Identity and mentalité: British naval sailors and encounter during the ‘scientific’ voyages, 1764–1803

The distribution and abundance of larval fish in the Kaikoura region, on the northeastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand, was investigated over a four year period (1994 - 1997). Spatial and temporal variability were described on both broad and fine scales. Larval fish assemblages at four stations along an offshore transect were sampled fortnightly over an eighteen month period. The abundance and composition of larval fish assemblages were found to vary seasonally. The spawning activity of adults was probably the major determinant of this broad-scale temporal variation in abundance. The timing of spawning activity appeared to be related to the phytoplankton and zooplankton production cycles. The abundance of larval fish at individual offshore stations changed markedly between fortnightly samples. Horizontal movement was considered to be a major cause of this temporal variation. The timing of peaks in larval abundance was relatively constant between years for most species. However, the annual amplitude of these peaks varied considerably for some species. This annual variability in larval supply is likely to have a major impact on the dynamics of the local fish populations. The temporal abundance patterns of the larval stages of most fish species in the Kaikoura region overlapped broadly with those observed for the same species in northeastern New Zealand. The abundance of the larval stages of most species varied with distance from shore. Some species were more abundant further from shore and others more abundant near land. However, there was little evidence to support the generalisation that larvae that are more abundant nearshore hatch from demersal eggs, whereas those that are more widely distributed are derived from pelagic eggs. The alongshore distribution of larvae was investigated at four stations at increasing distances from rocky reefs. Although the larval stages of many species were dispersed at least 6 km offshore, some larval fish, including several that were abundant offshore, appeared to resist alongshore dispersal. These species probably use a combination of active swimming, schooling behaviour and eddies to prevent alongshore dispersal. The fine-scale vertical distribution of larval fish in surface waters was investigated over 24 hr periods. The abundance of the larval stages of most species varied within a 24 hr period. Diel vertical migration was considered to be the major cause of this variation. For some species, the degree of vertical migration appeared to depend on ambient light levels. The horizontal distribution of larval fish in inshore surface waters was strongly influenced by the presence of surface slicks. Larval fish were considerably more abundant within surface slicks than in the surface waters either side of them. This aggregation, together with the shoreward movement of slicks, suggests that surface slicks may transport larval fish towards shore. A new design of light trap was tested in inshore waters. These traps successfully attracted and captured larval fish in inshore habitats. Although the light traps caught a subset of the species taken by plankton nets, they were equally capable of detecting seasonal and lunar phase differences in larval fish abundance. The conclusion of this study was that although local oceanographic processes can directly influence the broad-scale distribution of larval fish, these distributions can be modified markedly by fine-scale processes and the behaviour of larval fish. The ability of the larval stages of many species of fish to adjust their horizontal and vertical position and to maintain a station in suitable habitats results in distributions that are both structured and complex.

Dispersal of biodiversity – a major cause of variation – leads to speciation, extinction, and dispersal. The most prominent and well-researched pattern in biogeography is the ubiquitous elevational gradient. Most studies have focused on macroorganisms. However, with but the advent of molecular biology tools such as the next-generation sequencing (NGS), these studies incorporate microorganisms into their horizon. The basic objective is to understand and broaden our perspective for other significant microbial groups and their ecology.

This paper deals with an application of partial least squares (PLS) methods to an industrial terephthalic acid (TPA) manufacturing process to identify and remove the major causes of variability in the product quality. Multivariate statistical analyses were performed to find the major causes of variability in the product quality, using the PLS models built from historical data measured on the process and quality variables. It was found from the PLS analyses that the variations in the catalyst concentrations and the process throughput significantly affect the product quality, and that the quality variations are propagated from the oxidation unit to the digestion units of the TPA process. A simulation-based approach was addressed to roughly estimate the effects of eliminating the major causes on the product quality using the PLS models. Based on the results that considerable amounts of the variations in the product quality could be reduced, we have proposed practical approaches for removing the major causes of product quality variations in the TPA manufacturing process.

Experiments were conducted to study the effect on chick growth of equalizing the bone, bone ash, or calcium contents of diets based on wheat plus skim milk and containing high or low quality meat meals with and without soybean meal, and of supplementing these diets with minerals and with vitamins plus antibiotic. Bone or ash content was the major cause of variation in the growth of chicks on diets in which meat meal provided about 35% and soybean meal about 22% of the total dietary protein, but not on diets in which meat meals provided about 57% of the protein. The first type of diet gave significantly faster growth than the second type, but this was not due to the lower bone or calcium content of the first type. The results are interpreted as indicating that when meat meals provided a major proportion of the protein, protein quality rather than the bone or ash content of the diets was the major cause of variation in growth. As supplementation with bone ash, or bone with the same ash content, or with calcium carbonate with the same calcium content, depressed growth equally, it was concluded that the main cause of depressed growth on diets containing high levels of added bone was the high calcium content of the diets. Though supplementation of some low quality meat meal diets with minerals, with or without vitamins plus antibiotic, slightly increased growth rates, the variation in growth-promoting ability between diets containing high and low quality meat meals was not appreciably reduced. The experiments confirmed previous indications that the growth-promoting ability of a meat meal included in chicken diets is mainly the resultant of any growth depression due to excess calcium and growth promotion due to the contribution of essential amino acids.

Purpose: The main objective of this study is to identify the various origin and causes of variation orders. The study area is limited to Tribhuwan University premises, Kathmandu. The result of this study can be further used to analyze the impacts of those and also to develop prevention measures which further can be beneficial in upcoming projects. Design/Methodology/Approach: Fifty respondents including client, consultant, and contractor and their representatives having experience above two years were questioned for the primary source of data collection. Research works, papers, publications, journals, online information, contract documents, letters, and documents were used for secondary data collection. For ranking the perception based relative importance index of respondents views of causes, five ranking Likert scale have been used. Findings/Result: Respondents have viewed the major cause of variations originated from the client in overall projects are change of plans, impediment in prompt decision making, financial difficulties, changes of scope and poor project objectives with RII 0.80, 0.72, 0.69, 0.64, and 0.63 respectively. Similarly, the causes originated from consultants are change of plans or scope, defects in the bill of quantities, change in design, defect in design, and lack of judgment and experience with RII 0.756, 0.736, 0.712, 0.668, and 0.656 respectively. Major causes having their origin from the contractor are found to be lack of specified and appropriate competent construction manager, lack of involvement in design, lack of judgement and experience, lack of strategic planning, and financial difficulties with RII 0.72, 0.70, 0.66, 0.66, and 0.59 respectively. Another main cause of weather conditions with RII 0.55 and the least is socio-cultural factors having RII 0.43. Originality/Value: It is action research to enhance the performance of Projects by managing Variations. Paper Type: Analytical Policy Research

During the ‘long eighteenth century’, several thousands of sailors born outside British territories served in the Royal Navy. This phenomenon, and the peculiarities of their employment compared to that of British seamen, remain largely unstudied. This paper aims to show that, as far as disabilities or privileges were concerned, official legislation only played a very small part in making alien seamen's experiences in the navy distinct from those of their British colleagues. More broadly, this article argues that, whilst transnationalism can be overemphasized, there are specific contexts and groups of people for which the power of the state falters when it comes to obstructing movement, and indeed it is forced, for its very survival, to act strategically against the barrier to circulation that frontiers normally constitute. In similar circumstances, the origins of the individuals concerned, intended as official labels that states normally use to classify them, control them, and claim or disclaim ownership over them, can become all but meaningless. Thus, naval sailors, as useful state servants, can be an excellent case-study to understand the category of legal ‘foreignness’ as it developed in modern nation-states, and the tensions inherent to it.

SummarySeen as a crucial historical step in the development of ‘modern’ institutional healthcare, eighteenth-century British naval medicine has traditionally been studied from the point of view of the state and of physicians and surgeons: naval sailors’ attitudes towards health, medicine and their own bodies remain virtually unexplored. Using official and personal sources, this article sketches a ‘patient’s history’ of late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century British ratings. Aiming to counterbalance Foucauldian interpretations, it highlights some of the ways in which individuals, even when apparently most powerless, confined in ships far from home, and controlled by rigidly disciplined institutions, could take responsibility for their health, successfully or otherwise, within, against or alongside the system. If the unprecedented administrative requirements of the French Wars strengthened and standardised top-down medical authority, they also brought opportunities for evasion and negotiation. This complicates established narratives of the relationship between modern medicine, the armed forces and power.

Survival of Swedish Landrace and Yorkshire sows in relation to osteochondrosis: a genetic study

There is a perception that people with a mental illness are dangerous. However, there are still arguments in the research literature as to whether the evidence supports this perception. The major aim of this paper is to review the findings of these studies in regard to the risk of violent behaviour in people with mental illness. An additional aim is to give an overview of the risk factors for violence in people with a mental illness. This systematic search of the literature resulted in good evidence that diagnoses such as schizophrenia and personality disorder are associated with an increased risk of violent behaviour. Substance abuse was the risk factor most associated with an increase in the risk of violent behaviour in people with a mental illness. However, there are substantial differences in the methods used in studies of the risk in violence in people with mental illness resulting in a large variability in the estimates of risk. One of the major causes of variation may be due to the different definitions of violence that are used. The need remains, therefore, for a meta-analysis of this literature based on clear definitions of violence in order to get a more accurate estimate of the risk of violence in people with a mental illness.

From a historic perspective, the north‐east Arctic cod stock, which is found in the Barents Sea–Svalbard region, has been the most productive gadoid stock in the Atlantic. Variation in catch has always been large, but during the last 10–15 years catch and stock abundance have reached the lowest level on record. Three major causes of variation have been discussed: (i) stock reduction through exploitation; (ii) environmental influences on recruitment; and (iii) species interaction effects on maturation, growth and mortality. In addition, interactions among these three sources might be important. The influence of each specific factor is difficult to evaluate from incidental observations and short‐term time series. In this respect, the time series on catches and on biological and environmental information of this stock, which partly extend back to the 19th century, occupy a unique position in comparison to data on most other stocks. In this paper, fluctuations in catch and stock abundance are compared with changes in recruitment, size/age and growth. This information is discussed in view of historic variation in ecology and environment. The stock has been under particularly high exploitation pressure since the mid‐1970s. Further, large changes in growth rates and poor recruitment to the commercially exploited stock are characteristic of late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. The analysis shows that substantial long‐term variation might underlie short‐term variability, and more importantly, that long‐term changes roughly coincide with similar fluctuations in the environment. Such factors might substantially affect the relationship between spawning stock and recruitment, which is also apparent from the difference in conclusions reached by various published studies. Consequently, it is suggested that using a steady‐state perspective for the population dynamics may lead to mismanagement and to a reduction of the long‐term yield from this stock.

A laboratory testing and engineering modeling study was completed to determine the influence of fiber optic coating damage caused by microbend contact on the performance of microbend sensors developed based on relatively low cost single-sided microbending technique using a multimode optical fiber. A testing method was designed, developed and implemented to determine the loads that caused optical fiber glass-coating debonding and coating fracture. Finite Element models of the fiber-deformer system were developed to study the failure modes and predict the stresses that caused this failure. Loads and displacements predicted by Finite Element models were found to be in good agreement with load and displacement values observed during the experimental analyses. It was found that optical fiber coating fracture changes the transmissivity output response but does not affect the recovery of the light transmissivity properties of the optical fiber. Viscoelastic effects were found to influence the behavior of the fiber-deformer system. It was also found that glass-coating debonding and coating fracture during a load-unload cycle are major causes of variability and error during microbend sensor calibration.

Supercapacitors are fast-charging energy storage devices of great importance for developing robust and climate-friendly energy infrastructures for the future. Research in this field has seen rapid growth in recent years, therefore consistent reporting practices must be implemented to enable reliable comparison of device performance. Although several studies have highlighted the best practices for analysing and reporting data from such energy storage devices, there is yet to be an empirical study investigating whether researchers in the field are correctly implementing these recommendations, and which assesses the variation in reporting between different laboratories. Here we address this deficit by carrying out the first interlaboratory study of the analysis of supercapacitor electrochemistry data. We find that the use of incorrect formulae and researchers having different interpretations of key terminologies are major causes of variability in data reporting. Furthermore we highlight the more significant variation in reported results for electrochemical profiles showing non-ideal capacitive behaviour. From the insights gained through this study, we make additional recommendations to the community to help ensure consistent reporting of performance metrics moving forward.

Hardware variability in the three-dimensional measurement of autobody steel panel surfaces

Summary Diseases are a major cause of variation in drug response. Although many different diseases are known that have an effect on the pharmacokinetics or sometimes the pharmacodynamics of a drug, disorders associated with a so‐called acute phase response (APR) are the most important in this respect. During APR, for example caused by tissue damage or invasion of a pathogen, a group of symptoms can be observed that often include fever, lassitude, inhibition of gastric function and synthesis of acute phase proteins. All phases that together determine the pharmacokinetic profile of a drug, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, can be affected during APR. From a clinical point of view however, the effects on absorption and metabolism are the most relevant. For drugs that are given orally, a slower absorption rate is often observed during APR due to a delayed gastric emptying. Even more important from a clinical point of view is the depression of biotransformation capacity in the liver during APR, especially affecting the enzymes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) complex. Although much has become known about the mechanism of this effect, a number of questions remain. Cytokines, nitric oxide and possibly the enzyme heme oxygenase are playing a role in a complex process that depends on a mutual interaction between Kupffer cells (macrophages) and hepatocytes in the liver. The clinician should be aware of unexpected changes in drug effects or residue levels due to cumulation of the compound during disease or after vaccination. In these situations, drugs that are excreted unchanged may be better alternatives.

Groundwater is a priceless resource in the economies of the rural populations in northern Ghana. A combination of multivariate statistical and spatial analytical techniques was applied to groundwater data from the Voltaian and Birimian aquifers in parts of northern Ghana. The objective was to classify the groundwater quality control parameters and determine whether the aquifers deliver groundwater of acceptable quality for domestic and commercial irrigation purposes. It was found that groundwater quality is dominated by the weathering of accessory minerals that are predominant in the Obosum and Oti beds of the Middle Voltaian in the north, and incongruent silicate mineral weathering ranks second among the major causes of variation. The two processes account for over 70% of the total variance in the hydrochemistry and interpolation maps generated for these two major factors are discussed. The mineral weathering and dissolution processes are less apparent within the Birimian aquifers. Four spatial groundwater types were distinguished by differences in EC and pH, which are high among the water types within the Obosum and Oti beds, and generally low within the Birimian aquifers. Mineral stability diagrams suggest that montmorillonite is the most stable clay mineral phase in the system, a significant finding in terms of cation exchange processes. This, in turn, has affected the irrigation quality of groundwater from the aquifers in the area. Our findings suggest that the Birimian aquifers are more suitable for irrigation, due to generally low salinities and sodicities, and those associated with the Obosum and Oti beds of the Middle Voltaian are less suitable. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor Y. Guttman Citation Yidana, S.M., Banoeng-Yakubo, B., Aliou, A.-S., and Akabzaa, T., 2012. Groundwater quality in some Voltaian and Birimian aquifers in northern Ghana—application of mulitvariate statistical methods and geographic information systems. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (6), 1168–1183.