Estimating the historical distribution, abundance and ecological contribution of Modiolus modiolus in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland

Strangford Lough is a large sheltered marine inlet in Northern Ireland. It is also a designated Special Area of Conservation based partially on the presence of an extensive area of Modiolus modiolus (Linnaeus, 1758) biogenic reef. However, this feature is believed to have declined substantially over the last 40 years. The objective of the study was to estimate the size of this decline both in terms of extent and abundance. This study combined (i) new survey data (a dedicated multibeam echo-sounder survey of the Lough), (ii) a habitat suitability model for M. modiolus with (iii) historical diver surveys to estimate the extent and abundance before 1985 (before the suspected period of greatest decline), 2003 (during the introduction of a ban on mobile fishing gear in the Lough) and 2007 (the most recent diver survey available). Estimations indicate that the extent reduced from approximately 12.6km2 in 1986 to just 5.7km2 by 2007 and the abundance declined by 87% in the same period. The decline has implications both for the remaining population of M. modiolus and ecosystem functionality within the Lough, which are both discussed in detail

Private School Choice and Educational Outcomes in Metropolitan Hartford

This presentation examines the Children’s Educational Opportunity (CEO) Foundation, a scholarship program designed to expand access for urban elementary children to private and parochial schools in the Hartford region. This study investigates who participates in the program, the schools the children attend, and whether the students who participate have comparable grades to their peer

The effects of in-service training on teachers\u27 attitudes towards inclusion

The purposes of this study are to a) evaluate teachers\u27 attitudes towards inclusion and willingness to provide supports to students with special needs, b) evaluate teachers\u27 willingness to collaborate and use co-teaching models after training, c) evaluate whether or not teachers feel more comfortable about inclusion, and d) evaluate whether or not teachers becomes more positive toward students with disabilities and willing to work with them in an inclusion setting. A total of 16 teachers, 9 general education and 7 special education participated in the study. A pre and post group design was used using a Likert Scale survey with 4 to 1 representing strong agreement to strong disagreement at the beginning and end of the training to compare teachers\u27 opinions about inclusion and special education. Results show that all participants gained significantly higher scores in the areas of special education, instructional adaptation, co-teaching, and laws and regulations after the training. It indicates that teacher training could improve their understanding of inclusion and become positive towards students with special needs

The economic impact of tourism in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

In this study the economic impact of tourism in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is analyzed. This type of study has never been done for this location. Several methods are used in measuring separate components of the total economic impact. The fiscal impact, retail sales impact, employment impact, and wealth impact each show positive effects of the tourism industry on the two towns. It is found, based on these measures, that tourism has had a positive impact on Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Critical Civic Engagement: Creating Yards and Building Community at Predominately White Institutions

This article details the journey of a Black Greek professor who created yards on a predominately white campus. This piece of scholarship challenges the historical narrative of the civic engagement movement and considers equity and inclusion with existing civic engagement literature. Specifically, this research contends that civic engagement scholarship must consider the historical legacy of historically Black Greek letter organizations, their commitment to service, and undergraduate education. The construction of “yards” is a civic engagement initiative that builds meaningful connections between college campuses and local communities

A Tangle Net Study on Relative Abundance and Habitat Preference of Elasmobranchs in North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina

Although habitat selection is relatively well studied in some elasmobranchs, no field or lab studies have focused on sediment preference, which is important to other benthic marine vertebrates. To determine the relative abundance and sediment preference of shallow water benthic elasmobranch inhabitants of North Inlet, SC, we employed 187 30 minute tangle net sets over two sediment types (mud and sand). The majority of our capture consisted of 41 Dasyatis sayi (tagged 37) and 31 Sphyrna tiburo (tagged 14). Although D. sayi had been recorded in North Inlet, previous studies found greater numbers of congeners D. americana and D. sabina. This sampling method yielded a different elasmobranch population structure than was previously found with gill nets and longlines. Neither D. sayi (p=0.885, Mann-Whitney U) nor S. tiburo (p=0.180, Mann-Whitney U) exhibited a sediment preference, site fidelity, or habitat preferences based on temperature, salinity, turbidity or dissolved oxygen in North Inlet, SC. Ex situ experiments conducted on captured D. sayi (dw \u3c52 cm) also showed no sediment preference (p=0.552, Wilcoxon signed ranks test). We conclude that the homogeneity of other habitat selection factors in this system accounts for the lack of sediment preference in these species

Ethical Climate, Organizational Commitment, and Job Satisfaction of Full-Time Faculty Members

The purpose of this quantitative study was to better understand the relationship of perceived ethical climate on the organizational commitment and job satisfaction of full-time faculty members in institutions of higher education. Full-time faculty members are the forefront employees of any educational institution, and they have a direct impact on the successful implementation of the vision, mission, and goals of the institution. It is imperative to understand potential factors influencing organizational commitment and job satisfaction because decreased levels of commitment and satisfaction have been linked to lower productivity, stagnated creativity, higher levels of turnover, and deviant workplace behaviors. The nationally reported controversy that occurred in the Sociology Department of The Ohio State University during the 1960s provided the theoretical framework for this research. Four different regional universities, producing 594 responses, participated in this study. A modified version of 3 previously establish scales were used to measure each factor: 1) Three Component Model (TCM) of Employee Commitment created by Meyer and Allen (2004), 2) Revised Ethical Climate Questionnaire (RECQ) created by Victor and Cullen (1993), and 3) Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) created by Hackman and Oldham (1980). The data analysis found significant differences in self-reported levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction for full-time faculty members with regards to type of perceived ethical climate (i.e. egoism, benevolence, and principled). Results of this study also indicate that gender differences play a significant role in the self-reported level of organizational commitment. Females reported higher levels of organizational commitment than their male counterparts. There was no significant difference in the self-reported levels of job satisfaction based upon gender differences. Finally, the results of the study included a significant and positive correlation between the total organizational commitment scores and the total job satisfaction scores of respondents