Harvest ecology and biodiversity of South African Porphyra

Bibliography: 140-161 leaves .Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) is the world's most valuable maricultured seaweed, due to its high value as a food crop. The vast majority of Porphyra in South Africa belongs to P. capensis, a morphologically and ecologically plastic taxon apparently endemic to the region. There is no demand for P. capensis as a food crop, as it is unsuitable for the market, and there are no records of its customary use locally. Porphyra capensis is however a potentially highly valuable fodder for the mariculture of abalone (Haliotis midae), and pressure to harvest it has recently increased. This study aims to assess the potential for harvest of Porphyra on the south-western shores of South Africa. There are two main thrusts to this work. The fIrst thrust examines Porphyra as an ecological entity in the region. The second thrust reassesses the taxonomy of Porphyra species in the region

The digital media lab at Bainbridge College

This project describes the development of an audio and video production facility at Bainbridge College, a small community college in Bainbridge, Georgia. The Digital Media Lab provides faculty, staff, and students with the ability to create audio and video resources for classroom use, research, training, and outreach. The principal steps of this project were a literature review, a needs analysis, the equipment selection process, and implementation. The literature review included examples of how video is used in higher education, information about current trends in technology, and faculty development strategies. The needs analysis determined that the facility should support both analog and digital media and that a facility where users could work independently was most practical. A list of equipment, user guidelines, outlines of current workshops, and samples of quick reference materials used in the lab are also included in this report

Longitudinal Momentum Mining of Beam Particles in a Storage Ring

I describe a new scheme for selectively isolating high density low longitudinal emittance beam particles in a storage ring from the rest of the beam without emittance dilution. I discuss the general principle of the method, called longitudinal momentum mining, beam dynamics simulations and results of beam experiments. Multi-particle beam dynamics simulations applied to the Fermilab 8 GeV Recycler (a storage ring) convincingly validate the concepts and feasibility of the method, which I have demonstrated with beam experiments in the Recycler. The method presented here is the first of its kind.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Structured illumination microscopy using micro-pixellated light-emitting diodes

Structured illumination is a flexible and economical method of obtaining optical sectioning in wide-field microscopy [1]. In this technique the illumination system is modified to project a single-spatial frequency grid pattern onto the sample [2, 3]. The pattern can only be resolved in the focal plane and by recording images for different transverse grid positions (or phases) an image of the in-focus parts of the object can be calculated. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming increasingly popular for lighting and illumination systems due to their low cost, small dimensions, low coherence, uniform illumination, high efficiency and long lifetime. These properties, together with recent developments in high brightness, ultraviolet operation and microstructured emitter design offer great potential for LEDs as light sources for microscopy. In this paper we demonstrate a novel structured illumination microscope using a blue micro-structured light emitting diode as the illumination source. The system is potentially very compact and has no-moving-parts

Rainfall and Soils, Not Grazing Intensity, Determine the Composition and Productivity of Annual Plants in a Biodiverse Arid Winter Rainfall Region

Concentration of grazer activity around watering points and stock posts has led to well-documented vegetation impacts in arid and semi-arid rangelands. Effect of grazing and abiotic factors on perennial plant diversity have been reported in the bio-diverse winter rainfall vegetation of the Succulent Karoo in South Africa, but the impact on annuals had not been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of rainfall, soil nutrients, land forms and grazing on forage depletion, soil chemistry and the composition, diversity, richness and biomass production of annual plants in the Richtersveld National park, which is a contractual national park used by semi-nomadic pastoralists to herd goats and sheep. A grazing gradient away from stock posts at 100m, 500m and 1000m on sandy plains and rocky foothills at five study sites with different mean annual rainfall and vegetation types were used. Distance from stock posts corresponded to a gradient of forage depletion and resulted in changes in soil chemistry with distance. Biomass production, richness and diversity of annuals were correlated with rainfall but not significantly affected by landform or distance from stock posts. Rainfall and soil variables had a greater influence on species composition than grazing in this arid ecosystem. The decrease in perennial cover and richness near the stock posts was not accompanied by increase in biomass production or richness of annuals, which is expected to have adverse effects on overall plant diversity and forage availability. Keywords: Piosphere, Pastoralists, Rangeland, Succulent Karoo DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-10-04 Publication date:May 31st 202

The effect of a summer program of orientation, effective study, and reading on persistence and grade point average of first year junior college students

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a pilot summer program of orientation, study skills and reading on the persistence and grade point average of first year junior college students. The pilot program was offered as a voluntary summer program between graduation from high school in the spring and entrance into junior college in the fall. For purposes of comparison, two control groups were established: a summer control group consisting of students who enrolled for the summer session but not in this program, and a fall control group who received no collegiate experience prior to college entrance the fall semester of 1966 -67. Four hypotheses were tested during and at the end of the year. These hypotheses stated in null form were: 1. There is no difference between the experimental group and either of the control groups in the proportion of students who withdrew from college during the stated intervals. 2. There is no difference between the experimental and either of the control groups in the number of units dropped during the stated intervals. 3. There is no difference between the experimental and either of the control groups in the number of program changes made during the stated interval. 4. There is no difference between the experimental and the two control groups of the grade point averages at the stated intervals. The chi-square test of homogeneity was used to test the first three hypotheses. The fourth hypothesis was subjected to an analysis of variance, single classification, technique. Analysis of the resultant data revealed that hypotheses one, two, and four failed to be rejected at the established five percent level of confidence. Only hypothesis number three was rejected in the comparison of the experimental and the fall control groups. The same hypothesis failed to be rejected when the summer control was compared with the experimental group. This hypothesis failed to be rejected in the comparison made between the two control groups. Four conclusions are suggested as a result of this study: 1. The summer program, as was constituted, is suspect as a means which will be significant in retaining students in college during their first year. 2. It cannot be concluded that the summer experience had a significant effect on the numbers of withdrawals made by students from courses during the 1966-67 academic year. 3. The results suggest that the summer experience was of value in assisting students to establish a program of studies for the fall semester, but of no greater value than enrolling in other types of courses during the summer session. 4. The grade point averages of participants in the pilot program were not significantly affected by having received the summer experience. Recommendations 1. The specific packaging of courses offered in the pilot program not be continued in its present form. 2. The nature of the total program be reviewed. 3. Similar studies be continued over several years to determine later effects of such programs. 4. Larger samples be used in study of redefined program

Reducing Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission in Africa: a model-based evaluation of intervention strategies.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade malaria intervention coverage has been scaled up across Africa. However, it remains unclear what overall reduction in transmission is achievable using currently available tools. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed an individual-based simulation model for Plasmodium falciparum transmission in an African context incorporating the three major vector species (Anopheles gambiae s.s., An. arabiensis, and An. funestus) with parameters obtained by fitting to parasite prevalence data from 34 transmission settings across Africa. We incorporated the effect of the switch to artemisinin-combination therapy (ACT) and increasing coverage of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) from the year 2000 onwards. We then explored the impact on transmission of continued roll-out of LLINs, additional rounds of indoor residual spraying (IRS), mass screening and treatment (MSAT), and a future RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in six representative settings with varying transmission intensity (as summarized by the annual entomological inoculation rate, EIR: 1 setting with low, 3 with moderate, and 2 with high EIRs), vector-species combinations, and patterns of seasonality. In all settings we considered a realistic target of 80% coverage of interventions. In the low-transmission setting (EIR approximately 3 ibppy [infectious bites per person per year]), LLINs have the potential to reduce malaria transmission to low levels (90%) or novel tools and/or substantial social improvements will be required, although considerable reductions in prevalence can be achieved with existing tools and realistic coverage levels. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions using current tools can result in major reductions in P. falciparum malaria transmission and the associated disease burden in Africa. Reduction to the 1% parasite prevalence threshold is possible in low- to moderate-transmission settings when vectors are primarily endophilic (indoor-resting), provided a comprehensive and sustained intervention program is achieved through roll-out of interventions. In high-transmission settings and those in which vectors are mainly exophilic (outdoor-resting), additional new tools that target exophagic (outdoor-biting), exophilic, and partly zoophagic mosquitoes will be required

Commencement of the Class of 2016

It’s amazing how fast three years passes. And in the end, IMSA is so much more than just a building. Others may never truly understand what it means to be a part of this community, but we will know. Years from now, we’ll remember the thrill of Clash or the nostalgic warmth of Carnival. We’ll remember late nights spent laughing with best friends, and we’ll remember what it felt like to belong here. It’s true, IMSA gave us the building blocks for academic and professional success. But it also gave us each other. And as we stand here as a class for the last time, I thank IMSA for bringing us together. Class of 2016, never stop learning and growing. Never lose that drive or that passion, and never forget what you have gained from IMSA. As we move on to another chapter of our lives, we will continue to expand our brick-and-mortar walls. We will gain countless more chances, and we will learn countless more things. It is my hope that we, as a class, will continue to seek out new opportunities, and I hope that we continue to find better ways of cementing it all together. Yet no matter how far we go, part of us will always belong in a residence hall at 1500 Sullivan Road. And no matter how far apart we may end up, we can find comfort in knowing that we have built something beautiful together Heidi Dong, Student Council Presiden