IMPACTS OF FAIR-WEATHER CUMULUS CLOUDS, BAY BREEZES, AND LAND USE ON URBAN AIR QUALITY AND CLIMATE

Fair-weather cumulus clouds, bay breezes, and land use influence air quality and climate. The impacts of urban land surface changes and model resolution on fair-weather cumulus clouds, bay breezes, air quality, and climate are examined. As model resolution increases, more pollutants are transported aloft through fair-weather cumulus clouds causing an increase in the rate of sulfur dioxide conversion to sulfate aerosols and an increase in boundary layer venting. As model resolution increases, a larger temperature gradient develops along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay causing the bay breeze to form sooner, push farther inland, and loft more pollutants upward. This stronger bay breeze results in low-level convergence, a buildup of near surface ozone over land and a decrease in the land-to-sea flux of ozone and ozone precursors. Also, an examination of the sensitivity of sulfur dioxide to sulfate conversion to different model cloud parameters shows the importance of accurately simulating clouds to obtain accurate sulfate concentrations. To analyze the impact of urbanization on the atmosphere, an urban tree parameterization is developed for the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with an urban canopy model (WRF-UCM) to determine how urban trees can dampen the urban heat island (UHI). Adding vegetation decreases the (subgrid-scale) surface air temperature due to tree shading and evapotranspiration. The impact of building height on the UHI shows that shorter urban buildings have higher daytime surface temperatures due to less shading and lower nighttime temperatures due to less longwave radiative trapping in urban street canyons. The WRF-UCM with urban trees is utilized with an air quality model to investigate how urban vegetation changes impact air quality. Cooling due to planting urban trees is expected to improve air quality. However, for one case study that does not include anthropogenic emissions reductions due to cooling from increased vegetation, adding trees in the model results in higher ground level ozone concentrations due to a shallower planetary boundary layer and more pollutants converging near a stronger bay breeze near Baltimore, MD. Future work incorporating changes in anthropogenic emissions with changes in urban vegetation will help quantify how urban trees impact air quality

SEX OF THE THERAPIST: AN EXPLORATION OF COMPETENCE ATTRIBUTIONS AS A FUNCTION OF THERAPIST\u27S GENDER.

The present study was undertaken to explore the impact of therapist\u27s gender upon competence attributions made by clients regarding the therapist. No predictions were made. Subjects were actual psychotherapy clients at one Windsor and one Detroit out-patient clinic, who were presented with a psychotherapy transcript labeled as conducted by a male or a female therapist, and then requested to fill out a short questionnaire rating the transcript therapist along a range of competency characteristics. Besides the label of the transcript, three other classification variables were employed: subject\u27s sex, sex of the subject\u27s actual therapist at the clinic, and whether or not the sexual labeling of the transcript was authentic (accurate). Dependent measures were the subject\u27s ratings of the transcript therapist on the questionnaire items and item clusters derived from the questionnaire. Separate analyses were done for pooled and individual city samples. The primary findings were as follows. Regarding effects of client\u27s sex, female (as opposed to male) subjects were more glowing in the attributions they made regarding the transcript therapist among certain dimensions. Most notably, women rated transcript therapists as better able to handle their own problems than did men. The sex of the actual therapist had a significant impact in that subjects who had real male therapists (as opposed to female therapists) rated the transcript therapist as more likely to like them, while subjects with real female therapists (as opposed to male therapists) rated transcript therapists as more likely to morally evaluate their behavior. The authenticity of transcript label variable was highly significant and interacted in a complex fashion with both real therapist\u27s sex and city. Despite what one would expect, based on previous research findings, the effect of transcript label was largely negligible.Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1981 .L694. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: B, page: 1181. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1981

Genuine or Reproduction: A Comparision of 3D Imaging Techniques

Advancements in technology associated with 3D imaging for both print and digital applications are transforming many aspects of geology. Museums, researchers, and educators are now using 3D models to depict and reproduce fossils, minerals, and crystals for study, thereby reducing the risk of damage to valuable original specimens. This project examined which of the two processes available to Cedarville University geology program produces the best quality digital image and, subsequently, the best 3D printed object of a macroscopic-sized specimen. The first method utilizes the camera on a smartphone to take overlapping photos of the entire specimen (fossil or mineral) – top, bottom, and sides. Then, using free software called AutoDesk Remake the images are processed into a digital 3D model. The digital model is then sent to a LulzBot Mini 3D printer for printing. The second method makes use of a NextEngine 3D scanner rather than a camera. The specimen is placed on a rotating pedestal and laser scanners sweep across the specimen as cameras look at how much distortion is created. The scanner data is imported into ScanStudio HD software and a point cloud is created. From the point cloud a 3D model is created for viewing on the computer or for 3D printing. For this study the quality of the digital images and printed reproductions that were derived from the two methods was compared. In the final analysis of the various 3D models (printed and digital) it was determined that the 3D scanning process produced the better quality facsimiles

Influence of leaf trichomes on predatory mite ( Typhlodromus pyri ) abundance in grape varieties

Non-glandular leaf trichomes positively influence the abundance of many phytoseiid mites. We characterized the influence of grape leaf trichomes (domatia, hairs, and bristles) on Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten abundance over two years in a common garden planting of many grape varieties and 2years of sampling in a commercial vineyard. In general, a lack of trichomes was associated with much lower predator numbers and in the case of Dechaunac, a cultivar with almost no trichomes, very few T. pyri were found. Phytoseiid abundance was best predicted by a model where domatia and hair had an additive effect (r 2=0.815). Over two years of sampling at a commercial vineyard there were T. pyri present on all of the 5 cultivars except Dechaunac. At the same time, European red mite prey were present on Dechaunac alone. These results suggest that on grape cultivars lacking leaf trichomes, T. pyri likely will not attain sufficient densities to provide biological control of European red mite, despite presence of the mite food source. The relationship between leaf trichomes and phytoseiid abundance that is observed at the scale of single vines in a garden planting appears to also be manifest at the scale of a commercial vineyard. Because persistence of predatory mites in or nearby the habitats of prey mites is important for effective mite biological control, leaf trichomes, through their influence on phytoseiid persistence, may be critical for successful mite biological control in some system

An exploration of feedback type and its relation to client optimism.

Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1977 .L694. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-07, page: . Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1977

Evaluation of Strawberry Sap Beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) Use of Habitats Surrounding Strawberry Plantings as Food Resources and Overwintering Sites

The matrix of strawberry and alternate host crops, wooded areas, and uncultivated sections that comprises a farm landscape provides not only food resources but also habitat in both a spatial and temporal context. Reports of the strawberry sap beetle as a pest in strawberry in the northeastern United States have increased along with a trend to produce a wider diversity of fruit crops on individual farms. The three objectives of this study focused on determining which, if any, habitats outside strawberry plantings are important to consider when developing control strategies for strawberry sap beetles. First, sampling of wooded areas and multiple crops showed that strawberry sap beetles overwinter not only in wooded areas but also in blueberry and raspberry. No overwintering beetles were found in strawberry. Second, up to a 70-fold increase in mean number of strawberry sap beetles in a no-choice food source experiment indicated that considerable reproduction can occur on blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. Third, sampling summer-bearing raspberry, peach, blueberry, and cherry in 2004 and 2005 confirmed that beetles were present, often in high densities (0.1-108.5 strawberry sap beetles/m2), in commercial fields with fruit or vegetable material on the ground. In summary, the beetles are able to feed, complete development, and overwinter in habitats other than strawberry. An effective integrated pest management program to control strawberry sap beetles will need to consider the type of habitat surrounding strawberry field

Evaluation of Cultural Practices for Potential to Control Strawberry Sap Beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Strawberry sap beetle, Stelidota geminata (Say) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), adults and larvae feed on and contaminate marketable strawberry (Fragaria L.) fruit. The beetle is a serious pest in the northeastern United States, with growers in multiple states reporting closing fields for picking prematurely due to fruit damage. Three options were evaluated for potential to reduce strawberry sap beetle populations. First, the influence of plant structure on accessibility of fruit in different strawberry cultivars to strawberry sap beetle was assessed by modifying plant structure and exposing caged plants to strawberry sap beetle adults. Severity of damage to berries staked up off the ground was similar to damage to those fruit contacting the soil, showing that adults will damage fruit held off the ground. Second, baited traps were placed at three distances into strawberry fields to determine whether overwintered beetles enter strawberry fields gradually. Adult beetles were first caught in the strawberries ≈19 d after occurring in traps placed along edges of adjacent wooded areas. The beetles arrived during the same sampling interval in traps at all distances into the fields, indicating that a border spray is unlikely to adequately control strawberry sap beetle. Third, the number of strawberry sap beetle emerging from strawberry for 5 wk after tilling and narrowing of plant rows was compared in plots renovated immediately at the end of harvest and in plots where renovation was delayed by 1 wk. In the 2-yr study, year and not treatment was the primary factor affecting the total number of emerging strawberry sap beetle. Overall, limited potential exists to reduce strawberry sap beetle populations by choosing cultivars with a particular plant structure, applying insecticide as a border spray, or modifying time of field renovatio

The Design of a Sterile Product Laboratory Module as Preparation for an Institutional IPPE Course

Objectives: To develop a pharmaceutics laboratory module on compounded sterile products for the second year pharmacy students as preparation for an institutional pharmacy experiential course. Method: A 5-week lab module was designed and implemented as part of the Pharmaceutics Lab Course to provide training in the basic skills of sterile product compounding. The module included techniques in the handling of sterile products, aseptic techniques, medium risk products, and hazardous products. A practical exam was given at the end of this module to ensure student competency. Upon completion of the lab module, students enrolled in a required 4-week institutional pharmacy experiential course (IPPE-2), where students were required to compound a minimum of 10 sterile products. Students were then asked to participate in a survey assessing the effectiveness and relevance of the lab module as preparation for their IPPE-2. Results: The sterile product lab module was offered in the spring semester with 75 students enrolled. All students passed the sterile product lab module and continued onto the IPPE-2 course during the following summer. The student survey indicated that the students felt well prepared for the IPPE-2 and that the preceptors were satisfied with their prior training in sterile compounding. The average scores ranged from 4.8 - 6.5 (scale of 1-7) for the various products addressed in the lab module. Implications: The 5-week sterile product lab module progressively prepares the students with the basic skills and knowledge in compounding sterile products. This preparedness allows the students to transition smoothly into the subsequent institutional pharmacy experiential course. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Colleges of Pharmac

Cyber Network Resilience against Self-Propagating Malware Attacks

Self-propagating malware (SPM) has led to huge financial losses, major data breaches, and widespread service disruptions in recent years. In this paper, we explore the problem of developing cyber resilient systems capable of mitigating the spread of SPM attacks. We begin with an in-depth study of a well-known self-propagating malware, WannaCry, and present a compartmental model called SIIDR that accurately captures the behavior observed in real-world attack traces. Next, we investigate ten cyber defense techniques, including existing edge and node hardening strategies, as well as newly developed methods based on reconfiguring network communication (NodeSplit) and isolating communities. We evaluate all defense strategies in detail using six real-world communication graphs collected from a large retail network and compare their performance across a wide range of attacks and network topologies. We show that several of these defenses are able to efficiently reduce the spread of SPM attacks modeled with SIIDR. For instance, given a strong attack that infects 97% of nodes when no defense is employed, strategically securing a small number of nodes (0.08%) reduces the infection footprint in one of the networks down to 1%.Comment: 20 page