The lower actinopterygian fauna from the Lower Carboniferous Albert shale formation of New Brunswick, Canada – a review of previously described taxa and a description of a new genus and species

The Lower Carboniferous Albert shale formation of New Brunswick, Canada, is well-known for the preservation of countless articulated lower actinopterygian palaeoniscoid fishes. This site is at the boundary between the Devonian and the Lower Carboniferous, making the lower actinopterygians preserved at this site important. The taxonomic history of previously described Albert shale formation actinopterygians is reviewed here. Many of the earliest described actinopterygian taxa from the Albert Formation are represented by poorly preserved type specimens and have the distinction of being moved from one paraphyletic genus to another paraphyletic genus. While these taxa are in need of major redescriptions, such work is premature until the large paraphyletic or polyphyletic genera they have been placed in, Palaeonicus[m], †Rhadinichthys, and †Elonichthys, are redescribed. But there is new diversity within the Albert shale formation. Here, a new lower actinopterygian species, †Lambeia pectinatus, is described from one well-preserved specimen. This new species is characterized by dorsal ridge scales with pectinated posterior margins, body scales inserted between adjacent dorsal ridge scales, body scales with pectinated posterior and ventral margins, the presence of a ventral rostro-premaxilla and a median rostral bone, a separate and distinct antorbital bone, and a single supraorbital bone. This newly described species is distinct from previously described fishes from the Albert Formation, and the morphology of this newly described species is more similar to later Carboniferous fishes rather than Devonian fishes. This suggests that morphological features commonly seen in Carboniferous fishes and rarely seen in Devonian fishes were present early in the Carboniferous

Continuous ink-jet printing electronic components using novel conductive inks

To reduce the cost of electronics fabrication and to take advantage of numerous potential specialized applications, a novel process of manufacturing three-dimensional electronic products is introduced in the present investigation. This process, which is currently being patented by the University of Pittsburgh, utilizes specialized continuous ink jet (CIJ) printing technology and innovative conductive inks that are capable of producing high-resolution conductive traces. Unlike drop-on-demand (DOD) techniques that are aimed at more precise features sizes (1 micron or less) and smaller scale applications, the present investigation demonstrates that the new process can be used in mass production applications where larger feature sizes (~50 microns) are sufficient. It has been found that the traces produced by the process have excellent adherence and have an electrical resistivity of only 2.9 times of bulk silver after curing. The major advantage of the proposed CIJ process is that it not only provides a fast and cost-effective method for applying electronic components (conductors, diodes, capacitors and resistors) on existing products, but it also allows the printing of conductive traces in three-dimensional space. With a throw distance that exceeds 10 cm, it demonstrates how the new fabrication process is not only suitable for desktop microfabrication, but also for large volume applications such as automotive glass.Mechanical Engineerin

Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI)

The purpose of the Latino Leadership Initiative is to help develop a cadre of next generation leaders from and for the Latino(a) community. The LLI annually serves up to 50 of the nation’s most promising undergraduates with demonstrated interest in serving the Latino(a)community. The partner schools sending cohorts are Miami Dade College, UMass Boston, Texas A&M International University, University of California at Merced, University of Texas-Pan American, Loyola Marymount, City University of New York and the University of Houston. Objectives of the LLI are: to enhance the leadership capacity of students committed to serving the Latino community; to help participants form a strong and durable bond among themselves and with other leaders; to inspire participants to view their own possibilities for leadership and professional achievement as limitless

Indoor Air Quality

Poor indoor air quality kills more than 4 million people around the world, and disables millions more with chronic illnesses such as COPD, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and lung cancer, according to the World Health Organization

Success Boston: College Completion Initiative

2008: Initiative launches in response to Northeastern University study finding – only 35.5% of Boston Public School (BPS) graduates enrolled in college earned an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree within 7 years (despite BPS having one of the highest college enrollment rates in country). 2010: 38 colleges/universities in MA accepted UMass Boston Chancellor Keith Motley’s invitation to join the initiative (25 submitted specific plans). Chancellor Motley is co-chair of Mayor’s Success Boston Task Force. July 2010: UMass Boston implements Success Boston Embedded Model: Collaboration with American Student Assistance (ASA), Freedom House Inc., Bottom Line and Hyde Square Task Force to provide transitional coaching to BPS graduates at UMass Boston

A new lower actinopterygian fish from the Upper Mississippian Bluefield Formation of West Virginia, USA

The Upper Mississippian Bluefield Formation of the Mauch Chunk Group in southeastern West Virginia is known for its preservation of a variety of invertebrate taxa and early tetrapod trackways, but no lower actinopterygian remains have been formally described from these Carboniferous rocks. Here, the first lower actinopterygian fish is described from the Bluefield Formation of West Virginia. This fish is represented by a nearly complete articulated specimen with a three-dimensional snout and an unobstructed view of the gular and branchiostegal region. This new taxon is defined by a unique set of characters, which include features of the snout, circumorbital series, cheek, and operculo-gular region. These features make this fish different and distinct from previously described Carboniferous fishes. Some of the morphological features of note include the presence of a distinct lacrimal, premaxillary, ventral rostral and dorsal rostral bones, a narrow infraorbital ventral to the orbit, and a large crescent shaped infraorbital that contacts a single dermosphenotic. There is an anteriorly inclined hatchet-shaped preoperculum and six small suborbital bones anterior to the expanded region of this bone that filling the space between the preoperculum, dermosphenotic, and infraorbital. Posterior to the preoperculum, there is a single wedge-shaped dermohyal and a series of three rectangular anteopercular bones. The anteopercular bones extend halfway down the anterior border of the rectangular operculum. A median gular, two pairs of lateral gulars, and at least eight branchiostegal rays are present. The heterocercal caudal fin is deeply cleft and inequilobate. The scales have pectinated posterior margins and bear diagonal ridges of ganoine. The description of this new taxon represents the first actinopterygian and the first vertebrate body fossil described from the Bluefield Formation and the second actinopterygian taxon described from the Mauch Chunk Group in West Virginia

Using GIS to Locate Areas for Growing Quality Coffee in Honduras

Abstract Small-scale coffee producers worldwide remain vulnerable to price fluctuations after the 1999-2003 coffee crisis. One way to increase small-scale farmer economic resilience is to produce a more expensive product, such as quality coffee. There is growing demand in coffee-producing and coffee-importing countries for user-friendly tools that facilitate the marketing of quality coffee. The purpose of this study is to develop a prototypical quality coffee marketing tool in the form of a GIS model that identifies regions for producing quality coffee in a country not usually associated with quality coffee, Honduras. Maps of areas for growing quality coffee were produced with information on climate, soils, topography, areas vulnerable to environmental degradation, the location of current quality coffee farms, and infrastructure. The maps depict suitable coffee-growing land in portions of eight western Honduran departments

Success Boston: College Completion Initiative

Success Boston provides intensive coaching support and wraparound services to Boston Public Schools students and graduates to ensure they are Getting Ready, Getting In, and Getting Through college so they are equipped to lead productive lives after graduation

Life History and Habitat Use of the Juvenile Alabama Shad (\u3ci\u3eAlosa alabamae\u3c/i\u3e) in Northern Gulf of Mexico Rivers

The Alabama shad, Alosa alabamae, is an anadromous species that is in decline and has seen extirpations from impoundments as well as decreased water quality. Alabama shad live in the Gulf of Mexico and ascend Northern Gulf of Mexico Drainages to reproduce early in the year (January-May). The juveniles spend the majority of the year in these freshwater systems before emigrating out to the Gulf of Mexico as late as December. This dissertation focuses on the juvenile life stages that occur within the Northern Gulf of Mexico drainages. Spawning conditions of the river, as well as the habitat and diet, are studied and documented. Habitat use of the juvenile Alabama shad shifted from sand bars to open channel and banks which was seen in progression as the juveniles increased in size and maturity. Important physicochemical parameters that influenced the presence of Alabama shad within these habitats ranged from temperature, flow velocity, and conductivity. Diet of the juvenile Alabama shad consisted of particulate detritus within Alabama shadtemperatures. These findings suggest that the management of these drainages should be done independently on a drainage-by-drainage basis. Habitats are consistent between drainages, but the physicochemical factors driving the presence of this species are unique to each drainage. It is also suggested that maintaining natural flows for habitat maintenance and reproductive cues is important toward conservation of the species