This study uses stable and radiogenic isotopic data from Chalcolithic (c. 3000–1900 bc) humans and animals recovered from the Rego da Murta dolmens (Alvaiázere, Portugal) to understand dietary and mobility patterns in the populations using these monuments. The results suggest diets based primarily on C3 plants and terrestrial animals, with some possible variation in protein intake by age or status. Analyses of 87Sr/86Sr values identify two individuals out of ten from Rego da Murta I and four individuals out of fifteen from Rego da Murta II as migrants. These data were compared to other Chalcolithic burials in south-western Portugal: while diets were found to be similar across the region, the very high 87Sr/86Sr values recorded for two migrant humans match no known settlement in the broader region. A recent mapping study of 87Sr/86Sr values in Portugal suggests their origins may lie to the north/north-east of the dolmens.

In the tradition of democratic theory, elections are recognized as important mechanisms of accountability. However, the migration of public decision-making responsibility away from elected representatives and the emergence of new governance actors necessitate a fuller conceptualization of accountability relationships. As governments pursue partnerships with societal actors and disperse authority across multiple levels, questions of public input and accountability within the democratic governance process arise. In this paper, cases of authority migration in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia between the years of 1946 and 2005 are used to examine the accountability relationships between new governance actors and both government and society. The existence and relative strength of accountability relationships are evaluated using the rules stipulated in the provincial legislation. Political ideology of governing parties, geographic scale of new jurisdictions and period in time are evaluated as predictors of the strength of the accountability relationship overall.

Energetic efficiency was evaluated in composite bred heifers born from dams receiving 1·8 or 1·2 kg/d winter supplementation for approximately 80 d before parturition. Heifers were then developed post-weaning and randomly assigned to heifer development treatments of either control (100 %; ad libitum; n 8/year) or restricted (80 %; fed 80 % of supplementation fed to controls adjusted to a common body weight: n 8/year) in a 2-year study. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) and acetate irreversible loss test (AILT) were administered to heifers at the termination of a 140 d development period when the heifers were approximately 403 d of age and consumed a silage-based diet, and again at 940 d of age when pregnant with their second calf and grazing dormant forage. No differences were measured (P>0·08) for dam winter nutrition or heifer development treatment for baseline serum metabolites or measures in either the GTT or the AILT. However, changes in baseline serum concentrations (P>0·05) were different between metabolic challenges, which occurred at different stages of development. No difference in acetate disappearance (P = 0·18) and half-life (P = 0·66) was measured between the two metabolic challenges. A trend for glucose half-life to be shorter in heifers born from dams receiving in utero winter treatments that supplied 1·2 kg/d of winter supplementation was observed (P = 0·083). Heifers developed with lower total DM intake during a 140 d development period had similar glucose and acetate incorporation rates as ad libitum-fed heifers when evaluated at two different production stages.

InSb has been grown on semi-insulating GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. By growing an InSb buffer layer at 300 C prior to the main InSb layer growth at 420 C, the effect of the 14% lattice mismatch between GaAs and InSb was minimized. A typical 5 µrn InSb film had a room temperature carrier concentration and electron Hall mobility of 2 × 1016/cm3 and 6×104 cm2/Vs, respectively. At 77 K these values became 2 × 1015/cm3 and 1.1 ×105 cm2/Vs. Temperature dependent Hall measurements revealed a peak in the mobility at 85 K and 70 K for the 5 and 10 µm samples. Capacitance-voltage measurements using MIS capacitors produced 77 K carrier concentrations in agreement with the low fieldHall measurements. Carrier lifetimes were determined by photoconductive response measurements. Lifetimes of 20 ns and 50 ns were determined for the 5 and 10 µm films. For comparison, the carrier lifetime in bulk n-type InSb was found to be 200 ns. Optical characterization by room temperature IR transmission spectroscopy showed a broad absorption edge, with an absorption coefficient of 1.4 × 103/cm at a wavelength of 6 µm. Epilayer thickness was determined from observed interference fringes. Raman spectroscopy showed that each epitaxial layer had a spectrum equivalent to that of bulk InSb.