Molecular evolution of martens (genus Martes)

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2000Molecular studies provide the opportunity to re-evaluate and further investigate hypotheses such as those related to phylogenetic relationships, inter- and intra-continental colonizations, population differentiation, and the dynamics of hybrid zones. Three sets of molecular markers, nuclear and mitochondrial, were used to examine phylogenetic relationships among species within a holarctically distributed genus (Martes), and intraspecific diversification and population differentiation within American marten (Martes americana). In American marten, two morphological groups ('americana' and 'caurina') have been recognized, though the level of distinctiveness between them has been debated. My data supported the fossil record's indication that early radiations gave rise to two subgenera of the genus Martes (Pekania and Charronia) and that a more recent, possibly rapid, radiation gave rise to species of the third subgenus (Martes). Two colonizations of North America are evident, one by members of the subgenus Pekania, and another by the subgenus Martes. However, contrary to hypotheses based on morphological evidence, the 'americana' and 'caurina' subspecies groups of Martes americana represent only one colonization. Cytochrome b data were consistent with the recognition of these as monophyletic clades; however, aldolase C sequences and microsatellite data indicated that these generaly parapatric groups interbreed in at least one region of limited geographic overlap. These clades probably were isolated during the late Pleistocene in eastern and western refugia, but geographic separation apparently has not led to reproductive isolation. My data also indicated two colonization events for the Pacific Northwest by American martens (one by each clade). Due to patterns of genetic variation, I hypothesize that the 'caurina' clade spread along the North Pacific Coast, including southeastern Alaska, earlier than the 'americana' clade, and that these clades have now formed a zone of secondary contact on Kuiu Island in southeastern Alaska. Microsatellite data revealed population differentiation among many island populations in the Pacific Northwest, but possible gene flow among several near-shore island and mainland populations was suggested. Analyses of genetic and geographic distances suggested that colonization history had a strong effect on present day population structure and that oceanic straits and possibly other physiographic features posed significant barriers to gene flow

Letter to Mary E. Johns regarding award of the Lucile Elliott Scholarship, March 19, 1990

A letter from Karen L. Stone to Mary E. Johns thanking the Scholarship Committee for awarding Stone with a Scholarship

Letter to Diana Osbaldiston regarding award of the Lucile Elliott Scholarship, June 13, 1990

A letter from Karen L. Stone to Diana Osbaldiston returning funds from the Lucile Elliott Scholarship

Cultural Resources Survey of the DPS Outdoor Bomb and Gun Range Project, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Tarrant County, Texas

This report documents the substantive findings and management recommendations of a cultural resources survey conducted by Integrated Environmental Solutions, LLC (IES) for the DPS Outdoor Bomb and Gun Range project located within the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) property in Tarrant County, Texas. The proposed project pertains to improvements of the current facility within approximately 71.8 acres located between Texas State Highway (SH) 360 and West Airfield Drive. Approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be required to modify the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to reflect the permanent alterations on the DFW property. Since the ALP is considered a federal action, the project will require compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Additionally, as the DFW is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, the project will be subjected to the provisions of the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). The goal of the survey was to locate, identify, and assess any cultural resources that could be adversely affected by the proposed development, and to evaluate such resources for their potential eligibility for listing as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) and eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The cultural resources inventory survey was conducted on 16 December 2019 and 08 January 2020 by Project Archeologists Anne Gibson and Thomas Chapman, and Staff Archeologist Josh McCormick. All work conformed to 13 Texas Administrative Code 26, which outlines the regulations for implementing the ACT, and was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9161. During the survey, one previously recorded historic-age archeological site (41TR87) was revisited within the APE. Based on the lack of association with historically important individuals or events, absence of significant architectural features, the degree of prior disturbance, and lack of contextual integrity, site 41TR87 is recommended to remain not eligible for listing in the NRHP or designation as a SAL. Although multi-component site 41TR18 was partially located within the APE, the site was not evaluated during the survey. However, the results from a previous IES investigation in 2015 indicate the site should remain ineligible for NRHP listing. Project records will be permanently curated at the Center for Archeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). It is the recommendation of IES that the DPS Outdoor Bomb and Gun Range Project be permitted to continue without the need for further cultural resources investigations. However, if any cultural resources, other than those discussed in this report, are encountered during construction, the operators should stop construction activities in the vicinity of the inadvertent discovery, and immediately contact the project cultural resources representative to initiate coordination with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) prior to resuming construction activities

Emma Bell Miles symposium on Southern Appalachian culture Walden\u27s Ridge and Signal Mountain tour program

Program of the tour of Walden\u27s Ridge and Signal Mountain, Tennessee held during the second annual Emma Bell Miles Symposium on Southern Appalachian Culture and Nature at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on September 9 and 10, 2011

When Questions are the Answers

This is an accessible article published in a magazine that is circulated to all members of the British Association of Social Work. The article draws the attention of practitioners and their managers to developments in what constitutes good practice in supervision.Professional supervision enables social work practitioners to reflect on their performance in relation to organizational goals, but also their own developmental needs. Over recent times, front line managers have been encouraged to incorporate reflective techniques in their supervision, such as those associated with coaching. Among coaching theorists there is a consensus that 'questions are the answers'. Good quality questioning conversations, which are part of a trusting supervisory relationship, may be of benefit to social work practitioners as well as the people they aim to help

Closing the Gap: Education Requirements of the 21st Century Production Workforce

Due to the large number of individuals retiring over the next ten years a critical shortage of people available to work within the manufacturing industry is looming (Dychtwald, Erickson, & Morison, 2006). This shortage is exacerbated by the lack of a properly educated workforce that meets the demands of the 21st century manufacturer (Judy & D’Amico, 1997). Combine these two issues and the result is a steady reduction in qualified candidates for the millions of jobs available in the manufacturing industry. The purpose of this research was to identify if a knowledge gap exists between the manufacturing industry and the educational institutions charged with education of the production workforce. Although the majority of manufacturers and educators indicated there was a gap between the educational institutions and the manufacturer’s needs, this research did not uncover a significant gap between the educational institutions and the manufacturers specific to their understanding of the attributes, skills and adult basic education level of a highly skilled production employee

Backyard

Backyard is the garden I always wanted. For years I have imagined planting beds of flowers, constructing shrines and building a sitting area within the garden for thinking, watching and listening. A garden to me can be a beautiful place that feels warm, protective and seductive. I associate springtime with theese feelings. Every year during this time I notice a refreshing change in my emotional state. Beyond the change of attitude it is the multitude of colors and wild growth that I find exciting.&nbsp; I have spent time in rose gardens, formal gardens and overgrown places. I respond to the individual beauty and order within a formal garden, as well as the tangled sharpness of a rose arbor. The same garden that provides psychological and human comfort, can also turn cold, overwhelming and threatening. Walking through a garden at night can be a lonely and intimidating experience. For me my perception of myself and surroundings become distorted in the darkness. Sounds seem to be amplified and pathways that were once clear, transform into a maze. When I am in this emotional state of panic, I sometimes imagine seeing all kinds of animal and human images that do not really exist.&nbsp; I also believe that plant forms are unpredictable. Flowers that grow wild in a natural garden have the potential to smother surrounding structures. It is the vivid color, the ever changing mood, and the collection of special objects which create the ambiance that I love about a garden. &nbsp;</p

Sheet Scaling in Mohegan Granite: Intrinsic & Extrinsic Factors

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, dimension stone construction was widely popular for monumental structures in the United States. The rise of steam-powered quarry machinery, as well as expedient transportation options, increased access to building stones such as Mohegan granite, extracted from the Peekskill area of New York. The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City, the George T. Bliss Mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery, the Westchester County National Bank in Peekskill, and the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Reading, Massachusetts are but a few of the structures that utilized this medium-grained, yellowish-gray granite. Approximately one century later, many of these stones are consistently displaying evidence of sheet scaling deterioration. This condition not only degrades the aesthetic integrity of a structure, but it has the potential to pose safety concerns as surface layers can easily dislodge from great heights. Unimpeded, sheet scaling could cause structural instabilities as ever more material scales or is disaggregated from a receding surface. Perplexing to many in the conservation field is the fact that very little is understood about how and why sheet scaling occurs. Are intrinsic factors, such as mineralogy, the root cause of this mode of deterioration? Are extrinsic factors, such as incompatible in situ conditions, the true culprit? Even further, could the predisposition for sheet scaling be traced back to aggressive quarrying techniques? In this research, various structures composed of Mohegan granite in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York were studied for their sheet scaling conditions, while core samples were acquired from five of these sites, including the original quarry. Thin section petrography, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy were utilized to research whether particular factors could be identified as contributing to the observed sheet scaling. While definitive conclusions may require further testing, data generated from this study could be used to exclude potential factors, or perhaps identify those that reoccur in other granites known to exhibit this mode of deterioration. This line of inquiry may reveal whether sheet scaling is the result of an isolated factor, or rather as a confluence of factors that consistently combine to produce the same unfortunate effect. Once the agent for this mode of deterioration is defined, better strategies for slowing, halting, or preventing this condition can be sought