EFFECTS OF COVER BOARD AGE, SEASON, AND HABITAT ON THE OBSERVED ABUNDANCE OF EASTERN RED-BACKED SALAMANDERS (PLETHODON CINEREUS)

Plethodontid salamanders are potentially good ecological indicator species in woodland habitats due to their abundance and sensitivity to changes in the environment. The use of terrestrial salamanders as ecological indicators depends on effective means of surveying their abundance and distribution. Our study examined the use of old and new artificial cover boards by Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus). We also considered the effects of season (spring vs. fall) and habitat type (deciduous vs. coniferous vs. mixed) on cover board use by P. cinereus. Our results indicated that P. cinereus abundance was greater under old cover boards compared to new cover boards. However, the difference between the use of old and new cover boards was greater during the spring than the fall, suggesting that the effect of cover board age became weaker over time. Plethodon cinereus showed strong seasonal variation in observed abundance, with peaks during the spring and fall seasons and very low surface activity during the summer. Plethodon cinereus had higher observed abundance in deciduous habitats than in coniferous and mixed habitats. Our results suggested that care should be taken to account for cover board age in long-term monitoring programs, especially if cover boards are replaced during a study

ESSAYS ON CHILD WELL-BEING AND THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET

This dissertation consists of three essays examining the role of two particular social safety net programs, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), on the well-being of children from disadvantaged households. While the impact of these programs on the adults and parents of the household have been studied extensively, less is known about their effect on children. This is true for both their immediate impact on child well-being and any long-run impacts on children who grow up under these programs. Given the demonstrated importance of child well-being on later life adult outcomes, understanding the lasting effects of the programs is of great policy importance. In Essay 1, I examine the effect of welfare reform on long-run educational attainment and family structure outcomes on children who grew up under the reformed welfare system. In the early 1990’s, the United States reformed its welfare system through state waivers and the TANF program. These changes altered family resources and potential investments for childhood human capital, which in turn could affect later adult outcomes. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) Child Development Supplement (CDS) and the Transition to Adulthood Supplement (TAS), I examine the short-run effects of welfare reform on cognitive and noncognitive outcomes and the long-run impact of welfare reform on adult education and family structure through age 28. I find that as children, these individuals have higher reading test scores by an average of 6 percent of a standard deviation. As adults, I find robust evidence that these treated individuals are on average 9 percent more likely to graduate college. I also find some evidence that they are more likely to be married and less likely to have a child out of wedlock. The impacts of welfare reform are larger for women than men for childhood test scores and college completion, marriage rates, and out of wedlock births as adults. In Essay 2, I continue to study the effects of welfare reform on child well-being, here focusing on the effect of welfare reform on the health insurance coverage, healthcare utilization, and the health status of children. In addition to changing the overall resources available to the family to invest in child health, welfare reform also has specific implications for health insurance coverage. As mothers were moved to work they could gain private coverage and welfare reform eliminated automatic eligibility for Medicaid. In this essay, I use data from the PSID CDS. I find a 3-5 percent decrease in the likelihood that a child has had their annual checkup but no change to the insurance coverage of children. For health status, I find lower rates of asthma by 17 percent among African American children and an increase of 3-5 healthy days a year for all children. I present suggestive evidence that the improvements in child health are driving the reduction in healthcare utilization. Given the evidence in the literature on the importance of childhood health, these improvements have potentially large ramifications for future adult health. Finally, in Essay 3 I explore the effect of the real purchasing power of SNAP benefits for households with children on dietary quality of food acquisitions and food insecurity. SNAP, formerly food stamps, is one of the most important components of the social safety net. However, there is concern that benefits are inadequate given high food insecurity rates among participating households. Currently SNAP does not account for variation in local food prices and does not sufficiently consider the dietary needs of adolescent children. Using data from the Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS), I exploit variation in county level food prices and family composition to estimate the purchasing power of food expenditures for SNAP and SNAP–eligible households to test for the effect of additional benefits on dietary quality and food security. I find that a ten percent increase in purchasing power is associated with increased per person weekly acquisition of grains, proteins, dairy, and vegetables by 1.5-2.5 percent. However the quantity of added sugars also increases by approximately two percent, suggesting an ambiguous impact on health. In line with these modest changes in quantity, I do not find a statistically significant impact of purchasing power on food insecurity rates

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey for the Pilot Knob Wastewater Interceptor Project, Travis County, Texas

On behalf of Brookfield Residential, SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources investigation of the proposed Pilot Knob Wastewater Interceptor Project in southeast Austin, Travis County, Texas. The project involves the construction of a roughly 2.1-mile-long wastewater interceptor line with an 80-foot temporary and 40-foot permanent easement, and encompasses 20.0 acres. The project has two components: the initial 1.7-mile-long wastewater interceptor and the additional 0.34- mile-long Phase 2 extension. The initial project alignment begins at Dee Gabriel Collins Road, located approximately 0.6 mile northwest of the intersection of U.S. Route 183 and Farm-to-Market (FM) 812. The proposed line traverses undeveloped land for 1.7 miles and terminates approximately 0.6 mile east of the intersection of McKinney Falls Parkway and Colton Bluff Springs Road. The Phase 2 additional alignment will extend 0.34 mile north-northeast of Dee Gabriel Collins Road before terminating in an undeveloped tract. The depths of project impacts are currently unknown, but horizontal directional bores are proposed at road and drainage crossings and are not expected to exceed 15–20 feet below ground surface. The area of potential effects (APE) for the project is approximately 2.1 miles long and 80 feet wide, encompassing 20.0 acres. The proposed APE is within a semi-rural setting that is quickly becoming more urbanized. As portions of the initial project alignment traverse potential waters of the U.S., the project must comply with application requirements for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District Section 404 permit in accordance with 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 325, Appendix C (Processing Department of Army Permits: Procedures for the Protection of Historic Properties; Final Rule 1990; with current Interim Guidance Document dated June 24, 2002) and with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 USC 470), and its implementing regulations (36 CFR 800). Portions of the initial project alignment within the 100-year floodplain may also be subject to permitting by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and require Section 106 compliance. Portions of the additional project alignment are on lands slated for ownership by the Pilot Knob Municipal Utility District No. 1, a political subdivision of the State of Texas, as a consequence, the project must comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas in addition to Section 106 of the NHPA and its implementing regulations. Consequently, all work was conducted in accordance with the standards and guidelines of the Antiquities Code of Texas under Antiquities Permit No. 7287. The goal of the work was to locate all prehistoric and historic archaeological sites within the proposed APE, establish vertical and horizontal site boundaries as appropriate, and evaluate the significance and eligibility of all recorded sites for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The investigations were initiated with a background review of previous work, historic map review, and an archival review of the APE parcels. Field work involved an intensive pedestrian survey with shovel testing of the APE. The background review determined that portions of the APE have been previously surveyed and that one archaeological site (41TV2366) is recorded within the APE. Site 41TV2366 is an early-twentieth-century farm complex and is not considered eligible for inclusion to the NRHP or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). Historic maps revealed six possible historic-age structures and one cemetery within or immediately adjacent to the APE. Field work for the initial alignment was conducted on October 29, 2014, with a total of 19 shovel tests excavated in portions of the APE. Field work for the additional project alignment was conducted on May 21, 2015, with a total of three shovel tests excavated within the APE. The APE exhibits prior modifications from residential and agricultural development and associated utility installations. The investigations revisited site 41TV2366, verified the location of a historic-age cemetery, and recorded site 41TV2480. Site 41TV2366 is a historic-age farm complex and is considered not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. No avoidance or additional work is required. The historic-age Collins Cemetery is located 93 feet from centerline and is protected under 711.035(f) and 711.010(a)(b) of the Health and Safety Code of Texas, and as a result, avoidance of the cemetery is required by state law. However, based upon the current alignment, the centerline is over 90 feet north of the cemetery fence and adequately avoids the cemetery. Therefore, the Collins Cemetery will not be impacted by construction activities associated with the Pilot Knob Interceptor Project. As such no additional work is required. Site 41TV2480 is a historic-age circa 1955 residence identified and recorded along the margin of the additional alignment project alignment. No historic-age artifacts associated with 41TV2480 were observed in the current APE, and the residence has been continuously lived in as well as modified compromising its integrity. Based on these factors, site 41TV2480 is recommended as ineligible for inclusion in the NRHP or for designation as an SAL, and no further work is recommended. In accordance with 36 CFR 800.4, SWCA has made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify cultural resources within the APE. As no properties were identified that meet the criteria for listing in the NRHP, according to 36 CFR 60.4, or for designation as an SAL, according to 13 Texas Administrative Code 26.12, SWCA recommends no further cultural resources investigations are warranted within the project APE

Dynamical Decoupling in Optical Fibers: Preserving Polarization Qubits from Birefringent Dephasing

One of the major challenges in quantum computation has been to preserve the coherence of a quantum system against dephasing effects of the environment. The information stored in photon polarization, for example, is quickly lost due to such dephasing, and it is crucial to preserve the input states when one tries to transmit quantum information encoded in the photons through a communication channel. We propose a dynamical decoupling sequence to protect photonic qubits from dephasing by integrating wave plates into optical fiber at prescribed locations. We simulate random birefringent noise along realistic lengths of optical fiber and study preservation of polarization qubits through such fibers enhanced with Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) dynamical decoupling. This technique can maintain photonic qubit coherence at high fidelity, making a step towards achieving scalable and useful quantum communication with photonic qubits.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Rotation of Low-mass Stars in Taurus with K2

We present an analysis of K2 light curves (LCs) from Campaigns 4 and 13 for members of the young (~3 Myr) Taurus association, in addition to an older (~30 Myr) population of stars that is largely in the foreground of the Taurus molecular clouds. Out of 156 of the highest-confidence Taurus members, we find that 81% are periodic. Our sample of young foreground stars is biased and incomplete, but nearly all stars (37/38) are periodic. The overall distribution of rotation rates as a function of color (a proxy for mass) is similar to that found in other clusters: the slowest rotators are among the early M spectral types, with faster rotation toward both earlier FGK and later M types. The relationship between period and color/mass exhibited by older clusters such as the Pleiades is already in place by Taurus age. The foreground population has very few stars but is consistent with the USco and Pleiades period distributions. As found in other young clusters, stars with disks rotate on average slower, and few with disks are found rotating faster than ~2 days. The overall amplitude of the LCs decreases with age, and higher-mass stars have generally lower amplitudes than lower-mass stars. Stars with disks have on average larger amplitudes than stars without disks, though the physical mechanisms driving the variability and the resulting LC morphologies are also different between these two classes

Choral Ensembles, Celtic and English Traditions

This KSU School of Music performance features KSU Chamber Singers, Men\u27s Ensemble, and University Chorale directed by Dr. Leslie J. Blackwell, Director of Choral Activities.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1984/thumbnail.jp