DESCRIPTION OF \u3ci\u3eHAKKA\u3c/i\u3e, A NEW GENUS OF JUMPING SPIDER (ARANEAE, SALTICIDAE) FROM HAWAII AND EAST ASIA

We describe a new genus for a jumping spider that was originally placed in the large genus Menemerus Simon 1868, from which the new genus is clearly different. They were later reclassified as Icius, then as Pseudicius, and still later as Salticus. These initial classifications were repeated by a number of authors. The distinctive features of the male, and somewhat ambiguous features of the female, do not fit any known genus; and this species is here assigned to the new genus Hakka

Wolf spiders of the Pacific region: the genus \u3ci\u3eZoica\u3c/i\u3e (Araneae, Lycosidae)

The wolf spider genus Zoica Simon 1898 is currently known only from the Indo-Australasian region, including India in the west to northern Western Australia and Papua New Guinea in the east. Here we extend the known distribution of the genus into the Pacific region by describing two new species, Z. carolinensis new species from the Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Z. pacifica new species from the Republic of the Marshall Islands

Essays on household decision making in developing countries

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics, 2009."June 2009."Includes bibliographical references.This dissertation contains three essays on household decision making in the areas of education and health in developing countries. The first chapter explores intra-household decision making in the context of conditional cash transfer programs in education. This study provides an empirical test of whether the recipient of the incentive-either the parent or the child-affects outcomes. I conduct this test through a field experiment in Gurgaon, India where an incentive to achieve a specific reading goal was randomly assigned to be received by either the parent or by the child. I find that incentives to parents result in worse outcomes than incentives to children when parents are less productive in their children's education, measured through lower initial test scores. Conversely, incentives to parents result in better outcomes when parents are more productive, measured through higher initial test scores. In the second chapter, written jointly with Leigh Linden, we estimate the effects of peer networks on the enrollment and attendance patterns of children in a community-based education program in India. The program is open to all out-of-school children, and we randomly assign a subset of the eligible children to be actively encouraged to participate. We find that active encouragement increases participation among selected children by 30 percentage points. Having a treated friend increases participation by about 20% of the main effect.(cont.) The effect of treated friends comes primarily from bilateral ties, where both the child and his friend indicate that they spend time with each other. The third chapter, written jointly with Nava Ashraf and Jesse Shapiro, explores how households make decisions to purchase and use health products in developing countries. This study tests whether higher prices can increase use, either by targeting distribution to high-use households (a screening effect), or by stimulating use psychologically through a sunk-cost effect. We develop a methodology for separating these two effects. We implement the methodology in a field experiment in Zambia using door-to-door marketing of a home water purification solution. We find that higher prices screen out those who use the product less. By contrast, we find no consistent evidence of sunk-cost effects.by James W. Berry.Ph.D

The pholcid spiders of Micronesia and Polynesia (Araneae, Pholcidae)

Records of pholcid spiders from Micronesia and Polynesia are presented, along with records from Indonesia and parts of Melanesia. Nineteen species representing eleven genera are included. An illustrated key for Pacific pholcids is provided. Two species and one genus are not yet known from Micronesia or Polynesia, but are included in the key because they may occur there. Seven species are widespread synanthropic or anthropophilic species, two species are widespread native species, and nine species are endemics of one or several neighboring islands. Distribution maps include only specimens we have seen, not literature records

HEY LARRY! INVESTIGATING INTERRUPTIONS IN FUTURE VERTICAL LIFT PLATFORMS

Using technology to improve human performance is critical to maximizing the benefits of future combat systems. This study explores the effects of interruptions during high and low cognitive load states when completing dynamic tasks. Furthermore, it provides insight into how to integrate artificial intelligence and virtual assistants into future aircraft effectively. This research and the following analysis provided the Holistic Situation Awareness and Decision Making (HSA-DM) program office with meaningful data and recommendations that will enable them to reduce the impact of interruptions while improving the performance of future pilots. Specifically, this study collected and examined heart rate variability, subjective cognitive load, flight metrics, interruption lag, and task resumption lag while participants piloted an aircraft and performed dynamic tasks in a flight simulator. There were three different modalities used to assist participants with completing interrupted tasks while performing their primary task. The research team determined that the tactile activated artificial intelligence was the most effective at reducing total interruption time while having the smallest effects on flight performance and cognitive load.Major, United States ArmyMajor, United States ArmyCaptain, United States ArmyCaptain, United States ArmyCaptain, United States ArmyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Otolith Microchemical Fingerprints of Age-0 Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, from the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) are believed to constitute a single stock. However, tagging and genetics studies suggest there is little mixing between populations of red snapper in the northern Gulf, and little is known about mixing rates of adult fish. The long-term goal of our work is to determine if age-0 red snapper from different nursery areas have unique microchemical fingerprints in their sagittal otoliths, and if so, can the microchemical fingerprints at the core of adult otoliths be used to determine retrospectively nursery area of origin. Ultimately, we hope to use the microchemical fingerprints at the core of adult snapper otoliths to estimate adults\u27 mixing rates and movement patterns. In this study, the objective was to determine if age-0 red snapper collected from different northern Gulf nursery areas in summer and fall 1995 did contain unique microchemical fingerprints. Sagittal otoliths of age-0 red snapper collected off the coasts of Alabama/Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Twelve elements in the sagittae of age-0 snapper were analyzed with ICP-AES. Of these, eight were put into a stepwise discriminant function analysis with the best-fitted model including Mg, Se, As, Fe, and AI, entered in that order (MANOVA, P \u3c 0.001). Cross-validated classification accuracies were 92% for Texas fish, 91% for Louisiana fish, and 92% for Alabama/Mississippi fish. Therefore, it appears that otolith microchemistry can be used to infer nursery area of age-0 red snapper. Future work will focus on (1) establishing the temporal stability of age-0 red snapper otolith microchemical fingerprints and (2) inclusion of analyses of age-structured samples from adult red snapper otolith cores to estimate their nursery area of origin and mixing rates

Dilution of Precision-Based Lunar Navigation Assessment for Dynamic Position Fixing

The NASA Vision for Space Exploration is focused on the return of astronauts to the Moon. While navigation systems have already been proven in the Apollo missions to the moon, the current exploration campaign will involve more extensive and extended missions requiring new concepts for lunar navigation. In contrast to Apollo missions, which were limited to the near-side equatorial region of the moon, missions under the Exploration Systems Initiative will require navigation on the moon's limb and far-side. As these regions have poor Earth visibility, a navigation system comprised solely of Earth-based tracking stations will not provide adequate navigation solutions in these areas. In this paper, a Dilution of Precision (DoP) based analysis of the performance of a network of Moon orbiting satellites is provided. The analysis extends previous analysis of a Lunar Network (LN) of navigation satellites by providing an assessment of the capability associated with a variety of assumptions. These assumptions are with regard to the navigation receiver and satellite visibility. The assessment is accomplished by making appropriately formed estimates of DoP. Different adaptations of DoP (i.e., GDoP, PDoP, etc.) are associated with a different set of assumptions regarding augmentations to the navigation receiver or transceiver