Late Miocene to mid-Pleistocene sedimentary proxy records reveal that northwest Australia underwent an abrupt transition from dry to humid climate conditions at 5.5 million years (Ma), likely receiving year-round rainfall, but after ~3.3 Ma, climate shifted toward an increasingly seasonal precipitation regime. The progressive constriction of the Indonesian Throughflow likely decreased continent...

The Planet’s Pivot Area in Mackinder’s Theory The geopolitical situation of the early 21st century gave a new boost to studies of the regional structuralization principles for the geopolitical and geo-economic space of the entire Eurasian continent. This revived the conceptions formulated by Halford Mackinder in the early 20th century and his opponent, Nicholas Spykman, somewhat later. They off...

OBJECTIVE to evaluate the average resulting area from the Pressure x Time curves resulting from the manometric anorectal exam and compare it with the support capacity of voluntary squeeze. MATERIALS AND METHODS the data set was represented by data from 11 exams from continent patients and eight exams from patients with grade III fecal incontinence. The manometric curves were delineated, and t...

The genetic history of African cattle pastoralism is controversial and poorly understood. We reveal the genetic signatures of its origins, secondary movements, and differentiation through the study of 15 microsatellite loci in 50 indigenous cattle breeds spanning the present cattle distribution in Africa. The earliest cattle originated within the African continent, but Near East and European ge...

The Antarctic continent is frequently cited as the last pristine continent on Earth. However, this view is misleading for several reasons. First, there has been a rapid increase in visitors to Antarctica, with large increases at research bases and their environs and to sites of major tourist interest (e.g. historical sites and concentrations of megafauna). Second, although substantial efforts a...

Water shortage is common in much of Australia. With the vast majority of the continent classed as semi arid (an overall average of 455mm rainfall per year) and the tropical north having monsoonal rains and long dry seasons, groundwater provides an essential buffer for many parts of the country. In recent years though, rainfall has been significantly below average, especially across the south ea...

Total body water (TBW) and total body potassium (TBK) were studied in 40 ileostomists before (with conventional ileostomy) and one year after conversion to a continent ileostomy. Each patient acted as his own control. Total body water was determined by using an isotope dilution technique and TBK by counting the gamma radiation from the naturally present nuclide 40K in a whole body counter. Meas...

Background: Continent diversions have since been performed with increasing frequency since the 1950s, with some providers espousing the use of orthotopic diversions as being the new gold standard. However, patients must be counseled to take great care in the maintenance of their diversions because of complications such as metabolic abnormalities, pouch stones, and mucus retention. Case Report: ...

BACKGROUND: The optimal mode of urinary tract reconstruction following cystectomy continues to challenge the urologic surgeon. Disadvantages with bowel conduits have prompted the search for better techniques to improve patient outcomes. METHODS: The development of urinary tract reconstruction is reviewed, and results from several forms of continent urinary diversion and bladder replacement cons...

This special issue collects some of the best papers from the 2009 IEEE International Workshop on Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics held at the University of Denver in late 2009. This single-track workshop, in its seventh year, has become the premier venue for search and rescue robotics research and related technologies the world over. Hopping from continent to continent each year, this stop ...