Information access survey: Western Visayas, Philippines

The aim of this report is to provide brief profiles of the main stakeholders within the aquatic resources and fisheries sectors in Western Visayas, to describe their access to information, and the communication between and within stakeholder groups, organizations and institutions within the sector. The report goes on to identify current needs and key action points which might maximize efficient communication. (PDF contains 68 pages

Automation and robotics for the Space Exploration Initiative: Results from Project Outreach

A total of 52 submissions were received in the Automation and Robotics (A&R) area during Project Outreach. About half of the submissions (24) contained concepts that were judged to have high utility for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and were analyzed further by the robotics panel. These 24 submissions are analyzed here. Three types of robots were proposed in the high scoring submissions: structured task robots (STRs), teleoperated robots (TORs), and surface exploration robots. Several advanced TOR control interface technologies were proposed in the submissions. Many A&R concepts or potential standards were presented or alluded to by the submitters, but few specific technologies or systems were suggested

Aproximaciones conceptuales para el estudio de riesgos en la región andina

fenómenos hidrometeorológicos y geológicos, que al impactar sobre población vulnerable puede generar desastres con efectos de intensidad y temporalidad variable. A pesar del creciente interés en controlar estos efectos mediante la implementación de cada vez más complejas estrategias de manejo o gestión de riesgo, esta tarea aún resulta esquiva y, por el contrario, la situación parece agravarse frente a los efectos del cambio climático. Este contexto invita a una reflexión sobre la conceptualización del riesgo con miras a abrir vías de análisis que sean pertinentes para su estudio en la región andina. El documento tiene como objetivo, entonces, hacer un balance de los aportes desde las ciencias sociales y enfoques interdisciplinarios. De esta manera, hace síntesis de las principales propuestas y debates en torno al concepto riesgo: el riesgo como construcción sociocultural, la agencia y materialidad del riesgo, el riesgo en los sistemas socio ecológicos y la ecología política del riesgo; y ofrece una aproximación conceptual planteando una ruta de acercamiento basada en el estudio de las institucionalidades en vínculo con las estrategias de manejo del riesgo por desastres

Kinetics of Graphite Oxidation in Reacting Flow from Imaging Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

This work focuses on the characterization of laser irradiated graphite oxidation using mid-wave infrared (MWIR) imaging Fourier transform spectroscopy (IFTS). Although graphite oxidation has been studied extensively, IFTS uniquely provides spatial characterization of the reacting plumes. Spatial maps of species and temperature provide much needed insight into the transport and kinetic mechanisms and are vital for validation of numerical efforts. The current study builds on previous work using IFTS to characterize graphite oxidation in buoyant flow. Buoyant flow measurements are expanded to a wider range of graphite materials and surface temperatures. Oxidation in flat plate shear flow and stagnation flow are also evaluated to determine the role of transport

Marine ornamentals trade in the Philippines and options for its poor stakeholders

The objective of this project in the Philippines is to promote the development of policy changes and other actions related to the trade in ornamental fish with Europe which support poor people’s livelihoods. [PDF contains 118 pages.

On non-minimal N=4 supermultiplets in 1D and their associated sigma-models

We construct the non-minimal linear representations of the N=4 Extended Supersymmetry in one-dimension. They act on 8 bosonic and 8 fermionic fields. Inequivalent representations are specified by the mass-dimension of the fields and the connectivity of the associated graphs. The oxidation to minimal N=5 linear representations is given. Two types of N=4 sigma-models based on non-minimal representations are obtained: the resulting off-shell actions are either manifestly invariant or depend on a constrained prepotential. The connectivity properties of the graphs play a decisive role in discriminating inequivalent actions. These results find application in partial breaking of supersymmetric theories.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figure

Advancing the science and practice of conserving hihiwai: using ecology and traditional ecological knowledge to identify and overcome threats to an endemic Hawaiian gastropod

2021 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Aquatic gastropods are valuable indicators of stream health in tropical ecosystems globally. Sustaining gastropods on islands is particularly important because these species provide numerous ecosystem services such as water purification, nutrient cycling, mediating the transfer of carbon through food webs, and providing sustenance for people. Hihiwai (Neritina granosa) is an amphidromous snail that was used as a subsistence food source in ancient times by Native Hawaiians and is still harvested today. Yet, this species is of conservation concern and both the ecological factors associated with its density and distribution as well as the socio-cultural knowledge associated with this species are largely unknown. Bridging Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and western science, which requires valuing indigenous knowledge and leadership and incorporating these ways of knowing into conservation science and practice, is an effective strategy to address this paucity of information in local and Indigenous communities. TEK is particularly important on islands where indigenous communities steward their often imperiled cultural and natural heritage. Evaluating the factors contributing to hihiwai loss and recovery using a combination of western science and TEK could serve as a model for Indigenous and local communities at the marine/freshwater interface globally. To address these knowledge gaps, I surveyed four streams on the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Maui to 1) determine which characteristics of stream systems are associated with Hihiwai population density across age classes, and 2) evaluate the size distribution of adult hihiwai as a function of stream characteristics. Specifically, I used stratified random quadrat sampling to assess hihiwai densities along an elevational gradient in streams with (n = 2) and without (n = 2) diversions. I collected data on stream characteristics such as width, depth, velocity, discharge, temperature, shading, and substrate. I found that hihiwai recruits, juveniles and adults were more abundant in diverted streams, all size classes and adult length were positively associated with stream depth, adult hihiwai were more likely to occur at higher elevations, and there was an inverse relationship between adult size and density, with larger hihiwai more likely to occur where adults were least abundant. In parallel with the stream surveys, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 local community members on Molokai to examine how traditional ecological knowledge and local experience can be used to better understand the ecology and cultural value of hihiwai, and to engage local communities in the conservation of this species and its habitat. Three major takeaways were identified as relevant for understanding the drivers, impacts, and next steps for hihiwai conservation: 1) community members believe that hihiwai populations are decreasing due to a combination of direct (overharvesting, water diversions) and indirect (higher stream temperatures, invasive plants) anthropogenic effects; 2) The perceived decrease in hihiwai abundance on Molokai has resulted in fewer opportunities for local people to connect with each other and spend quality time (eating and picking hihiwai), a loss of historic knowledge of hihiwai and cultural identity, and has disrupted the transmission of cultural and ecological knowledge to the next generation; and (3) Community members emphasized the need for informed local conservation leaders who represent the interests of the local Molokai people to guide and enforce hihiwai and Hawaiian stream management. Although community perceptions of whether bottom-up or top-down management strategies would be more effective were mixed, there is a general consensus that a change in values toward hihiwai harvest and possible harvest limits are needed to ensure healthy hihiwai populations in the future. My findings from this cross disciplinary study highlight the overlap, as well as the novel information that can emerge from integrating ecological and social research. Bridging the gap between western ecological science and TEK through local community collaboration will be critical for developing effective management plans that ensure ecological and cultural sustainability of hihiwai in Hawaii

Samuel Lowry Latimer, Jr. Papers - Accession 530

The personal papers of Samuel Lowry Latimer, Jr. (1891-1975) include insurance, financial and tax records, various state-related pamphlets, photographs (mainly from The State newspaper) and postcards, and galley proofs of Three Scores and Ten, a history of The State written by Mr. Latimer (published in 1970 under the title The Story of The State and the Gonzales Brothers, see appendix #2). Also included are items of personal and business correspondence of Mr. Latimer and Major McDavid Horton (1884-1941) (editor of The State from 1938 to 1941), various personal items and memorabilia from Mr. Latimer’s two trips abroad, newspaper clippings and articles relating to or published in The State, critiques of The Story of The State and the Gonzales Brothers done by Mrs. Albert D. (May) Oliphant, and several miscellaneous newspaper articles. One of the major subjects of the collection is founding of The State newspapers and the Gonzales Brothers. The Gonzales brothers are Narciso Gener Gonzales (1858-1903), Ambrose Elliott Gonzales (1857-1926), and William Gonzales (1866-1937) and the former two founded The State newspaper in Columbia, SC in 1891. Narciso would later be gunned down on January 15, 1903 (he died four days later) by James H. Tillman. James Tillman was Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (and nephew of SC Senator Benjamin Tillman) and was a frequent target of criticism by the paper. Tillman would be acquitted by a jury despite many witnesses and received no punishment.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/1623/thumbnail.jp

Pre-K and Latinos: The Foundation for America's Future

The Latino population in the United States is growing at a rapid pace, and the proportion of our nation's under-five year olds who are Latino is increasing even faster. Many of these children lack access to the high-quality pre-kindergarten experiences that promote academic achievement and future success. By providing Latino children with culturally and linguistically appropriate services in high-quality, pre-k-for-all programs, educators and policymakers can help close the achievement gap and make a major contribution to realizing this growing population's remarkable potential

Health-related quality of life and depression among participants in the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance registry.

ObjectiveTo examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depression among participants in an international Sjögren's syndrome (SS) registry, comparing those with and without SS.MethodsCross-sectional study of participants in the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) registry. The 2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism SS classification criteria were used to determine disease status. HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form 12, version 2 Health Survey to derive scores for physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS). Depression was assessed using the 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of HRQoL and depression while controlling for potential confounders.ResultsAmong 2401 SICCA participants who had symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth, 1051 had SS (44%) and 1350 did not (56%). After controlling for confounders, when compared with non-SS participants, those with SS had better PCS (p<0.001, β=2.43, 95% CI 1.57 to 3.29), MCS (p=0.002, β=1.37, 95% CI 0.50 to 2.23) and lower adjusted odds of depression (p<0.001, OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.81). Other significant predictors of HRQoL and depression included employment, country of residence and use of medication with anticholinergic effect or for management of SS-related signs and symptoms.ConclusionOur results suggest that among symptomatic patients, having a diagnosis of SS may be associated with better emotional and psychological well-being compared with patients without a diagnosis. Having a definitive diagnosis of SS may encourage patients to obtain a better understanding of their disease and have coping mechanisms in place to better manage their symptoms