on endemic marine biodiversity. Our findings also suggest that Phocarctos bycatch in commercial fisheries may contribute to the ongoing population decline. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

System Analysis and Evaluation of Greenhouse Modules within Moon/Mars Habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad Nagendra, Narayan; Schubert, Daniel; Zabel, Paul

2012-07-01

Long term settlement on different planets of the solar system is a fascination for mankind. Some researchers contemplate that planetary settlement is a necessity for the survival of the human race over millions of years. The generation of food for self sufficiency in space or on planetary bases is a vital part of this vision of space habitation. The amount of mass that can be transported in deep space missions is constrained by the launcher capability and its costs. The space community has proposed and designed various greenhouse modules to cater to human culinary requirements and act as part of life support systems. A survey of the different greenhouse space concepts and terrestrial test facilities is presented, drawing a list of measurable factors (e.g. growth area, power consumption, human activity index, etc.) for the evaluation of greenhouse modules. These factors include tangible and intangible parameters that have been used in the development of an evaluation method on greenhouse concepts as a subsystem of planetary habitats at the DLR Institute of Space Systems, Bremen.

The deep human prehistory of global tropical forests and its relevance for modern conservation.

PubMed

Roberts, Patrick; Hunt, Chris; Arroyo-Kalin, Manuel; Evans, Damian; Boivin, Nicole

2017-08-03

Significant human impacts on tropical forests have been considered the preserve of recent societies, linked to large-scale deforestation, extensive and intensive agriculture, resource mining, livestock grazing and urban settlement. Cumulative archaeological evidence now demonstrates, however, that Homo sapiens has actively manipulated tropical forest ecologies for at least 45,000 years. It is clear that these millennia of impacts need to be taken into account when studying and conserving tropical forest ecosystems today. Nevertheless, archaeology has so far provided only limited practical insight into contemporary human-tropical forest interactions. Here, we review significant archaeological evidence for the impacts of past hunter-gatherers, agriculturalists and urban settlements on global tropical forests. We compare the challenges faced, as well as the solutions adopted, by these groups with those confronting present-day societies, which also rely on tropical forests for a variety of ecosystem services. We emphasize archaeology's importance not only in promoting natural and cultural heritage in tropical forests, but also in taking an active role to inform modern conservation and policy-making.

Introducing the North Water: Histories of exploration, ice dynamics, living resources, and human settlement in the Thule Region.

PubMed

Hastrup, Kirsten; Mosbech, Anders; Grønnow, Bjarne

2018-04-01

The North Water is a recurrent polynya in the High Arctic situated between Northwest Greenland and Ellesmere Island of Canada. The North Water makes a dynamic space, where various processes may enhance or obstruct each other, accelerating or halting particular modes of human-animal relations in the region, where life itself depends on the North Water. This will be discussed in four steps. The first step posits the North Water as a perceived oasis for explorers and whalers hailing from Europe or America in the nineteenth century. The second step concentrates on the diverse rhythms inherent in the ice conditions, as affected by trends that are set in motion elsewhere. The third step highlights the implications of the dynamics of the ice and sea currents for animal life in the region. The fourth step gives an overview of human settlement patterns around the North Water across the ages. The article shows how natural and social features are deeply implicated in each other, even if they are not directly co-variant.

Human Settlements in the South-Central U.S., Viewed at Night from the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dawson, Melissa; Evans, Cynthia; Stefanov, William; Wilkinson, M. Justin; Willis, Kimberly; Runco, Susan

2012-01-01

A recent innovation of astronauts observing Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) is documenting human footprints by photographing city lights at night time. One of the earliest night-time images from the ISS was the US-Mexico border at El Paso-Ciudad Juarez. The colors, patterns and density of city lights document the differences in the cultural settlement patterns across the border region, as well as within the urban areas themselves. City lights help outline the most populated areas in settlements around the world, and can be used to explore relative population densities, changing patterns of urban/suburban development, transportation networks, spatial relationship to geographic features, and more. The data also provides insight into parameters such as surface roughness for input into local and regional climate modeling and studies of light pollution. The ground resolution of night-time astronaut photography from the ISS is typically an order of magnitude greater than current Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) data, and therefore can serve as a "zoom lens" for selected urban areas. Current handheld digital cameras in use on the ISS, optimized for greater light sensitivity, provide opportunities to obtain new detailed imagery of atmospheric phenomena such as airglow, aurora, and noctilucent clouds in addition to documenting urban patterns. ISS astronauts have taken advantage of increasingly sensitive digital cameras to document the world at night in unprecedented detail. In addition, the capability to obtain time-lapse imagery from fixed cameras has been exploited to produce dynamic videos of both changing surface patterns around the world and atmospheric phenomena. We will profile some spectacular images of human settlements over the South-Central U.S., and contrast with other images from around the world. More data can be viewed at http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/Videos/CrewEarthObservationsVideos/. US-Mexico border is obvious by the different lighting pattern. Not surprisingly, the densely illuminated city of Juarez indicates a higher population; El Paso's smaller population is spread out over a larger area.

Do Cues Matter? Highly Inductive Settlement Cues Don't Ensure High Post-Settlement Survival in Sea Urchin Aquaculture

PubMed Central

Mos, Benjamin; Cowden, Kenneth L.; Nielsen, Shaun J.; Dworjanyn, Symon A.

2011-01-01

Increasing settlement and post-settlement survival during the critical transition from planktonic larvae to benthic juveniles will increase efficiency for sea urchin aquaculture. This study investigated the effects of temperature and settlement cues on the settlement and post-settlement survival of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla during this phase. The current commercial methodology, which utilises natural biofilm settlement plates, was tested and resulted in low settlement (<2%) and poor post-settlement survival (<1% of settled urchins). In laboratory trials, settlement was high and unaffected by temperatures between 24 and 30°C, but significantly decreased at 33°C. Development of spines, however, was significantly affected by temperatures over 29°C. Mirroring this result, post-settlement survival was optimal between 24–28°C. In laboratory assays, the macroalgae Sargassum linearifolium and Corallina officinalis, and seawater conditioned with these algae, induced significantly higher settlement (>90%) than a natural biofilm (∼25%). The addition of macroalgae-conditioned seawater to natural biofilm significantly increased settlement rates (>85%). Mixed consortia and single strains of bacteria isolated from macroalgae, biofilms and adult conspecifics all induced significant settlement, but at significantly lower rates than macroalgae. No evidence was found that higher rates of settlement to bacteria on macroalgae were generated by a cofactor from the macroalgae. Age of bacterial cultures, culturing bacteria on solid and liquid media and concentration of nutrients in cultures had little effect on settlement rates. Finally, macroalgae-conditioned seawater combined with natural biofilm settlement plates induced significantly higher settlement than to the biofilm plates alone in a commercial scale trial. However, high post-settlement mortality resulted in equivalent survival between treatments after 25 days. This study highlights that settlement studies should extend to post-settlement survival, which remains poor for T. gratilla and is a significant obstacle to increasing efficiency for aquaculture. PMID:22162755

15 CFR 785.17 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Settlement. 785.17 Section 785.17... Settlement. (a) Settlements before issuance of a NOVA. When the parties have agreed to a settlement of the case prior to issuance of a NOVA, a settlement proposal consisting of a settlement agreement and order...

"Finding Voice": Learnings and Insights from a Participatory Media Project with Recently Arrived Afghan Young Men with Refugee Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez-Jimenez, Anthony; Gifford, Sandra M.

2010-01-01

Participatory media approaches were used as a strategy to provide space for youth with refugee backgrounds to narrate their early settlement experiences. The paper describes the challenges of participatory media approaches as both a research tool and as a strategy. The key learning was that giving freedom for voices also requires giving…

European settlement-era vegetation of the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia

Treesearch

Melissa A. Thomas-Van Gundy; Michael P. Strager

2012-01-01

Forest restoration would be greatly helped by understanding just what forests looked like a century or more ago. One source of information on early forests is found in old deeds or surveys, where boundary corners were described by noting nearby trees known as witness trees. This paper describes the creation and analysis of a database of witness trees from original...

The context for great lakes silviculture in the 21st century

Treesearch

David D. Reed

2004-01-01

Great Lakes forests were subject to a severe pulse of disturbance from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century that resulted from extensive harvesting and subsequent fires following European settlement. Today?s forest, in many ways, is exhibiting changes in area and demography that reflect recovery from this pulse of disturbance, as well as response to...

Adjusting forest density estimates for surveyor bias in historical tree surveys

Treesearch

Brice B. Hanberry; Jian Yang; John M. Kabrick; Hong S. He

2012-01-01

The U.S. General Land Office surveys, conducted between the late 1700s to early 1900s, provide records of trees prior to widespread European and American colonial settlement. However, potential and documented surveyor bias raises questions about the reliability of historical tree density estimates and other metrics based on density estimated from these records. In this...

Nga Tuakiri o te Tangata: Being Maori in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rameka, Lesley

2017-01-01

Before the arrival of Europeans in Aotearoa, New Zealand and their subsequent settlement in the 1800s, there was no concept of a Maori identity. Over time, however, as a result of rapid colonisation, Maori became a minority population in New Zealand. Consequently, the term Maori as normal or usual, began to lose its meaning (Webber, 2008), and…

78 FR 27190 - Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-09

... Product failure as early as November 2004, when a consumer reported to WS that the vertical support beam...) and (4). \\1\\ At least one consumer was injured in each of the eight incidents reported to WS through October 28, 2006; in one such incident, two consumers reported injury. The incident report WS received on...

Early relationships and marriage in conflict and post-conflict settings: vulnerability of youth in Uganda.

PubMed

Schlecht, Jennifer; Rowley, Elizabeth; Babirye, Juliet

2013-05-01

While there is increased attention to child marriage, defined as marriage before 18 years of age, in countries where the practice is especially prevalent, less attention has been directed at understanding the factors affecting relationships, marriage and cohabitation among adolescents affected by conflict and displacement. This article presents factors which contribute to early relationships and informal marriages in conflict and post-conflict settings, based on qualitative research undertaken among two distinct populations in Uganda: internally displaced persons in Mucwini transit camp in northern Uganda and Congolese refugees in the Nakivale refugee settlement in southwestern Uganda. Themes were examined through a social-ecological framework. Findings indicate that fundamental shifts in economies, family relationships, and communication combined with structural changes encountered in settlements resulted in changed relationships and marriage patterns. Participants reported that poverty, splintering of family, and lack of education - which they believed to be exacerbated by conflict in both settings - had profoundly affected the views, perceptions and behaviours of youth around relationships and marriage. We identify interventions applicable to humanitarian settings that would offer refugee and internally displaced adolescents greater and more meaningful opportunities for development. Copyright © 2013 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 424.350 - Replacement of checks that are lost, stolen, defaced, mutilated, destroyed, or paid on forged...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE... investigation and settlement of claims in connection with Treasury checks issued on behalf of CMS. (2) Action by...

76 FR 8742 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-15

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Proposed... the Social Security Act (the Act) to authorize the Secretary, through the Federal Parent Locator... with information maintained by insurers (or their agents) concerning insurance claims, settlements...

Gene Flow between the Korean Peninsula and Its Neighboring Countries

PubMed Central

Cho, Yoon Shin; Oh, Ji Hee; Ryu, Min Hyung; Chung, Hye Won; Seo, Jeong-Sun; Lee, Jong-Eun; Oh, Bermseok; Bhak, Jong; Kim, Hyung-Lae

2010-01-01

SNP markers provide the primary data for population structure analysis. In this study, we employed whole-genome autosomal SNPs as a marker set (54,836 SNP markers) and tested their possible effects on genetic ancestry using 320 subjects covering 24 regional groups including Northern ( = 16) and Southern ( = 3) Asians, Amerindians ( = 1), and four HapMap populations (YRI, CEU, JPT, and CHB). Additionally, we evaluated the effectiveness and robustness of 50K autosomal SNPs with various clustering methods, along with their dependencies on recombination hotspots (RH), linkage disequilibrium (LD), missing calls and regional specific markers. The RH- and LD-free multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) method showed a broad picture of human migration from Africa to North-East Asia on our genome map, supporting results from previous haploid DNA studies. Of the Asian groups, the East Asian group showed greater differentiation than the Northern and Southern Asian groups with respect to Fst statistics. By extension, the analysis of monomorphic markers implied that nine out of ten historical regions in South Korea, and Tokyo in Japan, showed signs of genetic drift caused by the later settlement of East Asia (South Korea, Japan and China), while Gyeongju in South East Korea showed signs of the earliest settlement in East Asia. In the genome map, the gene flow to the Korean Peninsula from its neighboring countries indicated that some genetic signals from Northern populations such as the Siberians and Mongolians still remain in the South East and West regions, while few signals remain from the early Southern lineages. PMID:20686617

Seafaring Capabilities in the Pre-Columbian Caribbean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzpatrick, Scott M.

2013-06-01

At historic contact Europeans remarked on the skill and proficiency of native Caribbean Amerindians to build and travel in dugout canoes. While archaeological examples of these have been recorded throughout the circum-Caribbean, very few exist in the Antillean chain of islands. Despite this deficiency, indirect evidence of seafaring along with archaeological data has suggested to many that the sea was an artery that linked prehistoric communities together between islands and continents through exchange networks and settlement `lifelines'. It is clear that frequent interaction was taking place prehistorically in the region, but examination of seafaring capabilities and the general lack of hard archaeological evidence for contacts in many places suggest this was largely restricted to interaction between the islands and with South America. The fact remains that seafaring in the Caribbean, as one of the smaller aquatic realms inhabited by humans in the past, was highly influenced and largely structured by oceanographic and anemological effects that limited the development of various watercraft designs and navigational techniques which are seen in many of the other world's seas and oceans. In this paper I: (1) synthesize what is currently known about the antiquity and development of early seafaring in the Caribbean; (2) highlight debates about the level of technologies found in the region; (3) discuss how environmental conditions likely influenced seafaring capabilities and settlement patterns; (4) outline the possible evidence for connections between the different surrounding mainland areas; and (5) provide a comparison with seafaring technologies found in the Pacific to help contextualize the Caribbean into the broader context of global seafaring.

Palaeoloxodon and Human Interaction: Depositional Setting, Chronology and Archaeology at the Middle Pleistocene Ficoncella Site (Tarquinia, Italy)

PubMed Central

Aureli, Daniele; Contardi, Antonio; Giaccio, Biagio; Jicha, Brian; Lemorini, Cristina; Madonna, Sergio; Magri, Donatella; Marano, Federica; Milli, Salvatore; Modesti, Valerio; Palombo, Maria Rita; Rocca, Roxane

2015-01-01

The Ficoncella site in northern Latium (Italy) represents a unique opportunity to investigate the modalities of a short occupation in an alluvial setting during the Lower Palaeolithic. The small excavation area yielded a lithic assemblage, a carcass of Palaeoloxodon antiquus, and some other faunal remains. The main objectives of the study are to better characterize the depositional context where the Palaeoloxodon and the lithic assemblage occur, and to evaluate with greater precision the occupation dynamics. A 25 m-long well was drilled just above the top of the terrace of the Ficoncella site and faunal and lithic remains were analyzed with current and innovative techniques. The archaeological site contains floodplain deposits as it is located next to a small incised valley that feeds into a larger valley of the Mignone River. A tephra layer capping the site is 40Ar/39Ar dated to 441± 8 ka. Collectively, the geochronologic, tephrochronologic and geologic data, suggest the site was occupied during MIS 13. The new results should prompt further research at Ficoncella in order to improve our understanding of the dynamics of human settlement in Europe during the Early to Middle Pleistocene. PMID:25898322

Old World tuberculosis: Evidence from human remains with a review of current research and future prospects.

PubMed

Roberts, Charlotte A

2015-06-01

The evidence for TB in archaeological human remains for the Old World is reviewed in published and some unpublished sources. The evidence of Pott's disease was considered specific for TB, with other bone changes, such as rib lesions, as non-specific. Limitations of the data are discussed. Most evidence for TB comes from skeletons from the northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe in the late Medieval period (12(th)-16th centuries AD), but there is early evidence in the Near/Middle East and Egypt. Many parts of Africa, Asia and Australasia have very little or no evidence. aDNA analysis has provided data on species and strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex organisms affecting people in the past. The extant data suggest the first epidemiological transition (Neolithic agriculture and permanent settlements) led to an increase in TB, with later increases in urban environments of the late Medieval period. A number of causative factors were at play. Future research, particularly using biomolecular analysis, has the potential to further contribute to our understanding of the origin and evolution of TB, thus merging the disciplines of palaeopathology and evolutionary medicine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crew Earth Observations: Twelve Years of Documenting Earth from the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Cynthia A.; Stefanov, William L.; Willis, Kimberley; Runco, Susan; Wilkinson, M. Justin; Dawson, Melissa; Trenchard, Michael

2012-01-01

The Crew Earth Observations (CEO) payload was one of the initial experiments aboard the International Space Station, and has been continuously collecting data about the Earth since Expedition 1. The design of the experiment is simple: using state-of-the-art camera equipment, astronauts collect imagery of the Earth's surface over defined regions of scientific interest and also document dynamic events such as storms systems, floods, wild fires and volcanic eruptions. To date, CEO has provided roughly 600,000 images of Earth, capturing views of features and processes on land, the oceans, and the atmosphere. CEO data are less rigorously constrained than other remote sensing data, but the volume of data, and the unique attributes of the imagery provide a rich and understandable view of the Earth that is difficult to achieve from the classic remote sensing platforms. In addition, the length-of-record of the imagery dataset, especially when combined with astronaut photography from other NASA and Russian missions starting in the early 1960s, provides a valuable record of changes on the surface of the Earth over 50 years. This time period coincides with the rapid growth of human settlements and human infrastructure.

Ecological restoration

Treesearch

Christopher D. Barton; John I. Blake; Donald W. Imm

2005-01-01

The long history of human settlement, agriculture, and industry at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has created extensive opportunities for ecological restoration. Two hundred years of farming, drainage, dam construction, stream channeling, fire protection, subsistence hunting and fishing, exotic animal and plant introduction, and selective timber harvesting have caused...

The Effects of Commuter Rail on Population Deconcentration and Commuting : A Salt Lake City Case Study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-12-30

All transportation systems have the ability to transform human settlement patterns, which can affect a range of social, economic and environmental issues. Considering investments in rail infrastructure have increased in recent decades (Bureau of Tran...

42 CFR 417.576 - Final settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... capita costs incurred in furnishing covered services to its Medicare enrollees, determined in accordance... January 1, 1996, the costs of hospital and SNF services paid by Medicare's intermediaries under the option...

Trails and Greenways: Alternatives to "Carmageddon."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, David T.

1995-01-01

Discusses personal and societal effects of automobile-centered landscapes and development. Recommends fundamental reexamination of community development and beliefs regarding desirable human settlement. Suggests greenways and trails as a multifunctional means for revitalizing communities in a more ecological fashion. Presents the Niagara region of…

Fellow travellers: a concordance of colonization patterns between mice and men in the North Atlantic region

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background House mice (Mus musculus) are commensals of humans and therefore their phylogeography can reflect human colonization and settlement patterns. Previous studies have linked the distribution of house mouse mitochondrial (mt) DNA clades to areas formerly occupied by the Norwegian Vikings in Norway and the British Isles. Norwegian Viking activity also extended further westwards in the North Atlantic with the settlement of Iceland, short-lived colonies in Greenland and a fleeting colony in Newfoundland in 1000 AD. Here we investigate whether house mouse mtDNA sequences reflect human history in these other regions as well. Results House mice samples from Iceland, whether from archaeological Viking Age material or from modern-day specimens, had an identical mtDNA haplotype to the clade previously linked with Norwegian Vikings. From mtDNA and microsatellite data, the modern-day Icelandic mice also share the low genetic diversity shown by their human hosts on Iceland. Viking Age mice from Greenland had an mtDNA haplotype deriving from the Icelandic haplotype, but the modern-day Greenlandic mice belong to an entirely different mtDNA clade. We found no genetic association between modern Newfoundland mice and the Icelandic/ancient Greenlandic mice (no ancient Newfoundland mice were available). The modern day Icelandic and Newfoundland mice belong to the subspecies M. m. domesticus, the Greenlandic mice to M. m. musculus. Conclusions In the North Atlantic region, human settlement history over a thousand years is reflected remarkably by the mtDNA phylogeny of house mice. In Iceland, the mtDNA data show the arrival and continuity of the house mouse population to the present day, while in Greenland the data suggest the arrival, subsequent extinction and recolonization of house mice - in both places mirroring the history of the European human host populations. If house mice arrived in Newfoundland with the Viking settlers at all, then, like the humans, their presence was also fleeting and left no genetic trace. The continuity of mtDNA haplotype in Iceland over 1000 years illustrates that mtDNA can retain the signature of the ancestral house mouse founders. We also show that, in terms of genetic variability, house mouse populations may also track their host human populations. PMID:22429664

Comparative Research on Human Settlements in Asian Rural Areas Based on Collaborative Construction Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Sui; Chaoyang, Sun; Mo, Li

2018-02-01

Rural planning is perceived as a spatial planning centered on the human settlements and there are many activities for rural reconstruction and researches conducted from the perspective of active intervention, with fewer studies regarding the village as the main body for the establishment of self-built system. And the other-organization built by the rural areas is strongly oriented. In Asian countries like China, South Korea and Japan, there are farming traditions, in which the familial and small-scale farmland holding and agricultural production mode are deep-rooted. Traditional agriculture and rural areas are not fundamentally changed by industrialization and modernization process. And the small-scale peasant in the East is marked by the decentralized possession of farmland and management in the rural areas and a large number of farmers to be remained. But the rural population keeps decreasing. After analyzing the status quo of human settlements in China, Korea and Japan, the paper makes an analysis from the different ways of thinking and professional perspective and focuses on putting forward the solutions to the problems on macro level, with the feasibility of the practical significance and the landing researches still staying in the testing stage. In the context of increasingly missing regional and contextual features, the launching and researches of “co-constructed community” as the folk protection way to emerging rural heritage are just started, and the researches on rural construction in Northeast China from the perspective of catalyst are absent. The contact agent with the catalytic action mechanism of seeing big things through small ones fits the rural areas marked by vast territory and diversified aspect, which is applicable to the bottom-up operation mechanism autonomously built by the villagers.

Population issues surface at human settlements conference.

PubMed

1996-01-01

This news brief focuses on the debate about population issues at the UN Conference on Human Settlements, held in Istanbul, Turkey, in June 1996. The Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements was adopted by world leaders at the conference. Leaders were committed to programs to improve standards of living, the right of citizens to adequate housing, and the mobilization of new financial resources. Dr. Sadik, as Executive Director of the UN Population Fund, stressed that natural increase accounts for 60% of urban population growth. Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, as UN Secretary General, stressed that over 50% of world population would live in urban centers by the year 2000, and almost 75% might do so by 2025. He indicated that all nations are interrelated; the poor and refugees from political conflict from one country travel to safer and richer countries. Dr. Sadik referred to the agreement at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) on stabilizing world population in the shortest time possible. This would require meeting the needs of men and women for health, education, and the power of personal decision making. The most important item was the satisfaction of women's need for reproductive health information and services and women's power to use services. Dr. Sadik urged that women be given the right to hold and inherit property and to obtain credit. It was pointed out that the language of Habitat's plan of action on population and development issues was frequently bracketed; consequently, the plan suffered from a lack of consensus. The debate between countries would end, if the language were not bracketed. Dr. Sadik recommended family planning for developing sustainable and liveable cities.

Women in the city of man: recent contributions to the gender and human settlements debate.

PubMed

Rakodi, C

1996-02-01

This article reviews recent publications that add to the debate about gender and human settlements. Urban development is ultimately shaped by gender assumptions and by the way in which each sex experiences the urban environment; gender-blind urban planning can be overcome by reaching a greater understanding of women's economic and social roles (and the limitations imposed on them) in urban society. Most of the recent publications on women and human settlements have been produced for international conferences that have helped to mainstream gender issues and incorporate them into urban policy and practice. "Women in the City" is the report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 1994 conference. Concerns raised in this report about the adverse effects a poorly designed living environment has on women, especially elderly women, are echoed in the proceedings of a 1992 international conference held at the University of Michigan, which considered issues of shelter policy, law, shelter and women in crisis, women's participation in the production of shelter, shelter and income opportunities, women and shelter-related services and infrastructure, nontraditional living arrangements, design, and the needs of elderly women. A 1994 publication edited by Meer contains a series of papers that analyze how women respond to urban poverty. Other recent publications focus on: 1) how women's work changes in response to economic development and urbanization, 2) survival strategies, 3) urban microenterprises, 4) gender analysis of land use and town planning, and 5) research and policy priorities that emerged from a 1994 conference held in Nairobi. In order to achieve social justice, gender issues must be analyzed along with issues such as age, ethnicity, and class.

Historical perspectives on the concept of ecosystem degradation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halvorson, W.L.

2004-01-01

The concept of environmental degradation has evolved with the development of human society and settlement. In early human development, tribes went through a series of cycles of taming or developing mastery over the environment, to utilizing the resources of that environment until they could no longer support the population, which lead to moving on to do it again in a new area. There seems to have been little sense that human activity was causing any degradation, it was only that there was no longer enough food. This sense of the concept of degradation can even be seen as late as the 16th and 17th centuries in North America as Europeans "tamed" the land from the south, east, and north. For the Europeans, this taming of the "dangerous" and "inhospitable" lands even included the indigenous peoples. World-wide, as humans gathered into towns and cities, the impacts on the environment became increasingly widespread. Goods had to be brought to the people from further and further away. While agriculture and herd management were being developed, there was still the sense that these activities were improvements. It is a rather modern social understanding that human activities can and do damage and degrade natural ecosystems. The concept began to dawn when society began to understand that some activities caused degraded human health. Only recently has society begun to understand the need for generally healthy natural ecosystems and this understanding has brought with it a whole host of legal and political actions to make it happpen. ?? International Scientific Publications, New Delhi.

Impacts of conservation and human development policy across stakeholders and scales.

PubMed

Li, Cong; Zheng, Hua; Li, Shuzhuo; Chen, Xiaoshu; Li, Jie; Zeng, Weihong; Liang, Yicheng; Polasky, Stephen; Feldman, Marcus W; Ruckelshaus, Mary; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Daily, Gretchen C

2015-06-16

Ideally, both ecosystem service and human development policies should improve human well-being through the conservation of ecosystems that provide valuable services. However, program costs and benefits to multiple stakeholders, and how they change through time, are rarely carefully analyzed. We examine one of China's new ecosystem service protection and human development policies: the Relocation and Settlement Program of Southern Shaanxi Province (RSP), which pays households who opt voluntarily to resettle from mountainous areas. The RSP aims to reduce disaster risk, restore important ecosystem services, and improve human well-being. We use household surveys and biophysical data in an integrated economic cost-benefit analysis for multiple stakeholders. We project that the RSP will result in positive net benefits to the municipal government, and to cross-region and global beneficiaries over the long run along with environment improvement, including improved water quality, soil erosion control, and carbon sequestration. However, there are significant short-run relocation costs for local residents so that poor households may have difficulty participating because they lack the resources to pay the initial costs of relocation. Greater subsidies and subsequent supports after relocation are necessary to reduce the payback period of resettled households in the long run. Compensation from downstream beneficiaries for improved water and from carbon trades could be channeled into reducing relocation costs for the poor and sharing the burden of RSP implementation. The effectiveness of the RSP could also be greatly strengthened by early investment in developing human capital and environment-friendly jobs and establishing long-term mechanisms for securing program goals. These challenges and potential solutions pervade ecosystem service efforts globally.

Space migrations: Anthropology and the humanization of space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finney, Ben R.

1992-01-01

Because of its broad evolutionary perspective and its focus on both technology and culture, anthropology offers a unique view of why we are going into space and what leaving Earth will mean for humanity. In addition, anthropology could help in the humanization of space through (1) overcoming socioculture barriers to working and living in space, (2) designing societies appropriate for permanent space settlement, (3) promoting understanding among differentiated branches of humankind scattered through space, (4) deciphering the cultural systems of any extraterrestrial civilizations contacted.

Multiple treatments yield early success in a shortleaf pine woodland restoration project in the Missouri Ozarks

Treesearch

Matthew G. Olson; Elizabeth K. Olson

2016-01-01

Shortleaf pine woodland communities were more extensive in the southeastern Missouri Ozarks prior to Euro-American settlement than today. In 2000, the Missouri Department of Conservation initiated a shortleaf pine woodland restoration project on state land in the Ozarks of southeast Missouri at an area called the Midco Pine Flats Restoration Area. The purpose of this...

The Invisible Giant: A History of Adult Education in British Columbia. Occasional Papers in Continuing Education Number 25.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selman, Gordon R.

The history of adult education in British Columbia may be divided into three periods: from the early years of European settlement to 1914, from 1914 to 1954, and from 1954 to the present. Before 1914, the development of adult education was sporadic and carried out by many different agencies. Missionaries, clergy of various denominations, and…

The Physical Setting: California and Beyond. Grade 4 Model Lesson for Standard 4.1. California History-Social Science Course Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wendling, Laura

Understanding the geography of the state is the key to understanding the history of California. From the beginnings of the first early settlements of indigenous peoples, the terrain and resources of California have always influenced how people arrived and where they settled in the state. Having a knowledge of the physical setting of California is…

The multiple values of wilderness and the future of the national wilderness preservation system

Treesearch

H. Ken Cordell; John C. Bergstrom; J. Michael Bowker

2005-01-01

American society and its landscapes are changing dramatically. Then again, this country has always been a place of change. Both its population and landscapes are very different now than they were in the past, particularly when compared to the distant past. In that more distant past, even as early European settlement was occurring, there was an abundance of natural land...

Use of historic images as a tool for estimating haze levels-natural visibility and the role of fire

Treesearch

Gordon Andersson

2007-01-01

The Regional Haze rule addresses visibility impairment in 156 Federal Class I areas. The goal of the rule is to remove all anthropogenic air pollution from the National Parks and Wilderness areas. Determining natural visibility conditions is an interesting and complicated problem. There is a large archive of pre- and early-settlement narratives, landscape paintings,...

Chapter 4. Summary of Spanish, Mexican, and early American exploration in the Borderlands

Treesearch

John H. Madsen

2006-01-01

The Hispanic period of Arizona and New Mexico spans roughly 320 years beginning in the mid-16th century with the arrival of Spanish explorers and culminating with the ratification of the Gadsden Purchase in June 1854. This paper provides an overview of exploration, settlement and land use within and adjacent to the Borderlands during this time. From a review of...

29 CFR 102.151 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Settlement. 102.151 Section 102.151 Labor Regulations... Expenses § 102.151 Settlement. The applicant and the General Counsel may agree on a proposed settlement of... on a proposed settlement of an award before an application has been filed, the proposed settlement...

17 CFR 10.108 - Settlements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Settlements. 10.108 Section 10... to the Commission; Settlements § 10.108 Settlements. (a) When offers may be made. Parties may at any time during the course of the proceeding propose offers of settlement. All offers of settlement shall...

24 CFR 180.445 - Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Settlement negotiations before a... Proceedings Prior to Hearing § 180.445 Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge. (a) Appointment of... of the Office of Hearings and Appeals to appoint another ALJ to conduct settlement negotiations. The...

24 CFR 180.445 - Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Settlement negotiations before a... Proceedings Prior to Hearing § 180.445 Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge. (a) Appointment of... of the Office of Hearings and Appeals to appoint another ALJ to conduct settlement negotiations. The...

18 CFR 385.603 - Settlement of negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603). 385.603 Section 385.603 Conservation of Power and Water... PROCEDURE Conferences, Settlements, and Stipulations § 385.603 Settlement of negotiations before a... administrative law judge appointed by the Chief Administrative Law Judge to conduct settlement negotiations under...

18 CFR 385.603 - Settlement of negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603). 385.603 Section 385.603 Conservation of Power and Water... PROCEDURE Conferences, Settlements, and Stipulations § 385.603 Settlement of negotiations before a... administrative law judge appointed by the Chief Administrative Law Judge to conduct settlement negotiations under...

24 CFR 180.445 - Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Settlement negotiations before a... Proceedings Prior to Hearing § 180.445 Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge. (a) Appointment of... of the Office of Hearings and Appeals to appoint another ALJ to conduct settlement negotiations. The...

24 CFR 180.445 - Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Settlement negotiations before a... Proceedings Prior to Hearing § 180.445 Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge. (a) Appointment of... of the Office of Hearings and Appeals to appoint another ALJ to conduct settlement negotiations. The...

18 CFR 385.603 - Settlement of negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603). 385.603 Section 385.603 Conservation of Power and Water... PROCEDURE Conferences, Settlements, and Stipulations § 385.603 Settlement of negotiations before a... administrative law judge appointed by the Chief Administrative Law Judge to conduct settlement negotiations under...

24 CFR 180.445 - Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Settlement negotiations before a... Proceedings Prior to Hearing § 180.445 Settlement negotiations before a settlement judge. (a) Appointment of... of the Office of Hearings and Appeals to appoint another ALJ to conduct settlement negotiations. The...

18 CFR 385.603 - Settlement of negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603). 385.603 Section 385.603 Conservation of Power and Water... PROCEDURE Conferences, Settlements, and Stipulations § 385.603 Settlement of negotiations before a... administrative law judge appointed by the Chief Administrative Law Judge to conduct settlement negotiations under...

18 CFR 385.603 - Settlement of negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... negotiations before a settlement judge (Rule 603). 385.603 Section 385.603 Conservation of Power and Water... PROCEDURE Conferences, Settlements, and Stipulations § 385.603 Settlement of negotiations before a... administrative law judge appointed by the Chief Administrative Law Judge to conduct settlement negotiations under...

50-Year Window to Establish a Space Faring Civilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, A. Scott

2015-01-01

Humankind may only have a short window of 50 years to become a space-faring civilization, after which time the opportunity to do so may become too difficult or impractical to pursue. Current policies for space exploration and infrastructure development implicitly assume a gradualistic approach to technology, budgets, and mission execution -- the common thought has been that there will be plenty of time in humankind's future to become a space-based species, and whatever we are unable to accomplish will be borne by the generations that follow. However, considering natural events, available energy, and human tendencies, the timing to make the most effective effort to achieve multi-planet status might be now, before momentum is lost and we become distracted by Peak Oil and changing energy economies -- restarting a space program after such turmoil may be more difficult than would be practical without cheap, storable, high-energy density petroleum. "Space-faring civilization" is defined as an economically profitable space-based economy that demands the presence of humans off-world in order to sustain a high level of prosperity. An initial foothold for a space-based economy that would fit within the 50-year window might include Earth dependence on rare-earth elements or other hard-to-obtain minerals mined from moons or asteroids, or a permanent settlement on another planet. Using published sources, notional mass and energy requirements for a minimal self-sustaining Mars settlement is calculated, and the number of launch vehicles discussed. Setting the launch schedule to match that of current NASA projections, it could take more than 26 years of semi-annual launches to build up such a self-sustaining human settlement -- a cost and commitment that has not been acknowledged nor planned for. Considering the time required to establish a multi-planet species, this paper frames the required window of decision that, if not taken, could condemn the species to Earth subject to whatever natural or human-made calamities that endanger single-planet civilizations.

Molecular inference of sources and spreading patterns of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites in internally displaced persons settlements in Myanmar-China border area.

PubMed

Lo, Eugenia; Zhou, Guofa; Oo, Winny; Lee, Ming-Chieh; Baum, Elisabeth; Felgner, Philip L; Yang, Zhaoqing; Cui, Liwang; Yan, Guiyun

2015-07-01

In Myanmar, civil unrest and establishment of internally displaced persons (IDP) settlement along the Myanmar-China border have impacted malaria transmission. The growing IDP populations raise deep concerns about health impact on local communities. Microsatellite markers were used to examine the source and spreading patterns of Plasmodium falciparum between IDP settlement and surrounding villages in Myanmar along the China border. Genotypic structure of P. falciparum was compared over the past three years from the same area and the demographic history was inferred to determine the source of recent infections. In addition, we examined if border migration is a factor of P. falciparum infections in China by determining gene flow patterns across borders. Compared to local community, the IDP samples showed a reduced and consistently lower genetic diversity over the past three years. A strong signature of genetic bottleneck was detected in the IDP samples. P. falciparum infections from the border regions in China were genetically similar to Myanmar and parasite gene flow was not constrained by geographical distance. Reduced genetic diversity of P. falciparum suggested intense malaria control within the IDP settlement. Human movement was a key factor to the spread of malaria both locally in Myanmar and across the international border. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Traditional farming landscapes for sustainable living in Scandinavia and Japan: global revival through the Satoyama initiative.

PubMed

Berglund, Björn E; Kitagawa, Junko; Lagerås, Per; Nakamura, Koji; Sasaki, Naoko; Yasuda, Yoshinori

2014-09-01

Traditional, pre-industrial farming was adapted to the natural environment-topography, geology, hydrology, climate, and biota. Traditional land use systems are still to be traced in Scandinavia as an "infield/outland landscape", and in Japan as a "Satoyama landscape." There are obvious similarities and differences in land use-the main difference being that pasturing of cattle and sheep has been less important in Japan. These land use systems can be traced back to early sedentary settlements 1500-2500 years ago. In both regions, traditional management almost ceased in the mid-twentieth century leading to afforestation and decreased biological diversity. Today, there is in Japan a growing movement for landscape restoration and promotion of a sustainable living countryside based on local agrarian and forestry production, local energy, tourism, etc. With this background, the so-called Satoyama Initiative has been organized and introduced as a global socio-ecological project with ecosystem services for human well-being.

Late Neolithic phytolith and charcoal records of human activities and vegetation change in Shijiahe culture, Tanjialing site, China

PubMed Central

Zhu, Xiao Hong; Li, Bing; Ma, Chun Mei; Zhu, Cheng; Wu, Li; Liu, Hui

2017-01-01

There is significant archaeological evidence marking the collapse of the Shijiahe culture in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China during the late Neolithic Period. However, the causes for this cultural collapse remain unclear. Our sedimentary records from a 3.3 m long profile and 76 phytolith and charcoal samples from the Tanjialing archaeological sites provide records of interactions between an ancient culture and vegetation change. During the early Shijiahe culture (c, 4850–4400 cal BP), the climate was warm and humid. Fire was intensively used to clear the vegetation. In the mid-period of the Shijiahe culture (c, 4400–4200 cal BP), the climate became slightly dry-cold and this was accompanied by decreasing water, leading to settlements. From c, 4200 cal BP, severe drought eroded the economic foundation of rice-cultivation. These conditions forced people to abandon the Shijiahe ancient city to find water in other regions, leading to the collapse of the Shijiahe culture. PMID:28542219

Late Neolithic phytolith and charcoal records of human activities and vegetation change in Shijiahe culture, Tanjialing site, China.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiao Hong; Li, Bing; Ma, Chun Mei; Zhu, Cheng; Wu, Li; Liu, Hui

2017-01-01

There is significant archaeological evidence marking the collapse of the Shijiahe culture in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China during the late Neolithic Period. However, the causes for this cultural collapse remain unclear. Our sedimentary records from a 3.3 m long profile and 76 phytolith and charcoal samples from the Tanjialing archaeological sites provide records of interactions between an ancient culture and vegetation change. During the early Shijiahe culture (c, 4850-4400 cal BP), the climate was warm and humid. Fire was intensively used to clear the vegetation. In the mid-period of the Shijiahe culture (c, 4400-4200 cal BP), the climate became slightly dry-cold and this was accompanied by decreasing water, leading to settlements. From c, 4200 cal BP, severe drought eroded the economic foundation of rice-cultivation. These conditions forced people to abandon the Shijiahe ancient city to find water in other regions, leading to the collapse of the Shijiahe culture.

Does despotic behavior or food search explain the occurrence of problem brown bears in Europe?

PubMed Central

Elfström, Marcus; Zedrosser, Andreas; Jerina, Klemen; Støen, Ole-Gunnar; Kindberg, Jonas; Budic, Lara; Jonozovič, Marko; Swenson, Jon E

2014-01-01

Bears foraging near human developments are often presumed to be responding to food shortage, but this explanation ignores social factors, in particular despotism in bears. We analyzed the age distribution and body condition index (BCI) of shot brown bears in relation to densities of bears and people, and whether the shot bears were killed by managers (i.e., problem bears; n = 149), in self-defense (n = 51), or were hunter-killed nonproblem bears (n = 1,896) during 1990–2010. We compared patterns between areas with (Slovenia) and without supplemental feeding (Sweden) of bears relative to 2 hypotheses. The food-search/food-competition hypothesis predicts that problem bears should have a higher BCI (e.g., exploiting easily accessible and/or nutritious human-derived foods) or lower BCI (e.g., because of food shortage) than nonproblem bears, that BCI and human density should have a positive correlation, and problem bear occurrence and seasonal mean BCI of nonproblem bears should have a negative correlation (i.e., more problem bears during years of low food availability). Food competition among bears additionally predicts an inverse relationship between BCI and bear density. The safety-search/naivety hypothesis (i.e., avoiding other bears or lack of human experience) predicts no relationship between BCI and human density, provided no dietary differences due to spatiotemporal habitat use among bears, no relationship between problem bear occurrence and seasonal mean BCI of nonproblem bears, and does not necessarily predict a difference between BCI for problem/nonproblem bears. If food competition or predation avoidance explained bear occurrence near settlements, we predicted younger problem than nonproblem bears and a negative correlation between age and human density. However, if only food search explained bear occurrence near settlements, we predicted no relation between age and problem or nonproblem bear status, or between age and human density. We found no difference in BCI or its variability between problem and nonproblem bears, no relation between BCI and human density, and no correlation between numbers of problem bears shot and seasonal mean BCI for either country. The peak of shot problem bears occurred from April to June in Slovenia and in June in Sweden (i.e., during the mating period when most intraspecific predation occurs and before fall hyperphagia). Problem bears were younger than nonproblem bears, and both problem and nonproblem bears were younger in areas of higher human density. These age differences, in combination with similarities in BCI between problem and nonproblem bears and lack of correlation between BCI and human density, suggested safety-search and naïve dispersal to be the primary mechanisms responsible for bear occurrence near settlements. Younger bears are less competitive, more vulnerable to intraspecific predation, and lack human experience, compared to adults. Body condition was inversely related to the bear density index in Sweden, whereas we found no correlation in Slovenia, suggesting that supplemental feeding may have reduced food competition, in combination with high bear harvest rates. Bears shot in self-defense were older and their BCI did not differ from that of nonproblem bears. Reasons other than food shortage apparently explained why most bears were involved in encounters with people or viewed as problematic near settlements in our study. PMID:25253909

42 CFR 417.810 - Final settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED...) The HCPP's per capita incurred costs of providing covered Part B services to its Medicare enrollees... receiving health care services on a fee-for-service or other basis; and (iii) Information on enrollment and...

Archaeomagnetic dating of Copper Age furnaces at Croce di Papa village and relations on Vesuvius and Phlegraean Fields volcanic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Principe, Claudia; Gogichaishvili, Avto; Arrighi, Simone; Devidze, Marina; La Felice, Sonia; Paolillo, Annarita; Giordano, Daniele; Morales, Juan

2018-01-01

Metallurgic furnaces, discovered in the archaeological site of Croce di Papa, Nola, at 15 km NE from the Vesuvius summit, were dated here by using archaeomagnetic technique. They are positioned between the deposits of the Vesuvius eruption of Pomici di Avellino and of the Phlegraean eruption of Agnano-Monte Spina. A revision of available age data and associated uncertainties for these two eruptions was carried out in order to provide constraints on the Croce di Papa furnaces age determination. The adopted archaeomagnetic technique provides an accurate age of 3136-3027 BCE corresponding to 5085 to 4976 a BP that represents the upper age limit of the Agnano-Monte Spina eruption. This study provides evidences for the existence of human settlements in the Campanian Plain in the first century of the forth millennium BC and allow to assess the limited impact of the Agnano-Monte Spina eruption on climate and human settlement.

Storage of Organic and Inorganic Carbon in Human Settlements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Churkina, G.

2009-12-01

It has been shown that urban areas have carbon density comparable with tropical forest. Carbon density of urban areas may be even higher, because the density of organic carbon only was taking into account. Human settlements store carbon in two forms such as organic and inorganic. Carbon is stored in organic form in living biomass such as trees, grasses or in artifacts derived from biomass such as wooden furniture, building structures, paper, clothes and shoes made from natural materials. Inorganic carbon or fossil carbon, meanwhile, is primarily stored in objects fabricated by people like concrete, plastic, asphalt, and bricks. The key difference between organic and inorganic forms of carbon is how they return to the gaseous state. Organic carbon can be returned to the atmosphere without applying additional artificial energy through decomposition of organic matter, whereas energy input such as burning is needed to release inorganic carbon. In this study I compare inorganic with organic carbon storage, discuss their carbon residence time, decomposition rates, and possible implications for carbon emissions.

Ecology of phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a transitional area between the Amazon and the Cerrado in the State of Maranhão, Brazil.

PubMed

Campos, A M; Matavelli, R; Santos, C L C dos; Moraes, L S; Rebêlo, J M M

2013-01-01

The Amazon rainforest and the Brazilian Cerrado both possess high phlebotomine diversity. The fragmentation of these habitats has resulted in the appearance of human cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis. In one altered area of mixed primary vegetation (forest and Cerrado) and its adjacent settlement in the northeast state of Maranhão, Brazil, evidence exists for the active transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Accordingly, an entomological investigation was performed in both the forest and the settlement to compare the phlebotomine vector faunain each environment. The study was conducted from September 2009 to August 2010 in the municipality of Itapecuru Mirim in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. The phlebotomine species were captured using 24 light Center for Disease Control and Prevention traps that were placed in the forest and the settlement (peridomicile and intradomicile). The similarity between the phlebotomine compositions in the forest and those in the settlement was determined using a Principal Coordinate Analysis based on a dissimilarity matrix that was calculated using the Bray-Curtis index (relative abundance) and the Jaccard index (presence and absence of species). In total, 29 Lutzomyia species and one Brumptomyia species were collected. The phlebotomines were diverse and abundant in both the forest fragment (27 species, 4,606 specimens) and the settlement (22 species, 753 specimens). The most abundant species were L. infraspinosa (25%), L. davisi (21%), L. antunesi (21%), L. longipalpis (9%), L. saulensis (6%), L. flaviscutellata (5%), and L. wellcomei (4%). Some species were found strictly in the forest, other species were exclusive to the anthropic environment, and some species colonized both of the studied environments. The phlebotomines adaptation to these modified environments explains the autochthonous outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Exploring critical uncertainties in pathway assessments of human-assisted introductions of alien forest species in Canada

Treesearch

Denys Yemshanov; Frank H. Koch; Mark J. Ducey; Marty Siltanen; Kirsty Wilson; Klaus Koehler

2013-01-01

Long-distance introductions of alien species are often driven by socioeconomic factors, such that conventional “biological” invasion models may not be capable of estimating spread fully and reliably. In this study, we demonstrate a new technique for assessing and reconstructing human-mediated pathways of alien forest species entries to major settlements in Canada via...

How accessible are coral reefs to people? A global assessment based on travel time.

PubMed

Maire, Eva; Cinner, Joshua; Velez, Laure; Huchery, Cindy; Mora, Camilo; Dagata, Stephanie; Vigliola, Laurent; Wantiez, Laurent; Kulbicki, Michel; Mouillot, David

2016-04-01

The depletion of natural resources has become a major issue in many parts of the world, with the most accessible resources being most at risk. In the terrestrial realm, resource depletion has classically been related to accessibility through road networks. In contrast, in the marine realm, the impact on living resources is often framed into the Malthusian theory of human density around ecosystems. Here, we develop a new framework to estimate the accessibility of global coral reefs using potential travel time from the nearest human settlement or market. We show that 58% of coral reefs are located < 30 min from the nearest human settlement. We use a case study from New Caledonia to demonstrate that travel time from the market is a strong predictor of fish biomass on coral reefs. We also highlight a relative deficit of protection on coral reef areas near people, with disproportional protection on reefs far from people. This suggests that conservation efforts are targeting low-conflict reefs or places that may already be receiving de facto protection due to their isolation. Our global assessment of accessibility in the marine realm is a critical step to better understand the interplay between humans and resources. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

A socioeconomic profile of vulnerable land to desertification in Italy.

PubMed

Salvati, Luca

2014-01-01

Climate changes, soil vulnerability, loss in biodiversity, and growing human pressure are threatening Mediterranean-type ecosystems which are increasingly considered as a desertification hotspot. In this region, land vulnerability to desertification strongly depends on the interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors. The present study proposes a multivariate exploratory analysis of the relationship between the spatial distribution of land vulnerability to desertification and the socioeconomic contexts found in three geographical divisions of Italy (north, center and south) based on statistical indicators. A total of 111 indicators describing different themes (demography, human settlements, labor market and human capital, rural development, income and wealth) were used to discriminate vulnerable from non-vulnerable areas. The resulting socioeconomic profile of vulnerable areas in northern and southern Italy diverged significantly, the importance of demographic and economic indicators being higher in southern Italy than in northern Italy. On the contrary, human settlement indicators were found more important to discriminate vulnerable and non-vulnerable areas in northern Italy, suggesting a role for peri-urbanization in shaping the future vulnerable areas. An in-depth knowledge of the socioeconomic characteristics of vulnerable land may contribute to scenarios' modeling and the development of more effective policies to combat desertification. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mapping the Urban Side of the Earth- the new GUF+ Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorelick, N.; Marconcini, M.; Üreyen, S.; Zeidler, J.; Svaton, V.; Esch, T.

2017-12-01

From the beginning of the years 2000, it is estimated that more than half of the global population is living in cities and the dynamic trend of urbanization is growing at an unprecedented speed. In such framework, how does expanding population affect the surrounding landscape? Are urban areas making good use of limited space or is rapid urbanization threatening the planet's sustainability? What is the impact of urbanization on vulnerability to natural disasters? To try answering these and other challenging questions, a key information is to reliably know the location and characteristics (e.g. shape, extent, greenness) of human settlements worldwide. In this context, yet from the last decade different global maps outlining urban areas have started being produced. Here, DLR's Global Urban Footprint (GUF) layer, generated on the basis of very high resolution radar imagery, represents one of the most accurate and largely employed datasets. However, in order to overcome still existing limitations of the GUF layer, often originating from specifics of the underlying radar imagery, DLR developed a novel methodology that for the first time exploits mass multitemporal collections of optical and radar satellite imagery. The new approach has been employed for generating the GUF+ 2015 layer, a global map of settlement areas derived at 10m spatial resolution based overall on a joint analysis of hundreds of thousands of Landsat and Sentinel-1 scenes (processed with the support of Google Earth Engine) collected in the years 2014-2015. The GUF+2015 outperforms all other existing global human settlements maps and allows - among others - to considerably improve the detection of very small settlements in rural regions and better outline scattered peri-urban areas. Nevertheless, this is not an arrival but rather a starting point for generating a suite of additional products (GUF+ suite) supposed to support a 360° analysis of global urbanization - e.g. with data on the imperviousness/greenness and the spatiotemporal development of the built-up area over the last decades.

33 CFR 20.502 - Settlements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Settlements. 20.502 Section 20... Settlements § 20.502 Settlements. (a) The parties may submit a proposed settlement to the ALJ. (b) The proposed settlement must be in the form of a proposed decision, accompanied by a motion for its entry. The...