Offshore oil and gas platforms as stepping stones for expansion of coral communities: a molecular genetic analysis

The northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is one of the most productive oil and gas exploration areas in the world, currently containing approximately 3,800 offshore platforms. These platforms serve as artificial reefs in shallow water, which until their introduction was nearly devoid of shallow hard substrata. The question is raised whether this newly available substrate could help expand coral populations in the GOM. In this study, I examined adult scleractinian corals on oil and gas platforms in the northern GOM, in the vicinity of the Flower Garden Banks (FGB; approximately 180 km SE of Galveston, Texas) and attempted to determine the degree of genetic affinity among the natural and platform populations there. Adult coral tissue samples were collected from seven platforms surveyed in the region of the FGB at a depth range of 0-30 m. The three most abundant scleractinian, hermatypic species were sampled: Madracis decactis, Diploria strigosa, and Montastraea cavernosa. Genetic variation was revealed by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs), a DNA-fingerprinting technique based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This tool successfully distinguished between closely related colonies derived from populations on different platforms and on the two Flower Garden Banks. AMOVA analyses indicated that the East and West FGB were homogeneous for Madracis decactis and Diploria strigosa; however, the Montastraea cavernosa populations at the two banks were significantly different. Randomized data sets of two Madracis decactis populations were run with AFLPOP using a minimum log-likelihood difference of zero and one. These analyses determined that a log-likelihood difference of one is a more conservative and more reliable option, and all subsequent analyses were run using this setting. AFLPOP analyses showed that Montastraea cavernosa at the two banks was highly self-contained, indicating a possible high degree of self-seeding with regard to this species. It appears that Madracis decactis, a brooding species, is highly effective at dispersing to neighboring habitats over distances of kms to tens of kms. By comparison, Diploria strigosa and Montastraea cavernosa, both broadcasting species, are not. They may be more effective at larger scale dispersal, but this remains to be demonstrated

The Vegetarian Magazine May 1900

Periodical discussing the vegetarian lifestyle and recipes. Includes the regular column Of Interest to the Housewife. Discusses ways of serving bleached apricots, corn meal, and rice.https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/foodiesguide-1890/1082/thumbnail.jp

Using Mobile Technologies to Enhance Accessibility and Inclusion in Field-Based Learning

The relevance of field education in the geosciences has been subject to increasing scrutiny, in part due to the exclusionary nature of traditional field practices that require independent work and physical agility. As an alternative, this article presents strategies for increasing accessibility and inclusion in collaborative field-based education through the use of mobile technologies. We present a series of examples to show how the use of mobile technologies in the field can enable collaborative observation, data collection, data sharing, and interpretation. The strategies developed in these examples provide equitable access to instruction, peer engagement, and participation in every field exercise. We suggest that technological approaches to accessibility and inclusion in the field can facilitate opportunities for all students to gain field experiences that are an important component of geoscience education

The Vegetarian Magazine July 1900

Periodical discussing the vegetarian lifestyle and recipes. Includes the regular column Of Interest to the Housewife. Recipes include dumpling soup, cream of peas, tomato salad, and cucumber salad.https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/foodiesguide-1890/1068/thumbnail.jp

The Vegetarian Magazine June 1900

Periodical discussing the vegetarian lifestyle and recipes. Includes the regular column Of Interest to the Housewife. Recipes center around protose and include croquettes, sausage, hash, roast, and salad. Also includes recipes for banana salad and pineapple dessert.https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/foodiesguide-1890/1073/thumbnail.jp

Bridge to neuroscience workshop: An effective educational tool to introduce principles of neuroscience to Hispanics students

Neuroscience as a discipline is rarely covered in educational institutions in Puerto Rico. In an effort to overcome this deficit we developed the Bridge to Neuroscience Workshop (BNW), a full-day hands-on workshop in neuroscience education. BNW was conceived as an auxiliary component of a parent recruitment program called Bridge to the PhD in Neuroscience Program (BPNP). The objectives of BNW are to identify promising students for BPNP, and to increase awareness of neuroscience as a discipline and a career option. BNW introduces basic concepts in neuroscience using a variety of educational techniques, including mini-lectures, interactive discussions, case studies, experimentation, and a sheep brain dissection. Since its inception in 2011 BNW has undergone a series of transformations that continue to improve upon an already successful and influential educational program for underrepresented minorities. As of Fall 2018, we have presented 21 workshops, impacting 200 high school and 424 undergraduate students. BNW has been offered at University of Puerto Rico (UPR)-Arecibo, UPR-Cayey, UPR-Humacao, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ponce, and Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico-Arecibo. A pre-and post evaluation was given to evaluate material comprehension and thus measure effectiveness of our one-day interactive workshop. Our results suggest that both high school and undergraduate students have little prior knowledge of neuroscience, and that participation in BNW improves not only understanding, but also enthusiasm for the discipline. Currently, our assessment has only been able to evaluate short-term effects (e.g. comprehension and learning). Therefore, our current focus is developing methods capable of determining how participation in BNW impacts future academic and career decisions

Fission studies with 140 MeV α\bm{\alpha}-Particles

Binary fission induced by 140 MeV $\alpha$-particles has been measured for $^{\rm nat}$Ag, $^{139}$La, $^{165}$Ho and $^{197}$Au targets. The measured quantities are the total kinetic energies, fragment masses, and fission cross sections. The results are compared with other data and systematics. A minimum of the fission probability in the vicinity $Z^2/A=24$ is observed.Comment: 4 figures, 2 table

STS-48 case study, 17-18 September 1991

Weather conditions are documented prior to and during the STS-48 attempted landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC on 18 Sep. 1991. Trends in meteorological data during 17 and 18 Sep. are examined along with their relationship to the overall weather pattern observed over the KSC region. The primary weather problems during the landing were the formation of showers within 10 nautical miles of the SLF and any ceiling less than 10,000 ft. The controlling factor of the weather was a high pressure ridge that was gradually weakening and moving off the northeast. As this occurred, the low level flow was switching from a easterly to a southeasterly direction. This change in wind direction was reflected by shower movement on the McGill radar and by trends in rawinsondes launched from the Cape. These rawinsondes also indicated that the boundary layers was becoming slightly more unstable several hours prior to the attempted landing which may have aided in the development of clouds and small isolated showers. Also, analyses of Doppler wind profiler and rawinsondes indicated a possible midlevel disturbance in the easterly flow pattern near 700 mb. This weak disturbance may have made the atmosphere a little more unstable early on 18 Sep. Finally, embedded within the southeasterly flow were several bands of low clouds. These clouds were rather difficult to see in unenhanced IR satellite imagery available to forecasters in real time. However, post analyses using several different enhancement curves, adapted from NESDIS, clearly reveals the presence of these clouds