Forest recreation planning in Langkawi Island,Malaysia, using Landsat TM

There is an increasing demand for development of new recreation areas and more intensive management of existing areas. With an eye to the design and implementation of comprehensive zoning plans, satellite remote sensing should provide an ideal tool for terrain analysis, vegetation, and cover type mapping, which are vital to intensive recreation planning. The study undertaken was aimed at examining the applicability of satellite remote sensing for providing necessary information to be used in forest recreation planning. A Landsat TM scene (path row 128/ 56) taken on 30 January 1992 was processed digitally on a Meridian PC image processing system by selecting a representative subsection of the scene that covered the study area. Existing land use, topographical maps, and other related ground information as well as contrast stretching and a maximum likelihood classifier ( MLC) technique were used to assist in the classification. The selection of potential recreation sites was based from potential surface analysis ( PSA ). The results showed that most of the undeveloped forest area located in the north-eastern part of Langkawi Island, Malaysia, was the most potential sites for recreational development, while the moderate recreation potential zones lay on the western part of the island. The mean overall classification accuracy obtained was 82% Therefore the study implies that it is possible to select potential recreation sites ranging from most potential to least potential in Langkawi Island using Landsat TM.     

How do biologists respond to low-intensity armed conflicts? The case of Bangladesh (1961–2011)

Armed conflict affects the biological diversity and biological research regime of a country. This paper takes a low-intensity armed conflict in the biologically and ethnically diverse Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, as an example, and assesses the response of biologists to this conflict. The study spans the last 50 years dividing it into three periods: pre-conflict (1961?1974), conflict (1975–1997) and post-conflict (1998–2011). Interactions with selected researchers and a literature survey showed that sporadic, intermittent biological research was conducted in this region even during the conflict. The number of research initiatives substantially increased and became more diverse over the last decade. Research opportunity has increased mainly because of improved security and accessibility. Nevertheless, despite the research capacity and a positive attitude among the researchers, some fundamental issues still limit long-term research in this area. The continuing volatile situation due to slow implementation of the 1997 Peace Accord and the tension between rebel factions and indigenous and settler communities in some areas continue to be serious concerns for studying and conserving the biodiversity of this region. Innovative research approaches and the full implementation of the peace agreement are vital to improving the situation for biological research in the CHT. The paper underlines the importance of a biologist’s self-motivation to respond to low-intensity armed conflicts.     

Flexible and Conductive 3D Printable Polyvinylidene Fluoride and Poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) Based Gel Polymer Electrolytes

In this work, 3D printable gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) based on N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in lithium chloride containing ethylene glycol solution are synthesized and their physicochemical properties are investigated. 3D printing is carried out with a customized stereolithography type 3D gel printer named “Soft and Wet Intelligent Matter‐Easy Realizer” and free forming GPE samples having variable shapes and sizes are obtained. Printed PVDF/PDMAAm‐based GPEs exhibit tunable mechanical properties and favorable thermal stability. Electrochemical proprieties of the printed GPEs are carried out via impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range of 25–90 °C by varying PVDF content. Ionic conductivity as high as 6.5 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 is achieved at room temperature for GPE containing low PVDF content (5 wt%) and conductivity of the GPEs is increased as temperature rises.     

Reactions of co-adsorbed carbon dioxide and dioxygen at the Mg(0001) surface at low temperatures

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has established that molecular dioxygen states are stabilised at a Mg(0001) surface in the presence of physisorbed carbon dioxide at 80 K. The dioxygen–CO₂ complex is highly reactive with low energy reaction pathways to carbonate formation; the latter is subsequently reduced to give surface carbide and oxide at a temperature below 150 K. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Stereotype distinctiveness: How counterstereotypic behavior shapes the self-concept.

Three experiments examined the relationship between distinctiveness and self-schematicity. Experiment 1 revealed that people were more likely to be self-schematic in domains of strong performance when they felt distinct from family and peers in those domains. Experiments 2 and 3 extended this finding into the arena of stereotypes by demonstrating that people were more likely to be self-schematic in domains of strong performance when their performance was counterstereotypic rather than stereotypic. In particular, African Americans and women were more likely to be schematic for intelligence than Caucasians and men if they performed well academically, whereas Caucasians—especially men—were more likely than African Americans to be schematic for athletics if they performed well athletically. These results suggest that counterstereotypic behavior plays a uniquely powerful role in the development of the self-concept. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)