1,794 research outputs found
Axial GaAs/Ga(As,Bi) Nanowire Heterostructures
Bi-containing III-V semiconductors constitute an exciting class of metastable
compounds with wide-ranging potential optoelectronic and electronic
applications. However, the growth of III-V-Bi alloys requires group-III-rich
growth conditions, which pose severe challenges for planar growth. In this
work, we exploit the naturally-Ga-rich environment present inside the metallic
droplet of a self-catalyzed GaAs nanowire to synthesize metastable
GaAs/GaAsBi axial nanowire heterostructures with
high Bi contents. The axial GaAsBi segments are
realized with molecular beam epitaxy by first enriching only the
vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) Ga droplets with Bi, followed by exposing the
resulting Ga-Bi droplets to As at temperatures ranging from 270 to
380\,^{\circ}C to precipitate GaAsBi only under
the nanowire droplets. Microstructural and elemental characterization reveals
the presence of single crystal zincblende GaAsBi
axial nanowire segments with Bi contents up to (102). This work
illustrates how the unique local growth environment present during the VLS
nanowire growth can be exploited to synthesize heterostructures with metastable
compounds
Changes in Habitat Use of Montezuma Quail in Response to Tree Canopy Reduction in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico
Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) are unique among quail with respect to clutch size, diet, covey dynamics, and habitat use. With the exception of a few notable early studies, there is relatively little information on the ecology of Montezuma quail. Pervious research has indicated that one of the primary habitats utilized by Montezuma quail is pinyon–juniper (Pinus spp.–Juniperus spp.) woodlands. Throughout many areas of the southwestern United States, pinyon–juniper woodlands are often targeted for thinning projects. Many studies have been conducted on the amount of canopy cover needed by other quail species. However, data on characteristics of their preferred habitat in many of the mountains they inhabit is limited in the literature and no data are currently published on their response to thinning projects. Therefore, studies are warranted to fill in these missing data, which will increase our knowledge about the habitat requirements of Montezuma quail and allow us to make informed decisions about thinning projects in areas occupied by Montezuma quail. The goal of this research was to evaluate Montezuma quail responses to common silvicultural practices, specifically pinyon–juniper thinning in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. Results of our project indicated that Montezuma quail selected for sites that had been thinned to reduce canopy cover to a 30–40% mosaic. Selection for this habitat was much higher than selection for the surrounding area, which consisted of ≥70% canopy cover (Manly–Chesson Selectivity Index = 1.68). Overall, this study yields vital information for managers considering implanting thinning projects in Montezuma quail habitat
Breeding Season Space Use and Habitat Selection of Adult Female Scaled and Gambel\u27s Quail in West Texas
We used radiotelemetry to investigate breeding-season (1 Apr–1 Sep, 2012 and 2013) home ranges and habitat selection of adult female scaled (Callipepla squamata) and Gambel’s quail (C. gambelii) in the eastern Chihuahuan Desert, Texas. Mean breeding-season home range (95% fixed kernel) for scaled quail was 145.02 ± 23.56 ha (range = 22.03–538.24 ha) and 156.32 ± 13.04 ha (range = 66.15– 270.74 ha) for Gambel’s quail. Mean core-use area (50% fixed kernel) for scaled quail was 31.38 ± 4.80 ha (range = 4.03–111.36 ha) and 32.87 ± 2.61 ha (range = 12.19–52.36 ha) for Gambel’s quail. We found evidence of home-range overlap in neighboring females in both species. Excessive drought can suppress nesting activity. However, encourage reproductive activity in both species may be encouraged by managing riparian areas to provide adequate forage and microclimatic conditions
Survival and Nesting Ecology of Scaled Quail in the Trans-Pecos, Texas
Scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) are one of the most ecologically and economically important wildlife species in the Trans-Pecos, because they are the primary upland game bird in the Chihuahuan Desert. Using radiotelemetry, we evaluated survival (Kaplan–Meier) and nesting success of quail on 3 study sites in the Trans-Pecos, Texas: one (Santiago Mountain Ranch, central Brewster Co.) was supplemented with milo (Sorghum bicolor) year-round, the second (Lado Ranch, south Culberson Co.) never used supplements, and the third (Apache Ranch, central Culberson Co.) was supplemented with quail blocks. We trapped and radiocollared 164 female quail collectively across all study sites, and followed them for 2 years (May–Sep 2012–2013). There were no survival differences between years within study sites (P = 0.985), so we grouped data across years and compared survival between study sites. Apache Ranch had the lowest survival (55%) compared with the Santiago Mountain Ranch (76.3%) and Lado Ranch (75%). We found 47 nests across the reproductive seasons for 2012 and 2013. On average, scaled quail had high nesting success (72.6%), eggs per nest (11.6), and hatchability (91.25%). Nesting occurred from May to September with peak nesting in June and July. Timing and quantity of rain, combined with range conditions seemed to have the greatest effect on nesting performance
El desarrollo económico y la desigualdad en trece economÃas de América Latina
El presente artÃculo evalua, mediante un modelo econométrico de datos panel, la relación
existente entre entre la desigualdad y el crecimiento económico para trece economÃas
latinomericas. El análisis se efectua para un intervalo temporal que va de 1998 a 2020, en
este periodo se estudia el impacto que tuvo el Indice de Gini (desigualdad) sobre la tasa de
crecimiento del PIB de las economÃas bajo estudio. Se realizaron tres estimaciones, la primera
de ellas consistió en un modelo general de datos panel (Pool de datos panel). La segunda
estimación se realizó considerando efectos fijos por región y tiempo. Finalmente el tercer
modelo, consideró una estimación con efectos aleatorios
Atmospheric correction for MASTER image data using localized modelled and observed meteorology and trace gases
Atmospheric correction for remote sensing-based studies typically does not use information from spatio-temporally resolved meteorological models. We assessed the effect of using observations and mesoscale weather and chemical transport models on multispectral retrievals of land and ocean properties. We performed two atmospheric corrections on image data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) airborne simulator over Monterey Bay, California. One correction used local atmospheric profiles of meteorology and trace gases at overpass and the other used the 1976 US Standard default atmospheric profile in the MODTRAN4 radiative transfer model.We found only minor impacts from atmospheric correction in the Fluorescence Line Height index of ocean chlorophyll, but substantive differences in retrievals of surface temperature and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. Improvements in sea surface temperature retrieval were validated by in situ measurements. Results indicate that spatio-temporally specific atmospheric correction factors from mesoscale models can improve retrievals of surface properties from remotely sensed image data
From the First Coeds to Our First Woman President - Why Gender Matters at DePauw
Gender has long been an important issue at DePauw, from the first women students who were admitted in 1867 to our first woman president over 150 years later. In this presentation, we will take a close look at the impetus for creating a gender resource center in 2004 and what current students need in 2021. Join us as we share how the programs, services and advocacy of the DePauw Women\u27s Center work to provide relevant resources and how we can continue to educate, celebrate and advocate into the future
Histopathological Analysis of Quails in the Trans-Pecos Ecoregion of Texas
Quail populations in Texas, USA, have declined over the past few decades due primarily to habitat loss. The role that parasites may play in such declines has been a recent topic of concern. To help address this question, we collected 12 scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), 8 Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii), and 3 Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) from across the Trans-Pecos ecoregion of Texas via hunter harvest, funnel traps, and night netting. Quail samples were necropsied to determine the abundance of eyeworms (Oxyspirura petrowi). Histopathological analyses were conducted on quail eyeballs and periocular tissues to gain information on parasite-related tissue damage and document other pathogenic factors. We calculated mean abundances of Oxyspirura petrowi for sampled scaled (x̄ = 5.5, standard deviation [SD] = 2.5, x̃ = 3, n = 12), Gambel’s (x̄ = 6.4, SD = 4.2, x̃ = 1.5, n = 8), and Montezuma quail (x̄ = 13, SD = 1.5, x̃ = 13, n = 3). Host tissues exhibited immune responses (i.e., lymphocytic conjunctivitis and plasmacytic adenitis) to O. petrowi. The observed immune responses indicated relatively mild irritation within the ocular tissues. It has been speculated that such irritation to ocular tissues could negatively impact quail vision. This potential impact is worth noting because quails rely on keen vision to detect predators. Future research should focus on measuring the effects of O. petrowi infections on quail survival
Towards Autonomous Operations of the Robonaut 2 Humanoid Robotic Testbed
The Robonaut project has been conducting research in robotics technology on board the International Space Station (ISS) since 2012. Recently, the original upper body humanoid robot was upgraded by the addition of two climbing manipulators ("legs"), more capable processors, and new sensors, as shown in Figure 1. While Robonaut 2 (R2) has been working through checkout exercises on orbit following the upgrade, technology development on the ground has continued to advance. Through the Active Reduced Gravity Offload System (ARGOS), the Robonaut team has been able to develop technologies that will enable full operation of the robotic testbed on orbit using similar robots located at the Johnson Space Center. Once these technologies have been vetted in this way, they will be implemented and tested on the R2 unit on board the ISS. The goal of this work is to create a fully-featured robotics research platform on board the ISS to increase the technology readiness level of technologies that will aid in future exploration missions. Technology development has thus far followed two main paths, autonomous climbing and efficient tool manipulation. Central to both technologies has been the incorporation of a human robotic interaction paradigm that involves the visualization of sensory and pre-planned command data with models of the robot and its environment. Figure 2 shows screenshots of these interactive tools, built in rviz, that are used to develop and implement these technologies on R2. Robonaut 2 is designed to move along the handrails and seat track around the US lab inside the ISS. This is difficult for many reasons, namely the environment is cluttered and constrained, the robot has many degrees of freedom (DOF) it can utilize for climbing, and remote commanding for precision tasks such as grasping handrails is time-consuming and difficult. Because of this, it is important to develop the technologies needed to allow the robot to reach operator-specified positions as autonomously as possible. The most important progress in this area has been the work towards efficient path planning for high DOF, highly constrained systems. Other advances include machine vision algorithms for localizing and automatically docking with handrails, the ability of the operator to place obstacles in the robot's virtual environment, autonomous obstacle avoidance techniques, and constraint management
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