Nekton Usage of High Marsh Habitats in Connecticut Salt Marshes, with Emphasis on the Genus Fundulus

Large scale habitat use patterns of salt marsh nekton are fairly well understood, but small-scale patterns within marsh habitats are not as well known, including the genus Fundulus, an important salt marsh species. This is an area of study that needs more research, particularly in light of increases in salt marshes loss within the last several decades. Salt marshes are a primary habitat for Fundulus species. Sea level rise and urbanization have been major contributors to salt marsh loss and alteration. Salt marshes are highly variable habitats both spatially and temporally due to tidal cycles, high and low marsh areas and vegetation differences relative to their distances from sub-creeks/mosquito ditches and main creeks. Changes in Fundulus abundance was assessed from 2015 to 2018 during summer and fall. In this study, nets and underwater cameras were used to collect samples of nekton in high, low and sub-tidal creek habitats within the salt marshes in Branford, Connecticut. Nekton abundances and specifically Fundulus abundance were assessed relative to season, depth of water, vegetation coverage, and spatial differences from sub-tidal creeks/mosquito ditches and main creeks. Fundulus size was also compared to the above variables. Nekton, and specifically Fundulus abundance, varied considerable both spatially and temporally. Nekton and Fundulus abundances were greatest in the fall across the marshes sampled. Nekton and Fundulus abundances were significantly higher in high marsh areas, which were 30 cm and greater in water depth during high tide, as well as a significantly lower in abundance at 9.9 cm and below. Fundulus were larger during the fall compared to summer. Fundulus 3.15 cm or less in length was more abundant on the high marsh further from subcreeks (41 m). Smaller fish (below 3.15 cm) also were found greater abundances in areas of higher vegetation coverage. Assessing how nekton is responding to salt marsh change due to sea level rise and other global change phenomena. Nekton, like Fundulus, are critical components of Atlantic Coast salt marshes and as such we need to understand their dynamics in the face of such changes in order to assess what conservation and mitigation approaches might be best to preserve their populations and ecosystem functions

An improved error term for counting D4D_4-quartic fields

We prove that the number of quartic fields $K$ with discriminant $|\Delta_K|\leq X$ whose Galois closure is $D_4$ equals $CX+O(X^{3/5+\epsilon})$, improving the error term in a well-known result of Cohen, Diaz y Diaz, and Olivier.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

South Leytonstone SRB: Evaluation of the Crime Prevention Programme

This report evaluates the effectiveness of the Crime Prevention project that was funded as part of South Leytonstone Single Regeneration Budget Programme (SRB) and contributes to Strategic Objective 6 (SO6), 'Tackle crime and improve community safety'. The research aimed to evaluate the effect of the project on its users and to consider its wider implications as a crime prevention initiative in South Leytonstone. The evaluation assesses the short-term behaviour and attitude changes of young people who participated in the project

Counting quintic fields with genus number one

We prove several results concerning genus numbers of quintic fields: we compute the proportion of quintic fields with genus number one; we prove that a positive proportion of quintic fields have arbitrarily large genus number; and we compute the average genus number of quintic fields. All of these results also hold when restricted to $S_5$-quintic fields only.Comment: 7 page

Boundary breaking: how principals impact student engagement

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact site principles have on student engagement in the classroom through a sitewide art integration program with the outcome of increased knowledge in content areas. Researching the use of a sitewide art integration program at a Midwest high school, case study methodology was applied to administrator and teacher interviews using annual state test scores to triangulate for authenticity and impact. Six themes were identified from the interviews to have an impact on student engagement and increased content knowledge due to the art initiative. Those six themes were gathering teacher buy-in, the role of the administration, lack of enthusiasm, the impact of A Plus professional development, enhanced school climate and culture, the faculty demonstrated growth through A Plus, and student outcomes. The results of the study indicated that principals do impact student engagement in the classroom with the outcome of deeper knowledge of content matter. Four areas for future research developed based on study findings. Because the faculty at the school of study was all white, a study with a diverse faculty and school would add to the literature of principal leadership affecting student engagement in the classroom. Future study is necessary to examine how an intentional leadership theory can have a greater or lesser impact on a sitewide art initiative with an outcome of increased student engagement and deeper learning of content matter. A disconnect was uncovered between the teachers’ perception of the climate of the school and the administrators’ perception of the climate of the school related to the art initiative; therefore, further study could clarify this dissonance. Finally, students who had excellent ability on the end of year state tests had a lower performance outcome after the art initiative. This could be due to some teachers’ lack of enthusiasm for the art initiative. Thus, additional research is warranted.

Safety and Efficacy of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in Weight Loss

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) has recently experienced a resurgence in popular media. Late night television commercials and Internet advertisements have suggested that it is an essential, unequivocal means to losing weight fast. ls hCG really a miracle cure to help patients shed unwanted pounds? In 1954, A.T.W. Simeons claimed that hCG impacts weight loss by decreasing hunger, increasing fat redistribution, and increasing overall mood. Knowing that weight loss cannot be directly attributed to hCG use, Simeons developed a very low calorie diet (VLCD) to which the success of the therapy can be attributed. He saw hCG as a means to an end. Following a VLCD is nearly impossible without a little push, and according to Simeons, this push could be hCG. This increase in mood is an essential reagent to following a low calorie, thus low-energy diet, and therefore is necessary for the product of weight loss. Combination therapy of hCG and diet has been studied using multiple dosage forms, but no definitive answer has been found

Green Street SRB: Fifth Year Impact Evaluation

This report reviews the progress of the Green Street Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) programme, which started in 1995, and was now nearing completion in its fifth year at time of writing. As detailed in the initial bid, the Green Street SRB Programme aimed to tackle a number of key social, economic and physical problems within the area through the development of sixteen projects. The area covered, spans 6 wards within the London Borough of Newham and encompasses a population of 22,500, 65% of whom are from ethnic minority communities. The report concludes that Green Street is a thriving shopping area with an improved variety of shops and restaurants, particularly for minority ethnic communities. The initiatives to address unemployment, environmental and crime problems have been less successful. High unemployment also remains a problem, although some of the benefits of the projects may only be realised in the longer term