BIOLOGY, MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS, POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF A STEM GALL WASP, ZAPATELLA DAVISAE (HYMENOPTERA: CYNIPIDAE)

Gall wasps are phytophagous insects that often go unnoticed, however, when they are released from their natural enemies, they have the capacity to outbreak and cause extensive foliar damage. One such outbreaking pest, Zapatella davisae, causes significant damage and mortality to black oak, Quercus velutina. In recent years, black oak decline has been documented in Long Island, New York and coastal New England. Little is known about the lifecycle, distribution or population dynamics of Zapatella davisae and the taxonomy of the species is still unclear. My first study described the biology and distribution of Z. davisae. Zapatella davisae completed one life cycle per year, and emerged in early May. The same proportion of trees were infested in Cape Cod and Long Island, however, the severity of the infestation was significantly greater in Cape Cod, an indication that something may be regulating populations in Long Island. I evaluated where Z. davisae fits within the Cynipidae phylogeny, quantified genetic diversity across geographically isolated populations and identified which loci gave the most taxonomic clarity. Three genes determined that Z. davisae is completely invariant across all geographically isolated populations, likely indicative of a founder effect. Zapatella davisae may be native, as it was a species-level match to a gall wasp species from the southeastern, US. LWRh and COI gave the most taxonomic clarity, as they had genera that fell out into distinct clades, whereas 28S increased the incidence of polyphyletic and paraphyletic clades. After I determined Long Island and Cape Cod populations were both Z. davisae, I compared the population dynamics in each location. On Long Island, multiple gall wasp populations exhibited almost 100% parasitism in 2015, which was followed by a near total collapse of the population in 2016. On Cape Cod, parasitism rates were lower and consistent overtime, which may explain greater canopy damage in that region. On Long Island, species-group Sycophila species 3 caused the highest level of parasitism, but parasitism from this species was lower on Cape Cod. My results indicate that Z. davisae populations are controlled by top-down pressures on Long Island

The rural non-farm economy and poverty alleviation in Armenia, Georgia and Romania: A synthesis of findings.

The aims of this study are to improve understanding of the dynamics of the rural non-farm economy in providing employment and income diversification opportunities in Armenia, Georgia and Romania. The study aims to focus on improving the well-being and livelihoods of the rural population, through developing their capacity to access resources and actively participate in non-farm rural enterprise and employment opportunities. We place emphasis on the diversity and diversification of income sources in the face of vulnerability to shocks and stresses - particularly on the part of the poorest members of society; and provide an in-depth analysis of the context (socio-cultural, economic, agronomic) in which non-farm rural livelihood options are currently pursued and in which new options can be developed.rural non-farm economy, poverty, diversity, non-agricultural growth, transition economies, Central Asia, Balkans

A Racial Impact Analysis of SB 30: Medicaid Expansion

Virginia is the second worst state in providing Medicaid to its citizens. The focus of this report is to provide a racial equity impact analysis of Senate Bill (SB) 30, the Senate legislative vehicle for the appropriations of the budget submitted by the Governor of Virginia for fiscal years 2015 and 2016. SB 30 included a provision called “Marketplace Virginia” as an alternative to traditional Medicaid expansion in Virginia. This compromise bill would have covered an estimated 430,000 Virginians who fall in the Medicaid coverage gap by assisting them in purchasing private insurance. This report provides a racial equity impact analysis of the failure of the Virginia General Assembly to pass SB 30. The racial and ethnic impact of this proposed, but failed, legislation is important because minorities in Virginia disproportionately face disparities in health care access and quality. This racial impact analysis captures and reports the potential impact of this legislation by race in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The primary recommendation includesraising eligibility requirements to a minimum of 100 percent of the federal poverty level. Virginia’s current eligibility requirements are so strict that although it is ranked 7th in per capita personal income, Virginia ranked 43rd in Medicaid enrollment as a proportion of the state’s population and 47th in per capita Medicaid spending

Earthquake and ambient vibration monitoring of the steel frame UCLA Factor building

Dynamic property measurements of the moment-resisting steel-frame University of California, Los Angeles, Factor building are being made to assess how forces are distributed over the building. Fourier amplitude spectra have been calculated from several intervals of ambient vibrations, a 24-hour period of strong winds, and from the 28 March 2003 Encino, California (M_L =2.9), the 3 September 2002 Yorba Linda, California (M_L=4.7), and the 3 November 2002 Central Alaska (M_w=7.9) earthquakes. Measurements made from the ambient vibration records show that the first-mode frequency of horizontal vibration is between 0.55 and 0.6 Hz. The second horizontal mode has a frequency between 1.6 and 1.9 Hz. In contrast, the first-mode frequencies measured from earthquake data are about 0.05 to 0.1 Hz lower than those corresponding to ambient vibration recordings indicating softening of the soil-structure system as amplitudes become larger. The frequencies revert to pre-earthquake levels within five minutes of the Yorba Linda earthquake. Shaking due to strong winds that occurred during the Encino earthquake dominates the frequency decrease, which correlates in time with the duration of the strong winds. The first shear wave recorded from the Encino and Yorba Linda earthquakes takes about 0.4 sec to travel up the 17-story building

Latinos and Cancer Information: Perspectives of Patients, Health Professionals and Telephone Cancer Information Specialists

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 Latino cancer patients diagnosed in California; 10 health professionals from the San Francisco Bay Area and Fresno, California; and 10 Cancer Information Services (CIS) information specialists from the regional offices handling calls from Spanish-speakers. Interview guides were designed by the investigators to answer three main research questions: 1) How do Latinos obtain information about cancer and what types of information do they access?; 2) What sources of cancer information do they seek out and find credible?; and 3) What are the barriers and facilitators to Latinos obtaining cancer information? Stakeholders generally viewed health professionals as the most credible source of cancer information. All groups regarded family and friends as important sources of information. Patients and health professionals tended to differ on the value of print materials. Although patients found them generally useful, health professionals tended to view them as inadequate for meeting the informational needs of their Latino patients due to the challenge of low health literacy. Health professionals also tended to undervalue internet resources compared to patients and CIS specialists. All stakeholders viewed language, ethnic discordance and the impact on patients of the initial diagnosis as barriers to effective communication of cancer information. Health professionals and CIS specialists, but not patients, mentioned low literacy as a barrier. Our findings underscore the importance of the physician-patient relationship as a point of intervention to address the unmet informational and psychosocial needs of Latino cancer patients

Why Darfur is not a modern-day Rwanda : A Comparative Study Differentiating Types of Genocide

In the media, the current humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan, is constantly being compared to the Rwandan genocide in 1994. A crucial question to ask, therefore, is whether this is a fair and fitting assessment of the current conflict or whether this is a sloppy gimmick simply to rally support for an intervention in the region (which is indisputably needed). I will focus the following paper on two research questions. First, I will compare the two conflicts and extract the main differences, and then I will try to uncover the social, economic, historical and political causes for these differences. Secondly, I will consider the existing typologies of genocide and use these differences to create a new typology of genocide, if necessary. This research is divided into seven chapters. Chapter one presents an introduction of the background and importance of this research. In Chapter two, I focus on the research design and the debate about the possible definitions of 'genocide'. Chapter three presents the methodology used to conduct the comparative study while Chapter four focuses on extracting the most important differences between the two conflicts. I argue for certain structural and direct causes for these differences in Chapter five. Addressing the second research question, the existing typologies for genocide are laid out in Chapter six. Finally, Chapter seven offers the first steps toward a new typology (with Rwanda as an example of a 'total genocide' and Darfur as an example of a 'select genocide') and wraps up with five conclusions from this study. This study is both academically and practically relevant. Many of the typologies are out-dated because they categorize conflicts according to only one cause. However, conflicts are becoming increasingly complex and are often caused by multiple factors. On the other hand, this research’s practical relevance is that it hopefully can play a role in preventing future genocides and improving interventions. In particular, intervention forces should pay attention to the signs of a possible total genocide, including but not limited to: a high population density, an authoritarian structure, access to weapons, propaganda, and manipulation. Additionally, civilian participation also seems to be an indicator of a total genocide. Although this research seeks out the differences between the conflicts in Rwanda and in Darfur, its intention is not to discourage or to dishearten those pushing for an intervention in Darfur. On the contrary, if a multi-lateral intervention does replace the AU troops already stationed in Darfur, then it should be grounded on the right reasons, and not because some politicians have coined this conflict the 'modern-day Rwanda'.Immer öfter vergleichen sowohl die Medien also auch Politiker den derzeitigen Genozid in Darfur mit dem Ruanda-Genozid von 1994. Ist das ein fairer, treffender Vergleich? Oder ist dieser Vergleich einfach ein politischer Trick, um Länder unter Druck zu setzen eine Intervention in Darfur vorzubereiten? In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden hauptsächlich zwei Forschungsfragen untersucht. Erstens wird gefragt, wie die zwei Konflikte sich unterscheiden und welche Faktoren diesen Unterschied erklären können. Als zweite Forschungsfrage wird geprüft, ob diese Unterschiede beitragen könnten, eine neue Typologie von Genozid aufzubauen. Wenn ja, dann wie würde eine neue Typologie von Genozid aussehen? Die Arbeit ist in sieben Teile unterteilt. Kapitel Eins beinhaltet eine Einleitung zum Thema der Arbeit. Das Forschungsdesign und die Definition vom Genozid werden in Kapitel Zwei dargestellt. Die Methodologie der Arbeit wird in Kapitel Drei erklärt. Kapitel Vier zeigt die wichtigsten Unterschiede zwischen den Konflikten in Ruanda und in Darfur auf (die abhängigen Variablen). Kapitel Fünf sucht strukturelle und direkte Ursachen für die Konflikte (die unabhängigen Variablen), um die Unterschiede zwischen den Konflikten zu erklären. Kapitel Sechs stellt zuerst die alten Typologien des Genozids Forschung vor und erläutert dann eine neue, hilfreichere Typologie, die aus dem Erkenntnisgewinn aus den Fallbeispielen hergeleitet wurde. Schließlich wird Kapitel Sieben die Hauptpunkte der Arbeit zusammenfassen und fünf Ergebnisse vorstellen. Die Relevanz dieser Arbeit ist sowohl akademisch als auch praktisch. Die alten Typologien von Genozid kategorisieren Genozid nach einer Ursache. Da Konflikte immer komplexer werden und die meisten schon multi-kausal sind, sind solche Klassifikationssysteme nicht mehr gültig. Zweitens, aus einer praktischen Sicht hoffe ich, dass diese Arbeit dazu beitragen kann, die Zahl von zukünftigen Genoziden zu reduzieren und auch mögliche Interventionen zu verbessern. Wenn ein intervenierender Staat die Art eines Genozids kennt, wird er besser vorbereitet sein um diesen bekämpfen zu können. Im Besonderen, sollten zukünftige Interventionen folgende „Indikatoren für totalen Genozid“ beachten (z.B. eine hohe Bevölkerungsdichte, autoritäre Struktur, Zugang zu Waffen, Propaganda der Medien, und Manipulation der Bevölkerung). Die Indikatoren hängen mit der aktiven Beteiligung von Zivilisten an Genozid zusammen, einem anderen wichtigen Faktor dem intervenierende Staaten Beachtung schenken sollten. Obwohl die Unterschiede zwischen Ruanda und Darfur in dieser Arbeit hervorgehoben wurden, sollte betont werden, dass es nicht Ziel dieser Arbeit war eine Intervention in Darfur auszuschließen. Im Gegenteil, falls es zu einer Intervention von außen kommt, dann sollte sie aus den richtigen Gründen erfolgen. Eine Intervention zu unternehmen, nur weil der Konflikt „genau wie Ruanda“ aussieht wäre ein Fehler. Wie in dieser Arbeit klar gemacht wurde, könnten Ruanda und Darfur unterschiedlicher nicht sein (Ruanda ist ein Beispiel für einen so genannten totalen Genozid, wohingegen Darfur ein Beispiel für einen selektiven Genozids ist). Eine Intervention müsste die Unterschiede zu Ruanda erkennen, um eine erfolgreiche Intervention zu sein und um eine dauerhafte Lösung für den Konflikt finden zu können

Application of commercial best practices for new technology development within the constraints of defense contract funded R&D

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; and, (S.M.) -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-112).This thesis explores the application of commercial best practices for new technology development within the constraints of the defense contract funded research and development (R&D) environment. Key elements of successful new product development (NPD) are identified from the literature, including strategic fit, organizational structure, financial considerations, and use of Stage-GateTM type processes. Constraints, conflicts, and issues which arise in the defense contract funded R&D world but not in the commercial world are explored, including a multiplicity of funding sources, short funding cycles, and ambiguous ownership of go/kill decisions and gating criteria. Existing defense industry Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and new Engineering and Manufacturing Readiness Level (EMRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) metrics are evaluated as potential gating mechanisms relevant to the defense industry. We determine that the EMRL and MRL metrics meet many of the criteria necessary for good NPD gates, but they must still be supplemented by commercial best practices such as ensuring strategic fit, good organizational structure, financial attractiveness and competitive evaluation.(cont.) A resulting combined framework of "soft" and "hard" criteria is applied to a case study of an optical component currently under development with contract R&D dollars. The output of this study helped to shape strategic decisions regarding this component and to identify next steps in the technology maturation roadmap. Application of these frameworks in defense should ensure that future successful technical performance is also supported by an appropriate business strategy and by a process maturation plan for manufacturing consistent with the upcoming Department of Defense (DOD) MRL requirements.by Monica K. Davis.S.M

Anomalous Seismic Amplitudes Measured in the Los Angeles Basin Interpreted as a Basin-Edge Diffraction Catastrophe

The Los Angeles Basin Passive Seismic Experiment (labpse) involved the installation of an array of 18 seismic stations along a line crossing the Los Angeles basin from the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains through the Puente Hills to the coast. At 3–5 km spacing between stations the array has much higher resolution than the permanent network of stations in southern California. This resolution was found to be important for analyzing the factors that govern the amplitude variation across the basin. We inverted spectra of P- and S-body-wave seismograms from local earthquakes (M_L 2.1–4.8) for site effects, attenuation, and corner frequency factor using a standard model that assumes geometric spreading varying as inverse distance, exponential attenuation, and an ω^2 source model. The S-wave attenuation was separable into basin and bedrock contributions. In addition to the body-wave analysis, S-wave coda were analyzed for coda Q and coda-determined site effects. We find S- wave Q (Q_S) in bedrock is higher than in the basin. High-frequency Q_S is higher than low-frequency Q_S. Coda Q (Q_c) is higher than Q_S. P-wave Q (Q_P) was not separable into basement and bedrock values, so we determined an average value only. The corner frequencies for P and S waves were found to be nearly the same. The standard model fit over 97% of the S-wave data, but data from six clustered events incident along the basin edge within a restricted range of incidence and azimuth angles generated anomalous amplitudes of up to a factor of 5 higher than predicted. We test whether such basin-edge focusing might be modeled by catastrophe theory. After ruling out site, attenuation, and radiation effects, we conclude a caustic modeled as a diffraction catastrophe could explain both the frequency and spatial dependence of the anomalous variation

Flood Modeling and the Influence of Digital Terrain Models: A Case Study of the Swannanoa River in North Carolina

An increase in flood disasters nationally and internationally has highlighted the need for accurate flood modeling regarding flood insurance and emergency response. Topographic data is the most important variable in determining flood modeling accuracy according to the National Research Council. Increasing availability of airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data warrants the investigation of the optimal resolution or range of resolutions needed to represent digital terrain models for accurate operational flood modeling. Few studies have focused on flood modeling in mountain environments. The Swannanoa River, located within the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, was selected for this study based on unique physical characteristics, a substantial built environment within the 100 year floodplain, and significant recorded levels of historical flooding.Flood modeling accuracy was evaluated using LiDAR elevation data represented at a series of equivalent resolutions (3.77m, 6m, 8m, 10m, 12m, 15m, 20m, 25m, and 30m) and United Stated Geological Survey Level 2 digital elevation model data represented at 10m and 30m resolutions combined with a series of flood recurrence intervals (10yr, 25yr, 50yr, 100yr, and 500yr). A variety of descriptive and inferential statistics were used to evaluate generated water surface profiles and depth grids