On the orbits of the product of two permutations

AbstractWe consider the following problem: given three partitions A,B,C of a finite set Ω, do there exist two permutations α and β such that A,B,C are induced by α, β and αβ respectively? This problem is NP-complete. However it turns out that it can be solved by a polynomial time algorithm when some relations between the number of classes of A,B,C hold

Field Experiments on Responses of a Freshwater, Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community to Vertebrate Predators

We examined the seasonal importance of vertebrate predators in potentially regulating the abundance and diversity of the benthic macroinvertebrates in the littoral zone of a soft-bottom reservoir that receives thermal effluent from a nuclear production reactor. Thirty-six predator (fish and turtle) exclusion cages (4 m-') were placed in shallow water at six locations along a thermal gradient in Par Pond, a 1100-ha cooling reservoir on the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, South Carolina, USA. An additional 36 control plots (4 m-) were also set up. Cages were in place during three, 3-mo test periods beginning in September 1977. Estimates of benthic density, taxon richness, and distribution within functional groups (defined by feeding mechanism) were calculated for each test period. Effects of temperature on predator-prey relationships were also determined. Experimental results of this study suggest that vertebrate predation was not the fundamental parameter organizing the benthic macroinvertebrate community in the littoral zone of this reservoir. Neither taxon richness nor density of total macroinvertebrates was conclusively related to predator treatment. Relationships between predator treatment and community response (changes in density and taxon richness) were generally unaffected by either plot locality, temperature fluctuations from thermal effluent, or seasonal changes. When data from caged and control plots were pooled, however, both location and water temperature individually had direct impacts on the benthic community. From our results and other field studies we hypothesize that individual species of "keystone" benthic predators (Paine 1969b) do not occur in the littoral zone of freshwater lentic environments with soft bottoms. This hypothesis is based on the following four arguments. First, environmental heterogeneity should reduce predator efficiency relative to that found in rocky intertidal systems where keystone predation may be present. Second, relative food web complexity should reduce the community importance of an individual predator species. Third, the apparent relatively greater resource partitioning of space and food in the freshwater littoral zone hinders monopolization of ratelimiting environmental resources by a single dominant prey species. Fourth, the effects of predation may not be extensive enough in time or area to provide sufficient resource space (and thus food) for exploitation by fugitive species. Possible regulation by a guild of predators and cases where the general hypothesis might be falsified are discussed

Fleet Arctic Operations Game

The United States Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island hosted the Fleet Arctic Operations Game (FAOG) on 13-16 September 2011. The FAOG was developed and executed under the sponsorship of Commander, Second Fleet (C2F) initially and then Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) following the integration of the two staffs. The purpose of the FAOG was to identify gaps that limit sustained maritime operations in the Arctic and recommend DOTMLPFP actions in order to inform United States Navy leadership. After reviewing the research literature, the game sponsor and NWC Wargaming Department (WGD) jointly developed three overarching objectives based on C2F s areas of interest: Develop prioritized DOTMLPF-P maritime actions which support implementation of the Arctic Road Map; List the DOTMLPF-P gaps in maritime forces ability to conduct sustained maritime operations in the Arctic; and Develop near-term strategies to mitigate these identified gaps. These objectives were framed to consider the operational level factors (e.g., risk, time space, force composition, physical and environmental) that influence the maritime force s ability to perform its missions. Additionally, these objectives allowed for consideration of potential partnerships and interoperability issues encountered among U.S. and international forces and organizations

Why Assessment Matters: On the Road for Change

In higher education, assessment is used to intentionally develop, implement, and modify programs that are grounded in student learning outcomes (SLOs). Assessment results may highlight program effectiveness, or lack thereof. This gives educators the chance to revise components of the program in order to improve student learning (Meixner, 2016). Assessment also creates a sense of accountability by offering methods to justify the value of a program, especially when time and resources are limited. We offer a model for assessment as foundational to program development by highlighting our course-related consulting work with the Dux Leadership Center’s pilot On the Road for Change Spring Break Experience. This program challenged undergraduate students to apply leadership and ethical reasoning outside the classroom using the framework of the Student Leadership Challenge (SLC), by Kouzes and Posner, and JMU’s Eight Key Questions (8KQ) established by the Madison Collaborative. We developed specific, measurable learning outcomes, mapped programming components to learning outcomes, developed summative and formative assessment, and offered implementation appendices. In our presentation we will highlight the importance of assessment, our process, and best practices for program assessment in Student Affairs

Wyandotte Neighborhood Stabilization Program: Retrofit of Two Homes

The Wyandotte NSP2 project aims to build 20 new houses and retrofit 20 existing houses in Wyandotte, MI. This report will detail the retrofit of 2 existing houses in the program. Wyandotte is part of a Michigan State Housing Development Authority-led consortium that is funded by HUD under the NSP2 program. The City of Wyandotte has also been awarded DOE EE&CBG funds that are being used to develop a district GSHP system to service the project. This draft report examines the energy efficiency recommendations for retrofit construction at these homes. The report will be of interest to anyone planning an affordable, high performance retrofit of an existing home in a Cold Climate zone. Information from this report will also be useful to retrofit or weatherization program staff as some of the proposed retrofit solutions will apply to a wide range of projects. Preliminary results from the first complete house suggest that the technology package employed (which includes spray foam insulation and insulating sheathing) does meet the specific whole house water, air, and thermal control requirements, as well as, the project's affordability goals. Monitoring of the GSHP system has been recommended and analysis of this information is not yet available

Hybrid Wall Evaluation for Ten New Construction Homes in Wyandotte, Michigan

The Wyandotte NSP2 project aims to build 20 new houses and retrofit 20 existing houses in Wyandotte, MI. This report will detail the design and construction of 10 new houses in the program. Wyandotte is part of a Michigan State Housing Development Authority-led consortium that is funded by HUD under the NSP2 program. The City of Wyandotte has also been awarded DOE EE&CBG funds that are being used to develop a district GSHP system to service the project. This draft report examines the energy efficiency recommendations for new construction at these homes

Monotherapy Trials of New Antiepileptic Drugs

A number of clinical trials that test the efficacy and safety of the newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have recently been concluded. Two dose-response trials in inpatients with refractory partial seizures and outpatients with newly diagnosed partial epilepsy established the efficacy of gabapentin as monotherapy. Lamotrigine was found to have efficacy similar to that of phenytoin and carbamazepine (CBZ) and to be better tolerated than CBZ in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. It was also shown to have efficacy as monotherapy in partial seizures, based on the results of an active controlled trial, and in the treatment of absence seizures, based on the results of a responder-enriched study. Topiramate as monotherapy was found to be efficacious for treatment of partial-onset seizures, based on the results of a single-center dose-response trial. A dose-response trial that tested the efficacy of tiagabine monotherapy in patients with refractory partial epilepsy was uninformative. Oxcarbazepine was found to be safe and efficacious in four comparative trials in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy as well as in one placebo-controlled inpatient trial in patients with refractory partial seizures.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65625/1/j.1528-1157.1997.tb05201.x.pd

Expert Meeting Report. Recommendations for Applying Water Heaters in Combination Space and Domestic Water Heating Systems

The topic of this meeting was 'Recommendations For Applying Water Heaters In Combination Space And Domestic Water Heating Systems.' Presentations and discussions centered on the design, performance, and maintenance of these combination systems, with the goal of developing foundational information toward the development of a Building America Measure Guideline on this topic. The meeting was held at the Westford Regency Hotel, in Westford, Massachusetts on 7/31/2011