Parasitism of \u3ci\u3ePlathypena Scabra\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by \u3ci\u3eSinophorus Teratis\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

(excerpt) A study was conducted at the Ecology Research Center, Miami University, Butler County, Ohio, during the summer of 1990 to examine the effects of strip intercropping sorghum and soybean on the occurrence of parasitoids and incidence of disease in larvae ofthe green cloverworm, Plathypena scabra (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a sporadic pest of soybeans. The details of the experimental design and results are reported elsewhere (Williams et al. 1995)

Charter Schools and Collective Bargaining: Compatible Marriage or Illegitimate Relationship

The rapid increase in charter schools has been fueled by the view that traditional public schools have failed because of their monopoly on public education. Charter schools, freed from the bureaucratic regulation that dominates traditional public schools, are viewed as agents of change that will shock traditional public schools out of their complacency. Among the features of the failed status quo are teacher tenure, uniform salary grids and strict work rules, matters that teacher unions hold dear. Yet unions have begun organizing teacher in charter schools. This development prompts the question whether unionization and charter schools are compatible. In contrast to traditional public schools whose labor relations are based on the traditional industrial labor relations model, charter schools are envisioned as high performance workplaces in which teachers gain enhanced psychological purchase as a result of sharing in the risks of the enterprise. We look to traditional public schools and find exceptions where teachers and their unions have become agents of change and risk takers. We ask why these exceptional cases have not spread more broadly and find the answer in public sector labor law doctrine which has channeled teacher unions away from risk sharing and toward insulating their members from the risks of the enterprise. We then consider the labor law governing charter schools. We discuss whether charter schools are governed by the National Labor Relations Act or state law and survey the different approaches that have developed under state law. We conclude that all of these approaches are based on the industrial relations model which is incompatible with the high performance workplaces envisioned for charter schools. We propose to free charter schools and their teachers from traditional labor law doctrine and propose a new approach to teacher voice that, in keeping with the vision of charter schools as shaking up the status quo by injecting competition, will lead to competition and innovation in teacher involvement in the regulation of their workplaces

Models for optimizing the mix of air launched missiles for repair processing

The research for this thesis is concerned with the logistics of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. Specific emphasis is placed on the development of models to determine the optimal mix of air launched missiles (ALMs) to induct for repair each quarter at intermediate level maintenance facilities. The Navy operates three such repair facilities. A set of three models are described which are intended to assist in managing the missile repair process. These models allow for effective control of missile readiness objectives, maintenance budgets, and repair priorities. This thesis proposes three linear programming models for the Naval Air Systems Command to use in planning the repair of air-launched missiles through the Naval Weapons Stationshttp://archive.org/details/modelsforoptimiz00taylLieutenant Commander, United States NavyPacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, CaliforniaApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Length-thermal Stress Relations For Composite Bridges

Computer-assisted analysis was used to study the relation among uniform, linear, and nonlinear stress components thermally induced in a composite bridge section for hypothetical parameters of varying span lengths, number of spans, and support conditions, as well as for actual bridges. The results were verified by conventional methods of analysis. The following was concluded for prismatic (constant) sections: (1) For constant proportionality of span lengths, each of the three thermal stress components is independent of span length; (2) variation of the proportionality of span lengths affects only the linear stress component; (3) support reactions and deflections caused by thermal loading are length dependent, but the induced moments and stresses are independent of length; (4) as the number of spans increases, the (thermally induced) moment magnitudes tend to converge; (5) the magnitude of reactions, for constant proportionality of span lengths, varies inversely with span length; and (6) for total end fixity, no exterior or interior vertical support reactions are thermally induced. © ASCE

Influence of Customs and Traditions on the Process of Community Development Among Rural Communities in Enugu State, Nigeria

This study examined the influence of customs and traditions on the process of community development among rural communities in Enugu state, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a target population of 847 adults comprising 379 traditional rulers and 468 town union presidents in all the 468 communities in the 17 LGAs of Enugu State. The population was taken as a census with no sampling. The study used a self- designed questionnaire and a Focus Group Discussion Guide for data collection which were validated by experts. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined using the Cronbach Alpha statistics. The quantitative data collected were analysed using mean statistics and standard deviation while the qualitative data collected via Focus Group Discussion were analysed using content analysis. From the analysed qualitative and quantitative  data, the findings of the study among others showed that the existing customs and traditions prevalent among the various communities in Enugu State, Nigeria are Adult circumcision (Ibe-Epi or Ibe-ugwu)  Masquerade (Mmanwu), Age grade grouping (Uro-Ogbor or Otu-Ogbor),  pouring of libation (Igor-Ofo) , homage to the ancestral fathers’ graves (Igba-Aju), the new yam festival (Iriji or Iwaji), Women August Meeting (Ogbako Umunwanyi Na-August), Soil festival-No farming sacred week (Oriri-Ani Na Nso-Ani), practice of caste system (Ohu or Osu), among others. It was also revealed that the influence of customs and traditions on the planning of community development programmes in Enugu State is evident in the fact that women were excluded from the decision making process in planning community development projects, community members reject projects to be sited in places the people consider forbidden, development programmes are not planned during festivals and the Women August meeting tradition is used as an avenue for planning of community development programmes. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among other things that traditional rulers should engage all the organized traditional structure (Igwe in-council, Elders council, women through August meeting platform, age grades and others) to do periodic planning of self-help development projects in their respective communities. Keywords: Customs, Traditions, Community Development DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-32-08 Publication date: November 30th 2020

The Drosophila genome nexus: a population genomic resource of 623 Drosophila melanogaster genomes, including 197 from a single ancestral range population.

Hundreds of wild-derived Drosophila melanogaster genomes have been published, but rigorous comparisons across data sets are precluded by differences in alignment methodology. The most common approach to reference-based genome assembly is a single round of alignment followed by quality filtering and variant detection. We evaluated variations and extensions of this approach and settled on an assembly strategy that utilizes two alignment programs and incorporates both substitutions and short indels to construct an updated reference for a second round of mapping prior to final variant detection. Utilizing this approach, we reassembled published D. melanogaster population genomic data sets and added unpublished genomes from several sub-Saharan populations. Most notably, we present aligned data from phase 3 of the Drosophila Population Genomics Project (DPGP3), which provides 197 genomes from a single ancestral range population of D. melanogaster (from Zambia). The large sample size, high genetic diversity, and potentially simpler demographic history of the DPGP3 sample will make this a highly valuable resource for fundamental population genetic research. The complete set of assemblies described here, termed the Drosophila Genome Nexus, presently comprises 623 consistently aligned genomes and is publicly available in multiple formats with supporting documentation and bioinformatic tools. This resource will greatly facilitate population genomic analysis in this model species by reducing the methodological differences between data sets

How do brochures encourage walking in natural environments in the UK? A content analysis.

Although walking for leisure can support health, there has been little systematic attempt to consider how recreational walking is best promoted. In the UK, local authorities create promotional materials for walking networks, but little is known about whether they effectively encourage walking through persuasive messaging. Many of these materials pertain to walks in natural environments which evidence suggests are generally visited less frequently by physically inactive individuals. Consequently the present study explores whether and how recreational walking brochures use persuasive messages in their promotion of walks in natural environments. A coding taxonomy was developed to classify text in recreational walking brochures according to five behavioural content areas and 87 categories of potentially persuasive messages. Reliability of the taxonomy was ascertained and a quantitative content analysis was applied to 26 brochures collected from Devon, UK. Brochures often provided information about an advertised route, highlighted cultural and aesthetic points of interest, and provided directions. Brochures did not use many potentially effective messages. Text seldom prompted behaviour change or built confidence for walking. Social norm related information was rarely provided and there was a general lack of information on physical activity and its benefits for health and well-being. The limited range of message strategies used in recreational walking brochures may not optimally facilitate walking in natural environments for inactive people. Future research should examine the effects of theory-informed brochures on walking intentions and behaviour. The taxonomy could be adapted to suit different media and practices surrounding physical activity in natural environments