How Nutrient Trading Could Help Restore the Chesapeake Bay

The largest estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay is a vital economic, cultural, and ecological resource for the region and the nation. Excess runoff and discharges of nutrients -- particularly nitrogen and phosphorus -- from farms, pavement, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and other sources have placed the bay on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) List of Impaired Waters. This nutrient pollution is responsible for creating large algal blooms that lead to "dead zones" in the bay (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2009b). Despite decades of restoration efforts, progress has been slow, and the rivers and streams that drain into the Bay remain polluted (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2009b)

How Baywide Nutrient Trading Could Benefit Maryland Farms

Outlines pending legislation to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including a nutrient trading program that allows farms that reduce runoff of nutrients to below target to sell "credits." Estimates costs, credits, and credit revenue

How Baywide Nutrient Trading Could Benefit Pennsylvania Farms

Outlines how legislation to make the Chesapeake Bay watershed healthier, including a program allowing farms that reduce runoff of nutrients to below target to sell "credits," would benefit Pennsylvania farms through cost-sharing funds and new revenues

Does the Policy-Making Process Affect Farmer Compliance? A Three-State Case Study of Nutrient Management Regulations

A series of fishkills in 1997 in the Chesapeake Bay were linked to Pfiesteria piscicida, a rare toxic microorganism, and to nutrient pollution from agricultural sources. Manure from poultry production on the Delmarva Peninsula was regarded as the primary source of the excess nutrients. These fishkills served as a focusing event for policy-makers in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware to update their scientific guidance on phosphorus management, promulgate agricultural regulations, and depart from decades of relying on voluntary technical and financial assistance to improve farm-related water quality problems. This dissertation conducts a comparative case study of these three states to determine if 1) the policy-making process in each state affects compliance by farmers and 2) if the laws improved farmer nutrient management behavior. Data sources include information gathered from interviews with 60 corn farmers on the Peninsula that use broiler chicken manure as fertilizer; interviews with over 60 policy stakeholders; and reviews of primary and secondary documents. Analytical methods include: political analysis of the main stages of the policy development process; policy analysis of the effectiveness of plan-based regulations; statistical tests to determine significant differences between states regarding farmer responses to Likert Opinion Statements and questions about their nutrient management practices; logit regression analysis to determine factors influential to low manure application rates; and a review of compliance data collected by the state regulatory agencies. Answers to both research questions are, overall, "yes," though this answer depends on which dataset of compliance and which metric of improved nutrient management behavior is reviewed; there are "no" answers as well. Results of this dissertation highlight the serious difficulty of regulating dispersed nonpoint source agricultural nutrient pollution through nutrient management plans. Several findings arise, including: plan-based agricultural regulations are in reality voluntary; plans prepared by private and public sector planners result in non-uniform standards; gaining "buy-in" from rather than "alienating" the regulated community likely results in better overall outcomes; regulations that account for on-the-ground realities of farming and state regulatory capacity likely achieve better overall outcomes; and focusing events that turn out to be weak can undermine the justification for new regulatory policies

A new acaremyid rodent (Hystricognathi: Octodontoidea) from the middle Miocene of Patagonia (South America) and considerations on the early evolution of Octodontoidea

Octodontoidea is the most speciose and ecologically diverse superfamily of caviomorph rodents. The systematic relation-ships of modern octodontoids is moderately accepted, however, the relationships of fossils (from the Eocene?–middle Miocene) are not clear. In recent years the hypothesis of a complex early evolution of the superfamily has emerged, with “basal octodontoids” representing different evolutionary lineages. The extinct family Acaremyidae may represent one such lineage, consisting of the genera Acaremys, Sciamys, Galileomys, and variably Platypittamys. In this work we de-scribe a new octodontoid rodent recorded in post-Colloncuran? levels exposed at the locality of El Petiso, Northwest of Chubut Province, Argentina. Based on a systematic analysis of dental characters, we conclude that the new specimens correspond to a new species of Sciamys. Additionally, if the post-Colloncuran age for El Petiso is verified, the new species will extend the temporal range of the family Acaremyidae until, at least, the late middle Miocene, as well as the temporal range for the genus Sciamys from the Santacrucian SALMA. Our phylogenetic analyses corroborate the position of the new species as a member of Sciamys, and confirm that Acaremyidae represents an extinct family from Patagonian South America that lived until the middle Miocene. Massoiamys obliquus qualifies as morphological ancestor that pre-announc-es the octodontiform tooth pattern of octodontids. Thus, the octodontiform tooth pattern appears at least twice within the superfamily Octodontoidea.Fil: Arnal, Michelle. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Maria Encarnacion. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

NeuroGen: EEG AND Near-Infrared Light Stimulation Device

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Parkinson’s affect hundreds of millions of people across the nation and world each year. While medications targeting disease pathways have often resulted in debilitating side effects, neurodegenerative diseases may be targeted by common pathways that promote healing of tissues via reduced inflammation, increased perfusion, and increased energy production. Photobiomodulation (PBM) targets all of these physiological processes with non-invasive near infra-red light stimulation and for this application the treatment will be applied to the head. Transcranial PBM has been used to effectively treat neurodegenerative diseases with improved cognitive and motor control outcomes. PBM applied to the brain causes detectable changes in brain activity, measured by electroencephalography (EEG). However, no tool exists to simultaneously implement PBM and EEG. Thus, the goal of this project was to design and prototype a hybrid PBM and EEG device. This report was created for the mechanical subsection of this project, which focuses on the integration of the EEG sensors, LED arrays, and cooling system, as well as the overall design of the helmet. The team was successfully able to create an effective cooling system through the utilization of heatsinks on the LED boards and fans attached to the OpenBCI helmet. The team was also able to successfully design and 3D print LED arrays to uniquely fit into the OpenBCI helmet, as well as a helmet shell cover. These designs allowed for the successful and safe integration of photobiomodulation into the EEG device

Exploratory Application of a Sensory Activity Schedule in Head Start Preschool

Objective: The objective of this research is to determine whether the implementation of sensory activity schedule in a preschool classroom can increase the on-task behaviors of the students. Methods: Three students were recruited to participate in a quantitative multiple single subject design with qualitative follow-up study. The participants performed sensorimotor activities before circle time and were monitored for frequency of their off-task behavior using a time sampling frequency data collection. Afterwards, the head teacher was interviewed to discuss the experience. Results: Off-task behavior decreased from baseline on all three children, which supports the efficacy of sensory activity schedule in reducing off-task behavior. Cultural disconnect, classroom dynamics, and scheduling conflict were identified as barriers to successful implementation of sensory activity schedule. Conclusion: Occupational therapists are encouraged to conduct a needs assessment before starting a research to identify potential barriers. More research is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of sensory activity schedule in a classroom.https://scholar.dominican.edu/ug-student-posters/1090/thumbnail.jp

Exploratory Application of a Sensory Activity Schedule in Head Start Preschool

Objective: The objective of this research is to determine whether the implementation of sensory activity schedule in a preschool classroom can increase the on-task behaviors of the students. Methods: Three students were recruited to participate in a quantitative multiple single subject design with qualitative follow-up study. The participants performed sensorimotor activities before circle time and were monitored for frequency of their off-task behavior using a time sampling frequency data collection. Afterwards, the head teacher was interviewed to discuss the experience. Results: Off-task behavior decreased from baseline on all three children, which supports the efficacy of sensory activity schedule in reducing off-task behavior. Cultural disconnect, classroom dynamics, and scheduling conflict were identified as barriers to successful implementation of sensory activity schedule. Conclusion: Occupational therapists are encouraged to conduct a needs assessment before starting a research to identify potential barriers. More research is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of sensory activity schedule in a classroom

Chicana/Latina Feminist Critical Qualitative Inquiry Meditations on Global Solidarity, Spirituality, and the Land

In this article we take a journey into using Chicana/Latina feminisms as one way to unearth new possibilities for critical qualitative inquiry (CQI). We start by offering a brief overview of Gloria Anzaldua’s influence on Chicana/Latina feminism, focusing on how she has inspired researching and writing from within rather than about as a decolonial turn (Keating, 2015). We then venture into new imaginaries to pose questions that would lead us to ponder about global feminista solidarity, the spirit, and the land. Our hope is that these contemplations lead us on a path of conocimiento where we can put the broken pieces of our/selves back together again