Testing of Great Bay Oysters for Two Protozoan Pathogens

Two protozoan pathogens, Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) and Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) are known to be present in Great Bay oysters. With funds provided by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), the Marine Fisheries Division of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHF&G) continues to assess the presence and intensity of both of these disease conditions in oysters from the major natural beds within the Great Bay estuarine system and at selected aquaculture sites. Histological examinations of Great Bay oysters have also revealed other endoparasites

Evaluation of a high-torque backlash-free roller actuator

The results are presented of a test program that evaluated the stiffness, accuracy, torque ripple, frictional losses, and torque holding capability of a 16:1 ratio, 430 N-m (320 ft-lb) planetary roller drive for a potential space vehicle actuator application. The drive's planet roller supporting structure and bearings were found to be the largest contributors to overall drive compliance, accounting for more than half of the total. In comparison, the traction roller contacts themselves contributed only 9 percent of the drive's compliance based on an experimentally verified stiffness model. The drive exhibited no backlash although 8 arc sec of hysteresis deflection were recorded due to microcreep within the contact under torque load. Because of these load-dependent displacements, some form of feedback control would be required for arc second positioning applications. Torque ripple tests showed the drive to be extremely smooth, actually providing some damping of input torsional oscillations. The drive also demonstrated the ability to hold static torque with drifts of 7 arc sec or less over a 24 hr period at 35 percent of full load

Dysfunctional Attitudes And Vulnerability To Depression: Implications For Stress Appraisals And Coping

In recent years a number of models of depression have been developed which provide a theoretical basis for identifying factors that may increase a person\u27s risk for depression. One such model, Beck\u27s cognitive model of depression, hypothesizes that individuals who endorse a large number of dysfunctional attitudes are at risk for depression, and that the interaction of dysfunctional thinking with stressful life events results in depressive symptomatology. Using a measure of daily hassles to assess stress, the present study provided an evaluation of this proposed interaction. In addition, the stress appraisals and coping responses employed by these vulnerable individuals to a series of stressful events were compared with the responses of nonvulnerable nondepressed, and depressed individuals.;Sixty-nine women from the community completed measures of vulnerability to depression, depressive symptomatology, and life events on two occasions approximately two months apart. Measures of daily hassles, stress appraisals, and coping responses were also obtained for the four, two-week, intervals between the initial assessment and the follow-up.;Results consistent with a diathesis-stress model of depression were obtained. In addition, vulnerable individuals who reported high levels of stress tended to employ a style of coping similar to that of currently depressed individuals. This style was characterized by a lack of confidence in their ability to manage stressful events and by a reluctance to seek support from others. In contrast, the responses of vulnerable individuals with low stress more closely resembled those of nonvulnerable, nondepressed individuals.;The present study also provided a preliminary evaluation of the hypothesis that individuals whose information processing was characterized by a relatively greater accessibility of negative information would also be at risk for depression. The interaction of information accessibility with stress was examined but results failed to support this hypothesized interaction.;The present results are discussed with respect to the roles played by vulnerability, life events, stress appraisals, and coping in the etiology and maintenance of depression. Implications for future research and the treatment of depression are also discussed

A Reductionist Approach in Curricular Planning for Teaching Language Arts

Contemporary education faces multiple challenges that encumber today’s public school teachers, especially those in English Language Arts (ELA). One aspect remaining consistent over the decades is the imbalance between the amount of curricular material teachers are directed to teach and the time school districts allot to do it. It is likely a contributing factor to burnout and attrition in the faculty workforce. This essay presents counterintuitive reasons for proposing the implementation of a “proof of concept” intra-school research project that would demonstrate the potential value of a reductionist approach to the amount of content required in curricular designs. It may have the potential to increase cognitive capability of students along with reducing stress on teachers; not only by curtailing the number of texts for student study, but by incorporating methodologies of how texts are selected, analyzed and taught as well as students’ creation of their own

Raman spectroscopy studies of antiferromagnetic FeCO^;b3^;s

Ph.D.Donald C. O'She

Schubert's mature operas: an analytical study

This thesis examines four of Franz Schubert's complete operas: Die Zwillingsbrűder D.647, Alfonso und Estrella D.732, Die Verschworenen D.787, and Fierrabras D.796. These works date from the period of 1818-1823, sometimes referred to as Schubert's 'years of crisis'. While this period saw many changes in the composer's personal situation, it is commonly thought that he underwent a process of creative re-evaluation during these years. This was also the period of Schubert's life during which he was most seriously engaged in writing music for the stage. Thus, I argue in this thesis that it is possible to understand these operas as key works within Schubert's stylistic development. Chapter 2 of this thesis studies Adorno's 1928 critique of Schubert and draws out common themes in critical writings about the composer to do with coherence, temporality and tone. These themes are then grounded in various different types of analytical observations about Schubert's emergent style. Chapter 3 examines selected numbers from the four mature operas. Through analysing these works, we find that Schubert's developing approach to form, rhythm, musical 'signs' and other structural devices is evident. Innovations in each of these fields are understood as responses to the various dramatic challenges offered by each of the libretti. Chapter 4 summarises the conclusions of our study of the operas and suggests some possibilities for interpretation of other works which are raised by these analyses

Community Schools of the Arts: Outreach, Scholarship, and Financial Assistance Programs (National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, Inc., Settlement Music Schools).

The purpose of this study was to collect data on outreach, scholarship, and financial assistance programs of community schools of the arts. The National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, Inc. requires that organizations seeking full institutional membership offer scholarships and financial assistance programs for students. In addition, outreach program offerings are recommended and encouraged by the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, Inc. A questionnaire was mailed to one-hundred member schools of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, Inc. Sixty-four (64%) questionnaires were used in data analysis. The survey instrument was designed to solicit information in the following areas: (1) public and private school outreach programs; (2) early childhood education and day care outreach programs; (3) outreach programs for the handicapped; (4) outreach programs in juvenile detention homes and prisons; (5) ethnic outreach programs; (6) teacher training outreach programs; (7) adult education outreach programs; (8) outreach programs in conjunction with other community agencies; (9) performance programs as community outreach; (10) other outreach programs; (11) general information; and (12) scholarship and financial assistance programs. Results indicated that a majority of schools have outreach offerings in the following areas: adult education programs, performance programs, public and private school programs and early childhood education and day care programs. Of the four areas of instruction--music, dance, drama, and visual arts--music was most frequently offered; piano was the most frequently offered type of music instruction. The data indicated that most schools offer partial scholarships awarded on the bases of financial need and teacher recommendations. Few schools, however, offer special scholarships or financial assistance for the handicapped. Conclusions and recommendations included suggestions that there be ongoing studies of specific outreach, scholarship, and financial assistance program areas; programs in juvenile detention homes and prisons should be increased since offerings in this area have declined, especially during 1983-84

Hydrogeology of the Penoyer Valley region, Central Nevada

Groundwater in the vicinity of Penoyer Valley in central Nevada is part of the White River Flow system that drains from Jakes Valley in the north to Muddy River Springs in the south, a distance of 320 km (200mi). A four-basin subregion was modeled that indicates Penoyer, Garden, Coal, and Tikaboo Valleys are hydraulically connected. This connection is facilitated by carbonate rock formations found in the Worthington Mountains and the Timpahute Range, located on the eastern and southern perimeter of Penoyer Valley. Although Penoyer Valley and Garden Valley are hydraulically connected, it is likely that groundwater does not flow across the Worthington Mountains, which serve as a hydrologic divide between Penoyer and Garden Valleys. However, it is likely that groundwater is transmitted south from Penoyer Valley through the Timpahute Range to Tikaboo Valley; Range bounding faults associated with Tertiary extension serve as structural controls located along the western and eastern flanks of the Worthington Mountains, and along the western, eastern, southern and northern flanks of the Timpahute Range. Range bounding faults may channel groundwater along the strike of the fault, or may act as conduits or barriers to groundwater movement. Detailed models were performed for both the Worthington Mountains and Timpahute Range in order to simulate the effect of fault zones. The Worthington and Timpahute models simulated range-bounding, extensional faulting of variable hydraulic conductivities. Model simulations for the Worthington Mountains and Timpahute Range show that faults function as conduits when hydraulic conductivities are high. Similarly, range bounding faults function as barriers when hydraulic conductivities are low

Potential Terrorist Uses of Highway-Borne Hazardous Materials, MTI Report 09-03

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested that the Mineta Transportation Institutes National Transportation Security Center of Excellence (MTI NTSCOE) provide any research it has or insights it can provide on the security risks created by the highway transportation of hazardous materials. This request was submitted to MTI/NSTC as a National Transportation Security Center of Excellence. In response, MTI/NTSC reviewed and revised research performed in 2007 and 2008 and assembled a small team of terrorism and emergency-response experts, led by Center Director Brian Michael Jenkins, to report on the risks of terrorists using highway shipments of flammable liquids (e.g., gasoline tankers) to cause casualties anywhere, and ways to reduce those risks. This report has been provided to DHS. The teams first focus was on surface transportation targets, including highway infrastructure, and also public transportation stations. As a full understanding of these materials, and their use against various targets became revealed, the team shifted with urgency to the far more plentiful targets outside of surface transportation where people gather and can be killed or injured. However, the team is concerned to return to the top of the use of these materials against public transit stations and recommends it as a separate subject for urgent research