Morphological and genetic barcoding study confirming the first Stegastes variabilis (Castelnau, 1855) report in the Mediterranean Sea

This paper presents morphometric and genetic barcoding analyses of the first record of the Cocoa Damselfish, Stegastes variabilis in the Mediterranean Sea. A single specimen was captured from Senglea waterfront, Malta (Central Mediterranean) on the 15th of September 2013. The species is non-indigenous in the Mediterranean, as it is native to the tropical Western Atlantic. Apart from undertaking identification through meristics and morphometric measurements of the specimen, genetic analyss of the 3410 bp mtDNA genes were carried out to confirm the species' identity. The latter was useful given that the genus Stegastes is known to be composed of morphologically very similar species, with variable colour patterns

The asymmetric unemployment response of natives and foreigners to migration shocks

This paper provides new evidence on the macroeconomic effects of net migration shocks in Germany. Using monthly data from 2006 to 2019 and a variety of identification strategies in a structural vector autoregressive model, we show that migration shocks are expansionary. Net migration increases persistently industrial production, per capita net exports and tax revenue. In the labor market, migration boosts persistently job openings and, after a year and a half, hourly wages in manufacturing. Total unemployment declines but the response is asymmetric between natives and foreigners. Unemployment falls persistently for natives while it rises a year after the shock for foreigners as the newly settled migrants enter the labor market gradually. Using also quarterly data in a mixed-frequency SVAR, we shed light on the employment and participation responses for natives and foreigners. We also show that migration shocks increase per capita GDP, investment, and hourly wages of the aggregate economy. Taken together, our results highlight a job-creation effect for natives and a job-competition effect for foreigners

Solution of the Percus-Yevick equation for hard discs

We solve the Percus-Yevick equation in two dimensions by reducing it to a set of simple integral equations. We numerically obtain both the pair correlation function and the equation of state for a hard disc fluid and find good agreement with available Monte-Carlo calculations. The present method of resolution may be generalized to any even dimension.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Assessment and monitoring of the human dimensions within the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program: final report of the Human Dimensions Expert Group

[Extract] The National Environmental Science Programme (NESP) Project 3.2.2 and funds provided through the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program (RIMReP) have provided a methodology for assessing and monitoring the Great Barrier Reef (Reef)’s human dimensions as a key mechanism to support governance and management of the World Heritage Area. The work has used a conceptual framework to identify appropriate sets of indicators for characterising the desired state of the Reef’s human dimensions at the whole-of-Reef and regional scales. Using this framework, 25 indicator attributes that describe people’s relationship with the Reef were grouped into five key attribute clusters which align with the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan) Outcomes. These are: (i) human aspirations, capacities and stewardship associated with the Reef; (ii) community vitality related to Great Barrier Reef outcomes; (iii) economic values related to Great Barrier Reef outcomes; (iv) culture and heritage related to the Reef; and (v) the health of governance systems affecting Reef outcomes. This work was undertaken with collaboration and input from the Reef-wide (RIMReP) Human Dimensions Expert Group and six Regional Discussion Panels in the Reef catchment. Populating this framework to determine the state of the human dimensions associated with the Reef requires a rich evidence base. As a result of this work, alignment of the human dimensions framework with Reef 2050 Plan targets, objectives and outcomes has revealed several significant gaps for monitoring implementation of the Reef 2050 Plan.An accessible copy of this report is not yet available from this repository, please contact [email protected] for more information

Excitonic coupling dominates the homogeneous photoluminescence excitation linewidth in semicrystalline polymeric semiconductors

We measure the homogeneous excitation linewidth of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene), a model semicrystalline polymeric semiconductor, by means of two-dimensional coherent photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. At a temperature of 8\,K, we find a linewidth that is always $\gtrsim 110$\,meV full-width-at-half-maximum, which is a significant fraction of the total linewidth. It displays a spectral dependence and is minimum near the 0--0 origin peak. We interpret this spectral dependence of the homogeneous excitation linewidth within the context of a weakly coupled aggregate model.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary Materia

Aplikasi Teknik Environmental Dna(edna) untuk Deteksi Spesies Cheraxquadricarinatus (Von Martens 1868) Menggunakan Sampel Air

Cherax quadricarinatus merupakan spesies introduksi yang berasal dari Australia. Siklus hidup yang cepat dan toleransi yang tinggi terhadap lingkungan mengakibatkan C. quadricarinatusmudah menginvasi ekosistem perairan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengaplikasikan teknik eDNA secara cepat untuk deteksi C.quadricarinatus. Teknik ekstraksi dilakukan dengan menggunakan teknik pengendapan. Validasi keberadaan C.quadricarinatusdilakukan dengan menggunakan metode pengembangan PCR dan desain primer spesifik. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa keberadaan C.quadricarinatusterdeteksi sebanyak 60%dari keseluruhan badan perairan. Kombinasi protokol deteksi eDNA dan metode pengembangan PCR, serta primer spesifik yang didesain dapat digunakan untuk mendeteksi keberadaan C. quadricarinatus

Capillary deformations of bendable films

We address the partial wetting of liquid drops on ultrathin solid sheets resting on a deformable foundation. Considering the membrane limit of sheets that can relax compression through wrinkling at negligible energetic cost, we revisit the classical theory for the contact of liquid drops on solids. Our calculations and experiments show that the liquid-solid-vapor contact angle is modified from the Young angle, even though the elastic bulk modulus (E) of the sheet is so large that the ratio between the surface tension γ and E is of molecular size. This finding establishes a new type of “soft capillarity” that stems from the bendability of thin elastic bodies rather than from material softness. We also show that the size of the wrinkle pattern that emerges in the sheet is fully predictable, thus resolving a puzzle noticed in several previous attempts to model “drop-on-a-floating-sheet” experiments, and enabling a reliable usage of this setup for the metrology of ultrathin films

Characterization of Maltese pottery of the Late Neolithic, Bronze Age and Punic Period by neutron activation analysis

A set of 41 samples from Tas-Silg, Malta, has been analysed by neutron activation. It contained nine ware groups formed by visual examination covering the Late Neolithic, Bronze Age and Punic Periods (c. 3000–218 BC). Despite this diversity and long time range, seven of these ware groups, including the ‘Thermi Ware’, all have a similar chemical composition and, therefore, have been made from the same clay. This points most probably to a local origin. One group from the Punic Period, containing only Bricky Red cooking ware, is chemically separate and represents a second distinct pattern probably assignable to a local production. Five amphora sherds also from the Punic Period, and consisting of a micaceous fabric, all have different chemical characteristics and are probably imports from overseas production sites of unknown location.peer-reviewe

XPL the Extensible Presentation Language

The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the development of web interfaces enabling both multiple ways to access contents and, at the same time, fruition by multiple modalities of interaction (point-and-click, contents reading, voice commands, gestures, etc.). In this paper we describe a framework aimed at streamlining the design process of multi-channel, multimodal interfaces enabling full reuse of software components. This framework is called the eXtensible Presentation architecture and Language (XPL), a presentation language based on design pattern paradigm that keeps separated the presentation layer from the underlying programming logic. The language supplies a methodology to expedite multimodal interface development and to reduce the effort to implement interfaces for multiple access devices, by means of using the same code. This paper describes a methodology approach based on Visual Design Pattern (ViDP) and Verbal Design Pattern (VeDP), offering examples of multimodal and multichannel interfaces created with the XPL Editor