Sheep, dingoes and kangaroos: new challenges and a change of direction 20 years on

Predation and competition are two primary forces limiting the extent to which sheep can be grazed in the Australian rangelands, particularly in Queensland. Dingo predation has been non-existent in much of the sheep zone since the localised eradication of dingoes in the early 1900s. Competition with kangaroos has been ever-present, but was previously managed (to some extent) by the commercial kangaroo harvesting industry. However, changes to dingo distribution and kangaroo densities and harvesting over the last 20 years have meant that dingo predation and kangaroo competition again threaten viable sheep production in the rangelands. Dingoes have increased their distribution and density in almost all sheep grazing areas and contemporary lethal control efforts are not preventing the decline of sheep. Loss of valuable international markets and moves to now harvest only adult male kangaroos means that the kangaroo harvesting industry produces little relief from kangaroo grazing pressure (given that kangaroo population growth is little affected by removal of adult males; see Finch et al. this volume). New approaches to dingo and kangaroo management are sorely needed to salvage and restore the production of sheep in the rangelands. In response, the installation and use of pest-proof fences is rapidly increasing in Queensland and other areas, facilitating, for the first time in nearly a century, the localised eradication of dingoes and the suppression of kangaroos to manageable numbers within fenced areas. We describe these challenges and opportunities for one site in particular (Leander Station), and offer a sheep grazier’s perspective on past and future use and management of problematic wildlife in sheep production zones

Optimizing optical Bragg scattering for single-photon frequency conversion

We develop a systematic theory for optimising single-photon frequency conversion using optical Bragg scattering. The efficiency and phase-matching conditions for the desired Bragg scattering conversion as well as spurious scattering and modulation instability are identified. We find that third-order dispersion can suppress unwanted processes, while dispersion above the fourth order limits the maximum conversion efficiency. We apply the optimisation conditions to frequency conversion in highly nonlinear fiber, silicon nitride waveguides and silicon nanowires. Efficient conversion is confirmed using full numerical simulations. These design rules will assist the development of efficient quantum frequency conversion between multicolour single photon sources for integration in complex quantum networks.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figure

The Close Binary Fraction of Dwarf M Stars

We describe a search for close spectroscopic dwarf M star binaries using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to address the question of the rate of occurrence of multiplicity in M dwarfs. We use a template-fitting technique to measure radial velocities from 145,888 individual spectra obtained for a magnitude-limited sample of 39,543 M dwarfs. Typically, the three or four spectra observed for each star are separated in time by less than four hours, but for ~17% of the stars, the individual observations span more than two days. In these cases we are sensitive to large-amplitude radial velocity variations on timescales comparable to the separation between the observations. We use a control sample of objects having observations taken within a four-hour period to make an empirical estimate of the underlying radial velocity error distribution and simulate our detection efficiency for a wide range of binary star systems. We find the frequency of binaries among the dwarf M stars with a < 0.4 AU to be 3%-4%. Comparison with other samples of binary stars demonstrates that the close binary fraction, like the total binary fraction, is an increasing function of primary mass

Understanding the NTRU Cryptosystem

In this paper, we will examine the NTRU Public Key Cryptosystem. The NTRU cryptosystem was created by Joseph Silverman, Jeffery Hoffstein, and Jill Pipher in 1996. This system uses truncated polynomial rings to encrypt and decrypt data. It was recently released into the public domain in 2013. This paper will describe how this cryptosystem works and give a basic understanding on how to encrypt and decrypt using this system

Elgaria panamintina

Number of Pages: 4Integrative BiologyGeological Science

New Deal or "Raw Deal": African Americans and the Pursuit of Citizenship in Indianapolis During FDR's First Term

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Race and politics have played an important part in shaping the history of the United States, from the first arrival of African slaves in the early seventeenth century to the election of an African-American president in 2008. The Great Depression and the New Deal represent a period that was no exception to the influence of race and politics. After Franklin Roosevelt succeeded Herbert Hoover to the American presidency, there was much faith and hope expressed on the editorial pages of the Indianapolis Recorder that African Americans would be treated fairly under the New Deal. Hope began to wane when little political patronage was dispensed, in the form of government jobs, once the Democrats took office in 1933. As the first incarnation of the New Deal progressed, African Americans continued to experience prejudice, segregation, unfair wages, and generally a “raw deal.” But what was more, African-American women and men were not given a fair opportunity to ensure for themselves better political, social, and economic standing in the future. This struggle for full-fledged citizenship was further underscored when Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation in 1934 and 1935. The New Dealers, Franklin Roosevelt chief among them, did not seize the opportunity presented by the Great Depression to push for civil rights and social justice for African Americans. Their intent was not necessarily malicious. A more nuanced view of the issues shows that political expedience, and a measure of indifference, led the New Dealers to not treat civil rights as the pressing issue that it was. Roosevelt and the New Dealers believed that they faced the potential for significant resistance to their economic recovery program from Southern Democrats on Capitol Hill if they tried to interfere with race relations in the South. This thesis examines the first years of the Roosevelt Administration, roughly 1933 through 1936. This timeframe was carefully chosen because it was a period when the issues surrounding race and racism were brought to the fore. In the initial period of the New Deal we can see how Roosevelt met and failed to meet the expectations of African Americans. The prevailing view among the African American leadership in 1935, argued Harvard Sitkoff, was that the federal government had “betrayed [African Americans] under the New Deal.” Sitkoff referred to these “denunciations of the New Deal by blacks” as commonplace from 1933 to 1935. But beginning with the Second New Deal in the middle 1930s the criticism turned to applause

What Is the Impact of Kentucky’s Pharmacy Recovery Network?

Problem Statement: This capstone will focus on Kentucky’s Pharmacy Recovery Network (PRN). In general, professional recovery networks are organizations that act as a liaison between professional state boards and the health professionals who are dealing with substance abuse and addictions that sometimes result in negative consequences to that individual and/or their profession. Instead of a “one-strike and you are out” approach, these organizations recognize that there is a disease process occurring. Thus, as opposed to engaging in strictly punitive measures, a rehabilitative approach is chosen to allow the health professional an opportunity to recover and successfully reenter into their profession. The research question this study seeks to answer is, “What is the impact of KY’s PRN program? A secondary analysis will explore how KY compares with Ohio. Research Strategy: A retrospective analysis of data from the KY PRN clients from 2000-2009 was conducted. The main point of interest focused on relapse rates or, alternatively, success rates and successful reentry back into the practice. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the study group. Six variables were used for purposes of predicting relapse. Anecdotal data was obtained from Ohio’s similar recovery program. Major Findings: The average number of cases per year for the Board was 8. The average age of Kentucky Pharmacists who were treated was 43 years old with a majority being male. The mean time of being licensed before treatment was 16 yrs. The most popular substance abused was a mixture of opioids and/or benzodiazepines (48%). The overall relapse rate was 22%, with 4.2% of cases having 2 relapses. Of the cases that relapsed, 50% relapsed within 2 years of rehabilitation. Logistic regression was performed using relapse as the dependent variable and age, gender, number of years held license, and type of treatment as the dependent variables. Treatment in an inpatient facility is associated with statistically significantly more relapse. KY and OH appear to be similar in rates of relapse based upon anecdotal reports from OH. Recommendations: Further studies should examine the incidence and prevalence of Pharmacists’ substance addiction rates and measure the impact of PRNs. Better data collection is recommended in order to account for certain risk factors that can predict which impaired pharmacists are at the highest risk for relapse. In the current model, treatment within an inpatient facility appears to predict a higher rate of relapse. Further data analysis, preferably with additional data, should be conducted to confirm this preliminary finding. Comparison with other states’ recovery programs would help to measure the success of KY’s PRN