Pollen, Plant Macrofossils, and Insects from Fossil Woodrat (Neotoma Cinerea) Middens in British Columbia

Bushy-tailed woodrats (Neotoma cinerea) occur commonly in cliffs, rock talus, and caves in the open Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus ponderosa forests throughout interior British Columbia. Fossil N. cinerea middens from two sites in central British Columbia were radiocarbon dated and examined for pollen, plant macrofossils and insect remains. The Oregon Jack Creek site contains a midden that is dated 1150 ± 80 (WAT-1764) radiocarbon years ago. Pollen analyses reveal an abundance of Cupressaceae (Juniperus) and Pinus. Shrub and herb pollen types include Artemisia. Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Asteraceae. Juniperus scopulorum leaves, Pseudotsuga menziesii needles, Chenopodiaceae seeds. Rosa thorns and Artemisia leaflets are the main plant macrofossils. The remains of three beetle genera, Cryptophagus, Lathridius, and Enicmus represent insects that probably lived in the midden, eating decaying organic matter or moulds. Click beetle (Limonius) remains were probably brought into the midden from nearby soil or plant material. The Bull Canyon site contains a midden that dates to 700 ± 80 (WAT-1765) years BP. Pollen and plant macrofossil assemblages are similar to those at the Oregon Jack Creek site. Woodrat middens offer a new dimension in reconstructing Holocene paleoenvironments in the arid interior of British Columbia, in much the same way as they do in the southwest United States.Les rats à queue touffue s'observent souvent dans les escarpements, les talus rocheux et les cavernes dans les forêts ouvertes de Pseudotsuga menziesii et de Pinus ponderosa de l'intérieur de la Colombie-Britannique. Des amoncellements de matières fécales fossilisés de N. cinerea recueillis dans deux sites du centre de la Colombie-Britannique ont été datés au radio-carbone et analysés pour leur contenu en pollen, en macrofossiles de végétaux et en restes d'insectes. Le site d'Oregon Jack Creek renferme un amoncellement daté à 1150 ± 80 BP (WAT-1764). Les analyses polliniques ont révélé qu'il y avait abondance de Cupressaceae (Juniperus) et de Pinus. Les grains de pollen d'arbustes et d'herbacées comprennent Artemisia, Fabaceae. Poaceae et Asteraceae. Les principaux macrofossiles de végétaux étaient des feuilles de Juniperis scopulorum, des aiguilles de Pseudotsuga menziesii, des graines de Chenopodiaceae, des épines de Rosa et des folioles o"Artemisia. Les restes de trois genres de coléoptères (Cryptophagus, Lathridius et Enicmus) représentent les insectes qui vivaient probablement dans les amoncellements, se nourrissant de la matière organique en décomposition ou des moisissures. Les restes de Limonius proviennent probablement du sol environnant ou des végétaux. Le site de Bull Canyon renferme un amoncellement qui date de 700 ± 80 BP (WAT-1765). Les assemblages de pollen et de végétaux ressemblent à ceux du site d'Oregon Jack Creek. Les matières fécales du rat à queue touffue offrent de nouvelles possibilités de reconstitution des paléoenvironnements de l'Holocène de la région intérieure aride de la Colombie-Britannique, un peu comme c'est déjà le cas dans le sud des Etats-Unis.Ratten mit buschigem Schwanz (Neotoma cinerea) findet man oft in den Klippen, Schutthalden und Hôhlen in den offenen Pseudotsuga menziesii und Pinus ponderosa Wàldern im ganzen lnnern von British Columbia. Fosile N. cinerea Fâkalien von zwei Plâtzen in Zentral British Columbia wurden mit Radiokarbon datiert und auf Pollen, pflanzliche Makrofossile und lnsektenspuren untersucht. Der Platz Jack Creek in Oregon enthàlt einen Fakalienfund, der auf 1150 ± 80 (WAT-1764) Radiokarbonjahre v.u.Z. datiert wird. Die Pollenanalysen enthullen eine FuIIe von Cupressaceae (Juniperus) und Pinus. Buschund Graspollenarten schliessen Artemisia, Fabaceae, Poaceae und Asteraceae ein. Blatter von Juniperus scopulorum, Nadeln von Pseudotsuga menziesii, Samen von Chenopodiaceae, Dornen von Rosa und Blâttchen von Artemisia sind die hauptsâchlichen Pflanzenmakrofossile. Die Reste von drei Kaferarten, Cryptophagus, Lathridius und Enicmus reprâsentieren Insekten, die môglicherweise in den Fâkalien lebten und verwesendes organisches Material Oder Schimmel assen. Limonius-Reste wurden wahrscheinlich in die Fâkalien von nahegelegenem Erdreich Oder Pflanzenmaterial gebracht. Der Platz Bull Canyon enthàlt Fâkalien, die auf 700 ± 80 (WAT-1765) Jahre v.u.Z. datiert werden. Pollen- und makrofossile Pflanzenansammlungen sind denen des Jack Creek-Platzes von Oregon àhnlich. Fâkalien von Waldratten liefern eine neue Dimension bei der Rekonstruktion der Palàoumwelt im Holozàn im trockenen lnnern von British Columbia, ganz in derselben Weise, wie sie das schon im Sudwesten der Vereinigten Staaten tun

Integrated economic hydrologic model for groundwater basin management, An

May 1994.Also listed online under Open file reports list as no. 7.Revision of Faisal's thesis (Ph. D.--Colorado State University, 1994).Includes bibliographical references (pages 151-156).Financed in part by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, grant no. 14-08-0001-G2008/2 09

Room-temperature exciton-polaritons with two-dimensional WS2

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit strong optical transitions with significant potential for optoelectronic devices. In particular they are suited for cavity quantum electrodynamics in which strong coupling leads to polariton formation as a root to realisation of inversionless lasing, polariton condensationand superfluidity. Demonstrations of such strongly correlated phenomena to date have often relied on cryogenic temperatures, high excitation densities and were frequently impaired by strong material disorder. At room-temperature, experiments approaching the strong coupling regime with transition metal dichalcogenides have been reported, but well resolved exciton-polaritons have yet to be achieved. Here we report a study of monolayer WS$_2$ coupled to an open Fabry-Perot cavity at room-temperature, in which polariton eigenstates are unambiguously displayed. In-situ tunability of the cavity length results in a maximal Rabi splitting of $\hbar \Omega_{\rm{Rabi}} = 70$ meV, exceeding the exciton linewidth. Our data are well described by a transfer matrix model appropriate for the large linewidth regime. This work provides a platform towards observing strongly correlated polariton phenomena in compact photonic devices for ambient temperature applications.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

The Dwarf Nova PQ Andromedae

We report a photometric study of the WZ Sagittae-type dwarf nova PQ Andromedae. The light curve shows strong (0.05 mag full amplitude) signals with periods of 1263(1) and 634(1) s, and a likely double-humped signal with P=80.6(2) min. We interpret the first two as nonradial pulsation periods of the underlying white dwarf, and the last as the orbital period of the underlying binary. We estimate a distance of 150(50) pc from proper motions and the two standard candles available: the white dwarf and the dwarf-nova outburst. At this distance, the K magnitude implies that the secondary is probably fainter than any star on the main sequence -- indicating a mass below the Kumar limit at 0.075 M_sol. PQ And may be another "period bouncer", where evolution now drives the binary out to longer period.Comment: PDF, 13 pages, 2 figures; accepted, in press, to appear September 2005, PASP; more info at http://cba.phys.columbia.edu

Lead Shot in Some Spring Migrant Ducks

The incidence of lead shot in l ,687 lesser scaup (Athya affinis) and 416 ring-necked ducks (Athya collaris) in spring migration in Minnesota and the implications as related to the bird population and hunting harvest the preceding fall are considered in this study. The ducks, which were examined for shot by photofluorographic radiography had died as a result of oil pollution on the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Red Wing in the spring of 1963. The birds were separated into two age groups and by sex. Yearling lesser scaup had a body shat incidence (proportion of birds containing shot) of 5.5 per cent and yearling ring-necked ducks 17.8 per cent. For both species, yearling males had a higher incidence of shot than yearling females, and the most common location of shot was just beneath the skin on the back and abdomen. By using shot incidence in conjunction with other data, the harvest rate during the preceding hunting season (1962) was estimated as being 15 to 20 per cent of the population for yearling lesser scaup of both sexes; 30 to 35 per cent far yearling female ring-necked ducks, 60 to 70 per cent for yearling males, and 45 to 55 per cent for yearlings of both sexes of ring-necked ducks combined. Incidence of ingested shot in the digestive tracts of the birds (mostly gizzard) was low, being 1.7 per cent for lesser scaup and 1.6 per cent far ring-necked ducks

Strain Hardening of Polymer Glasses: Entanglements, Energetics, and Plasticity

Simulations are used to examine the microscopic origins of strain hardening in polymer glasses. While stress-strain curves for a wide range of temperature can be fit to the functional form predicted by entropic network models, many other results are fundamentally inconsistent with the physical picture underlying these models. Stresses are too large to be entropic and have the wrong trend with temperature. The most dramatic hardening at large strains reflects increases in energy as chains are pulled taut between entanglements rather than a change in entropy. A weak entropic stress is only observed in shape recovery of deformed samples when heated above the glass transition. While short chains do not form an entangled network, they exhibit partial shape recovery, orientation, and strain hardening. Stresses for all chain lengths collapse when plotted against a microscopic measure of chain stretching rather than the macroscopic stretch. The thermal contribution to the stress is directly proportional to the rate of plasticity as measured by breaking and reforming of interchain bonds. These observations suggest that the correct microscopic theory of strain hardening should be based on glassy state physics rather than rubber elasticity.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures: significant revision

Development of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination as a Component of Assessment for Initial Board Certification in Anesthesiology.

With its first administration of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in 2018, the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) became the first US medical specialty certifying board to incorporate this type of assessment into its high-stakes certification examination system. The fundamental rationale for the ABA's introduction of the OSCE is to include an assessment that allows candidates for board certification to demonstrate what they actually "do" in domains relevant to clinical practice. Inherent in this rationale is that the OSCE will capture competencies not well assessed in the current written and oral examinations-competencies that will allow the ABA to judge whether a candidate meets the standards expected for board certification more properly. This special article describes the ABA's journey from initial conceptualization through first administration of the OSCE, including the format of the OSCE, the process for scenario development, the standardized patient program that supports OSCE administration, examiner training, scoring, and future assessment of reliability, validity, and impact of the OSCE. This information will be beneficial to both those involved in the initial certification process, such as residency graduate candidates and program directors, and others contemplating the use of high-stakes summative OSCE assessments

A Strategic Plan for Introducing, Implementing, Managing, and Monitoring an Urban Extension Platform

Florida\u27s Strategic Plan for Extension in Metropolitan Regions reflects an adaptive management approach to the state\u27s urban Extension mission within the context of establishing essential elements, performance indicators, key outcomes, and suggested alternatives for action. Extension leadership has adopted the strategic plan, and implementation efforts are under way. The successful future of urban Extension in Florida lies in fully embracing and monitoring the plan and recommendations therein. In this article, we describe the course of developing the strategic plan, which included the use of a modified Delphi process and a strategic adaptive management format. We encourage others to adapt our methods to develop plans to meet their specific needs and desired outcomes

Determination of Enantiomeric Compositions of Analytes Using Novel Fluorescent Chiral Molecular Micelles and Steady State Fluorescence Measurements

Novel fluorescent chiral molecular micelles (FCMMs) were synthesized, characterized, and employed as chiral selectors for enantiomeric recognition of non-fluorescent chiral molecules using steady state fluorescence spectroscopy. The sensitivity of the fluorescence technique allowed for investigation of low concentrations of chiral selector (3.0 x 10(-5) M) and analyte (5.0 x 10(-6) M) to be used in these studies. The chiral interactions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine in the presence of FCMMs poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-tryptophanate) [poly-L-SUW], poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-tyrosinate) [poly-L-SUY], and poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-phenylalininate) [poly-SUF] were based on diastereomeric complex formation. Poly-L-SUW had a significant fluorescence emission spectral difference as compared to poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF for the enantiomeric recognition of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine. Studies with the hydrophobic molecule alpha-pinene suggested that poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF had better chiral discrimination ability for hydrophobic analytes as compared to hydrophilic analytes. Partial-least-squares regression modeling (PLS-1) was used to correlate changes in the fluorescence emission spectra of poly-L-SUW due to varying enantiomeric compositions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine for a set of calibration samples. Validation of the calibration regression models was determined by use of a set of independently prepared samples of the same concentration of chiral selector and analyte with varying enantiomeric composition. Prediction ability was evaluated by use of the root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS%RE) and was found to range from 2.04 to 4.06%

Revisiting the proposed planetary system orbiting the eclipsing polar HU Aquarii

It has recently been proposed, on the basis of eclipse-timing data, that the eclipsing polar cataclysmic variable HU Aquarii is host to at least two giant planets. However, that result has been called into question based upon the dynamical stability of the proposed planets. In this work, we present a detailed re-analysis of all eclipse timing data available for the HU Aquarii system, making use of standard techniques used to fit orbits to radial-velocity data. We find that the eclipse timings can be used to obtain a two-planet solution that does not require the presence of additional bodies within the system. We then perform a highly detailed dynamical analysis of the proposed planetary system. We show that the improved orbital parameters we have derived correspond to planets that are dynamically unstable on unfeasibly short timescales (of order 10^4 years or less). Given these results, we discuss briefly how the observed signal might in fact be the result of the intrinsic properties of the eclipsing polar, rather than being evidence of dynamically improbable planets. Taken in concert, our results highlight the need for caution in interpreting such timing variations as being planetary in nature.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA