Management of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the west has changed over the last several decades in response to environmental and anthropogenic causes. Many land and wildlife management agencies have begun manipulating sagebrush with herbicides, machinery, and fire. The intent of these manipulations (treatments) is to reduce sagebrush canopy cover and increase the density of grass and forb species, thus providing higher quality sage-grouse brood-rearing habitat. However, monitoring of sage-grouse response to such manipulations has often been lacking or non-existent. The objective of our study was to determine the response of sage-grouse to sagebrush reduction treatments that have occurred recently in Rich County, Utah. Our study areas were treated with a pasture aerator with the intent of creating sage-grouse brood-rearing habitat. We used pellet transects, occupancy sampling, and GPS radio telemetry to quantify sage-grouse habitat use in treated and untreated areas. Pellet transect, occupancy, and GPS radio telemetry methods all showed a strong pattern of sage-grouse use of treated sites during the breeding and early brood-rearing periods. Sage-grouse use of treated sites was greatest in lower elevation habitat (1950 to 2110 m), and use was highest during the breeding and early brood-rearing periods. We found very little use of higher elevation (2120 to 2250 m) treated or untreated sites. Our results suggest that sagebrush reduction treatments can have positive impacts on sage-grouse use at lower elevations and can be successful in creating brood-rearing habitat. Elevation differences and period of sage-grouse use were significant factors in our study in determining how beneficial sagebrush reduction treatments were for sage-grouse.

Translocations have been used as a management strategy to successfully augment declining native wildlife populations. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) population declines on Anthro Mountain, Utah prompted managers to translocate sage-grouse and test protocols from a successful translocation project in Strawberry Valley, Utah. Sage-grouse from Parker Mountain, Utah were used as the source population for Anthro Mountain and Strawberry Valley translocations. Sixty hens were translocated to Anthro Mountain in 2009 and 2010; I monitored vital rates of the 60 translocated hens and 32 resident hens from 2009-2012. My objective was to determine the overall success of the translocation 4 years after the initial release and compare vital rates to the source population and Strawberry Valley.In Chapter 2, I determined that survival varied by study area and hen age but was not affected by residency status. Annual survival of Anthro Mountain hens was lower than Parker Mountain and Strawberry Valley hens. Adult hen survival in all three populations was higher than yearling survival.In Chapter 3, I determined that the translocation contributed to population growth. Adult resident and previously translocated hens had the highest reproductive success, followed by resident yearlings, newly translocated adults, and newly translocated yearlings. Lek counts increased from 2009-2013 and a new lek was discovered in 2011. Survival was not affected by residency status or age, but varied greatly by year and season. Mean monthly survival was lowest in the fall; this differs from range-wide trends.In Chapter 4, I determined that translocated hens adapted to the release area. They exhibited similar seasonal movements and used similar habitats as residents. The home range size of resident and translocated hens was comparable; however, previously translocated hens had smaller home ranges than newly released hens.Despite landscape level differences between the source and release areas, translocated hens assimilated to the population and contributed to population growth. Although the translocation was successful, the low vital rate estimates are cause for concern. The low estimates suggest that factors such as predation, habitat quality and quantity, and anthropogenic influences may be problematic for this isolated population.

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) are a sagebrush obligate species and as such an indicator of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat quality and quantity. Sage-grouse populations have declined across western North America. This decline has been attributed to habitat loss and degradation of the sagebrush ecosystem. To determine factors that may cause localized declines in sage-grouse populations, managers may need site-specific information on the ecology and habitat use patterns of meta-populations. This information is currently lacking for sage-grouse populations that inhabit the Bear Lake Plateau and Valley (BLPV), encompassing parts of Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. I captured, radio-marked and monitored 153 sage-grouse in the BLPV from 2010–2012 to assess nest success, brood survival, mortality factors, and habitat use. Reproductive success was lower than range-wide averages, with especially low success in 2011. Nesting and brood rearing both showed higher success rates in 2012. Survival was very similar to estimates found elsewhere. Females had higher survival rates than males, and yearlings had higher survival probability than adults. Sage-grouse mortality was highest in summer and spring, and lowest in fall. Individual sage-grouse completed large scale movements, often using habitats in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Important factors in sage-grouse habitat selection included distance to major road, distance to habitat edge, distance to vertical structure (i.e., communication towers, wind turbines, and transmission lines), and vegetation cover types. Sage-grouse tended to avoid major road and vertical structures (i.e., communication towers, wind turbines, and transmission lines). They also selected habitat further away from habitat edge. Vegetation types preferred by sage-grouse included shrubland habitats, wet meadows, and grassland. MaxEnt models did not place highest importance on sagebrush habitats, which are critical for sage-grouse presence. This could have occurred because the vegetation layers used in the model did not assess habitat quality. Models produced using the ten landscape variables and BLPV sage-grouse locations ranked good to excellent fits. State-defined habitat covered a larger extent than MaxEnt predicted habitat. MaxEnt predicted habitat areas may be used to further refine state identified core areas to assist in prioritization of conservation efforts to protect the BLPV sage-grouse population.

We estimated survival of ~ 1-day-old chicks to 42 days based on radio-marked individuals for the Parker Mountain greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population. Chick survival was relatively high (low estimate of 0.41 and high estimate of 0.50) compared to other studies. Brood-mixing occurred for 21 % of radio-marked chicks, and within 43 % of radio-marked broods. Our study showed that brood-mixing may be an important ecological strategy for sage-grouse, because chicks that brood-mixed experienced higher survival. Additionally, modeling of chick survival suggested that arthropod abundance is important during the early brood-rearing period (1 - 21 days). We also used life-cycle modeling (perturbation analyses and Life Table Response Experiments) to assess the importance of various vital rates within this population. We determined that adult hen survival and production (chick and fledgling survival) had the most influence on growth rate. Moreover, we assessed various methods (walking, spotlight, and pointing dog) for counting sage-grouse broods. Spotlight and pointing dog methods were more effective than walking flush counts, and the latter may underestimate chick survival.

Introduction: The palate is a well-established donor site for obtaining graft tissue in periodontal plastic surgery procedures. However, proximity to the adjacent teeth on the lateral aspect and the greater palatine neurovascular bundle (GPB) on the medial aspect limit the amount of graft tissue that can be obtained from the palate. Previous studies have been concerned with the location of the greater palatine foramen as well as the greater palatine artery (GPA) and have established guidelines on how to estimate the distance between the teeth and the GPB. Traditionally, clinicians follow these guidelines and choose to avoid removing graft tissue in the area close to the GPB out of fear of possible complications such as hemorrhaging and paresthesias. Objectives: The purpose of the present investigation is to locate the position of the greater palatal artery (GPA) in relation to surrounding anatomical landmarks and determine if the tissue thickness covering the GPA is sufficient to permit gingival grafts to be obtained in the area close to the GPB. Materials and methods: Cadaver dissections were performed on a total of ten (n=10) cadaver hemifaces of which 7 were partially and 3 were completely edentulous. From the greater palatine foramen to the incisive foramen, the palatal tissues of the cadavers were dissected into vertical slices of 3 mm in width perpendicular to the median palatine raphe using a double bladed scalpel. On each tissue slice, the distance from the epithelial surface to the superior border of the vessel, the diameter of the vessel, the distance from the inferiorborder of the vessel to the palatal bone, the distance from median palatine raphe to the GPA and the distance from teeth or midline of the alveolar crest to the GPA were measured using both a periodontal probe and a digital caliper. The measurements were correlated to each other, the angle of the palatal vault, an estimate of the palatal depth and the head length of the cadavers. Results: The mean thickness of the tissue above the GPA was 4.30 ± 1.61 mm with a range of 1.92 – 8.72 mm. The tissue thickness decreased consistently from the 3rd molar to the canine area with the thickest mean tissue being in the 2nd molar region with 6.25 ± 1.09 mm and shallowest mean tissue thickness in the region of the lateral incisor with 2.92 ± 0.46 mm. The mean distance of the GPA from the median palatine raphe is 10.34 ± 3.41mm ranging from 13.77 ± 1.67 mm to 6.02 ± 0.83 mm with the greatest distance being from the 3rd molar region and smallest distance being from the lateral incisor area. No statistically significant correlations were found between the angel of the palatal vault, the estimate of the palatal depth and the head length. A significant correlation (R2=0.92) was found between the total palatal tissue thickness and tissue thickness above the GPA. Discussion: There was adequate gingival tissue above the GPA to harvest tissue for free gingival grafts of 1 - 1.5 mm in thickness in the entire palate. Donor tissue for 1.5 mm thick connective tissue grafts with a 1.5 mm epithelial flap could be obtained opposing the 1st molar and posterior to it staying above the GPA. Donor site for palatal grafts can be extended in a medial and posterior direction.A Formula (Tissue Thickness above the GPA = (Total Thickness of palatal tissue - 0.967) x 0.9) has been derived, which accurately locates the GPA based on the thickness of the palatal tissue. Unique to this study were measurements from the median palatine raphe, which will provide the clinician with a new landmark to more reliably locate the GPA at various locations on the palate. Conclusion: This descriptive pilot study on human cadavers provides a formula to locate the GPA within the palate using the total palatal tissue thickness and suggests that graft tissue can be harvested from the tissue above the GPA in the entire palate for FGGs and opposing to the 1st molar and posterior to it for CTGs not exceeding 3 mm in depth.

This study has attempted to investigate the radical change in the Greater Portland Council of Churches’ (GPCC’s) organizational goals and actions--from its relative uninvolvement over to its preoccupation with local social, political and economic issues. In the past, classical sociological theory of religion has placed great emphasis on religion’s integrative, or conservative functions in society. Empirical studies have documented the conservative socio-political views of the majority of Protestant parishioners. Knowing this, I expected to find a significant conservative reaction swelling up from the lay parishioners of the GPCC's member congregations. A preliminary investigation revealed this assumption to be invalid. The study's sociological problem then became: (1) What was the true character of the GPCC’s member reaction to the organization's abrupt change to liberal action goals? (2) If there was a minimum of conservative reaction, as indicated, what are the sociological reasons 'for this unexpected condition? Further investigation showed that in the later 1960’s, as the GPCC’s social action involvements reached a climax, the GPCC also publicly reinstituted older, congregational-centered programs that have been neglected for several years. This dual action suggested the study's hypothesis: An investigation of the relationship between the GPCC's change to liberal action involvements and its attempts to neutralize lay members' conservative reactions would shed light upon the GPCC’s self-insulation from conservative opposition. Three basic strategies were used to gather data: (1) organizational records, (2) observation, and (3) personal, in-depth interviews. Files and records were used largely to confirm and amplify interview data. I observed the GPCC and three of the church Community Action Programs by regularly attending their meetings for approximately two years, 1969-1971. The largest amount of data was secured from interviewing, conducted on a representative sample of 20 active participants in the GPCC. Since the sample was not to be a random one, it was carefully pre-constructed to be representative of the organization's informal structure, i.e., active participants and leadership. When the data revealed the interviewees' unexpectedly mild negative reaction to the GPCC's deep involvement in very controversial socio-political issues, the sample was doubled to a total of 41 actual-interviews for the purpose of checking the original results. A content analysis was used to analyze the data.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(情報学) / 甲第18619号 / 情博第543号 / 新制||情||96(附属図書館) / 31519 / 京都大学大学院情報学研究科社会情報学専攻 / (主査)教授 守屋 和幸, 教授 吉川 正俊, 准教授 小山 里奈 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Informatics / Kyoto University / DFAM

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There has been a tremendous growth in the computer, television and RADAR fields. As a result, demands on the components that give time control over pulse information have led to the development of a great variety of delay lines. Delay lines are used in the systems that relate electrical information to time like computers, television, telemetering systems, guiding missiles, navigating systems, identifying coders and decoders, radar systems and video tape recorders are typical systems that use delay lines. Delay lines are also used in electronic objects for making decision point, in sound reinforcements. In a delay network, for a given bandwidth, the amount of delay increases as the order increases. Therefore we propose an idea of optimizing the poles of the filter in order to get more delay over a given order and bandwidth.

I have during my master been looking into finding a “greater presence” in a text based theatre rehearsal and workshop context. I have tried to look at things how they appear in front of me. A dilemma is, that when I afterwards try and look at presence, it has already gone. Therefore I used different tasks that can be recreated in order to try and catch presence again. When exploring presence in a rehearsal and workshop context, I found a few clues how to find “presence” and doing tasks in order to find a “greater presence”. These are all helpful for us actors in order to make the rehearsal and workshop space more creative. Could also be helpful in teaching acting. I did this research because in teaching acting, I believe that presence is a major component and it is important to find ways to teach it. This essay will give some clues to how one can do this.. / <p>This is work in progress. When doing artistic research, things are in constant motion. This is a glimpse of a work , captured here annd now, tomorrow it will have moved furter. This will be continued.</p>