Sand Transport Studies in Monterey Bay, California: Annual Report, Part 5, 1973

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Catastrophe Models for Cognitive Workload and Fatigue

We reconceptualised several problems concerning the measurement of cognitive workload – fixed versus variable limits on channel capacity, work volume versus time pressure, adaptive strategies, resources demanded by tasks when performed simultaneously, and unclear distinctions between workload and fatigue effects – as two cusp catastrophe models: buckling stress resulting from acute workload, and fatigue resulting from extended engagement. Experimental participants completed a task that was intensive on non-verbal episodic memory and had an automatically speeded component. For buckling stress, the epoch of maximum (speeded) performance was the asymmetry parameter; however, anxiety did not contribute to bifurcation as expected. For fatigue, the bifurcation factor was the total work accomplished, and arithmetic, a compensatory ability, was the asymmetry parameter; R2 for the cusp models outperformed the linear comparison models in both cases. A research programme is outlined that revolves around the two models with different types of task and resource configurations

Food & Community – OSU Extension Local Foods Signature Program

IMPACT. 1: Buying local foods has a ripple effect on the economy. The farmer/producer benefits as well as their employees, local businesses they frequent, charities they support and the local tax base. -- 2. Food raised on local farms not only reduces pollution from long-distance transportation, but also helps to protect our water sources, conserve nutrient-rich soil and provide habitat for local wildlife. -- 3. Over two million Ohioans are food insecure. Community gardens, farm markets, food banks and simply sharing your extra garden produce can feed these families and connect them to the community.OSU PARTNERS: College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; OSU Extension; Department of Food Science and Technology; Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; College of Engineering; Department of Food, Biological and Agricultural Engineering; College of Education and Human Ecology; Department of Human Sciences; Ohio AgrAbility Program; John Glenn School of Public Affairs; Knowlton School of ArchitectureCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Americorps VISTA; Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet); Godman Guild Association; Innovative Farmers of Ohio; Local Matters; Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission; Ohio Department of Agriculture Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association; Ohio Farm Bureau; Ohio Farmers' Market Management Network; Ohio Market Maker; Rural Action Council of Ohio Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education ProgramPRIMARY CONTACT: Kate Shumaker ([email protected])Farm to Plate. Thirty Mile Meals. Feeding our friends and neighbors, funding the local economy and improving the environment can all be accomplished by participating in the local foods movement. Ohio State University Extension's Local Foods Signature Program addresses the critical need for outreach education around the broad topic of local food systems. One of our themes, Food and Community, features education connecting local food to community gardens, farmers markets, food banks and schools

Effects of Amur Honeysuckle on Soil CO2 Emissions

Lonicera maackii is an invasive woody species found in Ohio and throughout the deciduous forests of eastern United States, taking over habitats of native shrub species such as Lindera benzoin. L. maackii has unique traits compared to deciduous forest natives, showing earlier leaf-out and later leaf senescence, higher leaf nitrogen levels, and faster leaf decomposition. As a result, L. maackii may alter soil conditions through its extended root activity and impacts on microbial decomposition, possibly impacting soil CO2 emissions. As soil microorganisms metabolize organic matter, they release greenhouse gases like CO2 through respiration, which can impact global climate change. Previous research has shown that microbial respiration under an invasive shrub of the mediterranean coastal dunes was significantly altered compared to the native species of this ecosystem, indicating a possible total increase of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the effects of L. maackii on soil respiration have been understudied, with no considerations towards the possible effects of this shrub on local forest greenhouse emissions. To monitor CO2 emissions underneath L. maackii, a LI-COR LI-6400 was used to measure CO2 efflux using PVC soil collars embedded into the soil. These measurements were compared with soil efflux data collected from beneath native L. benzoin as well as patches of open soil at least 1 m away from the canopy drip line of any shrub. Soil respiration measurements collected from June 2018 to November 2018 showed no significant differences in CO2 emissions among the three soil conditions. However, these measurements were taken during the most and least productive seasons for both native and invasive plants. This can explain their similarities in respiration rates. More measurements during leaf out of L. maackii will be collected to further define the differences between these shrub species