Software Engineering has attempted to improve the software development process for over two decades. A primary attempt at this process lies in the arena of measurement. "You can't control what you can't measure" [DEMT82]. This thesis attempts to measure the development of multimedia products. Multimedia languages seem to be the trend of future languages. Problem areas such as Education, Instruction, Training, and Information Systems require that various media allow the achievement of such goals. The first step in this measurement process is the placement of multimedia languages, namely Authorware, in the existing taxonomy of language paradigms. The next step involves the measurement of various distinguishing properties of the language. Finally, the measurement process is selected and evaluated. This evaluation gives insight as to the next step in establishing the goal of control, through measurement, of the multimedia software development process. / Master of Science

Deserts are interesting places due to the large number of plants and animals that live there. Nocturnal wasps are extremely abundant in deserts, but they are difficult to identify and their life cycles are not well known especially the families of Chyphotidae, Tiphiidae (Brachycistidinae), and Mutillidae (velvet ants). In this dissertation, I determine how to correctly identify a particularly difficult group of species that all have black heads from the family Chyphotidae. This is important because these species make up a large proportion of specimens collected. Also, I expanded our knowledge on the distribution of the species of these three families of wasps by conducting a trap-transect study in Joshua Tree National Park catching 22 species of Brachyscistidinae based on the collection of 13,960 specimens, 11 species of Chyphotes based on the collection of 1,513 specimens and 35 species of velvet ants based on 8,447 specimens. From this study, three new species of velvet ants are described: Odontophotopsis dalyi Sadler and Pitts, sp. nov., O. odontoloxia Sadler and Pitts, sp. nov., and Photomorphus schoenwerthi Sadler and Pitts, sp. nov. Lastly, I used new molecular methods to determine relationships of the species of Brachyscistis, Chyphotes, and Odontophotopsis. These relationships suggest that the species are young, which is contradictory to evidence based on birds and mammals. These relationships also support dates for the inundation of southern California by the Boues Sea Embayment and confirm a hypothesized Baja Inner Peninsular Seaway.

To acquire language, children must learn how to categorize objects on the basis of the meanings that cultures have assigned to the objects. A series of six experiments tested how preschool-aged children categorize familiar objects. Each experiment used a matching-to-sample format in which children matched pictures of familiar objects (comparisons) to a sample stimulus picture. The sample and one comparison related taxonomically (on the basis of similar features) and the other comparison related thematically (on the basis of function) from which the children were to find another stimulus that was the same as the sample. Each experiment was a systematic replication of published research and of the prior experiment. In all six experiments, these preschool-aged children demonstrated a statistically significant preference for the taxonomic stimulus. No statistically significant differences were found between genders. The results of these six experiments did not support the development trend described in the majority of the extant literature. These findings are also contrary to the research literature, with one noted exception.

In this study, morphological characters were investigated to better characterize the species boundaries between members of the Monardella odoratissima – M. villosa complex (Lamiaeceae). Traditionally, it has been very difficult to identify and separate members of this complex. Monardella linoides, M. purpurea, and M. sheltonii populations are distributed in the overlapping boundaries of these two species (M. odoratissima and M. villosa) and considered within the complex as well. Previous studies and floral manuals have found that the vegetative plant parts from these five Monardella species intergrade with the other taxa in the complex throughout their distribution in California and in the western United States. Many of these vegetative characters are used to differentiate the five species from one another. Furthermore, floral characters have not been studied as a tool for delimiting species in this genus. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses (ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, Principal Components Analysis, Discriminant Analysis, Mantel Tests, and Cluster Analysis) of measurements of nine vegetative and 21 floral characters were used to gain a more accurate idea of relatedness between these five species of Monardella and help strengthen the argument for reclassification of the species’ taxonomic identities. Based on analysis of single characters among the five Monardella species, discontinuities among the taxa were not observed. The multivariate analyses performed in this study were unable to fully segregate Monardella species from one another and did not suggest clearly defined taxa. Overlap and intermingling between all species was seen in all analyses. This study was unable to define consistent floral combinations for detecting and delimiting taxa. In floral morphology, flower length characters were found to be weakly correlated with flower width characters. This study found there was little to no relationships between both morphological distance and geographic location. However, both morphological variation and elevation were found to be more strongly correlated. In general, species boundaries in this complex are difficult to identify.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(農学) / 乙第12896号 / 論農博第2810号 / 新制||農||1029(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H27||N4886(農学部図書室) / 31650 / (主査)教授 中坊 徹次, 准教授 田川 正朋, 准教授 豊原 治彦 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Documenting biodiversity, at and below the species level, is a persistently challenging task for biologists. Poor understanding of biodiversity may lead to incorrect interpretations of observed variation. The underlying basis of variation can be understood by quantifying multiple sources of information. Nine morphometric characters and plastid DNA sequences (2511 bps) were quantified in a highly variable orchid species, Platanthera dilatata, to evaluate taxonomy of the three named varieties and to understand patterns of evolution. Three morphological groups, identified in a cluster analysis, were distinct in multiple floral traits. Additionally, the three clusters were consistently genetically divergent as indicated by infrequent haplotype sharing, significantly different haplotype frequencies, and significant values of the genealogical sorting index. This level of genetic divergence suggests three species rather than varieties in this complex. The divergent floral morphologies suggest that pollinator-mediated selection may be a driving factor for speciation in this complex.

Grassland communities represent major biodiversity hotspots across the United States. Among these grassland types is the short-leaf pine savanna, a major historical habitat along the Cumberland Plateau. The Cumberland Plateau’s grasslands are under threat due to land use changes such as urbanization and land conversion to pasture and hardwood forests. This study seeks to better understand the community ecology of ants on the Cumberland Plateau using powerlines as a comparison to degraded and historic habitats. Ants have a preference between open sites and forested sites, a separation of 44.5% on a DCA. The Simpson diversity places the short-leaf pine savanna significantly lower than adjacent forest, (df-3, F=3.56, p-value=0.029; Figure 1.5). Stenamma Westwood, 1839 is a cryptic genus with a Holarctic clade of 44 species, six of which occur in the southeastern United States. This work is a redescription providing an updated key, with images to those species in the southeast.

Subterranean arthropod communities are important components of North American ecosystems, contributing numerous ecosystem services and essential food-web functions. Despite this, fundamental information about species diversity in these communities remains unknown, and their taxonomic composition and ecological diversity have scarcely been assessed. Subterranean pitfall traps are a commonly used method for sampling endogean and hypogean soil habitats in Europe but have never been widely implemented in North America. Here, I employed this method to sample subterranean arthropod communities in the Ridge and Valley and Blue Ridge ecoregions of Virginia, USA in the winter and spring. In total, 2,260 arthropod specimens were collected constituting 319 distinct species. I extracted and purified DNA and amplified the mitochondrial gene: cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) from each recovered morphospecies and derived a unique COI barcode for each species sequenced. Objective sequence clustering was used to establish molecular operational taxonomic units (mOTUs) for downstream diversity analyses and establishment of dynamic identification resources. Total species richness and average species richness per site were assessed and compared for both regions and seasons. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Hutcheson's t-test, and effective numbers of species (ENS) were employed to compare regional subterranean arthropod diversity. The richness, Shannon-Wiener, and ENS comparisons indicated that both ecoregions encompass highly diverse subterranean arthropod communities with those of the Ridge and Valley being significantly more diverse than those of the Blue Ridge. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Arthropods are invertebrate animals with hard exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed paired appendages, and include insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and myriapods. Arthropods make up the majority of animal species on the planet and are important parts of ecosystems, making it important for researchers to study them. While we know a fair amount about North American arthropods that live above-ground, relatively little is known about those that live deep within the soil and underlying rock substrate. Subterranean pitfall traps are a common method used for collecting arthropods from subterranean habitats in various regions of the world but have rarely been used in the USA. As a result, much of the life beneath our feet may be unknown. I used these traps to collect subterranean arthropods in the Ridge and Valley and Blue Ridge regions of the Appalachian Mountains. A total of 2,260 individual arthropods were collected, belonging to 319 different species. I used DNA sequencing to establish a unique fingerprint-like "barcode" for each species. These barcodes serve as helpful identification resources, and will help name new species in the future. They also allowed me to measure the number of species (diversity) of subterranean arthropods collected from each region, and compare the two to determine which region is more diverse. I used common statistical metrics of diversity including species richness (number of species) and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index to compare regional subterranean arthropod diversity. My results show that both the Ridge and Valley and Blue Ridge regions of Virginia, USA are home to highly diverse subterranean arthropod communities and those of the Ridge and Valley are significantly more diverse than those of the Blue Ridge.

Objective: The purposes of this study were (a) to determine whether or not undergraduate athletic training educators are writing learning objectives that foster critical thinking (CT) skills, and (b) to determine if their written assignments and written examinations are measuring the extent to which students have developed CT skills. Design and Setting: Thirty institutions seeking accreditation for their athletic training programs from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs in the 1994-95 academic year were asked to provide their curriculum materials (course syllabus, two to three examinations, or both from each athletic training-specific course). Subjects: Thirteen curriculum directors (43%) provided materials. Measurements: Each learning objective, examination question, and written assignment was classified as either CT or non-critical thinking (NCT) using Bloom's taxonomy. Results: From 64 usable syllabi, a total of 678 learning objectives were classified as either CT (52%) or NCT (48%). From 81 written examinations, 3215 questions were classified as either CT (14%) or NCT (86%). In addition, a total of 143 written assignments were all classified as CT. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that educators fostered more CT in their learning objectives and written assignments than in their written exams. Valid educational instruments (eg, Bloom's taxonomy) may help educators design learning objectives, assignments, and examinations.

Machupicchu Historical Sanctuary is a natural protected area that bears a considerable orchid diversity. Masdevallia is one of the most common, showiest, and distinctive genera among Machupicchu orchids, where six species are currently known. Here, we describe a new species of Masdevallia from Machupicchu, which we name Masdevallia bastantei. The species is similar to M. karineae but differs in the long flowers of 12 to 17 cm in length and a campanulate, incanous, maculate sepaline tube. We provide a description and illustrations of this new species. Furthermore, we present pictures and a key including all Masdevallia species that occur within the Machupicchu Historical Sanctuary.