Fish assemblages and benthic habitats of Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) and the surrounding seascape: A characterization of spatial and temporal patterns

Since 1999, NOAA’s Biogeography Branch of the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA-BB) has been working with federal and territorial partners to characterize, monitor, and assess the status of the marine environment around northeastern St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. This effort is part of the broader NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program’s (CRCP) National Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Program (NCREMP). With support from CRCP’s NCREMP, CCMA conducts the “Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring project” (CREM) with goals to: (1) spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance, and size of marine fauna associated with shallow water coral reef seascapes (mosaics of coral reefs, seagrasses, sand and mangroves); (2) relate this information to in situ fine-scale habitat data and the spatial distribution and diversity of habitat types using benthic habitat maps; (3) use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting; (4) establish the efficacy of those management decisions; and (5) develop data collection and data management protocols. The monitoring effort in northeastern St. Croix was conducted through partnerships with the National Park Service (NPS) and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (VI-DPNR). The geographical focal point of the research is Buck Island Reef National Monument (BIRNM), a protected area originally established in 1961 and greatly expanded in 2001; however, the work also encompassed a large portion of the recently created St. Croix East End Marine Park (EEMP). Project funding is primarily provided by NOAA CRCP, CCMA and NPS. In recent decades, scientific and non-scientific observations have indicated that the structure and function of the coral reef ecosystem around northeastern St. Croix have been adversely impacted by a wide range of environmental stressors. The major stressors have included the mass Diadema die off in the early 1980s, a series of hurricanes beginning with Hurricane Hugo in 1989, overfishing, mass mortality of Acropora corals due to disease and several coral bleaching events, with the most severe mass bleaching episode in 2005. The area is also an important recreational resource supporting boating, snorkeling, diving and other water based activities. With so many potential threats to the marine ecosystem and a dramatic change in management strategy in 2003 when the park’s Interim Regulations (Presidential Proclamation No. 7392) established BIRNM as one of the first fully protected marine areas in NPS system, it became critical to identify existing marine fauna and their spatial distributions and temporal dynamics. This provides ecologically meaningful data to assess ecosystem condition, support decision making in spatial planning (including the evaluation of efficacy of current management strategies) and determine future information needs. The ultimate goal of the work is to better understand the coral reef ecosystems and to provide information toward protecting and enhancing coral reef ecosystems for the benefit of the system itself and to sustain the many goods and services that it offers society. This Technical Memorandum contains analysis of the first six years of fish survey data (2001-2006) and associated characterization of the benthos (1999-2006). The primary objectives were to quantify changes in fish species and assemblage diversity, abundance, biomass and size structure and to provide spatially explicit information on the distribution of key species or groups of species and to compare community structure inside (protected) versus outside (fished) areas of BIRNM. (PDF contains 100 pages).

The Relevance of Relative Position in Ultimatum Games

This paper investigates the effect of focal points and initial relative position in the outcome of a bargaining process. We conduct two on-line experiments. In the first experiment we attempt to replicate Güth, Huck and Müller's (2001) results about the relevance of equal splits. In our second experiment, we recover the choices of participants in forty mini-ultimatum games. This design allows us to test whether the equal split or any other distribution or set of distributions are salient. Our data provide no support for a focal-point explanation but we find support for an explanation based on relative position. Our results confirm that there is a norm against hyper-fair offers. Proposers are expected to behave selfishly when the unselfish distribution leads to a change in the initial relative position.

Nonlinear dispersive waves in nonlinear optics

A study is made of solutions of the macroscopic Maxwell equations in nonlinear media. Both nonlinear and dispersive terms are responsible for effects that are not taken into account in the geometrical optics approximation. The nonlinear terms can, depending on the nature of the nonlinearity, cause plane waves to focus when the amplitude varies across the wavefront. The dispersive terms prevent the singularities that nonlinearity alone would produce. Solutions are found which de scribe periodic plane waves in fully nonlinear media. Equations describing the evolution of the amplitude, frequency and wave number are generated by means of averaged Lagrangian techniques. The equations are solved for near linear media to produce the form of focusing waves which develop a singularity at the focal point. When higher dispersion is included nonlinear and dispersive effects can balance and one finds amplitude profiles that propagate with straight rays.

Micromodification of element distribution in glass using femtosecond laser irradiation

We report micromodification of Eu element distribution in a silicate glass with femtosecond laser irradiation. Elemental analysis shows that the content of Eu decreased at the focal point and increased in a ring-shaped region around the focal point, which indicates migration of Eu ions has been induced by the femtosecond laser irradiation. Confocal fluorescence spectra demonstrate that the fluorescence intensity of Eu3+ ions increased by 20% in the laser-induced, Eu-enriched, ring-shaped region compared with that for nonirradiated glass. The mechanism for the laser induced change in fluorescence properties of Eu3+ has been investigated. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America

Microstructures induced in the bulk of SrTiO3 crystal by a femtosecond laser

Microstructures with the total length of hundreds of mu m were induced by fixing the focal point of the femtosecond laser at a certain depth in the bulk of SrTiO3 crystal. By different combination of the focusing conditions with the laser parameters, different morphologies have been observed, such as void array, necklace-shaped structures, continuous/segmental filaments and etc. The possible mechanism of the formation of those diversiform structures is discussed.

星间光通信中的APT技术及其控制系统

APT（Acquisition Pointing and Tracking）技术是星间光通信的关键技术。介绍了该技术中的扫描、捕获、指向、跟踪过程及其控制系统，重点论述了实现跟踪的困难性，相应地介绍了一种有效的扰动抑制控制系统。

Deus, o diabo e a televisão: mídia moderna de massa e pentecostalismo em uma comunidade evangélica da Ilha Grande

O foco desta dissertação é a relação entre Pentecostalismo e a tecnologia televisiva na vila de Provetá, uma comunidade evangélica situada na Ilha Grande, município de Angra dos Reis, Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Os residentes de Provetá são majoritariamente membros da Igreja Pentecostal Assembléia de Deus, situada ali desde princípios da década de 1930. A televisão, em contraste, fora introduzida na vila apenas em 1987, mediante o acesso a antenas parabólicas. O objetivo central da dissertação é compreender o processo histórico e social de inserção da tecnologia televisiva na vila de Provetá, e como esta tecnologia se relaciona com mídias e práticas Pentecostais de mediação com o transcendental. Condenada num primeiro momento pelo então pastor presidente da Assembléia de Deus como uma tecnologia exclusivamente diabólica e portanto, irrevogavelmente proibida aos membros da igreja , a televisão fora progressivamente ressignificada pelas lideranças da igreja como uma tecnologia ambivalente, a partir da qual tanto Deus quanto o Diabo seriam capazes de operar. A dissertação explora, nesse sentido, o processo de negociação em torno dos significados religiosos atribuídos à televisão, bem como os regimes normativos relativos ao seu consumo. Dado o status ambivalente da tecnologia televisiva aos olhos das lideranças contemporâneas da igreja seu potencial de estar a serviço de Deus ou do Diabo, do bem ou do mal , busco compreender uma ética do assistir que parece subjazer o processo de autorização do consumo da televisão, isto é, como um crente deve assisti-la. Assistir à televisão de forma eticamente apropriada, portanto, implicaria um conhecimento essencial sobre como assistir. Este conhecimento, argumento, é o conhecimento da Bíblia. Mediante um regime de verdade bíblico, os provetaenses traçariam uma distinção fundamental em relação aos conteúdos televisivos considerados factuais ou reais, cujo consumo seria inofensivo ou benéfico, e aqueles considerados forjados, encenados ou construídos, cujo consumo seria inapropriado, ou ainda perigoso. Partindo da identificação das telenovelas da Rede Globo como mentiras de natureza diabólica, e do telejornal como um espaço de aprendizado para o crente, empreendo uma análise de recepção destes programas, buscando compreender as dinâmicas simbólicas e sensoriais de identificação das presenças e das agências de Deus e do Diabo através da televisão. O argumento central a ser desenvolvido na dissertação é o de que a experiência de assistir à televisão em Provetá encontra-se estruturada por uma estética Pentecostal fomentada a partir da Bíblia. A partir das práticas religiosas de mediação centradas na Bíblia, um regime sensorial Pentecostal fora progressivamente constituído: uma dada gramática do sentir os objetos da experiência em relação ao regime de verdade Bíblico. Têm-se, desse modo, uma dinâmica circular no interior da qual imagens são experimentadas sensivelmente a partir do prisma da verdade Bíblica, e tais sensações, por sua vez, objetificam a realidade dessa verdade no corpo do sujeito. Nessa dialética entre o crer e o sentir, a experiência sensível de assistir à televisão é informada por um entendimento Pentecostal da realidade, e esse entendimento é autenticado por aquilo que é sentido.

Self-organized microvoid array perpendicular to the femtosecond laser beam in CaF2 crystals

Microvoid arrays were self-organized when femtosecond laser beam was tightly focused at a fixed point inside CaF2 crystal sample. Except void array grown below the focal point which had been reported before, we found another void array grown vertical to the laser propagation direction. This result has potential application in the fabrication of integrated micro-optic elements and photonic crystals. The possible mechanism of the phenomenon was proposed and verified experimentally.

Periodic nanovoid structures via femtosecond laser irradiation

We have observed periodically aligned nanovoid structures inside a conventional borosilicate glass induced by a single femtosecond (fs) laser beam for the first time, to our knowledge. The spherical voids of nanosized diameter were aligned spontaneously with a period along the propagation direction of the laser beam. The period, the number of voids, and the whole length of the aligned void structure were controlled by changing the laser power, the pulse number, and the position of the focal point.

近红外超快强激光在LiF晶体内空间选择性诱导产生色心

通过显微镜聚焦近红外超快强激光作用在垂直于激光束移动的LiF晶体样品上，在LiF晶体中连续地诱导产生色心。以一定的间隔．反复移动该激光束的焦斑可在LiF晶体内空间选择性地诱导产生稳定的色心区。测定了不同条件下形成的色心区的吸收光谱，结果表明用近红外超快强激光可在LiF晶体中诱导产生具有激光效应的色心。

Pacific Salmon, Oncorhynchus spp., and the Definition of "Species" Under the Endangered Species Act

For purposes ofthe Endangered Species Act (ESA), a "species" is defined to include "any distinct population segment of any species of vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature. "Federal agencies charged with carrying out the provisions of the ESA have struggled for over a decade to develop a consistent approach for interpreting the term "distinct population segment." This paper outlines such an approach and explains in some detail how it can be applied to ESA evaluations of anadromous Pacific salmonids. The following definition is proposed: A population (or group of populations) will be considered "distinct" (and hence a "species ")for purposes of the ESA if it represents an evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) of the biological species. A population must satisfy two criteria to be considered an ESU: 1) It must be substantially reproductively isolated from other conspecific population units, and 2) It must represent an important component in the evolutionary legacy of the species. Isolation does not have to be absolute, but it must be strong enough to permit evolutionarily important differences to accrue in different population units. The second criterion would be met if the population contributes substantially to the ecological/genetic diversity of the species as a whole. Insights into the extent of reproductive isolation can be provided by movements of tagged fish, natural recolonization rates observed in other populations, measurements of genetic differences between populations, and evaluations of the efficacy of natural barriers. Each of these methods has its limitations. Identification of physical barriers to genetic exchange can help define the geographic extent of distinct populations, but reliance on physical features alone can be misleading in the absence of supporting biological information. Physical tags provide information about the movements of individual fish but not the genetic consequences of migration. Furthermore, measurements ofc urrent straying or recolonization rates provide no direct information about the magnitude or consistency of such rates in the past. In this respect, data from protein electrophoresis or DNA analyses can be very useful because they reflect levels of gene flow that have occurred over evolutionary time scales. The best strategy is to use all available lines of evidence for or against reproductive isolation, recognizing the limitations of each and taking advantage of the often complementary nature of the different types of information. If available evidence indicates significant reproductive isolation, the next step is to determine whether the population in question is of substantial ecological/genetic importance to the species as a whole. In other words, if the population became extinct, would this event represent a significant loss to the ecological/genetic diversity of thes pecies? In making this determination, the following questions are relevant: 1) Is the population genetically distinct from other conspecific populations? 2) Does the population occupy unusual or distinctive habitat? 3) Does the population show evidence of unusual or distinctive adaptation to its environment? Several types of information are useful in addressing these questions. Again, the strengths and limitations of each should be kept in mind in making the evaluation. Phenotypic/life-history traits such as size, fecundity, and age and time of spawning may reflect local adaptations of evolutionary importance, but interpretation of these traits is complicated by their sensitivity to environmental conditions. Data from protein electrophoresis or DNA analyses provide valuable insight into theprocessofgenetic differentiation among populations but little direct information regarding the extent of adaptive genetic differences. Habitat differences suggest the possibility for local adaptations but do not prove that such adaptations exist. The framework suggested here provides a focal point for accomplishing the majorgoal of the Act-to conserve the genetic diversity of species and the ecosystems they inhabit. At the same time, it allows discretion in the listing of populations by requiring that they represent units of real evolutionary significance to the species. Further, this framework provides a means of addressing several issues of particular concern for Pacific salmon, including anadromous/nonanadromous population segments, differences in run-timing, groups of populations, introduced populations, and the role of hatchery fish.

Microhabitat breadth of fish community along the Vamanapuram River, south Kerala

The microhabitat breadth of Vamanapuram River fish community was studied in detail. The microhabitat variables selected were relative depth, focal point velocity, water column depth, mean water velocity and substrate. Puntius filamentosus had the highest breadth in three dimensions in both stream and river habitats showing a generalistic mode of resource utilization. Garra mullya, Labeo dero and Glossogobius giuris are specialists in the usage of microhabitat variables in the stream habitat while these are G. mullya, Etroplus maculatus and Aplocheilus lineatus in river habitat. Danio aequipinnatus showed extreme variations along focal point velocity variable in both habitats indicating an. opportunistic behaviour.

Electron-beam-induced direct etching of graphene

We present electron-beam-induced oxidation of single- and bilayer graphene devices in a low-voltage scanning electron microscope. We show that the injection of oxygen leads to targeted etching at the focal point, enabling us to pattern graphene with a resolution of better than 20 nm. Voltage-contrast imaging, in conjunction with finite-element simulations, explain the secondary-electron intensities and correlate them to the etch profile. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

坡面侵蚀过程定量研究进展

坡面是土壤侵蚀最基本的地貌单元 ,定量研究坡面侵蚀能为研究土壤侵蚀规律、确定坡面重点侵蚀部位、建立土壤侵蚀预报模型提供科学依据。总结了溅蚀、片蚀、细沟侵蚀、浅沟侵蚀的定量研究进展 ,简述了土壤侵蚀模型的研究进展 ,对目前的其它研究方法进行了评述

Investigation into self-assembled monolayers of a polyether dendron thiol: Chemisorption, kinetics, and patterned surface

Different sizes of Frechet-type dendrons with a thiol group at the focal point were synthesized, well characterized, and used as building blocks for the preparation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on metal surfaces. From the studies of the kinetic process of dendron thiol self-assembling on gold, it is shown that the dendron thiol assembling proceeds with different adsorption rates depending on the assembly time. In contrast to normal alkanethiols forming highly molecular structures on metal surfaces, the SAMs of polyether dendron form patterned surfaces with nanometer-sized features and in long-range order. It is found that the patterned stripes are closely related to the size of the dendron, and the patterned stripes can be improved by thermal annealing.