Microbial diversity in the thermal springs within Hot Springs National Park

The thermal water systems of Hot Springs National Park (HSNP) in Hot Springs, Arkansas exist in relative isolation from other North American thermal systems. The HSNP waters could therefore serve as a unique center of thermophilic microbial biodiversity. However, these springs remain largely unexplored using culture-independent next generation sequencing techniques to classify species of thermophilic organisms. Additionally, HSNP has been the focus of anthropogenic development, capping and diverting the springs for use in recreational bathhouse facilities. Human modification of these springs may have impacted the structure of these bacterial communities compared to springs left in a relative natural state. The goal of this study was to compare the community structure in two capped springs and two uncapped springs in HSNP, as well as broadly survey the microbial diversity of the springs. We used Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing of water samples from each spring, the QIIME workflow for sequence analysis, and generated measures of genera and phyla richness, diversity, and evenness. In total, over 700 genera were detected and most individual samples had more than 100 genera. There were also several uncharacterized sequences that could not be placed in known taxa, indicating the sampled springs contain undescribed bacteria. There was great variation both between sites and within samples, so no significant differences were detected in community structure between sites. Our results suggest that these springs, regardless of their human modification, contain a considerable amount of biodiversity, some of it potentially unique to the study site

The Concordiensis, Volume 38, No 20

Advertisements; Old Schenectady County History; The Electrical Show; 1915 Football Schedule; Classical Club; The Engineering Courses at Union; 1916 Men Honored; Prize Essays in History; Glee Club Election; Advance Talk on a Baseball; The Coulter Memorial; Senior Greatly Honored; Moses Vinely Series; To Moses Vinely; Dancing Tea at Pres. Richmond\u27s; Y.M.C.A. Elections; Two Book Reviews; Constitution of the Concordiensis of Union College; Prohibition at Union College; Report of the Basketball Dance Committee; Freshman-Sophomore Debate; Advertisementshttps://digitalworks.union.edu/concordiensis_1915/1011/thumbnail.jp

The Concordiensis, Volume 39, No 1

Advertisements; Activities of the Week; Opening of Football Season; New Faculty Members; Y.M.C.A. Activities; Butterfield Memorial; Freshmen Meeting Tomorrow; Cross Country Begins Today; Thomas P. Keating; Concordy Talk; Welcome, 1919; The Campus; To the Seniors; The Coach on Football; On Your Way. To 1919; Psi U to Remodel; Debating Information; Personal; New Method of Studying On Foot at Columbia; Do You Believe in Signs?; Elective Compulsory Exercise; Two Semesters; New Methods of Studying On Foot at Columbia; Do You Believe in Signs?; Elective Compulsory Exercise; Two Semesters; Advertisementshttps://digitalworks.union.edu/concordiensis_1915/1019/thumbnail.jp

The Concordiensis, Volume 39, No 10

Advertisements; Debate Tonight; British Lieutenant Addresses Student Body; An Indictment of Intercollegiate Athletics. ; College Should Be A Fountain of Patriotism; Union Students Attend Rochester Convention; Sophomore Soiree Great Success!; New Terrace Council Rules; Teachers Wanted; Coming Vesper Service; Psi Upsilon Entertains; Musical Clubs Take Trip; Signal Corps; Big Fire at Williams; Rev. Warren P. Grant Speaks at Vespers. The Strength of Meekness. ; Meeting of Memorial Committee; A Professional Rough-Riding Academy; Publication of Handbook; 400 Volunteers at Hardvard; Basket Ball; A Merry Christmas; the Cumberland\u27s Crew; The Evils of College Life; Smashing the Footlights; Telegram Wag; Those Barber Shop Conversations; A Word to the Wise; The Inebriate\u27s Paragraph; The Spires of Oxford. ; At the End of the Term; An Explanation; Salutation; Vacuum Stuffing; Logical Mind; Advertisementshttps://digitalworks.union.edu/concordiensis_1915/1028/thumbnail.jp

The Concordiensis, Volume 39, No 2

Advertisements; The St. Lawrence Game; Advanced Dope From Williams; The Interfraternity Conference; Constitution of the Interfraternity Conference of Union College; Union Graduates Driving French War Ambulance; Sophomore-Freshman Scraps; A Word of Adcice to 1919; Football and Cheering; union Graduate Reported Killed; Governer Whitman, William Jennings Bryan and Henry Ford; Show Williams; Arrangement for the Williams Trip; Recent Union graduate Takes Chemistry Chair at Pennsylvania College; Remember; Freshmen Reception; Sunday Vesper Service; Schenectady\u27s Health Methods Win High Praise; Students Elect New Members to Athletic Board; battle Hymn of the Copy Desk; the Blissful Days; A Mistake Somewhere; Advertisementshttps://digitalworks.union.edu/concordiensis_1915/1020/thumbnail.jp

The Concordiensis, Volume 38, No 19

Advertisements; A Review of The Season; A Second Victory From R.P.I.; Captain Houghton; Dave Beaver; Jake Beaker; Teddy Woods; Joe Haubner; Jimmy Mudge; Tom Keating; The Second Team; Basketball and its Prospects; The Athletic Dinner; Coach Dawson on the Season; Too Early; Salutatory; Athletic Board Awards; The Electrical Show; Black Cat Banquet; The 1916 Garnet; The Northeastern Intercollegiate League Scores; English Club Election; Namur; Some Game!; All-Eternity Championship; To the Basketball Team; nobody Home; Spring Track Season; Are we Next, Honorable Faculty?; The Rockefeller Foundation Gift; Congratulations.; faculty Meet Socialy in the Gym; Classical Club Meeting; Ye Gentle Season of Spring; The Innocent Bystander; Baseball Prospects; Baskerball Captain Elected; Advertisements.https://digitalworks.union.edu/concordiensis_1915/1010/thumbnail.jp

A design tool for use in simulation and training of sinus surgery

The traditional approaches to training surgeons are becoming increasingly difficult to apply to modern surgical procedures. The development of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) techniques demands new and complex psychomotor skills, and means that the apprentice-based system described by “see one, do one, teach one” can no longer be expected to fully prepare surgeons for operations on real patients, placing patient safety at risk. The use of cadavers and animals in surgical training raises issues of ethics, cost and anatomical similarity to live humans. Endoscopic sinus surgery involves further risk to the patient due to the proximity of vital structures such as the brain, eyes, optic nerve and internal carotid artery. In recent years, simulation has been used to overcome these problems, exposing surgeons to complex procedures in a safe environment, similarly to its use in aviation. However, the cases simulated in this manner may not be customised by training staff to present desired pathology. This thesis describes the design and development of a new tool for the creation of customised cases for the training of sinus surgery. Users who are inexperienced and non-skilled in the use of three-dimensional (3D) Computer Aided Design (CAD) modelling software may use the tool to implement pathology to the virtual sinus model, which was constructed from real CT data. Swelling is applied in five directions (four horizontal, one vertical) to the cavity lining of the frontal and sphenoid sinuses. Tumours are individually customised and positioned in the frontal, sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses. The customised CAD model may then be latterly manufactured using Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP) to produce the complex anatomy of the sinuses in a full colour physical part for the realistic simulation of surgical procedures. An investigation into the colouring of the physical model is also described, involving the study of endoscopic videos to ascertain realistic shades. The program was evaluated by a group of medical professionals from a range of fields, and their feedback was taken into account in subsequent redevelopment of the program, and to suggest further work

Subaru Weak Lensing survey -- II: Multi-object Spectroscopy and Cluster Masses

We present the first results of a MOS campaign to follow up cluster candidates located via weak lensing. Our main goals are to search for spatial concentrations of galaxies that are plausible optical counterparts of the weak lensing signals, and to determine the cluster redshifts from those of member galaxies. Around each of 36 targeted cluster candidates, we obtain 15-32 galaxy redshifts. For 28 of these targets, we confirm a secure cluster identification. This includes three cases where two clusters at different redshifts are projected along the same line-of-sight. In 6 of the 8 unconfirmed targets, we find multiple small galaxy concentrations at different redshifts. In both the remaining two targets, a single small galaxy concentration is found. We evaluate the weak lensing mass of confirmed clusters. For a subsample of our most cleanly measured clusters, we investigate the statistical relation between their weak lensing mass and the velocity dispersion of their member galaxies, comparing our sample with optically and X-ray selected samples from the literature. Our lensing-selected clusters are consistent with sigma_v=sigma_sis, with a similar scatter to the optically and X-ray selected clusters. We thus find no evidence of selection bias compared to these other techniques. We also derive an empirical relation between the cluster mass and the galaxy velocity dispersion, which is in reasonable agreement with the prediction of N-body simulations in the LCDM cosmology.Comment: 58 pages, 45 figures, submitted to PASJ. A version with full-resolution figures is available at http://th.nao.ac.jp/~hamanatk/PP/supcam_wl2.pd

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF A U.S./CANADIAN WHEAT POOL: A GAME THEORY ANALYSIS

The problem of declining wheat prices and excess supply has been the subject of recent economic studies partly because it coincides with the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996, and partly because efforts to decrease supply domestically have led to increased imports from Canada. This paper develops a game theory optimization model of market efficiency and derives conditions under which voluntary pooling is sustained for U.S./Canadian durum and hard red spring wheat producers. Analysis reveals that U.S. and Canadian farmers can increase farm returns with efficiency gains from pooling and by internalizing benefits from grain blending and logistics. The model is used to analyze diverse factors affecting the sustainability of such a pool.Voluntary pooling, game theory, efficiency gains, durum and HRS wheat marketing, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

Weather and Yield Trends

Yield trends and yield variability are strongly influenced by weather. It is extraordinary for a statewide corn yield to exceed the established trend by more than 10%. It is not uncommon for yields to be diminished by more than 10% of the trend. Geographically, yields are differentially influenced by the ENSO (EI Nino/Southern Oscillation). Differential influences appear to have a lesser yield reducing impact in the eastern portion of the corn belt. Climate dynamics appear to be impeding the rate of yield increase in the central U.S. Advancements in long-lead forecasting are beginning to benefit efforts to assessment risks associated with crop production