Ground-level insolation in the UV-B spectral region : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Physics at Massey University

This thesis describes the design and construction of two instruments for use in isolating the ultraviolet parts of the Solar spectral irradiance at Earth's surface. The first was a total UVA Pyranometer, which was undertaken to make preliminary investigations in the techniques of monitoring ultraviolet irradiances, as well as to provide useful data. The main part of this thesis was the construction of a portable, easily operated, interference filter spectrophotometer to isolate the ultraviolet-B spectrum into five discrete 10 nm passbands. However, as further reading will describe, realisation of only the two longer wavelength passbands was made due to deviations from the ideal quasi-rectangular passbands of the interference filter spectral transmittance curves. Discussion of how these problems can be overcome is presented in the conclusion. An outline on how the incident spectral solar irradiance could be found, from the five passbands, is presented along with some preliminary data from the two operational channels. An overall accuracy of 15% was obtained for data obtained, with better accuracies, to 7%, attainable by stabilisation of the instrument power supplies and, therefore, output voltage

Numerical Testing of Virtual Source Method

Cross-well profiling is an important technique that produces a high resolution image between wells and provides a better delineation of rock properties. Yet, using a real downhole source is considered a major obstacle in a well logging operation. Thus, the Virtual Source Method (VSM) was introduced as an emerging technique that can virtually place a downhole source without damaging the well. This allowed us to passively use different source types on the surface with no velocity correction required for the medium between sources and downhole receivers.Using a numerical model, we produced our synthetics and created the Virtual Source gathers. A comparison was then made between the real downhole shot gathers and the VS gathers, and we found that the direct arrivals and the reflections are matching in time. A tomogram section was then produced using the direct P-wave arrivals. Our study demonstrated that cross-well tomography can be used with the Virtual Source Method, as the inversion model that was produced showed a velocity distribution matching with the geological model

Application of amplitude thresholding to aid minimum energy adaptive subtraction for multiple attenuation

Model based multiple prediction approaches require an adaptive subtraction step that is able to correct for differences between the real and predicted multiples. The commonly used subtraction process derives shaping operators, in the least squares sense, to minimize the energy difference between the predicted multiples and the field record. Although the minimum energy assumption allows a computationally efficient adaptive subtraction, it can lead to attenuation of primary information. This abstract illustrates how a simple amplitude clipping approach can significantly improve the effectiveness of the least squares adaptive subtraction and minimize primary attenuation

Alternative Substrates Used For Oyster Reef Restoration: A Review

Oyster populations and reef habitats have notably declined in the last century around the world. The ecological, economic, and cultural values of oysters have led to a variety of restoration efforts seeking to recover these lost benefits. Limitations of the native oyster shell substrate and the large-scale nature of many restoration projects have resulted in the increased use of a variety of alternative, or artificial, substrates to create reef structures. A text mining package was used to conduct a review of alternative substrates used for oyster restoration. Specifically, the review (1) assessed commonly used alternative substrates, (2) locations where alternative substrates are used, and (3) common performance metrics used to evaluate alternative substrates. The review demonstrated that (1) the most common substrates included porcelain, concrete, limestone, noncalcium stone, nonoyster shell, dredged shell, and engineered reefs; (2) oyster restoration with alternative substrates occurs worldwide, but evaluations of alternative substrates were primarily (79%) within the United States of America; and (3) four main categories of performance metrics are used to assess alternative substrates-biological, structural, chemical, and economic acceptability. Within the four performance metrics, however, there exists a substantial variety in terms of specific metrics used and application of metrics to assess alternative substrates. Results highlight the need for common metrics across projects to ease comparison between alternative substrate options

The effects of bussing versus non-bussing on the intellectual functioning of inner city, disadvantaged elementary school children.

EducationDoctor of Education (Ed.D.

Estimating age of rock cairns in southeast Alaska by combining evidence from successional metrics, lichenometry, and carbon dating

We estimated ages of rock cairns in alpine tundra in southeast Alaska by combining information from three general classes of methods, each of them imperfect, but considered together providing better estimates than any of the three alone. We used lichenometry, radiocarbon dating, and five successional metrics: score on a nonmetric multidimensional scaling axis of vegetation composition, cover-weighted average successional class of organisms, overgrowth of contact points between rocks, sum of species cover, and species richness. Lichenometry estimated absolute ages, but with considerable error because we violated key assumptions. Successional metrics provided relative ages, probably with more precision than lichenometry, but did not provide absolute ages. Although the relative age estimates from traditional lichenometry seemed least reliable, collectively they supported the hypothesis of prehistoric origins for the cairns with a range of possible absolute ages of 258–892 years. Similarly, radiocarbon dates for the cairns suggested cairn construction before European settlement, about 450–1500 years B.P. The five successional metrics were in general agreement with each other on relative ages. Combining all methods provided more information than any of the methods alone. We conclude that the cairns were built over a range of times, probably over centuries, most likely 500–1500 years B.P

Interactions of Cbl with Grb2 and phosphatidylinositol 3\u27-kinase in activated Jurkat cells

T-cell receptor (TCR) cross-linking increases tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple proteins, only a few of which have been identified. One of the most rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated polypeptides is the 120-kDa product of the proto-oncogene c-cbl, a cytosolic and cytoskeletal protein containing multiple proline-rich motifs that are potential binding sites for proteins containing Src homology 3 (SH3) domains. We report here that in cultured Jurkat T cells, Cbl is coprecipitated with antibody against the adapter protein Grb2. Upon activation of Jurkat T cells via the TCR-CD3 complex, we find that high-affinity binding of Cbl requires the N-terminal SH3 domain of GST-Grb2 fusion protein but after cross-linking of the TCR-CD3 and CD4 receptors, Cbl binds equally to its SH2 domain. Grb2 antisera also precipitated p85 from serum-starved cells, while TCR activation increased p85 and tyrosine-phosphorylated Cbl but not Cbl protein in Grb2 immunocomplexes. Phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activity was immunoprecipitated from serum-starved cells with Cbl and to a lesser extent with Grb2 antisera, and TCR cross-linking increased this activity severalfold. The PI 3-kinase activity associated with Cbl amounted to 5 to 10% of the total cellular activity that could be precipitated by p85 antisera. The Ras exchange factor Son-of-sevenless 1 (Sos-1) was not found in anti-Cbl immunoprecipitates from activated cells, and Cbl was not detectable in anti-Sos-1 precipitates, supporting the likelihood that Sos-Grb2 and Cbl-Grb2 are present as distinct complexes. Taken together, these data suggest that Cbl function in Jurkat T cells involves its constitutive association with Grb2 and its recruitment of PI 3-kinase in response to TCR activation

Maritime Alpine Cairns in Southeast Alaska: A Multidisciplinary Exploratory Study

This report describes the goals, data recovery methods, data analysis, and conclusions of a pilot project “A Multidisciplinary Exploratory Study of Alpine Cairns, Baranof Island, Southeast Alaska,” funded by the National Science Foundation under Project No. 1230132. The project brought together experts in the disciplines of archaeology (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), lichenology (Oregon State University), and Tlingit oral history (Oxford University) to address questions regarding artificial prehistoric, high altitude cairns. Data were collected in 2013 and 2014. Pedestrian archaeological inventory recorded 50 cairns at 5 sites. Archaeological data includes cairn dimensions, GPS positions, still photographic images, and video documentation. Four cairns were selected for excavation/dismantlement based on their morphology and lichen growth. No artifacts occurred within, under, or around the excavated cairns. Radiocarbon (AMS) analysis of collected organic materials and lichenometrics indicate that alpine cairns on Cross Peak are prehistoric and built within the last two millennia. In 2014, a helicopter survey was undertaken over Chichagof Island mountains along the lower reaches of Hoonah Sound. This survey identified 39 cairns at 29 sites demonstrating that alpine cairns occur in abundance on Baranof and Chichagof Islands. Physical, historical, and oral history points to construction of the cairns by ancestors of the Tlingit and, more specifically, by ancestors of Sitka and Kootznoowoo tribes

The Clerkship Pediatric Rotation: Does Setting Matter?

ABSTRACTBackground: Medical student rotations in community practice settings are increasingly common within pediatric clerkship curricula yet little evidence exists to support the quality of the educational exposure. Purpose: To assess the impact of clerkship site (community setting vs. exposure to an Academic Health Sciences Center) on the following educational outcomes: 1. Clinical Performance; 2. Examination Performance; 3. Written Assignment Performance; and 4. Successful Matching to a Canadian Pediatric Residency Program.Methods: 340 medical students from the graduating classes of 2007 and 2008 at the University of Toronto, Canada were studied. Rotation performance (clinical assessment, examination mark, and written assignment mark) and acceptance into a Canadian pediatric residency program were assessed in relation to clerkship rotation site. These outcomes were assessed while controlling for the following potential confounders: 1) Pre-clerkship career preference and 2) Pre-rotation site preference as expressed by each medical student. Results: 172 medical students completed rotations that included exposure to an academic health sciences center, while 168 medical students had exclusive exposure to the community setting. Students who completed exclusively community-based pediatric rotations received slightly higher clinical evaluations (p=0.006), but not exam marks (p=0.812) nor written assignment marks (p=0.086). Students who had expressed an interest in paediatrics as a career prior to beginning their clerkship performed better during paediatric clerkship regardless of site (p= .0003) and were more likely to choose a clerkship setting that included exposure to an Academic Health Sciences Center (p=.052). Clerkship setting was not found to impact on successful matching to a Canadian pediatric residency program (p=0.171).Discussion: These results help support the decision of curriculum committees to incorporate the use of community practice settings and inform students and faculty as to the validity of distributed medical education within the field of pediatric medical education