Estimating and Analyzing Demographic Models Using the popbio Package in R

A complete assessment of population growth and viability from field census data often requires complex data manipulations, statistical routines, mathematical tools, programming environments, and graphical capabilities. We therefore designed an R package called popbio to facilitate both the construction and analysis of projection matrix models. The package consists primarily of the R translation of MATLAB code found in Caswell (2001) and Morris and Doak (2002) for the analysis of projection matrix models. The package also includes methods to estimate vital rates and construct projection matrix models from census data typically collected in plant demography studies. In these studies, vital rates can often be estimated directly from annual censuses of tagged individuals using transition frequency tables. Because the construction of projection matrix models requires careful management of census data, we describe the steps to construct a projection matrix in detail.

Estimating and Analyzing Demographic Models Using the popbio Package in R

A complete assessment of population growth and viability from field census data often requires complex data manipulations, statistical routines, mathematical tools, programming environments, and graphical capabilities. We therefore designed an R package called popbio to facilitate both the construction and analysis of projection matrix models. The package consists primarily of the R translation of MATLAB code found in Caswell (2001) and Morris and Doak (2002) for the analysis of projection matrix models. The package also includes methods to estimate vital rates and construct projection matrix models from census data typically collected in plant demography studies. In these studies, vital rates can often be estimated directly from annual censuses of tagged individuals using transition frequency tables. Because the construction of projection matrix models requires careful management of census data, we describe the steps to construct a projection matrix in detail

Putter Measurement System

This project is provided and funded by Callaway Golf Company for the Mechanical Engineering Department as a capstone project, also known as the Senior Project series: ME 428, 429, and 430. The title of the project proposal is Putter Measurement System in which our team must design, build, and test a system that meets the proposed objectives as stated by Callaway Golf. The need arises from the current systems’ inability to provide detailed and consistent measurements without tedious setup and calibration

Pensionsverpflichtungen: Ein unternehmerischer Risikofaktor?

Das Eingehen von Pensionsverpflichtungen ist für Unternehmen mit vielfältigen Risiken verbunden. In diesem Papier werden am Beispiel der Pensionszusage die Auswirkungen zweier Risikofaktoren auf die Pensionsrückstellungen von Unternehmen untersucht: Des vorzeitigen Rentenbezugs und des für die Steuerbilanzierung gesetzlich festgelegten Rechnungszinses gemäß § 6a EStG. Ausgangspunkt der Überlegungen bildet die Fragestellung, ob die gesetzlich zulässigen Pensionsrückstellungen auch den tatsächlichen Kostenaufwand aus Betriebsrenten abbilden. Dazu wird ein erstes Grundmodell zur Bestimmung von Pensionsrückstellungen entwickelt, auf dessen Basis für konkrete Annahmeszenarien Berechnungen durchgeführt werden. Es zeigt sich, dass ein vorzeitiger Rentenzugang mit 62 Jahren mit Einsparungen, ein Rentenzugang ab 65 Jahren hingegen mit Mehrkosten verbunden ist. Werden die Pensionsrückstellungen auf Basis der neuen Heubeck'schen Richttafeln 2005G(C) durchgeführt, so konnte eine angemessene Berücksichtigung demografischer Veränderungen festgestellt werden. Allerdings ist davon auszugehen, dass die gebildeten Pensionsrückstellungen unter Maßgabe des Rechnungszinses nach §6a EStG zu einer Unterbewertung des tatsächlichen Kostenaufwandes für Betriebsrenten von bis zu 30 Prozent führen. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Ergebnisse werden schließlich alternative Möglichkeiten der Ausfinanzierung von Pensionszusagen beleuchtet. Pension accruals are linked to several risks for companies. In this paper we discuss two risk factors, taking pension promises as an example: Early retirement and the legal discount rate. As a starting point we ask whether statutory accruals correctly reflect the costs companies incur with pension promises. In a basic actuarial framework we first investigate the influence of the age of retirement on costs, taking into account that later retirement seems to go along with higher life expectancy. Then we investigate the cost effect of an actuarial discount rate that differs from the one stipulated by § 6a EStG. Our results show that early retirement (at age 62) leads to a cost reduction, whereas late retirement (at age 65and above) increases pension costs. If statutory accruals for pensions are calculated based on the new 2005 G Heubeck(c) tables, differential mortality seem quite well considered. Regarding differences in the discount rate, imposition of the statutory calculation rate according to § 6a EStG could imply an undervaluation of around 30 percent of real pension costs for companies. Given this result, we finally consider some alternative ways for companies to finance their pension promises.Betriebliche Altersversorgung, Frühverrentung, Lebenserwartung, Pensionsrückstellung, Rechnungszins, Renteneintrittsalter, Rentenversicherung. occupational pension, early retirement, life expectancy, reserve for pensions, discount rate, age of retirement, pension insurance

Audience Image Preferences of 1080i and 720p High Definition Video Formats: An Experiment

The two main kinds of high definition television video formats broadcast in the United States are 1080i and 720p. Both formats are claimed to have advantages and disadvantages relative to the other format. However, there has been little academic research to determine viewer preferences of these formats, and whether the stated claims about each format\u27s strengths and weaknesses are valid. This thesis addresses this lack of research by employing an experiment to determine viewer perceptions and preferences of these two high definition formats. The two major findings from this study pertain to viewer preferences of 1080i/720p with regard to motion, and which format is preferred at night. Statistical analysis of this study\u27s results contradict the often accepted notion 720p is the better format to record and display video involving motion. This experiment\u27s results showed viewers have a significant preference for 1080i when viewing video involving high in-frame movement. It was also determined viewers prefer the 720p video format to a significant level when viewing video recorded at night. Other trends such as 720p being the overall preferred high definition television format were found, but not to a statistically significant level

Forudsætninger for ligeværdig deltagelse: – multimodal samskabelse i praksis

ResuméTrods årtiers fokus på social ligestilling viser forskning at mennesker med handicap oplever begrænsninger i indflydelsen på eget liv. Artiklen beskriver et aktionsforskningsprojekt, hvor borgere og ansatte på et bo- og beskæftigelsestilbud for mennesker med intellektuel funktionsnedsættelse samarbejder med artiklens forfattere om at udvikle en praksis, hvor forudsætningerne for borgernes med- og selvbestemmelse styrkes. Artiklen har det normative udgangspunkt, at det er en menneskeret at bestemme i eget liv og trækker teoretisk inspiration fra den amerikanske filosof Martha Nussbaum. Læseren vil blive introduceret til multimodal samskabelse som forudsætningsskabende metode til at borgeren bliver ligeværdig aktør i de rum og kontekster, hvor beslutninger træffes og indsatser tilrettelægges. AbstractPrerequisites for equal Participation – multimodality and co-creationFor decades social equity has been widely discussed and promoted. And yet research shows that people with mental and physical disabilities experience a lack of influence on their lives. This article describes an action research project involving citizens with intellectual disabilities and other stakeholders in a shared investigation of how the practice field can take steps towards encouraging participation. Theoretical inspiration is drawn from Martha Nussbaum and the capability approach. The article introduces multimodal co-creation as a method to enhancing equity in the decision making concerning and the planning of pedagogical approaches in the field

The peripheral blood transcriptome in septic cardiomyopathy: an observational, pilot study.

BACKGROUND:Septic cardiomyopathy (SCM) is common in sepsis and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS), measured by speckle tracking echocardiography, allows improved identification of impaired cardiac contractility. The peripheral blood transcriptome may be an important window into SCM pathophysiology. We therefore studied the peripheral blood transcriptome and LV GLS in a prospective cohort of patients with sepsis. RESULTS:In this single-center observational pilot study, we enrolled adult patients (age > 18) with sepsis within 48 h of admission to the ICU. SCM was defined as LV GLS > - 17% based on echocardiograms performed within 72 h of admission. We enrolled 27 patients, 24 of whom had high-quality RNA results; 18 (75%) of 24 had SCM. The group was 50% female and had a median (IQR) age of 59.5 (48.5-67.0) years and admission APACHE II score of 21.0 (16.0-32.3). Forty-six percent had septic shock. After filtering for low-expression and non-coding genes, 15,418 protein coding genes were expressed and 73 had significantly different expression between patients with vs. without SCM. In patients with SCM, 43 genes were upregulated and 30 were downregulated. Pathway analysis identified enrichment in type 1 interferon signaling (adjusted p < 10-5). CONCLUSIONS:In this hypothesis-generating study, SCM was associated with upregulation of genes in the type 1 interferon signaling pathway. Interferons are cytokines that stimulate the innate and adaptive immune response and are implicated in the early proinflammatory and delayed immunosuppression phases of sepsis. While type 1 interferons have not been implicated previously in SCM, interferon therapy (for viral hepatitis and Kaposi sarcoma) has been associated with reversible cardiomyopathy, perhaps suggesting a role for interferon signaling in SCM

The importance of experimental time when assessing the effect of temperature on toxicity in poikilotherms

Temperature is an important factor affecting toxicity, determining chemical toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics in poikilothermic organisms. As also metabolic rates are affected by temperature, interactions between the emergence of toxic effects and time are very likely. The aim of this study was to investigate how temperature affected the toxicity of copper towards the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans when measured during short fixed timeframes compared to during full life-cycles. Copper toxicity was tested in two experiments at four or six temperatures in the range of 11 to 24°C, with copper concentrations spanning from one to 40 mg Cu/L agar, respectively. Reproduction and mortality were determined across the entire life-cycle, and the time to production of first egg and the population growth rate were calculated. The results showed that the 50% effect concentrations (EC50) of copper increased 1.5 to 2.5-fold with increasing temperature within the tested range, depending on endpoint. When calculating EC50 on reproduction after 24 or 96 hours, as is the typical setup for temperature/chemical interaction studies, results ranged from no temperature effect to effects much larger than for the full life cycle. Studies of temperature effects on toxicity must therefore be carefully designed in relation to the research question investigated

Demography of a deep-sea lantern shark (Etmopterus spinax) caught in trawl fisheries of the northeastern Atlantic: Application of Leslie matrices with incorporated uncertainties

The deep-sea lantern shark Etmopterus spinax occurs in the northeast Atlantic on or near the bottoms of the outer continental shelves and slopes, and is regularly captured as bycatch in deep-water commercial fisheries. Given the lack of knowledge on the impacts of fisheries on this species, a demographic analysis using age-based Leslie matrices was carried out. Given the uncertainties in the mortality estimates and in the available life history parameters, several different scenarios, some incorporating stochasticity in the life history parameters (using Monte Carlo simulation), were analyzed. If only natural mortality were considered, even after introducing uncertainties in all parameters, the estimated population growth rate (A) suggested an increasing population. However, if fishing mortality from trawl fisheries is considered, the estimates of A either indicated increasing or declining populations. In these latter cases, the uncertainties in the species reproductive cycle seemed to be particularly relevant, as a 2-year reproductive cycle indicated a stable population, while a longer (3-year cycle) indicated a declining population. The estimated matrix elasticities were in general higher for the survivorship parameters of the younger age classes and tended to decrease for the older ages. This highlights the susceptibility of this deep-sea squaloid to increasing fishing mortality, emphasizing that even though this is a small-sized species, it shows population dynamics patterns more typical of the larger-sized and in general more vulnerable species. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

From endogenous to exogenous pattern formation: Invasive plant species changes the spatial distribution of a native ant

Invasive species are a significant threat to global biodiversity, but our understanding of how invasive species impact native communities across space and time remains limited. Based on observations in an old field in Southeast Michigan spanning 35 years, our study documents significant impacts of habitat change, likely driven by the invasion of the shrub, Elaeagnus umbellata, on the nest distribution patterns and population demographics of a native ant species, Formica obscuripes. Landcover change in aerial photographs indicates that E. umbellata expanded aggressively, transforming a large proportion of the original open field into dense shrubland. By comparing the ant’s landcover preferences before and after the invasion, we demonstrate that this species experienced a significant unfavorable change in its foraging areas. We also find that shrub landcover significantly moderates aggression between nests, suggesting nests are more related where there is more E. umbellata. This may represent a shift in reproductive strategy from queen flights, reported in the past, to asexual nest budding. Our results suggest that E. umbellata may affect the spatial distribution of F. obscuripes by shifting the drivers of nest pattern formation from an endogenous process (queen flights), which led to a uniform pattern, to a process that is both endogenous (nest budding) and exogenous (loss of preferred habitat), resulting in a significantly different clustered pattern. The number and sizes of F. obscuripes nests in our study site are projected to decrease in the next 40 years, although further study of this population’s colony structures is needed to understand the extent of this decrease. Elaeagnus umbellata is a common invasive shrub, and similar impacts on native species might occur in its invasive range, or in areas with similar shrub invasions.Invasive species are a threat to global biodiversity, but our understanding of how they impact native communities across space and time remains limited. We compared the spatial distribution of a population of native ant Formica obscuripes in SE Michigan between 1980 and 2015, during which the invasive shrub Elaeagnus umbellata changed the dominant landcover from open field to shrubland. Analyses of ant habitat preference and aggressivity suggest that this landcover change caused the nest pattern formation process to shift from endogenous (reproductive queen flights) that led to a uniform pattern, to both endogenous (nest budding) and exogenous (loss of preferred habitat), resulting in a significantly different clustered pattern. Results of a stage‐structured model suggest that the ant population may be declining. Elaeagnus umbellata is a common invasive shrub, and similar impacts on native species might occur in its invasive range, or in areas with similar shrub invasions.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136690/1/gcb13671.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136690/2/gcb13671_am.pd