The biological and socioeconomic feasibility of restoring elk (Cervus elaphus) to Virginia was assessed. Biological feasibility was determined by evaluating habitat suitability for elk while considering potential impacts of elk on existing fauna and flora in Virginia. Suitability was assessed by creating a habitat suitability index (HSI) model that measured the availability and accessibility of open foraging areas and forested cover areas, the availability of permanent water sources, and the degree of fragmentation by roads. Eight areas were identified as potential elk habitat: 1 in Southwest Virginia, 4 in the Shenandoah Mountains (Shenandoah, Highland, Big Meadows, Peaks of Otter), and 3 in the Southern Piedmont (Danville, Brookneal, Rehobeth). The highest potentials for supporting an elk herd were found in the Highland and Big Meadows study areas, medium biological feasibilities were found in the Southwest, Shenandoah, and Brookneal study areas, and low biological feasibilities were found in the Peaks of Otter, Danville, and Rehobeth study areas. A restored elk herd could negatively affect indigenous fauna and flora by changing the structure and diversity of existing forested ecosystems, but impacts can be minimized by maintaining elk populations at or below cultural carrying capacity. The introduction of diseases during restoration and possible transmission of those diseases from elk to humans, livestock, and other wildlife also are concerns, but these issues can be addressed by following a risk minimization protocol. Socioeconomic feasibility was assessed with a statewide mail survey of Virginia residents, 4 regional stakeholder workshops, an analysis of economic costs and benefits associated with elk restoration, and an assessment of the risks of elk-human conflicts in each of the 8 study areas. Overall, most (61%) respondents agreed that elk restoration would be good for Virginia. However, the low response rate (30%) and low confidence among respondents (49%) in their knowledge about elk indicated that most residents do not have the interest and/or necessary information to form a definitive opinion. Residents believe that the greatest benefits of restoration would be the value-based and indirect ecological benefits, such as returning an extirpated species to its native range, whereas the greatest perceived costs were the economic impacts to property, crop depredation, and public safety hazards. In contrast, local stakeholder representatives identified economic returns from increased tourism due to the presence of elk and the creation of new recreational opportunities as the most anticipated benefits; important concerns were the potential for property damage by elk, the potential impacts on local ecosystems, and the costs of implementing and administering an elk restoration program and subsequent elk management. Proposed resolutions for these issues varied by region. Representatives from the Southwest and northern Shenandoah Mountain (Shenandoah and Big Meadows study site) Regions preferred not to restore elk, whereas those from the southern Shenandoah Mountain (Highland and Peaks of Otter study site) and the Southern Piedmont Regions preferred to start out small with a carefully controlled and monitored "experimental" population. Economic benefits of elk restoration, as determined through analysis of data from other eastern states currently managing elk populations, are associated with tourism and the revenues brought to the community during elk hunting seasons, whereas economic costs are associated with crop damage, elk-vehicle collisions, and the administrative costs of managing an elk herd. Although the initial costs of transporting, releasing, and monitoring a founder population likely will exceed immediate benefits, once an elk population is established, benefits likely will exceed costs. However, an equitable distribution of costs and benefits must be devised so that the individuals who bear the costs are afforded a comparable or greater set of benefits. Risk of landowner elk-conflicts was examined by comparing human population densities and growth rates, percent private versus public land, and agricultural trends across the 8 study areas. Highest risk for elk-human conflicts was identified in the Southern Piedmont Region and in the Shenandoah study site, risk was moderate in the Southwest, Big Meadows, and Peaks of Otter study sites, and risk in the Highland study site was low. Overall, the Highland study site had the highest feasibility for elk restoration of all study areas examined; the Big Meadows and Southwest study sites both demonstrated moderate feasibility. Restoration in these areas is possible so long as management objectives remain flexible, plans are made in advance to address potential concerns, and the public is involved in the decision-making processes both before and after elk are released. / Master of Science

This thesis examines the use of various osseous raw materials in craft activities in the Mälaren region during the Middle Ages. Places studied are: Birka, Sigtuna, Nyköping, Strängnäs and Uppsala. The aim is to capture both chronological and spatial changes in the use of osseous raw materials. Species and materials used reflect regional as well as international networks and how they change during time. The spatial distribution of waste from craft activities, its materiality and temporality mirror activities in different social contexts.  Quantitative and qualitative changes in the handling and exploitation of raw materials reflect varying and changing views of its value and how craft and exchange is affected by both a social and economic agency. In Birka, osseous waste material associated with craft was collected by Hjalmar Stolpe in the 1870s. An examination of the assemblage shows that imported material comprises a significant part of the collection. About a third of the waste consists of imported antler of red deer and reindeer. Red deer is particularly abundant (21%), signifying the importance of southern trading networks. The presence of whalebone can also be linked to south-western trading routes. The waste material collected during excavations in Sigtuna and representing the period c. 980-1300 has a different composition, reflecting different networks and perhaps different means of trade and production. As in Birka, elk antler constitutes the main bulk of the raw material used. Red deer antler is extremely limited, forming less than 1% of the material, appearing continuously though in small amounts from c. 1020-1300.  Reindeer antler is distinctly present in the oldest phase, c. 980-1000. This occurrence might represent a relic of the northern network manifested at Birka. An isotopic study indicates an origin in a forested biotope. After this initial phase the use of reindeer antler becomes as rare as that of red deer until the second half of the 12th century, indicating that the antler craft operated on a minor scale without any demand for long-distance trade in raw materials. A change occurs in the last quarter of the 12th century when large quantities of reindeer antler appear once more. Isotope signatures indicate an origin in more mountainous regions. This coincides with the introduction of another traded raw material of an arctic origin: walrus tusk. The craft had become more marked oriented. This is manifested in larger deposits of debris, a wider range of materials used, including bones from various domestic animals, but also the handling and exploitation of the material changes indicating a different view of production, trade and the value of raw materials than previous. This shift coincides with the introduction of minted silver. Western influences are evident both in the material culture and in the faunal assemblage. It is likely that a majority of the reindeer antler as well as the walrus tusk present in these later phases have a Norwegian origin. In the late 1100s and early 1200s craft in osseous material occur in other towns that emerge in the region but it seems to appear in new social contexts. Small assemblages of antler debris have been found in Uppsala, but the activities they represent lack the spatial continuity that exist in contemporary environments in Sigtuna and Strängnäs, indicating short lived occasional activities in a loosely regulated urban environment. Craft activities dependent purely on bone from domestic animals appear in the 1200s in Nyköping, Uppsala and Strängnäs. They represent craft activities in a new social context outside the private sphere of the local elite and instead subordinated other craft activities where domestic animals have been exploited on a large scale beyond the domestic household. Antler craft represents a social practise in the realms of the local elite with a continuity stretching back to the Iron Age. Monetization and an increasingly feudal society redefine social relations and practise. This can be seen in the occurrence of craft in new contexts in the late 1100s and 1200s, reflecting heterogeneity in social and economic functions in and between the towns in the region.

L’hyperplasie et l’hypertrophie contribuent à l'augmentation de la masse de muscle lisse bronchique observée dans le souffle. Les cellules musculaires lisses (CML) présentent deux phénotypes; prolifératif ou contractile. Le serum response factor (SRF), un facteur de transcription impliqué dans l’activation de nombreux gènes, contribuerait à cette modulation phénotypique. Notamment, lorsqu'associé au cofacteur Elk-1, un phénotype prolifératif serait observé, alors qu'en présence de la myocardine (MYOCD) il y aurait induction d'un profil contractile. Récemment, il a été démontré que SRF est surexprimé dans les voies périphériques chez les chevaux atteints du souffle suite à une exposition antigénique. Cette étude vise à caractériser l'expression protéique et génique de SRF, Elk-1 et MYOCD dans les CML des voies respiratoires centrales et périphériques chez des chevaux atteints du souffle et des chevaux contrôles. L'évaluation de l’expression protéique de SRF, Elk-1 et MYOCD s’est effectuée par immunodétection sur des tissus provenant de biopsies thoracoscopiques ou endobronchiques, et ce, avant, à 1 et 30 jours du défi antigénique. L'expression génique a été étudiée par qPCR sur du muscle lisse disséqué de la trachée, et des bronches, ainsi que sur des voies respiratoires intermédiaires et périphériques. Les expressions génique et protéique de MYOCD sont augmentées uniquement dans les voies périphériques. L’expression génique de SRF et Elk-1 varient dans les voies centrales alors que le taux de protéines demeure stable. En conclusion, SRF et MYOCD pourraient être impliquées dans l’hypertrophie des voies respiratoires périphériques dans le souffle alors que l’hyperplasie ne semble pas être activée par Elk-1. / Airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells hyperplasia and hypertrophy contribute to the increased airway smooth muscle mass present in heaves. ASM cells express either a synthetic proliferative or a contractile phenotype. Serum response factor (SRF) is a transcription factor that has been shown to regulate myocyte differentiation in vitro in vascular and intestinal smooth muscles. When SRF is associated with Elk-1, it promotes ASM proliferation while myocardin (MYOCD) promotes the expression of contractile elements. Recently, SRF was shown to be overexpressed in the peripheral airways of heaves affected horses following an antigenic challenge. The objective of this study was to characterize the protein and gene expression of SRF, Elk-1 and MYOCD in ASM cells from central and peripheral airways of heaves affected horses and controls. Protein expression of Elk-1 and MYOCD was evaluated using immunohistochemistry while immunofluorescence was used for SRF detection in pulmonary peripheral and endobronchial biopsies before and at 1 and 30 days of antigenic exposure. Gene expression was investigated in ASM cells dissected from trachea and bronchi as well as from intermediate and peripheral airways using qPCR. MYOCD gene and protein expressions are increased only in peripheral airways. SRF and Elk-1 gene expression varied in the central airways while the positive cell percentage remains stable. In conclusion, the pulmonary peripheral airways hypertrophy observed in heaves seems to implicate SRF and MYOCD while the hyperplasia doesn’t seem to be activated by Elk-1.

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Magistro darbe tiriama kokia elninių žvėrių populiacijos situacija yra Jurbarko miškų urėdijos, Panemunės girninkijos, Stakių eiguvos miškuose. Darbo objektas - Darbe tyrinėjama VĮ Jurbarko miškų urėdijos Panemunės girininkijos Stakių eiguvos elninių žvėrių: ( tauriųjų elnių (lot. Cervus elaphus, angl. Red deer, vok. Rothirsch), stirnų (lot. Capreolus capreolus, angl. Roe Deer, vok. Reh) ir briedžių (lot. Alces alces, angl. Moose, vok. Hirsch )) populiacijos, bei jų gyvenamoji aplinka. Darbai vykdyti 2009 – 2010 metais bei panaudoti ankstesnių metų duomenys. Stakių eiguva, kurioje buvo vykdytas tiriamasis darbas apima 1384 ha miškų plotą. Darbo tikslas - Ištirti VĮ Jurbarko miškų urėdijos Panemunės girininkijos Stakių eiguvos elninių žvėrių populiacijas, jų gyvenamąją aplinką bei šių žvėrių įtaką miško atkūrimui. Darbo metodai – Instrumentinis metodas, šaltinių analizė, leidinių analizės metodas, palyginamoji analizė. Darbo rezultatai. Tyrime nustatyta elninių žvėrių populacijų būklė. Nustatyta, kad pagrindinė rūšis Stakių eiguvoje yra taurusis elnias, o briedis ir stirna yra šalutinės rūšys. Tauriųjų elnių populiacijos gausa ir tankis viršyja maksimalią (maksimali 37 vnt./1000 ha esama 38vnt./1000ha). Esant tokiam tankiui mažėja prieaugis. Europinių stirnų tankis yra artimas optimaliai, galimas intensyvus medžiojimas. Briedžiai yra tik užklystanti rūšis, todėl jų medžioklė negalima. Palyginus paskutinių trijų metų elninių žvėrių neigiamą poveikį želdiniams, žėliniams... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Master thesis examined how the deer situation is game population in Jurbarkas forest stewardship in Panemunes forestry district in Stakiai sector of a forest. The object - deer (red deer (Latin Cervus elaphus, Germ. Rothirsch), fallow deer (Latin Dama dama, Germ. Damhirsch) , roe deer (Latin Capreolus capreolus, Germ. REH) and moose (Latin Alces alces, Germ. Hirsch)) populations and their habitat are investigated in Jurbarkas Forest Enterprise Forestry Panemunes Stakių sector of a forest game. Work for 2009 - 2010, and the use of prior-year figures. Stakiai sector of a forest which has carried out research work covers 1384ha of forest area. Aim - To investigate deer populations of wild animals, their habitats and the animals on forest restoration in the Jurbarkas Forest Enterprise Forestry Panemunės Stakiai sector of a forest. Working Methods - The instrumental method, source analysis, publications, analysis method, a comparative analysis of . Results. . The study found the deer population of the state game. It was found that a red deer is the main species and elk, roe is a secondary species in Stakiai sector of a forest. Red deer population abundance and density exceeds maximum (maximum 37 hectares of existing unit/1000 38 unit/1000ha). Density of european roe deer is close to the best possible intensive hunting. Elks are only appears species because they can not hunt. The comparison deer negative effects to zelin of the last three years, found that the effect increases by... [to full text]

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Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur sex mellanstadielärares undervisningssätt och metoder har påverkats och förändrats av innehållet från det uppmärksammade och delvis kritiserade projektet En läsande klass. Ett antal utvalda lärare intervjuades och deras svar undersöktes med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Intervjusvaren analyserades utifrån befintlig teori angående läsförståelse och läsförståelsestrategier. Resultatet av studien visar att lärarna hade en positiv syn på projektet och att de i varierande utsträckning har applicerat innehållet på undervisningen. Sammantaget upplevde lärarna att projektets innehåll kompletterade och förbättrade deras undervisning med kunskaper som de inte fått med sig från sin lärarutbildning. De intervjuade lärarna visade på förmågan att anpassa materialet till sin egen yrkesutövning och elevgrupp. Kritiken mot projektet upplevdes därmed till viss del missriktad.

As infrastructures and software grow in complexity the need to keep track of things becomes important. It is the job of log aggregation solutions to condense log data into a form that is easier to search, visualize, and analyze. There are many log aggregation solutions out there today with various pros and cons to fit the various types of data and architectures. This makes the choice of selecting a log aggregation solution an important one. This thesis analyzes two full-stack log aggregation solutions, Elastic stack and SigNoz, with the goal of evaluating how the ingestion and storage components of the two stacks perform with smaller and larger amounts of data. The evaluation of these solutions was done by ingesting log files of varying sizes into them while tracking their performance. These performance metrics were then analyzed to find similarities and differences. The thesis found that SigNoz featured a higher CPU usage on average, faster processing times, and lower memory usage. Elastic stack was found to do more processing and indexing on the data, requiring more memory and storage space to allow for more detailed searchability of the ingested data. This also meant that there was a larger storage space requirement for Elastic stack than SigNoz to store the ingested logs. The hope of this thesis is that these findings can be used to provide insight into the area and aid those choosing between the two solutions in making a more informed decision.

The capture of neonate ungulates has played an integral role in studies of habitat selection, phenology, survival, and other topics of ecological interest. However, neonates can be difficult for researchers to locate and capture. Neonate ungulates are born in habitats with reduced visibility, frequently spend time in a concealed, prone position, and may display cryptic coloration. In an attempt to improve researchers' likelihood of locating and capturing neonate ungulates, multiple capture methods have been developed. Much remains unknown about biases associated with capture methods and how to further improve capture methods once biases are understood. Our objectives were to determine if opportunistic captures of neonate mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) bias estimates of litter size (Chapter 1) and to determine when searches for neonate elk (Cervus canadensis) should begin following parturition to maximize likelihood of capture while minimizing disturbance (Chapter 2). To complete our objectives, we analyzed data from 161 litters of mule deer and 55 attempted captures of neonate elk during 2019-2021 in Utah, USA. Estimates of litter size derived from opportunistic captures of mule deer were smaller than estimates derived from movement-based captures or captures completed with the aid of vaginal implant transmitters (VITs). The time elapsed between parturition and when searches were initiated for neonate mule deer did not influence estimates of litter size, but we could only analyze this relationship for VIT-aided captures within approximately 2 days of parturition. Until more data are available, we recommend that estimates of litter size for neonate mule deer be completed using movement-based or VIT-aided captures within approximately 2 days of parturition. When attempting to capture neonate elk, reducing the time elapsed between parturition and when searches were initiated resulted in a decreased search length, decreased distance traveled by the neonate, and increased likelihood of capture. We initiated searches as early as 3.6 hours post-parturition with no evidence of maternal abandonment and probability of capture was near or above 90% when searches were initiated within 10 hours of parturition. We recommend that searches for neonate elk be initiated 3.6-10 hours post-parturition. Future researchers can use utilize our results to perform captures of neonate ungulates that minimize bias, decrease disturbance, increase efficiency, and maximize the likelihood of capture success.

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