Geographic variation and speciation in Rough-winged swallows (Aves: Hirundinidae: Stelgidopteryx)

This study is an examination of geographic variation and evolutionary history of Stelgidopteryx swallows. These swallows comprise two recognized species: Northern Rough-winged Swallow (S. serripennis) and Southern Rough-winged Swallow (S. ruficollis). A third species, Yucatan Rough-winged Swallow (S. ridgwayi)is also commonly recognized. The species are largely allopatric, except for a contact zone in Costa Rica. Using plumage and molecular variation, I examined the likelihood of two (or three) different species of rough-winged swallows, the genetic interrelationships among taxa, and their biogeographic history. Geographic plumage variation reveals a latitudinal cline across the genus from North to South America. Specimens from throughout the range of Stelgidopteryx show that most published subspecies should be synonymized as clinal variants. Molecular data (mitochondrial cytochrome-b sequences, microsatellite allele frequencies) show a pattern consistent with a species-level division between S. serripennis and S. ruficollis . The data also suggest that the Yucatan swallow is distinct. Phylogenetic trees from the sequence data divide Stelgidopteryx into northern and southern clades consistent with S. serripennis and S. ruficollis. The Yucatan clade, S. ridgwayi, is sister to the northern group. Microsatellite data indicate allelic frequency differences between the groups, but none fixed. Population genetic analyses among individuals within S. serripennis and S. ruficollis reveal genetic structure possibly worthy of taxonomic recognition. Measures of the population parameter theta indicate high allelic diversity in each group and suggest S. ruficollis is the younger population. The Northern Rough-winged Swallow exhibits broad clinal variation, but little subspecific subdivision. The Yucatan Rough-winged Swallow, is phenotypically and genetically dissimilar to the other groups, further supporting species-status. The Southern Rough-winged Swallow contains at least two subspecies, including decolor on the Pacific slope of Central America, and ruficollis throughout the rest of its range. The widespread distribution and contact zone in Costa Rica are consistent with secondary contact between the northern and southern swallows. The emergence of the Panamanian landbridge could have contributed to the formation of the contact zone. Pleistocene climatic shifts could also have played a role in isolating birds on opposite slopes of Central America allowing divergence between S. r. uropygialis and S. r. decolor

A comparison of the effects of soundfield amplification on acoustical characteristics and word recognition performance in relocatable and permanent classrooms

There are three acoustical characteristics that should be addressed when developing a good classroom listening environment: signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), reverberation time (RT), and levels of background noise. Previous research has shown that soundfield (SF) amplification systems help to improve these three characteristics, thus improving the classroom listening environment. In the present study, two seventh-grade classrooms were used: one relocatable classroom and one permanent classroom. Acoustical characteristics and speech levels were measured in both classrooms under two amplification conditions (unamplified and amplified). Word recognition abilities of 37 students were also measured under the two amplification conditions in both classrooms. Results showed neither classroom met the standards for optimal acoustics; however, SNRs were increased in both classrooms with the use of soundfield amplification. Additionally, the word recognition scores (WRS) of the children in the relocatable classroom were significantly worse under both amplification conditions than in the permanent classroom; WRS, however, increased when amplification was used compared to when it was not used. The results revealed the benefits of utilizing soundfield amplification systems in both classrooms, especially relocatable classrooms. Clinical implications are also discussed

Trajectory and smooth attractors for Cahn-Hilliard equations with inertial term

The paper is devoted to a modification of the classical Cahn-Hilliard equation proposed by some physicists. This modification is obtained by adding the second time derivative of the order parameter multiplied by an inertial coefficient which is usually small in comparison to the other physical constants. The main feature of this equation is the fact that even a globally bounded nonlinearity is "supercritical" in the case of two and three space dimensions. Thus the standard methods used for studying semilinear hyperbolic equations are not very effective in the present case. Nevertheless, we have recently proven the global existence and dissipativity of strong solutions in the 2D case (with a cubic controlled growth nonlinearity) and for the 3D case with small inertial coefficient and arbitrary growth rate of the nonlinearity. The present contribution studies the long-time behavior of rather weak (energy) solutions of that equation and it is a natural complement of the results of our previous papers. Namely, we prove here that the attractors for energy and strong solutions coincide for both the cases mentioned above. Thus, the energy solutions are asymptotically smooth. In addition, we show that the non-smooth part of any energy solution decays exponentially in time and deduce that the (smooth) exponential attractor for the strong solutions constructed previously is simultaneously the exponential attractor for the energy solutions as well

ALONG FOR THE RIDE: THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO PREPARE SECURITY STANDARDS NOW FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE TRAVEL

The concept of regulating the physical security of commercial spaceports has received little attention. Currently, no federal agency is responsible for developing physical security standards or enforcing regulatory compliance within the industry. This thesis examines the need to create and apply ground-based physical security standards to commercial space facilities within the United States. This thesis explores three policy options as potential paths forward if commercial space travel is designated as critical infrastructure and assesses their effectiveness, cost, political challenges, and viability. The analysis determines that taking proactive measures now will mitigate the potential costs and impacts of an attack and would save substantial amounts of money, keep a burgeoning market on track, and could save lives. Ultimately, this thesis concludes that implementing a regulatory approach like the one employed by the Transportation Security Administration’s surface transportation program would be effective if it prevents the explosion of one Falcon 9 rocket, or similar, every approximately 188 years.Civilian, Department of Homeland SecurityApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Giant Coulomb broadening and Raman lasing on ionic transitions

CW generation of anti-Stokes Raman laser on a number of blue-green argon-ion lines (4p-4s, 4p-3d) has been demonstrated with optical pumping from metastable levels 3d'^2G, 3d^4F. It is found, that the population transfer rate is increased by a factor of 3-5 (and hence, the output power of such Raman laser) owing to Coulomb diffusion in the velocity space. Measured are the excitation and relaxation rates for the metastable level. The Bennett hole on the metastable level has been recorded using the probe field technique. It has been shown that the Coulomb diffusion changes shape of the contour to exponential cusp profile while its width becomes 100 times the Lorentzian one and reaches values close to the Doppler width. Such a giant broadening is also confirmed by the shape of the absorption saturation curve.Comment: RevTex 18 pages, 5 figure

On Asymptotic Completeness of Scattering in the Nonlinear Lamb System, II

We establish the asymptotic completeness in the nonlinear Lamb system for hyperbolic stationary states. For the proof we construct a trajectory of a reduced equation (which is a nonlinear nonautonomous ODE) converging to a hyperbolic stationary point using the Inverse Function Theorem in a Banach space. We give the counterexamples showing nonexistence of such trajectories for nonhyperbolic stationary points

Vortical and Wave Modes in 3D Rotating Stratified Flows: Random Large Scale Forcing

Utilizing an eigenfunction decomposition, we study the growth and spectra of energy in the vortical and wave modes of a 3D rotating stratified fluid as a function of $\epsilon = f/N$. Working in regimes characterized by moderate Burger numbers, i.e. $Bu = 1/\epsilon^2 < 1$ or $Bu \ge 1$, our results indicate profound change in the character of vortical and wave mode interactions with respect to $Bu = 1$. As with the reference state of $\epsilon=1$, for $\epsilon < 1$ the wave mode energy saturates quite quickly and the ensuing forward cascade continues to act as an efficient means of dissipating ageostrophic energy. Further, these saturated spectra steepen as $\epsilon$ decreases: we see a shift from $k^{-1}$ to $k^{-5/3}$ scaling for $k_f < k < k_d$ (where $k_f$ and $k_d$ are the forcing and dissipation scales, respectively). On the other hand, when $\epsilon > 1$ the wave mode energy never saturates and comes to dominate the total energy in the system. In fact, in a sense the wave modes behave in an asymmetric manner about $\epsilon = 1$. With regard to the vortical modes, for $\epsilon \le 1$, the signatures of 3D quasigeostrophy are clearly evident. Specifically, we see a $k^{-3}$ scaling for $k_f < k < k_d$ and, in accord with an inverse transfer of energy, the vortical mode energy never saturates but rather increases for all $k < k_f$. In contrast, for $\epsilon > 1$ and increasing, the vortical modes contain a progressively smaller fraction of the total energy indicating that the 3D quasigeostrophic subsystem plays an energetically smaller role in the overall dynamics.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figs. (abbreviated abstract