Query: lucia assenzi

title: Fruchtbringende Verdeutschung

title: Quantifying auxiliary tun to study seventeenth century German metalinguistic reflection
abstract: This paper discusses whether the quantitative analysis of auxiliary tun in the Erzehlungen aus den mittlern Zeiten (1624) the first German translation of the Italian short story collection Novellino can help uncover new aspects of the metalinguistic reflection of the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft The Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft was the first German society that focussed on the improvement of the German language, and the Erzehlungen are a product of the "language work" of this society. In the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft East Central Low German were seen as the model for a new standard literary German. The metalinguistic writings of the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft voice this opinion explicitly when describing the rules for orthography, phonotactics and morphology but, as it was typical in the seventeenth century, they don't give any rule for syntactic correct structures. Therefore, the question whether the syntax of this newly founded literary German had to be regionally marked as well, can only be inferred by observing the syntactic properties of the texts that resulted from the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft 's "language work" The quantitative analysis of auxiliary tun in the Erzehlungen will show that the use of this construction in the studied translation bears a Low German regional markedness. This quantitative linguistic analysis could thus shed some light on the question of which regional variety the first German "linguistic" society considered to be the model for syntactic correctness.

title: "Die Erzehlungen aus den mittlern Zeiten" (1624) Eine Untersuchung der Sprache und der Entstehung der "fruchtbringenden" Verdeutschung des "Novellino" (1572)
abstract: The dissertation investigates the first German translation of the "Novellino" a medieval Italian collection of short stories. The German translation is currently known under the title "Erzehlungen aus den mittlern Zeiten" and was completed in Kothen between the end of 1623 and the first months of 1624 by of group of one male and seven female translators. All translators were closely related and came from the family of the princes of Anhalt, of the reformed high nobility. The "Erzehlungen" will be investigated under three different points of view. Firstly, it shall be discussed how and why the genesis of this translation is to be seen in relation to the German linguistic reflection of the first and most important linguistic society in 17th century Germany, the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft (Fruitbearing Society) which was founded in 1617 by prince Ludwig von Anhalt Kothen and which for a long time had in Kothen its most important centre. Some elements of the "Erzehlungen" will be pointed out that allow us to link this translation to the other translations that were produced as a contribution to the alanguage worka (Spracharbeit) of the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft. The second part of the thesis is dedicated to a linguistic analysis of the "Erzehlungen" Some morphological and syntactic elements which are particularly interesting because of their optionality and/or of their irregular and variable use, are sought out, quantified and analysed (verb and adjective inflection, prepositions with accusative and dative; verb order in the right sentence bracket in verb final subordinate clauses, alternation of simple verb form and periphrasis with tun infinitive, ellipsis of the finite auxiliary verb in verb final subordinate clauses) Optionality and variability will be explained basing on the historical evolution of the German language, on the stylistic properties of the text, of the regional provenance of the translators, as well as using up to date morphological and syntactical theories. Finally, the Italian text and its German translation will be compared in order to investigate the translation technique adopted in the "Erzehlungen" One single linguistic element was chosen for the present analysis, that is the gerundio, an Italian converb particularly problematic to translate into German.

title: Microbial Source Tracking Analysis Using Viral Indicators in Santa Lucia and Uruguay Rivers, Uruguay
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the origin (human, bovine or porcine) and the concentration of the fecal sources of contamination in waters from Santa Lucia basin and Uruguay River in Uruguay by using host specific viral markers (adenoviruses and polyomaviruses) as microbial source tracking (MST) Between June 2015 and May 2016, monthly collections of surface water samples were performed in six sites in Santa Lucia basin and four sites in Uruguay River (n 120 samples) Viral concentration was carried out using an absorption elution method. Detection and quantification of human and porcine adenovirus (HAdV and PAdV, respectively) and human and bovine polyomavirus (HPyV and BoPyV, respectively) were performed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) To evaluate the infectivity of circulating HAdV, an integrated cell culture qPCR (ICC qPCR) was used. A logistic regression analysis was carried out to estimate the influence of environmental variables on the virus presence in surface waters. Overall, HAdV was the prevalent (18% 21/120) followed by BoPyV (11% 13/120) and HPyV (3% 3/120) whereas PAdV was not detected in this study. The mean concentration ranged from 1.5 x 104 genomic copies/L (gc/L) for HAdV to 1.8 x 102 gc/L for HPyV. Infective HAdVs were observed in two out of ten analyzed samples. A significant effect of environmental temperature (p 0.001) and river (p 0.012) on the presence of human viruses was found. These results suggest that fecal contamination could affect the water quality of these rivers, showing deficiencies in the procedure of sewage discharge from regional cities, livestock and dairy farms.

title: Shifts in phytoplankton community structure in response to hydrological changes in the shallow St Lucia Estuary.
abstract: Hydrological regimes are key in shaping the structure of phytoplankton communities in estuaries. Because anthropogenic disturbances often alter the quantity and quality of riverine inputs, this research focused on investigating phytoplankton dynamics in the St. Lucia Estuary, since being reconnected to the Mfolozi River. Due to the closed mouth state of the estuary, the input from the river resulted in oligohaline =5) conditions and the characteristic reverse salinity gradient to persist throughout the study (i.e. one year) Model results indicated that phytoplankton communities were structured by rainfall, light transmittance and depth, while shifts between dominant groups were driven by salinity and flow season. The persistence of chlorophytes and euglenophytes as the co dominant functional group indicates the freshening and nutrient enriched nature of the river. This study provides the first detailed account documenting the response of the phytoplankton community to recent restoration efforts in the St Lucia Estuary, a Ramsar Site.

title: Diatom inferred hydrological changes and Holocene geomorphic transitioning of Africa's largest estuarine system, Lake St Lucia
abstract: The diverse lagoons and coastal lakes along the east coast of South Africa occupy incised valleys that were flooded during the rise and subsequent stabilisation of relative sea level during the Holocene. Sedimentary deposits contained within these waterbodies provide an opportunity to investigate complex hydrological and sedimentological processes, and examine sea level controls governing system geomorphic evolution. In this paper, we combine diatom and sulfur isotope analyses from two sediment cores extracted from the northern sub basins of Lake St Lucia, a large shallow estuarine lake that is today largely isolated from direct ocean influence behind a Holocene Pleistocene barrier complex. Analyses allow the reconstruction of hydrological changes associated with the geomorphic development of the system over the mid to late Holocene. The sedimentary sequences indicate that St Lucia was a shallow, partially enclosed estuary/embayment dominated by strong tidal flows prior to ~6200 cal. BP. Infilling was initiated when sea level rise slowed and stabilised around present day levels, resulting in the accumulation of fine grained sediment behind an emergent proto barrier. Diatom assemblages, dominated by marine benthic and epiphytic species, reveal a system structured by marine water influx and characterised by marsh and tidal flat habitats until ~4550 cal. BP. A shift in the biological community at ~4550 cal. BP is linked to the development of a back barrier water body that supported a brackish community. Marine planktonics and enrichments in d 34 S suggest recurrent, large scale barrier inundation events during this time, coincident with a mid Holocene sea level highstand. Periodic marine incursions associated with episodes of enhanced storminess and overwash remained prevalent until ~1200 cal. BP, when further barrier construction ultimately isolated the northern basins from the ocean. This study provides the first reconstruction of the palaeohydrological environment at Lake St Lucia and highlights the long term geomorphic controls that have shaped the recent evolution and natural dynamics of the system. Unlike most coastal lake systems, this system is particularly effective as an archive of geomorphological change. Systems driven by back barrier modifications, such as Lake St Lucia, highlight how geomorphological changes driven by sediment supply, climate and sea level can be distributed unevenly over several isolated back barrier basins.

title: The LUCIA beamline at SOLEIL.
abstract: Commissioned in May 2004 on the SLS machine, the LUCIA beamline was moved to the synchrotron SOLEIL during the summer of 2008. To take advantage of this new setting several changes to its design were introduced. Here, a review of the various improvements of the mechanics and, mostly, of the optics is given. Described in detail are the results of a new multilayer grating monochromator implemented on the Kohzu vessel already holding the two crystal set up. It consists of a grating grooved onto a multilayer (replacing the first crystal) associated to a multilayer (as a second crystal) It allows a shift of the low energy limit of the beamline to around 500 eV with an energy resolution and a photon flux comparable with those of the previous couples of crystals (KTP and beryl)

title: Evidence of El Nino driven desiccation cycles in a shallow estuarine lake: The evolution and fate of Africa's largest estuarine system, Lake St Lucia
abstract: Projections of an increase in drought frequency and intensity over the next century are expected to have severe implications for a number of globally important coastal ecosystems. In this paper, we present geochemical data from three sediment cores extracted from the main depositional basins of Lake St Lucia, Africa's largest estuarine system. Lake St Lucia is subject to extreme natural variations in salinity. The sedimentary record documents the evolution of the system from a relatively deep water, open lagoon to a confined, shallow estuarine lake that today is highly sensitive to changes in freshwater supply. This is particularly evident in the northern portions of the system, where the presence of distinct halite enriched horizons document episodes of prolonged drought. The lateral persistence of these halite layers, as revealed by seismic profiling, point to a system wide onset of desiccation associated with a major shift in the regional hydroclimate. The most severe drought events identified, which may have lasted several years, occur at 1100 and 1750 cal year BP, and are associated with known peaks in El Nino frequency and intensity. Our analyses suggest that past cycles of desiccation and hyper salinity have been controlled by climatic changes related to ENSO intensification. This study provides a valuable new record from a key ENSO sensitive region of the Southern Hemisphere. Our findings have important relevance for understanding ENSO variability across the Indo Pacific region and the influence exerted on systems sensitive to changes in moisture balance.

title: Effects of Protection and Sediment Stress on Coral Reefs in Saint Lucia
abstract: The extent to which Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) benefit corals is contentious. On one hand, MPAs could enhance coral growth and survival through increases in herbivory within their borders; on the other, they are unlikely to prevent disturbances, such as terrestrial runoff, that originate outside their boundaries. We examined the effect of spatial protection and terrestrial sediment on the benthic composition of coral reefs in Saint Lucia. In 2011 (10 to 16 years after MPAs were created) we resurveyed 21 reefs that had been surveyed in 2001 and analyzed current benthic assemblages as well as changes in benthic cover over that decade in relation to protection status, terrestrial sediment influence (measured as the proportion of terrigenous material in reef associated sediment) and depth. The cover of all benthic biotic components has changed significantly over the decade, including a decline in coral and increase in macroalgae. Protection status was not a significant predictor of either current benthic composition or changes in composition, but current cover and change in cover of several components were related to terrigenous content of sediment deposited recently. Sites with a higher proportion of terrigenous sediment had lower current coral cover, higher macroalgal cover and greater coral declines. Our results suggest that terrestrial sediment is an important factor in the recent degradation of coral reefs in Saint Lucia and that the current MPA network should be complemented by measures to reduce runoff from land.

title: Migration, land use and forest change in St. Lucia, West Indies
abstract: Migration is a central feature of Caribbean societies, yet its consequences for land use and forest change have been little studied. This paper reviews the general history of human migration in the West Indies and its relationship to land use. It examines the case of post war St. Lucia, in particular, focusing on the relationship between migration, land use change and forests in two watersheds. Out migration to the UK and North America from 1950s 1970s contributed to reduced farming and increased upland afforestation. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a huge wave of farmland abandonment and ensuing afforestation swept across the island, triggered by WTO rulings that sharply eroded existing export markets for bananas, the country's dominant crop. These effects were compounded by growing shortages of agricultural labor as men and women departed the countryside to work in the fast growing, domestic construction, tourism and related service sectors. Since the late 1980s, a kind of 'boomerang urbanization' has occurred in which the return of earlier cohorts of out migrants (who had departed rural areas to overseas urban centers in the 1950s, 60s and 70s) has fueled a residential home construction boom back home that is transforming extensive lowland agricultural lands and natural forests near the coast to peri urban suburbs, while contributing to upland afforestation by drawing labor out of farming. This dramatic shift of environmental impacts away from the uplands to the lowlands and coasts appears widespread within the island Caribbean, but policy makers have been slow to acknowledge and respond to it.