103 research outputs found
The Nearshore Fish Fauna of Bonne Bay, a Fjord within Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland
A standardized survey of the nearshore fish fauna of Bonne Bay, a fjord within
Gros Morne National Park in western Newfoundland, was conducted using beach seines,
gill-nets and bottom trawls during the month of June over a seven year period (2002-
2008). The survey documents the presence of 31 fish species (in 17 taxonomic families).
Sampling sites varied in benthic habitat and associated fish assemblages. Both juvenile
and adult life history stages of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were present in Bonne Bay,
suggesting the presence of a local population or âbay cod stockâ. Acadian redfish
(Sebastes fasciatus) live in the bay, and may be members of a genetically differentiable
population of redfish. Striped wolfish (Anarhichas lupus), a fish species protected under
Canadaâs Species at Risk Act (SARA), inhabits Bonne Bay. Surrounded by Gros Morne
National Park, this bay with a diverse fish fauna is a focus of local stewardship and
conservation efforts
Plain Language Summary: An investigation into different sampling techniques and geographic variation in size-fecundity parameters of the American lobster, H. americanus
This
thesis
focuses
on
two
main
aspects,
the
first
of
which
looks
at
non-Ââinvasive
sampling
techniques
to
estimate
egg
number
on
female
lobsters
and
the
second
looks
at
a
model
that
can
predict
the
relationship
between
female
size
and
egg
number
from
latitude.
The
non-Ââinvasive
sampling
techniques
estimate
egg
number
for
the
female
American
lobster
(Homarus
americanus)
based
on
measurements
and
digital
image
analysis.
Non-Ââinvasive
estimates
of
egg
number
can
now
be
made
that
require
the
removal
of
only
ten
eggs
per
female
instead
of
the
entire
egg
mass.
Applications
of
this
technique
include
the
evaluation
of
the
effectiveness
of
conservation
measures,
such
as
v-Âânotching
or
the
establishment
of
closed
areas,
aimed
at
increasing
egg
production,
where
differences
in
egg
production
can
be
measured
without
the
use
of
destructive
sampling
techniques.
In
order
to
create
a
model
able
to
predict
the
number
of
eggs
on
a
female
based
on
her
carapace
length
throughout
the
speciesâ
range,
fecundity
estimates
for
American
lobster
(H.
americanus)
from
11
different
locations
in
the
Northwest
Atlantic
(from
the
Strait
of
Belle
Isle,
Newfoundland
to
Buzzards
Bay,
Massachusetts)
were
obtained.
The
data
were
then
analyzed
for
geographic
variation
and
a
distinct
change
with
latitude
was
found
in
the
model
parameter
b.
This
was
then
used
to
create
a
model
that
can
predict
size-Ââegg
number
relationships
from
latitude.
This
model
will
allow
for
future
egg
number
estimates
to
be
made,
utilizing
size
data
from
latitude
for
any
population
in
the
Northwest
Atlantic
Socioeconomic inequalities in health among Swedish adolescents - adding the subjective perspective
Abstract Background Socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent health predict future inequalities in adult health. Subjective measures of socioeconomic status (SES) may contribute with an increased understanding of these inequalities. The aim of this study was to investigate socioeconomic health inequalities using both a subjective and an objective measure of SES among Swedish adolescents. Method Cross-sectional HBSC-data from 2002 to 2014 was used with a total sample of 23,088 adolescents aged 11â15Â years. Three measures of self-rated health (dependent variables) were assessed: multiple health complaints, life satisfaction and health perception. SES was measured objectively by the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and subjectively by âperceived family wealthâ (independent variables). The trend for health inequalities was investigated descriptively with independent t-tests and the relationship between independent and dependent variables was investigated with multiple logistic regression analysis. Gender, age and survey year was considered as possible confounders. Results Subjective SES was more strongly related to health outcomes than the objective measure (FAS). Also, the relation between FAS and health was weakened and even reversed (for multiple health complaints) when subjective SES was tested simultaneously in regression models (FAS OR: 1.03, CI: 1.00;1.06 and subjective SES OR: 0.66, CI: 0.63;0.68). Conclusions The level of socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent health varied depending on which measure that was used to define SES. When focusing on adolescents, the subjective appraisals of SES is important to consider because they seem to provide a stronger tool for identifying inequalities in health for this group. This finding is important for policy makers to consider given the persistence of health inequalities in Sweden and other high-income countries
Mitigating Worst-Case Exozodiacal Dust Structure in High-contrast Images of Earth-like Exoplanets
Detecting Earth-like exoplanets in direct images of nearby Sun-like systems
brings a unique set of challenges that must be addressed in the early phases of
designing a space-based direct imaging mission. In particular, these systems
may contain exozodiacal dust, which is expected to be the dominant source of
astrophysical noise. Previous work has shown that it may be feasible to
subtract smooth, symmetric dust from observations; however, we do not expect
exozodiacal dust to be perfectly smooth. Exozodiacal dust can be trapped into
mean motion resonances with planetary bodies, producing large-scale structures
that orbit in lock with the planet. This dust can obscure the planet,
complicate noise estimation, or be mistaken for a planetary body. Our ability
to subtract these structures from high-contrast images of Earth-like exoplanets
is not well understood. In this work, we investigate exozodi mitigation for
Earth--Sun-like systems with significant mean motion resonant disk structures.
We find that applying a simple high-pass filter allows us to remove structured
exozodi to the Poisson noise limit for systems with inclinations
and up to 100 zodis. However, subtracting exozodiacal disk structures from
edge-on systems may be challenging, except for cases with densities zodis.
For systems with three times the dust of the Solar System, which is the median
of the best fit to survey data in the habitable zones of nearby Sun-like stars,
this method shows promising results for mitigating exozodiacal dust in future
HWO observations, even if the dust exhibits significant mean-motion resonance
structure.Comment: Accepted to AJ. 18 pages, 10 figure
Estimation of health-related utility (EQ-5D index) in subjects with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis to evaluate health gain associated with sublingual grass allergen immunotherapy
Background:
Grass allergen immunotherapy (AIT) reduces symptom severity in seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) but its impact on general health-related utility has not been characterised for the purposes of economic evaluation. The aim of this study was to model the preferred measure of utility, EQ-5D index, from symptom severity and estimate incremental quality adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with SQ-standardised grass immunotherapy tablet (GRAZAXÂź, 75,000 SQ-T/2,800 BAU, ALK, Denmark).
Methods:
Data were analysed from five consecutive pollen seasons in a randomised placebo controlled trial of GRAZAXÂź. Binomial and Gaussian mixed effects modelling related weekly EQ-5D index score to daily symptom and medication scores (DSS & DMS respectively). In turn, daily EQ-5D index was estimated from ARC symptoms and medication use.
Results:
DSS and DMS were the principal predictors of âperfectâ health (EQ-5Dâ=â1.000; binomial) and âimperfectâ health (EQ-5Dâ<â1.000; Gaussian). Each unit increase in DSS and DMS reduced the odds of âperfectâ health (EQ-5Dâ=â1.000) by 27% and 16% respectively, and reduced âimperfectâ health by 0.17 and 0.13, respectively. Gender remained the only other significant main fixed effect (Male odds ratio [OR]â=â1.82). Incremental estimated EQ-5D index utility for GRAZAXÂź was observed from day -30 to day +70 of the pooled pollen season; mean daily utility for GRAZAXÂźâ=â0.938 units (95%CI 0.932-0.943) vs. 0.914 (0.907-0.921) for placebo, an incremental difference of 0.0238 (pâ<â0.001). This translates into an incremental 0.0324 Quality Adjusted Life Years over the five year study period.
Conclusions:
ARC symptoms and medication use are the main predictors of EQ-5D index. The incremental QALYs observed for GRAZAXÂź may not fully describe the health benefits of this treatment, suggesting that economic modelling may be conservative
Estimation of health-related utility (EQ-5D index) in subjects with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis to evaluate health gain associated with sublingual grass allergen immunotherapy
Abstract Background: Grass allergen immunotherapy (AIT) reduces symptom severity in seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) but its impact on general health-related utility has not been characterised for the purposes of economic evaluation. The aim of this study was to model the preferred measure of utility, EQ-5D index, from symptom severity and estimate incremental quality adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with SQ-standardised grass immunotherapy tablet (GRAZAXÂź, 75,000 SQ-T/2,800 BAU, ALK, Denmark). Methods: Data were analysed from five consecutive pollen seasons in a randomised placebo controlled trial of GRAZAXÂź. Binomial and Gaussian mixed effects modelling related weekly EQ-5D index score to daily symptom and medication scores (DSS & DMS respectively). In turn, daily EQ-5D index was estimated from ARC symptoms and medication use
Rental Housing Assistance for the 21st Century
Current rental housing assistance programs are not designed to provide a safety net for people whose lives are volatile, or to encourage poor people to live in good locations. These failings can be corrected. HUD should establish a program of rental insurance-like mortgage insurance, but for renters. Low income housing assistance formulas should be revised to reward good neighborhood features, and punish bad
Quantifying the age structure of free-ranging delphinid populations : testing the accuracy of Unoccupied Aerial System photogrammetry
This study was funded by NOAA-PIFSC and RCUH JIMAR (NA19NMF4720181, NA16NMF4320058), CIMAR (NA21NMF4320043), and the Office of Naval Research (N000142012624).Understanding the population health status of long-lived and slow-reproducing species is critical for their management. However, it can take decades with traditional monitoring techniques to detect population-level changes in demographic parameters. Early detection of the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on vital rates would aid in forecasting changes in population dynamics and therefore inform management efforts. Changes in vital rates strongly correlate with deviations in population growth, highlighting the need for novel approaches that can provide early warning signs of population decline (e.g., changes in age structure). We tested a novel and frequentist approach, using Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) photogrammetry, to assess the population age structure of small delphinids. First, we measured the precision and accuracy of UAS photogrammetry in estimating total body length (TL) of trained bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Using a log-transformed linear model, we estimated TL using the blowhole to dorsal fin distance (BHDF) for surfacing animals. To test the performance of UAS photogrammetry to age-classify individuals, we then used length measurements from a 35-year dataset from a free-ranging bottlenose dolphin community to simulate UAS estimates of BHDF and TL. We tested five age classifiers and determined where young individuals (Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
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