Heritability of sex ratio manipulation in response to host size in the parasitoid wasp Muscidifurax raptor

Includes bibliographical references.Natural selection is the process by which organisms accumulate favorable traits that increase reproductive success. One factor that may influence reproductive success is the ability to manipulate one's offspring sex ratio. Sex ratio manipulation has been especially well-examined in parasitoid wasps, in which manipulation may be quite common.The host-quality model proposes that females will lay a greater proportion of daughters on large hosts than on small hosts because the large host will provide greater resources for the daughters and subsequently will increase their fitness or their ability to pass on their genes by increasing their egg production (Charnov et al., 1981). The parasitoid wasp Muscidifurax raptor exhibits this sex ratio pattern (Seidl and King, in press). However, in M. raptor no evidence was found to support the model's assumption that sex ratio manipulation gives a female a selective advantage over females that do not manipulate their offspring (Seidl and King, in press). In response to Seidl and King, I attempt to offer an explanation for sex ratio manipulation in the absence of selection for the behavior. This study shows no detectable genetic variation in maternal sex ratio manipulation in response to host size in M. raptor. This suggests an alternative hypothesis to the host quality model—that offspring sex ratio manipulation persists only because there is a lack of genetic variation to do otherwise.B.S. (Bachelor of Science

A review of the scope of scientific studies relating indoor environment and student performance

In 2006-7 the Australian government will invest $9.3 billion in state government and nongovernment educational facilities (DEST 20061). One area of particular interest to both government and school designers is maximising this investment through providing students with healthy andproductive indoor learning environments. The lack of post-occupancy evaluations carried out in schools (Lackney 2001) means that designers are reliant on &ldquo;best practice&rdquo; indoor environment quality guidelines developed primarily from scientific studies. The problem with scientific evaluation is that often the complexity of the influences upon student performance is simplified in order to gather information, rather than necessarily providing a more holistic and realistic explanation of any improved outcomes. This paper examines the scope of various studies of classroom indoor environment qualities that have thus far contributed to current understanding of their impact on student learning outcomes. The review demonstrates the lack of comprehensive research into the full range of influences on student performance and offers a better understanding of the limitations of knowledge about indoor environment qualities. This information provides valuable input to research development and post-occupancy evaluation that can better integrate the full range of influences upon students of school facilities and test the assumptions made about &ldquo;best practice&rdquo;.<br /

Mars-GRAM 2010: Additions and Resulting Improvements

The Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) is an engineering-level atmospheric model widely used for diverse mission applications. Mars-GRAM has been utilized during previous aerobraking operations in the atmosphere of Mars. Mars-GRAM has also been used in the prediction and validation of Mars Pathfinder hypersonic aerodynamics, the aerothermodynamic and entry dynamics studies for Mars Polar Lander, the landing site selection process for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), the Mars Aerocapture System Study (MASS) as well as the Aerocapture Technology Assessment Group (TAG). Most recently, Mars-GRAM 2010 was used to develop the onboard atmospheric density estimator that is part of the Autonomous Aerobraking Development Plan. The most recent release of Mars-GRAM 2010 contains several changes including an update to Fortran 90/95 and the addition of adjustment factors. Following the completion of a comparison analysis between Mars-GRAM, Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), as well as Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Odyssey (ODY), and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) aerobraking density data, adjustment factors were added to Mars-GRAM 2010 that alter the input data from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM) and the University of Michigan Mars Thermospheric General Circulation Model (MTGCM) for the mapping year 0 user-controlled dust case. The addition of adjustment factors resolved the issue of previous versions of Mars-GRAM being less than realistic when used for sensitivity studies for mapping year 0 and large optical depth values, such as tau equal to 3. Mars-GRAM was evaluated at locations and times of TES limb observations and adjustment factors were determined. For altitudes above 80 km and below 135 km, Mars-GRAM (MTGCM) densities were compared to aerobraking densities measured by Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Odyssey (ODY), and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to determine the adjustment factors. The adjustment factors generated by this process had to satisfy the gas law as well as the hydrostatic relation and are expressed as a function of height (z), Latitude (Lat) and areocentric solar longitude (Ls). The greatest adjustments are made at large optical depths such as tau greater than 1. The addition of the adjustment factors has led to better correspondence to TES Limb data from 0-60 km altitude as well as better agreement with MGS, ODY and MRO data at approximately 90-130 km altitude. Improved Mars-GRAM atmospheric simulations for various locations, times and dust conditions on Mars will be presented at the workshop session. The latest results validating Mars-GRAM 2010 versus Mars Climate Sounder data will also be presented. Mars-GRAM 2010 updates have resulted in improved atmospheric simulations which will be very important when beginning systems design, performance analysis, and operations planning for future aerocapture, aerobraking or landed missions to Mars

Understanding public support for carbon capture and storage policy: The roles of social capital, stakeholder perceptions, and perceived risk/ benefit of technology

Bureau of Economic Geolog

Chapman Ambassador Tour Robot

Being a student ambassador improves a student\u27s confidence and leadership skills. With an increasing demand for technology skills, our project will display how the ambassador robot can assist student ambassadors while improving upon their efficiency, by discussing information during college campus tours and familiarizing students with robot applications and their technology. The ambassador robot can support students during tours by answering a question about specific knowledge that may have slipped an ambassador\u27s mind. The robot will also be able to create a group-focused atmosphere that will allow ambassadors to have the opportunity to lean on a dependable teammate for specific responses just as the robot depends on the ambassador for upkeep. With current technology it is nearly impossible for a robot to do a complete tour independently, but with our research, we want to see precisely how the ambassador robot can improve a university campus tour for prospective students and families while positively developing our student ambassadors\u27 skills and confidence with robot applications. The student ambassador robot is not a replacement for student leadership and their roles or campus tours. The student and robot ambassador are the future of leadership efficiency and a bold new campus experience for all students and families to enjoy

An investigation of gender, perceived gender-barriers to a future occupation, and academic achievement among delinquent adolescents

The current study assesses perceptions of gender-related barriers to a future occupation and its association with academic achievement among delinquent adolescents aged 12-19 years old. It was hypothesized that the perception of gender related barriers to a future occupation would have similar effects on male and female adolescents\u27 academic achievement. Data included self-reported perceived barriers to a future occupation and academic achievement. Results indicated that females and males reported similar amounts of perceived barriers to a future occupation. Regression analysis indicated the relationship between perceived barriers and academic achievement varied across gender. For males, more perceived gender-barriers were associated with lower academic achievement, whereas, for females gender-barriers did not predict academic achievement. Although our hypothesis was not supported, the findings reveal an interesting phenomenon provoking the need for further study of gender, perceived barriers, and academic outcomes in delinquent populations

A model for the break-up of a tuft of fibers

A simple model for the forces acting on a single fiber as it is withdrawn from a tangled fiber assembly is proposed. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamics of the reptating fiber with respect to the entanglement of fibers within the tuft. The resulting two-parameter model captures the qualitative features of experimental simulation. The model is extended to describe the break-up of a tuft. The results show good agreement with experiment and indicate where a fiber is most likely to fracture based on the density of fiber end-points