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Birds and Bioenergy within the Americas: A Cross-National, Social–Ecological Study of Ecosystem Service Tradeoffs
No full text21 pages with color illustrations.Although renewable energy holds great promise in mitigating climate change, there are socioeconomic and ecological tradeoffs related to each form of renewable energy. Forest-related bioenergy is especially controversial, because tree plantations often replace land that could be used to grow food crops and can have negative impacts on biodiversity. In this study, we examined public perceptions and ecosystem service tradeoffs between the provisioning services associated with cover types associated with bioenergy crop (feedstock) production and forest habitat-related supporting services for birds, which themselves provide cultural and regulating services. We combined a social survey-based assessment of local values and perceptions with measures of bioenergy feedstock production impacts on bird habitat in four countries: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA. Respondents in all countries rated birds as important or very important (83–99% of respondents) and showed lower enthusiasm for, but still supported, the expansion of bioenergy feedstocks (48–60% of respondents). Bioenergy feedstock cover types in Brazil and Argentina had the greatest negative impact on birds but had a positive impact on birds in the USA. In Brazil and Mexico, public perceptions aligned fairly well with the realities of the impacts of potential bioenergy feedstocks on bird communities. However, in Argentina and the USA, perceptions of bioenergy impacts on birds did not match well with the data. Understanding people’s values and perceptions can help inform better policy and management decisions regarding land use changes
Correlation of humidity and temperature with COVID-19 transmission: a systematic review of published literature
No full textStudying the climate conditions of the transmission of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is important for understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic will spread across different climate zones and in different seasons. There are many studies that have examined the effects of humidity and temperature on the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, with varying results. This systematic review examined all papers addressing the effects of temperature and humidity on SARS-CoV-2 transmission using conventional and AI-driven literature searches. A total of 128 relevant articles were found, with quantitative data extracted from 57 studies. The results of a meta-analysis of correlational data indicate that temperature and humidity are both positively and negatively correlated with COVID-19 cases, with no obvious patterns emerging when taking multi-country and single-country studies into account. The unexpectedly wide range in the published data suggest that the seasonal factors of temperature and humidity alone will not be sufficient for predicting trends in SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility
The 2019 ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics Annual Survey
No full text4 pages with color illustrations
Rushlight: Fall 2020 - Spring 2021
No full textWheaton College (Norton, MA) student literary magazine.say it with me now!!!Night FlowersCopy of Girl with the Pearl EarringariadneTic, toc, tic, toc, unlawful marriageMirrored WindowsResonateShadow PlayThe AnswercassieUntitledSuburbian Fever DreamWildflower ShowerUntitledBreton and Basquiat are Conversing; Automatic ExperimentYELLOWGoin' NowherePlaygroundMissing ManilaStrolling through the street, my eye caught this ornate concretePapas Clockyou+iAll InUntitledThe CatholiconStill Life of a SkeletonSelf Portrait CollageDesk in the WoodsplutoThe mirror glance of the Pyramids of Gizadead endThe Oracleyou have one memory to look back on todayMongers Locker RoomA Cute Painting Of My Dirty FootPhoenixUntitledTender CreaturesThe Birds and The BeessinnerHoly Land USALet's Be Flexibleyou don't have to say anythingGive My Regards To The AkepasUntitledMoi pour ToiSunset reflections through the windows of PinecolorblindBlah Days٣. مقر يقورحملاThe Solstice of RecognitionA New FriendRosa caninaDigital Nights1969 Ford F1000My French Vanilla HoneyWheaton Portraits (2020)Meadowred daySunset above Cole Memorial Chapelphone callSnowy BridgeanimosityCapri, Italyforgetting youAutumn GourdAlexandria and WheatonDuskRainbow CloudBeebalmafter the stormyello
Investigation of ciliated cell types and ciliary gene expression during heart regeneration in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
No full text119 leaves : illustrations.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-109).Unlike the adult mammalian heart, the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) heart can regenerate after injury. In a series of regenerative processes, the zebrafish can regenerate their hearts after up to 20% of their ventricle apex is resected. The process of regeneration is directed via highly coordinated cell signaling pathways. Primary cilia act as directors of cell signaling pathways. Important ciliary signaling pathways have been implicated in zebrafish heart regeneration, but the direct link between regeneration and cilia has not been fully elucidated. Previous studies have found cilia present in the outer region of the regenerating zone during zebrafish heart regeneration. This led to the first hypothesis that cilia were present in the epicardium in zebrafish heart regeneration because the epicardium is believed to cover the outer region of the ventricle apex during regeneration. To test this hypothesis, the present study used immunofluorescence of transgenic zebrafish to label the different cell types of the regenerating heart. It was revealed that cilia were present in the outer region regenerating zone but not on the myocardium. There was indirect evidence that the cilia are not on the epicardium. Previous studies also found a change in abundance and length of cilia during zebrafish heart regeneration. This led to the second hypothesis that ciliary genes were differentially expressed during zebrafish heart regeneration. To test this hypothesis, the present study used DESeq2 in R to determine differential gene expression of ciliary genes. A total of 196 ciliary transcripts were found to be differentially expressed in at least one time point in zebrafish heart regeneration. Overall, the ciliated cell types and ciliary gene expression may provide further evidence of the importance of cilia in zebrafish heart regeneration. Continuing to gain insight the mechanisms of zebrafish heart regeneration may lead to clinical applications for human cardiac injury.Introduction -- Cardiac Regeneration in Zebrafish -- Cilia -- Regeneration Pathways Connected with Cilia -- Objectives of the Present Study -- Methods -- Heart Surgeries, Collection and Sectioning --
Making Buffers for Immunofluorescence -- Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) -- Phosphate Buffered Saline with Triton X-100 as detergent (PBS-T) -- Blocking Buffer for Sea Urchin Embryos -- Blocking Buffer for Heart Sections -- Citrate Buffer --
Immunofluorescence -- Materials --Immunofluorescence of Sea Urchin Embryos -- Immunofluorescence of Heart Sections --
Imaging of samples in the ICUC -- Materials -- Widefield Microscopy -- Taking Pictures with SPOT -- Image Overlays in Photoshop -- Preparing for Confocal Imaging -- Confocal Imaging -- Materials -- Startup procedure for the Lillie Zeiss LSM 710 -- Setting Up the Microscope -- Scanning the Samples -- Shutdown procedure for the Lillie Zeiss LSM 710 -- Image Analysis Using Fiji -- Merging Colors -- Creating Z-projections -- Creating 3D Projections --Adjusting the Brightness/Contrast --
RNA Sequencing -- Animal Husbandry and tissue collection -- RNA preparation and sequencing --
Galaxy Processing -- Gene Expression Analysis --
Converting Transcript IDs --
DESeq2 Analysis -- Examining Ciliary genes -- Principal Components Analysis -- Heatmapping --
Results -- Sea Urchin Immunofluorescence -- EK Immunofluorescence -- tcf21 Immunofluorescence --cmlc2 Immunofluorescence -- Ciliary Gene Expression --
Discussion -- Cilia are present in the regenerating heart -- Antibodies were partially effective for labeling cilia -- Using transgenic zebrafish lines to investigate which cardiac cell types are ciliated -- Which cell types really are ciliated? -- Investigation of cilia gene expression during regeneration compared with ciliogenesis -- Significance of findings: implications for the role of cilia in heart regeneratio
Malfuctioning Bodies: Sexuality, Technology, and Power in Cyberpunk Film (1982-1997).
No full text93 leaves : illustrations.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-83).This thesis uses Postmodern Queer and Feminist scholarship to explore the intersections between Sexuality, Economics, and Selfhood across four key Cyberpunk films spanning from 1982 until 1997. Chapter 1 engages with the cultural myth of “Hard Body” masculinity as it appears in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome. Chapter 2 focuses on depictions of women’s agency in Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue and Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell. Ultimately, all films provide examples of the struggle and violence that comes from a body in crisis
Characterizing the Dust and Cold-Gas Content of Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies
No full text104 leaves.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-104).Composed of baryonic and non-baryonic matter, star-forming galaxies are one of the
many unique structures within the universe. Due to minimal emission contribution
from their galactic core, star-forming galaxies emit similar signatures, particularly in
Balmer emission. Balmer emission can be used with physical extinction processes
to trace the overall composition of certain baryonic matter components within star-
forming galaxies. The baryonic matter components of any galaxy can be separated
into several elements: stars, gas, and dust. While accurate methods to measure the
stellar component of galaxies are convenient and simple, methods to determine the
dust and gas content are scant and rely on longer observations from ground and
space-based telescopes. Surveys of the dust and cold-gas components exist, yet a
law to describe the dust and cold-gas content as a function of Balmer emission does
not currently exist. I present methods to constrain the dust and cold-gas content
of star-forming galaxies using Bayesian fitting of the Balmer decrement (log(Hα/Hβ)).
The constraints are applied to an independent galaxy sample (SDSS) with similar physical characteristics to test the validity of the dust and cold-gas calibrations. The constraints show low intrinsic scatter, and show satisfactory results when applied to a wider star-forming galaxy sample with independent Balmer decrement measurements. The effects of inclination dependent reddening on the calibration are significant when applied to the SDSS sample, indicating the calibration requires further modification
Residential segregation and educational equity in the suburbs of Detroit
No full text59 leaves.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-59).Segregation and educational equity are still large issues in America, specifically in the suburbs of Detroit. Choices and structures combine to create residential segregation which in turn creates educational segregation and educational inequity. Many studies have shown how the history of redlining and racist real estate practices have created de facto segregation in the north, however, there is less research on how choices have intertwined with these practices to further segregation. This study looks at two neighboring suburbs of Detroit that are heavily segregated. “Greenville” is a middle to upper-class white suburb that is 89% White. In contrast, neighboring “Fairview” is a middle class black suburb that is 70% black. Through analysis of in-depth interviews with residents of these two suburbs, this study discovers how individual acts of prejudice work together to maintain the structures of residential segregation in the suburbs of Detroit. Additionally, this residential segregation perpetuated educational segregation and inequity between these two towns