Evaluating the Variability of Urban Land Surface Temperatures Using Drone Observations

Urbanization and climate change are driving increases in urban land surface temperatures that pose a threat to human and environmental health. To address this challenge, we must be able to observe land surface temperatures within spatially complex urban environments. However, many existing remote sensing studies are based upon satellite or aerial imagery that capture temperature at coarse resolutions that fail to capture the spatial complexities of urban land surfaces that can change at a sub-meter resolution. This study seeks to fill this gap by evaluating the spatial variability of land surface temperatures through drone thermal imagery captured at high-resolutions (13 cm). In this study, flights were conducted using a quadcopter drone and thermal camera at two case study locations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and El Paso, Texas. Results indicate that land use types exhibit significant variability in their surface temperatures (3.9–15.8 °C) and that this variability is influenced by surface material properties, traffic, weather and urban geometry. Air temperature and solar radiation were statistically significant predictors of land surface temperature (R2 0.37–0.84) but the predictive power of the models was lower for land use types that were heavily impacted by pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The findings from this study ultimately elucidate factors that contribute to land surface temperature variability in the urban environment, which can be applied to develop better temperature mitigation practices to protect human and environmental health

Red, White, and Kind of Blue? The Conservatives and the Americanization of Canadian Constitutional Culture, by David Schneiderman

In the 2010 case of Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, a narrow 5–4 majority of the United States Supreme Court overturned decades of jurisprudence by striking down any limitation on what corporations can spend on indirect electioneering. While the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms upholds a similarly robust protection of political speech under its freedom of expression provision, an analogous case at the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) in 2004 resulted in a much different outcome

Direct products of bounded fuzzy lattices realized by triangular norm operators without zero divisors

In this note we continue the work of Chon, as well as Mezzomo, Bedregal, and Santiago, by studying direct products of bounded fuzzy lattices arising from fuzzy partially ordered sets. Chon proved that fuzzy lattices are closed under taking direct products defined using the minimum triangular norm operator. Mezzomo, Bedregal, and Santiago extended Chon's result to the case of bounded fuzzy lattices under the same minimum triangular norm product construction. The primary contribution of this study is to strengthen their result by showing that bounded fuzzy lattices are closed under a much more general construction of direct products; namely direct products that are defined using triangular norm operators without zero divisors. Immediate consequences of this result are then investigated within distributive and modular fuzzy lattices

Alien Registration- Mcdonald, Micheal Joseph (Greenville, Piscataquis County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/11398/thumbnail.jp

Evaluation of rapid reading hay moisture meters for field use

An instrument for use by farmers and agricultural research workers to quickly, accurately, and economically determine the moisture content of hay in the windrow would significantly improve the efficiency of forage crop production. However, no method or technique has been shown to be a successful tool for obtaining such determinations simply, precisely, and with easily portable equipment. An experiment was desig-nated to field test a commercially available conductance-type moisture meter and to identify needed revisions of the meter or a measuring technique that might improve its accuracy. An experimental conductance-type meter was also built and tested in an attempt to develop a more accurate method for hay moisture content measurements. Three electrical moisture meters, a hydraulic compression device, sample probe, hay sample chopper, and other related swithing gear were purchased or designed and constructed. The meters were tested on three different hay types, at various sample pressures, and at two geographical locations. The performance of the meters was compared to oven drying moisture determinations. Results of these series of tests revealed several factors which affect the accuracy of the meters as determined from simple linear regression equations relating meter readings to actual hay moisture content. 1. The use of a cylindrical holder eliminated error caused by the prod pins completely penetrating the windrowed hay and entering the soil surface. 2. Sample pressure affected meter readings. No specific pressure was best overall, but a constant pressure was mandatory for consistent results. 3. Fields, type of crop, or time of test also affected meter readings and calibration equations. 4. Chopping of hay samples improved the accuracy and consistency of meter readings. 5. No one single meter proved to be statistically better than the others tested

Canon of Professional Ethics-Cooperation in Preparation of News Articles as Advertising in Violation of Canon 27

Two recent decisions were the first to construe the prohibition against indirect advertising embodied in Canon 27 of the Canons of Professional Ethics. Although the facts and issues involved were substantially alike, the holdings were divergent. At the request of a local Miami newspaper, respondent submitted to an interview which formed the basis of a full page article in the Sunday Supplement. The article see forth a complimentary biography of respondent and described the internal workings of his firm. Respondent was found guilty of violating Canon 27 by the Grievance Committee of the Florida State Bar Association. The recommendation was modified from private to public reprimand by the Board of Governors. On review, held, recommendation quashed and complaint dismissed, one judge concurring specially, one judge dissenting. Furnishing information at the instigation of a newspaper for a newsworthy article not offensively self-laudatory is not indirect advertising in violation of Canon 27. State ex rel. Florida Bar v. Nichols, 151 So. 2d 257 (Fla. 1963)

Evaluating Student Preparedness and Conceptual Change in Introductory Biology Students Studying Gene Expression

Conceptual difficulties experienced by introductory college biology students studying gene expression are explored in this empirical study. We used an open-ended assessment instrument and a pre-test/post-test design to measure prior knowledge and conceptual change over the course of one semester. Our findings suggest that introductory biology students struggle with the basic terminology necessary to understand complex biological systems at the molecular and genetic level. While conceptual growth from the beginning to the end of the semester was less than expected, learning gains were significant for all concepts examined by our assessment strategy. Qualitative evaluation of pre- and post-tests further highlighted the difficulty students have articulating their knowledge using scientific language. In our discussion, we emphasize the importance of assessing conceptual understanding, developing instructional strategies to promote conceptual change, and the need for closer alignment of curriculum between and within institutions. Ultimately, educational and institutional resources to support faculty development in the area of teaching and learning are critical for the retention and preparation of a diverse student population in the biological sciences