National Park Service nonnative plant control in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Invasive plants have become a growing threat to plant diversity and hydrology in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Invasive plants compete with native plants for nutrients and sunlight, and certain invasive species have been known to completely take over certain areas of wetlands, nearly destroying entire ecosystems. The Dunes Lakeshore contains over 1,400 plants species and is one of the top ten most diverse national parks in the United States. The mission statement of the National Park Service is to “preserve for the educational, inspirational, and recreational use of the public certain portions of the Indiana Dunes.” In order to properly maintain this unique habitat for future generations, a variety of techniques have been implemented to reduce the growth and germination of many nonnative plants in high quality areas such as Cowles Bog, West Beach, and Tolleston Dunes. We focused on depleting the seed bank of invasive plants by targeting certain species such as garlic mustard, Dame’s Rocket, and Crown Vetch before they seeded. Backpack sprayers, brush cutters and loppers were used to kill invasive plants within the park and GPS was used to monitor our progress

Class Notes

News about Linfield alumn

Class Notes

News about Linfield alumn

Class Notes

News about Linfield alumn

Predictions of the atmospheric composition of GJ 1132b

GJ 1132 b is a nearby Earth-sized exoplanet transiting an M dwarf, and is amongst the most highly characterizable small exoplanets currently known. In this paper we study the interaction of a magma ocean with a water-rich atmosphere on GJ 1132b and determine that it must have begun with more than 5 wt% initial water in order to still retain a water-based atmosphere. We also determine the amount of O2 that can build up in the atmosphere as a result of hydrogen dissociation and loss. We find that the magma ocean absorbs at most ~10% of the O2 produced, whereas more than 90% is lost to space through hydrodynamic drag. The most common outcome for GJ 1132 b from our simulations is a tenuous atmosphere dominated by O2, although for very large initial water abundances atmospheres with several thousands of bars of O2 are possible. A substantial steam envelope would indicate either the existence of an earlier H2 envelope or low XUV flux over the system's lifetime. A steam atmosphere would also imply the continued existence of a magma ocean on GJ 1132 b. Further modeling is needed to study the evolution of CO2 or N2-rich atmospheres on GJ 1132 b.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted at Ap

Implementing IS-IS Routing and DHCP Services in an IPv4 Network

This research project explores the operation of the IS-IS routing protocol, as well as DHCP and DNS services provided by a Raspberry Pi computer. IS-IS is a routing protocol that is commonly ignored in most training and certification programs, because it is most frequently used by service providers. However, IS-IS solutions are also deployed in some large enterprise networks, making experience with the protocol a valuable skill. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the routing domains, route propagation, and general operation of IS-IS, additional services were implemented in this project. A Raspberry Pi computer was used as an internal DHCP and DNS server for all hosts in all domains and areas of the network. This network design facilitated learning and increased network troubleshooting skills

Is Ceftobiprole a Safe and Effective Treatment for Skin and Skin Structure Infections?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not ceftobiprole is a safe and effective treatment for complicated skin and skin structure infections STUDY DESIGN: Review of all English language primary randomized controlled trials from 1996-2010 DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials were found using Pubmed and Cochrane databases OUTCOMES MEASURES: Skin or skin-structure infection cure with ceftobiprole intervention and adverse effects of this new pharmaceutical. Cure or failure to cure skin infection was determined based on both clinical and microbiological assessment. Adverse events were measured based on patient reports, clinician reports, labs, and vital sign assessment. RESULTS: Noel, Strauss et al. found statistically significant cure rates of complicated skin and skin-structure infections with intervention of ceftobiprole compared to the standard control arm. Noel, Bush et al. found similar results when comparing ceftobiprole with the control arm. Both studies concluded that ceftobiprole was non-inferior to the leading treatment for complicated skin infections, and caused complete microbiological and clinical resolution of complicated skin infections. Schmitt-Hoffmann et al. concluded that ceftobiprole was safe for human consumption with no severe adverse effects noted. CONCLUSIONS: Cefrobiprole is comparable to vancomycin in both safety and effectiveness for treatment for skin and skin-structure infections

The effects of constructive language instruction and cooperative learning on the quality of artwork at the middle level

This study investigates the effects of explicit instruction in constructive language and cooperative learning activities on the quality of art work produced by seventh grade art students. Data collection included pre- and post-intervention cooperative learning surveys, student and teacher rubric evaluations, artist statements, teacher observations of student interactions, and photographs of artwork. Rubrics included five criteria: 1) idea formation and development, 2) problem-solving, 3) openness to suggestions, 4) depth of theme, and 5) perseverance. Students completed a self-portrait project individually to provide base line data and samples with which to compare collaborative works after two interventions. During the interventions, students learned to differentiate constructive and unhelpful language in the art room, had opportunity to practice turning unhelpful comments into constructive ones, and created a group video illustrating the difference. Students were then grouped into Theme Teams to create a collaborative artwork comprised of one painting per teammate that conveyed individual components of a general theme chosen by the group. Comparisons were made between scores from surveys, student rubric self-evaluations, teacher evaluations, and student and group interaction data. Results conclude that explicit instruction in construction language can be effective for students at a certain level of maturity and development, but that it is not detrimental to those who are not yet at that level, and therefore should be implemented early in the school year or semester and reinforced throughout the course of the class. The immediate effect it has on cooperative learning varies by student and among student groups. In this study, 52% of students scored themselves higher on their Theme Team painting than their self-portraits, while teacher scores were 74% higher, indicating an increase in the quality of art for a majority of students. Correlations between group interactions and the rubric scores were observed in some cases. Although there are distinct difference between individual and collaborative artworks, the incorporation of both types of projects into the middle school art curriculum, supported by explicit instruction in constructive language, affords students opportunities to explore themselves, and how they themselves fit into larger contexts

Preparing Patients and Providers for Serious Illness Conversations

There is an unmet need for early, high quality, and well-documented conversations about goals of care between patients with serious illnesses and their primary care providers. Colchester Family Medicine, as part of the University of Vermont Medical Group, is implementing a program to train its providers in structured goals of care conversations for patients with serious illnesses. However, there remains a need to prepare patients for these difficult conversations and provide appropriate resources. This project created a SmartPhrase to provide to patients, containing language and resources to help them prepare for serious illness conversations.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1473/thumbnail.jp

Session 1-4-B: Gambling and Marijuana Use in the Netherlands: Is Legalization the Best Tool for Dealing With Naughty Habits?

In 1976, the Netherlands embraced two policy initiatives which encompassed similar objectives. The policies sought to control “undesired substances” via the process of legalization. One legalization process involved casino gambling. The policies have sometimes led to desired results (the right road), while at other times they have led to undesirable results (the wrong road). Now in 2013, without an observable crossroad or even fork in the road, The Netherlands is poised to deviate from a right road to travel down a wrong road by placing rather severe restrictions upon the operations of “Coffee Houses” which have been “serving” customers measured amounts of cannabis. This paper examines the experiences with the policies over the past 36 years, and speculates upon the effects of the new policies for the “Coffee Houses.” We ask if what is happening is “kinda” like an old Crystal Gayle song from the 1970s: “Down that Wrong Road Again”