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First Life: Discovering the Connections Between Stars, Cells, and How Life Began
by David DeamerThis pathbreaking book explores how life can begin, taking us from cosmic clouds of stardust, to volcanoes on Earth, to the modern chemistry laboratory. Seeking to understand life's connection to the stars, David Deamer introduces astrobiology, a new scientific discipline that studies the origin and evolution of life on Earth and relates it to the birth and death of stars, planet formation, interfaces between minerals, water, and atmosphere, and the physics and chemistry of carbon compounds. Deamer argues that life began as systems of molecules that assembled into membrane-bound packages. These in turn provided an essential compartment in which more complex molecules assumed new functions required for the origin of life and the beginning of evolution. Deamer takes us from the vivid and unpromising chaos of the Earth four billion years ago up to the present and his own laboratory, where he contemplates the prospects for generating synthetic life. Engaging and accessible, First Life describes the scientific story of astrobiology while presenting a fascinating hypothesis to explain the origin of life.
First Peoples in a New World: Colonizing Ice Age America
by David J. MeltzerMore than 12,000 years ago, in one of the greatest triumphs of prehistory, humans colonized North America, a continent that was then truly a new world. Just when and how they did so has been one of the most perplexing and controversial questions in archaeology. This dazzling, cutting-edge synthesis, written for a wide audience by an archaeologist who has long been at the center of these debates, tells the scientific story of the first Americans: where they came from, when they arrived, and how they met the challenges of moving across the vast, unknown landscapes of Ice Age North America. David J. Meltzer pulls together the latest ideas from archaeology, geology, linguistics, skeletal biology, genetics, and other fields to trace the breakthroughs that have revolutionized our understanding in recent years. Among many other topics, he explores disputes over the hemisphere's oldest and most controversial sites and considers how the first Americans coped with changing global climates. He also confronts some radical claims: that the Americas were colonized from Ice Age Europe or that a crashing comet obliterated the Pleistocene megafauna and nearly wiped out people as well. Full of entertaining descriptions of on-site encounters, personalities, and controversies, this is a compelling behind-the-scenes account of how science is illuminating our past.
First Principles of Meteorology and Air Pollution
by Mihalis LazaridisThis book's main objective is to decipher for the reader the main processes in the atmosphere and the quantification of air pollution effects on humans and the environment, through first principles of meteorology and modelling/measurement approaches. The understanding of the complex sequence of events, starting from the emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere to the human health effects as the final event, is necessary for the prognosis of potential risk to humans from specific chemical compounds and mixtures of them. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a solid grounding in the first principles of meteorology and air pollution, making it particularly useful for undergraduate students. Its broad scope makes it a valuable text in many related disciplines, containing a comprehensive and integrated methodology to study the first principles of air pollution, meteorology, indoor air pollution, and human exposure. Problem-solving exercises help to reinforce concepts.
First Steps in Space-Time: A Brief Introduction to Special Relativity (Discovering Physics)
by Ed MacaulayFirst Steps in Space-Time: A Brief Introduction to Special Relativity provides an accessible, authentic, and readable introduction to the theory of special relativity. The academic level of the book builds only on skills that would be covered in a GCSE maths course, such as Pythagoras's theorem, and rearranging equations, and no prior knowledge of relativity (or physics) is assumed. The key benefits of the work are to bridge the gap between popular science books and university textbooks, and make the theory of relativity as broadly accessible as physically possible. The book allows the reader to discover and appreciate that relativity is not an intractable esoteric curiosity, but a beautiful and succinct theory that profoundly shaped the course of history and our interpretation of our day-to-day lives. This book is ideal for readers with an interest in physics and a little working knowledge of maths, who have studied mathematics at about A-level standard: professionals such as accountants, bankers, doctors, economists, engineers, lawyers, pharmacists and teachers, or high school students who might be considering studying physics or a related subject at university.
First World Petro-Politics: The Political Ecology and Governance of Alberta
by Laurie AdkinFirst World Petro-Politics examines the vital yet understudied case of a first world petro-state facing related social, ecological, and economic crises in the context of recent critical work on fossil capitalism.A wide-ranging and richly documented study of Alberta's political ecology - the relationship between the province's political and economic institutions and its natural environment - the volume tackles questions about the nature of the political regime, how it has governed, and where its primary fractures have emerged. Its authors examine Alberta's neo-liberal environmental regulation, institutional adaptation to petro-state imperatives, social movement organizing, Indigenous responses to extractive development, media framing of issues, and corporate strategies to secure social license to operate. Importantly, they also discuss policy alternatives for political democratization and for a transition to a low-carbon economy.The volume's conclusions offer a critical examination of petro-state theory, arguing for a comparative and contextual approach to understanding the relationships between dependence on carbon extraction and the nature of political regimes.
First-Principles and Machine Learning Study of Anharmonic Vibration and Dielectric Properties of Materials (Springer Theses)
by Tomohito AmanoThe book presents the author's development of two first-principles methods to calculate dielectric properties of materials based on anharmonic phonon and machine learning, and demonstrates an in-depth analysis of anharmonic crystals and molecular liquids. The anharmonic phonon method, combined with Born effective charges, is useful to study dielectric properties of crystals. The recently developed self-consistent phonon theory (SCPH) enables accurate simulations in strongly anharmonic materials. The author reveals that the combination of SCPH with the four-phonon scattering term accurately reproduces experimental spectra, and discusses how anharmonic phonon self-energies affect the dielectric properties. The second method is molecular dynamics with Wannier centers—the mass centers of Wannier functions. The author constructs a machine learning model that learns Wannier centers for each chemical bond from atomic coordinates to accurately predict the dipole moments. The developed method is, in principle, applicable to molecules of arbitrary size. Its effectiveness is demonstrated and the dielectric properties of several alcohols, including dipole moments, dielectric constants, and absorption spectra, are analyzed. This book benefits students and researchers interested in anharmonic phonons, machine learning, and dielectric properties.
Fiscal Dimensions of Sustainable Development
by Sanjeev Gupta Kevin Fletcher Michael Keen Benedict Clements Luiz De Mello Muthukumara ManiA report from the International Monetary Fund.
Fish & Wildlife: Principles of Zoology and Ecology (Second edition)
by L. Devere BurtonThe book integrates the principles of zoology and ecology with the lives of different kinds of wild animals that inhabit North America and enlightens readers to the principles of biology in the context of how science relates to the survival of fish and wildlife. It gives descriptions of the lives, structures, growth, and classification of species in their natural habitats, and raises critical thinking questions to initiate the steps taken in the process of scientific discovery.
Fish Diversity of Japan: Evolution, Zoogeography, and Conservation
by Yoshiaki Kai Hiroyuki Motomura Keiichi MatsuuraThis book reviews and summarizes the studies on the fish diversity of Japan. It covers the present knowledge of ichthyofauna, habitat distribution, phylogeography, ecology, morphology, and conservation, as well as the history of ichthyology and fish collections in Japan. The book comprises five parts: I. Fish Diversity and Ichthyology of Japan, II. Habitat Distribution and Species Diversity, III. Diversity within Species: Phylogeographic Perspective on Japanese Fishes, IV. Morphological and Ecological Diversifications, and V. Conservation of Fish Diversity in Japan. The Japanese Archipelago is surrounded by two major warm and one cold currents. It is located in the western North Pacific and encompasses several climatic regimes from north to south. Although the land area of Japan is small, the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Japan ranks as the sixth largest in the world, including several marginal seas (Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, and East China Sea), and deep trenches (Izu-Ogasawara, Japan, and Kurile Trenches). Owing to a variety of marine habitats and a complex geological history, Japan has a rich fish species diversity, representing over 4,500 species in 370 families. The richness of fish species diversity has attracted many scientists since the late 1700s, and continuous studies have led to the development of ichthyology in Japan. With chapters written by leading experts in the field, the book will provide a stimulating and reliable resource for future research and contribute to the progress of ichthyology of the world.
Fish Protection Technologies and Fish Ways for Downstream Migration
by Beate Adam Ulrich SchweversThis book offers a comprehensive review of current systems for fish protection and downstream migration. It offers the first systematic description of the currently available technologies for fish protection at hydropower intakes, including accurate and timely data collected by the authors and other researchers. It describes how to design and test them in agreement with the guidelines established from the EU Water Framework Directive. The book includes important information about fish biology, with a special focus on swimming and migration mechanisms. It offers a robust bridge between concepts in applied ecology and civil hydraulic engineering, thus providing biologists and hydraulic engineers with an authoritative reference guide to both the theory and practice of fish protection. It is also of interest for planners, public authorities as well as environmental consultants
Fish and Fisheries in the Brazilian Amazon: People, Ecology and Conservation in Black and Clear Water Rivers
by Renato A. M. SilvanoThis book provides comparative data on fish ecology and small-scale fisheries between Tapajos (clear water) and Negro (black water) rivers, in the Brazilian Amazon. These rivers are less studied than white water rivers and few books on Amazon fishes have addressed more than one river basin. These data can serve as a baseline to check future changes or impacts in these rivers, which can be affected by development projects, such as highways, deforestation, mining and dams. Besides information on fish biology, the book also discusses fish uses, fisheries and its importance for riverine people, comparing these data for each fish species between sites located inside and outside conservation units. The book is an outcome of the research project ‘Linking sustainability of small-scale fisheries, fishers’ knowledge, conservation and co-management of biodiversity in large rivers of the Brazilian Amazon’, which was coordinated by the editor of this volume and funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NAS).
Fish and Wildlife Management: A Handbook for Mississippi Landowners
by Adam T. Rohnke and James L. CumminsFeaturing over five hundred illustrations and forty tables, this book is a collection of in-depth discussions by a tremendous range of experts on topics related to wildlife and fisheries management in Mississippi. Beginning with foundational chapters on natural resource history and conservation planning, the authors discuss the delicate balance between profit and land stewardship. A series of chapters about the various habitat types and the associated fish and wildlife populations that dominate them follow. Several chapters expand on the natural history and specific management techniques of popular species of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, and other species. Experts discuss such special management topics as supplemental, wildlife-food planting, farm pond management, backyard habitat, nuisance animal control, and invasive plant species control. Leading professionals who work every day in Mississippi with landowners on wildlife and fisheries management created this indispensable book. The up-to-date and applicable management techniques discussed here can be employed by private landowners throughout the state. For those who do not own rural lands but have an interest in wildlife and natural resources, this book also has much to offer. Residents of urban communities interested in creating a wildlife-friendly yard will delight in the backyard habitat chapter specifically written for them. Whether responsible for one-fourth of an acre or two thousand, landowners will find this handbook to be an incalculable aid on their journey to good stewardship of their Mississippi lands.
Fish, Fishing and Community in North Korea and Neighbours: Vibrant Matter(s)
by Robert Winstanley-ChestersThis open access book explores the histories and geographies of fishing in North Korea and the surrounding nations. With the ideological and environmental history of North Korea in mind, the book examines the complex interactions between local communities, fish themselves, wider ecosystems and the politics of Pyongyang through the lens of critical geography, fisheries statistics and management science as well as North Korean and more generally Korean and East Asian studies. There is increasing global interest in North Korea, its politics, people and landscapes, and as such, this book describes encounters with North Korean fishing communities, as well as unusual moments in the field in the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). It addresses fish, fishing infrastructure, fishing science and fishing statistics and other non-human elements of North Korean and other nations’ developmental regimes as actors and participants within them as much as humans and their technologies. The book enables readers to gain extensive insights into the aspirations and practices of fishing in North Korea and its neighbours, the navigation of difficult political and developmental situations and changing ecological realities in a time of environmental and climate crisis familiar to many across the globe.
Fish, Markets, and Fishermen: The Economics Of Overfishing
by Michael L. Weber Suzanne Iudicello Robert WielandA significant number of the world's ocean fisheries are depleted, and some have collapsed, from overfishing. Although many of the same fishermen who are causing these declines stand to suffer the most from them, they continue to overfish. Why is this happening? What can be done to solve the problem.The authors of Fish, Markets, and Fishermen argue that the reasons are primarily economic, and that overfishing is an inevitable consequence of the current sets of incentives facing ocean fishermen. This volume illuminates these incentives as they operate both in the aggregate and at the level of day-to-day decision-making by vessel skippers. The authors provide a primer on fish population biology and the economics of fisheries under various access regimes, and use that information in analyzing policies for managing fisheries. The book: provides a concise statistical overview of the world's fisheries documents the decline of fisheries worldwide gives the reader a clear understanding of the economics and population biology of fish examines the management issues associated with regulating fisheries offers case studies of fisheries under different management regimes examines and compares the consequences of various regimes and considers the implications for policy makingThe decline of the world's ocean fisheries is of enormous worldwide significance, from both economic and environmental perspectives. This book clearly explains for the nonspecialist the complicated problem of overfishing. It represents a basic resource for fishery managers and others-fishers, policymakers, conservationists, the fish consuming public, students, and researchers-concerned with the dynamics of fisheries and their sustenance.
Fishes Out of Water: Biology and Ecology of Mudskippers (CRC Marine Science)
by Zeehan Jaafar Edward O. MurdyMudskippers are amphibious fishes native to the Indo-West Pacific and tropical western Africa. Unlike most fishes, mudskippers emerse to forage, find mates, and defend territories. Adaptations to their morphology, physiology and behavior enable mudskippers to accommodate both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. For these traits, mudskippers have long captured the fascination of scientists, naturalists, and fish hobbyists. Some mudskipper taxa (e.g. Periophthalmodon spp., Periophthalmus spp., Boleophthalmus spp.) are readily observed on mudflats and mangrove forests during the ebb tide. Correspondingly, these conspicuous and widespread taxa are relatively well-studied. The autecology and basic biology for the remaing taxa (e.g. Apocryptodon spp. and Oxuderces spp.) are still poorly understood. Fishes Out of Water: Biology and Ecology of Mudskippers is the first comprehensive book to synthesize published scientific information and observation on these fishes. Two dozen subject experts present thorough overviews in fifteen distinct chapters. Contents span mudskipper anatomy, distribution, systematics, physiology, ecology, and conservation. Unique adaptations to terrestriality are discussed within the context of each chapter foci. This authoritative reference equips the reader with the basic foundation to understand mudskipper biology and ecology, while providing a framework in which emerging data are discussed. The book will be of interest to a broad range of students, researchers, and professionals in ichthyology, evolution, ecology, animal behavior, and comparative physiology.
Fishes of the Last Frontier: Life Histories, Biology, Ecology, and Management of Alaska's Fishes
by Bill HauserFishes of the Last Frontier answers many of your fish questions and others you haven't even thought of yet in a nontechnical, plain talk voice. Learn about the fishes that are of value or special interest to Alaskans: how fish are able to survive and grow, how they get along with each other--or not--and what they eat, where and how our Alaska fishes spawn, the difference between a red and a redd, and the difference between anadromous and catadromous and why that is important. The author, a fishery scientist with nearly 50 years of experience and training, including more than 30 years in Alaska, describes the life history characteristics of 43 species of fishes valuable or important in some way to Alaskans. He delves into various aspects of biology and ecology of fish and provides insight into how humans and fish interact. The processes of fishery management in Alaska are described. Fishes of the Last Frontier includes fishes from throughout Alaska in fresh, brackish, and marine waters and sport, commercial, and subsistence fisheries. Learn not just how anadromous fish find their way home but also how scientists were able to learn the details. Nontechnical readers have reported the presentations as enjoyable, understandable, and informative.
Fishing Europe's Troubled Waters: Fifty Years of Fisheries Policy (Earthscan Oceans)
by David SymesSpanning the last 50 years of fisheries policy in Europe, this book is the parting contribution and career-spanning reflection from one of Europe’s most renowned social scientists working in the field of fisheries management and policy. The last 50 years have without doubt been the most turbulent years in the history of North Atlantic fisheries – a turbulence brought about by the actions of fishers, scientists and above all politicians. It is a period of change that sees a radical redrawing of the political geography of fisheries, globalisation of trade, the development of fisheries management towards increasingly restrictive regulation, and declining fish stocks. The book explains why the bold but deeply flawed Common Fisheries Policy persistently failed to deliver its basic goal of sustainable fisheries. The spotlight falls on the monolithic, highly centralised, command and control nature of the Policy that strives to apply a universal ‘one size fits all’ approach, thus creating a governing system wholly unsuited to the system to be governed, out of kilter with preferred models of governance, and disconnected from the practical realities of fishing as a livelihood in a challenging environment. A final section on Brexit focuses on its halting progress from concept to reality, the implications for the fisheries sector and the fateful final negotiations with the EU over the fisheries question. Seeking to explain why the anticipated benefits for the UK industry failed to materialise, attention is drawn to the misplaced political hubris over regaining ‘sovereignty’ in areas like the North Sea. This book will be essential reading for students, scholars, professionals and policymakers working on fisheries, marine governance, natural resource management, environmental policy and the European Project.
Fishing Grounds: Defining A New Era For American Fisheries Management
by Economics, and the Environment The H. John Heinz III Center for ScienceFisheries management today is highly contentious. The interests of fishers and fish processors, coastal communities, the government, and environmental organizations are often different and can even be mutually incompatible.Fishing Grounds offers a comprehensive assessment of the legal, social, economic and biological context of marine fisheries management in the United States. Drawing on interviews with stakeholders from all sides of the issue, the authors seek common ground -- and points of unresolved controversy -- among the diversity of interests and viewpoints involved. Chapters examine: history and background status of marine fisheries fishery productivity from biological, social, and economic perspectives ownership of fishery resources management structures and incentives the roles of science and evaluation Each chapter begins with legal, technical, and conceptual background to help readers understand the sets of issues involved and follows that with a balanced presentation of stakeholder views.Fishing Grounds presents a useful overview of fisheries management options and positions regarding those options, providing valuable insight into the opinions and concerns of stakeholders and the sets of incentives to which those stakeholders respond. It is an important work for fisheries management professionals in industry, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations, as well as for students and researchers involved with fisheries and fisheries management.
Fishing in Contested Waters
by Sarah KingAfter the Supreme Court of Canada's 1999 Marshall decision recognized Mi'kmaw fishers' treaty right to fish, the fishers entered the inshore lobster fishery across Atlantic Canada. At Burnt Church/Esgenoôpetitj, New Brunswick, the Mi'kmaw fishery provoked violent confrontations with neighbours and the Canadian government. Over the next two years, boats, cottages, and a sacred grove were burned, people were shot at and beaten, boats rammed and sunk, roads barricaded, and the local wharf occupied.Based on 12 months of ethnographic field work in Burnt Church/Esgenoôpetitj, Fishing in Contested Waters explores the origins of this dispute and the beliefs and experiences that motivated the locals involved in it. Weaving the perspectives of Native and non-Native people together, Sarah J. King examines the community as a contested place, simultaneously Mi'kmaw and Canadian. Drawing on philosophy and indigenous, environmental, and religious studies, Fishing in Contested Waters demonstrates the deep roots of contemporary conflicts over rights, sovereignty, conservation, and identity.
Fishing on the Russian River (Images of America)
by Meghan Walla-MurphyThe Russian River tells a rich story of Sonoma County, both historically and ecologically. For as long as can be remembered, there has been an intimate relationship between the people of the Russian River and the fish, specifically the salmon and the steelhead. This tale of fishing begins with the Pomo people's communal fishing forays, winds through Russian exploration and early American settlement, and lands in the present time. For millennia, fishing has been a cultural cornerstone on the Russian River. Unfortunately, this once lively and productive salmonid fishery is dying. Overfishing, gravel mining, increased sedimentation from logging and agriculture, dams, and overdevelopment along the riverbanks and tributaries have all caused a decline in salmonid numbers. Thankfully, through collaborative efforts of local residents, nonprofit organizations, ranchers, farmers, and government agencies, fish populations are rebounding.
Fission-Track Thermochronology and its Application to Geology (Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment)
by Marco G. Malusà Paul G. FitzgeraldThis book is focused on the basics of applying thermochronology to geological and tectonic problems, with the emphasis on fission-track thermochronology. It is conceived for relatively new practitioners to thermochronology, as well as scientists experienced in the various methods. The book is structured in two parts. Part I is devoted to the fundamentals of the fission-track method, to its integration with other geochronologic methods, and to the basic principles of statistics for fission-track dating and sedimentology applied to detrital thermochronology. Part I also includes the historical development of the technique and thoughts on future directions. Part II is devoted to the geological interpretation of the thermochronologic record. The thermal frame of reference and the different approaches for the interpretation of fission-track data within a geological framework of both basement and detrital studies are discussed in detail. Separate chapters demonstrate the application of fission-track thermochronology from various perspectives (e.g., tectonics, petrology, stratigraphy, hydrocarbon exploration, geomorphology), with other chapters on the application to basement rocks in orogens, passive continental margins and cratonic interiors, as well as various applications of detrital thermochronology.
Fission-track Thermochronology: Methodology and Applications to Geology (ISTE Consignment)
by Marc JolivetLow-temperature thermochronology has become an essential tool when studying near-surface geological processes. Time-temperature constraints are vital to quantify and describe a large variety of geological processes, such as relief building, erosion and sedimentation or the maturation of organic matter in sedimentary basins. After a brief history covering the discovery of fission tracks to their first applications in geochronology, Fission-track Thermochronology presents a complete description of not only the fission-track, but also the (U Th Sm)/He thermochronology approaches, both on basement rocks and on sediments. Firstly, the physical and chemical processes that underlie these techniques are addressed, and the analytical methods are described in detail. A particular focus is placed on the latest developments, such as the use of laser-ablation ICP-MS, and a whole chapter is dedicated to statistical modeling of the data. Finally, numerous examples of applications to geological questions will provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the possibilities of low temperature thermochronology in solving geological and geomorphological questions.
Five Easy Pieces on Water: Essentials of Water Science explained by an Engineering Scholar
by Renzo RossoWater is the essential substance for life on Earth. The natural patrimony of all living beings and the material and cultural heritage, a common good, a shared resource, a treasure trove of humanity. The nature of water, water at rest and in motion, the water cycle and its management are addressed here in a multidimensional, comprehensive and transdisciplinary approach. The book focuses on water without complying with any disciplinary approach: philosophical, historical, physical and mathematical issues are merged with traditional hydrochemistry, hydrostatics, hydrodynamics and hydrology to provide an overview of basic knowledge on Earth’s water. These five lectures can be delivered to any undergraduate STEM student to introduce them a valuable, basic, multidisciplinary knowledge on water. Non-specialists will find here an insight of water made as simple as possible, but not simpler than required
Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities: Design in an Age of Urban Migration, Demographic Change, and a Disappearing Middle Class
by Patrick M. CondonAs urban designers respond to the critical issue of climate change they must also address three cresting cultural waves: the worldwide rural-to-urban migration; the collapse of global fertility rates; and the disappearance of the middle class. In Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities, planning and design expert Patrick Condon offers five rules to help urban designers assimilate these interconnected changes into their work: (1) See the City as a System; (2) Recognize Patterns in the Urban Environment; (3) Apply Lighter, Greener, Smarter Infrastructure; (4) Strengthen Social and Economic Urban Resilience; and (5) Adapt to Shifts in Jobs, Retail, and Wages. Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities provides grounded and financially feasible design examples for tomorrow's sustainable cities, and the design tools needed to achieve them.
Five Superpowers for Co-Creators: How change makers and business can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
by Katrin MuffThis groundbreaking and timely book provides change makers, organizations and facilitators with practical tools to initiate and conduct multi-stakeholder co-creation processes. Such processes are of critical importance in times of rapid change, where mega trends and grand challenges influence the market dynamics of business in entirely new ways. The book provides a concrete pathway for business to become future-ready by building capacity to work outside its traditional boundaries. The book unfolds the shift of multi-stakeholder teams from a state of competition to a state of collaboration, addressing the inner and outer dimensions of such a change. The five superpowers identified in the book are: (1) the genuine engagement of individuals, (2) collective solutions of groups, (3) transformative spaces created by facilitators, (4) the building blocks of co-creation, and (5) an effective strategy process for organizations. The book explores the challenges to achieve each of these superpowers. It also shares the stories of "heroes of transformation" and explores what have been the reasons for their success. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the grand challenges, the future of work…call it what you want, the future is here and organizations, change makers and facilitators need nothing less than these superpowers to collaborate with other players to solve these wicked problems.