Opposite Attributes Research Articles

Koncepty zdraví (zdrowie) i nemoc (choroba) w czeskiej frazeologii

In this study, we aim to describe how the cultural concepts of zdraví (health) and its antithesis nemoc (illness) are conceptualised in Czech phraseology. We focus on the opposition between health and illness, which is one of the constitutive semantic oppositions of traditional Czech linguistic worldview. From the theoretical and methodological perspective, this paper is partly couched within the framework of modern ethnolinguistics and the concept of the linguistic worldview, and partly within cognitive linguistics, especially with regard to the theory of conceptual metaphor. It appears that in Czech linguistic worldview, health is one of the most significant existential values. Its significance becomes apparent mainly against the backdrop of illness, which is located at the antipole of health as its anti-value. The notions of health and illness appear in the human cognitive system as opposites, representing contradicting values. In Czech linguistic worldview, the opposition of health and illness is significantly tied with other semantic oppositions, especially life and death, young and old, beauty and ugliness, movement and immobility, strong and weak, whole and incomplete, colourful and colourless, etc. Health is always conceptualised via its preferred attributes (physical strength, resilience, wholeness, movement, youth, beauty, colourfulness), while illness is viewed through opposite attributes (physical weakness, old age, immobility, incompleteness, unattractiveness, dullness, death). In Czech idioms, a healthy person is compared to resilient products of nature (mighty trees with hard, durable wood, good roots and cores, as well as strong, agile, quick-moving animals, beautiful unimpaired crops, red flowers, etc.).

Are the agronomic performance and grain quality characteristics of bread wheat Mediterranean landraces related to the climate prevalent in their area of origin?

This study analyses the relationship between the climate of the countries where wheat landraces are specifically adapted, and their agronomic and grain quality characteristics. Regions with similar climate within the Mediterranean Basin were identified based on long-term climatic data of the 23 countries origin of a collection of 153 bread wheat landraces. The panel was genotyped with 13177 SNP markers and was grown on field experiments for two years under rainfed conditions in north-east Spain and 14 agronomic and 11 grain-quality traits were assessed. Great phenotypic variability was found in the collection. The agronomic performance of the landraces varied according to the climate of the four climatic regions identified within the Mediterranean Basin (south-east, south-west, north coast and north-Balkan), which gradually varies from warm and dry to wet and cold. Cycle length, grain-filling rate and yield increased, but grain-filling duration decreased from south-eastern landraces to north Balkan ones. Grain weight accounted for 25% of yield variations and was lowest in landraces from the south-eastern region. Grain quality showed no geographical pattern related to the climatic region. Landraces from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Romania differed from the rest in their high gluten strength (W), loaf volume (LV), mixing time (MT) and grain hardness, while opposite attributes were found in accessions from Jordan, Lebanon and Cyprus. Landraces from south-western Mediterranean countries had low MT, alveograph-peak, W and LV. Genotypes suitable for use in breeding programmes may be identified. Molecular analyses revealed that genetic structure was mostly influenced by high temperatures before anthesis and rainfall, solar radiation and sunshine after anthesis.

Science and Really Existing Socialism in Maoist China

Science and Really Existing Socialism in Maoist China

Worry about COVID-19 and its effects on the online political participation of citizens in the Ecuadorian context

During the COVID-19 pandemic, confinement and mobility restrictions gave rise to different questions regarding the use and perceptions on public space, where the relational and contextual properties of this space may cause a diversity of emotions. We use machine learning and social network analysis to explore emotions in relation to the public space, based on attributes extracted from photos of the city of Quito, Ecuador, taken between April and June 2020. Our results show that an attribute of the urban landscape can be associated with positive and negative emotions, and that opposite attributes of the images (i.e., glossy and dirty) can both influence positive emotions regarding public space. This research inaugurates a new field of study in Latin America regarding urban emotions, and also supports a better understanding of citizen perceptions of the public space during the pandemic crisis.

Catching-up national innovations systems (NIS) in China and post-catching-up NIS in Korea and Taiwan: verifying the detour hypothesis and policy implications

ABSTRACT This study addresses the relationship between national innovation systems (NIS) and economic catch-up by latecomer economies, such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan. Contemporary China is found to also specialize in short cycle technologies, similar to Korea or Taiwan in the mid-1980s and 1990s, featuring opposite attributes from mature NIS. By contrast, Korea and Taiwan are moving away from short-cycle technologies into long cycle technologies-based sectors, and their NIS are becoming similar to those of advanced or mature NIS. Thus, this study verifies the so-called ‘detour’ hypothesis that a successful catching-up economy can follow a technological detour of first specializing in short cycle sectors and only later turning into more challenging or long cycle technology-based sectors. In addition, the linkage from such detour to economic growth performance is verified, confirming a positive relationship between moving into short cycle technologies and economic growth in China, and between going into long cycle technologies and economic growth in Korea and Taiwan for the post-catch-up stages or since the 2000s.

Tropical tree allometry and crown allocation, and their relationship with species traits in central Africa

Common allometric patterns have been reported across the tropics and good performance on independent data was retrieved for the most recent pantropical model predicting tree aboveground biomass (AGB) from stem diameter, wood density and total height. General models are undoubtedly useful for the estimation and monitoring of biomass and carbon stocks in tropical forests, however specific allometry, allocation, and traits, are at the core of many models of vegetation dynamics, and there is lack of such information for some regions and species. In this study, we specifically evaluated how size-dependent changes in above-ground biomass and biomass allocation to crown relate to other allometric and life-history traits for tropical tree species. We gathered destructive data available in eight terra firme forest sites across central Africa and the combined dataset consisted of 1,023 trees belonging to 54 tropical tree species phylogenetically dispersed, with only two congeneric species. A huge body of field and laboratory measurements was used for computing AGB and crown mass ratio (CMR) at the tree level, and to derive key allometric traits at the species level. For the latter, species-specific relationships between tree diameter and total height, crown exposure to light, wood density, and bark thickness were fitted for 50 species. Our results show interspecific variation in the relationships relating tree diameter to both AGB and CMR, and including species traits in a multi-specific AGB model confirmed that interspecific variation in biomass allometry is primarily determined by species wood density. We also showed that the allocation of biomass to crown increases linearly with tree diameter for most species, and that interspecific variation in the CMR model is associated with the species dispersal mode and maximum height. Trait covariations among our set of tropical tree species widespread and/or locally abundant in central Africa, revealed a continuum between large-statured species, which tended to be light-demanding, deciduous and wind-dispersed, and species with opposite attributes. Information on allometry, allocation, and traits provided here could further be used in comparative ecology and for parameterizing dynamic and succession models. Also importantly, the species-specific AGB models fitted for major tree species, including most timber species of central Africa, will help improve biomass estimates.

Variety of national innovation systems (NIS) and alternative pathways to growth beyond the middle-income stage: Balanced, imbalanced, catching-up, and trapped NIS

• Find a close match between the types of NIS (national innovation systems) to economic growth. • Identifies two NIS-based pathways to achieve sustained economic catch-up. • The one pathway is the balanced and mixed NIS, such as Ireland, Spain, Hong Kong, and Singapore. • The other pathway is the imbalanced and catching-up NIS, such as Korea, Taiwan, and China. • The catching-up NIS boasts high localization and diversification, compared with the trapped NIS. This study uses the US patent data of 32 to 35 economies to measure, classify, and analyze the evolution and performance of their respective national innovation systems (NIS) or technology clubs, with a focus on those economies that sustained growth beyond the middle-income stage. The NIS is measured in terms of five variables, namely, knowledge localization, technological diversification, cycle time of technologies, originality, and decentralization. The cluster analysis identifies five major NIS clusters that are either balanced or imbalanced in terms of the relative values of the five NIS variables. Growth equation regressions confirm two pathways to achieve catching-up toward the high-income status. The one pathway has been identified for Ireland, Spain, Hong Kong, and Singapore, which all belong to the balanced and mixed NIS cluster and are joined recently by India and Russia, thus achieving “balanced catching-up”. The other pathway has been identified for Korea and Taiwan, which created imbalanced and catching-up clusters, and is recently joined by China. In contrast to these two groups, we have also identified the trapped NIS consisting of those economies perceived to be stuck in the middle-income trap, such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Malaysia, and Thailand. The imbalanced and catching-up NIS is characterized by short cycle time of technologies, low originality, high localization, and high diversification compared with the trapped NIS with the exactly opposite attributes. By contrast, the balanced and catching-up group is characterized by all of these NIS variables that are balanced at intermediate values.

Impact of sustainability perception on consumption of organic meat and meat substitutes

Consumers' food selections have a large impact on the environment. In this study, we examined how consumers evaluated the environmental impact of various foods. Furthermore, we investigated whether the perceived environmental effect of foods, health consciousness, and food disgust sensitivity would be related to the consumption of meat substitutes and organic meat. We used data from the Swiss Food Panel 2.0 for our analyses (N = 5586 participants from the German- and French-speaking part of Switzerland). The participants mistakenly perceived the environmental impact of soy-based meat substitutes as similar to that of conventionally produced meat. The results suggested that consumers with low meat consumption, perceptions about the high environmental impact of meat, high health consciousness, low disgust sensitivity, and who were female, younger, and better educated were more likely to consume meat substitutes compared with people who had the opposite attributes. Perceived environmental impact of conventionally produced meat, health consciousness, being female, age, income, and education had a positive impact on consumption of organic meat. Disgust sensitivity had a negative effect. The relatively low negative correlation between meat and meat substitute consumption implies that the substitution effect may not be as large as hoped for in the transition to more sustainable food behavior. However, our results also indicate that increasing consumer knowledge about the environmental impact of foods may lead to more sustainable food consumption.

Why Are Firms Sold? Target Motives and Bidderss Selection of Targets

Prior papers characterizing takeover targets do not address the possibility that certain attributes affect the selling firm’s volition to seek its sale while opposite attributes are sought by bidders. Using a sample of potential target firms that volitionally put themselves up for sale, I find that firms that seek strategic alternatives are performing poorly and have governance incentives to maximize shareholder value. In contrast, the subset of firms that receive bids have relatively better growth and performance, and lower market risk. It appears that, given their choices, bidders do not select under-performing targets, but that potential target firms discipline themselves.

To study the concept of viruddhaahar explained in ayurveda

Ayurveda focuses more on the healthy living and wellbeing of the patient. For healthy living, Ayurveda emphasizes on consuming right kind of diet which is healthy and nutritious. According to Ayurveda, there are positive and negative attributes of diet. Since, Ayurveda deals with a holistic approach to healing, it covers the diet factor in depth. In Ayurveda, food is considered not only as mixture of the basic ingredients like proteins, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates, but it directs to avoid those food articles which are having opposite attributes to be used at same time as per Ayurveda. The diet, which maintains the balance among body elements/ homeostasis, is called Balancing diet / Wholesome diet . The proper food when taken in proper method nourishes the person both physically and mentally and it is the food through which person attains positive health. A balanced diet means balance of doshasAyurveda recommends that we eat a balanced diet. The diet, which disturbs the balance among the body elements is called unbalanced diet. Many times a physically balanced diet can also disturb the homeostasis. Unbalanced diet causes diseases on continued indulgence. Viruddha word here denotes opposition. The combination of any two or more factors of 18 types of Viruddhas explained in Ayurveda may create harmful effects on the health. Hence it is advised to avoid consumption of such combinations.

Air Jet Mill 공법과 PMMA의 단분산성이 프레스드 파우더의 밀착성 및 발림성 향상에 대한 연구

베이스메이크업 중의 하나인 프레스드 파우더는 주요 품질 속성으로 밀착성과 발림성이다. 일반적으로 메이크업 화장료에서 밀착성을 향상시키면 반대속성인 발림성이 저하되기 때문에 밀착성과 발림성을 동시에 충족시키는데 한계가 있었다. 본 연구에서는 두 가지 주요 속성을 만족시키기 위해서 air jet mill 공정을 시도하였고, lauroyl lysine (LL)과 sodium cocoyl glutamate (SCG)의 혼합물로 습식 코팅 처리한 sericite를 적용하여 밀착성을 향상시켰다. 또한, 분산성이 단분산성을 이루고 있는 polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)와 diphenyl dimethicone/ vinyl diphenyl dimethicone/ silsesquioxane crosspolymer (DDVDDSC)를 적용하여 발림성을 향상시켜 서로 양립하기 어려운 두 가지 품질 속성을 모두 만족시켰다. air jet mill 공정은 제약, 식품 산업에서 주로 적용되고 있으며 화장품 분야에서는 파우더 소재 가공을 위해 사용되고 있는 공법이다. 본 연구에서는 air jet mill 공정을 제조 공정단계에서 접목시켜 최적의 입경인 <TEX>$6.8{\mu}m$</TEX>의 화장료를 완성할 수 있었다. 그리고, EDS 매핑으로 Ti 원소가 화장료에서 전체적으로 고르게 분포하고 있음을 확인하였고, SEM 분석을 통하여 판상 입자의 모서리 부분이 둥글게 가공처리 됨을 확인하였다. 이는 화장 도구를 이용하여 화장료를 취하여 피부에 도포할 때, 발림성이 향상되는 효과를 줄 수 있다고 판단된다. 피부 친화성이 우수한 LL과 저자극이면서 코코넛에서 유래한 SCG를 습식 코팅하여 sericite의 밀착성을 더욱 향상시켰다. 그리고, PMMA의 분산성과 형태가 발림성에 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위해서 SEM을 분석하였다. 유사한 형태를 갖는 구형 및 진구형에서도 분포도가 균일하고 단분산상일 때 발림성 효과가 더욱 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. PMMA의 단분산성과 입경에 따른 발림성을 동마찰계수 측정으로 확인하였고, 최적의 함량을 결정하였다. 그리고, 실리콘 러버 파우더 종류에 따른 발림성과 경도, 낙하안정성 등을 확인하여 DDVDDSC를 결정하였다. 최종적으로 PMMA의 단분산성과 실리콘 러버 파우더가 발림성에 영향을 끼치는 것을 알 수 있었다. 이와 같은 화장료는 적정한 경도를 갖으면서도 낙하안정성이 우수하며, 경시에 따른 안정성도 우수하였다. 본 연구 결과를 통해 본 논문에서 제시하는 프레스드 파우더의 밀착성과 발림성을 향상시킬 수 있는 한 가지 방법으로 활용될 수 있을 것이라 판단된다. The key quality attributes of the pressed powder, one of base makeup products, are skin-affinity and spreadability. In general, there was a limit to meet skin-affinity and spreadability simultaneously, which are opposite attributes each other. In this study, air jet mill process was tried to satisfy two main properties. Skin-affinity was improved by a wet coating of sericite with a mixture of lauroyl lysine (LL) and sodium cocoyl glutamate (SCG). The application of mono-dispersed polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and diphenyl dimethicone/vinyl diphenyl dimethicone/silsesquioxane crosspolymer (DDVDDSC) improved both qualities. Air jet mill process has been mainly applied in the pharmaceutical and food industries, and is a method used for processing powder materials in cosmetic field. In this study, we were able to complete makeup cosmetics with an optimum particle size <TEX>$6.8{\mu}m$</TEX> by combining the air jet mill process at the manufacturing stage. It was confirmed that the Ti element was uniformly distributed throughout the cosmetics by EDS mapping, and that the corners of the tabular grains were rounded by SEM analysis. It is considered that this can provide an effect of improving the spreadability when the cosmetic is applied to the skin by using a makeup tool. LL with excellent skin compatibility and SCG derived from coconut with little skin irritation were wet coated to further enhance the adhesion of sericite. SEM images were analyzed to evaluate effect of the dispersion and uniformity of PMMA on spreadability. With the spherical shapes of similar size, it was found that the spreading effect was further increased when the distribution was homogeneously mono-dispersed. The dispersion and spreadability of PMMA were confirmed by measuring the kinetic friction and optimal content was determined. The silicone rubber powder, DDVDDSC, was confirmed by evaluating the hardness, spreading value, and drop test. Finally, it was found that the dispersion of PMMA and silicone rubber powder affected spreadability. Such makeup cosmetics have excellent stability in drop test while having appropriate hardness, and good stability over time. Taken together, it is concluded that air jet mill process can be utilized as a method to improve skin-affinity and spreadability of the pressed powder.

Juvenile offender as a crime victim

There is a stereotype of an ideal victim that deserves attention and sympathy of the public because it is helpless and has not done anything to cause harm or damage inflicted on her. In real life, a victim can often have quite the opposite attributes and identities. Recent studies deal with the phenomenon of victim-offender overlap, or the circumstance in which an individual is the victim and the offender at the same time. Numerous authors state that offenders are more likely to become crime victims than non-offenders, while on the other hand, crime victims are more likely to become offenders than non-victims. This article provides an overview of some of the characteristics of the victim-offender overlap phenomenon in the context of adolescents, aiming to point out the theoretical determinants and practical implications of the relationship between offending and victimization of juveniles. Studying this relationship is a current topic in criminology and victimology, which also has applicative importance for making various decisions in juvenile justice system.

Identifying plant traits associated with topographic contrasts in a rugged and diverse region (Klamath‐Siskiyou Mts, OR, USA)

Rugged topography affects species distributions and community composition by creating contrasting mesic (cool, moist) and xeric (warm, dry) microclimates on adjacent slopes. This microclimatic heterogeneity is thought to have contributed to species survival during past climate fluctuations. Within a rugged and botanically rich region, we asked what functional, distributional, and/or biogeographic traits distinguished the species significantly associated with xeric or mesic microclimates. For each of 236 species in 4773 plots in the Klamath‐Siskiyou Mountains, we tested for significant associations with mesic or xeric topographic microclimates inferred from high‐resolution topographic variables. For the subset of species showing significant associations, we then compared their functional traits, biogeographic origins, and macroclimatic attributes to those of other species. We also tested the dependence of topographic associations on elevation, canopy cover, and soil type. Many species in the region (40%) showed significant tendencies to be found only in either mesic or xeric topography. ‘Mesic’ species tended to be of northern biogeographic origin and to have geographic ranges with higher mean precipitation; ‘xeric’ species had the opposite attributes. Species occurred more often in mesic microclimates when they occurred on low‐nutrient serpentine soils, and were more often found in xeric microclimates at high elevations. Functional traits such as specific leaf area were not significant predictors of species association with topographic microclimate. Biogeographic origins and the mean precipitation (rather than temperature) of species geographic ranges are the best indicators of species that are found in cool/moist northerly or hot/dry southerly microclimates.

Cookbooks, High-tech Kitchens, and Gender Culture: Addressing the Sugar and Spice in Contemporary Couple Relations

Cookbooks, High-tech Kitchens, and Gender Culture: Addressing the Sugar and Spice in Contemporary Couple Relations

Investment, trade openness and foreign direct investment: Social capability matters

This paper investigates whether the impacts of trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) on domestic investment depend upon social capability of a country. Applying the instrumental variable threshold regressions approach to cross-sectional data for 85 countries, it finds that social capability such as human capital, financial development, and political institutions defines the impacts of trade and FDI on domestic investment. Particularly, trade adversely affects investment in low-human-capital, less-financially-developed, or more-corrupted countries, but positively affects it in countries with opposite attributes. In contrast, FDI has a positive effect on investment in countries with low human capital, less-developed financial sectors, or high corruption, but a negative impact in countries with opposite attributes.

The simultaneous evolution of economic growth, financial development, and trade openness

This article empirically investigates the interactions among economic growth, financial development, and trade openness through simultaneous equation systems. The identification and estimation of the systems rely on the methodology of identification through heteroskedasticity. The empirical results show that each of the three variables interacts in important ways. When controlling for the reverse causation, trade promotes economic growth in high-income, low-inflation, and nonagricultural countries but has a negative impact on growth in countries with the opposite attributes. Similarly, when accounting for the feedbacks from growth, banks and stock markets have different impacts on economic growth. While banking development is detrimental to output growth, stock market development is more favorable to growth in high-income, low-inflation, and nonagricultural countries. The data also reveal coexistence of a positive effect of financial development on trade and a negative effect of trade on financial development in poorer countries. In richer countries, financial development stimulates trade openness whereas trade has an ambiguous impact on financial development.

Delineation of interspecific epistasis on fiber quality traits in Gossypium hirsutum by ADAA analysis of intermated G. barbadense chromosome substitution lines

Genetic diversity is the foundation of any crop improvement program, but the most cultivated Upland cotton [Gossypium hirsutum L., 2n = 52, genomic formula 2(AD)(1)] has a very narrow gene pool resulting from its evolutionary origin and domestication history. Cultivars of this cotton species (G. hirsutum L.) are prized for their combination of exceptional yield, other agronomic traits, and good fiber properties, whereas the other cultivated 52-chromosome species, G. barbadense L. [2n = 52, genomic formula 2(AD)(2)], is widely regarded as having the opposite attributes. It has exceptionally good fiber qualities, but generally lower yield and less desirable agronomic traits. Breeders have long aspired to combine the best attributes of G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, but have had limited success. F(1) hybrids are readily created and largely fertile, so the limited success may be due to cryptic biological and technical challenges associated with the conventional methods of interspecific introgression. We have developed a complementary alternative approach for introgression based on chromosome substitution line, followed by increasingly sophisticated genetic analyses of chromosome-derived families to describe the inheritance and breeding values of the chromosome substitution lines. Here, we analyze fiber quality traits of progeny families from a partial diallel crossing scheme among selected chromosome substitution lines (CS-B lines). The results provide a more detailed and precise QTL dissection of fiber traits, and an opportunity to examine allelic interaction effects between two substituted chromosomes versus one substituted chromosome. This approach creates new germplasm based on pair wise combinations of quasi-isogenic chromosome substitutions. The relative genetic simplicity of two-chromosome interactions departs significantly from complex or RIL-based populations, in which huge numbers of loci are segregating in all 26 chromosome pairs. Data were analyzed according to the ADAA genetic model, which revealed significant additive, dominance, and additive-by-additive epistasis effects on all of the fiber quality traits associated with the substituted chromosome or chromosome arm of CS-B lines. Fiber of line 3-79, the donor parent for the substituted chromosomes, had the highest Upper Half Mean length (UHM), uniformity ratio, strength, elongation, and lowest micronaire among all parents and hybrids. CS-B16 and CS-B25 had significant additive effects for all fiber traits. Assuming a uniform genetic background of the CS-B lines, the comparative analysis of the double-heterozygous hybrid combinations (CS-B × CS-B) versus their respective single heterozygous combinations (CS-B × TM-1) demonstrated that interspecific epistatic effects between the genes in the chromosomes played a major role in most of the fiber quality traits. Results showed that fiber of several hybrids including CS-B16 × CS-B22Lo, CS-B16 × CS-B25 and CS-B16 × TM-1 had significantly greater dominance effects for elongation and hybrid CS-B16 × CS-B17 had higher fiber strength than their parental lines. Multiple antagonistic genetic effects were also present for fiber quality traits associated with most of the substituted chromosomes and chromosome arms. Results from this study highlight the vital importance of epistasis in fiber quality traits and detected novel effects of some cryptic beneficial alleles affecting fiber quality on the 3-79 chromosomes, whose effects were not detected in the 3-79 parental lines.

Resource-use-related traits correlate with population turnover rates, but not stem diameter growth rates, in 29 subtropical montane tree species

The relationships between species’ functional traits and their demographic life histories are central to understanding the causes of life-history diversity. A previous study identified three independent demographic axes amongst 29 broadleaved tree species: a light-demand axis, a population turnover rate (r–K) axis, and one discriminating substrate requirements for recruitment. This study evaluates the basis of life-history variation amongst the 29 species by assessing the correlation between the three demographic axes above and 14 morphological, phenological, architectural and biomass-partitioning traits. A principal components analysis of the 14 traits revealed two main axes: (1) a ‘resource capture versus conservation’ axis separated species with large and thin leaf laminas, high leaf K, P and N concentrations, light wood and small seeds from species with opposite attributes, and (2) a ‘physiognomic’ axis separated species with compound leaves, high leaf/above-ground mass ratio, and tall first branch in saplings from species with opposite attributes. Subsequent paired correlations and a Procrustes superimposition analysis showed that species with attributes typical of high capture and low conservation of resources, small seeds and short stature had faster population turnover rates (short longevity, and high mortality and recruitment rates) than species with opposite attributes. Species with compound leaves, high leaf/above-ground mass ratio, and tall first branch as saplings (physiognomic axis) tended to be more light-demanding and to have fast diameter growth rates of stems ⩾10 cm diameter. The independence between attributes typical of resource capture or conservation and stem diameter growth rate is noteworthy; it differs from correlations often reported for saplings and could be attributed to ontogenetic changes in plant function. In addition, the clear link between attributes typical of resource capture or conservation and plant recruitment, survivorship and longevity is consistent with r–K theory and brings to light an important connection between a leading axis of plant evolutionary diversification (resource capture versus conservation) and rates of population turnover.

Shifting dominance among Scarid species on reefs representing a gradient of fishing pressure

The present paper analyzes data collected between 2001 and 2002 on 81 reef fish species targeted by fishers at 5 sites in the Kingdom of Tonga (South Pacific). We first ranked the sites with respect to fishing pressure using two independent methods: (i) Tongan demography and reef surfaces available for fishing, and (ii) the differential effects of fishing on the whole set of 81 species grouped by their life history traits (LHT). We then focused on Parrotfish (Scaridae), which are heavily targeted in coral reef fisheries. We used the identified gradient of fishing pressure to study the effect of fishing on the community structure and test the hypothesis of “shifting dominance” amongst the 20 Scarid species present in the surveys. In addition to the classical effect of decreasing fish size in a family strongly targeted by fishers, the shifting dominance phenomenon includes a decrease in the abundance of the large-bodied and highly targeted species, favouring their replacement by smaller-bodied species from the same family, which are less impacted by fishing. In a context of interspecific competition amongst Scarids, the stress of fishing appears as a factor favouring the replacement of species with large maximum size, and LHT promoting low resilience, by smaller species with the opposite attributes. The discussion focuses on the various processes that can explain the shifting dominance phenomenon. The total density of resilient species, which increased along the gradient of increasing fishing pressure, can be used as an indicator of the over-exploitation of fish communities for reef fisheries management.

Evaluation of soil state from SBP and CPT: A case history

The cone pressuremeter test (CPT) is widely used to determine the in situ “state” of cohesionless soils. However, although the CPT is simple, inexpensive, and accurate the subsequent interpretation contains substantial uncertainties even with modern approaches. Self-bored pressuremeters (SBP) have the opposite attributes. Obtaining good SBP data is difficult in sands, but the subsequent evaluation can be rather precise. This paper compares estimates of the in situ state parameter, ψ, from CPT and SBP tests carried out in a uniform hydraulic fill. This case history is unusual in that (i) the fill was well controlled and uniform, (ii) comprehensive laboratory strength data exists, (iii) the CPT was calibrated for the fill in a large chamber, and (iv) good SBP data exist. These SBP and CPT tests are independently analyzed using a calibrated critical state model implemented in a large strain finite element code. The effects of ageing and fabric are considered. The resulting most probable in situ state parameters for the fill from the CPT are close to those derived from the SBP. Although not proof of accuracy (validation) of either test, since ground truth is not known, the results lend support to the adequacy of the interpretation methodology used for both. Further improvements are discussed.