Evaluating Temporal Differences in Land Cover: Implications for Managing Bobwhite at the Landscape Scale in Virginia

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations have declined substantially across large portions of their range. A number of factors may be contributing to that decline including disease, predation, pesticides, and habitat loss. Of these, habitat loss has emerged as the primary factor. Habitat loss has occurred at large and small scales. It is relatively easy to evaluate bobwhite habitat at the micro scale, but evaluating habitat change at the landscape scale is difficult. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate a novel technique using aerial imagery and line transects to evaluate both contemporary and historic landscapes effectively, quantifying the differences observed to describe what changes, if any, occurred through time. Contemporary photos were available through the 2013 Virginia Base Mapping Program. Historic photos were obtained via United States Geological Survey (1967 – 1969). Two Virginia Quail recovery Initiative focal counties were chosen for the study, Halifax (south central Piedmont) and Sussex (southeastern Coastal Plain). A 12-class habitat categorization system was developed to use in analysis. We developed a technique that allowed photo interpreters to identify and delineate features at a large scale (\u3e 1:6000) over a wide geographic area. Thirty-five to forty transects were evaluated for each site (n = 7). Favorable habitat decline observed ranged from -2% to -49%. Favorable edge decreased through time in four of five sites in Halifax County. Favorable edge increased dramatically within both Sussex County sites, particularly in the bobwhite focal area. Overall, habitat appears to have improved in Sussex County, and declined significantly in Halifax County. Habitats differed both through time and across the landscape. The largest habitat change noted was conversion from field to forest, predominantly pine. We feel this landscape scale habitat analysis technique holds much promise across the bobwhite’s range

Simulation of Blast Waves with Headwind

The blast wave resulting from an explosion was simulated to provide guidance for models estimating risks for human spacecraft flight. Simulations included effects of headwind on blast propagation, Blasts were modelled as an initial value problem with a uniform high energy sphere expanding into an ambient field. Both still air and cases with headwind were calculated

Using Simulations as a Starting Point for Constructing Meaningful Learning Games

For many school administrators and decision makers, the term “video games” holds numerous cultural associations which make their adoption in the education space challenging. Additionally, the term is so broad that it can sometimes be difficult to communicate explicitly a desire to build learning experiences that go beyond the Drill and Kill edutainment titles that currently dominate most people’s perceptions of educational games. By contrast, the term “simulations” is often well respected among educators, particularly in the natural sciences. With “simulation” already being a full genre of video games, it would seem natural that researchers are beginning to explore the overlaps between simulation games and pedagogical goals that go beyond those found in Drill and Kill games. In this chapter, we survey some of the relevant research concerning both simulations and video games and outline practical pathways through which we can leverage the interest and frameworks designed for simulation construction to facilitate the introduction of video game concepts and experiences into the classroom environment. In particular, we report on the use of Starlogo TNG, a graphical programming environment in which kids themselves can create simulation-based video games, for deepening children’s understanding of scientific concepts

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Serious games may improve understanding, involvement, engagement, reasoning and inquiry, and have been successfully used in schools. Recent studies show that serious games are sometimes misused, and not always easy to integrate in an instructional environment. It is often unclear how a game contributes to student learning, or how it should be used in a course. This paper proposes a method to support the analysis, design, development, and use of serious games in education. The method combines the widely used design model ADDIE with the instructional design method ‘10 steps to complex learning’. The method is applied in the development of the Moth game, which supports learning optics at the level of high school physics

Effects of experience and body size on refuge choice in the crayfish Orconectes immunis

We investigated whether refuge size or experience with a refuge affected the refuge use of male Orconectes immunis crayfish. Individuals were given choices among seven refuges for 10 consecutive days. Refuges were formed from equal length but different diameter PVC pipe and placed in an array in a random sequence. Three treatments were used. In the Novel Refuge treatment, individuals were placed in a new test arena with a new arrangement of cleaned refuges every day. In the Nonremoval treatment, individuals were left in the same arena with the same set of refuges each day. In the Removal treatment, individuals were removed from the refuges each day but placed back in the same arena with the same set of refuges after the refuges had been cleaned. We found that refuge occupation was correlated with an individual\u27s size; smaller crayfish tended to use smaller refuges than larger crayfish, even though all crayfish could fit in all of the different sized refuges. When first tested, individuals initially chose larger refuges than they would subsequently settle in, suggesting that under duress, they were not as particular about refuge characteristics. Individuals in the Nonremoval and Removal treatments were significantly more consistent in their refuge use than those in the Novel Refuge treatment, suggesting that experience with a particular refuge increased use of that refuge. Individuals from the Novel Refuge treatment that were housed for a month with a single refuge did not increase their use of that sized refuge more than those that were housed without a refuge, indicating that simply occupying a refuge of a given size did not affect refuge preference

Evaluation of Euler Fluxes for Hypersonic Heating Computations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83575/1/AIAA-41605-439.pd

Can air pollution affect tear film stability? a cross-sectional study in the aftermath of an explosion accident

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>After an explosion and fire in two tanks containing contaminated oil and sulphur products in a Norwegian industrial harbour in 2007, the surrounding area was polluted. This caused an intense smell, lasting until the waste was removed two years later. The present study reports examinations of tear film break up time among the population. The examinations were carried out because many of the people in the area complained of sore eyes. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between living or working close to the polluted area and tear film stability one and a half years after the explosion.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All persons working or living in an area less than six kilometres from the explosion site were invited to take part in the study together with a similar number of persons matched for age and gender living more than 20 kilometres away. Three groups were established: workers in the explosion area and inhabitants near the explosion area (but not working there) were considered to have been exposed, and inhabitants far away (who did not work in the explosion area) were considered to be unexposed. A total of 734 people were examined, and the response rate was 76 percent. Tear film stability was studied by assessing non-invasive break-up time (NIBUT) using ocular microscopy. In addition Self-reported Break Up Time (SBUT) was assessed by recording the time the subject could keep his or hers eyes open without blinking when watching a fixed point on a wall. Background information was obtained using a questionnaire. Non-parametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney-tests with exact p-values and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both NIBUT and SBUT were shorter among the male exposed workers than among the inhabitants both near and far away from the explosion area. This was also found for SBUT among males in a multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age and smoking.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Reduced tear film stability was found among workers in an area where an explosion accident had occurred.</p