1,100 research outputs found
Fishing and the impact of marine reserves in a variable environment
We use discrete-time models to investigate the impact of marine reserve establishment on fishery catch and biomass levels in open-access and quota-regulated fisheries under conditions of recruitment variability and natural mortality events. We find that under the conditions of variability tested, reserves can increase the probability of achieving target levels of biomass (60%, 35%, and 5% of carrying capacity) and can reduce catch variability in neighbouring fisheries, making future planning in the fishery more efficient. The size of the reserve required to meet each objective will depend on the initial condition of the stock and the exploitation rate in the fishery. Reserve coverage of between 20% and 40% prevent stock collapse in most cases. In heavily exploited fisheries, reserves are also likely to enhance mean catches, particularly in highly variable systems. If the stock has previously been heavily exploited, large reserves (greater than or equal to60%) may be required to significantly increase the probability of achieving target biomass levels. However, once stocks have recovered, reserve coverage may be reduced without a reduction in this probability of success
Predicting in-role and extra-role performance by gender
Men and women are said to perceive justice differently, with women proposed to be more concerned with relational issues and men focused more on material issues. In this study, the potential for differential effects of justice on performance by gender was analyzed across the four contemporary types of justice. Respondents were 265 male and 113 female occupationally diverse employees in a single organization. The results show significant differences in how men and women respond to the four justice types with only one - informational justice - acting similarly by gender. Women were more interested in maintaining social harmony than men. The results appear to strongly support the use of the justice judgment model over the group-value model as a means of explaining the gender differences. Implications for management include the importance of informational justice both generally and within the performance appraisal process<br /
The importance of habitat quality for marine reserve fishery linkages
We model marine reserve - fishery linkages to evaluate the potential contribution of habitat-quality improvements inside a marine reserve to fish productivity and fishery catches. Data from Mombasa Marine National Park, Kenya, and the adjacent fishery are used. Marine reserves increase total fish biomass directly by providing refuge from exploitation and indirectly by improving fish habitat in the reserve. As natural mortality of the fish stock decreases in response to habitat enhancement in the reserve, catches increase by up to 2.6 tonnes (t).km(-2).year(-1) and total fish biomass by up to 36 t.km(-2). However, if habitat-quality improvement reduces the propensity of fish to move out of the reserve, catches may fall by up to 0.9 t.km(-2).year(-1). Our results indicate that habitat protection in reserves can underpin fish productivity and, depending on its effects on fish movements, augment catches
Micro-Structured Ferromagnetic Tubes for Spin Wave Excitation
Micron scale ferromagnetic tubes placed on the ends of ferromagnetic CoTaZr
spin waveguides are explored in order to enhance the excitation of Backward
Volume Magnetostatic Spin Waves. The tubes produce a closed magnetic circuit
about the signal line of the coplanar waveguide and are, at the same time,
magnetically contiguous with the spin waveguide. This results in a 10 fold
increase in spin wave amplitude. However, the tube geometry distorts the
magnetic field near the spin waveguide and relatively high biasing magnetic
fields are required to establish well defined spin waves. Only the lowest
(uniform) spin wave mode is excited.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure
A Multinational Analysis of Mutations and Heterogeneity in PZase, RpsA, and PanD Associated with Pyrazinamide Resistance in M/XDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an important first-line drug in all existing and new tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimens. PZA-resistance in M. tuberculosis is increasing, especially among M/XDR cases. Noted issues with PZA Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) have driven the search for alternative tests. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of PZA molecular diagnostics in M/XDR TB cases. A set of 296, mostly XDR, clinical M. tuberculosis isolates from four countries were subjected to DST for eight drugs, confirmatory Wayne's assay, and whole-genome sequencing. Three genes implicated in PZA resistance, pncA, rpsA, and panD were investigated. Assuming all non-synonymous mutations cause resistance, we report 90% sensitivity and 65% specificity for a pncA-based molecular test. The addition of rpsA and panD potentially provides 2% increase in sensitivity. Molecular heterogeneity in pncA was associated with resistance and should be evaluated as a diagnostic tool. Mutations near the N-terminus and C-terminus of PZase were associated with East-Asian and Euro-American lineages, respectively. Finally, Euro-American isolates are most likely to have a wild-type PZase and escape molecular detection. Overall, the 8-10% resistance without markers may point to alternative mechanisms of resistance. Confirmatory mutagenesis may improve the disconcertingly low specificity but reduce sensitivity since not all mutations may cause resistance
Picosecond electrical spectroscopy using monolithic GaAs circuits
This article describes an experimental apparatus for free-space mm-wave transmission measurements (spectroscopy). GaAs nonlinear transmission lines and sampling circuits are used as picosecond pulse generators and detectors, with planar monolithic bowtie antennas with associated substrate lenses used as the radiating and receiving elements. The received pulse is 270 mV amplitude and 2.4 ps rise time. Through Fourier transformation of the received pulse, 30–250 GHz measurements are demonstrated with <=0.3 dB (rms) accuracy
Broadband Optical Serrodyne Frequency Shifting
We demonstrate serrodyne frequency shifting of light from 200 MHz to 1.2 GHz
with an efficiency of better than 60 percent. The frequency shift is imparted
by an electro-optic phase modulator driven by a high-frequency, high-fidelity
sawtooth waveform that is passively generated by a commercially available
Non-Linear Transmission Line (NLTL). We also implement a push-pull
configuration using two serrodyne-driven phase modulators allowing for
continuous tuning between -1.6 GHz and +1.6 GHz. Compared to competing
technologies, this technique is simple and robust, and offers the largest
available tuning range in this frequency band.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure
Dispersion and spin wave "tunneling" in nano-structured magnetostatic spin waveguides
Magnetostatic spin wave dispersion and loss are measured in micron scale spin
wave-guides in ferromagnetic, metallic CoTaZr. Results are in good agreement
with model calculations of spin wave dispersion. The measured attenuation
lengths, of the order of 3um, are several of orders of magnitude shorter than
that predicted from eddy currents in these thin wires. Spin waves effectively
"tunnel" through air gaps, produced by focused ion beam etching, as large as
1.5 um.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figure
Quantitative Microscopy of Hepatic Changes Induced by Phenethyl Isothiocyanate in Fischer-344 Rats Fed Either a Cereal-Based Diet or a Purified Diet
Hepatic changes induced by phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in the liver of rats were determined by quantitative microscopy. Groups of male Fischer-344 rats were fed either a standard, cereal-based diet (Wayne rodent meal) or a purified diet (AIN-76A) containing PEITC at concentrations of 0.75 and 6.0 mmol/kg for 13 wk. Severe hepatic lipidosis was observed in control rats fed the purified diet. Addition of PEITC to the purified diet significantly reduced lipid content in hepatocytes. In contrast, lipid content in the liver of the rats fed the cereal-based diet containing PEITC was greater than in control rats maintained on the same diet. In addition, dose-related reductions in hepatocyte, lipid droplet, peroxisome, and mitochondrial volumes were observed in PEITC-treated rats fed the cereal-based diet. These results indicate that PEITC exerts differential effects on the liver of rats fed either the cereal-based or purified diet.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68493/2/10.1177_019262339502300602.pd
- …