A new aquatic Eosuchian from the Newark Supergroup (Late Triassic) of North Carolina and Virginia

Tanytrachelos ahynis (n.gen., n. sp.) is a lepidosaur from the Late Triassic Dan River Group (Newark Supergroup) of North Carolina and Virginia. The new reptile has gracile proportions similar to Tanystropheus (Middle Triassic) and is referred to the family Tanystropheidae of the suborder Prolacertiformes. Unlike Tanystropheus, Tanytrachelos has relatively short cervical vertebrae bearing splintlike ribs anteriorly and plowshare-shaped ribs posteriorly. The species is much smaller than Tanystropheus and has long straight ribs fused to the most distal dorsal vertebrae and proximal caudal vertebrae. The associated fish and nonmarine invertebrate fauna and flora suggest that the age of the Tanytrachelos-beanng horizon is Middle Keuper (Carnian of the Late Triassic)

Predation Avoidance Mechanisms of Juvenile Arapaima spp.: Significance of Synchronized Breathing and Sound Production

Arapaima spp. are large, commercially important but poorly studied freshwater fishes endemic primarily to the Amazon and Essequibo rivers of South America. Arapaima are obligate air breathers with a modified lung-like swim bladder. Surfacing to respire exposes arapaima to a heightened predation risk, especially the small juveniles. Surfacing in synchrony could reduce predation risk of individual arapaima. Synchronous breathing has been observed with many air-breathing fish, but it has not been documented with arapaima. Many fishes also are known to produce characteristic sounds to startle predators when attacked, but such sounds have not been reported for arapaima. An investigation of predation defenses of juvenile arapaima was conducted by quantifying breathing frequency patterns over a diel cycle. Also, the ability to produce startle sounds was evaluated by simulating predation (i.e. grasping the fish). Young arapaima exhibited synchronized breathing throughout the day; mean number of arapaima per breathing event was significantly higher (

Detection of continuous variable entanglement without coherent local oscillators

We propose three criteria for identifying continuous variable entanglement between two many-particle systems with no restrictions on the quantum state of the local oscillators used in the measurements. Mistakenly asserting a coherent state for the local oscillator can lead to incorrectly identifying the presence of entanglement. We demonstrate this in simulations with 100 particles, and also find that large number fluctuations do not prevent the observation of entanglement. Our results are important for quantum information experiments with realistic Bose-Einstein condensates or in optics with arbitrary photon states.Comment: 7 Pages, 4 Figure

Composite Suspension for Formula SAE Vehicle

This senior project report describes how a redesign of the 2008 Cal Poly Formula SAE vehicle\u27s suspension components was conducted using carbon fiber components

Evaluation of career readiness at an industrial technology program using a fuzzy approach

In this research, a quantitative model to measure the “career readiness” performance level of the current curriculum of the Industrial Technology and Packaging program at California Polytechnic State University is proposed. Career readiness is first defined through performance attributes and these attributes are further classified into specific categories and metrics. Using a fuzzy logic computational approach, “career readiness” measures are developed and a “career readiness” score referred to as (CRS) is calculated. The model is designed to be flexible, dynamic and easy to use. It should enable a systematic measurement of career readiness by producing a final integrated unit-less score. Results from the data collected for the Industrial Technology program’s main employers and graduates provided various insights about the level of career readiness the program currently provides in terms of strengths and weaknesses. In addition, these results, and the developed CRS approach, may serve as a practical tool for decision-making and improvement to various educational components to increase readiness level. Finally, the overall CRS, as well as its constituting scores, can be used to monitor progress along such improvements programs

Organic Geochemical Investigation of a Highly Contaminated Urban Waterway: The Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, New York, USA

The Gowanus Canal is an industrial waterway constructed in the mid-19th century by widening and deepening a natural tidal channel. It is ca. 3 km in length and empties into Gowanus Bay, an arm of New York Harbor. Its banks, reinforced by bulkheads and piers, became the site of intensive industrial activity, including oil refining, coal gasification, soap making and tanning. Even though much of the industrial activity along the canal has ceased, its sediments remain highly enriched in organic and inorganic contaminants, with combined sewer outfalls continuing to transport pollutants into the canal. The canal area remains densely populated and community pressure is providing impetus for remediation and redevelopment (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2004). As part of a program of continuing sediment quality monitoring, a series of 10 grab samples were collected along the length of the canal. Standard environmental chemical analyses were performed (volatile and semi-volatile organics, PCBs, metals). Dried sediment samples were also analyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and thermodesorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). Py-GC/MS results from two samples are presented. Sample 15A was collected near the mid-point of the canal and is the most highly enriched in parent PAHs, up to several hundred mg/kg. Sample 29A was collected near the head of the canal, i.e., the point farthest inland, with parent PAH concentrations of 5-70 mg/kg. The pyrolyzates contain phenols, pyrroles, indoles and guaiacols as both terrestrial and aquatic biomass signatures, but these are overshadowed by the 3 to 5 ring PAHs, parent and methylated, for sample 15A and by sterenes and fatty acids for sample 29A. For sample 15A, the phenanthrene series (up to the C3-alkylphenanthrenes), the pyrene series (up to C2-alkylpyrenes and isomers), and the chrysene series (including methylchrysenes and isomers) are strongly predominant, along with benzofluoranthenes and benzopyrenes. The dibenzothiophene and benzonaphthothiophene series attest to a significant organosulfur component within the mixture. The pyrolyzate of sample 29A contains the same aromatic compounds, but at much lower concentrations. Rather, there is the striking predominance of C27 and C29 sterenes, along with C16 and C18 fatty acids. Steradienes, C28 sterenes, alkylnitriles and alkylamides are also detected, but at lower concentrations. The sterenes and fatty acids are minor components in sample 15A as well. The PAH distributions are characteristic of creosote, a coal-tar derivative and by-product of coal gasification. If these had been due to petroleum or petroleum product contamination, more abundant petroleum biomarker compounds would be expected. These were detected by TD-GC/MS using selected ion monitoring, but in trace quantities only. The sterenes and fatty acids likely derive from raw and/or partially treated sewage. In spite of the recent reopening of the flushing tunnel at the head of the canal after decades of disuse, it is evident that acute sediment pollution persists in the Gowanus sediments