Diel and seasonal timing of sound production by black drum (Pogonias cromis)

Acoustic recorders were used to document black drum (Pogonias cromis) sound production during their spawning season in southwest Florida. Diel patterns of sound production were similar to those of other sciaenid fishes and demonstrated increased sound levels from the late afternoon to early evening—a period that lasted up to 12 hours during peak season. Peak sound production occurred from January through March when water temperatures were between 18° and 22°C. Seasonal trends in sound production matched patterns of black drum reproductive readiness and spawning reported previously for populations in the Gulf of Mexico. Total acoustic energy of nightly chorus events was estimated by integration of the sound pressure amplitude with duration above a threshold based on daytime background levels. Maximum chorus sound level was highly correlated with total acoustic energy and was used to quantitatively represent nightly black drum sound production. This study gives evidence that long-term passive acoustic recordings can provide information on the timing and location of black drum reproductive behavior that is similar to that provided by traditional, more costly methods. The methods and results have broad application for the study of many other fish species, including commercially and recreationally valuable reef fishes that produce sound in association with reproductive beha

Application of Thermal Infrared Multiband Scanner (TIMS) data to mapping of Plutonic and stratified rock and assemblages in accreted terrains of the Northern Sierra, California

The Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data were acquired over the Donner Pass area in California on September 12, 1985. The higher peaks in the area approach 9,200 feet in elevation, while the canyon of the north fork of the American River is only 3000 feet in elevation. The vegetation is dominated by conifers, although manzanita and other shrubs are present in areas where soils have developed. The data contain noise patterns which cut across scan lines diagonally. The TIMS data were analyzed using both photointerpretative and digital processing techniques. Preliminary image interpretation and field analysis confirmed that TIMS image data displays the chert units and silicic volcanics as bright red. The imagery appears to display zoning in the batholithic and hypabyssal intrusive rocks, although this was not field checked at this time. Rocks which appear to be more dioritic in composition appear purple on the imagery, while rocks more granitic in composition appear shades of red and pink. Areas that have more than 40% vegetative cover appear green on the imagery

Birmingham, West Midlands’ Young Persons’ Physical Activity Pathway: Evaluation Report

The Birmingham, West Midlands’ Young Persons’ Physical Activity Pathway (YPPAP) is a pilot six week behavioural intervention (a physical activity pathway) aimed at increasing physical activity levels in school-aged children in school years 6 and 7 (ages 10-12 yrs). It builds on the experiences of the South Staffordshire (SS) Physical Activity Care Pathway (PACP), but was developed specifically to focus on school-age young people in an urban city setting. For the purposes of the evaluation a mixed-methods approach including a quantitative and qualitative component was employed. Data analysis revealed that of the 239 eligible participants, 99 entered the pathway (31.2%). Ninety-three participants set physical goals at baseline and 3 were lost to follow up representing a pathway completion rate of 97% (n = 90). Overall, the results indicated that the increase in ‘spare time’ physical activity was statistically significant (t(95)=-2.88, p=.005), but the differences were not significant for overall physical activity (t(95)=-.096, p=.924), or mean frequency of physical activity (t(95)=-.414, p=.680). Analysis also revealed that the correlation between change in physical activity between baseline and follow up and the number of goals set by participants was not significant (r = 0.08, p =.436). Qualitative findings revealed that participants perceived that the pathway had helped to educate them about the relationship between physical activity and health and had provided a means of engaging with physical activity in a way that was fun and non-threatening. Delivery costs were also calculated taking into account management and delivery costs, including resources, training and support, the total cost per child of delivering the intervention was £143. The high completion rate might point to the utility of using school settings for physical activity interventions. Problematically, the limited sample size prevented the meaningful investigation of any relationship between the physical activity options chosen by young participants and outcomes in terms of potential increases in levels of physical activity. Similarly, it was not possible to fully investigate the potential effects of gender, class, ethnicity, disability status on adherence to the pathway or physical activity behaviour. More usefully, data analysis revealed that the pathway attracted a range of participants which demonstrated potential for securing the interest and motivation of participants. This finding underpins the importance of understanding the number, variety and availability of local physical activity opportunities and delivering the intervention in a way that is engaging and supportive

Projections and idempotents with fixed diagonal and the homotopy problem for unit tight frames

We investigate the topological and metric structure of the set of idempotent operators and projections which have prescribed diagonal entries with respect to a fixed orthonormal basis of a Hilbert space. As an application, we settle some cases of conjectures of Larson, Dykema, and Strawn on the connectedness of the set of unit-norm tight frames.Comment: New title and introductio

Agreement in student performance in assessment

Assessment of a student’s performance on a particular module may often be thought of as a single evaluation of the extent to which the student has met some or all of the module’s learning outcomes. More helpfully, however, when there is more than one assessment task in a particular module, it may be thought of as the combination of different assessment tasks (whatever the weighting attached to each of them). In this sense, the level of agreement between performances on the different tasks may elucidate the nature of overall student performance further still. Typically, assessment tasks within a module tend not to be of the same kind; often they are complementary, sometimes through the use of different media. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate agreement in student performance between assessment tasks within two modules

Oxygen Uptake During High-Intensity Running: Response Following a Single Bout of Interval Training

Elevated oxygen uptake ((V) over dot O-2) during moderate-intensity running following a bout of interval running training has been studied previously. To further investigate this phenomenon, the (V) over dot O-2 response to high-intensity exercise was examined following a bout of interval running. Well-trained endurance runners were split into an experimental group [maximum oxygen uptake, (V) over dot O-2max 4.73 (0.39) l.min(-1)] and a reliability group [(V) over dot O-2max 4.77 (0.26) l.min(-1)]. The experimental group completed a training session (4 x 800 m at 1 km.h(-1) below speed at (V) over dot O-2max, with 3 min rest between each 800-m interval). Five minutes prior to, and Ih following the training session, subjects completed 6 min 30 s of constant speed, high-intensity running designed to elicit 40% Delta (where Delta is the difference between (V) over dot O-2 at ventilatory threshold and (V) over dot O-2max; tests 1 and 2, respectively). The slow component of (V) over dot O-2 kinetics was quantified as the difference between the (V) over dot O-2 at 6 min and the (V) over dot O-2 at 3 min of exercise, i.e. Delta(V) over dot O2(6-3) The Delta(V) over dot O2(6-3) was the same in two identical conditions in the reliability group [mean (SD): 0.30 (0.10) l.min(-1) vs 0.32 (0.13) l.min(-1)]. In the experimental group, the magnitude of the slow component of (V) over dot O-2 kinetics was increased in test 2 compared with test 1 by 24.9% [0.27 (0.14) l.min(-1) vs 0.34 (0.08) l.min(-1), P < 0.05]. The increase in Delta(V) over dot O2(6-3) in the experimental group was observed in the absence of any significant change in body mass, core temperature or blood lactate concentration, either at the start or end of tests 1 or 2. It is concluded that similar mechanisms may be responsible for the slow component of (V) over dot O-2 kinetics and for the fatigue following the training session. It has been suggested previously that this mechanism may be linked primarily to changes within the active limb, with the recruitment of alternative and/or additional less efficient fibres

Nature and origin of secondary mineral coatings on volcanic rocks of the Black Mountain, Stonewall Mountain, and Kane Springs Wash volcanic centers, southern, Nevada

The following subject areas are covered: (1) genetic, spectral, and LANDSAT Thematic Mapper imagery relationship between desert varnish and tertiary volcanic host rocks, southern Nevada; (2) reconnaissance geologic mapping of the Kane Springs Wash Volcanic Center, Lincoln County, Nevada, using multispectral thermal infrared imagery; (3) interregional comparisons of desert varnish; and (4) airborne scanner (GERIS) imagery of the Kane Springs Wash Volcanic Center, Lincoln County, Nevada