Numerical analysis of distribution patterns in the British and European floras

Imperial Users onl

A Spectrophotofluorometric Analysis of Serum Vitamin A Levels in a Defined Population

The objectives of this thesis were to examine serum vitamin A levels in two defined populations. The method of analysis was a spectrophotofluorometric technique with a correction formula to account for interfering fluorescence from an identified carotenoid phytofluene (37). The first population were infants at time of delivery. Infants were divided into two groups depending upon length of gestation. A premature group was identified as having a length of gestation of less than 36 weeks. Term infants were defined as 36 weeks or greater. The mean value of serum vitamin A of eight premature infants was 10.5 μg/100ml (S.E.M.+.78). The mean value of 54 term infants was 22.5 μg/100ml (S.E.M.+.96). Comparing these two groups results in a p value of The second population studied were patients undergoing periodontal surgery. The purpose was to monitor serum vitamin A levels before and after surgery. The results are inconclusive due to the small number of samples. In this thesis the results are discussed and recommendations are made for future projects in this area

Policy and Practice Brief: Funding of Assistive Technology to Make Work a Reality

This brief provides a definition of assistive technology and a discussion of funding sources for assistive technology including: public schools; state vocational rehabilitation agencies; Medicaid; Medicare; and, SSA’s Plan for Achieving Self Support. Eligibility is reviewed for each along with other protections and rights

The Impact of \u3ci\u3eU.S. News & World Report\u3c/i\u3e College Rankings on Admissions Outcomes and Pricing Policies at Selective Private Institutions

Despite the widespread popularity of the U.S. News & World Report College rankings there has been no empirical analysis of the impact of these rankings on applications, admissions, and enrollment decisions, as well as on institutions’ pricing policies. Our analyses indicate that a less favorable rank leads an institution to accept a greater percentage of its applicants, a smaller percentage of its admitted applicants matriculate, and the resulting entering class is of lower quality, as measured by its average SAT scores. While tuition levels are not responsive to less favorable rankings, institutions offer less visible price discounts in the form of slightly lower levels of expected self-help (loans and employment opportunities) and significantly more generous levels of grant aid. These decreases in net tuition are an attempt to attract additional students from their declining applicant pool

Adaptive information and animal behaviour: Why motorists stop at red traffic lights

Argues that information, in the animal behaviour or evolutionary context, is correlation/covariation. The alternation of red and green traffic lights is information because it is (quite strictly) correlated with the times when it is safe to drive through the intersection; thus driving in accordance with the lights is adaptive (causative of survival). Daylength is usefully, though less strictly, correlated with the optimal time to breed. Information in the sense of covariance implies what is adaptive; if an animal can infer what the information implies, it increases its chances of survival

Surface Erosion and Sedimentation Associated with Forest Land Use in Interior Alaska

Completion reportThe magnitude of sheet-rill erosion associated with various landscape manipulations is presented. The Universal Soil Loss Equation's usefulness for predicting annual sheet-rill erosion within interior Alaska is confirmed. Investigations of sheet-rill erosion indicate that removing the trees from forested areas with only minor ground cover disturbance did not increase erosion. Removing the ground cover, however, increased erosion 18 times above that on forested areas. Erosion is substantially reduced when disturbed areas are covered with straw mulch and fertilizer. Comparison of the actual erosion and the quantity of erosion predicted with the Universal Soil Loss Equation indicates that the equation overestimates annual erosion by an average of 21 percent. It overestimates individual storm erosion by an average of 174 percent. Data are also presented concerning sheet-rill erosion in a permafrost trail, distribution of the rainfall erosion index, and suggested cover and management factor values.This work was supported by the Institute of Northern Forestry, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, USDA. The Institute of Water Resources, University of Alaska, provided facilities for this research

Policy and Practice Brief: State and Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Programs

This brief provides an introduction to the state and federal vocational rehabilitation system outlined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It provides a review of how the vocational rehabilitation system is integrated within the broader Workforce Investment Act along with a break down for eligibility and available services. Discussed is financial need criteria, statutory requirements for maximization of employment, comparable services requirements and individual rights and appeals

Lightweight Data Integration Frameworks for Clinical Research

Research data from a single clinical study is often spread across multiple applications and systems. We present a reusable, lightweight, secure framework for automatically integrating and querying study data from heterogeneous sources in order to answer routine, operational questions for researchers