Differential Use of Agricultural Fields and Rangeland Nesting Habitat by McCown’s Longspur (\u3ci\u3eCalcarius mccownii\u3c/i\u3e) and Chestnut-Collared Longspur (\u3ci\u3eCalcarius ornatus\u3c/i\u3e) in Western Nebraska

The Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan (NNLP) lists both McCown\u27s Longspur and Chestnut-collared Longspur as Tier I and Tier II species of conservation concern, respectively (Schneider et al. 2005). McCown\u27s Longspur is listed as a Tier I species (highest conservation priority) in Nebraska because of regional population declines (Schneider et al. 2005), and because it is also listed on the Partners in Flight WatchList (Fitzgerald and Pashley 2000). The breeding distribution of McCown\u27s Longspur in Nebraska is suggested to be the westernmost counties of the Panhandle (With 1994), although limited information on the breeding ecology of this species exists for Nebraska. In fact, Mollhoff (2001) recorded McCown\u27s nesting in only the westernmost Panhandle, specifically Kimball and Sioux Counties, although both geographic areas are believed to harbor sizeable breeding populations (Sharpe et al. 200 I). McCown\u27s Longspur habitat is shortgrass prairie with short-stature vegetation with areas of intermixed bare round (With 1994, Mollhoff 2001, Sharpe et al. 2001). Threats to the regional population include habitat conversion and fragmentation, and management practices that maintain taller vegetation (Schneider et al. 2005). In 2002 the Nebraska Prairie Partners (NPP), a cooperative partnership between the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), initiated surveys to identify the relative abundance and extent of the breeding distribution of Mountain Plover in Nebraska. One of these surveys was aimed at gaining access to private lands across the Kimball Grasslands Biologically Unique Landscape (BUL) and locating/marking Mountain Plover nests on agricultural fields. During these surveys, we routinely encountered McCown\u27s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs displaying breeding and nesting behaviors (e.g., falling leaf display). We opportunistically recorded data on McCown\u27s and Chestnut-collared Longspur nests during Mountain Plover nest marking surveys to gain knowledge of their distribution and nesting habits within Nebraska. We couple these data with data from section-based surveys conducted across western Nebraska by RMBO during the 2006 and 2007 field seasons, where both longspur species were also recorded along with general habitat data. The purpose of this paper is to provide information on nesting locations and general habitat information for both McCown\u27s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs breeding in Nebraska

Knowledge Management: A Proposed Process Model

The purpose of this article is to propose a model to serve as a framework of Knowledge Management (KM) in the organization, specifically, a model related to process performance. Since KM is a relatively new field of study, the proposed framework can be used as a basis to guide future research. A framework describes a phenomenon in the form of key factors, constructs, or variables and their relationships; allows an organization to gain perspective; and provides focus to improve effectiveness. The framework should be useful in planning KM activities within an organization and for distinguishing between the required processes. This framework can be used to analyze the resources required and how they should be used. An understanding of knowledge is prerequisite for design and implementation an effective KM process. The relation of data and information to knowledge (the ‘information food chain’) is also necessary. We add expertise in the chain

Migration Chronology, Nesting Ecology, and Breeding Distribution of Mountain Plover (\u3ci\u3eCharadrius montanus\u3c/i\u3e) in Nebraska

The Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) is a loosely colonial (Graul 1975) upland shorebird that breeds across the xeric tablelands of the western Great Plains and shortgrass prairie ecoregion of North America (Knopf and Wunder 2006). This is a species of conservation concern throughout its range because of apparent range-wide population declines (Knopf and Wunder 2006). The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan (USSCP) recently classified the species as globally highly imperiled (Brown et al. 2001; USSCP 2004). Reasons for the decline of Mountain Plovers are not fully understood. Habitat destruction and the tendency of the species to nest in agricultural fields, where nests may be susceptible to destruction from agricultural practices, have been identified as possible causes (Shackford et al. 1999, Dreitz 2005, Knopf and Wunder 2006). In 2002 the Nebraska Prairie Partners (NPP), a cooperative partnership between the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), initiated a project to identify the extent of the breeding distribution and population size of Mountain Plover in Nebraska. The NPP made a concerted effort to gain access to private lands in the southwestern panhandle before initiating systematic research and monitoring activities focused on Mountain Plover ecology. Specific monitoring activities included roadside surveys, early spring visual checks in areas where plover were found in previous years, and monitoring nests in agricultural fields (nest marking) throughout May and June of most years. In addition, surveys of randomly selected 200 x 200 meter patches (patch surveys) were conducted in late April and May of the 2004–2007 field seasons. The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated, descriptive assessment of Mountain Plover in Nebraska. We base our conclusions on six years (2002–2007) of Mountain Plover monitoring data in the southwestern panhandle of Nebraska. We reviewed data collected from our monitoring activities to reassess the status of Mountain Plover in Nebraska including (1) estimated arrival dates of spring migrants and departure dates of fall migrants, (2) nesting chronology and time intervals of peak nesting activity, and (3) a general distribution of breeding Mountain Plovers in the southwest panhandle

Migration Chronology, Nesting Ecology, and Breeding Distribution of Mountain Plover (\u3ci\u3eCharadrius montanus\u3c/i\u3e) in Nebraska

The Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) is a loosely colonial (Graul 1975) upland shorebird that breeds across the xeric tablelands of the western Great Plains and shortgrass prairie ecoregion of North America (Knopf and Wunder 2006). This is a species of conservation concern throughout its range because of apparent range-wide population declines (Knopf and Wunder 2006). The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan (USSCP) recently classified the species as globally highly imperiled (Brown et al. 2001; USSCP 2004). Reasons for the decline of Mountain Plovers are not fully understood. Habitat destruction and the tendency of the species to nest in agricultural fields, where nests may be susceptible to destruction from agricultural practices, have been identified as possible causes (Shackford et al. 1999, Dreitz 2005, Knopf and Wunder 2006). In 2002 the Nebraska Prairie Partners (NPP), a cooperative partnership between the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), initiated a project to identify the extent of the breeding distribution and population size of Mountain Plover in Nebraska. The NPP made a concerted effort to gain access to private lands in the southwestern panhandle before initiating systematic research and monitoring activities focused on Mountain Plover ecology. Specific monitoring activities included roadside surveys, early spring visual checks in areas where plover were found in previous years, and monitoring nests in agricultural fields (nest marking) throughout May and June of most years. In addition, surveys of randomly selected 200 x 200 meter patches (patch surveys) were conducted in late April and May of the 2004–2007 field seasons. The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated, descriptive assessment of Mountain Plover in Nebraska. We base our conclusions on six years (2002–2007) of Mountain Plover monitoring data in the southwestern panhandle of Nebraska. We reviewed data collected from our monitoring activities to reassess the status of Mountain Plover in Nebraska including (1) estimated arrival dates of spring migrants and departure dates of fall migrants, (2) nesting chronology and time intervals of peak nesting activity, and (3) a general distribution of breeding Mountain Plovers in the southwest panhandle

Mexican Banks’ Acceptance and Use of Twitter to Assist in Evaluating Farm Loan Applications: Exploring the Role of Agricultural Loans on Food Security

Food security issues are a global concern of countless citizens irrespective of professional vocation or individual residence. Literature indicated numerous factors affect food security and researchers should continue examining elements that may influence food insecurity. The lack of acquiring finance can prohibit farmers from planting and harvesting crops, and thus, is a cause of food insecurity. Mexican banks receive economic agricultural forecasts from the Ministry of Agriculture. This study sought to describe Mexican banks’ degree of acceptance and use of the Ministry’s information on Twitter. Fourteen (N = 14) agricultural loan administrators from Mexican banks were examined to address this study’s research objectives. Agricultural loan administrators were interviewed to determine their acceptance and use of the Ministry’s statistics on Twitter. Participants reported the dissemination of agricultural statistics on Twitter saved banks time by providing a source that delivered specific crop forecasts and not all crop outlooks simultaneously. Twitter can be used to let a bank know the particular value of a commodity in real time thus being able to inform not only their financial decisions but notify farmers pursuing loans. The Ministry of Agriculture’s Twitter feeds increased performance and communication while requiring little effort due to the pervasive nature of the technology. The use of information disseminated on Twitter allowed farmers to receive funds faster thus enabling them to plant and harvest crops in order to aid in the battle against food insecurity

Examining the Relationship between Community Orientation and Hospital Financial Performance

A community orientation strategy may be a socially responsible way for hospitals to simultaneously improve financial performance and community health, in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. Using data from the AHA Annual Survey, AHRF, and CMS Cost Reports, this study examined the association between hospital community orientation and three measures of financial performance, and whether that relationship differs for some types of hospitals. The analysis revealed that hospital community orientation was positively associated with total margin and that not-for-profit hospitals engaging in higher levels of community orientation experienced lower operating margins, on average, relative to for-profit hospital

Simulating the Gradually Deteriorating Performance of an RTG

Degra (now in version 3) is a computer program that simulates the performance of a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) over its lifetime. Degra is provided with a graphical user interface that is used to edit input parameters that describe the initial state of the RTG and the time-varying loads and environment to which it will be exposed. Performance is computed by modeling the flows of heat from the radioactive source and through the thermocouples, also allowing for losses, to determine the temperature drop across the thermocouples. This temperature drop is used to determine the open-circuit voltage, electrical resistance, and thermal conductance of the thermocouples. Output power can then be computed by relating the open-circuit voltage and the electrical resistance of the thermocouples to a specified time-varying load voltage. Degra accounts for the gradual deterioration of performance attributable primarily to decay of the radioactive source and secondarily to gradual deterioration of the thermoelectric material. To provide guidance to an RTG designer, given a minimum of input, Degra computes the dimensions, masses, and thermal conductances of important internal structures as well as the overall external dimensions and total mass

A cancer rainbow mouse for visualizing the functional genomics of oncogenic clonal expansion.

Field cancerization is a premalignant process marked by clones of oncogenic mutations spreading through the epithelium. The timescales of intestinal field cancerization can be variable and the mechanisms driving the rapid spread of oncogenic clones are unknown. Here we use a Cancer rainbow (Crainbow) modelling system for fluorescently barcoding somatic mutations and directly visualizing the clonal expansion and spread of oncogenes. Crainbow shows that mutations of ß-catenin (Ctnnb1) within the intestinal stem cell results in widespread expansion of oncogenes during perinatal development but not in adults. In contrast, mutations that extrinsically disrupt the stem cell microenvironment can spread in adult intestine without delay. We observe the rapid spread of premalignant clones in Crainbow mice expressing oncogenic Rspondin-3 (RSPO3), which occurs by increasing crypt fission and inhibiting crypt fixation. Crainbow modelling provides insight into how somatic mutations rapidly spread and a plausible mechanism for predetermining the intratumor heterogeneity found in colon cancers

100% RAG: Architectural Education | Theory vs. Practice, Volume 2, Number 4

100% RAG: Architectural Education | Theory vs. Practice, Syracuse School of Architecture, Student Newspaper, Volume 2, Number 4. Student newsletter from student contributors of Syracuse School of Architecture in 1977