Digital Commons Network^™

Dealing With Uncertainty In Ecosystem Model Scenarios: Application Of Singlemodel Ensemble Approach, Gideon Gal, Vardit Makler-Pick, Noam Shachar

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Complex ecosystem models are often used as a means for gaining insight into ecosystem processes and as a management tool for resource managers. The uncertainty associated with these models present, however, a major stumbling block in their acceptance as a main stream management tool. Even if used, there is often a lack of confidence in the results and predictions due to the uncertainty. In addition, the difficulty in estimating model uncertainty and resulting error associated with simulation outcomes further limits model use. The lake ecosystem model DYRESM-CAEDYM (DYCD) includes hundreds of parameters and processes and inherently incorporates a large degree …

Dynamics Of Genetic Structure Of Population With Age Structure During Optimal Harvest With Constant Quota, Oksana Zhdanova, Efim Frisman

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Ecological and genetic consequences of optimal equilibrium harvest with constant quota in uniform and two-aged populations have been considered in this work. It has been shown analytically that maximum of equilibrium harvest income is unreachable when both age groups are harvested simultaneously. The optimal strategy of harvest is the catch of fixed portion from single age group. In addition, optimal harvest may result not only in a change in the dynamic mode of the system, but also in a considerable change in the genetic composition of the population.

Water Quality Assessment In The Venice Lagoon Watershed With Multiple Modelling Approaches, Carlo Giupponi, Arianna Azzellino, Roberta Salvetti, Paolo Parati, Marta Carpani

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Over the last 20 years a series of research projects analysed water quality issuesof the Venice Lagoon and its watershed (VLW). The policy framework was relatedto the implementation of the Italian special law for the safeguarding of Venice anda series of European regulations, including the Nitrate and the Water Frameworkdirectives and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The main focus was ondiffuse pollution from agricultural sources - nitrogen and phosphorous in particular -with the aim of assessing the impacts of current and alternative cultivation andlivestock practices. Many different modelling approaches were adopted, rangingfrom cognitive mapping for expert knowledge elicitation, to deterministicmechanistic …

Suitability Of Land Cover And Remote Sensing Data For Modelling Species Distributions, Anna F. Cord, Doris Klein, Franz Mora, Stefan Dech

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Current changes of biodiversity result almost exclusively from human activities. As a consequence, spatially continuous estimates of species distributions are needed to support biodiversity evaluation and management. In the last two decades, species distribution models (SDMs) have been established as important tools for extrapolating in situ (point) observations. To account for current habitat loss, climate data used as predictors in SDMs need to be complemented by measures of current land surface characteristics. For this purpose, two alternative data sources are available, namely categorical land cover and continuous remote sensing data, each with their advantages and drawbacks. The objective of this …

Influence Of Uncertainty Analysis Methods And Subjective Choices On Prediction Uncertainty For A Respirometric Case, Katrijn Cierkens, Stijn Van Hoey, Bernard De Baets, Piet Seuntjens, Ingmar Nopens

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Uncertainty analysis in integrated wastewater treatment modelling is still in its infancy, although techniques from different fields are increasingly used in research for design and control of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, results should be interpreted with care. This paper shows explicitly the influence of different methodologies and subjective choices on prediction uncertainty for a simple environmental modelling case: a respirometric experiment for acetate degradation without storage. This case uses experimental data and can be used to estimate kinetic parameters of activated sludge in full-scale wastewater treatment modelling. These are subsequently used in more complex activated sludge models (ASMs) for …

Wooster Magazine: Summer 2012, Karol Crosbie

Wooster Magazine: 2011-2020

This edition of the Wooster Magazine was published in the summer of 2012. The magazine begins with an introductory article by Karol Crosbie regarding higher education being under stipulation. Some newest alumni of the college (class of 2012) are highlighted on page four. Photos from alumni weekend are featured from page eight to nine. The newly opened and renovated athletic center is featured next from page ten to fifteen, it opened this past January. Five alumni with a knack for adventure are highlighted in the next section: Nicole Greene '05, Bentley Wall '88, Max Selby '51, Charles Buchwald '85, and …

Propagation Of Ultrasound Through Freshly Excised Human Calvarium, Armando Garcia Noguera

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The propagation of ultrasound through complex biological media, such as the human calvarium, poses a great challenge for modern medicine. Several ultrasonic techniques commonly used for treatment and diagnosis in most of the human body are still difficult to apply to the human brain, in part, because of the properties of the skull. Moreover, an understanding of the biomechanics of transcranial ultrasound may provide needed insight into the problem of blast wave induced traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the present study, the spatial variability of ultrasonic properties was evaluated for relevant frequencies of 0.5, 1, and 2.25 MHz. A total …

Openline Newsletter, July 2012, Civil Service Council

OpenLine Newsletter

A monthly newsletter for Civil Service employees, Volume XXXVII, Number 1, July 2012.

The Legal Significance Of Adolescent Development On The Right To Counsel: Establishing The Constitutional Right To Counsel For Teens In Child Welfare Matters And Assuring A Meaningful Right To Counsel In Delinquency Matters, Michael J. Dale, Jennifer K. Pokempner, Riya Saha Shah, Mark F. Houldin, Robert G. Schwartz

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Insect Succession On Pig Carrion In North-Central Mississippi, J. Goddard, D. Fleming, J. L. Seltzer, S. Anderson, C. Chesnut, M. Cook, E. L. Davis, B. Lyle, S. Miller, E. A. Sansevere, W. Schubert

Midsouth Entomologist

A freshly-euthanized 90 kg Yucatan mini pig, Sus scrofa domesticus, was placed outdoors on 21 March 2012, at the Mississippi State University South Farm and two teams of students from the Forensic Entomology class were assigned to take daily (weekends excluded) environmental measurements and insect collections at each stage of decomposition until the end of the semester (42 days). Assessment of data from the pig revealed a successional pattern similar to that previously published – fresh, bloat, active decay, and advanced decay stages (the pig specimen never fully entered a dry stage before the semester ended). Over 2,300 immature and …

Dietary Lipid Saturation Influences Environmental Temperature Preference But Not Resting Metabolic Rate In The Djungarian Hamster (Phodopus Sungorus), Ryan Pannorfi , '04, Barry Michael Zee , '08, I. Vatnick, N. Berner, Sara Hiebert Burch

Biology Faculty Works

Heterothermic rodents increase self-selection of diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) when exposed to cold, short days, or short-day melatonin profiles, and Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) do so in long days in response to cold exposure alone. To determine whether Djungarian hamsters are also capable of selecting a thermal environment in response to dietary lipid composition, continuously normothermic hamsters were fed either a PUF-rich diet or a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) for 6-10 wk and given a choice of thermal environments. As predicted, SF-fed hamsters were more likely than PUFA-fed hamsters to occupy the single heated …

Morphology And Phylogeny Of A New Woodruffiid Ciliate, Etoschophrya Inornata Sp. N. (Ciliophora, Colpodea, Platyophryida), With An Account On Evolution Of Platyophryids, William A. Bourland, Greg Hampikian, Peter Vďačný

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We studied the morphology, morphometry, resting cysts and molecular phylogeny of a new woodruffiid ciliate, Etoschophrya inornata, from ephemeral puddles and two lacustrine habitats in Idaho, North-west USA. Up to now, the genus Etoschophrya has included a single species, Etoschophrya oscillatoriophaga, from which our new form is distinguished by (i) the absence of interkinetal cortical granules and, consequently, the absence of extrusible red material in methyl green-pyronin stains, (ii) usually ≥5 adoral membranelles vs. usually four, (iii) greater length and length/width ratio, (iv) prominent cortical furrows vs. inconspicuous and (v) adaptation to non-saline semi-terrestrial and lacustrine habitats in …

Dynamic Reconfiguration Of Pawnee Social Organization In The Proto-Historic And Historic Eras, Amanda F. Callahan-Mims

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

The standardized practices and closed context of burials has created an excellent opportunity to observe social change among the Pawnee over time. The Proto-historic Period and Historic Period on the Plains are marked by external trade with Euro-Americans, requiring adaptation among Plains tribes to trade goods from the east. External and internal economies were altered by this trade. Levels of material wealth changed dramatically during these two periods. The purpose of this research is to gauge economic changes that occurred, and, if possible, make determinations based on ethnohistorical data as to why these changes transpired. Additionally, it may be possible …

Overexpression Of A Novel Cell Cycle Regulator Ecdysoneless In Breast Cancer: A Marker Of Poor Prognosis In Her2/Neu-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Patients., Xiangshan Zhao, Sameer Mirza, Alaa Alshareeda, Ying Zhang, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy, Aditya Bele, Jun Hyun Kim, Shakur Mohibi, Monica Goswami, Subodh M. Lele, William West, Fang Qiu, Ian O. Ellis, Emad A. Rakha, Andrew R. Green, Hamid Band, Vimla Band

Journal Articles: Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

Uncontrolled proliferation is one of the hallmarks of breast cancer. We have previously identified the human Ecd protein (human ortholog of Drosophila Ecdysoneless, hereafter called Ecd) as a novel promoter of mammalian cell cycle progression, a function related to its ability to remove the repressive effects of Rb-family tumor suppressors on E2F transcription factors. Given the frequent dysregulation of cell cycle regulatory components in human cancer, we used immunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded tissues to examine Ecd expression in normal breast tissue versus tissues representing increasing breast cancer progression. Initial studies of a smaller cohort without outcomes information showed that Ecd expression …

Deep-Water Benthic Habitat Characterization And Cable Impact Assessment For The South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility (Sfomf), Charles Messing, Brian K. Walker, John K. Reed

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Natural Resource Condition In And Adjacent To The Dry Tortugas National Park, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, Sarah D. Hile, Christine M. Addison, Jerald Ault, Carolyn Currin, Don Field, Nicole D. Fogarty, Jiangang Luo, Vanessa Mcdonough, Doug Morrison, Gregory A. Piniak, Varis Ransibrahmanakul, Steve G. Smith, Shay Viehman

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2011 Year 9 Final Report, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Circle Hooks Into Atlantic Pelagic Fisheries: Case Studies From The Commercial Tuna/Swordfish Longline And Recreational Billfish Fisheries, John E. Graves, Andrij Horodysky, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

An emerging body of literature has demonstrated the benefits of the use of circle hooks relative to standard J-hooks in commercial and recreational fisheries. In the pelagic longline fishery for tunas (Thunnus spp.) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758), the use of circle hooks has resulted in greater catch rates of some target species, lower catch rates of some bycatch species, and a higher percentage of many target and bycatch species alive at the time of haulback (gear retrieval). However, a lack of agreement among results of studies conducted in different fisheries and areas, using different baits and …

First Descriptions Of Endoparasite Fauna Of Elasmobranch And Mesopelagic Teleost Bycatch Fishes From The Western North Atlantic Pelagic Longline Fishery, Mae Taylor, Harold E. Laubach, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Natural mortality is a poorly known aspect of fisheries biology, despite its importance in stock assessments and population analysis. Of potential sources of mortality and morbidity in fishes, the effect of internal parasites is perhaps the least studied even though these organisms are known to inhibit nutrient uptake and stimulate an inflammatory response in fish. Parasite taxa of the pelagic elasmobranchs silky and night sharks and pelagic stingray (Carcharhinus falciformis, C. signatus and Pteroplatytrygon violacea), and the mesopelagic teleosts sailfin lancetfish, oilfish, snake mackerel, escolar and Atlantic pomfret (Alepisaurus ferox, Ruvettus pretiosus, Gempylus serpens …

The Effects Of A New Bridge On Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Use Of The Fpl Discharge Canal At Port Everglades, Florida, Brea Viragh

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is an endangered species that migrates to warm water refuges such as natural springs or power plant effluents during the winter months to escape cold water. The Florida Power and Light (FPL) discharge canal in Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale, FL., is utilized as a refuge by overwintering manatees. Construction of a new bridge over the FPL effluent canal had a potential effect on manatee usage of the canal. Discharge is often 10-15° C warmer in the winter season than the surrounding waters of the Intracoastal Waterway. Previous data, including age class and …

Bryant 360, July 2012, Bryant University, Office Of Admissions

Bryant 360

No abstract provided.

Weed Risk Assessment For Aquatic Plants: Modification Of A New Zealand System For The United States, Doria R. Gordon, Crysta A. Gantz, Christopher L. Jerde, W Lindsay Chadderton, Reuben P. Keller, Paul D. Champion

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States that we modified from a system originally developed by New Zealand’s Biosecurity Program. The US system is comprised of 38 questions that address biological, historical, and environmental tolerance traits. Values associated with each response are summed to produce a total score for each species that indicates its risk of invasion. To calibrate and test this risk assessment, we identified 39 aquatic plant species that are major invaders in the continental US, 31 species that have naturalized but have no documented impacts (minor invaders), and …

The Relationship Between Multiplication Fact Speed-Recall And Fluency And Higher Level Mathematics Learning With Eighth Grade Middle School Students, Steven James Curry

Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated relationships between higher level mathematics learning and multiplication fact fluency, multiplication fact speed-recall, and reading grade equivalency of eighth grade students in Algebra I and Pre-Algebra. Higher level mathematics learning was indicated by an average score of 80% or higher on first and second semester mathematics assessments and proficient or advanced descriptor on the mathematics Missouri Assessment Program tests. Timed multiplication fact quizzes were administered to eighth grade students. Speed-recall scores were measured by the number of accurate answers in a 45-second time frame. Fluency was obtained by a student score of 35 accurate answers in …

In What Ways Does Research-Based Gender-Specific Youth Programming Affect Girls’ Development Post-Program?, Alaina Ennamorati

Capstone Collection

Current girls’ development research in the United States shows that female adolescents are experiencing an increase in depression rates, eating disorders, and lower self-esteem. Many feminists believe the societal culture in which girls are growing up in is hazardous, with the acceptance and perpetuation of oversexualization, objectification, and stereotyping by all different types of media. The following capstone research takes a case study real world flexible design approach at the high school leadership program at Hardy Girls Healthy Women (HGHW), a nonprofit in Waterville, Maine that works to create a world where women and girls feel equality, independence and safety. …

Effects Of Leadership And Trauma On Grassroots Community Development In Post-Conflict/Genocide Societies: A Rwandan Case Study, Bryna C. Ramsey

Capstone Collection

This research paper is an analysis of a grassroots, agricultural project carried out from 2010 to 2011 in Gitarama Cell, a rural community in Rwanda, East Africa, during my United States Peace Corps Volunteer service (2009-2011). The project began as the Twizere Agriculture Club at Gitarama Primary School. The goal of the club was to increase food security among community members through rabbit and chicken husbandry, and the study of such agriculture techniques as composting, double digging, and the establishment of microgardens.

Despite the acknowledged need for this club, the Twizere Agriculture Club project met multiple constraints that affected its …

When Black Meets White In The Heart Of Worship: A Case-Study Of Musical Changes In A Multiracial Church, Serge Volpe

Masters Theses

The Worldwide Church of God began as a denomination relying on certain Jewish practices and other Euro-centric distinctions to define its' identity. In the New York City area, African-American churchgoers exceeded that of whites; yet church liturgy retained its European-American flavor. When the denomination underwent transformation in the 1990s, many congregants were unable to accept changes, including new musical styles, and reacted in a manner inconsistent with what church leaders had hoped for. This thesis examines what some African-Americans experienced during this period when liturgy changed to include music representative of their culture. Interviews were conducted with African-American churchgoers from …

Two-Compartment Tumor Metabolism: Autophagy In The Tumor Microenvironment And Oxidative Mitochondrial Metabolism (Oxphos) In Cancer Cells., Ahmed F Salem, Diana Whitaker-Menezes, Zhao Lin, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Herbert B Tanowitz, Mazhar Salim Al-Zoubi, Anthony Howell, Richard Pestell, Federica Sotgia, Michael P. Lisanti

Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

Previously, we proposed a new paradigm to explain the compartment-specific role of autophagy in tumor metabolism. In this model, autophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction in the tumor stroma promotes cellular catabolism, which results in the production of recycled nutrients. These chemical building blocks and high-energy "fuels" would then drive the anabolic growth of tumors, via autophagy resistance and oxidative mitochondrial metabolism in cancer cells. We have termed this new form of stromal-epithelial metabolic coupling: "two-compartment tumor metabolism." Here, we stringently tested this energy-transfer hypothesis, by genetically creating (1) constitutively autophagic fibroblasts, with mitochondrial dysfunction or (2) autophagy-resistant cancer cells, with increased …

Post-Release Survival And Habitat Utilization Of Juvenile Swordfish In The Florida Straits, Jenny Fenton

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The use of pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) eliminates many of the limitations associated with acoustic and conventional tags by using fishery-independent data collection and retrieval. Previous research techniques have provided information on longer-term movements, migrations, and behavior patterns, but there is still a need for additional tagging studies using tags with depth and light data and increased memory that will further define the short-duration activity patterns and habitat utilization of juvenile swordfish in the western North Atlantic. PSATs have been successfully used on other large pelagic fishes, but have yet to be used on juvenile swordfish. This study investigated …

Temporal Changes In Collagen Cross-Links In Spontaneous Articular Cartilage Repair, Masahiko Terajima, Sheela Damle, Madhuri Penmatsa, Paul West, Mathias Bostrom, Chisa Hidaka, Mitsuo Yamauchi, Nancy Pleshko

Publications and Research

Objective: Little is known about how the biochemical properties of collagen change during tissue regeneration following cartilage damage. In the current study, temporal changes in cartilage repair tissue biochemistry were assessed in a rabbit osteochondral defect. Design: Bilateral full-thickness 3-mm osteochondral trochlear groove defects were created in 54 adult male skeletally mature New Zealand white rabbits, and tissue repair was monitored over 16 weeks. Collagen content, cross-links, lysyl hydroxylation, gene expression, histological grading, and Fourier transform infrared analyses were performed at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 weeks. Results: Defect fill occurred at ~4 weeks postinjury; however, histological grading …

Gold & Blue, Summer 2012, St. Mary's University- San Antonio, Texas

Gold & Blue

This is the Summer 2012 edition of Gold & Blue which is St. Mary's University's official school publication.