Behavior and Activity Patterns of the Black Scavenger Fly, \u3ci\u3eSepsis Punctum\u3c/i\u3e (Diptera: Sepsidae), Near a Permanent Dung Source

The behavior of the black scavenger fly Sepsis punctum (L.) (Diptera: Sepsidae) was studied on satellite resource (dung) patches established near a pig pen. Flies were most numerous on the patches when ambient temperature and light conditions were high. Females were commonly found on the patches and males occupied boards surrounding the patches where they displayed vigorously to other males and females. Approximately four times as many females as males occurred on the patches. Females were larger than males, and paired males were larger than unpaired males. Males did not exhibit precopulatory guarding as reported in Sepsis cynipsea (L.) and European populations of S. punctum, and copulatory encounters appeared to be brief. The permanency of pig dung utilized by this population of S. punctum compared to the transience of cow pats utilized by S. cynipsea may influence differences in sex ratios, precopulatory guarding, copulation duration, and male aggressive behavior in the two species

AN ECONOMETRIC MODEL OF MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN RURAL TENNESSEE COUNTIES FROM 1962 TO 1976

Labor and Human Capital,

MANURE HANDLING COSTS AND THE COMPETITIVENESS OF PORK PRODUCTION

Simulations of possible regulation-related manure handling costs are compared to base scenario costs for the three main regions and phases of modern hog production over widely varying scale levels. The base scenario confirms previous research suggesting that in Iowa net benefits occur at small scale levels from injecting slurry stored in an outside earthern basin for corn production using a phosphorus standard. Increased transportation costs result in Iowa costs surpassing costs in Utah at higher scale levels, while costs in North Carolina are highest at all scale levels. Requiring systems to be lined and covered in Iowa and North Carolina results in proportionately greater increased costs per head in North Carolina. Adding the requirement that manure be applied according to a phosphorus standard increases costs proportionately more in Iowa at larger scale levels, but not at all at the smallest scale, and costs in Iowa surpass those in North Carolina at the largest scale. The results of all scenarios underscore the advantages enjoyed by Utah in manure handling because scales of operation there are among the largest.Livestock Production/Industries,

Biosystematic studies in the Echinocereus viridiflorus complex.

Pollen of the Echinocereus viridiflorus complex is uniform throughout the group. The pollen is isopolar, radially symmetrical, prolate spheroidal, tricolpate, and 44 - 52 (mu) in diameter with a puncti-baculate exine. Chromosome number is n = 11. All taxa are allogamous. The complex occurs with five other species groups in the genus, and artificial hybridization studies reveal isolation barriers with these sympatric populations; crosses with allopatric populations are significantly more fertile. Differential flowering phenology further isolates the E. viridiflorus complex from congeners. Within the complex, intertaxon F(, 1) fruit and seed-set are reduced only in crosses of E. viridiflorus var. davisii with taxa in the same geographic region, E. chloranthus var. neocapillus and E. viridiflorus var. correllii. Greenhouse studies reveal that variation in flowering phenology results from climatic variables except for the earlier flowering period of E. viridiflorus var. davisii. Numerical analyses employing correlation and distance phenograms and a three-dimensional projection of principal component analysis show discrete groups of OTUs representing E. viridiflorus var. viridiflorus, var. correllii, and var. davisii, E. russanthus, E. chloranthus var. neocapillus, and an undescribed form Weedinii. No separation of E. viridiflorus var. cylindricus and E. chloranthus var. chloranthus is revealed. The lack of morphological discontinuity suggests that the latter two taxa are not distinct. Based on morphological discontinuity, partial sterility with complex members, and discrete flowering period, E. davisii is considered a separate species. All other taxa in the complex are considered varieties of E. viridiflorus because of the lack of incompatibility barriers and apparent naturally-occurring hybrids connecting each taxon with at least one other. I recognize the varieties E. viridiflorus var. viridiflorus, var. cylindricus, var. correllii, var. russanthus, var. neocapillus, and var. weedinii

A cross-sectional and time series model of multi-industry employment in rural Tennessee counties

Rural industrialization in Tennessee is expected to contribute to economic growth in rural counties by more than offsetting declining agricultural employment. Not all the rural counties in Tennessee are expected to increase their industrial employment levels by the same magnitude, however. The critical factor influencing the future course of industrial growth in any rural county is its past economic structure. Relatively little is known about the economic structure of rural Tennessee counties or the extent to which the past economic structure may influence industrial growth. In order to develop an understanding of the determinants of rural industrial growth, the economic structure of rural Tennessee counties was measured by applying a factor analysis to 40 economic variables describing rural communities at two points in time–1960 and 1970. Three interpre-table factors resulted which described: 1) the nature of the industrial structure of each rural county and those contiguous counties, 2) the expenditures made on the infrastructure by local governments, and 3) the quality or productivity of the local labor force. The latter two of the factors were then shown to be responsible for the distribution of the total level of manufacturing employment in the state among the 76 rural Tennessee counties. The 1960 values explained the distribution of manufacturing employment for the 1965 to 1970 period and the 1970 values for the 1971 to 1976 period. Furthermore, the rural counties with higher factor scores tended to be geographically concentrated, thus illustrating the hypothesis that manufacturing growth occurs in regional matrices of development. Manufacturing employment projections were made for each of 56 rural counties for the years 1977 to 1981 by using projections of manufacturing employment from the Tennessee Econometric Model. These projections were then used as exogenous variables in a six-equation simultaneous system to project rural employment levels for the following industries: retail trade, wholesale trade, construction, finance, services, and miscellaneous. The accuracy of the 1977 projections for all seven industries was analyzed in order to validate the model. Acceptable margins of error were calculated. Although much rigor is still required in developing models of rural industrial growth, the concepts used in this study appear to be sound, although in need of refinement. They are intended to form a groundwork for other studies focusing on the issue of the determinants of rural industrial growth

Life with and without sex :

Nepotistic behavior was never observed among parthenogenetic whiptails for several possible reasons. First, it appears that members of parthenogenetic whiptail populations are not genetically identical due to independent origins of clones, mutation and/or recombination. Second, because parthenogenetic whiptail species are hybrids between two or three bisexual species, they may contain gene combinations that result in competitive rather than cooperative behavior. Third, whiptail species do not defend resources, so opportunities for sharing or sacrificing resources are low.Aggressive interactions (supplanting, chasing and biting), competition over food items and fighting were less common in parthenogens than in bisexuals, indicating that the genetic relatedness of the parthenogens may affect behavioral differences. Organization of groups into linear dominance hierarchies and the strength of these hierarchies were more dependent on the presence of males in the bisexual groups. Therefore, two factors potentially influencing differences in social behavior between parthenogenetic and bisexual whiptail lizards are the high degree of relatedness of the parthenogens and the absence of males in unisexual populations.Animals reproducing asexually, such as parthenogenetic animals, may share 100% of their genes with other population members. Because of this high genetic relatedness, kin selection may act on the behavior of asexual animals. I studied two parthenogenetic and one bisexual species of whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus) to find if parthenogens acted more nepotistically toward each other than bisexuals as predicted by kin selection theory. Groups of five conspecific lizards of C. tesselatus and C. neomexicanus (parthenogenetic) and C. sexlineatus (bisexual) were observed in identical outdoor enclosures.Genetic unity among conspecific parthenogens may also lead to cooperative space use by parthenogenetic lizards, while bisexual whiptails, which are less related to each other, may compete for limited spatial features. Groups of five conspecific parthenogens used a significantly greater number of sites for digging burrows in enclosures than did the more site-specific bisexuals. Neither type of whiptail lizard maintained territories nor defended objects to the exclusion of conspecifics, and both shared objects under which they burrowed (burrow sites). Parthenogens shared actual burrows (nine occurrences), but only one case of burrow sharing among bisexuals was observed. As the number of lizards above ground in each enclosure increased, aggression levels increased significantly in C. sexlineatus groups containing males, indicating males may control the aggressive characteristics of a group. Activity above ground in all whiptail lizard groups peaked in late morning to early afternoon, but no trends correlating activity with daily high temperatures were apparent. Therefore, space use and activity may have been affected by three factors: (1) differences in genetic relatedness of parthenogens and bisexuals, (2) presence or absence of males in groups and (3) species-specific differences

Synthesis of Oligonucleotide Conjugates via Aqueous Diels‐Alder Cycloaddition

The conjugation of maleimide reporter groups to 5′‐diene‐modified oligonucleotides via aqueous Diels‐Alder cycloaddition is described. Detailed basic protocols are provided for the preparation of a diene‐amidite (5′‐diene modifier), for the attachment of a diene group to the 5′‐terminus of oligonucleotides, and for the conjugation of maleimide reporter groups to diene‐modified oligonucleotides.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143620/1/cpnc0418.pd

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Attitudes Toward Mental Health Nursing

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes toward mental health nursing and how these attitudes influenced their professional career choices in mental health nursing. Design: A descriptive, online survey was utilized to examine students’ perceptions of mental health nursing. A total of 229 junior and senior nursing students were recruited from eight nursing colleges in Midwestern United States to participate in this survey. Results: Students of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and nursing programs did not report significantly different perceptions of: (a) knowledge of mental illness; (b) negative stereotypes; (c) interest in mental health nursing as a future career; and (d), and beliefs that psychiatric nurses provide a valuable contribution to consumers and the community. Negative stereotypes were significantly different between students who had mental health nursing preparation either in class (p = 0.0147) or in clinical practice (p = 0.0018) and students who had not. There were significant differences in anxiety about mental illness between students who had classes on mental health nursing (p = .0005), clinical experience (p = 0.0035), and work experience in the mental health field (p = 0.0012). Significant differences in an interest in a future career in mental health nursing emerged between students with and without prior mental health experience and between students with and without an interest in an externship program with p-values of 0.0012 and \u3c 0.0001, respectively. Conclusions: The more exposure that students have to mental health nursing through clinical experiences, theory classes, and previous work in the field, the more prepared they feel about caring for persons with mental health issues

Análise de estratégias empresariais usando modelos computacionais baseados em agentes

O preço do serviço de transporte de mudança é influenciado por diversos fatores, inclusive pela preferência do cliente e avaliação da empresa. Caso os preços não superem os custos e gerem lucros, a organização não alcançará os seus objetivos, logo, é importante que suas decisões sejam realizadas a partir de um planejamento estratégico adequado. Visando entender como as interações microeconômicas afetam o futuro das empresas de mudanças de pequeno porte, o presente trabalho propõe a realização de simulações de negociações de serviços desse setor, a partir da escolha da empresa pelo cliente, baseada em preço e qualidade, durante um intervalo de um ano, via modelagem computacional usando modelos baseados em agentes. Serão analisadas 4 estratégias, com o intuito de definir qual a mais adequada para cada tipo de segmento de mercado. Pois as empresas são bem-sucedidas quando entram em mercados atraentes e têm as forças necessárias para vencer. Se faltar um desses fatores, o negócio não produzirá resultados excepcionais. Uma empresa forte atuando em um mercado não atraente, ou uma empresa fraca atuando em um mercado atraente, não apresentarão um desempenho adequado. Dito isso, tem se que, neste trabalho, ele é segmentado por λ, que são valores que indicam o nível de concorrência do mercado. Ademais, o estudo se propõe a servir como modelo para futuras pesquisas com interesse em análise empresarial, bem como para aplicações empresariais.Several factors influence the cost of moving transport service, including customer preference and company evaluation. If profits do not exceed costs and generate profits, the organization will not achieve its goals, so decisions must be based on adequate strategic planning. Aiming to understand how microeconomic interactions affect the future of small moving companies, the current work proposes the implementation of simulations of service negotiations in this sector, beginning with the customer’s selection of the company based on price and quality, over a year, using computational modeling using agent-based models. Four strategies will be examined in order to determine which is best suited to each market segment. Because companies are successful when they enter appealing markets with the ability to win. The business will not produce exceptional results if one of these factors is missing. A strong company operating in an unappealing market, or a weak company operating in an appealing market, will underperform. That being said, it is segmented in this work by lambda, which are values that indicate the level of competition in the market. Furthermore, the study intends to serve as a model for future research on business analysis as well as business applications

A universalização do saneamento e a gestão urbana em Porto Alegre

A escolha do tema, universalização do saneamento e a gestão urbana, se deve à expectativa que, com o ingresso do setor privado na prestação dos serviços de saneamento promovida pela Lei Federal 14.026/2020 e o aporte de recursos financeiros, a simples expansão dos sistemas de coleta e tratamento seja suficiente para cumprir as metas de universalização estabelecidas no Plano Nacional de Saneamento Básico (PLANSAB) e, assim, despoluir os rios urbanos. Entende-se que essa suposição é ilusória porque o desempenho de um Sistema de Esgotamento Sanitário (SES) está condicionado à gestão, às diretrizes e normas institucionais e ao modelo de urbanização. O problema central desta pesquisa é investigar os motivos de não se observar melhora da qualidade das águas dos rios urbanos nas cidades com bons indicadores de coleta e tratamento dos esgotos. Para isso, foi realizado um estudo de caso no SES Ponta da Cadeia (PC), em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (RS) utilizando-se a abordagem qualiquantitativa. A coleta de dados se deu através de pesquisa documental, bibliográfica e de campo com foco na identificação e análise dos indicadores nas áreas críticas em infraestrutura. Os indicadores das unidades de análise, obtidos pelo recorte dos dados através de ferramentas de geoprocessamento, mostraram os efeitos negativos causados pela ocupação das áreas próximas aos arroios e canais de drenagem, áreas de preservação e de risco. Deste modo, a hipótese que um SES é impactado pelo modelo de uso e ocupação do solo urbano foi validada. Para propor metodologia para avaliar o desempenho do Sistema de Coleta e Condução dos Esgotos Sanitários (SCCES) e o monitoramento das águas urbanas, surge a necessidade de estruturar o processo de coleta com o uso de uma nova unidade de agregação, o Meso Setor Sanitário (MSS) e da criação de um índice de desempenho. A proposta do MSS demonstrou ter aplicabilidade para o monitoramento e a avaliação do SCCES na bacia e como suporte para o Gerenciamento Integrado das Águas Urbanas. Conclui-se que, os investimentos aplicados na universalização podem refletir na qualidade das águas urbanas, desde que se conheçam suas limitações e sejam adotadas metas de qualidade vinculadas às metas de enquadramento estabelecidas nos Planos de Bacia Hidrográfica (PBH), nos contratos de concessão, no licenciamento e na regulação. A pesquisa contribuiu para a estruturação e a definição da escala do processo de coleta e condução dos esgotos, para atuar de forma coincidente com os órgãos gestores de recursos hídricos, fornecendo uma base para a modelagem e simulação integrada das águas urbanas, o que permitirá avaliar a eficácia da universalização e melhorar o sistema de gestão das águas.The choice of theme, universal sanitation and urban management, is due to the expectation that with the entry of the private sector in the provision of sanitation services promoted by Federal Law 14.026/2020 and the contribution of financial resources, the simple expansion of the collection and treatment is sufficient to meet the universalization goals established in the National Basic Sanitation Plan (PLANSAB) and, thus, clean up urban rivers. It is understood that this assumption is illusory because the performance of a Sanitary Sewage System (SES) is conditioned to management, institutional guidelines and standards and the urbanization model. The central problem of this research is to investigate the reasons for not observing an improvement in the water quality of urban rivers in cities with good indicators of sewage collection and treatment. For this, a case study was carried out at SES Ponta da Cadeia (PC), in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (RS) using a qualitative-quantitative approach. Data collection took place through documentary, bibliographic and field research focusing on the identification and analysis of indicators in critical areas in infrastructure. The indicators of the units of analysis, obtained by clipping the data through geoprocessing tools, showed the negative effects caused by the occupation of areas close to streams and drainage channels, preservation and risk areas. Thus, the hypothesis that a SES is impacted by the urban land use and occupation model was validated. To propose a methodology to evaluate the performance of the Sanitary Sewage Collection and Conduction System (SCCES) and the monitoring of urban waters, the need arises to structure the collection process with the use of a new aggregation unit, the Meso Setor Sanitário (MSS) and to create a performance index. The MSS proposal proved to have applicability for the monitoring and evaluation of SCCES in the basin and as a support for the Integrated Management of Urban Waters. It is concluded that the investments applied in universalization can reflect on the quality of urban waters, provided that their limitations are known and quality goals are adopted linked to the framework goals established in the Hydrographic Basin Plans (PBH), in the concession contracts, in licensing and regulation. The research contributed to the structuring and definition of the scale of the sewage collection and conduction process to act in a coordinated way with the water resources management bodies, providing a basis for the integrated modeling and simulation of urban waters, which will allow the evaluation of the effectiveness of universalization and improve the water management system