The morphogenesis of ephyra in Coronatae (Cnidaria,Scyphozoa)

The morphogenesis of ephyrae of Atorella vanhoeffeni Bigelow, 1909 (Werner, 1967) and of Nausithoe maculata Jarms, 1990 during strobilation is described. We found differences in the developmental pattern of marginal structures and structural changes of longitudinal muscle tubes in particular. During strobilation the polyp’s tetraradiate symmetry is passed to the ephyra of both taxa as a tetraradiate central symmetry that we consider a major plesiomorphic character. The present results also indicate divergent patterns of ephyra development during strobilation that lead to variable marginal symmetries of ephyrae and thus of medusae. Therefore, the marginal symmetry of medusae of N. maculata is octoradiate and of A. vanhoeffeni is hexaradiate. We conclude the latter is stated as derived pattern. These results lead us to maintain both families Nausithoidae and Atorellidae.     

Using GIS to Generate Spatially Balanced Random Survey Designs for Natural Resource Applications

Sampling of a population is frequently required to understand trends and patterns in natural resource management because financial and time constraints preclude a complete census. A rigorous probability-based survey design specifies where to sample so that inferences from the sample apply to the entire population. Probability survey designs should be used in natural resource and environmental management situations because they provide the mathematical foundation for statistical inference. Development of long-term monitoring designs demand survey designs that achieve statistical rigor and are efficient but remain flexible to inevitable logistical or practical constraints during field data collection. Here we describe an approach to probability-based survey design, called the Reversed Randomized Quadrant-Recursive Raster, based on the concept of spatially balanced sampling and implemented in a geographic information system. This provides environmental managers a practical tool to generate flexible and efficient survey designs for natural resource applications. Factors commonly used to modify sampling intensity, such as categories, gradients, or accessibility, can be readily incorporated into the spatially balanced sample design.     

Surface geophysical exploration: developing noninvasive tools to monitor past leaks around Hanford’s tank farms

A characterization program has been developed at Hanford to image past leaks in and around the underground storage tank facilities. The program is based on electrical resistivity, a geophysical technique that maps the distribution of electrical properties of the subsurface. The method was shown to be immediately successful in open areas devoid of underground metallic infrastructure, due to the large contrast in material properties between the highly saline waste and the dry sandy host environment. The results in these areas, confirmed by a limited number of boreholes, demonstrate a tendency for the lateral extent of the underground waste plume to remain within the approximate footprint of the disposal facility. In infrastructure-rich areas, such as tank farms, the conventional application of electrical resistivity using small point-source surface electrodes initially presented a challenge for the resistivity method. The method was then adapted to directly use the buried infrastructure, specifically the steel-cased wells that surround the tanks, as “long” electrodes for both transmission of electrical current and measurements of voltage. Overcoming the drawbacks of the long electrode method has been the focus of our work over the past 7 years. The drawbacks include low vertical resolution and limited lateral coverage. The lateral coverage issue has been improved by supplementing the long electrodes with surface electrodes in areas devoid of infrastructure. The vertical resolution has been increased by developing borehole electrode arrays that can fit within the small-diameter drive casing of a direct push rig. The evolution of the program has led to some exceptional advances in the application of geophysical methods, including logistical deployment of the technology in hazardous areas, development of parallel processing resistivity inversion algorithms, and adapting the processing tools to accommodate electrodes of all shapes and locations. The program is accompanied by a full set of quality assurance procedures that cover the layout of sensors, measurement strategies, and software enhancements while insuring the integrity of stored data. The data have been shown to be useful in identifying previously unknown contaminant sources and defining the footprint of precipitation recharge barriers to retard the movement of existing contamination.     

Prenatal diagnosis and fetal pathology of partial trisomy 20p–monosomy 4p resulting from paternal translocation

Amniocentesis was performed in view of a paternal balanced chromosomal rearrangement t(4;20)(p16;p12), inv(18)(p11q11). The pregnancy was complicated by severe oligohydramnios. The fetal karyotype was unbalanced: 46XX, der(4), t(4;20)(p16;p12), inv(18) (p11q11)pat., thus resulting in partial trisomy 2Op and monosomy 4p. In addition, the amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) became increasingly elevated with gestational age. The pregnancy was terminated at 25 weeks. The fetus presented with typical facial dysmorphic features, unilateral cleft lip and palate, severe renal hypoplasia, consistent with the 4p- (Wolf-Hirschhorn) syndrome.     

Homesickness,health and efficiency in first year students

The investigation is concerned with the reported incidence and frequency of homesickness following an environmental transition to university in a group of 101 first year university students. Definitions provided by students indicated that homesickness is a collective term for a number of cognitive and emotional/motivational experiences primarily associated with missing home and wanting to visit it. 60% reported homesickness. Geographical distance of the move and relative lack of satisfaction with features of the psychosocial and physical environment in the new place were found to be associated with homesickness reporting. Personality and circumstantial factors such as decisional control over the move and cognitive failure levels were also associated with homesickness reporting. A two-stage risk model is proposed in which an environmental relocation is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for homesickness; features of the new place combine with personality factors to precipitate the experience.