High resolution spatial variability in spring snowmelt for an Arctic shrub-tundra watershed

Arctic tundra environments are characterized by spatially heterogeneous end-of-winter snow cover because of high winds that erode, transport and deposit snow over the winter. This spatially variable end-of-winter snow cover subsequently influences the spatial and temporal variability of snowmelt and results in a patchy snowcover over the melt period. Documenting changes in both snow cover area (SCA) and snow water equivalent (SWE) during the spring melt is essential for understanding hydrological systems, but the lack of high-resolution SCA and SWE datasets that accurately capture micro-scale changes are not commonly available, and do not exist for the Canadian Arctic. This study applies high-resolution remote sensing measurements of SCA and SWE using a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to document snowcover changes over the snowmelt period for an Arctic tundra headwater catchment. Repeat measurements of SWE and SCA were obtained for four dominant land cover types (tundra, short shrub, tall shrub, and topographic drift) to provide observations of spatially distributed snowmelt patterns and basin-wide declines in SWE. High-resolution analysis of snowcover conditions over the melt reveal a strong relationship between land cover type, snow distribution, and snow ablation rates whereby shallow snowpacks found in tundra and short shrub regions feature rapid declines in SWE and SCA and became snow-free approximately 10 days earlier than deeper snowpacks. In contrast, tall shrub patches and topographic drift regions were characterized by large initial SWE values and featured a slow decline in SCA. Analysis of basin-wide declines in SCA and SWE reveal three distinct melt phases characterized by 1) low melt rates across a large area resulting in a minor change in SCA, but a very large decline in SWE with, 2) high melt rates resulting in drastic declines in both SCA and SWE, and 3) low melt rates over a small portion of the basin, resulting in little change to either SCA or SWE. The ability to capture high-resolution spatio-temporal changes to tundra snow cover furthers our understanding of the relative importance of various land cover types on the snowmelt timing and amount of runoff available to the hydrological system during the spring freshet

HPLC Analysis of Amino Acids in Algae

Undergraduate Basi

Size of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in schizophrenia

Background Meta-analyses of hippocampal size have indicated thatthis structure is smaller in schizophrenia.This could reflect a reductioninthe size of constituent neurons or a reduced number of neurons. Aims To measure the size of hippocampalpyramidalneuronsinthe hippocampalpyramidalneurons inthe brains of peoplewith andwithout schizophrenia. Method Pyramidalneuron size in hippocampal subfieldswas estimated stereologically fromsections taken at 5mmintervals throughoutthewhole length of right and left hippocampi from andleft the brains of13 peoplewith schizophrenia and16 controls.Resultswere assessed using repeated-measures analysis of covariance looking for amain effectof diagnosis and gender, andinteractions of and interactions thesewith side. Results Wewere unable to detect significantdifferences related to diagnosis, gender or side for any hippocampal subfield for this series of cases. Conclusions For this series of brains, hippocampal cell size is unchangedin schizophrenia

Shortcomings of investior-based ratings of corporate reputation: An exploratory empirical study that shows a variety of stakeholder groups place greater emphasis on corporate ethics than profits.

We examine three assumptions commonly held in the corporate reputation literature: i) reputation ratings of owners and investors are generally representative of all stakeholders; ii) stakeholders will generally provide a higher reputation rating to firms that emphasize corporate social responsibility versus firms that do not; and iii) profitability is the primary criterion of importance to all stakeholders when rating a firm’s reputation. Using an exploratory in-class exercise our findings suggest that: i) there are significant differences among stakeholder groups in their reputation ratings; ii) firms that emphasize corporate social responsibility are not rated more highly across all stakeholder groups, and iii) for all stakeholder groups, the ethicality criterion explained more of the variance in firms’ reputation ratings than the profitability criterion

Organizational ingenuity and the paradox of embedded agency: The case of the embryonic Ontario solar energy industry

We examine organizational ingenuity within the paradox of embedded agency where organizational stakeholders are constrained in their behaviors by institutions, yet also influence and change these institutions. In this study organizational ingenuity represents the agency component and institutional constraints the embedded component. We build theory about ingenuity from a four-year case study of the embryonic Ontario solar industry. There were two major institutional constraints, limited grid access and political uncertainty. These led to four ingenuity strategies that emerged at different times and levels of analysis that challenged, complied with, or escaped the constraints. We combine these findings to develop a process model of the emergence of ingenuity in this embryonic industry. Lastly, we find that extending legitimacy to an ingenuity strategy is necessary for its success

The Guilty (Silicon) Mind: Blameworthiness and Liability in Human-Machine Teaming

As human science pushes the boundaries towards the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the sweep of progress has caused scholars and policymakers alike to question the legality of applying or utilising AI in various human endeavours. For example, debate has raged in international scholarship about the legitimacy of applying AI to weapon systems to form lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS). Yet the argument holds true even when AI is applied to a military autonomous system that is not weaponised: how does one hold a machine accountable for a crime? What about a tort? Can an artificial agent understand the moral and ethical content of its instructions? These are thorny questions, and in many cases these questions have been answered in the negative, as artificial entities lack any contingent moral agency. So what if the AI is not alone, but linked with or overseen by a human being, with their own moral and ethical understandings and obligations? Who is responsible for any malfeasance that may be committed? Does the human bear the legal risks of unethical or immoral decisions by an AI? These are some of the questions this manuscript seeks to engage with