492 research outputs found
Anthropogenic Impacts on the Corner Rise Seamounts, North-West Atlantic Ocean
Here we report the first direct underwater observations of extensive human-caused impacts on two remote seamounts in the Corner Rise complex (north-western Atlantic). This note documents evidence of anthropogenic damage on the summits of Kukenthal peak (on Corner Seamount) and Yakutat Scamount, likely resulting from a limited Russian fishery from the mid- 1970s to the mid-1990s, highlighting how bottom trawling can have long-term detrimental effects oil deep-water benthic fauna
An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the other Galilean Moons of Jupiter
We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science
return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary body of
the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a
carry-on small spacecraft (< 100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft,
that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary
body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for
surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field
and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes (~1 km),
during the probe's fast (~km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The
science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular
reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and
after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data. All in all, it is
demonstrated how the descent probe has the potential to provide a high science
return to a mission at a low extra level of complexity, engineering effort, and
risk. This study builds upon earlier studies for a Callisto Descent Probe (CDP)
for the former Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) of ESA and NASA, and
extends them with a detailed assessment of a descent probe designed to be an
additional science payload for the NASA Europa Mission.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figure
Category fluency in psychometric schizotypy: How altering emotional valence and cognitive load affects performance
Introduction. In clinical high-risk populations, category fluency deficits are associated with conversion to psychosis. However, their utility as clinical risk markers is unclear in psychometric schizotypy, a group experiencing schizophrenia-like traits that is at putative high risk for psychosis.
Methods. We examined whether introducing affective or cognitive load, two important stress vulnerability markers, altered category fluency performance in schizotypy (nâ=â42) and non-schizotypy (nâ=â38) groups. To investigate this question, we developed an experimental paradigm where all participants were administered category fluency tests across baseline, pleasant valence, unpleasant valence, and cognitive load conditions.
Results. Compared to the non-schizotypy group, those with schizotypy performed significantly worse in pleasant and unpleasant valence conditions, but not cognitive load or baseline fluency tests.
Conclusions. This study demonstrated the role of affect â but not cognitive load â on category fluency in psychometric schizotypy, as group differences only emerged once affective load was introduced. One explanation for this finding is that semantic memory may be unimpaired under normal conditions in psychometric schizotypy, but may be compromised once affective load is presented. Future studies should examine whether fluency deficits â particularly when affect is induced â predict future conversion to psychosis in psychometric schizotypy cohorts
The role of marine reserves in achieving sustainable fisheries (One contribution of 15 to a Theme Issue 'Fisheries: a Future?')
Many fishery management tools currently in use have conservation value. They are designed to maintain stocks of commercially important species above target levels. However, their limitations are evident from continuing declines in fish stocks throughout the world. We make the case that to reverse fishery declines, safeguard marine life and sustain ecosystem processes, extensive marine reserves that are off limits to fishing must become part of the management strategy. Marine reserves should be incorporated into modern fishery management because they can achieve many things that conventional tools cannot. Only complete and permanent protection from fishing can protect the most sensitive habitats and vulnerable species. Only reserves will allow the development of natural, extended age structures of target species, maintain their genetic variability and prevent deleterious evolutionary change from the effects of fishing. Species with natural age structures will sustain higher rates of reproduction and will be more resilient to environmental variability. Higher stock levels maintained by reserves will provide insurance against management failure, including risk-prone quota setting, provided the broader conservation role of reserves is firmly established and legislatively protected. Fishery management measures outside protected areas are necessary to complement the protection offered by marine reserves, but cannot substitute for it
Observation of a New Type of Low Frequency Waves at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
We report on magnetic field measurements made in the innermost coma of
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in its low activity state. Quasi-coherent,
large-amplitude (), compressional magnetic field
oscillations at 40 mHz dominate the immediate plasma environment of the
nucleus. This differs from previously studied comet-interaction regions where
waves at the cometary ion gyro-frequencies are the main feature. Thus classical
pick-up ion driven instabilities are unable to explain the observations. We
propose a cross-field current instability associated with newborn cometary ion
currents as a possible source mechanism.Comment: 6 pages, 3 Figure
Report of the ICES\NAFO Joint Working Group on Deep-water Ecology (WGDEC), 11â15 March 2013, Floedevigen, Norway.
On 11 February 2013, the joint ICES/NAFO WGDEC, chaired by Francis Neat (UK) and attended by ten members met at the Institute for Marine Research in Floedevi-gen, Norway to consider the terms of reference (ToR) listed in Section 2. WGDEC was requested to update all records of deep-water vulnerable marine eco-systems (VMEs) in the North Atlantic. New data from a range of sources including multibeam echosounder surveys, fisheries surveys, habitat modelling and seabed imagery surveys was provided. For several areas across the North Atlantic, WGDEC makes recommendations for areas to be closed to bottom fisheries for the purposes of conservation of VMEs
Pressure balance at the magnetopause: Experimental studies
The pressure balance at the magnetopause is formed by magnetic field and
plasma in the magnetosheath, on one side, and inside the magnetosphere, on the
other side. In the approach of dipole earth's magnetic field configuration and
gas-dynamics solar wind flowing around the magnetosphere, the pressure balance
predicts that the magnetopause distance R depends on solar wind dynamic
pressure Pd as a power low R ~ Pd^alpha, where the exponent alpha=-1/6. In the
real magnetosphere the magnetic filed is contributed by additional sources:
Chapman-Ferraro current system, field-aligned currents, tail current, and
storm-time ring current. Net contribution of those sources depends on
particular magnetospheric region and varies with solar wind conditions and
geomagnetic activity. As a result, the parameters of pressure balance,
including power index alpha, depend on both the local position at the
magnetopause and geomagnetic activity. In addition, the pressure balance can be
affected by a non-linear transfer of the solar wind energy to the
magnetosheath, especially for quasi-radial regime of the subsolar bow shock
formation proper for the interplanetary magnetic field vector aligned with the
solar wind plasma flow.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure
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