Departing Reflections

Latin American Studie

Factors associated with student grades in Animal Physiology I

Students and faculty alike would like to know what factors are related to success in college courses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors that relate to a student’s success in Animal Physiology I (Phys I), an upper-level animal science course at the University of Arkansas. Student data were confidentially collected and coded. Data collected were student high school grade point average (HSGPA); composite ACT score; English, reading, math, and science subscores on the ACT; and student grades in English composition I and II, college algebra, chemistry, biology, microbiology, animal physiology II, and reproductive physiology. Prematriculation performance confirmed that students with higher HSGPA and (or) ACT scores had better grades in animal physiology I. However, ACT subscores were not more informative than the ACT composite score. Performance in prerequisite courses (chemistry and biology) was significantly related to student grades in Animal Physiology I. Student grades in related courses indicated the same results, that is, students that do well in high school tend to have better grades in college, including in Animal Physiology I

Facial Emotion Recognition Impairments in Subclinical Depression

Depression brings with it a wide variety range of symptoms. One of the least studied symptoms in depression is an impairment in the ability to recognize the emotions on the faces of others. Previous literature has shown both that many people without diagnosed depression still display some depressive symptoms as well as that the impairments in emotion recognition are an extremely common symptom. These impairments are frequently associated with an increase in the severity of other symptoms, which makes their presence in subclinical populations especially important to uncover. In this proposed study, 400 students who don’t meet the diagnostic criteria for depression would be tested on their ability to detect emotion (happiness and sadness) in rapidly presented, masked images of faces. Their detection accuracy would then be compared to their scores on the Beck Depression Inventory II. Subjects will score in the lowest range of scores of the BDI-II; from 0-13 (which is the “minimal depression” range of scores on the BDI-II) since higher scores would prevent them from participating in the study. A negative monotonic relationship is predicted between subjects’ ability to detect emotions (measured using d prime, a measure of discriminability), and their self-reported scores of depressive symptoms on the BDI-II. This predicted pattern of results is consistent with the idea that there is a causal relationship between emotion recognition impairments and the development of more severe depressive symptoms. Although this study is designed to show that the impairments exist in a subclinical population rather than prove causality, it may help direct future studies towards researching this connection in order to more accurately identify people at risk for clinical depression

Practice review in peak period rail network management: Sydney and San Francisco Bay area

The paper reviews current rail peak demand management approaches in Sydney and San Francisco through a practice review approach. Sydney and the San Francisco Bay Area offer two cases in the management of rail passenger demand in peak periods and beyond. By reviewing a range of strategies in use and under consideration, a broader picture emerges of the potential options and solutions available. In Sydney, certain lines are facing challenging peak-period scenarios, in which the rail system is severely overcrowded and perhaps unable to deliver greater capacity without major infrastructure upgrades. The paper reviews the state of practice in Sydney - tracking the peak demand problem and considering the management, pricing and communication strategies that are currently in place and emerging. In San Francisco, similar scenarios of peak-capacity are faced, with infrastructure bottlenecks at critical locations and potential operational constraints on the horizon in a region with a growing population. From these case study examples, suggestions are drawn for a suite of strategy options to assist transport agencies and rail operators to address peak demand issues through a managed and structured approach

Sweet Daisy Stokes

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4062/thumbnail.jp

History of nutrient inputs to the northeastern United States, 1930–2000

Humans have dramatically altered nutrient cycles at local to global scales. We examined changes in anthropogenic nutrient inputs to the northeastern United States (NE) from 1930 to 2000. We created a comprehensive time series of anthropogenic N and P inputs to 437 counties in the NE at 5 year intervals. Inputs included atmospheric N deposition, biological N2 fixation, fertilizer, detergent P, livestock feed, and human food. Exports included exports of feed and food and volatilization of ammonia. N inputs to the NE increased throughout the study period, primarily due to increases in atmospheric deposition and fertilizer. P inputs increased until 1970 and then declined due to decreased fertilizer and detergent inputs. Livestock consistently consumed the majority of nutrient inputs over time and space. The area of crop agriculture declined during the study period but consumed more nutrients as fertilizer. We found that stoichiometry (N:P) of inputs and absolute amounts of N matched nutritional needs (livestock, humans, crops) when atmospheric components (N deposition, N2 fixation) were not included. Differences between N and P led to major changes in N:P stoichiometry over time, consistent with global trends. N:P decreased from 1930 to 1970 due to increased inputs of P, and increased from 1970 to 2000 due to increased N deposition and fertilizer and decreases in P fertilizer and detergent use. We found that nutrient use is a dynamic product of social, economic, political, and environmental interactions. Therefore, future nutrient management must take into account these factors to design successful and effective nutrient reduction measures

Practice Reviews in Peak Period Rail Demand Management: Munich & Washington DC

The paper reviews current rail peak demand management approaches in Munich and the Washington DC metropolitan areas, through a practice review approach. Munich and the Washington DC metropolitan area offer two different approaches in the management of rail passenger demand in peak periods and beyond. By reviewing a range of strategies in use and under consideration, a broader picture emerges of the potential options and solutions available. In the Washington DC metropolitan area, the Metro rail system links activity centres in the District of Columbia with suburban jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia. The Metro system, as a late twentieth-century rail network, is seen as a leader for US transit in terms of scale, the quality of network design and planning, and popularity with riders. Lessons drawn from DC Metro on rail demand management approaches are indicative of best-practice in the USA at present. In Munich, the U-Bahn is a new-generation metro-style urban rail network, which is complemented by the more suburban oriented “S-Bahn” - of a longer-distance, more radial-style configuration. Munich’s transport planners are proactive in their tracking of passenger flows and their actioning of a variety of measures that have produced “smooth” passenger flows that avoid the “excessive peaks” of many other major rail systems. This is perhaps partially a contributor to the strong overall financial outcomes for mass transit in Munich. In addition, the network characteristics of the Munich rail systems are notable, in that there are a substantial number of popular destination/origin stations, and the system is not over-reliant on a small number of major inner city stations. From these case study examples of established and emerging practice, suggestions are drawn for strategic options to assist transport agencies and rail operators in addressing peak demand issues through a more managed and structured approach