WMU Bronco \u3ci\u3eNight at the Museum\u3ci\u3e

Purpose of the Project: Knowing that healthy team dynamics make for healthy terms, all Bronco athletic teams were encouraged to visit the exhibit RACE: Are We So Different? and participate in a follow-up discussion facilitated by a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council. The RACE exhibit facilitated conversations were to extend participant learning through self-reflection on their personal experiences with racial identity, race issues and racism, as well as the experiences and perspectives of others

Poisson (co)homology and isolated singularities

To each polynomial \v\in\F[x,y,z] is associated a Poisson structure on \F^3, a surface and a Poisson structure on this surface. When \v is weight homogeneous with an isolated singularity, we determine the Poisson cohomology and homology of the two Poisson varieties obtained.Comment: 27 page

Absorption problems for quantum walks in one dimension

This paper treats absorption problems for the one-dimensional quantum walk determined by a 2 times 2 unitary matrix U on a state space {0,1,...,N} where N is finite or infinite by using a new path integral approach based on an orthonormal basis P, Q, R and S of the vector space of complex 2 times 2 matrices. Our method studied here is a natural extension of the approach in the classical random walk.Comment: 15 pages, small corrections, journal reference adde

On the Heisenberg invariance and the Elliptic Poisson tensors

We study different algebraic and geometric properties of Heisenberg invariant Poisson polynomial quadratic algebras. We show that these algebras are unimodular. The elliptic Sklyanin-Odesskii-Feigin Poisson algebras $q_{n,k}(\mathcal E)$ are the main important example. We classify all quadratic $H-$invariant Poisson tensors on ${\mathbb C}^n$ with $n\leq 6$ and show that for $n\leq 5$ they coincide with the elliptic Sklyanin-Odesskii-Feigin Poisson algebras or with their certain degenerations.Comment: 14 pages, no figures, minor revision, typos correcte

Equivalence of the realized input and output oriented indirect effects metrics in ecological network analysis

A new understanding of the consequences of how ecosystem elements are interconnected is emerging from the development and application of Ecological Network Analysis. The relative importance of indirect effects is central to this understanding, and the ratio of indirect flow to direct flow (I/D) is one indicator of their importance. Two methods have been proposed for calculating this indicator. The unit approach shows what would happen if each system member had a unit input or output, while the realized technique determines the ratio using the observed system inputs or outputs. When using the unit method, the input oriented and output oriented ratios can be different, potentially leading to conflicting results. However, we show that the input and output oriented I/D ratios are identical using the realized method when the system is at steady state. This work is a step in the maturation of Ecological Network Analysis that will let it be more readily testable empirically and ultimately more useful for environmental assessment and management.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure, 1 tabl

Effects of reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations on physiology and fluorescence of hermatypic corals and benthic algae

While shifts from coral to seaweed dominance have become increasingly common on coral reefs and factors triggering these shifts successively identified, the primary mechanisms involved in coral-algae interactions remain unclear. Amongst various potential mechanisms, algal exudates can mediate increases in microbial activity, leading to localized hypoxic conditions which may cause coral mortality in the direct vicinity. Most of the processes likely causing such algal exudate induced coral mortality have been quantified (e.g., labile organic matter release, increased microbial metabolism, decreased dissolved oxygen availability), yet little is known about how reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations affect competitive dynamics between seaweeds and corals. The goals of this study were to investigate the effects of different levels of oxygen including hypoxic conditions on a common hermatypic coral Acropora yongei and the common green alga Bryopsis pennata. Specifically, we examined how photosynthetic oxygen production, dark and daylight adapted quantum yield, intensity and anatomical distribution of the coral innate fluorescence, and visual estimates of health varied with differing background oxygen conditions. Our results showed that the algae were significantly more tolerant to extremely low oxygen concentrations (2–4 mg L(−1)) than corals. Furthermore corals could tolerate reduced oxygen concentrations, but only until a given threshold determined by a combination of exposure time and concentration. Exceeding this threshold led to rapid loss of coral tissue and mortality. This study concludes that hypoxia may indeed play a significant role, or in some cases may even be the main cause, for coral tissue loss during coral-algae interaction processes

Pretreatment serum albumin as a predictor of cancer survival: A systematic review of the epidemiological literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are several methods of assessing nutritional status in cancer of which serum albumin is one of the most commonly used. In recent years, the role of malnutrition as a predictor of survival in cancer has received considerable attention. As a result, it is reasonable to investigate whether serum albumin has utility as a prognostic indicator of cancer survival in cancer. This review summarizes all available epidemiological literature on the association between pretreatment serum albumin levels and survival in different types of cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic search of the literature using the MEDLINE database (January 1995 through June 2010) to identify epidemiologic studies on the relationship between serum albumin and cancer survival. To be included in the review, a study must have: been published in English, reported on data collected in humans with any type of cancer, had serum albumin as <it>one of the </it>or <it>only </it>predicting factor, had survival as one of the outcome measures (primary or secondary) and had any of the following study designs (case-control, cohort, cross-sectional, case-series prospective, retrospective, nested case-control, ecologic, clinical trial, meta-analysis).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 29 studies reviewed on cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, all except three found higher serum albumin levels to be associated with better survival in multivariate analysis. Of the 10 studies reviewed on lung cancer, all excepting one found higher serum albumin levels to be associated with better survival. In 6 studies reviewed on female cancers and multiple cancers each, lower levels of serum albumin were associated with poor survival. Finally, in all 8 studies reviewed on patients with other cancer sites, lower levels of serum albumin were associated with poor survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Pretreatment serum albumin levels provide useful prognostic significance in cancer. Accordingly, serum albumin level could be used in clinical trials to better define the baseline risk in cancer patients. A critical gap for demonstrating causality, however, is the absence of clinical trials demonstrating that raising albumin levels by means of intravenous infusion or by hyperalimentation decreases the excess risk of mortality in cancer.</p