56 research outputs found
Pressed for Space: The Effects of Justification and the Printing Process on Fifteenth-Century Orthography
There is a long-held belief that, prior to the standardisation of written English, printers altered spellings to justify their type. I investigate this claim through an analysis of spelling changes in William Caxton’s two editions of the Canterbury Tales—by examining text within one book, written by one author, and set by one compositor, the only difference between the sections of verse and the sections of prose should be the requirement for justification within the latter. Were the compositors altering spellings to justify their type, we would expect to see a greater number of altered spellings in the prose sections of text. This is not what the results of this study show—instead there is no statistically significant difference between the frequency of spelling changes in justified and non-justified text. However, there is a significantly higher number of abbreviations introduced into the justified text. These results suggest that the compositor of Caxton’s second edition Canterbury Tales did not change spellings to justify his type
Prediction of storm transfers and annual loads with data-based mechanistic models using high-frequency data
Excess nutrients in surface waters, such as phosphorus (P) from agriculture, result in poor water quality, with adverse effects on ecological health and costs for remediation. However, understanding and prediction of P transfers in catchments have been limited by inadequate data and over-parameterised models with high uncertainty. We show that, with high temporal resolution data, we are able to identify simple dynamic models that capture the P load dynamics in three contrasting agricultural catchments in the UK. For a flashy catchment, a linear, second-order (two pathways) model for discharge gave high simulation efficiencies for short-term storm sequences and was useful in highlighting uncertainties in out-of-bank flows. A model with nonlinear rainfall input was appropriate for predicting seasonal or annual cumulative P loads where antecedent conditions affected the catchment response. For second-order models, the time constant for the fast pathway varied between 2 and 15 h for all three catchments and for both discharge and P, confirming that high temporal resolution data are necessary to capture the dynamic responses in small catchments (10–50 km2/. The models led to a better understanding of the dominant nutrient transfer modes, which will be helpful in determining phosphorus transfers following changes in precipitation patterns in the future
Un nouveau fragment du Tristan de Thomas
Benskin Michael, Hunt Tony, Short Ian. Un nouveau fragment du Tristan de Thomas. In: Romania, tome 113 n°451-452, 1992. pp. 289-319
Initial position in the Middle English verse line
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in English Studies in July 2014, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0013838X.2014.924275This paper establishes that spelling forms collected from initial position in the Middle English verse line have unique characteristics, and it discusses why this is so. The paper first addresses scribal copying practices, before describing the utility of letter-based N-gram models in objectively comparing scribal copies in terms of their spelling. Testing of models trained on a corpus totalling ten manuscripts demonstrates that initial position regularly prompted scribes to suppress their tendency to introduce their own spelling forms in favour of replicating those encountered in their exemplars. The discussion attributes this behaviour to the operation of two mechanisms. One mechanism is psycholinguistic in origin, while the other is rooted in manuscripts’ production and so implies a codicological dimension to spelling variation
Compositional Effects on Leaching of Stain-Guarded (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance-Treated) Carpet in Landfill Leachate
Perfluoroalkyl
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from stain-guard
treated carpets in landfills continue to be released into the environment.
To understand the leaching of PFASs from carpets to landfill leachate
as a function of environmental factors, leaching concentrations of
ten perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and four perfluoroalkyl sulfonic
acids were quantified for different pHs, contact times, mixing speeds,
and temperatures. Partitioning from carpet to leachate and distilled
water at different pHs showed negligible differences. The total concentration
of leaching PFASs in distilled water was approximately 1 ng L<sup>–1</sup> higher than in landfill leachate, indicating that
the presence of multivalent cations in leachate could have a negative
effect on leaching of PFASs. For all PFASs monitored, leaching increased
with increasing contact time and temperature. Perfluorohexanoic and
perfluoroÂheptanoic acids experienced the largest increases with
contact time and temperature. Gibbs free energy (Δ<i>G</i> > 0), enthalpy (Δ<i>H</i> > 0), and entropy
energy
(Δ<i>S</i> < 0) indicated that PFAS leaching from
carpet was dominantly controlled by entropy-driven processes and did
not differ significantly among individual PFASs. PFAS concentrations
in leachate with rotation of an end-over-end contactor were higher
than under static conditions, but otherwise, varying the rotation
speed had negligible influence. The results provide useful information
for management of discarded stain-guard carpets in landfills
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Landfill Leachate: Patterns, Time Trends, and Sources
Concentrations and isomer profiles for 24 per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFASs) were monitored over 5 months (February–June,
2010) in municipal landfill leachate. These data were used to assess
the role of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursor degradation on changes
in PFAA concentrations over time. The influence of total organic carbon,
total suspended solids, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), leachate
flow rates, and meteorological data (precipitation, air temperature)
on leachate PFAS concentrations was also investigated. Perfluoropentanoate
and perfluorohexanoate were typically the dominant PFASs in leachate,
except for March–April, when concentrations of perfluorooctane
sulfonate, perfluorooctanoate, and numerous PFAA-precursors (i.e.,
(N-alkyl) perfluorooctane sulfonamides and fluorotelomer carboxylic
acids) increased by a factor of 2–10 (∼4 μg/L
to ∼36 μg/L ΣPFASs). During this time, isomer profiles
of PFOA became increasingly dominated by the linear isomer, likely
from transformation of linear, telomer-manufactured precursors. While ΣPFAA-precursors
accounted for up to 71% of ΣPFASs (molar basis) in leachate
from this site, leachate from a second landfill displayed only low
concentrations of precursors (<1% of ΣPFASs). Overall, degradation
of PFAA-precursors and changes in leachate pH, EC, and 24-h precipitation
were important factors controlling PFAS occurrence in leachate. Finally,
8.5–25 kg/yr (mean 16 kg/yr) of ΣPFASs was estimated
to leave the landfill via leachate for subsequent treatment at a wastewater
treatment plant
Observation of a Novel PFOS-Precursor, the Perfluorooctane Sulfonamido Ethanol-Based Phosphate (SAmPAP) Diester, in Marine Sediments
The environmental occurrence of perfluorooctane sulfonate
(PFOS)
can arise from its direct use as well as from transformation of precursors
((<i>N</i>-alkyl substituted) perfluorooctane sulfonamides;
FOSAMs). Perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol-based phosphate (SAmPAP)
esters are among numerous potential PFOS-precursors which have not
been previously detected in the environment and for which little is
known about their stability. Based on their high production volume
during the 1970s–2002 and widespread use in food contact paper
and packaging, SAmPAP esters may be potentially significant sources
of PFOS. Here we report for the first time on the environmental occurrence
of SAmPAP diester in marine sediments from an urbanized marine harbor
in Vancouver, Canada. SAmPAP diester concentrations in sediment (40–200
pg/g dry weight) were similar to those of PFOS (71–180 pg/g).
A significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) correlation was observed
between SAmPAP diester and <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane
sulfonamido acetate (an anticipated degradation product of SAmPAP
diester). ∑PFOS-precursor (FOSAM) concentrations in sediment
(120–1100 pg/g) were 1.6–24 times greater than those
of PFOS in sediment. Although SAmPAP diester was not detected in water,
PFOS was observed at concentrations up to 710 pg/L. Among the per-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances monitored in the present work, mean
log-transformed sediment/water distribution coefficients ranged from
2.3 to 4.3 and increased with number of CF<sub>2</sub> units and N-alkyl
substitution (in the case of FOSAMs). Overall, these results highlight
the importance of FOSAMs as potentially significant sources of PFOS,
in particular for urban marine environments
Distinctive Metabolite Profiles in In-Migrating Sockeye Salmon Suggest Sex-Linked Endocrine Perturbation
The
health of Skeena River Sockeye salmon (<i>Onchorhychus
nerka</i>) has been of increasing concern due to declining stock
returns over the past decade. In the present work, in-migrating Sockeye
from the 2008 run were evaluated using a mass spectrometry-based,
targeted metabolomics platform. Our objectives were to (a) investigate
natural changes in a subset of the hepatic metabolome arising from
migration-associated changes in osmoregulation, locomotion, and gametogenesis,
and (b) compare the resultant profiles with animals displaying altered
hepatic vitellogenin A (<i>vtg</i>) expression at the spawning
grounds, which was previously hypothesized as a marker of xenobiotic
exposure. Of 203 metabolites monitored, 95 were consistently observed
in Sockeye salmon livers and over half of these changed significantly
during in-migration. Among the most dramatic changes in both sexes
were a decrease in concentrations of taurine (a major organic osmolyte),
carnitine (involved in fatty acid transport), and two major polyunsaturated
fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). In females,
an increase in amino acids was attributed to protein catabolism associated
with vitellogenesis. Animals with atypical <i>vtg</i> mRNA
expression demonstrated unusual hepatic amino acid, fatty acid, taurine,
and carnitine profiles. The cause of these molecular perturbations
remains unclear, but may include xenobiotic exposure, natural senescence,
and/or interindividual variability. These data provide a benchmark
for further investigation into the long-term health of migrating Skeena
Sockeye
Distinctive Metabolite Profiles in In-Migrating Sockeye Salmon Suggest Sex-Linked Endocrine Perturbation
The
health of Skeena River Sockeye salmon (<i>Onchorhychus
nerka</i>) has been of increasing concern due to declining stock
returns over the past decade. In the present work, in-migrating Sockeye
from the 2008 run were evaluated using a mass spectrometry-based,
targeted metabolomics platform. Our objectives were to (a) investigate
natural changes in a subset of the hepatic metabolome arising from
migration-associated changes in osmoregulation, locomotion, and gametogenesis,
and (b) compare the resultant profiles with animals displaying altered
hepatic vitellogenin A (<i>vtg</i>) expression at the spawning
grounds, which was previously hypothesized as a marker of xenobiotic
exposure. Of 203 metabolites monitored, 95 were consistently observed
in Sockeye salmon livers and over half of these changed significantly
during in-migration. Among the most dramatic changes in both sexes
were a decrease in concentrations of taurine (a major organic osmolyte),
carnitine (involved in fatty acid transport), and two major polyunsaturated
fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). In females,
an increase in amino acids was attributed to protein catabolism associated
with vitellogenesis. Animals with atypical <i>vtg</i> mRNA
expression demonstrated unusual hepatic amino acid, fatty acid, taurine,
and carnitine profiles. The cause of these molecular perturbations
remains unclear, but may include xenobiotic exposure, natural senescence,
and/or interindividual variability. These data provide a benchmark
for further investigation into the long-term health of migrating Skeena
Sockeye
Biodegradation of <i>N</i>‑Ethyl Perfluorooctane Sulfonamido Ethanol (EtFOSE) and EtFOSE-Based Phosphate Diester (SAmPAP Diester) in Marine Sediments
Investigations into the biodegradation potential of perfluorooctane
sulfonate (PFOS)-precursor candidates have focused on low molecular
weight substances (e.g., <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane
sulfonamido ethanol (EtFOSE)) in wastewater treatment plant sludge.
Few data are available on PFOS-precursor biodegradation in other environmental
compartments, and nothing is known about the stability of high-molecular-weight
perfluorooctane sulfonamide-based substances such as the EtFOSE-based
phosphate diester (SAmPAP diester) in any environmental compartment.
In the present work, the biodegradation potential of SAmPAP diester
and EtFOSE by bacteria in marine sediments was evaluated over 120
days at 4 and 25 °C. At both temperatures, EtFOSE was transformed
to a suite of products, including <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane
sulfonamidoacetate, perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetate, <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide, perfluorooctane sulfonamide,
and perfluorooctane sulfonate. Transformation was significantly more
rapid at 25 °C (<i>t</i><sub>1/2</sub> = 44 ±
3.4 days; error represents standard error of the mean (SEM)) compared
to 4 °C (<i>t</i><sub>1/2</sub> = 160 ± 17 days),
but much longer than previous biodegradation studies involving EtFOSE
in sludge (<i>t</i><sub>1/2</sub> ∼0.7–4.2
days). In contrast, SAmPAP diester was highly recalcitrant to microbial
degradation, with negligible loss and/or associated product formation
observed after 120 days at both temperatures, and an estimated half-life
of >380 days at 25 °C (estimated using the lower bounds 95%
confidence
interval of the slope). We hypothesize that the hydrophobicity of
SAmPAP diester reduces its bioavailability, thus limiting biotransformation
by bacteria in sediments. The lengthy biodegradation half-life of
EtFOSE and recalcitrant nature of SAmPAP diester in part explains
the elevated concentrations of PFOS-precursors observed in urban marine
sediments from Canada, Japan, and the U.S, over a decade after phase-out
of their production and commercial application in these countries
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