Significant Population Structure and Little Connectivity in South African Rocky Shore Species: Implications for the Conservation of Regional Marine Biodiversity

South Africa has 3650 km of coastline that spans the boundary between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific biomes. The coastal waters boast a remarkable array of biological diversity and high levels of species abundance and endemism. Currently around 23% of the coastline is formally protected via marine protected areas (MPA) with 9% enforced as no-take zones. Even with this relatively high level of protection (as compared to other nations globally) the MPA network is still relatively sparse with protected areas that are on average ~110 km apart and unevenly distributed with the majority of MPAs situated along the species-rich east coast. This has led to concerns that the current MPA network is not protecting a representative sample of the genetic diversity among marine species nor is it sufficiently genetically connected via dispersal and gene flow to ensure their long-term persistence. To test a number of questions regarding the distribution of genetic diversity and degree of population genetic structuring along the South African coast we analyzed mitochondrial DNA sequence data for 10 sessile rocky-shore species and one reef-fish that represent three distinct life history strategies. We find that the distribution of genetic diversity across the South African coastline closely mirrors the distribution of species richness, increasing from west to east. We also find similar levels of population genetic structure among brooders, broadcast spawners and live-bearers, demonstrating that life histories are a poor predictor of genetic connectivity for South African marine species. Finally, we find that estimates of effective dispersal distance for taxa from each of the life history categories are low (~0.5-1.5 km per generation) suggesting that populations within MPAs are reliant on populations in unprotected areas via a steppingstone model of genetic connectivity. In light of these findings, we discuss a number of recommendations to enhance the role of the existing South African MPA network and echo previous calls for the establishment of protected areas along the west coast

Final Project Report: Hydraulic Model Study Raw Wastewater Pumping Station No. 2A Wastewater Treatment Plant Detroit, Michigan

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154206/1/39015101405390.pd

Hydraulic Model Study: Wyandotte Wastewater Treatment Plant Influent Pump Station Wet Well

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154185/1/39015101405044.pd

Research Methods for Education With Technology: Four Concerns, Examples, and Recommendations

The success of education with technology research is in part because the field draws upon theories and methods from multiple disciplines. However, drawing upon multiple disciplines has drawbacks because sometimes the methodological expertise of each discipline is not applied when researchers conduct studies outside of their research training. The focus here is on research using methods drawn largely from psychology, for example, evaluating the impact of different systems on how students perform. The methodological concerns discussed are: low power; not using multilevel modeling; dichotomization; and inaccurate reporting of the numeric statistics. Examples are drawn from a recent set of proceedings. Recommendations, which are applicable throughout the social sciences, are made for each of these

Final Project Report: Hydraulic Model Study Wastewater Influent Splitter Chamber Project 88 Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant Columbus, Ohio

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154194/1/39015101405192.pd

Improved SAR Imaging Via Cross-Learning from Camera Images

In this paper, we propose a novel concept of cross-learning, in order to improve SAR images by learning from the camera images. We use a multi-level abstraction approach to materialise knowledge transfer between the two modalities. We also compare the performance of other possible approaches. We provide experimental results on real data to validate the proposed concept

A Remote Sensing-Based Tool for Assessing Rainfall-Driven Hazards

RainyDay is a Python-based platform that couples rainfall remote sensing data with Stochastic Storm Transposition (SST) for modeling rainfall-driven hazards such as floods and landslides. SST effectively lengthens the extreme rainfall record through temporal resampling and spatial transposition of observed storms from the surrounding region to create many extreme rainfall scenarios. Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves are often used for hazard modeling but require long records to describe the distribution of rainfall depth and duration and do not provide information regarding rainfall space-time structure, limiting their usefulness to small scales. In contrast, Rainy Day can be used for many hazard applications with 1-2 decades of data, and output rainfall scenarios incorporate detailed space-time structure from remote sensing. Thanks to global satellite coverage, Rainy Day can be used in inaccessible areas and developing countries lacking ground measurements, though results are impacted by remote sensing errors. Rainy Day can be useful for hazard modeling under nonstationary conditions

Big GAAP/Little GAAP: Will The Debate Ever End?

There has been an ongoing debate for decades, especially since the inception of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), over the appropriate application of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to private companies. This so-called ‘Big GAAP vs. Little GAAP’ debate has now come to a crisis point. The Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) has taken a position that is contrary to the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Standard Setting for Private Companies (the Panel) presented in January 2011, despite having been represented on the Panel. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), also represented on the Panel, has responded by taking a strong stand in favor of the Panel’s position and against the new FAF recommendation and Invitation to Comment, published on October 4, 2011. Additionally, the International Accounting Standards Board has developed a set of reporting standards for small and medium size enterprises (IFRS for SMEs) that has not been recognized in the US. In this paper, we examine the history of the Big GAAP/Little GAAP debate in the US and internationally. We find substantial support for reducing requirements of private companies and recommend that International Financial Reporting Standards for Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (IFRS for SMEs) be used for public companies of all sizes to be consistent with standards that have been accepted globally