Prairie Pothole Regional Studies

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a comprehensive, stratified survey of 204 wetland catchments in 1997 and 270 catchments in 2004, a subset of more than 2 million hectares of wetland and grassland systems established on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) lands. The purpose of the survey was to gather data for estimating a variety of ecosystem services provided by prairie pothole wetland catchments. In early 2008, USGS published a preliminary findings report as a result of these studies

Prairie Pothole Regional Studies

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a comprehensive, stratified survey of 204 wetland catchments in 1997 and 270 catchments in 2004, a subset of more than 2 million hectares of wetland and grassland systems established on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) lands. The purpose of the survey was to gather data for estimating a variety of ecosystem services provided by prairie pothole wetland catchments. In early 2008, USGS published a preliminary findings report as a result of these studies

Reevaluating the California Sales Tax: Exemptions, Equity, Effectiveness, and the Need for a Broader Base

This Comment examines the tax base and administrative aspects of the sales tax in California and argues the need for reform. It analyzes the State\u27s sales tax system against its original goals and attempts to measure the tax system\u27s success. The analysis points to the proliferation of exclusions and exemptions that reduce the efficacy and equity of the tax system and clearly demonstrates a need to expand the tax base if the system is to remain true to its original goals and remain a strong source of revenue for the state. The Comment also discuss alternative taxation schemes, focusing both on simplifying the tax structure through the taxation of selected services and decreasing the number of exemptions, as well as exploring the possibility of a wholesale revision of the taxing system

A study of near-surface currents in Endicott Arm

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1972Currents in Endicott Arm were measured by parachute drogues and ice drift photogrammetry. The parachute drogues showed mean outflow speeds between 2 and 20 cm/sec. The mean outflow extended at reduce speeds to below ten meters and may have extended to Bill depth at twenty meters. From equations of drag and inertia, a differential equation was formed to describe tidal ice drift speeds. The equation was solved on an Analog computer and the solution shown as plotted. Coupling curves were used to measure the net tidal speed. Ice drift mean out flow speeds based upon these computations agreed with parachute drogue mean outflow speeds

A study of near-surface currents in Endicott Arm

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1972Currents in Endicott Arm were measured by parachute drogues and ice drift photogrammetry. The parachute drogues showed mean outflow speeds between 2 and 20 cm/sec. The mean outflow extended at reduce speeds to below ten meters and may have extended to Bill depth at twenty meters. From equations of drag and inertia, a differential equation was formed to describe tidal ice drift speeds. The equation was solved on an Analog computer and the solution shown as plotted. Coupling curves were used to measure the net tidal speed. Ice drift mean out flow speeds based upon these computations agreed with parachute drogue mean outflow speeds

Sexual dimorphism in periodontitis in a mouse model.

Background: Periodontal disease is an infection-driven chronic inflammatory disease. It occurs primarily from excessive inflammatory reactions that arise from complex exchanges between the host immune system and the tooth associated oral bacteria. It is the number one cause of tooth loss among adults. However, many factors confound results between males and females as to which sex is more susceptible to periodontal disease. Identifying the sex more prone to disease is integral in developing models of risk assessment and looking into the pathogenesis. Objective: To examine in vivo and in vitro the differences between male and female mice challenged with Porphyromonas gingivalis. Methods: Mice were divided into four groups consisting of male ligated, male nonligated, female experimental ligated, and female non-ligated. All groups were given a ligature around the second molar. Experimental groups were administered P. gingivalis while the controls being non-ligated. After 7 days, mice were euthanized and bone losses were determined. Bone losses were measured by taking the distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the alveolar bone crest (ABC). Colony Forming Units (CFUs) were acquired from all groups as well. CFUs displayed bacterial clearance amongst the male and female mice. An oral gavage infection model was administered to confirm our ligature model results. Four groups were developed consisting of male experimentals, male sham infections, female experimentals, and female shams. From an in vitro perspective gingival tissue was harvested from each mouse and cytokine response levels were measured. Cytokine levels served as a method of looking into the immune system’s role in periodontal disease. Results: In comparison with male mice, female mice displayed significantly increased periodontal bone loss (p \u3c 0.05) in both the ligature and oral gavage models, accompanied by elevated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. More oral bacteria were also detected in female mice than in males. In vitro experiments showed that macrophages from female mice respond to P. gingivalis with higher intensity. These findings along with the previously mentioned may contribute to more severe inflammation and bone losses in females. Conclusion: Female mice are more likely to exhibit persistent P. gingivalis infection, and develop higher levels of bone loss in comparison to their male counterparts. These occurrences differ from human studies in which males are the predominant gender for this disease

Negativity and contextuality are equivalent notions of nonclassicality

Two notions of nonclassicality that have been investigated intensively are: (i) negativity, that is, the need to posit negative values when representing quantum states by quasiprobability distributions such as the Wigner representation, and (ii) contextuality, that is, the impossibility of a noncontextual hidden variable model of quantum theory (also known as the Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem). Although both of these notions were meant to characterize the conditions under which a classical explanation cannot be provided, we demonstrate that they prove inadequate to the task and we argue for a particular way of generalizing and revising them. With the refined version of each in hand, it becomes apparent that they are in fact one and the same. We also demonstrate the impossibility of noncontextuality or nonnegativity in quantum theory with a novel proof that is symmetric in its treatment of measurements and preparations.Comment: 5 pages, published version (modulo some supplementary material

Preparing composite materials from matrices of processable aromatic polyimide thermoplastic blends

Composite materials with matrices of tough, thermoplastic aromatic polyimides are obtained by blending semi-crystalline polyimide powders with polyamic acid solutions to form slurries, which are used in turn to prepare prepregs, the consolidation of which into finished composites is characterized by excellent melt flow during processing

Access to Effective Teaching for Disadvantaged Students

Recent federal initiatives in education, such as Race to the Top, the Teacher Incentive Fund, and the flexibility policy for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act are designed in part to ensure that disadvantaged students have equal access to effective teaching. The initiatives respond to the concern that disadvantaged students may be taught by less effective teachers and that this could contribute to the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and other students. To address the need for evidence on this issue, the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education initiated a study to examine access to effective teaching for disadvantaged students in 29 diverse school districts. Mathematica Policy Research and its partner, the American Institutes for Research, conducted the study, which focused on English/ language arts (ELA) and math teachers in grades 4 through 8 from the 2008 -- 2009 to the 2010 -- 2011 school year