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Kinds of Walk Terms modified by Walk Selected AbstractsWeighted Stair Climbing in Mobility-Limited Older People: A Pilot StudyJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2002MD Jonathan Bean MS OBJECTIVES: To evaluate weighted stair climbing exercise (SCE) as a means of increasing lower extremity muscle power in mobility-limited older people. DESIGN: Single-blinded, randomized controlled pilot study INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomized into one of two 12-week exercise programs. The intervention group (SCE) (n = 23) ascended and descended stairs, at a set pace, while wearing a weighted vest. The control group (WALK) (n = 22) participated in a standardized walking program. MEASUREMENTS: Primary and secondary outcomes included measures of muscle power and strength, submaximal aerobic capacity, and physical performance. RESULTS: SCE produced 17% improvement in double leg press peak power in comparison with WALK (P = .013) and significant improvement in stair climbing power from baseline (12%). Improvement in submaximal aerobic performance was equivalent for both groups. Although not statistically significant, effect size estimates suggest that SCE can potentially influence knee extension power and strength. Stair climb time was improved in both groups, whereas SCE produced significant improvements from baseline SPPB score in a subcohort of participants. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that SCE may be a useful component of a home exercise program designed to enhance lower extremity muscle power, aerobic capacity, and functional performance. Further investigation is needed involving larger sample sizes and direct comparisons with other forms of resistance training. [source] VARIANCE-RATIO TESTS OF RANDOM WALK: AN OVERVIEWJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2009Amélie Charles Abstract This paper reviews the recent developments in the field of the variance-ratio (VR) tests of the random walk and martingale hypothesis. In particular, we present the conventional individual and multiple VR tests as well as their improved modifications based on power-transformed statistics, rank and sign tests, subsampling and bootstrap methods, among others. We also re-examine the weak-form efficiency for five emerging equity markets in Latin America. [source] Global Illumination as a Combination of Continuous Random Walk and Finite-Element Based IterationCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2001László Szirmay-Kalos The paper introduces a global illumination method that combines continuous and finite-element approaches, pre-serving the speed of finite-element based iteration and the accuracy of continuous random walks. The basic idea is to decompose the radiance function to a finite-element component that is only a rough estimate and to a difference component that is obtained by Monte-Carlo techniques. Iteration and random walk are handled uniformly in the framework of stochastic iteration. This uniform treatment allows the finite-element component to be built up adap-tively aiming at minimizing the Monte-Carlo component. The method is also suited for interactive walkthrough animation in glossy scenes since when the viewpoint changes, only the small Monte-Carlo component needs to be recomputed. [source] Book and Media ReviewsADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000David Ball Books reviewed in this article: Book reviews in this column will primarily be of titles focusing completely, or in part, on biological aspects of addiction. However, significant titles of general relevance to the addictions field will also be included, even if they are not "biological", as will titles of general methodological and clinical relevance, even if they are not on "addictions". Similar considerations will apply to other media (software, audio tapes and CDs, videos, etc). However, specific "addictions" software applications seem to be relatively uncommon and, as these items are rarely reviewed elsewhere, we will endeavour to include reviews of some of the older programmes that are still useful, as well as new titles that appear. I would appreciate suggesti ons of any items suitable for reviews, but especially software and other media of specifi c relevance to the addictions. Please contact: Dr David Ball, National Addiction Centre, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF, UK. Dual Diagnosis and Treatment: substance abuse and co-morbid medical and psychiatric disorders HENRY R. KRANZLER & BRUCE J. ROUNSAVILLE (Eds) Improving the Care of People in Substance Misuse Ser vices: clinical audit project examples KIRSTY MACLEAN STEEL & CLAIRE PALMER Software European Legal Texts on Drugs (CD-Rom) [source] Stopping to Rest During a 400-Meter Walk and Incident Mobility Disability in Older Persons with Functional LimitationsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2009Sonja Vestergaard PhD OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between stopping to rest during a 400-m usual-pace walk test (400-MWT) and incident mobility disability in older persons with functional limitations. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Community based. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred twenty-four participants in the Lifestyle Intervention and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) Study aged 70 to 89 with functional limitations (summary score ,9 on the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)) but able to complete the 400-MWT within 15 minutes. MEASUREMENTS: Rest stops during the 400-MWT were recorded. The onset of mobility disability, defined as being unable to complete the 400-MWT or taking more than 15 minutes to do so, was recorded at Months 6 and 12. RESULTS: Fifty-four (12.7%) participants rested during the 400-MWT at baseline, of whom 37.7% experienced mobility disability during follow-up, versus 8.6% of those not stopping to rest. Performing any rest stop was strongly associated with incident mobility disability at follow-up (odds ratio (OR)=5.4, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.7,10.9) after adjustment for age, sex, and clinic site. This association was weaker, but remained statistically significant, after further adjusting for SPPB and time to complete the 400-MWT simultaneously (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.2,5.9). CONCLUSION: Stopping to rest during the 400-MWT is strongly associated with incident mobility disability in nondisabled older persons with functional limitations. Given the prognostic value, rest stops should be recorded as part of the standard assessment protocol for the 400-MWT. [source] Can High-Risk Older Drivers Be Identified Through Performance-Based Measures in a Department of Motor Vehicles Setting?JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006Karlene K. Ball PhD OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between performance-based risk factors and subsequent at-fault motor vehicle collision (MVC) involvement in a cohort of older drivers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) field sites in Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 4,173 older drivers invited to participate in the study, 2,114 individuals aged 55 to 96 agreed to do so. These analyses focus on 1,910 individuals recruited through MVA field sites. MEASUREMENTS: Gross Impairment Screening Battery, which included Rapid Pace Walk, Head/Neck Rotation, Foot Tap, Arm Reach, Cued Recall, Symbol Scan, Visual Closure subtest of the Motor Free Visual Perception Test (MVPT), Delayed Recall, and Trail Making Test with an Abbreviated Part A and standard Part B; Useful Field of View (UFOV®) subtest 2; a Mobility Questionnaire; and MVC occurrence. RESULTS: In drivers aged 55 and older with intact vision (20/70 far visual acuity and 140° visual field), age, sex, history of falls, and poorer cognitive performance, as measured using Trails B, MVPT, and UFOV subtest 2, were predictive of future at-fault MVC involvement. After adjusting for annual mileage, participants aged 78 and older were 2.11 as more likely to be involved in an at-fault MVC, those who made four or more errors on the MVPT were 2.10 times as likely to crash, those who took 147 seconds or longer to complete Trails B were 2.01 times as likely to crash, and those who took 353 ms or longer on subtest 2 of the UFOV were 2.02 times as likely to incur an at-fault MVC. Older adults, men, and individuals with a history of falls were more likely to be involved in subsequent at-fault MVCs. CONCLUSION: Performance-based cognitive measures are predictive of future at-fault MVCs in older adults. Cognitive performance, in particular, is a salient predictor of subsequent crash involvement in older adults. High-risk older drivers can be identified through brief, performance-based measures administered in a MVA setting. [source] Estimating Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Well-Functioning Older Adults: Treadmill Validation of the Long Distance Corridor WalkJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006Eleanor M. Simonsick PhD Objectives: To determine criterion validity of the 400-m walk component of the Long Distance Corridor Walk (LDCW) and develop equations for estimating peak oxygen consumption (VO2) from 400-m time and factors intrinsic to test performance (e.g., heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) response) in older adults. Design: Cross-sectional validation study. Setting: Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland. Participants: Healthy volunteers (56 men and 46 women) aged 60 to 91 participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging between August 1999 and July 2000. Measurements: The LDCW, consisting of a 2-minute walk followed immediately by a 400-m walk "done as quickly as possible" over a 20-m course was administered the day after maximal treadmill testing. HR and SBP were measured before testing and at the end of the 400-m walk. Weight, height, activity level, perceived effort, and stride length were also acquired. Results: Peak VO2 ranged from 12.2 to 31.1 mL oxygen/kg per minute, and 400-m time ranged from 2 minutes 52 seconds to 6 minutes 18 seconds. Correlation between 400-m time and peak VO2 was ,0.79. The estimating equation from linear regression included 400-m time (partial coefficient of determination (R2)=0.625), long versus short stride (partial R2=0.090), ending SBP (partial R2=0.019), and a correction factor for fast 400-m time (<240 seconds; partial R2=0.020) and explained 75.5% of the variance in peak VO2 (correlation coefficient=0.87). Conclusion: A 400-m walk performed as part of the LDCW provides a valid estimate of peak VO2 in older adults. Incorporating low-cost, safe assessments of fitness in clinical and research settings can identify early evidence of physical decline and individuals who may benefit from therapeutic interventions. [source] Incidence of Loss of Ability to Walk 400 Meters in a Functionally Limited Older PopulationJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2004Milan Chang PhD Objectives: To assess the incidence of and factors related to nondisabled but functionally limited older adults aged 75 to 85 years losing the ability to walk 400 m. Design: Observational study with average follow-up of 21 months. Setting: Community. Participants: At baseline, 101 persons with objective signs of functional limitations and intact cognitive function agreed to participate in the study. Of these, 81 were able to walk 400 m at baseline, and 62 participated in the follow-up examination. Measurements: Mobility disability was defined as an inability to complete a 400-m walk test. At baseline, eligible participants (n=81) had the ability to walk 400 m, scored between 4 and 9 on the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; range 0,12), and scored 18 or more on the Mini-Mental State Examination. Demographics, difficulty in daily activities, disease status, behavioral risk factors, and muscle strength were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Results: Of 62 persons at follow-up, 21 (33.9%) developed incident mobility disability. The strongest predictors of loss of mobility were the time to complete the 400-m walk at baseline (odds ratio (OR)=1.6 per 1-minute difference, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.04,2.45), and decline in SPPB score over the follow-up (OR=1.4 per 1-point difference, 95% CI=1.01,1.92). Conclusion: Older persons with functional limitations have a high rate of loss of ability to walk 400 m. The 400-m walk test is a highly relevant, discrete outcome that is an ideal target for testing preventive interventions in vulnerable older populations. [source] The American-Soviet Walks: Large-Scale Citizen Diplomacy at Glasnost's OutsetPEACE & CHANGE, Issue 4 2010Steve Brigham Nineteen eighty-seven was a watershed year in the Soviet Union, as Premier Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika initiatives began to change the face of this closed society. On the citizen diplomacy front, the year featured one of the largest-ever initiatives between American and Soviet citizens, the American,Soviet Walk, the first of numerous walks of that scale to take place in the ensuing years. The five-week walk not only pushed the limits of this fledgling openness and democratization but also tread well beyond the traditional, safe conventions of small-scale citizen exchange. This article explores what made these walks unique, from an unexpectedly large peace rally in Novgorod, to an illegal peace demonstration in Red Square, to public meetings with dissidents. It concludes by exploring the deep cultural differences among the citizen representatives from both countries and whether the walks provide a model for future citizen diplomacy when tensions are high between rival countries. [source] Type 2 Diabetes and Preventive Cardiology: Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk,PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003C. Tissa Kappagoda MBBS No abstract is available for this article. [source] Gentrification Trends in New Transit-Oriented Communities: Evidence from 14 Cities That Expanded and Built Rail Transit SystemsREAL ESTATE ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2007Matthew E. Kahn Over 25 billion dollars were spent between 1970 and 2000 in 14 major cities in the United States on the construction of new rail transit lines. This massive investment in rail transit construction and expansion allows me to study the consequences of local public goods improvements for communities nearby new stations. This article uses a 14-city census tract,level panel data set covering the years 1970 to 2000 to document significant heterogeneity in the effects of rail transit expansions across the 14 cities. Communities receiving increased access to new "Walk and Ride" stations experience greater gentrification than communities that are now close to new "Park and Ride" stations. [source] Shadows to Walk: Ursula Le Guin's Transgressions in UtopiaTHE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN CULTURE, Issue 3 2009William Marcellino First page of article [source] Teaching and Learning Guide for: Memoryscape: How Audio Walks Can Deepen Our Sense of Place by Integrating Art, Oral History and Cultural GeographyGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2008Toby Butler Author's Introduction This article is concerned with the history and practice of creating sound walks or ,memoryscapes': outdoor trails that use recorded sound and spoken memory played on a personal stereo or mobile media to experience places in new ways. It is now possible to cheaply and easily create this and other kinds of located media experience. The development of multi-sensory-located media (,locedia') presents some exciting opportunities for those concerned with place, local history, cultural geography and oral history. This article uses work from several different disciplines (music, sound art, oral history and cultural geography) as a starting point to exploring some early and recent examples of locedia practice. It also suggests how it might give us a more sophisticated, real, embodied and nuanced experience of places that the written word just can not deliver. Yet, there are considerable challenges in producing and experiencing such work. Academics used to writing must learn to work in sound and view or image; they must navigate difficult issues of privacy, consider the power relations of the outsider's ,gaze' and make decisions about the representation of places in work that local people may try and have strong feelings about. Creating such work is an active, multi-sensory and profoundly challenging experience that can offer students the chance to master multi-media skills as well as apply theoretical understandings of the histories and geographies of place. Author Recommends 1.,Perks, R., and Thomson, A. (2006). The oral history reader, 2nd ed. London: Routledge. This is a wonderful collection of significant writing concerned with oral history. Part IV, Making Histories features much of interest, including a thought-provoking paper on the challenges of authoring in sound rather than print by Charles Hardy III, and a moving interview with Graeme Miller, the artist who created the Linked walk mentioned in the memoryscape article. These only feature in the second edition. 2.,Cresswell, T. (2004). Place: a short introduction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. A refreshingly clear and well-written guide to the different theoretical takes on what makes places , a good starting point for further reading. 3.,Carlyle, A. (ed.). (2008). Autumn leaves: sound and the environment in artistic practice. Paris, France: Double Entendre. This is a collection of short essays and examples of located sonic media art; it includes interviews with practitioners and includes Hildegard Westekamp's Soundwalking, a practical guide to leading students on a mute walk. Lots of thought provoking, applied reading material for students here. 4.,Blunt, A., et al. (eds) (2003). Cultural geography in practice. London: Arnold. A great book for undergraduate and postgraduate students , concepts explained and lots of examples of actually doing cultural geography. The chapter on mapping worlds by David Pinder is particularly useful in this context. 5.,Pinder, D. (2001). Ghostly footsteps: voices, memories and walks in the city. Ecumene 8 (1), pp. 1,19. This article is a thoughtful analysis of a Janet Cardiff sound walk in Whitechapel, East London. Online Materials http://www.memoryscape.org.uk This is my project website, which features two online trails, Dockers which explores Greenwich and the memories of the London Docks that are archived in the Museum of London, and Drifting which is a rather strange experiment-combining physical geography and oral history along the Thames at Hampton Court, but still makes for an interesting trail. Audio, maps and trails can be downloaded for free, so students with phones or iPods can try the trails if you are within reach of Surrey or London. The site features an online version, with sound-accompanying photographs of the location. http://www.portsofcall.org.uk This website has three more trails here, this time of the communities surrounding the Royal Docks in East London. The scenery here is very dramatic and anyone interested in the regeneration of East London and its impact on local communities will find these trails interesting. Like Dockers, the walks feature a lot of rare archive interviews. This project involved a great deal of community interaction and participation as I experimented with trying to get people involved with the trail-making process. The site uses Google maps for online delivery. http://www.soundwalk.com This New York-based firm creates exceptionally high-quality soundwalks, and they are well worth the money. They started by producing trails for different districts of New York (I recommend the Bronx Graffiti trail) and have recently made trails for other cities, like Paris and Varanassi in India. http://www.mscapers.com This website is run by Hewlett Packard, which has a long history of research and development in located media applications. They currently give free licence to use their mscape software which is a relatively easy to learn way of creating global positioning system-triggered content. The big problem is that you have to have a pricey phone or personal digital assistant to run the software, which makes group work prohibitively expensive. But equipment prices are coming down and with the new generations of mobile phones developers believe that the time when the player technology is ubiquitous might be near. And if you ask nicely HP will lend out sets of equipment for teaching or events , fantastic if you are working within reach of Bristol. See also http://www.createascape.org.uk/ which has advice and examples of how mscape software has been used for teaching children. Sample Syllabus public geography: making memoryscapes This course unit could be adapted to different disciplines, or offered as a multidisciplinary unit to students from different disciplines. It gives students a grounding in several multi-media techniques and may require support/tuition from technical staff. 1.,Introduction What is a located mediascape, now and in the future? Use examples from resources above. 2.,Cultural geographies of site-specific art and sound Theories of place; experiments in mapping and site-specific performance. 3.,Walk activity: Westergard Hildekamp , sound walk, or one of the trails mentioned above The best way , and perhaps the only way , to really appreciate located media is to try one in the location they have been designed to be experienced. I would strongly advise any teaching in this field to include outdoor, on-site experiences. Even if you are out of reach of a mediascape experience, taking students on a sound walk can happen anywhere. See Autumn Leaves reference above. 4.,Researching local history An introduction to discovering historical information about places could be held at a local archive and a talk given by the archivist. 5.,Creating located multimedia using Google maps/Google earth A practical exercise-based session going through the basics of navigating Google maps, creating points and routes, and how to link pictures and sound files. 6.,Recording sound and oral history interviews A practical introduction to the techniques of qualitative interviewing and sound recording. There are lots of useful online guides to oral history recording, for example, an online oral history primer http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/audiovis/oral_history/index.htm; a more in depth guide to various aspects of oral history http://www.baylor.edu/oral%5fhistory/index.php?id=23566 or this simple oral history toolkit, with useful links to project in the North of England http://www.oralhistorynortheast.info/toolkit/chapter1.htm 7.,Sound editing skills Practical editing techniques including working with clips, editing sound and creating multi-track recordings. The freeware software Audacity is simple to use and there are a lot of online tutorials that cover the basics, for example, http://www.wikieducator.org/user:brentsimpson/collections/audacity_workshop 8.,Web page design and Google maps How to create a basic web page (placing pictures, text, hyperlinks, buttons) using design software (e.g. Dreamweaver). How to embed a Google map and add information points and routes. There is a great deal of online tutorials for web design, specific to the software you wish to use and Google maps can be used and embedded on websites free for non-profit use. http://maps.google.com/ 9,and 10. Individual or group project work (staff available for technical support) 11.,Presentations/reflection on practice Focus Questions 1What can sound tell us about the geographies of places? 2When you walk through a landscape, what traces of the past can be sensed? Now think about which elements of the past have been obliterated? Whose past has been silenced? Why? How could it be put back? 3Think of a personal or family story that is significant to you. In your imagination, locate the memory at a specific place. Tell a fellow student that story, and describe that place. Does it matter where it happened? How has thinking about that place made you feel? 4What happens when you present a memory of the past or a located vision of the future in a present landscape? How is this different to, say, writing about it in a book? 5Consider the area of this campus, or the streets immediately surrounding this building. Imagine this place in one of the following periods (each group picks one): ,,10,000 years ago ,,500 years ago ,,100 years ago ,,40 years ago ,,last Thursday ,,50 years time What sounds, voices, stories or images could help convey your interpretation of this place at that time? What would the visitor hear or see today at different points on a trail? Sketch out an outline map of a located media trail, and annotate with what you hear/see/sense at different places. Project Idea small group project: creating a located mediascape Each small group must create a located media experience, reflecting an aspect of the history/geography/culture of an area of their choosing, using the knowledge that they have acquired over the course of the semester. The experience may be as creative and imaginative as you wish, and may explore the past, present or future , or elements of each. Each group must: ,,identify an area of interest ,,research an aspect of the area of the groups choosing; this may involve visiting local archives, libraries, discussing the idea with local people, physically exploring the area ,,take photographs, video or decide on imagery (if necessary) ,,record sound, conduct interviews or script and record narration ,,design a route or matrix of media points The final project must be presented on a website, may embed Google maps, and a presentation created to allow the class to experience the mediascape (either in the classroom or on location, if convenient). The website should include a brief theoretical and methodological explanation of the basis of their interpretation. If the group cannot be supported with tuition and support in basic website design or using Google mapping with sound and imagery, a paper map with locations and a CD containing sound files/images might be submitted instead. For examples of web projects created by masters degree students of cultural geography at Royal Holloway (not all sound based) see http://www.gg.rhul.ac.uk/MA/web-projects.html [source] A Grasshopper Walks into a Bar: The Role of Humour in NormativityJOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 3 2002Michael P. Wolf First page of article [source] Random Walks and the Cointegration of the ACLI and NCREIFREAL ESTATE ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2000Leon Shilton Do NCREIF returns influence commercial mortgage underwriters when they adjust capitalization rates? Are the ACLI capitalization series and the NCREIF return series cointegrated at the national and the smaller geographic sub-division levels? This research uses a two-step procedure to test for cointegration. First, the Phillips,Perron unit-root procedure must show that each series is a unit-root random walk. Previous research usually has assumed that these series are random walks, with the implication that the commercial mortgage market is efficient. Second, the Phillips,Ouliaris test of the residuals of a function of the two series determines the possibility of cointegration. At the national level and for the Northeast and Pacific regions the two series are random walks and cointegrated. In other geographic sub-divisions, neither or only one series is a random walk and therefore the data does not support a relationship. The lack of functional relationships in four of the six smaller geographic regions suggests that underwriters are not obtaining the NCREIF information or are ignoring it. The lack of random walks with the implication about capital-market efficiency invites further research. [source] Fast display of large-scale forest with fidelityCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 2 2006Huaisheng Zhang Abstract We propose a new hierarchical representation for a forest model, namely hierarchical layered depth mosaics (HLDM). Each node in the HLDM comprises a number of discrete textured quadrilaterals, called depth mosaics (DMs). The DMs are generated from the sampled depth images of the polygonal tree models. Meanwhile, their textures are compressed by a new approach accounting for occlusion. Our rendering procedure traverses the HLDM and renders the appropriate nodes according to a view-dependent selection criterion. A blending scheme is adopted to mitigate the visual ,popping' caused by the transition of levels of detail. The experiment demonstrates that the viewer could interactively walk or fly above the forest with fidelity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Global Illumination as a Combination of Continuous Random Walk and Finite-Element Based IterationCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2001László Szirmay-Kalos The paper introduces a global illumination method that combines continuous and finite-element approaches, pre-serving the speed of finite-element based iteration and the accuracy of continuous random walks. The basic idea is to decompose the radiance function to a finite-element component that is only a rough estimate and to a difference component that is obtained by Monte-Carlo techniques. Iteration and random walk are handled uniformly in the framework of stochastic iteration. This uniform treatment allows the finite-element component to be built up adap-tively aiming at minimizing the Monte-Carlo component. The method is also suited for interactive walkthrough animation in glossy scenes since when the viewpoint changes, only the small Monte-Carlo component needs to be recomputed. [source] Computer-generated null models as an approach to detect perceptual range in mark,re-sight studies , an example with grasshoppersECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Silke Hein Abstract., 1. Dispersal and habitat detection are key factors for the colonisation of habitat fragments in heterogeneous landscapes. The ability to recognise a habitat from a certain distance should increase the survival chances of a dispersing individual; however, due to methodological problems there is little information on the perceptual range of most species. 2. In a field experiment, 44 individually marked grasshoppers of the species Oedipoda caerulescens (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Locustinae) were released into an unfamiliar, hostile environment at various distances from a patch of preferred habitat. 3. Whether individuals reached the habitat or not was measured, as well as the daily movement distances. The number of individuals that reached the habitat was tested against computer-generated predictions based on different underlying rules for the movement behaviour of individuals but not accounting for the ability to detect habitat from distance. 4. On the first day a significantly higher proportion of grasshoppers arrived in the habitat than predicted by any of the null models. 5. It was concluded that individuals of O. caerulescens are able to detect their preferred habitat from a distance. 6. Edge permeability was very low as none of the individuals left the habitat once they had reached it. 7. Additional analyses showed that individuals changed movement behaviour from a directed walk with great daily distances in unsuitable habitat to a walk with significantly shorter daily distances within the preferred habitat. 8. The problems that arose in the field experiment are discussed and recommendations are given for further studies. [source] Measuring dispersal and detecting departures from a random walk model in a grasshopper hybrid zoneECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2003R. I. Bailey Abstract. 1. The grasshopper species Chorthippus brunneus and C. jacobsi form a complex mosaic hybrid zone in northern Spain. Two mark,release,recapture studies were carried out near the centre of the zone in order to make direct estimates of lifetime dispersal. 2. A model framework based on a simple random walk in homogeneous habitat was extended to include the estimation of philopatry and flying propensity. Each model was compared with the real data, correcting for spatial and temporal biases in the data sets. 3. All four data sets (males and females at each site) deviated significantly from a random walk. Three of the data sets showed strong philopatry and three had a long dispersal tail, indicating a low propensity to move further than predicted by the random walk model. 4. Neighbourhood size estimates were 76 and 227 for the two sites. These estimates may underestimate effective population size, which could be increased by the long tail to the dispersal function. The random walk model overestimates lifetime dispersal and hence the minimum spatial scale of adaptation. 5. Best estimates of lifetime dispersal distance of 7,33 m per generation were considerably lower than a previous indirect estimate of 1344 m per generation. This discrepancy could be influenced by prezygotic isolation, an inherent by-product of mosaic hybrid zone structure. [source] Functional MRI Predicts Memory Performance after Right Mesiotemporal Epilepsy SurgeryEPILEPSIA, Issue 2 2005Jozsef Janszky Summary:,Purpose: Anterior temporal lobe resection (ATR) is a treatment option in drug-resistant epilepsy. An important risk of ATR is loss of memory because mesiotemporal structures contribute substantially to memory function. We investigated whether memory-activated functional MRI (fMRI) can predict postoperative memory loss after anterior temporal lobectomy in right-sided medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Methods: We included 16 patients (10 women) aged 16,54 years. The mean age at epilepsy onset was 12.5 years (range, 1,26 years). The patients' mean Wechsler IQ score was 95.2 (range, 62,125). The activation condition of fMRI consisted of retrieval from long-term memory induced by self-paced performance of an imaginative walk. All but one patient had left-sided speech dominance according to speech-activated fMRI. Outside the scanner, we evaluated the pre- and postoperative visual memory retention by using Rey Visual Design Learning Test. Results: We found a correlation between the preoperative asymmetry index of memory- fMRI and the change between pre- and postsurgical measures of memory retention. Reduced activation of the mesiotemporal region ipsilateral to the epileptogenic region correlated with a favorable memory outcome after right-sided ATR. Conclusions: In light of the postoperative results, the theoretical implication of our study is that fMRI based on a simple introspective retrieval task measures memory functions. The main clinical implication of our study is that memory- fMRI might replace the invasive Wada test in MTLE by using a simple fMRI paradigm. Predictive power, however, will be studied in larger patient samples. Other studies are required for left-sided MTLE and neocortical epilepsies to assess the clinical usefulness of memory- fMRI. [source] Effect of conditioning horses with short intervals at high speed on biochemical variables in bloodEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue S36 2006A. LINDNER Summary Reasons for performing study: There is limited published work on the effect of training using intensive and short intervals of exercise to condition horses for racing. Objectives: To examine the effect of conditioning horses 1, 2 or 3 x a week using 2 short fast exercise intervals on blood lactate (LA), plasma ammonia (NH3) and urea (urea) as well as creatine kinase (CK) activity. Methods: Thoroughbreds (age 4,5 years) were conditioned at near maximal speed (12,14 m/sec) over 100 m, on 2 occasions separated by a 10 min period at walk, on dirt track (conditioning exercise; CE) during a 6 week conditioning period (CP). The CE was undertaken either once (5 horses), twice (5 horses) or 3 times a week (4 horses) during a CP. Before, every 2 weeks during and after the CP, blood was drawn during the CE at 0, 2 and 4 min after each run and additionally 6 min after the 2nd run to measure blood LA and determine the maximal LA post exercise (LAmax). Plasma NH3 was measured in the same samples and the maximal NH3 post exercise (NH3max) determined. Additional blood samples were taken from the horses when stabled before the CE, and 12 and 24 h after to measure urea and CK activity in plasma. Results: There was no differential effect of the number of weekly CE on LAmax, NH3max, LA and NH3 immediately after exercise (LAO and NH30). Conditioning did not have an effect on LAmax and LAO after the 1st interval (P>0.05), but LAO after the 2nd interval was lower after conditioning. NH3max after the 1st and 2nd exercise interval decreased in response to the conditioning, but not NH3 immediately after exercise (P>0.05). Median plasma CK activity 12 h after exercise was higher than before exercise and returned to pre-exercise levels 24 h post exercise when horses were exercised once and twice/week. In contrast, the median plasma CK activity of horses exercising 3 times/week remained at the pre-exercise level 12 and 24 h post exercise (P>0.05). Conclusion: Conditioning horses with 2 intervals of 100 m at near maximal speed had a positive effect on blood LA and plasma NH3. Potential relevance: With the type of exercise examined, the fitness of racing horses can be maintained and eventually improved. In further studies the effect of increasing the number of runs in one exercise session should be investigated. [source] Effect of local analgesia on movement of the equine backEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 1 2006K. ROETHLISBERGER HOLM Summary Reasons for performing study: Diagnostic infiltration of local anaesthetic solution is commonly used in cases of equine back pain. Evaluation is subjective and it is not known how local analgesia of the back affects horses without clinical signs of back pain. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of infiltration of local anaesthetics on the movement of the back in horses without clinical signs of back pain, and to evaluate the usefulness of kinematic studies as an objective and quantitative tool in evaluating local analgesia in clinical practice. Methods: The kinematics of the back in 10 clinically sound horses were measured on 2 occasions at walk and trot before and after injections with mepivacaine and sodium chloride around the interspinous spaces between T16 and L2. The kinematics were compared between the 2 occasions before injections and before and after each injection. Results: The range of motion (ROM) for dorsoventral flexion-extension (FE) of the back was increased significantly in all measured segments other than T10 at walk, as was lateral bending (LB) at T10, L3 and L5 after injection of mepivacaine. For lateral excursion (LE), total movement increased at all measured segments. At trot the only affected segment was L3, where the injection with mepivacaine decreased the ROM for FE. After injection of sodium chloride the ROM for FE increased at T13 and T17 at walk. Lateral bending and LE were not affected at walk. At trot, LB increased at L3 and L5. Conclusions and potential relevance: Diagnostic infiltration of local anaesthetic solution affects the function of the back in clinically sound horses, which must be considered when interpreting the use of this clinical aid in assessing clinical cases of back dysfunction. Kinematics can qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the effect of local analgesia of the back. [source] The influence of head and neck position on kinematics of the back in riding horses at the walk and trotEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 1 2005M. RHODIN Summary Reasons for performing study: A common opinion among riders and in the literature is that the positioning of the head and neck influences the back of the horse, but this has not yet been measured objectively. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of head and neck position on the kinematics of the back in riding horses. Methods: Eight Warmblood riding horses in regular work were studied on a treadmill at walk and trot with the head and neck in 3 different predetermined positions achieved by side reins attached to the bit and to an anticast roller. The 3-dimensional movement of the thoracolumbar spine was measured from the position of skin-fixed markers recorded by infrared videocameras. Results: Head and neck position influenced the movements of the back, especially at the walk. When the head was fixed in a high position at the walk, the flexion-extension movement and lateral bending of the lumbar back, as well as the axial rotation, were significantly reduced when compared to movements with the head free or in a low position. At walk, head and neck position also significantly influenced stride length, which was shortest with the head in a high position. At trot, the stride length was independent of head position. Conclusions: Restricting and restraining the position and movement of the head and neck alters the movement of the back and stride characteristics. With the head and neck in a high position stride length and flexion and extension of the caudal back were significantly reduced. Potential relevance: Use of side reins in training and rehabilitation programmes should be used with an understanding of the possible effects on the horse's back. [source] Electromyographic and kinematic indicators of fatigue in horses: a pilot studyEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue S33 2001G. R. COLBORNE Summary Muscle fatigue can be quantified using Fourier analysis of the recorded EMG signal. Median frequency is the frequency at which the Fourier profile is bisected, and this measure typically shifts to smaller values during fatigue. This technique was combined with kinematic analysis to describe the time course of fatigue in horses galloping on an inclined treadmill. It was hypothesised that EMG median frequency would decrease in tandem with changes in kinematic variables through the exercise test. Three fit Thoroughbred horses had retroreflective markers placed on their hooves and withers. Surface electrodes were attached to the skin over the forelimb deltoid muscle. After warm-up at walk and trot, each horse galloped at 110% VO2max on a treadmill inclined to 7.5% until fatigue onset. Kinematic data were recorded at 200 Hz for 5 s at 30s intervals, and raw EMG data were recorded at 1024 Hz for 3 s at 15 s intervals. Fatigue onset was the point in time when the horse could not keep up with the treadmill speed with minimal encouragement. One horse performed the entire exercise test on the same lead, while the other 2 horses changed leads periodically, interrupting the changes in both the EMG and kinematic measurements. Overall, through the course of the trials, mean stride length increased by 0.34 m and stride duration increased by 0.03 s. Vertical excursion of the trunk marker increased by 0.03 m. For the horse that did not change lead, median frequency of the EMG signal decreased by 36%. In the other 2 horses, lead changes were interspersed between smaller decreases in median frequency, whereupon median frequency recovered to starting levels immediately following a lead change. The median frequency decreased by 12-20% between lead changes. Kinematic changes are more global indictors of fatigue, while the EMG indicators are dependent upon lead changes. [source] Expression of cell fate determinants and plastic changes after neurotoxic lesion of adult mice spinal cord by cholera toxin-B saporinEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 8 2010Rosario Gulino Abstract Recent studies have attempted to repair the damaged spinal cord (SC) by stimulating neurogenesis or neuroplasticity. Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Notch-1 and Numb are involved in the stem cell functioning. Additionally, Notch-1 has a role as modulator of synaptic plasticity. However, little is known about the role of these proteins in the adult SC after removal of motoneurons. In this study, we have injected cholera toxin-B saporin into the gastrocnemius muscle to induce a depletion of motoneurons within the lumbar SC of adult mice, and analysed the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), Synapsin-I, Shh, Notch-1 and Numb proteins. The functional outcome of the lesion was monitored by grid walk and rotarod tasks. The neurotoxin lesion determined a motoneuron depletion and a transient decrease of ChAT, Synapsin-I, Shh and Numb levels in the lumbar SC. ChAT was associated with Synapsin-I expression and motor performance at 1 week but not 1 month after lesion, suggesting that the recovery of locomotion could depend on synaptic plasticity, at least in an early phase. Shh and Notch-1 were associated with Synapsin-I levels, suggesting a role in modulating synaptic plasticity. Numb expression also appeared reduced after lesion and linked to motor performance. Moreover, unlike other lesion models, we observed glial reaction but no evidence of cell proliferation within the depleted SC. Given the mentioned roles of Shh, Notch-1 and Numb, we believe that an in vivo manipulation of their signalling after lesion could represent a suitable way to improve functional recovery by modulating synaptic plasticity and/or neurogenesis. [source] THE POPULATION GENETICS OF ADAPTATION: THE ADAPTATION OF DNA SEQUENCESEVOLUTION, Issue 7 2002H. Allen Orr Abstract I describe several patterns characterizing the genetics of adaptation at the DNA level. Following Gillespie (1983, 1984, 1991), I consider a population presently fixed for the ith best allele at a locus and study the sequential substitution of favorable mutations that results in fixation of the fittest DNA sequence locally available. Given a wild type sequence that is less than optimal, I derive the fitness rank of the next allele typically fixed by natural selection as well as the mean and variance of the jump in fitness that results when natural selection drives a substitution. Looking over the whole series of substitutions required to reach the best allele, I show that the mean fitness jumps occurring throughout an adaptive walk are constrained to a twofold window of values, assuming only that adaptation begins from a reasonably fit allele. I also show that the first substitution and the substitution of largest effect account for a large share of the total fitness increase during adaptation. I further show that the distribution of selection coefficients fixed throughout such an adaptive walk is exponential (ignoring mutations of small effect), a finding reminiscent of that seen in Fisher's geometric model of adaptation. Last, I show that adaptation by natural selection behaves in several respects as the average of two idealized forms of adaptation, perfect and random. [source] ORNITHOPHILIA: THOUGHTS ON GEOGRAPHY IN BIRDINGGEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2010MARK BONTA abstract. The deeper motives of bird-watchers have rarely been subjected to geographical inquiry. Birders are sometimes dismissed as hobbyists bent on compensating for feelings of inadequacy and lack of control in their personal lives. In this article, utilizing textual references as well as experiences from my own participant-observer status as geographer-cum-birder and bird-tour leader, I construct a geographically oriented approach to understanding the fascinations of bird-watching. I detail ethnographically the annual Christmas Bird Count and a bird walk in the Honduran rain forest. Then, drawing from the nest-as-home metaphors of Gaston Bachelard and the "becoming-bird" relationships suggested by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, I position birding as extraordinarily intimate exploration of place, reinforced by anticipation, repetition, experience of beauty, and the culminating encounter of human self, bird or bird spectacle, and landscape. [source] Teaching and Learning Guide for: Memoryscape: How Audio Walks Can Deepen Our Sense of Place by Integrating Art, Oral History and Cultural GeographyGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2008Toby Butler Author's Introduction This article is concerned with the history and practice of creating sound walks or ,memoryscapes': outdoor trails that use recorded sound and spoken memory played on a personal stereo or mobile media to experience places in new ways. It is now possible to cheaply and easily create this and other kinds of located media experience. The development of multi-sensory-located media (,locedia') presents some exciting opportunities for those concerned with place, local history, cultural geography and oral history. This article uses work from several different disciplines (music, sound art, oral history and cultural geography) as a starting point to exploring some early and recent examples of locedia practice. It also suggests how it might give us a more sophisticated, real, embodied and nuanced experience of places that the written word just can not deliver. Yet, there are considerable challenges in producing and experiencing such work. Academics used to writing must learn to work in sound and view or image; they must navigate difficult issues of privacy, consider the power relations of the outsider's ,gaze' and make decisions about the representation of places in work that local people may try and have strong feelings about. Creating such work is an active, multi-sensory and profoundly challenging experience that can offer students the chance to master multi-media skills as well as apply theoretical understandings of the histories and geographies of place. Author Recommends 1.,Perks, R., and Thomson, A. (2006). The oral history reader, 2nd ed. London: Routledge. This is a wonderful collection of significant writing concerned with oral history. Part IV, Making Histories features much of interest, including a thought-provoking paper on the challenges of authoring in sound rather than print by Charles Hardy III, and a moving interview with Graeme Miller, the artist who created the Linked walk mentioned in the memoryscape article. These only feature in the second edition. 2.,Cresswell, T. (2004). Place: a short introduction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. A refreshingly clear and well-written guide to the different theoretical takes on what makes places , a good starting point for further reading. 3.,Carlyle, A. (ed.). (2008). Autumn leaves: sound and the environment in artistic practice. Paris, France: Double Entendre. This is a collection of short essays and examples of located sonic media art; it includes interviews with practitioners and includes Hildegard Westekamp's Soundwalking, a practical guide to leading students on a mute walk. Lots of thought provoking, applied reading material for students here. 4.,Blunt, A., et al. (eds) (2003). Cultural geography in practice. London: Arnold. A great book for undergraduate and postgraduate students , concepts explained and lots of examples of actually doing cultural geography. The chapter on mapping worlds by David Pinder is particularly useful in this context. 5.,Pinder, D. (2001). Ghostly footsteps: voices, memories and walks in the city. Ecumene 8 (1), pp. 1,19. This article is a thoughtful analysis of a Janet Cardiff sound walk in Whitechapel, East London. Online Materials http://www.memoryscape.org.uk This is my project website, which features two online trails, Dockers which explores Greenwich and the memories of the London Docks that are archived in the Museum of London, and Drifting which is a rather strange experiment-combining physical geography and oral history along the Thames at Hampton Court, but still makes for an interesting trail. Audio, maps and trails can be downloaded for free, so students with phones or iPods can try the trails if you are within reach of Surrey or London. The site features an online version, with sound-accompanying photographs of the location. http://www.portsofcall.org.uk This website has three more trails here, this time of the communities surrounding the Royal Docks in East London. The scenery here is very dramatic and anyone interested in the regeneration of East London and its impact on local communities will find these trails interesting. Like Dockers, the walks feature a lot of rare archive interviews. This project involved a great deal of community interaction and participation as I experimented with trying to get people involved with the trail-making process. The site uses Google maps for online delivery. http://www.soundwalk.com This New York-based firm creates exceptionally high-quality soundwalks, and they are well worth the money. They started by producing trails for different districts of New York (I recommend the Bronx Graffiti trail) and have recently made trails for other cities, like Paris and Varanassi in India. http://www.mscapers.com This website is run by Hewlett Packard, which has a long history of research and development in located media applications. They currently give free licence to use their mscape software which is a relatively easy to learn way of creating global positioning system-triggered content. The big problem is that you have to have a pricey phone or personal digital assistant to run the software, which makes group work prohibitively expensive. But equipment prices are coming down and with the new generations of mobile phones developers believe that the time when the player technology is ubiquitous might be near. And if you ask nicely HP will lend out sets of equipment for teaching or events , fantastic if you are working within reach of Bristol. See also http://www.createascape.org.uk/ which has advice and examples of how mscape software has been used for teaching children. Sample Syllabus public geography: making memoryscapes This course unit could be adapted to different disciplines, or offered as a multidisciplinary unit to students from different disciplines. It gives students a grounding in several multi-media techniques and may require support/tuition from technical staff. 1.,Introduction What is a located mediascape, now and in the future? Use examples from resources above. 2.,Cultural geographies of site-specific art and sound Theories of place; experiments in mapping and site-specific performance. 3.,Walk activity: Westergard Hildekamp , sound walk, or one of the trails mentioned above The best way , and perhaps the only way , to really appreciate located media is to try one in the location they have been designed to be experienced. I would strongly advise any teaching in this field to include outdoor, on-site experiences. Even if you are out of reach of a mediascape experience, taking students on a sound walk can happen anywhere. See Autumn Leaves reference above. 4.,Researching local history An introduction to discovering historical information about places could be held at a local archive and a talk given by the archivist. 5.,Creating located multimedia using Google maps/Google earth A practical exercise-based session going through the basics of navigating Google maps, creating points and routes, and how to link pictures and sound files. 6.,Recording sound and oral history interviews A practical introduction to the techniques of qualitative interviewing and sound recording. There are lots of useful online guides to oral history recording, for example, an online oral history primer http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/audiovis/oral_history/index.htm; a more in depth guide to various aspects of oral history http://www.baylor.edu/oral%5fhistory/index.php?id=23566 or this simple oral history toolkit, with useful links to project in the North of England http://www.oralhistorynortheast.info/toolkit/chapter1.htm 7.,Sound editing skills Practical editing techniques including working with clips, editing sound and creating multi-track recordings. The freeware software Audacity is simple to use and there are a lot of online tutorials that cover the basics, for example, http://www.wikieducator.org/user:brentsimpson/collections/audacity_workshop 8.,Web page design and Google maps How to create a basic web page (placing pictures, text, hyperlinks, buttons) using design software (e.g. Dreamweaver). How to embed a Google map and add information points and routes. There is a great deal of online tutorials for web design, specific to the software you wish to use and Google maps can be used and embedded on websites free for non-profit use. http://maps.google.com/ 9,and 10. Individual or group project work (staff available for technical support) 11.,Presentations/reflection on practice Focus Questions 1What can sound tell us about the geographies of places? 2When you walk through a landscape, what traces of the past can be sensed? Now think about which elements of the past have been obliterated? Whose past has been silenced? Why? How could it be put back? 3Think of a personal or family story that is significant to you. In your imagination, locate the memory at a specific place. Tell a fellow student that story, and describe that place. Does it matter where it happened? How has thinking about that place made you feel? 4What happens when you present a memory of the past or a located vision of the future in a present landscape? How is this different to, say, writing about it in a book? 5Consider the area of this campus, or the streets immediately surrounding this building. Imagine this place in one of the following periods (each group picks one): ,,10,000 years ago ,,500 years ago ,,100 years ago ,,40 years ago ,,last Thursday ,,50 years time What sounds, voices, stories or images could help convey your interpretation of this place at that time? What would the visitor hear or see today at different points on a trail? Sketch out an outline map of a located media trail, and annotate with what you hear/see/sense at different places. Project Idea small group project: creating a located mediascape Each small group must create a located media experience, reflecting an aspect of the history/geography/culture of an area of their choosing, using the knowledge that they have acquired over the course of the semester. The experience may be as creative and imaginative as you wish, and may explore the past, present or future , or elements of each. Each group must: ,,identify an area of interest ,,research an aspect of the area of the groups choosing; this may involve visiting local archives, libraries, discussing the idea with local people, physically exploring the area ,,take photographs, video or decide on imagery (if necessary) ,,record sound, conduct interviews or script and record narration ,,design a route or matrix of media points The final project must be presented on a website, may embed Google maps, and a presentation created to allow the class to experience the mediascape (either in the classroom or on location, if convenient). The website should include a brief theoretical and methodological explanation of the basis of their interpretation. If the group cannot be supported with tuition and support in basic website design or using Google mapping with sound and imagery, a paper map with locations and a CD containing sound files/images might be submitted instead. For examples of web projects created by masters degree students of cultural geography at Royal Holloway (not all sound based) see http://www.gg.rhul.ac.uk/MA/web-projects.html [source] Energy Collection, Transport, and Trapping by a Supramolecular Organization of Dyes in Hexagonal Zeolite Nanocrystals,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 2 2006C. Minkowski Abstract The incorporation of guest molecules into the cavities of molecular sieves leads to a large variety of highly interesting materials. Zeolite,L,an aluminosilicate with one-dimensional channels of open diameter 7.1,Ĺ,is a very versatile material for building highly organized host,guest systems. We present materials where organic dye molecules have been incorporated into the channels of zeolite,L by means of diffusion, to build artificial photonic antenna systems. The channel entrance can be plugged by adding closure molecules that then connect the guest molecules inside with materials or molecules outside of the zeolite channels, since they can act as extensions of the interior of the zeolite crystal. The photophysical processes taking place in such dye-loaded zeolite,L antennae can be studied either on single-micrometer- or submicrometer-sized crystals or on crystals dispersed in a solvent or coated as thin layers on a support. The energy-transfer process occurring is of the Förster-type, and its transfer rate can be tuned by separating the donor dyes and the acceptor dyes locally by varying amounts of spacer molecules. The distribution of the dye molecules and empty sites within a zeolite crystal has been modeled by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. The Förster energy migration and transfer steps are described as a random walk. [source] Establishing a minimum standard for collaborative research in federal environmental agencies,INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Kalle E Matso Abstract There is a general consensus that,given the magnitude of the challenges facing our nation's natural resource managers,the rate, efficiency, and effectiveness of linking research to decision making must be enhanced. Many reports have touched on this issue, most of them culminating with the exhortation to "foster more interactions between scientists and users," but very few documents provide details or assign responsibility to drive the interactions that most agree should happen. As a result, many natural science and engineering programs "talk the talk",that is, they say they do collaborative research with intended users; however, upon inspection, few of them "walk the walk" by effectively supporting collaboration throughout the research process. Moreover, when called to support transition to application in specific ways, research agencies often balk, most often objecting that research programs cannot afford to take any support away from funding more research. They may also argue that science works best for society when it is freed from concerns related to application. In this paper we will 1) review the cultural conflict that often underlies disagreements about collaborative research, 2) offer details on the basic ingredients required to achieve a minimum standard for collaborative research, 3) suggest an approach for determining the appropriate level of support for collaborative research, given various research goals, and 4) recommend specific steps for motivating scientists and stakeholders to participate in collaborative research. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||