Movement patterns, behavior, and habitat use of female moose on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK

2016 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), which is a combined United States Army/Air Force installation, and neighboring Anchorage, Alaska, support a population of moose Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) that inhabit a fragmented landscape of habitat types interspersed with human development. Because development plans in support of the military mission may have significant impacts on moose movement in the area, JBER and Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) biologists began a study of moose habitat use and behavior on JBER. In order to help identify behaviors in wild radio-collared moose captured on JBER, we tested Telonics tri-axial accelerometers for accuracy in the detection of activity and the identification of behaviors in radio-collared moose. Direct observations of three captive animals fitted with radio collars containing accelerometers allowed us to calibrate activity readings to observed behaviors. We developed four datasets in order to test whether readings from this type of accelerometer could identify specific behaviors (browsing, grazing, walking, standing, lying), behavior categories (feeding, traveling, resting), or simply when moose were active or inactive. Multiple threshold criteria were tested in order to maximize correlation to observed behaviors. The highest overall accuracy was achieved when using threshold criteria to characterize behaviors as active (92.29% accuracy) or inactive (90.64% accuracy). A Fisher’s Exact Test indicated that there was no significant difference between observed behaviors and those correctly classified using threshold criteria for either active (p = .9728) or inactive (p = .9431) behaviors, indicating that our threshold criteria is correctly classifying these behaviors. In the next phase of this study, we collected 244,957 GPS locations from 18 female moose captured on JBER and fitted with GPS collars equipped with the same model tri-axial accelerometer used in the captive trials. Data from the accelerometers were used to characterize moose behavior as active or inactive. GPS locations, along with behavior patterns and movement characteristics, were used to rank JBER habitat types. Turning angle and speed were calculated between successive locations for each animal across the animal’s home range. Values were pooled for all animals and used to assess movement characteristics by season and habitat type. The highest velocity recorded for a 60 minute period was 1.50 m/s (5.40 kph), and 99.50% of all steps had velocities < 0.26 m/s (0.94 kph). Turning angle groups did not vary among either habitat types (p = 1.00) or seasons (p = 0.99). A new, intuitive home range estimation method, Dynamic Potential Path Area (dynPPA), was used to incorporate behavioral states into the delineation of animal home ranges. We delineated dynPPA home ranges by season for each moose, and used this technique in combination with Jacobs Index (which measures utilization in relation to availability) to determine habitat preference. Seasonal dynPPA home range sizes averaged 15.28 km2 in summer (SD = 6.43) and 23.25 km2 in winter (SD = 7.97). Habitat types most often used by moose on JBER included mixed deciduous/conifer (38.23% of summer locations and 30.03% of winter locations occurred within this habitat type), shrublands (15.04% of summer locations and 28.57% of winter locations), and deciduous forest (21.89% of summer locations and 19.08% of winter locations). While individual moose differed in habitat selection (F = 1.73, df = 17, p < 0.01), the most preferred habitat (according to Jacobs Index) on JBER in relation to its availability within the home range was shrublands

Holding School Leaders Accountable: Estimating the Effects of Retrospective Evaluations of Kentucky School District Superintendents

This research represents an attempt to apply the theory of retrospective voting to the issue of turnover among Kentucky school district superintendents. The analysis tests the hypothesis that poor school district performance should increase superintendent performance. The hypothesis is tested using accountability data compiled by the Kentucky Department of Education. The analysis reveals somewhat mixed support for the hypothesis. Different performance measures have different kinds of impact. Schools with students scoring high on math and writing were more likely to experience superintendent turnover than other school districts were. The index scores for science and social studies had a negative, statistically significant effect upon turnover. The district spending measure had a negative, statistically significant coefficient, indicating that the bigger spending districts had somewhat lower turnover than did other districts. Surprisingly, the superintendent salary measure is positively and significantly associated with turnover

Explaining State-Level Student Dropout Rates: The Impact of Exit Exams and Public School Resources

This paper examines one key indicator of school performance, the dropout rate among the public school students at the state level from 1998 to 2002, using a. pooled, cross-sectional time series research design. In this analysis the effects of high stakes testing (i.e., exit exams required for graduation), funding levels, and other school resources are examined. The results ind.irate that exit exams have no statistically significant effects upon dropout rates. Per pupil expenditures do not seem to reduce dropouts and may in fact have a positive effect at the state level. However, the analysis indicates that high pupil to teacher ratios and population change increase dropout rates. In addition, collective bargaining among public school teachers is found to reduce fu·opout rates. These findings indicate that mneh of the fear that exit exams will lead to massive dropout rates is misplaced

School Resources and Student Outcomes in Kentucky Public High Schools

This paper examines the effect of various input measures upon student outcomes within Kentucky public high schools from 2001 to 2004, using a pooled, cross­ sectional time series research design with panel-coIlected standard errors (PCSE). The results indicate mixed support for the proposition that school resources are related to desired school outcomes. Overall school spending seems to have no systematic impact Schools that seem to perform well have few indigent students, many teachers with master\u27s degrees, and fairly high numbers of volunteers. The authors offer some conjectures about the significance and meaning of these findings, especially in light of different findings in other extant research. It is likely that many of the differences in results are attributable to the choice of school-level measures rather than individual student-level indicators

Irreducible Hamiltonian approach to the Freedman-Townsend model

The irreducible BRST symmetry for the Freedman-Townsend model is derived. The comparison with the standard reducible approach is also addressed.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX 2.0

Magnetic and thermodynamic properties of Sr_{2}LaFe_{3}O_{9}

Using a Dirac-Heisenberg Hamiltonian with biquadratic exchange interactions, we study the effect of iron disproportionation on the magnetic ordering, and describe the first-order magnetic transition occurring in the perovskite Sr_{2}LaFe_{3}O_{9}. Upon fitting the experimental data, we give an estimate of the exchange integrals for the antiferromagntic and ferromagnetic interactions, in agreement with previous works on kindered compounds. Spin-wave theory yields a magnon spectrum with a gapless antiferromagnetic mode together with two gapped ferromagnetic ones.Comment: 8 pages of RevTex, 5 figures (available upon request), submitted to J. Mag. Mag. Ma

An evaluation of a modified STEP program with parents of pre-school age children.

Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1984 .B377. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-07, page: . Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1984

Superconducting properties of RuSr2GdCu2O8 studied by SQUID magnetometry

For polycrystalline RuSr2GdCu2O8 (Ru-1212), distinct peaks have been reported in d.c. magnetization in the superconducting state of the sample. Sr2GdRuO6 (Sr-2116), the precursor for the preparation of Ru-1212, shows similar peaks in the same temperature regime. Based on measurements performed on both bulk and powdered samples of Ru-1212 and Sr-2116, we exclude the possibility, that the observed behavior of the magnetization of Ru-1212 is due to Sr-2116 impurities. The effect is related to the superconductivity of Ru-1212, but it is not an intrinsic property of this compound. We provide evidence that the observation of magnetization peaks in the superconducting state of Ru-1212 is due to flux motion generated by the movement of the sample in an inhomogeneous field, during the measurement in the SQUID magnetometer. We propose several tests, that help to decide, whether the features observed in a SQUID magnetization measurement of Ru-1212 represent a property of the compound or not.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

Unraveling DNA tori under tension

Motivated by recent experiments, we develop a model for DNA toroids under external tension. We find that tori are the equilibrium states for our model up to a critical tension, above which they become only metstable. Above this tension, we find a cascade of transitions between discrete toroid states that successively lowers the winding number, until the ground state (rod) is reached. In this process, this model predicts a nearly constant force plateau as a function of extension, in agreement with experiment.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure

The role of religiousness on substance-use disorder treatment outcomes: a comparison of black and white adolescents

This study compares 41 Black and 124 White adolescents at intake and discharge from a residential treatment program for substance-use disorders. Study data were obtained as part of a larger study (N = 195) that sought to assess the relationship of helping behavior and addiction recovery. This post-hoc analysis aims to identify cultural strengths that may be associated with recovery from substance-use disorders among Black adolescents. Using regression analyses and controlling for the severity of substance use and background variables that distinguish racial groups, religious practices and behaviors at intake were examined. Specifically, Black youth and White youth were compared on treatment outcomes, including alcohol or drug use during treatment, drug craving, 12-Step work, and 12-Step helping. The burden of health and socioeconomic disparities at intake did not disproportionately disfavor Black adolescents. Outcomes related to 12-Step measures were similar between Black and White youth. White adolescents reported higher craving scores at discharge, and Black adolescents were more likely to use drugs during treatment. High levels of religiousness at treatment intake were linked to greater 12-Step work and greater 12-Step helping at discharge. High levels of religiousness at intake were not related to drug use during treatment or to craving scores at discharge. The relationship between intake levels of religiousness and treatment-related outcomes did not differ by race.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3437261/Accepted manuscrip