834 research outputs found
A micro-environmental study of the effect of temperature on the sex ratios of the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, from Tongaland, Natal
Sex determination in C. caretta is, under natural conditions, dependent on incubation temperature. In general, below 27°C all hatchlings are male while above 29,3°C 80% or more are females. The sex ratios of the nests were also dependent on the time of season which is directly related to temperature. Metabolic heating of the nest was evident only towards the end of the critical period i.e. post-sexual differentiation. There was no correlation between sex ratios and the physical characteristics of the beach. The implications of temperature sex determination on the limitation of geographical populations are also discussed
From ‘holding pen’ to ‘a space to breathe’:Affective landscapes in a newly-integrated sexual health clinic
Action at a distance as a full-value solution of Maxwell equations: basis and application of separated potential's method
The inadequacy of Li\'{e}nard-Wiechert potentials is demonstrated as one of
the examples related to the inconsistency of the conventional classical
electrodynamics. The insufficiency of the Faraday-Maxwell concept to describe
the whole electromagnetic phenomena and the incompleteness of a set of
solutions of Maxwell equations are discussed and mathematically proved. Reasons
of the introduction of the so-called ``electrodynamics dualism concept"
(simultaneous coexistence of instantaneous Newton long-range and
Faraday-Maxwell short-range interactions) have been displayed. It is strictly
shown that the new concept presents itself as the direct consequence of the
complete set of Maxwell equations and makes it possible to consider classical
electrodynamics as a self-consistent and complete theory, devoid of inward
contradictions. In the framework of the new approach, all main concepts of
classical electrodynamics are reconsidered. In particular, a limited class of
motion is revealed when accelerated charges do not radiate electromagnetic
field.Comment: ReVTeX file, 24pp. Small corrections which do not have influence
results of the paper. Journal reference is adde
Recovery of consciousness and cognition after general anesthesia in humans
Understanding how the brain recovers from unconsciousness can inform neurobiological theories of consciousness and guide clinical investigation. To address this question, we conducted a multicenter study of 60 healthy humans, half of whom received general anesthesia for 3 hr and half of whom served as awake controls. We administered a battery of neurocognitive tests and recorded electroencephalography to assess cortical dynamics. We hypothesized that recovery of consciousness and cognition is an extended process, with differential recovery of cognitive functions that would commence with return of responsiveness and end with return of executive function, mediated by prefrontal cortex. We found that, just prior to the recovery of consciousness, frontal-parietal dynamics returned to baseline. Consistent with our hypothesis, cognitive reconstitution after anesthesia evolved over time. Contrary to our hypothesis, executive function returned first. Early engagement of prefrontal cortex in recovery of consciousness and cognition is consistent with global neuronal workspace theory
Relativistic predictions of spin observables for exclusive proton knockout reactions
Within the framework of the relativistic distorted wave impulse approximation
(DWIA), we investigate the sensitivity of complete sets of polarization
transfer observables for exclusive proton knockout from the 3s,
2d and 2d states in Pb, at an incident laboratory
kinetic energy of 202 MeV, and for coincident coplanar scattering angles
(, ), to different distorting optical potentials,
finite-range (FR) versus zero-range (ZR) approximations to the DWIA, as well as
medium-modified meson-nucleon coupling constants and meson masses. Results are
also compared to the nonrelativistic DWIA predictions based on the
Schr\"{o}dinger equation.Comment: Submitted for publication to Physicical Review C, 23 pages, 7 figure
The Influence of the effect of solute on the thermodynamic driving force on grain refinement of Al alloys
Grain refinement is known to be strongly affected by the solute in cast alloys. Addition of some solute can reduce grain size considerably while others have a limited effect. This is usually attributed to the constitutional supercooling which is quantified by the growth restriction factor, Q. However, one factor that has not been considered is whether different solutes have differing effects on the thermodynamic driving force for solidification. This paper reveals that addition of solute reduces the driving force for solidification for a given undercooling, and that for a particular Q value, it is reduced more substantially when adding eutectic-forming solutes than peritectic-forming elements. Therefore, compared with the eutectic-forming solutes, addition of peritectic-forming solutes into Al alloys not only possesses a higher initial nucleation rate resulted from the larger thermodynamic driving force for solidification, but also promotes nucleation within the constitutionally supercooled zone during growth. As subsequent nucleation can occur at smaller constitutional supercoolings for peritectic-forming elements, a smaller grain size is thus produced. The very small constitutional supercooling required to trigger subsequent nucleation in alloys containing Ti is considered as a major contributor to its extraordinary grain refining efficiency in cast Al alloys even without the deliberate addition of inoculants.The Australian Research Council (ARC DP10955737)
Monitoring of radon concentration for different building types in Covenant University, Nigeria
Radon monitoring is essential in determining the actual level of exposure
in buildings. Of all the reviewed works on indoor radon level, little to none was done
on comparative radon concentration study of different building structures in the
study area. A comparative study of the indoor radon concentration of different
building types; such as glass house, bricks and basement house structures were
done to evaluate sustainable radon level using radon detector (RAD7) machine. The
mean radon concentration for glass house, brick house and basement house are
14.96, 10.74 and 144.61 Bqm−3, respectively. Glass house radon concentration
range is from 11.03 to 17.46 Bqm−3. The radon concentration measured ranged
from 6.62 to 20.85 Bqm−3 for bricks house structure. Basement structure radon
concentration ranges from 15.75 to 614.52 Bqm−3. It was observed from the study
that the mean radon concentration measured from the basement structure was
above the recommended limit by a factor of 4. The estimated annual effective doses
are 0.377, 0.271 and 3.644 mSvy−1 for glass, brick and basement houses, respectively.
The study concluded that possible health risk is associated to basement
structure that has limited ventilation than glass and bricks house with easy access
to natural ventilation outlet. It is therefore recommended that adequate ventilation
be put in place in basement house
Life path analysis: scaling indicates priming effects of social and habitat factors on dispersal distances
1. Movements of many animals along a life-path can be separated into repetitive ones within home ranges and transitions between home ranges. We sought relationships of social and environmental factors with initiation and distance of transition movements in 114 buzzards Buteo buteo that were marked as nestlings with long-life radio tags.
2. Ex-natal dispersal movements of 51 buzzards in autumn were longer than for 30 later in their first year and than 35 extra-natal movements between home ranges after leaving nest areas. In the second and third springs, distances moved from winter focal points by birds that paired were the same or less than for unpaired birds. No post-nuptial movement exceeded 2 km.
3. Initiation of early ex-natal dispersal was enhanced by presence of many sibs, but also by lack of worm-rich loam soils. Distances travelled were greatest for birds from small broods and with relatively little short grass-feeding habitat near the nest. Later movements were generally enhanced by the absence of loam soils and short grassland, especially with abundance of other buzzards and probable poor feeding habitats (heathland, long grass).
4. Buzzards tended to persist in their first autumn where arable land was abundant, but subsequently showed a strong tendency to move from this habitat.
5. Factors that acted most strongly in ½-km buffers round nests, or round subsequent focal points, usually promoted movement compared with factors acting at a larger scale. Strong relationships between movement distances and environmental characteristics in ½-km buffers, especially during early ex-natal dispersal, suggested that buzzards became primed by these factors to travel far.
6. Movements were also farthest for buzzards that had already moved far from their natal nests, perhaps reflecting genetic predisposition, long-term priming or poor habitat beyond the study area
Faire campagne en ville : l'agriculture urbaine en Afrique de l'Est
Version anglaise disponible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI: Cities feeding people : an examination of urban agriculture in East Afric
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