Sustaining family forests in rural landscapes: Rationale, challenges, and an illustration from Oregon, USA

Family forests are critical components of rural landscapes, societies and economies. In Oregon, where nonindustrial private forests comprise only 16% of the forestland base, the ecological, social and economic impact of this ownership category is disproportionately large. This is due to the landscape position these lands occupy, the diversification they contribute to forest cover and local economies, and the political and cultural connections they provide to urban populations. The significance of this ownership category is even greater in the United States as a whole, where nonindustrial private forests comprise nearly two-thirds of the commercial forestland base, dominating rural landscapes in many regions of the country. Despite the important role family forests play, their ability to contribute to the wellbeing of rural areas is challenged by several dynamic factors, including industrial consolidation in global wood markets, loss of family forestland to corporate ownership, and parcelization and fragmentation of family forestland at the urban fringe. Moreover, family forestry does not enjoy a strong social contract with the American public, which is largely ignorant of the existence of this ownership class. A foundation of broad social approval and appreciation for family forestry is a prerequisite to development of policies which can sustain family forestland ownerships and the contributions they make. This paper draws from recent research in Oregon to argue that, whereas most research on nonindustrial private forests has focused on economics and management at the individual producer level, these challenges demand greater attention to the role of family forests in the wider context of landscape, culture and rural economy

A Delphi Study: Expanding K-12 Student Knowledge and Interests in Aviation/Aerospace Recommendations from NASA Aerospace Education Specialists

An aging aerospace workforce coupled with declining student interest and skills beginning at the secondary level and running through the doctoral level has prompted a potential crisis in the aviation/aerospace industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 54 percent of U.S. aerospace workers over age 45 will leave the field by 2008 opening up some six million aerospace jobs. If the existing trends continue, there will not be enough workers to fill those positions which are vital to the U.S. economy and security. Aerospace employment is at its lowest in 50 years (Aerospace Industries Association, 2004). Data from the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry indicated that math and science performance of U.S. high school seniors ranks near the bottom internationally (2002). The Commission made the following recommendation: The Commission recommends the nation immediately reverse the decline in, and promote the growth of, a scientifically and technologically trained U.S. aerospace workforce. In addition, the nation must address the failure of the math, science and technology education of Americans. The breakdown of America\u27s intellectual and industrial capacity is a threat to national security and our capability to continue as a world leader (p. xvi). The Commission further stressed the importance of taking action to improve math and science instruction across the entire education range--K-12 through graduate school. In an effort to encourage students to pursue scientific interests in aviation/aerospace, Aerospace Education Specialists working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are involved in a relatively new effort to work with K-12 educators to provide in-classroom education about the field of aviation/aerospace. As former K-12 educators, these specialists are constantly looking for new and creative ways to convey to current K-12 educators the importance of aviation/aerospace careers to the future of the industry. And, as representatives of NASA, these specialists are trained and experienced in matching agency resources with the needs of educators

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori by carbon-13 urea breath test using a portable mass spectrometer

CONTEXT: In the non-invasive detection of markers of disease, mass spectrometry is able to detect small quantities of volatile markers in exhaled air. However, the problem of size, expense and immobility of conventional mass spectrometry equipment has restricted its use. Now, a smaller, less expensive, portable quadrupole mass spectrometer system has been developed. Helicobacter pylori has been implicated in the development of chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers and gastric cancer. OBJECTIVES: To compare the results obtained from the presence of H. pylori by a carbon-13 urea test using a portable quadrupole mass spectrometer system with those from a fixed mass spectrometer in a hospital-based clinical trial. METHODS: Following ethical approval, 45 patients attending a gastroenterology clinic at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital exhaled a breath sample into a Tedlar gas sampling bag. They then drank an orange juice containing urea radiolabelled with carbon and 30 min later gave a second breath sample. The carbon-13 content of both samples was measured using both quadrupole mass spectrometer systems. If the post-drink level exceeded the pre-drink level by 3% or more, a positive diagnosis for the presence of H. pylori was made. RESULTS: The findings were compared to the results using conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometry using a laboratory-based magnetic sector instrument off-site. The results showed agreement in 39 of the 45 patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a portable quadrupole mass spectrometer is a potential alternative to the conventional centralised testing equipment. Future development of the portable quadrupole mass spectrometer to reduce further its size and cost is indicated, together with further work to validate this new equipment and to enhance its use in mass spectrometry diagnosis of other medical conditions

Controlled Cold Water and Water Slushy Ingestion, and Heat Performance in Subjects of Average Fitness

Fluid ingestion is known to improve exercise performance and could lead to a heat sink effect, if cold enough. While research has been conducted on the influence of hydration in exercise performance, little has been done which consider beverages’ temperature during controlled consumption. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of controlled consumption of water at different temperatures on heat performance in subjects of average fitness. METHODS: Fifteen males, ages 18-29, with no prior heat illness were recruited. Subjects were tested for body composition and peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) prior to testing. All subjects underwent three experimental trials [cold water (CD=4̊C), water slushy (SL=-1̊C), room temperature water (RM=22̊C)] in a balanced crossover design. Subjects were required to exercise on a cycle ergometer at intensity 70% VO2peak (vigorous exercise) in the heat (34.0±0.6̊C, 41.7±2.7% RH, 3.6 km∙hr∙-1 wind speed) until volitional maximum. Subjects were required to consume a controlled volume (2.5 g∙kgBodyMass-1) of one of the treatments (CD, SL, RM) every 10 minutes each trial. Measurements for maximum exercise time (ExT), pre-/post-core body temperature change (ΔTc), heart rate (HR), mean skin temperature (MTsk), sweat rate (SR), and RPE were recorded. One-way (beverage) or two-way (beverage x time) ANOVA with repeated measures was used (α=0.05). RESULTS: ExT did not differ significantly between treatments (CD=33.8±9.4 min; SL=35.0±9.8 min; RM=31.5±8.6 min) but a trend (p=0.0680) was seen where SL&CD\u3eRM, which was supported by all subjects having their longest bouts during CD (n=10) and SL (n=5) trials. Neither ΔTc (CD=0.69±0.36˚C, SL=0.64±0.43˚C, RM=0.77±0.45˚C), or SR (CD=1545±1109 ml·hr-1; SL=1837±692 ml·hr-1; RM=1891±489 ml·hr-1), differed (p\u3e0.05) between treatments. A main effect for beverage was seen in HR (CD=157±16 bpm; SL=153±18 bpm; RM=160±17 bpm)(p\u3c0.05) where SLsk or RPE (p\u3e0.05). A main effect for time (p\u3c0.05) was see in HR (T20=161±18 bpm\u3eT10=153±16 bpm), MTsk (T20=36.2±0.3˚C\u3eT10=35.9±0.3˚C), and RPE (T20=5.8±2.1 (0-10)\u3eT10=3.3±1.4 (0-10)). A trend towards significant beverage x time interaction was seen for HR (p=0.0900) but treatments did not respond differently over time for MTsk or RPE (p\u3e0.05). HR at volitional maximum differed between treatments (CD=168±20 bpm; SL=165±20 bpm; RM=173±20 bpm)(p\u3c0.05), specifically SLsk or RPE (p\u3e0.05). CONCLUSION: SL appeared to improve performance over RM, but not CD. There may be a point where colder beverage temperature does not yield a greater heat sink effect or, results could have been due to shorter exercise time in subjects of average fitness

High intensity X/ γ photon beams for nuclear physics and photonics

In this manuscript we review the challenges of Compton back-scattering sources in advancing photon beam performances in the1−20MeVenergy range, underlining the design criteria bringing tomaximum spectral luminosity and briefly describing the main achieve-ments in conceiving and developing new devices (multi-bunch RF cav-ities and Laser recirculators) for the case of ELI-NP Gamma BeamSystem (ELI-NP-GBS)

Fine-scale variability in iceberg velocity fields and implications for an ice-associated pinniped

Icebergs and sea ice found in proglacial fjords serve as important habitat for pinnipeds in polar and subpolar regions. Environmental forcings can drive dramatic changes in fjord ice coverage, with implications for pinniped distribution, abundance, and behavior. To better understand how pinnipeds respond to changes in iceberg habitat, we combine (i) iceberg velocity fields over hourly to monthly timescales, derived from high-rate time-lapse photogrammetry of Johns Hopkins Glacier and Inlet, Alaska, with (ii) aerial photographic surveys of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardi) conducted during the pupping (June) and molting (August) seasons. Iceberg velocities typically followed a similar diurnal pattern: flow was weak and variable in the morning and strong and unidirectional in the afternoon. The velocity fields tended to be highly variable in the inner fjord, across a range of timescales, due to changes in the strength and location of the subglacial outflow plume, whereas in the outer fjord the flow was more uniform and eddies consistently formed in the same locations. During the pupping season, seals were generally more dispersed across the slow moving portions of the fjord (with iceberg speeds 0.2 m s−1.. In contrast, during the molting season the seals were increasingly likely to be found on fast moving icebergs in or adjacent to the glacier outflow plume. Use of slow moving icebergs during the pupping season likely provides a more stable ice platform for nursing, caring for young, and avoiding predators. Periods of strong glacier runoff and/or katabatic winds may result in more dynamic and less stable ice habitat, with implications for seal behavior and distribution within the fjord

A Bio-Logical Theory of Animal Learning

This article provides the foundation for a new predictive theory of animal learning that is based upon a simple logical model. The knowledge of experimental subjects at a given time is described using logical equations. These logical equations are then used to predict a subject’s response when presented with a known or a previously unknown situation. This new theory suc- cessfully anticipates phenomena that existing theories predict, as well as phenomena that they cannot. It provides a theoretical account for phenomena that are beyond the domain of existing models, such as extinction and the detection of novelty, from which “external inhibition” can be explained. Examples of the methods applied to make predictions are given using previously published results. The present theory proposes a new way to envision the minimal functions of the nervous system, and provides possible new insights into the way that brains ultimately create and use knowledge about the world