Molecular Ecology and Evolution

Molecular Ecology and Evolution
Author: John C. Avise
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 584
Release: 2010
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9814317756

This volume is a reprinted collection of 69 ?classics? from the Avise laboratory, chosen to illustrate a trademark brand of research that harnesses molecular markers to scientific studies of natural history and evolution in the wild. Spanning the early 1970s through the late 2000s, these articles trace how the author and his colleagues have used molecular genetics techniques to address multifarious conceptual topics in genetics, ecology, and evolution, in a fascinating menagerie of creatures with oft-peculiar lifestyles. The organisms described in this volume range from blind cavefish to male-pregnant pipefishes and sea spiders, from clonal armadillos to natal-homing marine turtles, from hermaphroditic sea snails to hybridizing monkeys and tree frogs, from clonal marine sponges to pseudohermaphroditic mollusks to introgressing oysters, and from endangered pocket gophers, terrapins, and sparrows to unisexual (all-female) fish species to ?living-fossil? horseshoe crabs, and even to a strange little fish that routinely mates with itself. The conceptual and molecular topics addressed in this volume are also universal, ranging from punctuated equilibrium to coalescent theory to the need for greater standardization in taxonomy, from cytonuclear disequilibrium statistics to the ideas of speciation duration and sympatric speciation, from historical population demography to phylogenetic reconstructions of males' sexual ornaments, from the population genetic consequences of inbreeding to Pleistocene effects on phylogeography, and from the molecular underpinnings of null alleles to the notion of clustered mutations that arise in groups to compelling empirical evidence for the unanticipated processes of gene conversion and concerted evolution in animal mitochondrial DNA. Overall, this collection includes many of the best, most influential, sometimes controversial, occasionally provocative, always intriguing, or otherwise entertaining publications to have emerged from the Avise laboratory over the last four decades. Thus, this book conveys, through the eyes of one of the field's longstanding pioneers, what ?the organismal side? of molecular ecology and evolution really means.

The Crust

The Crust
Author: R.L. Rudnick
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 708
Release: 2005-12-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780080448473

The Treatise on Geochemistry is the first work providing a comprehensive, integrated summary of the present state of geochemistry. It deals with all the major subjects in the field, ranging from the chemistry of the solar system to environmental geochemistry. The Treatise on Geochemistry has drawn on the expertise of outstanding scientists throughout the world, creating the reference work in geochemistry for the next decade. Each volume consists of fifteen to twenty-five chapters written by recognized authorities in their fields, and chosen by the Volume Editors in consultation with the Executive Editors. Particular emphasis has been placed on integrating the subject matter of the individual chapters and volumes. Elsevier also offers the Treatise on Geochemistry in electronic format via the online platform ScienceDirect, the most comprehensive database of academic research on the Internet today, enhanced by a suite of sophisticated linking, searching and retrieval tools.

Uranium-series Geochemistry

Uranium-series Geochemistry
Author: Bernard Bourdon
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 676
Release: 2018-12-17
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1501509306

Volume 52 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry updates our knowledge of U-series geochemistry, offer an opportunity for non-specialists to understand its basic principles, and give us a view of the future of this active field of research. In this volume, for the first time, all the methods for determining the uranium and thorium decay chain nuclides in Earth materials are discussed. It was prepared in advance of a two-day short course (April 3-4, 2003) on U-series geochemistry, jointly sponsored by GS and MSA and presented in Paris, France prior to the joint EGS/AGU/EUG meeting in Nice.

Towards Operational Disequilibrium Macro Economics

Towards Operational Disequilibrium Macro Economics
Author: J.C. Siebrand
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 182
Release: 2013-04-17
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9401735611

Most re cent contributions to disequilibrium theory have a high level of abstraction. Empirical studies explicitly based on disequilibrium are still relatively scarce. However, empirical macro economics anticipated the theoretical development, and amalgamated classical and Keynesian elements often without a clear-cut formal base. Now a theoretical integration of neo-classical and neo-Keynesian economics seems under way. There is a renewed interest in the micro-economic foundations of macroeconomics with a special focus on the behaviour of economic agents operating in non-clearing markets. In some instances these theoretical developments offer an ex post justification for empirical macro-economic practices. Generally however, they call for new ways of empirical macro-economic model building. This study operates on the border line between empirical macro economics and theoretical disequilibrium macro-economic theory. Our interest in macro-economic disequilibrium originates from the empirical side. Foreign trade relations for several countries revealed significant pressure of demand effects. Hence, the spillover of excess demand in domestic markets to foreign markets seemed a rather general phenomenon. This fact could be explained by a theory that states that actual demand for products from domestic ftrms will gene rally and systematically differ from the ex ante demand as suggested by equilibrium analysis. This latter demand concept comes close to Clower's 'notional demand' and Patinkin's 'potential demand'.

Population Genetics in Forestry

Population Genetics in Forestry
Author: Hans-Rolf Gregorius
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2013-03-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3642481256

When we consider the main object of forestry, the tree, it immediately becomes clear why experimental population geneticists have been so hesitant in making this object a primary concern of their research. Trees are very long-living organisms with generation intervals frequently exceeding those of their investigators by multiples. They virtually exclude, therefore, application of the classical methods of population genetics since these are based on observing genetic structures over generations. This situation, where the limits set to observation are so severe, particularly requires close cooperation between theory and experiment. It also requires careful consideration of results obtained for organisms other than trees, in order to gain additional insights by comparing the results for trees with those for other organisms. Yet, the greatest challenge to population and ecological genetics probably originates from the fact that forests are very likely to be the most complex ecosystems of all, even in some cases where they are subject to intense management. This complexity, which equally comprises biotic and abiotic factors varying both in time and space, makes extremely high demands on the adaptational capacity and thus flexibility of the carriers of such an ecosystem. Longevity combined with immobility during the vegetative phase, however, appears to contradict the obvious necessity of adaptational flexibility in forest tree populations when compared with short lived and/or mobile organisms.

Co-creating Sustainable Urban Futures

Co-creating Sustainable Urban Futures
Author: Niki Frantzeskaki
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2018-01-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319692739

This is a unique book that provides rich knowledge on how to understand and actively contribute to urban sustainability transitions. The book combines theoretical frameworks and tools with practical experiences on transition management as a framework that supports urban planning and governance towards sustainability. The book offers the opportunity to become actively engaged in working towards sustainable futures of cities. Readers of this book will be equipped to understand the complexity of urban sustainability transitions and diagnose persistent unsustainability problems in cities. Urban planners and professionals will build competences for designing transition management processes in cities and engaging with multidisciplinary knowledge in solution-seeking processes. The heart of the book marks the variety of very different local case studies across the world – including, amongst others, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, La Botija in Honduras, Sydney in Australia and Cleveland in the US. These rich studies give inspiration and practical insights to young planners on how to create sustainable urban futures in collaboration with other stakeholders. The case studies and critical reflections on applications of transition management in cities offer food for thought and welcome criticism. They also introduce new lenses to understand the bigger picture that co-creation dynamics play in terms of power, (dis-)empowerment, legitimacy and changing actor roles. This will equip the readers with a deep understanding of the dynamics, opportunities and challenges present in urban contexts and urban sustainability transitions.

Chemical, Physical and Temporal Evolution of Magmatic Systems

Chemical, Physical and Temporal Evolution of Magmatic Systems
Author: L. Caricchi
Publisher: Geological Society of London
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2015-11-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1862397325

Our understanding of the physical and chemical processes that regulate the evolution of magmatic systems has improved tremendously since the foundations were laid down 100 years ago by Bowen. The concept of crustal magma chambers has progressively evolved from molten-rock vats to thermally, chemically and physically heterogeneous reservoirs that are kept active by the periodic injection of magma. This new model, while more complex, provides a better framework to interpret volcanic activity and decipher the information contained in intrusive and extrusive rocks. Igneous and metamorphic petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, and numerical modelling, all contributed towards this new picture of crustal magmatic systems. This book provides an overview of the wide range of approaches that can nowadays be used to understand the chemical, physical and temporal evolution of magmatic and volcanic systems.

Timescales of Magmatic Processes

Timescales of Magmatic Processes
Author: Anthony Dosseto
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 553
Release: 2011-06-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1444348264

Quantifying the timescales of current geological processes is critical for constraining the physical mechanisms operating on the Earth today. Since the Earth’s origin 4.55 billion years ago magmatic processes have continued to shape the Earth, producing the major reservoirs that exist today (core, mantle, crust, oceans and atmosphere) and promoting their continued evolution. But key questions remain. When did the core form and how quickly? How are magmas produced in the mantle, and how rapidly do they travel towards the surface? How long do magmas reside in the crust, differentiating and interacting with the host rocks to yield the diverse set of igneous rocks we see today? How fast are volcanic gases such as carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere? This book addresses these and other questions by reviewing the latest advances in a wide range of Earth Science disciplines: from the measurement of short-lived radionuclides to the study of element diffusion in crystals and numerical modelling of magma behaviour. It will be invaluable reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as igneous petrologists, mineralogists and geochemists involved in the study of igneous rocks and processes.

Social Competence in Developmental Perspective

Social Competence in Developmental Perspective
Author: B.H. Schneider
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9400924429

What determines the focus of a researcher's interest, the sources of inspiration for a study, or the variables scrutinized? If we were to examine the antecedents of these decisions, they would surely emerge as accidents of circumstance--the personal experiences of the researcher, the inspiration of early mentors, the influence of contemporary colleagues--all tempered by the intellectual currents that nurture the researcher's hypotheses. Among the accidents that mold the careers of researchers is geographic location. The culture in which a research program emerges helps determine both its very subject and its method. The primary purpose of this book is to assist those interested in the scientific study of children's social competence in transcending the boundaries imposed both by geography and by selective exposure to the highly diverse schools of thought that have led to interest in this field. Most of these ideas were presented and exchanged at an Advanced Study Institute entitled "Social Competence in Developmental Perspective" held in Savoie, France, in July 1988. This Institute was attended by scholars from France, England, Northern Ireland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Canada, the United States and Brazil. Those who participated will recognize that the metamorphosis from lecture to chapter has necessitated many changes. In order to accommodate the reader who may be unfamiliar with the field, more attention has been paid here to identifying the theoretical contexts of the research described.

Budget Deficits and Debt

Budget Deficits and Debt
Author: Siamack Shojai
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 209
Release: 1999-01-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1567509312

This edited collection is a critical evaluation of the impact of fiscal imbalances on the economy of industrialized and developing countries as prepared by a diverse group of scholars involved in advanced research on public finance. Technical issues, economic consequences and the political economy of budget deficits and government debt are covered in one succinct volume. The work provides a balanced presentation of neo-classical views on measures of government deficits; the budget process and major budgetary legislation in the United States; and the impact of deficits on economic activity, exchange rates, inflation, financial markets, trade balance, and economic growth. It also examines the political economy of government budgets in the OECD, select developing economies, and South Africa. From the 1950s to the 1980s, economic activity and growth were affected by fiscal imbalances and excessive government activity in many countries. Although many actors have made retrenchment attempts, economic research has not resolved the conflicting arguments about the impact of fiscal imbalances on the global economy. This book provides a balanced presentation of all major issues related to the impact of fiscal activity on the economy.