Master of Science

thesisPrevious research has suggested a link between cognitive workload and gaze concentration. As mental workload increases, humans begin to stare straight ahead. If drivers' scanning behaviors are attenuated as a result of secondary in-vehicle tasks, then their situation awareness and their ability to react to unpredictable events may be impaired. Using video-based eye tracking technology in a naturalistic setting is notoriously difficult; however, electrooculography (EOG) may provide a reliable, real-time measure of changes in visual scanning under manipulated levels of cognitive workload. This study assessed the viability of EOG to measure changes in scanning behavior when drivers performed common in-vehicle tasks while driving an automobile. Notably, EOG measures were not sensitive to driver's workload, but instead demonstrated that speech production inherent to a task contributes to an additive effect in identified eye movements

Factors Influencing Herbaceous Layer Vegetation of a Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest Ecosystem

The herb layer (vascular plants ≤1 m in height) of montane forests responds to a variety of environmental gradient conditions. This study compared herb layer characteristics, soil fertility, and plant-soil nutrient interactions of two young (~20 yr) and two mature (~\u3e70 yr) watersheds of the Fernow Experimental Forest, Parsons, West Virginia. Fifteen 0.04-ha circular plots were established in each of four watersheds [WS4 control, \u3e80 yr; WS13 select cut, \u3e65 yr; WS3 clearcut, ~20 yr; WS7 clearcut/herbicide, ~20 yr] to sample the extremes of watershed elevation and aspect. Cover (%) was measured for all vascular species (≤1 m in height) within 10 1-m2 subplots in each plot. The two subplots with the greatest cover per plot were harvested for biomass. Harvested material was separated by species, oven-dried, and weighed. Regressions of cover and biomass were used to estimate biomass for nonharvested subplots; cover was significantly correlated with biomass (r2=0.62). One 10-cm soil sample was taken from each harvested subplot. Tissue and soils were analyzed for nutrient concentrations. All living woody stems ≥2.5 cm diameter breast height (dbh) were measured for dbh and categorized as overstory (\u3e10 cm dbh) or understory. Herb layer cover was significantly higher on WS7 (37.5%) due to an abundance of Dryopteris marginalia and Polysticbum acrostichoides on this watershed. Herb layer cover on WS4, WS3, and WS13 was 26.4, 19.3, and 17.9%, respectively. Herb layer biomass was highest on WS7 (18.5 g/m2) followed decreasingly by WS4 (13.3), WS3 (9.7) and WS13 (9.1). Herb layer vegetation of WS4, WS3, and WS13 was dominated by Laportea canadensis, Acer pensylyanicum, and Viola spp. Mean values for species richness (~3.8 species/m2/plot) and diversity (H′=~1.7) were comparable among the watersheds. Soils of all watersheds were acidic sandy loams of similar fertility. Canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) of soil physical and chemical properties revealed that WS13 soils were distinctly lower in clay and N03-N content compared to the other watersheds. CDA of herb layer tissue nutrients showed that herbaceous species were higher in N, K, and Mg than woody herb layer species. Correlations among herb layer tissue nutrients showed significant relationships between N:P (all watersheds), Mg:Ca (WS3 and WS13), and N to base cations (WS3, WS4, and WS13), suggesting N-limitation in these forest soils. Strong correlations between soil and tissue nutrients were seen only on WS3 and WS4, yet soil nutrient availability appeared to greatly influence herb layer species niche differentiation. Principal component analysis (PCA) of individual watersheds based on plot soil and canopy data and correlating cover to each PCA axis revealed that herb layer cover was negatively correlated with canopy characteristics (e.g. understory density) on WS4 and WS13 and positively correlated with soil nutrients (e.g. Mg, Mn, Zn) on WS3 and WS7. Relative importance of herb layer vegetation shifted from high herbaceous species, low woody species cover in the younger stands to increased woody species cover in the mature stands. These data suggest that in early forest succession, light availability is relatively high and uniform and herb layer development is nutrient-limited with herbaceous species out-competing woody species for available nutrients. In later stages of succession, as canopy stratification and closure increase, the herb layer becomes limited by light availability and woody species are superior competitors

Shred Chicks: Gender and Identity in Female Guitar Players

Female guitarists in the American rock industry are faced with challenges presented by gender scripts in culture that affect their public reception. In order to negotiate such challenges, women use public performance venues as spaces within which to negotiate power in gender scripts, and to create counter-hegemonic discourse. Public space may take the form of the stage, the internet, or televised media, and women utilize these spaces to render discourse performative in a variety of ways. Thus, counter-hegemonic discourses may be created that celebrate the accomplishments of guitar women

A colorful killer: Daphnia infected with the bacterium Spirobacillus cienkowskii exhibit unexpected color variation

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148232/1/ecy2562-sup-0001-AppendixS1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148232/2/ecy2562_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148232/3/ecy2562.pd

The handling of expedited freight

Thesis (BA)--University of Illinois, 1915TypescriptSamples = "Record of Movement of Red Ball Freight"; "Fast Merchandise Red Ball Freight Way-Bill Envelope"; "Sante Fe Set Out Report"; pasted-in pamphlet "Saint Louis and San Francisco Railroad Circular No 1080, Supplement 2"; labels; receipts; signs; et alIncludes bibliographical reference

Assessing Cognitive Distraction Using Event Related Potentials

This report examines the utility of using Event-Related Brain Potentials (ERPs) to evaluate cognitive distraction in the context of driving an automobile. Across two studies, ERPs (both P300 latency and P300 amplitude) were found to be effective in quantifying the cognitive workload experienced by drivers when they interact with in-vehicle voice-command systems

Cognitive Distraction Impairs Drivers\u27 Anticipatory Glances: An On-Road Study

This study assessed the impact of cognitive distraction on drivers’ anticipatory glances. Participants drove an instrumented vehicle and executed a number of secondary tasks associated with increasing levels of mental workload including: listening to the radio or audiobook, talking on a handheld or hands-free cellphone, interacting with a voice-based e-mail/text system, and executing a highly demanding task (Operational Span task; OSPAN). Drivers’ visual scanning behavior was recorded by four different high definition cameras and coded offline frame-by-frame. Visual scanning behavior at road intersections with crosswalks was targeted because distraction is one of the major causes of accidents at these locations (NHTSA, 2010a). Despite the familiarity of the locations, results showed that as the secondary-task became more cognitively demanding drivers reduced the amount of anticipatory glances to potential hazards locations. For example, while interacting with a high fidelity voice-based email/text system, the probability of executing a complete scan of the intersection was reduced by 11% compared to the no-distraction control condition. These results document the effects of cognitive distraction on drivers’ visual scanning for potential hazards and highlight the detrimental role of voice based systems on driving behavior

Prey Size Preference of the American House Spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum

The American House Spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) is commonly associated with human populations, and is a major predator of insects such as mosquitos and flies. Little is known about the prey preference of these spiders, for example, whether they prefer larger or smaller insects. This study examined prey size preference in P. tepidariorum, in an effort to both determine whether there is such a preference in these spiders, as well as whether that preference is for larger or smaller prey. Spiders were collected and placed into separate containers, in which they built webs. Prey insects were then collected, and classified as “large” or “small,” based on overall body length. Prey species was varied as much as possible, as to limit the effect of species preference on spider prey choice. The prey were kept alive in an attempt to best replicate natural prey choice conditions; as such, they were briefly cooled as to reduce their mobility prior to web placement. One small and one large insect were then simultaneously placed in the web, and prey choice was quantified. 110 trials were run. Through a chi-square analysis, it was determined that the spiders significantly preferred large prey insects over small ones. Several factors could be responsible for this finding, including more web vibrations from larger insects resulting in easier location, or a higher nutrition-to-effort ratio for larger insects. The study has many important implications, such as identifying selective pressures placed on both spiders and prey insects, as well as looking at the choice of spiders in a limited-nutrient environment, relevant to a possible future scenario faced by arachnids due to rapid climate change.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/170081/1/American_House_Spider_Prey_Preference.pd

Listening to the parent voice to inform person-centred neonatal care.

Family integrated care (FIC), where parents are an integral part of their baby’s care and decision-making can enhance parental involvement and empowerment, contributing to decreased parental separation and stress. It follows that parents can also be a central part of neonatal education for staff in the neonatal speciality. This paper focuses on what students and staff can learn from parents about what they feel is important to make their experience better. A narrative, interpretive approach was undertaken to collect and analyse parent interview narratives. A specific question was posed to a purposive sample of parents who have had premature babies about what health professionals can learn from them. Thematic analysis revealed five key themes relating to the importance of: communicating; listening; empathising; acknowledging (the parent’s role); realising (what matters to parents). These elements were incorporated into a framework named by the mnemonic, ‘CLEAR’. This highlights what parents want staff to be cognisant of when caring for them and their babies. Learning from the parents in our care enables a greater understanding of their experiences at difficult and challenging times. Having a deeper understanding of parents’ experiences can contribute to enhanced empathic learning.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio