Effects of nutrient addition and two invasive plants on wetland methane production

Wetlands provide a number of important ecosystem services, but their anoxic conditions also favor the production of several greenhouse gases. Wetlands are an ideal environment for methanogenesis, the process by which carbon dioxide is reduced to methane by wetland microbes (methanogens). As wetlands are the largest natural contributor to the atmospheric methane pool, it is important to understand variables that control wetland methane production. Nitrogen availability is one variable that likely affects methanogen communities. Nitrate drains from agricultural areas, where wetlands act as a nitrogen sink, preventing nitrate from contaminating aquatic systems. Another factor that may affect wetland methanogenesis is vegetation type. In recent years, invasives such as exotic cattail (Typha angustifolia and Typha x glauca} and Phragmites have spread through wetlands, negatively impacting ecosystem processes. To determine the influence of nitrate availability and vegetation type on wetland methanogenesis, we incubated sediment from Phragmites and exotic cattail dominated stands, added increasing concentrations of nitrate, and measured methane production. We hypothesized that if nitrate allows methanogens to be outcompeted by another group of wetland microbes, denitrifiers, then we would observe decreased methane production with high nitrate concentrations

Environmentalism and Zen Buddhism

It seems as though Buddhism, and further Zen Buddhism, may offer ecology or environmentalism or conservationism (or any other “ism” in relation to the preservation of the natural world) a new perspective upon the problem of implementing a “land ethic.” There are many reasons to believe this, as the following work will show. I hope to determine whether or not Zen can be considered an ecological discipline.Does it make a contribution (negative or positive) to a land ethic? And further, what does Zen think of the conservation movement? What does environmentalism think of Zen

Summary of Brant v. State, 130 Nev. Adv. Op. 97

The Court upheld that the exclusion of expert testimony is left to the district court’s wide discretion, except in cases of abuse of its discretion. Expert testimony must be relevant and reliable to be of assistance to the trier of fact. Because Brant could not present scientific or other evidence that his interrogation witness would demonstrate that Brant’s brain injury caused him falsely confess, the district court’s discretion would not be disturbed and the judgment was affirmed

Summary of Jennifer L. v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct., 131 Nev. Adv. Op. 30 (Jun. 04, 2015)

The Court held that, although a legal guardianship had been established, and a parent had neither legal nor physical custody of a child, parents are not relived of their parental duties to provide for the care, support, or maintenance of the child

Mensah v. Corevel Corp., 131 Nev. Adv. Op. 60 (Aug. 06, 2015)

The Court held self-employed workers may still be entitled to temporary disability and the employee’s lost wages should be calculated by considering business income and losses and not strictly evidence of a traditional salar

NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY: CUSTOMERS\u27 SENTIMENT WITH TESLA APP

This culminating experience project explores how novel technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), impact customer experience. The customer journey framework was used to analyze customers\u27 responses to interactions with novel Technologies integrated into Tesla electric vehicles. After gathering customer response data from the Tesla Motors subreddit page, we were able to score customer experiences with the Tesla app, over-the-air software updates, and full self-driving features, using the NRC sentiment lexicon. Our results showed customers tended to express more positive sentiments than negative sentiments when describing their experiences with these digital touchpoints. As well as use more words associated with trust and anticipation compared to other emotions. Our findings led us to believe that the features using novel technologies in Tesla’s electric vehicles are disruptive since they alter the traditional customer journey in a manner that makes using the product easier and more enjoyable

Veil v. Bennett, 131 Nev. Adv. Op. 22 (Apr. 30, 2015)

The Court held that, although a sheriff has a duty to diligently execute arrest warrants, he is within his discretion to determine how to best execute the arrest warrants. The statute does not impose a duty to enter the warrant information into an electronic database

Concurrent Validation Of Alaska's Juvenile Justice Suicide Risk Screening Measure

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012Incarcerated youth face elevated rates of mental health problems and are at greater risk for suicide. The Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice (AKDJJ) uses the Mental Health/Suicide Screening (MHSS) measure to screen incoming youth for mental health problems and current suicide risk. This research examined the concurrent validity of the MHSS, exploring the relationships of the MHSS with the Beck Depression Inventory 2nd Edition (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) and a measure of current suicidal ideation, the Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation Inventory (PANSI; Osman, Guiterrez, Kopper, Barrios, & Chiros, 1998b). Statistically significant correlations were found between the MHSS, BDI-II, and negative ideation subscale of the PANSI; however, the effect sizes were not large enough to suggest concurrent validation within the study sample or to advise the continued use of the MHSS as a suicide risk measure. Future research directions and practical implications are provided

Summary of D&D Tire, Inc., v. Ouellette, 131 Nev. Adv. Op. 47 (Jul. 02, 2015)

The Court held that a subcontractor or independent contractor is not immune to liability for workplace injuries if the work being performed is a specialized repair. Ouellette was injured by an employee of Purcell while performing a task that would not be considered a specialized repair. The employee, however, was only present on the job site because of a specialized repair. The Court, however, held that the activity leading to the injury must be considered in context and the employee would not have been present but for the repair