Modelling the spatial distribution of three marine fish species in the southern Benguela

Understanding the spatial distribution of species in relationship to climatic and environmental variables is key to conservation and management of important species, as their distribution might change under climate change and variability. Based on presence absence data from scientific trawl surveys, this study used Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and Krigging with External Drift (KED) statistical techniques to determine the spatial distribution of three marine fish species of commercial interest: Merluccius capensis, Merluccius paradoxus, and Thyrsites atun, on the West and South coasts of South Africa. The modelled distributions reflect the previously determined range and habitats of the two species of hake and are in accordance with the common knowledge on the biology of the two species. Presence-absence modelling found depth to be the main factor for explaining hake distribution on both coasts. For the West coast an interaction between sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a combined with depth as a factor was found to provide the best model. On the South coast depth was the only factor retained. The models for M. capensis and M. paradoxus are potentially useful in mapping and determining future distributions based on environmental factors. The model obtained for the spatial distribution of T. atun has a lower explanatory power than those of the two hake species

Say Oui to We : A Longitudinal Analysis of Pronouns and Articles in French and English

Modern English only uses gender in personal, reflexive, and possessive third person singular pronouns. Modern English also does not use gendered articles, which extends to not assigning an arbitrary gender to inanimate objects. This study examines how recent this aspect of grammar is, and to what degree did cultural interaction with the French throughout history influence the use of gendered pronouns. Two written texts in British English (one in Old English, one in Modern English) and one written text in French are analyzed for elements of grammatical gender embedded within articles, pronouns, and possessive adjectives. The geopolitical influences on incorporating gender into language were also considered. This study found that gender is altogether more present in Old English and Modern French. Old English is found to have more gendered articles and pronouns than other later evolutions of English. Interactions between Norman pirates and Celtic Britons up through French words being fashionably borrowed by English nobles are evidence of geopolitical and international relations impacting the evolution of the English language

Autumn Storms Trigger Enhanced Export of Iron, Phosphorus, and Carbon from a Forested Vermont Catchment

Autumn leaf fall may be an important driver of annual stream loading in forested catchments due to the introduction of large amounts of labile organic matter. In light of climate change projections for an intensification of the autumnal hydrological cycle for northern temperate forests, there is an increasing demand to understand this leaf fall period, and the extent to which it may drive water quality. In this study, we examine the export and biogeochemical coupling of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and phosphorus (P) during autumn and summer storms to understand the effects of seasonality and storm timing and magnitude on stream loading dynamics. We utilize in situ spectrophotometric sensors to measure UV-Vis light absorbance with high temporal resolution in order to quantify rapid changes in stream chemistry during storm events. We also explore the potential to project concentrations of the aforementioned parameters using partial least squares regression (PLSR) and high frequency absorbance data. Post leaf fall autumn storms resulted in the export of 23% of total study DOC in a 2-week period, as well as the largest fluxes of Fe and Al observed over the study period. These results may have important implications for nutrient loading in the receiving water body, Lake Champlain

Rolamite - A new mechanical design concept

Rolamite, a mechanical suspension system, provides substantial reductions in friction in the realm of extremely low bearing pressures. In addition, rolamite devices are easily microminiaturized, are extremely tolerant of production variations and are inherently capable of virtually all functions to construct most electromechanical devices

Staff Engagement for Cohesion

This chapter in a book on small and rural libraries looks at issues around why staff engagement is a concern. We discuss the barriers to staff engagement and the role professional development plays in lowering the barriers. We look at events programming and the library's impact on other campus departments. Concludes with advice to other small academic libraries on developing a staff engagement plan.Ye

An Empirical Ultraviolet Iron Spectrum Template Applicable to Active Galaxies

Iron emission is often a severe contaminant in optical-ultraviolet spectra of active galaxies. Its presence complicates emission line studies. A viable solution, already successfully applied at optical wavelengths, is to use an empirical iron emission template. We have generated FeII and FeIII templates for ultraviolet active galaxy spectra based on HST archival 1100 - 3100 A spectra of IZw1. Their application allows fitting and subtraction of the iron emission in active galaxy spectra. This work has shown that in particular CIII] lambda 1909 can be heavily contaminated by other line emission, including iron transitions. Details of the data processing, generation, and use of the templates, are given by Vestergaard & Wilkes (2001).Comment: 4 pages, including 1 figure, to appear in "Spectroscopic Challenges of Photoionized Plasmas", ASP Conf. Series, Eds. Gary Ferland and Daniel Wolf Savi

Exciton effective mass enhancement in coupled quantum wells in electric and magnetic fields

We present a calculation of exciton states in semiconductor coupled quantum wells (CQWs) in the presence of electric and magnetic fields applied perpendicular to the QW plane. The exciton Schr\"odinger equation is solved in real space in three dimensions to obtain the Landau levels of both direct and indirect excitons. Calculation of the exciton energy levels and oscillator strengths enables mapping of the electric and magnetic field dependence of the exciton absorption spectrum. For the ground state of the system, we evaluate the Bohr radius, optical lifetime, binding energy and dipole moment. The exciton mass renormalization due to the magnetic field is calculated using a perturbative approach. We predict a non-monotonous dependence of the exciton ground state effective mass on magnetic field. Such a trend is explained in a classical picture, in terms of the ground state tending from an indirect to a direct exciton with increasing magnetic field.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure