Coral reef development in response to large amplitude internal waves and monsoon impact

The Andaman Sea and other macrotidal semi-enclosed tropical seas feature large amplitude internal waves (LAIW). Although LAIW induce strong fluctuations i.e. of temperature, pH, and nutrients, their influence on reef development is so far unknown. A better-known source of disturbance is the monsoon affecting corals due to turbulent mixing and sedimentation. Because in the Andaman Sea both, LAIW and monsoon, act from the same westerly direction their relative contribution to reef development is difficult to discern. Here, we explore the framework development in a number of offshore island locations subjected to differential LAIW- and SW-monsoon impact to address this open question. Cumulative negative temperature anomalies - a proxy for LAIW impact - explained a higher percentage of the variability in coral reef framework height, than sedimentation rates which resulted mainly from the monsoon. Temperature anomalies and sediment grain size provided the best correlation with framework height suggesting that so far neglected subsurface processes (LAIW) play a significant role in shaping coral reefs.

Effects of elevated CO2 on early life history development of the yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi, a large pelagic fish

An increasing number of studies have examined the effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) and ocean acidification on marine fish, yet little is known about the effects on large pelagic fish. We tested the effects of elevated CO2 on the early life history development and behaviour of yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi. Eggs and larvae were reared in current day control (450 µatm) and two elevated CO2 treatments for a total of 6 d, from 12 h post-fertilization until 3 d post-hatching (dph). Elevated CO2 treatments matched projections for the open ocean by the year 2100 under RCP 8.5 (880 µatm CO2) and a higher level (1700 µatm CO2) relevant to upwelling zones where pelagic fish often spawn. There was no effect of elevated CO2 on survival to hatching or 3 dph. Oil globule diameter decreased with an increasing CO2 level, indicating potential effects of elevated CO2 on energy utilization of newly hatched larvae, but other morphometric traits did not differ among treatments. Contrary to expectations, there were no effects of elevated CO2 on larval behaviour. Activity level, startle response, and phototaxis did not differ among treatments. Our results contrast with findings for reef fish, where a wide range of sensory and behavioural effects have been reported. We hypothesize that the absence of behavioural effects in 3 dph yellowtail kingfish is due to the early developmental state of newly hatched pelagic fish. Behavioural effects of high CO2 may not occur until larvae commence branchial acid-base regulation when the gills develop; however, further studies are required to test this hypothesis. Our results suggest that the early stages of kingfish development are tolerant to rising CO2 levels in the ocean.

The business management strategy of Iran's large apparel firms : overview of results from a questionnaire survey and interviews 2009-2011

This paper is an overview of the results from a questionnaire survey and subsequent supplementary interviews of Iran's large apparel firms conducted by the author in 2009-2011. Most of the large apparel firms in Iran are based in Tehran and have been in business for some twenty years. They have a solid business with regular customers, but in general have hesitated to expand the size of their firms. Following the relaxation of restrictions on the procurement of raw materials that existed in the 1990s, the results of survey and interviews show that the firms have developed new channels of procurement although they depend to a considerable degree on imported raw materials and machinery. They have managed to maintain their level of output even with the rapid increase in imports since 2000, although the number of firms has decreased. Low-priced Chinese products have basically not been their rivals; instead, the inflow of foreign name-brand products have hit them heavily.

Laminar flow of a gas in a tube with large temperature differences.

The laminar low Mach number flow of a gas in a tube is analyzed for very small and very large values of the inlet-to-wall temperature ratio. When this ratio tends to zero, pressure forces confine the cold gas to a thin core around the axis of the tube. This core is neatly bounded by an ablation front that consumes it at a finite distance from the tube inlet. When the temperature ratio tends to infinity, the temperature of the gas increases smoothly from the wall to the axis of the tube and the shear stress and heat flux are positive at the wall despite the fact that the viscosity and thermal conductivity of the gas scaled with their inlet values tend to zero at the wall

Evidence of charge carrier number fluctuations in InN thin films?

Due to its small band-gap and its high mobility, InN is a promising material for a large number of key applications like band-gap engineering for high efficiency solar cells, light emitting diodes, and high speed devices. Unfortunately, it has been reported that this material exhibits strong surface charge accumulation which may depend on the type of surface. Current investigations are conducted in order to explain the mechanisms which govern such a behavior and to look for ways of avoiding it and/or finding applications that may use such an effect. In this framework, low frequency noise measurements have been performed at different temperatures on patterned MBE grown InN layers. The evolution of the 1/f noise level with temperature in the 77 K-300 K range is consistent with carrier number fluctuations thus indicating surface mechanisms: the surface charge accumulation is confirmed by the noise measurements.