Biology of the Sweet Clover Weevil and Notes on the Biology of the Clover Root Curculio

Author Institution: Department of Zoology and Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1

Phosphorus Dynamics in Dingle Marsh, Idaho

Phosphorus mass-balance studies of Dingle Marsh, Idaho indicated that the marsh was an annual net sink for total suspended sol ids and all forms of phosphorus under consideration: total phosphorus, particulate phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, dissolved organic phosphorus, and orthophosphate phosphorus. During some months, however, more phosphorus was exported from the marsh than entered. Phosphorus mass-balance dynamics were compared between night and day. Total suspended solids and particulate phosphorus dynamics were controlled by sedimentation of particulate material, a physical process, and were unaffected by light conditions. Dissolved organic and ortho-phosphorus were affected by light conditions indicating, at least indirectly, that biological processes were affecting dissolved phosphorus dynamics. These phosphorus fractions were occasionally released in large amounts by the marsh at night. An in situ enclosure experiment was performed to determine major sites of phosphorus uptake/release. A twentyfour-hour rate of particulate phosphorus decrease in the enclosures could be predicted (r2=0.89) by knowing the initial concentration of total suspended solids. On a twentyfour-hour basis, periphyton, detritus, and live bulrushes tended to remove more dissolved organic phosphorus from the water than they added to it while plankton and sediments added dissolved organic phosphorus to the water. Orthophosphates were removed from the water by plankton, detritus, and periphyton with plankton dominating the changes. Live bulrushes or sediments within the bulrush system tended to be a source for orthophosphates. The open water ecosystem was a greater net source for dissolved organic phosphorus than the bulrush system. The open water system was a greater net sink, however, for orthophosphates, than was the bulrush community

Preferred Learning Mode, Instructor Competence and Tuition Reimbursement: What our Faculty and Students are Telling Us

This research examined comments in open response areas from 228 faculty and 659 student surveys regarding learning mode preference (classroom, online, video synchronous) instructor competence with technology and the impact of tuition reimbursement on student choice of learning mode. Most faculty and students viewed traditional classroom as the best option for quality interaction and learning. EagleVision Home (synchronous video learning) courses were noted for increased social presence and online courses were viewed as the most flexible option to take a class. Faculty and students emphasized the need for interaction in distance learning environments. Members of both groups highlighted technical issues that impeded faculty and student interaction which hampered learning effectiveness. Some students indicated that online courses had the highest workload of any learning mode. Faculty and students emphasized the need for faculty training and competence with distance learning technologies. Veteran’s Affairs (VA) funded students stated that they would chose an EagleVision Classroom course over an online or EagleVision Home course specifically due to increased VA reimbursement for in-resident courses. Recommendations included conducting future research as new distance learning technologies are deployed. Additionally, future researchers should use qualitative research tools in conjunction with quantitative analysis to gain a more complete assessment of faculty and student perceptions

Mesenchymal stem cells to augment therapeutic angiogenesis in hind-limb ischemia models: how important is their source?

Murine models of hind-limb ischemia are frequently used to assess interventions aimed at improving therapeutic angiogenesis in critical limb ischemia. Much of the current focus of angiogenesis lies with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Important considerations when using these models include the strain of mouse, because some strains recover from ischemia more rapidly than others, and the MSC source. MSCs derived from certain strains generate increased levels of growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor. This may significantly affect the limb?s ability to generate collateral vessels

Viewing art on a tablet computer: a wellbeing intervention for people with dementia and their caregivers

Background: Art-based interventions have been shown to be beneficial for the wellbeing of people with dementia and their caregivers. This paper explored whether such interventions can be delivered via a touchscreen tablet device displaying art images. Methods: Twelve pairs of volunteers with dementia and informal caregivers were recruited. A quasi-experimental mixed-methods within-subjects study evaluated the wellbeing impacts of art viewing using visual analogue scales and explored participant experiences with thematic analysis. Findings: Quantitative results showed a significant effect for change in composite wellbeing from session one to session five. Wellbeing subdomains showed impact on wellbeing, which generally increased with number of sessions. Qualitative findings included changes in cognition, behaviour, mood and relationships. These changes tended to be viewed positively. Conclusions: The results suggest touchscreen-based art interventions could yield wellbeing benefits for this population. A larger-scale controlled study would help to determine whether wider dementia care practice implications can be drawn

Gerrymanders and Theories of Law Making: A Study of Legislative Redistricting in Illinois

Redistricting politics in Illinois provide a novel opportunity for testing competing theories of law making. With this in mind, we demonstrate that the post-2000 Census redistricters in Illinois, dominated by Democrats, strategically reshuffled district demographic profiles in an attempt to convert relatively liberal Republican districts to conservative Democratic districts in the state Senate while decreasing and increasing the ideological diversity of the Democrats and Republicans, respectively, in the House. Such reshufflings suggest that legislative politics in Illinois are conducted in a manner consistent with vote-buying theories of coalition formation

Stamp Out Chickweed and Henbit from Alfalfa

What are chickweed and henbit? Chickweed and henbit are winter annual weeds that grow during cool weather. The seeds germinate primarily in the fall, and the plants continue to grow and live through the winter. They develop new seeds from April until early summer. Then they die

Black Candidates and Black Voters: Assessing the Impact of Candidate Race on Uncounted Vote Rates

Numerous studies show that the rate at which African‐Americans cast ballots with missing or invalid votes, i.e., the African‐American residual vote rate, is higher than the corresponding white rate. While existing literature argues that the plethora of African‐American residual votes is caused by administrative problems or socioeconomic factors, we show using precinct‐level data from two recent elections in Cook County, Illinois, that the African‐American residual vote rate in electoral contests with black candidates is less than half the rate in contests without black candidates. African Americans, therefore, are able to reduce their residual vote rate when they wish to do so. We present complementary findings for white voters, whose residual vote rate often substantially increases in contests which feature dominant black candidates

Engineering model 8-cm thruster subsystem

An Engineering Model (EM) 8 cm Ion Thruster Propulsion Subsystem was developed for operation at a thrust level 5 mN (1.1 mlb) at a specific impulse 1 sub sp = 2667 sec with a total system input power P sub in = 165 W. The system dry mass is 15 kg with a mercury-propellant-reservoir capacity of 8.75 kg permitting uninterrupted operation for about 12,500 hr. The subsystem can be started from a dormant condition in a time less than or equal to 15 min. The thruster has a design lifetime of 20,000 hr with 10,000 startup cycles. A gimbal unit is included to provide a thrust vector deflection capability of + or - 10 degrees in any direction from the zero position. The EM subsystem development program included thruster optimization, power-supply circuit optimization and flight packaging, subsystem integration, and subsystem acceptance testing including a cyclic test of the total propulsion package