Habitat use and distribution of lithophilic spawning and riffle fishes in the East Fork Black River

Freshwater streams are dynamic ecosystems that house diversity of taxa adapted to and dependent on habitat characteristics these flowing systems. Conservation of these ecosystems, requires an understanding of the abiotic and biotic factors and relationships that influence the presence, survival, and persistence of stream organisms. Stream fishes face natural challenges inherent to stream life and anthropogenic threats such as fragmentation and impoundment of streams. In addition to inhibiting movement of fish, dams influence habitat characteristics such as substrate distribution and size. Dams alter downstream substrate characteristics, which in turn influences availability of habitat characteristics necessary for native lithophilic spawning fishes. The goal of our project was to determine if substrate size and distribution are limiting habitat characteristics for lithophilic spawning fishes of the East Fork Black River downstream of Taum Sauk Reservoir in the Missouri Ozarks. Our questions were: 1) What habitat characteristics do Hornyhead Chubs, Nocomis biguttatus, select for spawning in the East Fork Black River? and 2) What habitat characteristics are associated with fish communities within riffles and runs in the East Fork Black River?Includes bibliographical reference

Consumer Response to Genetically Modified Foods

The consumer trait and characteristic identification, and corresponding relationship to the genetically modified food product's negative reactions was determined from a 354 respondent, 130 item mailed survey. The survey and partially mediated model from Mowen's 3M Model of Personality and Motivation explained how personality traits influence genetically modified food reactions.Consumer/Household Economics,

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE AND AGRIBUSINESS

Agribusiness,

The Impact of strategic implementation on the employees and contractors of the Hewlett-Packard Company.

Conducted within the global corporation of the Hewlett-Packard Company, (HP),this research examines employee and contractor responses to strategic implementation. The research environment is a relatively small UK group withinthe corporation that has continuously experienced significant change as new strategies were implemented. Employee and contractor responses to three separate cycles of change are analysed together with data drawn from the wider corporation by using a psychological contract framework, semi-structured interviewing, a research diary and secondary data from the literature and electronic sources. The research is essentially qualitative but draws on quantitative data where appropriate. A case study approach within an action research paradigm is the chosen methodology to allow consideration and triangulation of multiple sources of data relevant to the natural workplace setting. The research has confirmed a change from old or original psychological contracts to new contracts where employees and contractors are more insecure in, and more cynical of, their employment. This change is perceived as a violation of their psychological contract and is causing employees and contractors to adopt a more mercenary approach to their employment with HP. The special bond between HP and its employees generated by the values and egalitarian working environment created by its founders has been broken by new leadership. Acquisition of the Compaq Computer Company has further impacted employees and contractors resulting in declining morale and increasing scepticism about its proposed benefits. Indeed the very legitimacy of the acquisition and the leadership of HP are being questioned as HP changes to a new form. According to the founders, the values established that made HP successful in its first fifty years were expected to continue for at least another fifty years. This research shows how changing these values has collectively impacted employees and contractors resulting in a major threat to the continuing existence of HP in its present form

Multivariate AIM Consumer Demand Model Applied to Dried Fruit, Raisins, and Dried Plums

Abstract: We estimate a semi-nonparametric demand system based on a multivariate version of the Muntz-Szatz series expansion which is called the Asymptotically Ideal Model (AIM). The model is applied to consumer demand for dried fruits, raisins, and dried plums. Results from the first and second order AIM expansions suggest that the second order expansion leads to a more economically consistent model, but the likelihood ratio test indicates the AIM(2) model was not a statistical improvement over the AIM(1) model.demand, consumers, AIM, Demand and Price Analysis,

The health and well-being of older adults with dual sensory impairment (DSI) in four countries

Objectives Dual sensory impairment (DSI) is a combination of vision and hearing impairments that represents a unique disability affecting all aspects of a person’s life. The rates of DSI are expected to increase due to population aging, yet little is known about DSI among older adults (65+). The prevalence of DSI and client characteristics were examined among two groups, namely, older adults receiving home care services or those residing in a long-term care (LTC) facility in four countries (Canada, US, Finland, Belgium). Methods Existing data, using an interRAI assessment, were analyzed to compare older adults with DSI to all others across demographic characteristics, functional and psychosocial outcomes. Results In home care, the prevalence of DSI across the four countries ranged from 13.4% to 24.6%; in LTC facilities, it ranged from 9.7% to 33.9%. Clients with DSI were more likely to be 85+, have moderate/severe cognitive impairment, impairments in activities of daily living, and have communication difficulties. Among residents of LTC facilities, individuals with DSI were more likely to be 85+ and more likely have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Having DSI increased the likelihood of depression in both care settings, but after adjusting for other factors, it remained significant only in the home care sample. Conclusions While the prevalence of DSI cross nationally is similar to that of other illnesses such as diabetes, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease, we have a limited understanding of its affects among older adults. Raising awareness of this unique disability is imperative to insure that individuals receive the necessary rehabilitation and supportive services to improve their level of independence and quality of life

A phylogeny of birds based on over 1,500 loci collected by target enrichment and high-throughput sequencing

Evolutionary relationships among birds in Neoaves, the clade comprising the vast majority of avian diversity, have vexed systematists due to the ancient, rapid radiation of numerous lineages. We applied a new phylogenomic approach to resolve relationships in Neoaves using target enrichment (sequence capture) and high-throughput sequencing of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) in avian genomes. We collected sequence data from UCE loci for 32 members of Neoaves and one outgroup (chicken) and analyzed data sets that differed in their amount of missing data. An alignment of 1,541 loci that allowed missing data was 87% complete and resulted in a highly resolved phylogeny with broad agreement between the Bayesian and maximum-likelihood (ML) trees. Although results from the 100% complete matrix of 416 UCE loci were similar, the Bayesian and ML trees differed to a greater extent in this analysis, suggesting that increasing from 416 to 1,541 loci led to increased stability and resolution of the tree. Novel results of our study include surprisingly close relationships between phenotypically divergent bird families, such as tropicbirds (Phaethontidae) and the sunbittern (Eurypygidae) as well as between bustards (Otididae) and turacos (Musophagidae). This phylogeny bolsters support for monophyletic waterbird and landbird clades and also strongly supports controversial results from previous studies, including the sister relationship between passerines and parrots and the non-monophyly of raptorial birds in the hawk and falcon families. Although significant challenges remain to fully resolving some of the deep relationships in Neoaves, especially among lineages outside the waterbirds and landbirds, this study suggests that increased data will yield an increasingly resolved avian phylogeny.Comment: 30 pages, 1 table, 4 figures, 1 supplementary table, 3 supplementary figure

The impact of strategic implementation on the employees and contractors of the Hewlett-Packard Company

Conducted within the global corporation of the Hewlett-Packard Company, (HP),this research examines employee and contractor responses to strategic implementation. The research environment is a relatively small UK group withinthe corporation that has continuously experienced significant change as new strategies were implemented. Employee and contractor responses to three separate cycles of change are analysed together with data drawn from the wider corporation by using a psychological contract framework, semi-structured interviewing, a research diary and secondary data from the literature and electronic sources. The research is essentially qualitative but draws on quantitative data where appropriate. A case study approach within an action research paradigm is the chosen methodology to allow consideration and triangulation of multiple sources of data relevant to the natural workplace setting. The research has confirmed a change from old or original psychological contracts to new contracts where employees and contractors are more insecure in, and more cynical of, their employment. This change is perceived as a violation of their psychological contract and is causing employees and contractors to adopt a more mercenary approach to their employment with HP. The special bond between HP and its employees generated by the values and egalitarian working environment created by its founders has been broken by new leadership. Acquisition of the Compaq Computer Company has further impacted employees and contractors resulting in declining morale and increasing scepticism about its proposed benefits. Indeed the very legitimacy of the acquisition and the leadership of HP are being questioned as HP changes to a new form. According to the founders, the values established that made HP successful in its first fifty years were expected to continue for at least another fifty years. This research shows how changing these values has collectively impacted employees and contractors resulting in a major threat to the continuing existence of HP in its present form.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Synergizing basic and applied scientific approaches to help understand lamprey biology and support management actions

Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes) are a key component of freshwater ecosystems throughout temperate parts of the world. Of the 44 described species of lamprey, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is certainly the most commonly recognized. This species has expanded its range from the Atlantic Ocean basin where it is of conservation concern in North America and Europe into the Laurentian Great Lakes where it is subject to a large-scale international control program. Many other species of lamprey are imperiled and require management intervention to ensure their persistence. These management efforts range from routine assessment and monitoring to active or proposed restoration plans where they have been extirpated. Regardless of whether the goal is to control or conserve a given lamprey population, an understanding of their basic biology is paramount when generating and executing management plans. Here, we take a broad look across core aspects of biology (survival, foraging, and reproduction) that encompass challenges and opportunities in regard to future science-based management of lampreys. We attempt to synergize basic and applied research to highlight where these findings are most applicable to solving management problems and reveal knowledge gaps. We conclude by suggesting future research avenues and questions aimed to stimulate progress in both basic and applied lamprey research

Alkali-activated mineral wools

Mineral wools –a general term for stone wool and glass wool– are the most common building insulation materials in the world. The amount of mineral wool waste generated in Europe totaled 2.3 Mt in 2010 – including wastes from mineral wool production and from construction and demolition industry. Unfortunately, mineral wools are often unrecyclable due to their fibrous nature (Figure 1) and low density. Thus, the utilization of mineral wool waste in post-consumer products remains low. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract