EASTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC PRODUCTIVITY VIA TWO GEOCHEMICAL PROXIES

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Drivers that influence oceanic productivity are not clearly constrained. However, sea level changes during glacial cycles have been proposed as a potential driver for productivity variations observed over warm and cold climate periods. In order to determine this, additional oceanic paleoproductivity data collection is necessary to estimate the ocean’s feedback in response to a dynamic climate. The eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) is an ideal site for productivity studies due to its high levels of nutrients and deep upwelling. This research examines the phosphorous and barite geochemisty of four EEP sites while also comparing the sites’ glacial and interglacial productivity variations to the geochemistry and productivity results of an independent central equatorial pacific site. Phosphorus and other elemental data were collected from sites 845, 848, 849, and 853 (ODP Leg 138). Using a Ba/Ti and P/Ti proxy (“excess” proxies), distinct productivity variations during glacial and interglacial periods were observed. While the age model for these sites has been estimated, the observed variations more than likely agree with high productivity during glacial periods and lower productivity during interglacial periods. Central equatorial Pacific cores RR0603-03TC and RR0603-03JC (IODP site survey cruise for Proposal 626) have been used as a reference for geochemical concentration parameters, as well as a comparison tool for productivity variations among the central and eastern sites. The central equatorial geochemistry results provided support for sea level changes driving paleoproductivity variations. The similar variation patterns displayed by the EEP’s geochemical data in this research could provide additional support for this hypothesis

Normal bases and compactifications of frames

The initial aim of this dissertation was to provide a frame-theoretic analogue of Banaschewski's normal systems of sets in [5] as well as a frame counterpart to their associated compactifications. Having completed this part of the task, it seemed natural to investigate the relationship between this compactification and those mentioned above. Hence the first five chapters of the dissertation are devoted to the study of the frame counterparts to six well-known compactifications in the category of topological spaces. For each compactification studied, we give some motivation as to why it should be regarded as a frame-theoretic analogue of its classical counterpart. The sixth chapter is concerned with the relationships between the compactifications: in particular we are interested in conditions under which the different constructions give rise to the same compactification

Religious Affiliation and Its Influence on Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been recognized as a serious social problem since the 1970s. Research has investigated how race, socioeconomic class, and other factors are related to levels of IPV, but little research has been done about how religious beliefs and IPV are related. The few studies that have been done have not been conclusive. Some research has shown a correlation between the amount of religious services attended per week and a decrease in likelihood of perpetrating IPV. In this study, the researchers sought to gain more information on the relationship between IPV and religious affiliation by surveying 100 Valparaiso University students. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire detailing their religious affiliation, their adherence to their religion’s teachings, and feelings toward different types/severities of intimate partner violence. Respondents were asked about their attitudes toward intimate partner violence, not whether they have been victims or perpetrators of it. A study on the correlation between religious affiliation and intimate partner violence can be extremely helpful to counselors and others working with religious clients and to those working within religious institutions. As part of a university founded on faith, it is especially important that one considers the implications religion has on students’ behavior toward one another. Knowledge that stems from this study can help implement efforts at preventing the social problem of intimate partner violence

Gasoline Prices and Their Relationship to Drunk-Driving Crashes

his study investigates the relationship between changing gasoline prices and drunk-driving crashes. Specifically, we examine the effects of gasoline prices on drunk-driving crashes in Mississippi by age, gender, and race from 2004Ð2008, a period experiencing great fluctuation in gasoline prices. An exploratory visualization by graphs shows that higher gasoline prices are generally associated with fewer drunk-driving crashes. Higher gasoline prices depress drunk- driving crashes among younger and older drivers, among male and female drivers, and among white, black, and Hispanic drivers. The statistical results suggest that higher gasoline prices lead to lower drunk-driving crashes for female and black drivers. However, alcohol consumption is a better predictor of drunk-driving crashes, especially for male, white, and older drivers.Drunk-driving crashes, gasoline prices, alcohol consumption, Mississippi

Do Rural School Resource Officers Contribute to Net-Widening? Evidence from a Southern State

There has been considerable recent scholarly commentary about the existence of a school-to-prison pipeline. In this research, several authors have questioned whether the presence of school resource officers (SROs) has increased the proportion of students being referred to juvenile justice systems for status or minor offenses. Research to date, however, has not established a clear relationship between the presence of SROs and these referrals. In this study, we examine the relationship between referrals made in urban and rural schools to determine whether rural students are disadvantaged by net widening when compared with their urban counterparts. To carry out this study of justice by geography, the referrals of 57,005 urban and rural students into the juvenile justice system of a southeastern state over a three-year period were analyzed. The findings presented here suggest that there are important rural/urban differences in the impact of the Department of Human Services and schools in the expansion of the school-to-prison pipeline. Implications for policy and future research are also discussed

Independent Studies Endorse Superior Strategies for Teaching Reading and Spelling: Hilliard\u27s Journey

Of the many educational outcomes to be achieved in the primary years of schooling, research demonstrates that learning to read is the most significant. The precise way in which the complex processes combine must be understood and demonstrated by teachers in order to identify their students’ needs and to teach most effectively. The activities initiated at Hilliard Christian School to enhance achievement of this goal are shared here to support others with the same aim

Environmental drivers of Ross River virus in south-east Tasmania, Australia: Towards strengthening public health interventions

In Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) is predominantly identified and managed through passive health surveillance. Here, the proactive use of environmental datasets to improve community-scale public health interventions in southeastern Tasmania is explored. Known environmental drivers (temperature, rainfall, tide) of the RRV vector Aedes camptorhynchus are analysed against cumulative case records for five adjacent local government areas (LGAs) from 1993 to 2009. Allowing for a 0- to 3-month lag period, temperature was the most significant driver of RRV cases at 1-month lag, contributing to a 23. 2% increase in cases above the long-term case average. The potential for RRV to become an emerging public health issue in Tasmania due to projected climate changes is discussed. Moreover, practical outputs from this research are proposed including the development of an early warning system for local councils to implement preventative measures, such as public outreach and mosquito spray programmes

Distribution of blood lead levels in schoolchildren in selected cape peninsula suburbs subsequent to reductions in petrol lead

Objective. To determine blood lead levels among children attending schools in selected Cape Peninsula suburbs, and to assess the impact of a reduction in the lead content of petrol.Design. A cross-sectional analytical study of children's blood lead levels and associated risk factors.Setting. Selected inner city, suburban, and peri-urban schools in the Cape Peninsula, expected to have differing levels of environmental exposure to lead.Subjects. Grade 1 schoolchildren for whom prior written parental consent had been obtained, and who were present at school on the day of the study.Outcame measures. Blood lead levels (μg / dl), associated with a wide range of potential risk factors.Results. Median blood lead levels in suburbs varied from 14 to 16 μg/ dl, the lowest levels occurring in the peri-urban suburb and the highest in the inner city suburb. Within the inner city suburb of Woodstock, variations in mean blood lead concentrations among schools were substantial, varying from 13 to 19 μg/ dl. Overall, no change occurred in blood lead levels in this suburb subsequent to the lowering of the lead content of petrol.Conclusion. Every effort should be made in South Africa to control sources of lead in the urban environment. The study will serve as a useful baseline against which to measure the impact on blood lead levels of further actions which have been taken to promote the use of lead-free petrol in South Africa