Bedrock features represent various economic, social, and symbolic aspects of past societies, but have historically received little study, particularly in North America. Fortunately, new techniques for analyzing spatial configurations, use-wear, and organic residues are beginning to unlock more of the interpretive potential of these features. Though preliminary in nature, the present study contributes to this trend by documenting an application of lipid analysis to bedrock features in a dry rockshelter. Results of this initial application indicate that bedrock features in dry rockshelters may provide especially favorable conditions for the preservation and interpretation of ancient organic residues. Abundant lipids, comparable to concentrations present in some pottery sherds, were extracted from a bedrock grinding surface at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Though the lipids were highly oxidized, degradation products indicative of former unsaturated fatty acids were retained. Comparisons to experimentally aged residues, and absence of a known biomarker for maize, indicate that the bulk of the lipids preserved in the milling surface probably derive from processing an oily nut or seed resource, and not from processing maize. Substantially lower amounts of lipids were recovered from a small, blackened cupule. It is hypothesized that some portion of the lipids in the blackened cupule was deposited from condensed smoke of cooking and heating fires in the caves. Potential for the preservation of organic residues in similar sheltered bedrock contexts is discussed, and a practical method for sampling bedrock features in the field is described.

Dissertation submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Biotechnology, Technikon Natal, 2001. / Landfills play an important role in the removal of waste from the surroundings. There is a limit to the types of waste that can be recycled and the landfill becomes the final method of waste disposal. Because waste constitutes a wide variety of materials, the microbial consortia that develop within a landfill will be equally varied, depending on the type of waste deposited, the temperature of the landfill and moisture content of the waste. The metabolism of these microbial consortia can result in products that are either harmful or beneficial. In order to increase the pool of knowledge on landfill microbiology, it is important to study the various consortia that inhabit the landfill to determine the various microbial interactions that occur and subsequently to manipulate these interactions to enhance the benefits of a landfill site and reduce the harmful effects. In this research, an attempt was made to isolate anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria from a landfill site. Six waste samples, varying in age were obtained over a period of two years. Samples were excavated from a maximum depth of 4m. Samples are processed in anaerobic, phosphate buffer and cultivated in various pre-reduced anaerobic media and incubated under anaerobic conditions. Samples were also collected from other potential anaerobic sites namely, anaerobic sludge, decomposing bagasse, compost, manure, rumen and pond sediment. Results of degradation of the cellulose source (Whatman No. 1 filter paper) indicated that it was possible to cultivate cellulose-degrading microorganisms from the landfill. Zones of clearing around colonies, which would be indicative of cellulose degradation on solid media, were not obtained. Samples from the anaerobic sludge, compost and rumen showed degradation of cellulose in liquid media but not on solid media. It is concluded that the solid media used was unsuitable for the cultivation of anaerobic, cellulolytic bacteria or that the anaerobic conditions employed were not adequate to initiate the growth of the anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria. / M

This study concerns 28 Roman Iron Age Germanic burial grounds located in proximity to the river Elbe (dt. "Elbegermanen"). Situated in the northern German states Brandenburg, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and dated 0-300 AD (Earlier Roman Imperial Period); the sites primarily consist of urn burials and have been interpreted as separated by gender. Although a debated issue in German archaeology, critical questions derived from theoretical problematization have usually been omitted from the discourse. This study aims to discuss gender theory to address this research gap. Geographical patterns have been explored through a spatial analysis and reconstruction of the Roman Imperial landscape. Two sites are compared in case studies and the end results connect the theoretical discussions and GIS-analysis. The results show that the combination of a large-scale regional analysis and small-scale analysis of specific sites is beneficial in order to acknowledge the varieties and move beyond the interpretations that dominate the prevalent discourse.

Fordonsbaserade mätningar av meteorologiska parametrar kan ge detaljerad väderinformation från en större täckande yta. Dagens bilar har redan flera monterade sensorer som kan användas för att skapa sådan information, exempelvis temperaturgivare eller vindrutetorkarnas hastighet som ett mått på nederbördsintensitet. Det finns även utrustning som kan monteras in och som efter vissa beräkningar ger däckens friktion mot underlaget. Om mätdata skickas direkt från fordonet till en databas kan väderinformationen tillhandahållas i realtid. I det här projektet utvärderas meteorologisk mätdata från sådana fordonsbaserade sensorer. Mätdata från en leverantör bearbetas och två perioder med mätdata från Göteborgsområdet undersöks. En längre period med mätningar från ett fordon och en kortare period med flera fordon. Den mätdata som används innehåller information om temperaturen och friktionskoefficienten. Arbetet har lett fram till en första metod för databehandling av fordonsbaserad mätdata, då ingen standardiserad metod finns ännu. En statistisk analys görs av mätdatas kvalitet, genom jämförelse med analysmodellen MESAN (Mesoskalig analys) samt genom jämförelse med data från VViS-stationer (VägVäderInformationsSystem). Det görs också en undersökning av korrelationer av temperaturdifferensen mellan fordon och MESAN med olika meteorologiska faktorer. De fordonsbaserade mätningarna har hög korrelation med modellen och stationerna, men visar generellt en högre temperatur. Bildata visar potentiellt också fler meteorologiska detaljer. Temperaturskillnaden är större i Göteborg centrum än utanför, vilket till stor del beror på fenomenet stadsvärmeö som inte representeras explicit i modellen. Temperaturskillnaden är också större vid högre temperaturer, som kan förklaras med vägarnas högre albedo och mindre evapotranspiration jämfört med omgivningen. En klimatologisk kartläggning av friktionskoefficienten har gjorts för månaderna februari till augusti samt för november. I det här arbetet syns inget tydligt samband mellan friktionskoefficienten och andra meteorologiska parametrar. Detta kan bero på den stora mänskliga påverkan på friktionen, exempelvis genom vinterväghållning. För att minska osäkerheten i resultaten krävs mer mätdata både i tid och rum, vilket kan betyda att mätdata från flera leverantörer bör analyseras. Att använda temperaturdata med större noggrannhet ökar potentialen att upptäcka fler och tydligare samband mellan temperaturen och de andra meteorologiska parametrarna som undersöks i den här studien. / Environmental measurements from vehicle-based networks could provide detailed weather information from a greater area. The cars of today already have several sensors that could be used to create such data. For example thermometers and the speed of the windshield wipers as a measure of intensity of precipitation. There also exists sensors that could be mounted on to the car, which after calculations shows the amount of friction between the tires and the ground. If the data were to be sent directly to a database real time weather information could be provided. In this project the meteorological data from such vehicle-based sensores is assessed. Data from one provider is processed and two sets of data from the Gothenburg area in Sweden are analyzed. One set which contains data from a longer time period, with observations from only one vehicle. The other set contains data from a shorter time period with observations from several vehicles. The data collected contains information about air temperature and the coefficient of friction. This project has led to a first method of processing data from vehicle-based measurements, since no such standardized method yet exists. A statistical analysis of the quality of the observations was implemented by means of comparison with the analysis model MESAN (Mesoscale Analysis) and with observations from VViS-stations (VägVäderInformationsSystem). In addition an analysis of the correlation of the temperature difference between the vehicle and MESAN with some meteorological parameters were made. The vehicle-based measurements have a high correlation with the model and the stations but measures higher temperatures in general. The vehicle data potentially also shows more meteorological details. The difference in temperature is larger closer to the center of Gothenburg city than outside, in large part due to the phenomenon called Urban heat island which is not represented explicitly in the model. The temperature differences are also greater at higher temperatures, and can be explained by the higher albedo of the roads and less evapotranspiration compared to the surrounding environment. Climatological mapping of the coefficient of friction during February to August and during November were plotted. In this study no relation between the coefficient of friction and other meteorological parameters were found. This could be due to the human impact on friction, for example through snow clearing. To decrease the uncertaincy of the results more measurements are required both in time and space, which could infer that data from more providers would be needed. To use temperature data with higher accuracy increases the potential of finding more and more evident relations between the temperature and the other meteorological parameters that are analysed in this study.

In the last decade, advances in sensor and computing technology are revolutionary. The latest-generation of hyperspectral and synthetic aperture radar ((SAR) instruments have increased their spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution. Consequently, the data sets collected are increasing rapidly in size and frequency of acquisition. Remote sensing applications are requiring more computing resources for data analysis. High performance computing (HPC) infrastructure such as clusters, distributed networks, grids, clouds and specialized hardware components, have been used to disseminate large volumes of remote sensing data and to accelerate the computational speed in processing raw images and extracting information from remote sensing data. In previous research we have shown that we can improve computational efficiency of a hyperspectral image denoising algorithm by parallelizing the algorithm utilizing a distributed computing grid. In recent years, computational cloud technology is emerging, bringing more flexibility and simplicity for data processing. Hadoop MapReduce is a software framework for distributed commodity computing clusters, allowing parallel processing of massive datasets. In this project, we implement a software application to map forest aboveground biomass (AGB) with normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) using Landsat Thematic Mapper’s bands 4 and 5 (ND45). We present observations and experimental results on the performance and the algorithmic complexity of the implementation. There are three research questions answered in this thesis, as follows. 1) How do we implement remote sensing algorithms, such as forest AGB mapping, in a computer cloud environment? 2) What are the requirements to implement distributed processing of remote sensing images using the cloud programming model? 3) What is the performance increase for large area remote sensing image processing in a cloud environment? / Graduate / 0799 / 0984

Comportement différé, anisotrope à la descenderie de Saint-Martin-la-Porte / Time-dependent, anisotropic behavior of Saint-Martin-la-Porte gallery

Immunity and reproduction are important and costly life-history traits and a large part of eco-immunology focuses on trade-offs between investing in reproduction versus immunity. Male Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris) are a good organism to test these trade-offs as they invest heavily in sperm competition, evidenced by their large testes, and exhibit alternative reproductive tactics. My research objective was to determine 1) if testosterone suppresses immunity, or if immunity suppresses testosterone, and 2) if alternative reproductive tactics differ in their investments in immunity and reproduction. I found evidence that testosterone was suppressed after an immune challenge, and that manipulatively increased testosterone had no effect on immunity, body condition or parasites. The dispersing tactic males were in worse condition, had higher parasite abundances, but showed no difference in their innate immune ability to non-dispersing males. Males incur increased costs with dispersal and may focus their energy into reproduction instead of immunity. / October 2015

Rotational grazing is being promoted by some land managers, government agencies, and conservation groups as superior to season-long grazing for improving pasture and cattle production, and for grassland bird conservation; however, the assumed benefits have not been comprehensively studied. In 2011 and 2012, I examined the effects of twice-over rotational grazing on the nesting success of grassland songbirds in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. I monitored nesting attempts and collected structural vegetation data for five species of obligate grassland bird (n=110) and one shrub-nesting species (n=41). Nesting analyses were conducted using logistic exposure models. Twice-over grazing had a significantly negative effect on the nesting success of the ground nesting species, including Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis). Grazing system did not have an effect on vegetation structure. The results are consistent with other rotational grazing studies, and suggest that twice-over rotational grazing does not benefit grassland songbirds in mixed-grass prairie habitats. / October 2016

A module to investigate ground water recharge was developed, and implemented into the mesoscale meteorological model GESIMA (Geesthacht’s simulation model of the atmosphere) as well as coupled to a soil-vegetation scheme. Important features of the ground water module are the determination of surface and channel runoff. A comparison of the results provided by GESIMA with and without consideration of surface and channel runoff shows a remarkable impact of surface runoff on the soil moisture fluxes. Substituting water meadows by willow-forests demonstrates their importance for soil moisture fluxes. / Ein Modul zur Untersuchung von Grundwasserneubildung wurde entwickelt, in das mesoskalige meteorologische Modell GESIMA (Geesthachter Simulationsmodell der Atmosphäre) integriert und an ein Boden-Vegetationsmodell gekoppelt. Wesentliche Bestandteile des Grundwassermoduls sind die Berechnung des Oberflächen- und Gerinneabflusses. Ein Vergleich der Ergebnisse von GESIMA, die mit und ohne Oberflächen- und Gerinneabfluss erstellt wurden, belegt einen deutlichen Einfluss des Oberflächenabflusses auf die berechneten Feuchteflüsse im Boden. Untersuchungen zum Einfluss von Auenwäldern auf die Grundwasserneubildung belegen deren Bedeutung für die Wasserflüsse im Boden.

"Mémoire présenté à la Faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de maître en droit option Droit des biotechnologies". Ce mémoire a été accepté à l'unanimité et classé parmi les 10% des mémoires de la discipline. / La science génétique tend de plus en plus à identifier des maladies génétiques et à associer des comportements humains au bagage génétique. Or, ces applications peuvent servir à exclure et stigmatiser des individus. Cela crée parfois ce qu'on appelle de la discrimination génétique. Le domaine de l'emploi est particulièrement propice à voir surgir cette forme de discrimination. Nous voulons ici déterminer dans quelle mesure les chartes des droits de la personne canadienne et québécoise protègent les travailleurs contre la discrimination génétique. Nous regardons d'abord si la lutte contre la discrimination génétique est compatible avec les objectifs de la règle anti-discrimination. Ensuite, nous examinons la prohibition de la discrimination basée sur le handicap afin de voir si celle-ci peut empêcher la discrimination génétique des travailleurs. Finalement, nous tentons de voir si les caractéristiques génétiques pourraient constituer un motif analogue de discrimination prohibé par la Charte canadienne. / Increasingly, the genetic science tends to identify sorne genetic diseases and to associate the human behaviors to the genetic code. This uses can serve to exclude and stigmatize the individuals. This sometimes creates what is called the genetic discrimination. The workplace is particularly favorable to see emerging this form of discrimination. We try to determine in what way the human rights charters protect the workers against the genetic discrimination. First, we scrutinize if the struggle against the genetic discrimination is well-suited with the objecti ves of the principles of the non-discrimination. Secondly, we examine if the prohibition of the disability discrimination could prevent the genetic discrimination against the workers. Finally, we try to establish if the genetic characteristics could constitute an analogous ground of discrimination prohibited by the Canadian Charter.