The effects of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e) on gonadal development and differentiation in the estuarine killifish, \u3cem\u3eFundulus heteroclitus\u3c/em\u3e

Endocrine disrupting substances (EDSs) comprise a wide variety of chemicals that perturb normal endocrine function including developmental and reproductive processes in vertebrates. The synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) is a commonly-used model EDS because of its environmental relevance and its effects on the reproductive endocrine system. Early life-stage exposure of fish to estrogenic EDSs causes effects such as intersex (ovotestes in males) and feminization. This study aims to confirm the period of gonadal differentiation in the estuarine killifish or mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) and to determine the sensitivity of gonadal development to EE2. Artificially-regressed mummichog were spawned, and fertilized eggs were collected and exposed to EE2 (0, 10, 50 and 250ng/L) within 8 h of spawning. Embryos and larvae were continually exposed in petri dishes and beakers (26˚C) and sampled weekly from hatch date to 10 weeks post-hatch (wph) to determine histologically the sensitivity of gonadal development to EE2. Exposure to EE2 (10-250ng/L) resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in skeletal abnormalities and mortalities; larval lengths proved insensitive to EE2 exposure. Complete gonadal differentiation in mummichog occurred by 3 wph in control groups, whereas exposure to EE2 accelerated gonadal differentiation as early ast 1 wph in all EE2 exposed groups. Sex ratios were skewed (\u3e80% female phenotype) within all groups treated with EE2. This study demonstrates that early onset of exposure elicits effects on developing mummichog as exposure of EE2 prior to establishment of endogenous differentiation pathways influenced and altered sex differentiation, resulting in feminized groups of fish at environmentally-relevant and higher concentrations

The anti-corporate globalization movement: An exploration of its intellectual lineage.

Since its coming out party which took place in Seattle during the 1999 protests against the WTO, the anti-corporate globalization movement has become the subject of investigation for scholars and activists alike. Some have suggested that the movement represented a turning point in history---one that signaled a departure from the single-issue and identity-politics focus which animated many new social movements of the 1970s and 1980s. Others have contended that the movement was/is quintessentially a postmodern phenomenon due largely to its decentralized, non-hierarchical form and its seeming lack of ideological coherence. Through a qualitative analysis of documents produced by actual activists involved in the anti-corporate globalization movement, this thesis explores its intellectual and historical lineage as well as its contemporary influences.Dept. of Communication Studies. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2004 .C44. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-05, page: 1596. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004

Harmonisation of the GOME, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2 total ozone data records for a better understanding of long-term trends and their causes

This thesis addresses the issue of the accurate measurements of ozone distributions in the atmosphere obtained from different satellite borne atmospheric chemistry spectrometers which represent a major need and pre-requisite for determining whether the atmospheric burden of ozone depleting substances (ODS) are reduced in accordance to the Montreal Protocol, and valuable for long-term trend analysis to detect a subsequent ozone recovery. A consolidated and homogeneous long term dataset requires a careful analysis of the relevant parameters used in the retrievals, one important parameter is the absorption cross section. This work presents the procedures followed to correct the ozone cross section data of SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 spectrometers starting from original raw data (optical density spectra). Using the available versions of SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 FM cross sections in the retrieval of total ozone from each satellite leads to an overestimation in the total ozone by 3-5% and 8-9% compared to collocated GOME data, respectively. The quality of the revised temperature-dependent ozone absorption cross sections is investigated over GOME-2 and SCIAMACHY's entire spectral range. The revised data agree well within 3% with other published ozone cross sections and preserve the correct temperature dependence in the Hartley, Huggins, Chappuis and Wulf bands as displayed by the literature data. SCIAMACHY's total ozone columns retrieved using the revised cross section data are shown to be within 1% compared to the ozone amounts retrieved routinely from SCIAMACHY, which uses Bogumil et al. (2003) data but adjusted with a scaling factor of 5.3% and a wavelength shift of 0.08 nm. The total ozone column retrieved from the GOME-2/MetOp-A satellite using the new cross section data is within 1% compared to the ozone amounts retrieved from the standard retrieval performed for GOME-2. The study also presents a long term statistical trend analysis of total ozone datasets obtained from various satellites. A multi-variate linear regression was applied to annual mean zonal mean data using various natural and anthropogenic explanatory variables that represent dynamical and chemical processes which modify global ozone distributions in a changing climate. The study investigated the magnitude and zonal distribution of the different atmospheric chemical and dynamical factors contributing to long-term total ozone changes. The regression model included the Equivalent Effective Stratospheric Chlorine (EESC), the 11 year solar cycle, the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), stratospheric aerosol loading describing the effects from major volcanic eruptions, the El Nino/ Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillation, and accumulated eddy heat flux (EHF), the latter representing changes due to the Brewer Dobson circulation. The total ozone column dataset used here comprises the SBUV/TOMS/OMI merged data (1979 - 2012) MOD V8.0. The analysis explained most of the ozone variability. The results show that QBO dominates the ozone variability in the tropics (7 DU) while at higher latitudes, the dynamical indices, AO/AAO and eddy heat flux, have substantial influence on total ozone variations by up to 10 DU. ENSO signal are more evident in the Northern Hemisphere. EESC is found to be a main contributor to the long-term ozone decline and the trend changes after the end of 1990s. A positive significant trend in total ozone columns is found after 1997 (between 1 and 8.2DU/decade) which points at the slowing of ozone decline and the onset of ozone recovery. The EESC based trends are compared with the trends obtained from the statistical piecewise linear trend (PWLT or hockey stick) model to examine the differences between both approaches. The results do indicate that the positive PWLT turnaround trends are larger than indicated by the EESC trends, however, they agree within 2-sigma, thus demonstrating the success of the Montreal Protocol phasing out of the ozone depleting substances (ODS). A sensitivity study is carried out by comparing the regression results, using different satellite merged datasets as well as the ground based measurements (1979 - 2012) in the regression analysis in order to investigate the uncertainty in the long-term trends due to different ozone datasets and data versions. All the datasets show almost identical pre-turnaround trends before 1979 for both EESC and PWLT approaches while the positive trends after 1997 are greatly influenced by the short-term variability. In spite of that, all datasets agree within 2-sigma fit parameters

The luminosity and redshift dependence of quasar clustering

Our aim in this thesis is to measure the dependence of quasar clustering with redshift and luminosity. We employ the two-point correlation function to measure the clustering of quasars and compare our results to models of quasar activity. Firstly, we present the photometry of the VST-ATLAS survey. This survey aims to image 4700 deg2 of the Southern Sky to approximately the same depth as SDSS with the second data release covering 60% of the planned survey. The VST-ATLAS median ‘seeing’ is on average 0.4'' less than that of SDSS images and the median point-source depth is on average 0.4mag fainter. The r-band has 0.9'' median seeing (cf. 1.24'' in SDSS) and median 5s depth for point-sources of 22.67 [AB] (cf. 22.31 [AB] in SDSS). The use of gri imaging from the AAVSO Photometric All-Sky Survey has been used to improve the accuracy of the zero-point calibration such that VST-ATLAS photometry agrees with SDSS to the 0.02mag level. We verify the CASU generated catalogue parameters such as the morphological classifications, aperture fluxes and aperture magnitude corrections against the SDSS and we demonstrate that the flat fielding and scattered light correction result in photometry uniform to 0.006mag. We go on to present a new redshift survey, the 2dF Quasar Dark Energy Survey pilot (2QDESp), which consists of 10000 quasars from 150 deg2 of the Southern Sky, based on VST-ATLAS imaging and 2dF/AAOmega spectroscopy. Combining our optical photometry with the WISE (W1,W2) bands we can select essentially contamination free quasar samples with 0.8<z<2.5 and g<20.5. At fainter magnitudes, optical UVX selection is still required to reach our g~22.5 limit. Using both these techniques we observed quasar redshifts at sky densities up to 90 deg-2. Further, we use the two-point correlation function to measure the clustering of quasars. By comparing 2QDESp with other surveys (SDSS, 2QZ and 2SLAQ) we find that quasar clustering is approximately luminosity independent, with results for all four surveys consistent with a correlation scale of r0=6.1+/-0.1 h-1 Mpc, despite their decade range in luminosity. We find a significant redshift dependence of the correlation scale, particularly when BOSS data with r0=7.3+/-0.1 h-1Mpc are included at z~2.4. All quasars remain consistent with having a single host halo mass of 2+/-1 x10^12 h^-1 M. This result implies that either quasars do not radiate at a fixed fraction of the Eddington luminosity or AGN black hole and dark matter halo masses are weakly correlated. No significant evidence is found to support fainter, X-ray selected quasars at low redshift having larger halo masses as predicted by the ‘hot halo’ mode AGN model of Fanidakis et al. (2013). Finally, although the combined quasar sample reaches an effective volume as large as that of the original SDSS LRG sample, we do not detect the Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) feature in these data

Optimal Dynamic Behavior of Adaptive WIP Regulation with Multiple Modes of Capacity Adjustment

AbstractIt is desirable to maintain consistent dynamic behavior of WIP regulation in work systems with multiple modes of capacity adjustment (floaters, overtime, etc.) and different adjustment periods, delays and limits in the various modes. Coordination of these modes is necessary in order to keep optimal dynamic behavior. In this paper, a control-theoretic model of WIP regulation is presented first that accommodates multiple capacity adjustment modes with different adjustment periods (per shift, per day, per week, etc.) and different delays in implementing adjustments. Then an algorithm is presented for adapting WIP adjustment parameters in the presence of capacity adjustment limits and mode priorities so that a specified dynamic performance goal continues to be met. Results of simulations driven by industrial data are used to illustrate the effect of limits and performance goals on dynamic behavior, and conclusions are drawn regarding the effectiveness of adaptive regulation of WIP by coordinating multiple modes of capacity adjustment