One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Whose Fish? Subjects: Life Science, Environmental Science, Marine / Ocean Science

This activity invites students to assume the role of various stakeholders in fisheries management and actively discuss the influence of economics, ecology and human interactions in decision-making. Students will demonstrate their argument for/against a certain regulation by participating as a specific stakeholder (i.e. commercial fisher, recreational fisher, scientists/researcher, environmental group, management agency, and citizen). Students will recognize that stakeholders tend to advocate based on their individual needs, often making it difficult for proposed policies to satisfy the needs of all stakeholders and achieve sustainability goals

Optogenetic Inhibition of the mPFC During Delay Discounting

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Impulsivity, or the tendency to act prematurely without foresight, has been linked to a diverse range of pathological conditions. Foresight refers to the ability to envision future rewards and events (i.e. prospectively sample) and has been associated with decreased impulsivity. One form of impulsivity is measured by the ability to delay gratification and is often studied in the framework of Delay Discounting (DD). DD provides the means to study impulsivity in a number of pathological conditions. However, whether impulsivity precedes the development of pathological states or results from the pathological state itself is not fully understood. This necessitates an understanding of neurobiological mechanisms contributing to decision making in both non-impulsive as well as impulsive populations of individuals. Animal models allow invasive techniques to be used to dissect the neurocircuitry involved in decision making. Given that the decision-making process is an ongoing process rather than an isolated event, optogenetics provide the temporal and spatial specificity necessary for evaluating brain region specific contributions to decision making in DD. In the present study, optogenetics were used to assess the contribution of the medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC), a brain region involved in ‘goal-directed’ behavior, in the planning of future choices (i.e. prospective plans) and subsequent measures of impulsivity in an adjusting amount DD procedure. Optogenetic inhibition of mPFC was conducted in Wistar rats during different epochs of a DD task in order to assess how mPFC affects planning behavior in a population of rat not considered to be highly impulsive. Although no direct effects on planning behavior (e.g. consistency) were observed, inhibiting mPFC after a trial has been initiated and directly before a choice was made (Epoch 2) was observed to increase measures of impulsivity in comparison to days where no optogenetic manipulation occurred in a delay-specific manner. This suggests that mPFC differentially contributes to decision making at different delays. A pattern of associations between choice latency, impulsivity, and consistency began to emerge for inactivation occurring in Epoch 2, suggesting that mPFC contributes to some aspect of planning choices during this epoch. Moreover, these results indicate that mPFC is involved in decision making in Wistar Rats. Understanding the direct role that mPFC plays in promoting choices of delayed rewards provides a neurobiological target for treatment aimed at reducing impulsivity in the clinical population

A Dual Approach to Evaluating the Physical and Perceptual Impact of Exterior Lighting Renovations on Denver's Historic 16th Street Mall

Denver's 16th Street Mall was first introduced as the retail and commercial heart of the city in the 1980’s through the distinctive design of I.M. Pei and Partners. However, in recent years, the need for a revitalization through an ambitious urban renewal plan has become apparent as years of "wear and tear" combined with rapid urban growth and development have begun to take a toll on the beloved mall. In recent years, the City of Denver has allocated funds to renovate this Central Denver corridor, in an effort at revitalizing this urban area. One of the central components of this urban renewal plan is the replacement of the existing, out-of-date lighting fixtures with new, LED replica fixtures. This document provides an in depth analysis of the impact of the 16th Street lighting retrofit installation through the extensive documentation of both pre and post installation lighting conditions. The purpose of this study is to document the changes that occur as a result of the installation and draw a conclusion about the impact of the new lighting on the mall from both an objective and subjective point of view. The objective components of the study included taking extensive lighting measurements on the mall both before and after the installation to document the physically calculable changes to the lighting on the mall. These measurements included horizontal illuminance, vertical illuminance, and luminance via High Dynamic Range (HDR) images. The subjective, or human factors, components of the study included surveying users of the mall before and after the installation, in order to get an understanding of user preferences and opinions with the goal of understanding of how peoples’ perceptions of the light has changed. This component focused on understanding the changes in lighting characteristics which impact the perceptions of the user such as light quality, reassurance or perceived safety, and visual performance. Together, the objective and subjective results were combined to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effect that the new lights have had on the mall and those who use it.This results of this study are that the overall light levels on the mall decreased as a result of the new lighting installation. However this decrease was not perceived by the mall uses likely because perception of brightness was shown to have increased. The subjective analysis revealed that the visual performance of mall users increased despite the reduced light levels. The increased perception of brightness and the improved ability to perform visually may have been caused by the dramatic colorimetric changes that resulted from transitioning from High Pressure Sodium to LED light sources. This resulted in a significant increase in both color temperature as well as color rendering ability although the subjective analysis did not reflect these changes. The new lighting was also showed to have improved the distribution of light on the mall, making it more uniformly distributed on the sidewalk. The increased uniformity, along with the changes in color properties, may be the cause of the increased feelings of perceived safety and reassurance on the mall. The new lighting did not show any changes in visual comfort, perceptions of luminous atmosphere, or general mall usage. This study serves as a starting point for more in-depth studies of a similar nature as well as an outline for other studies that wish to observe similar, large-scale, exterior lighting changes

Stress Fractures of the Elbow in the Throwing Athlete: A Systematic Review.

Background: Stress fractures of the elbow are rare in throwing athletes and present a challenge from both a management and rehabilitation perspective. Although the incidence of stress fractures of the elbow is increasing, there is a lack of data in the literature focused on throwers. Purpose: To evaluate studies regarding the management and outcomes of stress fractures of the elbow in throwing athletes. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching the Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Library electronic databases to identify studies reporting on the management and outcomes of stress fractures in overhead-throwing athletes. Management data included nonoperative and operative modalities, and outcome data included return to play, encompassing the timing and level of activity. Studies were excluded if the stress fracture of the elbow was not a result of a sport injury attributed to throwing or if the study failed to report whether an athlete returned to play. Results: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this analysis. There were 52 patients in total (50 male, 2 female) with a mean age of 19.7 years (range, 13-29.1 years). The olecranon was the most common location of the stress fracture (51 patients; 98.1%), followed by the distal humerus (1 patient; 1.9%). The majority of patients (n = 40; 76.9%) were treated operatively. Of the 40 patients who were treated surgically, 14 (35.0%) underwent a period of conservative treatment preoperatively that ultimately failed because of persistent nonunion or continued elbow pain. A total of 50 patients (96.2%) returned to sport either at or above their preinjury level. Of the 2 patients (3.8%) who did not return to sport, 1 did not return because of continued elbow pain postoperatively, and the other was lost to follow-up. Complications occurred in 9 patients (17.3%), all of whom were treated surgically. Conclusion: On the basis of this systematic review, the majority of elbow stress fractures were treated operatively and approximately one-third after a period of failed nonoperative management. The return-to-sport rate was high. Further, higher level studies are needed to optimize management and return-to-sport rates in this population

Characterizing Changes In Participation And Diversification In Virginia\u27s Small-Scale Commercial Fishing Industry

Small-scale fisheries represent a diverse and dynamic portion of the global commercial fishing population and serve as a source of food security, income, and livelihood for many individuals and contribute to the development of local community and regional identities. Virginia’s small-scale commercial fisheries offer similar benefits, accounting for a significant portion of the state’s total annual landings and employing thousands of individuals. Despite the value of these fisheries, the number of commercial licenses has declined over the past few decades. Declines are attributed to various factors but indicate potential shifts in participation and resource dependence that may be consequential. Similar to other occupations dependent on natural resources, small-scale fishermen are vulnerable to shocks but can employ diversification strategies within and outside of the fishing sector to increase resilience. This dissertation serves to contribute to a knowledge gap on the extent of diversification and changes in participation and diversification patterns over time in Virginia’s small-scale commercial fisheries. In Chapters I and II, state licensing and permitting data, as well as commercial landings data, are used to investigate participation and diversification in wild fisheries and marine-related businesses through structural change, multiple correspondence analyses, and the development of diversification models. In Chapter III, a survey instrument is used to determine the willingness of fishermen to diversify into an emerging species fishery. Chapter IV uses ethnographic interviews to further investigate the role of diversification as a livelihood strategy. The findings of this dissertation indicate that diversification within and outside of Virginia’s small-scale commercial fishing industry can serve as an important adaptive strategy. Fishermen who were more diversified had higher and less variable annual incomes than fishermen who were less diversified. Likewise, more diversified individuals tended to remain in the commercial fishing industry for longer. There is evidence of instability in participation and diversification in some wild fisheries and marine-related businesses, however, that reflects the volatility of the commercial fishing industry. Further investigation of the individual diversification behavior indicates a suite of influential factors such as participation in a limited entry fishery or marine-related business, annual income, and socio-demographic variables. These drivers of diversification behavior are useful to managers in predicting responses to adverse events or estimating participation in the future. The findings from Chapter III indicate that ex-vessel price plays an important role in the decision to diversify into an emerging fishery. This dissertation indicates that fishermen are heterogenous in their response to economic, environmental, and social changes and these differences can ultimately influence levels of participation and diversification. Understanding individual decision-making behavior and livelihood strategies of small-scale commercial fishermen is integral in addressing the socio-economic impacts of environmental and management changes. Furthermore, it is important for fishery managers to understand how management and policy decisions influence livelihood strategies, resource dependence, and vulnerability as these constraints threaten the long-term sustainability and resiliency of commercial fishermen, the commercial fishing industry, and coastal communities dependent on commercial fishing

Granary Building environmental impact assessment

The Port of Bellingham proposes to partially demolish the Granary Building on the Bellingham New Whatcom redevelopment site located on the downtown waterfront. Partial demolition of the building--removing the northern portion of the building, increasing the distance between the building and the shoreline--is preferable to either complete preservation or total demolition for a number of reasons. Preserving at least some of the original structure would retain historic value within the proposed historic district of the New Whatcom waterfront space. Removing part of the structure would create more of a shoreline buffer to enhance habitat restoration of the adjacent Whatcom Waterway. Partial removal would also increase waterfront access to the former Georgia Pacific site in accordance with the Port\u27s new proposed straight street grid plan. Moreover, this new street grid creates Bloedel Avenue, a road that connects Central Avenue--where the Granary Building sits--to the innards of the New Whatcom site. In terms of sustainable development, strengthening the structural integrity of the building would require a certain degree of seismic upgrades and implementation of new sustainable technologies depending on the proposed future use of the building. However, renovating and reusing the current building would be more environmentally sustainable in the long term than the demolition or no action alternatives

Quantifying the behavioral and economic effects of regulatory change in a recreational cobia fishery

Fisheries economists typically assume recreational anglers make decisions that maximize individual angler utility, which may depend on fishery and regulatory conditions. Under this framework, changes in regulations can lead to target species substitution by anglers in response to shifts in expectations of trip utility. A stated preference survey was developed and distributed to recreational cobia (Rachycentron canadum) anglers in Virginia to explore the effects of regulatory change on angler decision-making, species targeting, and resulting economic outcomes. The survey included a series of hypothetical choice scenarios, where respondents were asked to select their most preferred alternative after being presented with different fishing trips targeting cobia,red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), or summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus). Seven regulatory treatments of the survey were distributed, providing anglers a variety of species targeting tradeoffs. A mixed logit model was usedto estimate angler preferences associated with hypothetical trip attributes and regulatory environment. Changes in angler welfare resulting from changes in cobia regulations were then assessed. Anglers were found to prefer targeting cobia to red drum or summer flounder under status quo management. Increases in catch, average weight of catch, and legal harvest of cobia were also found to provide anglers greater improvements in triputility compared to increases in these attributes for trips targeting red drum or summer flounder. The economic effects of regulatory change were asymmetric because restrictive regulations were found to reduce angler welfare whereas liberalizing regulations had no significant effects. Increased availability of alternative target species was found to dampen the negative welfare effects of restrictive cobia regulations due to predicted target species substitution by anglers

Automated Gaze-Based Mind Wandering Detection during Computerized Learning in Classrooms

We investigate the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) eye-trackers to automatically detect mind wandering—a phenomenon involving a shift in attention from task-related to task-unrelated thoughts—during computerized learning. Study 1 (N = 135 high-school students) tested the feasibility of COTS eye tracking while students learn biology with an intelligent tutoring system called GuruTutor in their classroom. We could successfully track eye gaze in 75% (both eyes tracked) and 95% (one eye tracked) of the cases for 85% of the sessions where gaze was successfully recorded. In Study 2, we used this data to build automated student-independent detectors of mind wandering, obtaining accuracies (mind wandering F1 = 0.59) substantially better than chance (F1 = 0.24). Study 3 investigated context-generalizability of mind wandering detectors, finding that models trained on data collected in a controlled laboratory more successfully generalized to the classroom than the reverse. Study 4 investigated gaze- and video- based mind wandering detection, finding that gaze-based detection was superior and multimodal detection yielded an improvement in limited circumstances. We tested live mind wandering detection on a new sample of 39 students in Study 5 and found that detection accuracy (mind wandering F1 = 0.40) was considerably above chance (F1 = 0.24), albeit lower than offline detection accuracy from Study 1 (F1 = 0.59), a finding attributable to handling of missing data. We discuss our next steps towards developing gaze-based attention-aware learning technologies to increase engagement and learning by combating mind wandering in classroom contexts

Photovoice Reveals Residents’ Concerns for Air and Water Quality in Industry-Impacted Rural Community

Rural communities of color in the southeastern U.S. experience a high burden of environmental hazards from concentrated industry placement. Community-engaged research and qualitative methods can improve our understanding of meaning-making in a community impacted by polluting facilities. This study applies the photovoice method to assess how a predominantly African American community in rural North Carolina, impacted by a landfill and confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), perceives their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Two research questions were developed with community-based partners: (a) How do environmental health concerns in this community influence residents’ perceptions of their HRQoL? and (b) How do community and county factors facilitate or inhibit community organizing around these concerns? Three photo assignment sessions were held to engage participants in discussions related to the research questions. Researchers analyzed discussion audio recordings and identified themes related to concerns about the following issues: health and quality of life, the landfill industry’s influence on community cohesion and self-determination, and actions to address environmental injustice in Sampson County. Photovoice benefits community-engaged researchers by providing a process for assessing the research interests of a community. Photovoice also serves community organizers by providing residents with a structured way to discuss their lived experiences and strategize ways to reduce hazard exposure