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Main Page Content
Department of Mathematics
211 Faculty Office Building
(585) 395-2304
Chairperson: Charles J. Sommer; Professors: Mou-ta Chen, Joseph B. Harkin, John G. Michaels, Sanford S. Miller, Kazumi Nakano; Associate Professors: Norman J. Bloch, Richard T. Mahoney; Assistant Professors: Petros Hadjicostas, Dawn Jones. Lecturer: Cynthia Burke.
An in-depth understanding of mathematics is of great importance to many careers in our technologically complex society. Moreover, the study of mathematics promotes analytical and critical thinking skills, and therefore is a valuable part of any program of study. The major and minor programs in mathematics are designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue graduate study or to support career goals in a range of professions. Recent graduates who have majored in mathematics have found rewarding careers in business, teaching, computing, government, law, engineering, and medicine. A major or minor in mathematics is a natural adjunct to the study of physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, business, economics, computer science, or the social sciences.
The department offers a major in mathematics, a minor in mathematics, and a minor in mathematics/statistics. In addition, it supports a double major in mathematics and computer science and a five-year, two-degree mathematics/engineering program. To complete a major in mathematics, students take nine required courses that provide a thorough foundation in several central areas of mathematics, a computer science course that emphasizes the design of algorithms, and a minimum of three advanced courses chosen to give special depth in at least one area. The two minor programs require students to take six mathematics courses that coherently complement their particular major.
Because of the sequential nature of the study of mathematics, students should meet with the department's advisement coordinator as soon as possible to declare a major or minor, be assigned a departmental advisor, and plan an academic program.
Major in Mathematics (40 credits)
Students must complete a minimum of 36 credits in mathematics and four credits in computer science, as follows:
|Course Number
|Course Name
|1. Required MTH courses (27 credits)
|Calculus I, II, III
|Discrete Mathematics I
|Probability and Statistics I, II
|Linear Algebra
|Modern Algebra
|Real Analysis
|2. Elective courses (9 credits)
|Nine credits in mathematics, by advisement, from courses numbered MTH 399 or higher. CSC 483 may be substituted for one of these MTH courses.
|3. Computer science course: CSC 203 Fundamentals of Computer Science I.
- Students intending to obtain secondary education certification in mathematics must complete MTH 432 or 438.
- At least three 400-level MTH courses must be taken at SUNY Brockport, including at least one of the following: MTH 425, 446, or 457.
- Students receiving elementary certification may substitute MTH 314 for one of the Mathematics electives.
Students who have successfully completed a calculus course in high school may qualify for college credit for MTH 201 and 202. Qualifying students must contact the department before they register for their first calculus course at SUNY Brockport.
More details concerning the mathematics major, including sample programs of study and information on advisement for majors, student awards, computing facilities, library holdings, the Mathematics Club, and the Student Chapter of the Mathematical Association of America, can be found in the Mathematics Majors Handbook. Copies are available in the department office.
Minor in Mathematics (18 credits)
Students must complete a minimum of 18 credits in mathematics, as follows:
- Required courses: MTH 201 and 202, Calculus I and II.
- Elective courses: 12 credits in mathematics, chosen from MTH 203 or courses numbered MTH 243 or higher. Students should choose these electives after consultation with an advisor from their major department as well as with a mathematics faculty member.
- At least nine credits toward the minor must be earned at SUNY Brockport.
Minor in Mathematics/Statistics (18 credits)Students must complete either sequence A or B below.
MTH 201 Calculus I
MTH 202 Calculus II
MTH 203 Calculus III
MTH 245 Finite Mathematics or
MTH 281 Discrete Mathematics I
MTH 346 Probability and Statistics I
MTH 446 Probability and Statistics II
MTH 201 Calculus I
MTH 202 Calculus II
MTH 245 Finite Mathematics or
MTH 281 Discrete Mathematics I
MTH 346 Probability and Statistics I
MTH 441 Statistical Methods I
MTH 442 Statistical Methods II
At least nine credits toward the minor must be completed at SUNY College at Brockport.
Secondary Certification in Mathematics
Students who wish to teach mathematics at the secondary level can pursue a program at SUNY Brockport that leads to provisional certification. The program requires completion of a major in mathematics, including a geometry course, and a prescribed group of professional courses offered chiefly by the Department of Education and Human Development. Students seeking certification should contact the Department of Education and Human Development as soon as possible.
Mathematics Courses
MTH 112 College Mathematics (A). Develops college-level competence in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data analysis, and quantitative reasoning. Includes practice with linear and non-linear equations, geometric problem-solving, probability, algorithms, tabular and graphic techniques, and modeling. Emphasis on solving real-world problems. Should be completed in the sophomore year. Minimum grade of "C" required to satisfy course requirements. 3 Cr. In preparation for Fall 2002.
MTH 121 College Algebra (A). Prerequisite: Two years of high school mathematics, or QNT 110. (Closed to students who have completed more than three years of high school mathematics or MTH 122 or a calculus course). Covers algebra at the intermediate level, including operations on polynomials and algebraic fractions, solution of first- and second-degree equations, graphs of functions and equations, logarithms and exponential functions. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 122 Precalculus (A). Prerequisite: Three years of high school mathematics, or MTH 121. (Closed to students who have credit for MTH 201.) Covers algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 132 Precalculus Lab (A). Corequisite: MTH 122. Allows students to work in small groups on exercises related to topics being covered in Precalculus. Includes the use of calculators, computer soft ware, or the writing of computer programs. 1 Cr.
MTH 201 Calculus I (A,N). Prerequisite: Three and-one-half years of college-preparatory mathematics, or MTH 122. Covers limits and continuity; derivatives and integrals of algebraic, trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions; and applications of the derivative. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 202 Calculus II (A). Prerequisite: MTH 201 or one year of calculus in high school. Covers techniques and applications of integration, approximation methods, Taylor polynomials, improper integrals and L'Hospital's rule, and an introduction to infinite series. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 203 Calculus III (A). Prerequisite: MTH 202. Covers infinite series, polar coordinates, vectors and 3-space, functions of several variables, applications of partial derivatives, and multiple integrals. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 211 Calculus I Lab (A,L). Corequisite: MTH 201. Students work in small groups on problems related to topics being covered in Calculus I. Includes the use of calculators, computer software, or the writing of computer programs. 1 Cr.
MTH 212 Calculus II Lab (A). Corequisite: MTH 202. Allows students to work in small groups on problems related to topics being covered in Calculus II. Includes the use of calculators, computer software, or the writing of computer programs. 1 Cr.
MTH 221 Calculus for Business (A). Prerequisite: MTH 121. (Closed to students who have completed MTH 201 with a grade of "C" or better.) Provides an introduction to calculus, with an emphasis on its applications to business and the behavioral sciences. Covers derivatives of functions of one and several variables, applied maximization and minimization problems, exponential growth and decay models, the natural logarithm function, and an introduction to integration. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 243 Elementary Statistics (A). Covers the use and limitations of various statistical concepts, including frequency distributions, measures of central tendency and of variation, use of normal curve and t-tables, sampling, estimation, tests of significance for means, and correlation. Students who have received academic credit for ECN 204, PSH 202, PLS 300, SOC 200, or transfer credit for an elementary statistics course at another institution may not receive credit for this course. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 245 Finite Mathematics (A). Prerequisite: Three years of college-preparatory mathematics, or MTH 121. Covers linear equations, matrix algebra, linear programming, and probability theory. Uses these concepts to build mathematical models to solve problems arising in various disciplines. Closed to students who have successfully completed MTH 281. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 281 Discrete Mathematics I (A). Prerequisite: Three-and-one-half years of college-preparatory mathematics, or MTH 122. Provides an introduction to discrete mathematics. Topics include: propositional and predicate logic, sets, functions, matrix algebra, algorithms, valid arguments, direct and indirect proofs, mathematical induction, permutations and combinations, and discrete probability. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 313 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I (A). Prerequisite: MTH 121 or QNT 111 or three years of college-preparatory mathematics. Open only to students seeking elementary teaching certification. Includes: sets, relations, number systems, elementary number theory, mathematical systems, and probability. Uses a problem-solving approach where appropriate. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 314 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers II (A). Prerequisite: MTH 313 or any MTH course numbered 201 or higher. Open only to students seeking elementary teaching certification. Covers various aspects of geometry, including area, volume, coordinate and transformational geometry. Emphasizes problem-solving and the instructional use of calculators and computers. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 343 Sampling Methods (A). Prerequisite: MTH 243 or an equivalent elementary statistics course. Introduces the concepts and techniques in statistical sampling having applications to sample surveys used in a variety of disciplines. Covers: simple random sampling, estimation of means, totals and proportions, variance of estimates, sample size determination, stratification, and systematic and cluster sampling. Requires students to design and conduct a sample survey on issues of interest to the campus community. 3 Cr.
MTH 346 Probability and Statistics I (A). Prerequisites: MTH 202 and either 245 or 281. Covers random variables and vectors, moments and moment generating functions, discrete and continuous probability distributions, and sampling distributions. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 353 Actuarial Problem Solving: Exam 100 (A). Prerequisites: MTH 203 and 424. Emphasizes the development of strong problem-solving skills in preparation for Exam 100 of the Society of Actuaries. Develops rigorously the underlying concepts of calculus and linear algebra. Includes: limits, continuity, sequences and series, differentiation and integration of functions of one and several variables, vector spaces, bases, linear transformations, and eigenvalues and eigenvectors. 3 Cr.
MTH 399 Independent Study in Mathematics (A). To be defined in consultation with the instructor sponsor and in accordance with the procedures of the Office of Academic Advisement prior to registration. 1-3 Cr.
MTH 405 Mathematical Problem Solving (A). Prerequisites: MTH 202, junior or senior status and instructor's permission. Develops problem-solving ability in mathematics. Includes how to get started, methods of proof, devising a strategy, and "looking back." Places strong emphasis on critical reasoning and clarity of written expression. 3 Cr.
MTH 412 History of Mathematics (A). Prerequisite: MTH 203. Covers the history and development of mathematical ideas from primitive origins to the present. Includes topics such as arithmetic, number theory, geometries, algebra, calculus, and selected advanced topics. 3 Cr. Spring.
MTH 421 Number Theory (A). Prerequisites: MTH 202 and 281. Covers mathematical induction, divisibility, primes, arithmetic functions, congruences, Diophantine problems, Gaussian primes, and the distribution of primes. 3 Cr.
MTH 424 Linear Algebra (A). Prerequisites: MTH 202 and either 245 or 281. Covers matrices and determinants and their uses, vector spaces and sub spaces, dimension, linear transformations, and Euclidean vector spaces. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 425 Modern Algebra (A). Prerequisite: MTH 424. Provides a study of algebraic systems, with special attention to groups and rings and their classification properties. Emphasizes theory and proofs, but clarifies the ideas by means of specific examples involving modular arithmetic, real and complex numbers, permutations, matrices, and the factorization of polynomials over fields. Requires extensive writing. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 429 Topics in Algebra (A). Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Addresses specific topics in abstract algebra not covered in other courses. A list of topics to be covered will be announced before course is offered. 3 Cr.
MTH 432 College Geometry (A). Prerequisite: MTH 424. Provides a study of geometry from the synthetic, analytic, transformational, and vector viewpoints. Includes these topics: axiomatic systems, finite geometries, absolute geometry, Euclidean geometry, non-Euclidean geometries, geometric transformations, and projective geometry. 3 Cr. Fall.
MTH 438 Projective Geometry (A). Prerequisite: MTH 424. Covers axiomatic systems, projectivity, Desargues' theorem, collineations, the cross ratio, homogeneous coordinates in a plane, finite projective planes, conics, and linear transformations. 3 Cr.
MTH 439 Topics in Geometry (A). Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Addresses specific topics in geometry and topology not covered in other courses. A list of topics to be covered will be announced before course is offered. 3 Cr.
MTH 441 Statistical Methods I (A). Prerequisite: MTH 346 or 243 or an equivalent introductory statistics course. Covers estimation, hypothesis testing, simple regression, categorical data, and non-parametric methods. Uses computer statistical analysis packages such as MINITAB and SPSS. 3 Cr. Fall.
MTH 442 Statistical Methods II (A). Prerequisite: MTH 441 or instructor's permission. Covers one- and two-way analysis of variance, multiple regression, experimental design, and linear models. Uses computers for data analysis. 3 Cr. Spring.
MTH 446 Probability and Statistics II (A). Prerequisites: MTH 203 and 346. Covers the Central Limit Theorem, maximum likelihood estimation, unbiased and sufficient statistics, minimum variance, confidence intervals, Neyman-Pearson Lemma, power calculations, and likelihood ratio tests. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 449 Topics in Applied Mathematics (A). Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Addresses specific topics in probability, statistics, applied analysis, and numerical methods not covered in other courses. A list of topics to be covered will be announced before course is offered. 3 Cr.
MTH 451 Advanced Calculus (A). Prerequisite: MTH 203. Covers vector differential calculus, line integrals including Green's theorem, independence of path, and surface integrals with Gauss' and Stokes' theorems. 3 Cr.
MTH 452 Applied Analysis (A). Prerequisite: MTH 203. Presents a survey of mathematical methods used in the physical sciences. Includes topics such as vector analysis, linear algebra, partial differentiation, multiple integration, Fourier series, and complex analysis. 3 Cr.
MTH 455 Differential Equations (A). Prerequisite: MTH 202. Covers equations of first and second orders and their applications, linear equations, series solutions, approximate solutions, and the Laplace transform. 3 Cr. Fall.
MTH 457 Real Analysis (A). Prerequisites: MTH 203 and 424. Provides a study of functions of a real variable. Emphasizes theory, proof techniques, and writing skills. Includes: real numbers, denseness of the rational numbers, convergence of sequences of real numbers, Cauchy sequences, Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem, continuous functions, uniform continuity, differentiable functions, and integrable functions. Enhances understanding of the topics through a series of required writing tasks. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 459 Topics in Analysis (A). Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Addresses specific topics in real and complex analysis not covered in other courses. A list of topics to be covered will be announced before course is offered. 3 Cr.
MTH 461 Mathematical Models for Decision Making I (A). Prerequisite: MTH 245 or 281. Covers linear programming, transportation and assignment models, network models, and dynamic programming. 3 Cr. Fall.
MTH 462 Mathematical Models for Decision Making II (A). Prerequisite: MTH 346. Covers probability models, decision theory, inventory and queueing models, and Markov analysis. 3 Cr. Spring.
MTH 471 Numerical Analysis (A). Prerequisites: MTH 203 and CSC 203. Provides a survey of methods used to numerically approximate the solutions of a variety of mathematical problems. Covers the generation and propagation of round-off errors, convergence criteria, and efficiency of computation. Includes: roots of non-linear equations, systems of linear or non-linear equations, polynomial approximations, and an introduction to numerical differentiation and integration. 3 Cr.
MTH 481 Discrete Mathematics II (A). Prerequisites: MTH 201 and 281. A second course in discrete mathematics. Includes: complexity of algorithms, recurrence relations, inclusion-exclusion principle, partial order and equivalence relations, graph theory, trees, Boolean algebra, grammars, formal languages, and finite-state machines. 3 Cr. Every Semester.
MTH 492 Mathematics Internship (A). Prerequisites: Junior or senior status, 3.0 or better GP A in mathematics courses, at least 18 credits towards major completed prior to starting internship, and instructor's permission. Allows for a supervised experience in applying mathematical skills and techniques in a practical work environment. Requires projects that may include applications in business, the social sciences, or physical sciences. A maximum of three credits can be applied toward the mathematics major. 3 or 6 Cr.
MTH 499 Independent Study in Mathematics (A). To be defined in consultation with the instructor sponsor and in accordance with the procedures of the Office of Academic Advisement prior to registration. 1-3 Cr.


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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was born, coincidentally, the very same day - July the 3rd – than the greatest event on the history of modern journalism before WikiLeaks: The Watergate happenings. Julian was born exactly one year ahead!
The impact of WikiLeaks for the democratization of information is beyond discussion. Those politicians exposed - and fearful of continuing being exposed - of keeping vital government or corporate secrets alien to the cause of peace, against the interests of the people that have elected them, have wished to silence WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
President Correa of Ecuador referred:
"Assange wants to go to Ecuador to continue fulfilling his mission for freedom of expression without limits, because our country is a peaceful territory committed to justice and truth"
- And in this birthday greeting from Nürnberg, on my way to Italy
A birthday present to Julian, from Arte de Noli

subset: commoncrawl


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When searching for prey, animals should maximize energetic gain, while minimizing energy expenditure by altering their movements relative to prey availability. However, with increasing amounts of marine debris, what once may have been 'optimal' foraging strategies for top marine predators, are leading to sub-optimal diets comprised in large part of plastic. Indeed, the highly vagile Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) which forages throughout the North Pacific, are well known for their tendency to ingest plastic. Here we examine whether Laysan albatrosses nesting on Kure Atoll and Oahu Island, 2,150 km apart, experience different levels of plastic ingestion. Twenty two geolocators were deployed on breeding adults for up to two years. Regurgitated boluses of undigestable material were also collected from chicks at each site to compare the amount of plastic vs. natural foods. Chicks from Kure Atoll were fed almost ten times the amount of plastic compared to chicks from Oahu despite boluses from both colonies having similar amounts of natural food. Tracking data indicated that adults from either colony did not have core overlapping distributions during the early half of the breeding period and that adults from Kure had a greater overlap with the putative range of the Western Garbage Patch corroborating our observation of higher plastic loads at this colony. At-sea distributions also varied throughout the year suggesting that Laysan albatrosses either adjusted their foraging behavior according to constraints on time away from the nest or to variation in resources. However, in the non-breeding season, distributional overlap was greater indicating that the energy required to reach the foraging grounds was less important than the total energy available. These results demonstrate how a marine predator that is not dispersal limited alters its foraging strategy throughout the reproductive cycle to maximize energetic gain and how this has led to differences in plastic ingestion.
Citation: Young LC, Vanderlip C, Duffy DC, Afanasyev V, Shaffer SA (2009) Bringing Home the Trash: Do Colony-Based Differences in Foraging Distribution Lead to Increased Plastic Ingestion in Laysan Albatrosses? PLoS ONE 4(10): e7623. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0007623
Editor: Yan Ropert-Coudert, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, France
Received: August 24, 2009; Accepted: October 8, 2009; Published: October 28, 2009
Copyright: © 2009 Young et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: LCY was funded by the Hawaii Conservation Alliance, the University of Hawaii Department of Zoology Jessie Kay Fellowship, and several Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology research awards as part of NSF grant DGE02-32016 to K.Y. Kaneshiro. SAS was supported in part by grants to the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) program from the Alfred P. Sloan, Gordon and Betty Moore, and David and Lucile Packard Foundations. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
When searching for prey, an organism is expected to maximize its energetic gain, while minimizing energy expenditure. To accomplish this, organisms should increase the probability of detecting food patches by altering their movement path relative to the availability of prey [1], [2]. Unlike terrestrial environments, where physical barriers and geography often put constraints on movement, most oceanic environments are less obstructed. As a result, the movements of marine organisms that have high dispersal capability can potentially reflect their assessment of resource distribution and variation.
In the case of pelagic seabirds, like albatrosses and petrels, that nest on remote oceanic islands [3] one would predict that breeding populations on distant islands should maximize energetic gain by exploiting available resources closest to their respective breeding colony [4]. Consequently, regional differences in diet associated with the differences in foraging ranges of a particular population may be observed due to difference in prey distribution. Upon completion of breeding, birds are no longer tied to a nest and so greater population mixing is likely, even for populations separated by several thousand kilometers. Thus, movement patterns during this phase of the life cycle would perhaps be more determined by variations in prey distribution [5], [6], [7].
The at-sea foraging patterns of the highly mobile Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) have been well documented for breeding individuals [8]–[13]. Their annual reproductive cycle is marked by several phases: during incubation and early chick rearing stages Laysan albatrosses are central-place foragers, but later, when they are less constrained by nest visitations, Laysan albatrosses forage throughout the North Pacific [8], [11]–[13]. However, it is unknown whether all breeding colonies in the North Pacific exploit the same or similar resources or habitats year round, even though they may be well within their dispersal potential, or if colonies utilize 'locally' available resources since previous studies have focused on a single breeding colony [8], [13].
Central place foraging, coupled with huge aggregations of birds at the breeding colonies, likely exerts predation pressure on local prey stocks, and potentially amplifies intra-specific competition at the colonies. This is thought to possibly lead to localized prey depletion around breeding colonies which has been called 'Ashmoles Halo' [14]. In order to maximize food availability and minimize intra-specific competition, albatross colonies should be spaced so that the foraging zones of the birds do not greatly overlap. However, in the Hawaiian islands where 99% of Laysan albatross populations breed [10], colonies are not evenly distributed and the inter-colony distances are often much smaller than their maximum foraging range [15]. If prey resources throughout the North Pacific Basin are evenly distributed, then colony-specific foraging radii will overlap widely because the distance between colonies is shorter than the birds foraging radius [8]. However, a more likely scenario given the heterogeneity of the North Pacific, is that Laysan albatrosses should exploit suitable resources closest to their respective colony during the breeding period, even though they are capable of travelling to virtually any foraging ground in the North Pacific.
The variable diet and flexible foraging strategy of Laysan albatrosses (utilizing both scavenging and live capture; [10], [16]) indicate that this species is a generalist. Ironically, the flexible foraging strategy of this species has potentially led to a decrease in their foraging efficiency as they commonly ingest large amounts of plastic, which is in turn fed to their chicks [17]–[20]. However, it is unclear how often Laysan albatrosses encounter or ingest plastic, whether plastic is mistaken for prey, has natural food attached to it, or is consumed to assist in digestion as is sometimes done with pumice [17]–[20]. Unfortunately, plastic ingestion leads to mechanical blockage of the digestive tract, reduced food consumption, satiation of hunger, and potential exposure to toxic compounds. While there have been documented detrimental effects on the growth rates and fledging masses of chicks, it is still unclear what levels of mortality are caused by plastic ingestion [17]–[20]. What is clear is the source of the plastic: there is now so much floating marine debris accumulated in the North Pacific gyre, that is it known as the 'great garbage patch' [21], [22], [23]. This patch consists of high densities of floating plastic debris, particularly between 20°–40° N, within a few hundred kilometres of the coast and in the gyre centres, between the tropical and subarctic waters. This area of concentrated debris consists of two accumulations: the 'Western Garbage Patch' that occurs off Japan and 'Eastern Garbage Patch' residing between Hawaii and California (http://coastwatch.pfel.noaa.gov) [24], [25] that correspond to the locations of two sub-gyres within the North Pacific Gyre [26], connected by a narrower band of marine debris north of the Hawaiian archipelago (Figure 1). Much has been written in the popular press about plastic ingestion by Laysan albatrosses (Figure 2), however, relatively few empirical studies have examined this phenomenon and whether it is species wide, or if this is confined to certain populations.
Arrows indicate direction of currents and shaded areas denote the locations of the putative garbage patches.
Here we examine whether Laysan albatrosses nesting on widely separated islands exploit resources closer to their breeding colonies during the breeding season, how their foraging locations change throughout the reproductive cycle, and whether this leads to differences in plastic ingestion represented in their boluses. In addition to the potential of seabird boluses to monitor plastic in our oceans, determining how and where marine organisms come into contact with marine debris could have implications for the design of management strategies that mitigate its environmental impact. To do this, we combined the use of electronic data logging devices to determine at-sea distributions with the collection of chick boluses to evaluate the differences plastic ingestion.
Geolocator recovery rates and effects on reproductive success
Fourteen and 32 tags were recovered from Oahu and Kure Atoll respectively, which resulted in an overall tag recovery rate of 54% (N = 46/85). In most cases, geolocators that were not recovered had broken free of the leg band as a result of cable tie failure, despite the bird itself returning. Of the 46 tags recovered, only 22 produced data even after failed batteries were recovered (48%; 10 from Oahu, 11 from Kure). While the cause of the electronic failure of the geolocators is unknown, it is possible that saltwater intrusion occurred as a result of epoxy expansion at higher temperatures which allowed water to leak onto the electrical components. Between tag loss and electrical failure, the proportion of loggers that produced data was 26% (22/85).
Deployment of geolocators had no detectable short-term effect on the birds. Tagged Laysan albatrosses on Oahu had similar reproductive success (71%, N = 10/14 nests were successful), as well as resight probabilities the following year (86%, N = 24/28 individuals) compared to non-tagged birds (reproductive success = 55%, N = 12/22, X2 = 1.03, df = 1, p = 0.311; resight probability = 86%, N = 30/35, X2 = 0.00, df = 1, p = 1.00). Multiple birds on Kure Atoll developed minor calluses and chafing on the leg as a result of unsecured cable ties rotating under the leg band. These were temporarily removed immediately after deployment, modified to prevent movement of the cable tie, and re-deployed, which appeared to eliminate further chafing.
Spatial associations of each colony
Laysan albatrosses from both colonies had similar associations with productivity regimes and depth domains quantified from bathymetric features, sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH) and primary productivity (Figure 3). During incubation and early chick rearing, birds from both colonies foraged in pelagic (depth: >4000 m), oligotrophic (primary productivity: <600 mg C m−2 d−1) tropical to sub-tropical waters (SST: <16°C). During the post-guard stage of chick rearing, birds from both colonies began venturing into cooler, more productive waters further north of their respective colonies. Despite the similarities in the oceanographic features that birds from both colonies were exploiting, significant differences were found in the actual locations of foraging relative to their breeding colonies (Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, Table 1).
Boxplots of bathymetry, SST, SSH, and primary productivity of oceanographic habitats visiting by birds tracked from each colony.
Kernels increase in 2% increments from 2%–95% with increasingly warmer tones represent the highest utilization distribution (2%). Kernels are shown for the a) incubation b) chick guard c) post-guard and d) non-breeding stages. Colony location is indicated by an asterisk.
Kernels increase in 2% increments from 2%–95% with increasingly warmer tones represent the highest utilization distribution (2%). Kernels are shown for the a) incubation b) chick guard c) post-guard and d) non-breeding stages. Colony location is indicated by a triangle.
Red tones represent Kure Atoll, blue represent Oahu and contour lines represent the 95%, 75%, 50%, and 25% kernel estimates during the a) incubation b) chick guard c) post-guard and d) non-breeding stages. Kure colony location is indicated by a triangle, and Oahu colony location is indicated by an asterisk.
At the population level, albatross distributions during incubation and early chick rearing did not overlap in the core usage areas (50% and 25% kernels, Table 1, Figure 6). Birds from Oahu foraged north of the colony in the area of the North Pacific Transition Zone chlorophyll front [NPTZ, Figure 4; 27], but most did not pass within the area of the Eastern Garbage Patch. As the breeding season progressed, birds began venturing into the transition domain and subarctic waters, occasionally reaching the Aleutian Island chain. In contrast, albatrosses from Kure foraged north/northwest of the colony over the Emperor Seamounts, the area bounded by the Kuroshio and Oyashio current systems and occasionally over the Western Garbage Patch. As the breeding season progressed, birds moved farther north and west, foraging more in the subarctic frontal zone and the transition domain.
Conversely, during the post-chick guard stage when adults can spend increasing lengths of time away from the nest, or have failed in their nesting attempt, the core areas of Kure and Oahu birds began to overlap, primarily as a result of Oahu birds moving further west and the distributions of both colonies moving farther north. During the non-breeding season, from 38–50% overlap between the two colonies was observed in the 25% and 50% kernel density estimates. While both colonies expanded their foraging ranges throughout the season, Oahu birds appeared to have a bi-modal distribution in the non-breeding season with two distinct foraging areas at parallel locations on either side of the International Date Line (Figure 4), whereas Kure birds had a single core foraging area significantly west of the Date Line (Figure 5).
Difference in plastic loads
Every bolus examined in this study contained plastic. The amount of natural food found in the boluses of chicks on Kure and Oahu was similar in volume (30.75±3.72 ml vs. 32.18±5.63 ml; p>0.628) and mass (23.98±3.00 g vs. 26.14±3.94 g; p>0.745). However, the amount of plastic in Kure boluses was up to ten times higher than the amount of plastic in Oahu boluses (Figure 7): volume (53.67±6.38 ml vs. 5.26±2.50 ml; p = 0.0001), mass (38.03±5.32 g vs. 4.37±2.10 g; p = 0.0001), number of plastic pieces (70.6±11.5 vs. 17.4±5.5; p = 0.0004) and the average mass of plastic pieces (0.58±0.065 g vs. 0.20±0.047 g; p = 0.0001).
Boxplots of a) natural food mass, b) plastic mass, c) # plastic pieces and d) average plastic piece mass from Laysan albatross boluses on Kure and Oahu.
Distant colonies of Laysan albatrosses utilized similar oceanographic productivity regimes in widely separated areas, suggesting that this vagile animal is able to assess resources on large scales. For both colonies, similar associations with productivity and depth domains indicate that oceanographic characteristics of suitable foraging areas are part of an albatross's search image when they are trying to locate prey [8], [11], [13]. However, it is their ability to identify suitable areas closest to the colony when they are breeding which suggests that their assessment of resource variation also includes an assessment of the tradeoff between self-maintenance (longer trips) and chick provisioning (shorter trips) [8], and thus leads to foraging segregation during the early part of the reproductive cycle when they are required to return to the breeding colony frequently [5], [28].
During the non-breeding phase when Laysan albatrosses are not constrained by the time and energy required for breeding, there is a larger degree of overlap in foraging distributions between distant populations. This suggests that the energy required to reach the foraging grounds becomes less important than the total energy available on the foraging grounds themselves. Another possible explanation is that the colony on Oahu, which is a 'new colony' comprised almost entirely of immigrants from other colonies [29], [30] has immigrants from Kure Atoll, and that the bi-modal distribution in the non-breeding season may actually reflect Kure-born birds returning to their ancestral non-breeding foraging grounds. In either case, the results indicate that Laysan albatrosses are able to assess resource variation and alter their foraging strategies accordingly throughout their reproductive cycle as has been shown for other species [5], [6], [7], [31], [32], [33].
The fact that Laysan albatrosses from both colonies ingest plastic, unfortunately, suggests that the core areas where albatrosses prefer to forage contain substantial amounts of floating debris that are consumed. Previous studies have shown that the highest concentration of marine debris occurs in the spring and early summer months when the NPTZ moves south due to shifts in wind and weather changes [21]. This corresponds to the chick rearing season in Laysan albatross [10]. The finding that birds breeding on Kure Atoll fed their chicks, on average, ten times more plastic than birds breeding on Oahu suggests that putative Western Garbage Patch where the majority of Kure birds foraged may in fact be a just as much of a threat to marine life as the frequently discussed Eastern Garbage Patch. Furthermore, every bolus examined from Kure Atoll contained multiple pieces of fishing paraphernalia, while only two boluses on Oahu contained any evidence of fishing line or tools (despite recreational fishing adjacent to the breeding colony on Oahu), suggesting that the threat from fisheries not only comes from bycatch for this species but also from the consumption of fishing gear. It is unclear whether the Western Garbage Patch contains more trash than the Eastern Garbage Patch, or if the size and composition of the pieces are easier for the birds to ingest compared to those found in the Eastern Garbage Patch in addition to the finding that albatrosses from Kure spend a greater proportion of time foraging in this area.
Previous studies on seabirds have shown that comparisons of plastic accumulations within a species should have consistent biases when different populations are relatively synchronous in their breeding cycle, which Laysan albatross are. Studies on Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) found that regional differences in foraging/nesting locations led to differences in plastic ingestion [34], [35]. While the most likely explanation of why the plastic loads differ between the two colonies examined in this study is due to seasonal differences in at sea distribution, it is possible that competition may be playing a role. There are approximately 75 Laysan albatross pairs on Oahu which may experience less intraspecific competition for prey than the 3,900 pairs breeding on Kure Atoll. The slightly smaller foraging area of Oahu-nesting birds during early chick-rearing stages might be an evidence for this. Since the amount of natural food in the boluses of both colonies is the same, adults on Kure Atoll may cope with this pressure by being less selective and thus misidentify more plastics for food. Further research identifying potential rates intraspecific competition between individuals in these two colonies will help to resolve this question. Additional research to determine the size, location(s) and contents of these floating debris patch(es) in the North Pacific would also greatly enhance our ability to determine their impacts on marine life.
Environmental heterogeneity in marine, as well as terrestrial systems, affects animal movements on a range of scales [5], [6], [7], [31], [32], [33], [36]. Our results demonstrate that Laysan albatrosses are able to assess prey availability over large scales and make foraging decisions based on the energy required to reach feeding grounds throughout their breeding cycle. While the preferred foraging locations during the early breeding season are different for each population, these predators appear to seek out common ecological characteristics, leading to the use of similar habitats by albatrosses from the two colonies in the non-breeding season when they are not constrained by breeding. Studying movements at a smaller scale in relation to resource distribution, and at multiple colonies over multiple years will be crucial to fully understand scale-dependent adjustments and the ultimate foraging distribution of these animals. Future studies of foraging behavior would also benefit from not only monitoring plastics ingested, but also quantifying natural diet to ascertain regional differences. The large range and potentially long-term retention of ingested plastic indicate that albatross may prove to be a useful species for sampling marine debris and other pollutants in the North Pacific Ocean [35], and as such, efforts should be made to continue monitoring their plastic ingestion and foraging patterns.
Materials and Methods
Data logger deployments
Global Location Sensing data loggers (or geolocators) are small microprocessor-based devices that determine a geographic position on the globe from the establishment of local noon or midnight to estimate longitude and day length at the estimated longitude to derive latitude [37], [38]. These devices measures light every minute, and record the maximum light level at the end of every 10 minute period. These periods are then compressed and filtered to produced two location fixes per day.
We deployed leg mounted geolocators on Laysan albatrosses breeding at two colonies: Oahu in the main Hawaiian Islands, and Kure Atoll 2,150 km away in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Figure 8). Model MK3 geolocators (9 g) manufactured by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) were attached to a plastic leg band by pre-drilling holes and threading cable ties through the leg band to secure the geolocator to it (Figure 8). The contact points were then sealed with marine grade epoxy and the leg band with the geolocator attached was placed around each bird's tarsus.
On Oahu, 14 pairs (N = 28) of incubating or brooding adult Laysan albatrosses at Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve (21° 34′N, 158°16′W) were outfitted with geolocators in February 2005 representing 39% (N = 14/36 nests) of breeding adults that year. The reproductive outcomes of all pairs were tracked from egg laying to fledging to monitor the effects of tagging on reproductive success. On Kure Atoll (28°23′N, 178°17′W), 28 pairs, plus one additional breeding adult (N = 57) were outfitted with geolocators in May 2005 during the late chick-rearing phase. Logistical limitations of working at a remote island like Kure Atoll prevented us from deploying the loggers at the same time of year and monitoring the reproductive fate of these birds.
Geolocator filtering and spatial data analysis
Geolocators were retrieved at various time periods from January 2006- June 2007, depending on when tagged birds returned to the colony. Downloaded data were decompressed using BASTrak v12 software (BAS) and light curves (i.e. to establish sunrise and sunset and thus local noon or midnight) were analyzed using Transedit software (BAS) using a sunrise angle of −2.5° for Oahu, and −3° for Kure. Any locations produced from light curves with interruptions or interference around the times of sunset or sunrise (usually as a result of shading of the sensor) were noted during processing and excluded if obviously anomalous. Final position coordinates were generated by BirdTracker (BAS). Validation studies on albatrosses indicate that location error using this methodology range from 200±150 km from true location [9], [38].
Purpose-built routines created in Matlab R2008b (The MathWorks, Natick, Massachusetts) were used to filter spurious positions and to integrate remotely-sensed environmental data following established protocols [9], [35], [38]. Given the inaccuracy of latitude estimation during equinoxes [9], [37], [38], [39], location fixes on ten days of either side of the equinoxes were excluded from the analysis. Three subsequent filters were applied to data once the equinoxes had been removed: one to filter out unrealistic locations based on excessive travel rates (>500 km in 12 hours), a second to remove any remaining points occurring in locations where Laysan albatrosses have not been recorded previously (latitude and longitudes), and a third to remove any points that occurred over continental land masses [9], [36]–[39]. Of 14,281 locations produced, 72% (N = 10,314) were kept after filtering.
Estimates of bathymetry, and remotely-sensed sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH), and primary productivity were calculated for each bird location based on previously described methods [36], [40]. These data allowed us to describe the frequency of occurrence that Laysan albatrosses spent within specific water masses, productivity regimes, and depth domains. To assess the degree of spatial overlap at sea of albatrosses from each colony, we derived kernel density distribution estimates [40] from unsmoothed (i.e. non-interpolated) locations using the Iknos toolbox (Y. Tremblay unpublished) developed in MatLab. This routine converted geographic coordinates to Cartesian coordinates using a Lambert Cylindrical Equal Area projection [41] and created 2-D kernels based on an 80 km grid cell size. The kernel smoothing parameter (h) was based on an adaptive method [42]. The density of albatrosses within a kernel was determined by dividing the number of observations by the number of individuals contributing to those observations (i.e. bird effort). We then quantified the spatial overlap of the 95% (foraging range), 75%, 50% (focal region), and 25% (core) kernel polygons representing the distribution of the albatrosses from each colony during each breeding stage and non-breeding period.
Bolus collection and analysis
Boluses are the non-digestible parts of the albatross's diet (e.g. squid beaks, otoliths, plastic etc) that are regurgitated by chicks just prior to fledging. The boluses therefore represent a non-invasive method to evaluate the prey acquisition of parents as reflected by the diet of the chicks [10]. It is assumed that a single chick produces a single bolus and that the majority of plastics fed to chicks by adults were acquired during the breeding period. Naturally regurgitated boluses were collected from eight chicks on Oahu and 15 from Kure Atoll during the time interval when adults were tracked and from the area where chicks of tracked adults were found to attempt to sample the offspring of tracked adults. Due to the presence of rats in the colony on Oahu, only boluses that appeared to be completely intact were collected as rats have been observed to scavenge the natural food items in the bolus (L. Young pers. obs). The boluses collected represent 17% of the chicks on Oahu during the two year time period that adults were tracked (N = 8/48). The boluses collected on Kure represent approximately 0.4% (N = 15/3,900) of the population of breeding pairs [15].
Boluses were soaked for 24 hours in water and then sorted according to natural food items (such as flesh, squid beaks and lenses) and plastic items. Wet mass and displacement volume were measured, and plastic items were further categorized into the number and the average mass of pieces per bolus. Mass and volume of natural vs. plastic items in each bolus, as well as the number and average mass of the plastic pieces were compared between Oahu and Kure by using a Mann-Whitney U-test in Minitab 14.
We thank the Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for permission to conduct research at Kaena Point and Kure Atoll. For field assistance we thank Eric VanderWerf, Karin Flynn, Norine Yeung, Ken and Pam Hayes, Heather and Jaap Eijzenga, and Sheldon Plentovich. We thank Rob Suryan and Michelle Hester for assistance with data analysis. For helpful comments on the manuscript, we thank: Sheila Conant, Brian Bowen, and Dave Carlon. All research was conducted under necessary state, federal and institutional protected wildlife permits.
Author Contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: LCY DCD. Performed the experiments: LCY CV. Analyzed the data: LCY SS. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: LCY VA. Wrote the paper: LCY.
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I love the image that you used with this post. Love love love!!! :)
Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on tips for parents to save money, making your bachelorette party more affordable, and ways to save from the 60s.
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Eat like Mad Men: 10 ways to save from the 60s — Drinking tap water instead of bottled water can help you save on food and drink expenses. [Living on the Cheap]
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The AfriGeneas Poet
Sojourner Kincaid Rolle doesn't like to talk about herself. Given an opportunity, she would much rather talk about the importance of poetry in our lives, about what it means to have a saying to carry with you, to have a line from a poem, a verse from the Bible ("that's poetry, too"), something that resonates and helps you make it through some troubling moment or captures the essence of some historical event. She would much rather talk about the shared literary tradition that is handed down to every kid that hears the Twenty-Third Psalm or Shine on the Titanic.
When pressed, though, she says of herself:
Sojourner has been the AfriGeneas Poet since 1998. Her first poem for us was In This Time, which appeared in an issue of the AfriGeneas News. Her work has appeared in various poetry journals and her articles have appeared in a smattering of newspapers and magazines. She has self-published six chapbooks of poetry including Our Strength Will Grow and Between Us. The poem, The Artist Questions the Artist, was published in Let The Butterflies Continue. In 1999, a chapbook, Common Ancestry, was published by Mille Grazie Press. Some of her poems were also published in the anthology, The Geography of Home, The Poetry of Place.
Her work has been choreographed for dance presentation and has been performed as theater. In 2002, she co-wrote a major production, Ayo's Journey, a multi-dimensional theater performance about the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Her other work includes:
. . . . .


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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys turned "much ado about nothing" over the coin toss into "win and they're in" next weekend.
Prescott threw two touchdown passes after his confusing exchange with referee Walt Anderson made many think the Cowboys forced themselves to kick off to start both halves, and Ezekiel Elliott ran for two scores in a 44-21 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
The Cowboys (7-7) ended their second three-game losing streak of the season, and the defending NFC East champions stayed even with Philadelphia atop the division with a showdown looming next Sunday.
After their first victory over a team with a winning record this season, the Cowboys can clinch their fourth division title in six seasons with a win at the Eagles.
"We know that the team's been criticized for not having really substantive victories by sometime the record of the teams we've played," owner Jerry Jones said. "That is the kind of win you want to have before you get ready to go play what is the biggest game we play this year."
The defending NFC champion Rams (8-6), who already needed help to get into the playoffs, didn't help themselves with another poor showing a week after their most impressive game of the season in a win over Seattle.
"We haven't been consistent as a football team really throughout this season," coach Sean McVay said. "That's a big part of my responsibility is to figure out solutions and help us be more consistent."
After rushing for a franchise playoff-record 273 yards in a 30-22 divisional win over the Cowboys last January, the Rams were held to just 22 while Dallas churned out a season-high 263. Todd Gurley had 11 carries for 20 yards.
Coming off two of his better games of the season, Rams quarterback Jared Goff had a rough outing that looked better at the end because of his fourth-quarter numbers with the outcome decided. He finished 33 of 51 for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
The Cowboys' No. 1-ranked offense kept rolling with a season high in points to go with 475 yards, including scoring drives of 90 and 97 yards.
Linebacker Sean Lee, who didn't practice all week while dealing with pectoral and thigh injuries, returned his first interception in two years to the LA 9-yard line in the final two minutes of the first half.
Lee's 14th career interception set up Elliott's second TD in the final two minutes of the first half, a 3-yarder for a 28-7 halftime lead.
Those two TDs essentially made the coin toss question moot, but the Twitter storm had long since raged.
After the Cowboys won the toss, and Prescott initially made a reference to kicking off before saying the Cowboys would defer. Anderson said a couple of times the Cowboys wanted to kick, creating the confusion.
"Definitely a weird start," Prescott said. "Just bad use of words by me. We listened to the audio. We got it figured out. Just wasn't the cleanest coin flip I've been a part of."
But what did he say.
"A little bit of everything," Prescott said as reporters broke out in laughter.
The Rams went all the way to the start of the second half thinking they were going to get the ball before finding out Dallas would receive.
"I don't know how or why or what happened, but we had talked to the referees the whole game," Goff said. "I don't think that would have changed much with the outcome of the game, but it's something a little weird definitely."
The Cowboys were easy fodder for critics with questions swirling about the future of coach Jason Garrett in the final year of his contract, leading an underachieving team that had lost seven of 10 games since a 3-0 start.
Dallas looked more like that early season version.
Elliott ended a career-worst streak of five games without a 100-yard game, the two-time rushing champion finishing with 117 yards with just one carry in the fourth quarter. Rookie Tony Pollard played most of the fourth and had a career-high 131 yards, including a 44-yard score.
"How many rushing yards did we have today? Like 300? Close to it?" Elliott asked. "Yeah, I mean we ran the ball really well today. The O-line, I don't know what they ate for breakfast, but they did a hell of a job and made it easy on us."
Prescott didn't have to throw much after going 9 of 16 for 160 yards in the first half, ending up 15 of 23 for 212 yards. Jason Witten made a one-handed catch on a 19-yard score that put the 16th-year tight end within one receiving TD of Dez Bryant's club record of 73.
After the Rams pulled even on Goff's 2-yard toss to Gurley, Prescott escaped pressure and found Tavon Austin all alone at the LA 35. Austin jogged across the goal line from there.
After getting outgained on the ground by 223 yards in last season's playoff loss, the Cowboys finished with a 241-yard edge. It was the third game with at least 200 yards rushing for Dallas this season, but the first since Week 3.
Kai Forbath made all three of his field goals, from 50, 42 and 42 yards, and all five of his extra points in his Dallas debut after the Cowboys cut Brett Maher following three critical misses in a span of two games. Maher was just 1 of 5 from 40-49 yards.
The Cowboys, already down Leighton Vander Esch because of a neck injury, lost two more linebackers in the first half in veteran Joe Thomas and rookie Luke Gifford. Thomas injured a knee, and Gifford was knocked out by an arm injury.
Rams: at San Francisco on Saturday.
Cowboys: Can clinch a second straight NFC East title and fourth in six seasons with a win over the Eagles.
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


text:
It occasionally happens that I read an article or essay that affects me so deeply that I feel a strong desire to broadcast it to the world. This does not happen very often but it happened recently. I hope that no further explanation will be necessary.
by Eric Hoffer (LA Times 5/26/68)
The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews.
Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem.
Russia did it, Poland and Czechoslovakia did it, Turkey threw out a million Greeks, and Algeria a million Frenchman. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese — and no one says a word about refugees.
But in the case of Israel the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees.
Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab.
Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis.
Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when Israel is victorious it must sue for peace.
Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world.
Other nations when they are defeated survive and recover but should Israel be defeated it would be destroyed. Had Nasser triumphed last June [1967] he would have wiped Israel off the map, and no one would have lifted a finger to save the Jews. No commitment to the Jews by any government, including our own, is worth the paper it is written on.
There is a cry of outrage all over the world when people die in Vietnam or when two Blacks are executed in Rhodesia. But when Hitler slaughtered Jews no one remonstrated with him.
The Swedes, who are ready to break off diplomatic relations with America because of what we do in Vietnam, did not let out a peep when Hitler was slaughtering Jews.
They sent Hitler choice iron ore, and ball bearings, and serviced his troop trains to Norway.
The Jews are alone in the world. If Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts. And Jewish resources. Yet at this moment Israel is our only reliable and unconditional ally. We can rely more on Israel than Israel can rely on us. And one has only to imagine what would have happened last summer [1967] had the Arabs and their Russian backers won the war to realize how vital the survival of Israel is to America and the West in general.
I have a premonition that will not leave me; as it goes with Israel so will it go with all of us.
Should Israel perish the holocaust will be upon us.


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Tommy Chong Treats His Prostate Cancer With Cannabis
Actor-comedian Tommy Chong, one-half of the pot-loving pair "Cheech and Chong," said he's treating his "slow stage-one" prostate cancer with his favorite plant.
"I've got prostate cancer, and I'm treating it with hemp oil, with cannabis," Chong, 74, told CNN Saturday. "So [legalizing marijuana] means a lot more to me than just being able to smoke a joint without being arrested."
Chong told the news site that he was diagnosed with the illness about a month ago, but he first experienced symptoms of the cancer about eight years ago while in jail after selling drug paraphernalia.
He no longer smokes marijuana because of "health reasons," he told CNN, and he consumes the hemp oil at night so he "won't be woozy all day."
Cannabis has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to relieve symptoms of nausea and vomiting, and to help increase appetite in people with cancer and AIDS, according to the American Cancer Society. The most potent ingredient of medical marijuana is THC. The product comes in the form of an inhaler, pills and oil and it can also be smoked.
There are no other drugs that work as well as cannabis for treating the nausea and anorexia associated with cancer and its treatments, Dr. Donna Seger, associate professor of clinical medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn., told ABCNews.com in March.
It is unclear whether Chong has undergone chemotherapy or other treatments for the cancer, but treatment of stage 1 prostate cancer is often approached by the "watchful waiting" technique, when doctors allow time to pass to see the progression of the disease before they suggest surgery or medical intervention.
At least one doctor believes Chong's promoting his self-described treatment is a disservice to other men with the disease.
"As a comedian, this is a really funny skit," said Dr. Leonard G. Gomella, chairman of the department of urology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "As a public figure who can get a forum, it is irresponsible. Had he been suffering from widely metastatic disease with bone pain and other devastations, perhaps there may be a role, but not for early disease."


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Multiplayer, from the ground up.
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Topic: Multiplayer, from the ground up. (Read 7398 times)
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Multiplayer, from the ground up.
January 19, 2014, 12:53:37 pm »
So, let's say a player is ready to go online. To start with, how should multiplayer be handled?
1. Should hosting a game broadcast said game to a given master server?
2. What should be serverside and what should be clientside?
3. What vehicles should a player have access to? Should the choice in vehicles be dependent on their singleplayer progression? What about customization?
4. If the host has a file the client does not have, what should be done? If the host is instructed to send the client a copy of the file, should there be a size limit?
4.a. What if a client brings a file that the host doesn't have? Should it be uploaded to the host?
4.b. What if a client brings a file that neither the host nor the other clients have?
4.c. What about conflicting files?
4.d. Should the server be able to put limits on custom cars, i.e. HP limits, weight limits, size limits? What about power-to-weight?
4.e. Should custom cars be forced to have multiple LODs to accommodate players with slower computers? Should there be a way to forcibly reduce all car graphics on slower computers to ensure a good framerate?
5. What should the GUI look like?
6. Would it be possible to allow a chat message to be typed while driving with a joystick or similar peripheral, assuming that all controls are mapped to said peripheral?
7. Should kicking, banning, etc. be voted upon if no moderator or admin is present?
8. What punishments not covered in 7 should be available? Forcing a specific color set on the car of a rule-breaking player?
9. What gamemodes should be available?
10. What about custom addons, scripts, gamemodes, etc?
10.a. What client addons should and should not be allowed?
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Re: Multiplayer, from the ground up.
Reply #1 on:
January 19, 2014, 04:14:22 pm »
1. don't know yet. maybe both hosted LAN/P2P and dedicated servers?
2. might be mostly handled/dictaded on the game engine, assuming it support for such things.
3. it should be dictated by the single player progression. should only have access to cars they own.***
4.a.b. files should automatically swapped between players who don't have them. most modern games do this.
4.c. it should be smart enough to have different name or have rules/exceptions to handle the situation.
4.d. this should/could be up the to the host/op, when the set up the event/race.
4.e that depends if we have LODs, if we do all cars in game should have them.
*** Not sure if multi player will have addon 3rd party cars. this could be up to host/op. if ever would be possible for addon cars to be multi player, they would have to apply to the game's car standards. if in game cars have LODs addon cars have to have LODs etc etc.
5. good question. this would fall under pre production. this should/could be part of the next development phase if we could recruit artists to make concepts.
6. SURE! good luck with that though. most people use Team Speak and Ventrillo thuogh. I would be surprised if have some sort of audio/voip in multiplayer as well.
7. idk, good question. maybe it could vary from server to server or host/op to host/op? i'm not to sure.
8. idk. that's an interesting and good suggestion, maybe that would be a good idea for players on probation.
9. all sorts of game modes. idk specifically. should have all the single player racing modes available for sure. though it gave me an interesting idea to say the least. what if we could have build offs? who can build the engine the fastest?
10. look at "***" for part of the answer
10.a. idk but, i'm sure there would have to be limit/rule to keep from cheating?
Good questions!
Full Member
Posts: 252
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Re: Multiplayer, from the ground up.
Reply #2 on:
January 20, 2014, 12:08:00 am »
6. I wasn't talking about voice chat, I mostly meant controller support that would simultaneously allow joystick and keyboard support; most GOOD modern games do this. Primary example (if it wasn't a porting disaster): GTA4.
8. Maybe we could label players on probation? If cars have people inside them, maybe have a guy in an orange prison jumpsuit behind the wheel?
10. I meant more server-side stuff. Just take a look at any decent GTA multiplayer server or almost any TF2 server.
10.a. I was thinking more along the lines of "here's what a script may and may not affect"; if anything is out of place about a script, it should be forcibly disabled. I was thinking that this would be dependent on the server operator (defaulting on "you can mod the HUD and map keys, but nothing gameplay-changing), with more extreme server ops, I bet even HUD modding would be off-limits. On the other hand, with lenient ops, I suspect cheating would be par for the course. Flying cars, invincibility, etc.
As for specific games, I have a few ideas.
1. Chicken Racing: A race involving a long, skinny course and two checkpoints, A and B. Each player is spawned either at A or B, and set free upon the course; a player that spawns at A must go to B and then return; a player that spawns at B must go to A and then return. Collisions are allowed, and damage should ideally be on. Can be team-based!
2. Hide and Go Seek: Except that the seekers have highly limited vision (fog?) and the hiders have enhanced vision. A point is only scored on a hider when a collision is made. Can be team-based???
3. Sardines: Based somewhat on the old reverse-hide-and-seek game*, exactly one player (a hider) is tasked with avoiding the other players (seekers), though hiding in and of itself is not necessary; contact between a hider and a seeker turns the seeker into a hider. Hiders gain points by staying away from seekers, though the flow of points slows down and stops depending on the range to the nearest seeker (maybe the hiders have slightly better visibility than the seekers?). Additionally, each hider should be somehow bound to their teammates, preventing hiders from running off...Or maybe there should be an incentive to stick together? Anyway, straggling hiders should probably become seekers or be removed from the game somehow (though there SHOULD be a bigger incentive to just stick together...).
4. Budget Racer: Tournament racing mode. Each player is supplied a miniscule amount of cash and taken to a junkyard, where they scrape together car parts. A time limit is declared, and each player is paired off with an opponent. If a player wins a race, then they are awarded all of their opponent's possessions. If a player looses, then they can enjoy their walk back to the grandstands.
5. About that engine build-off idea: Maybe each action requires a sequence of randomized button presses? Also: Maybe the idea could be extended to entire cars, and the cars raced, with the performance of each car dependent on the number of correct keystrokes?
6. Drift Racing: Drift races, but judged on a COMBINATION of position and points earned during the race, so that even a last-place trophy can be balanced out with amazing drifting. The number of points gained for each section should be dependent on the time taken to get through the section, to prevent anyone from doing donuts in place or repeatedly backtracking to gain more points than a first- or second-place prize.
7. Something physics-based, like that one ski jump game you always see remade into flash games.
8. Something else team-based.
*Long story short, the game begins with exactly one hider and everyone else seeking the hider; if a seeker finds the hider, then they too become a hider, with all hiders staying in the same hiding spot. The game continues until the last seeker finds the hiders.
Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 12:49:00 am by Maxaxle
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Posts: 408
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Re: Multiplayer, from the ground up.
Reply #3 on:
January 20, 2014, 09:27:08 am »
6. pretty sure all games do that don't know why SR3 wouldn't.
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Posts: 252
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Re: Multiplayer, from the ground up.
Reply #4 on:
January 20, 2014, 11:55:12 am »
Quote from: cdoublejj on January 20, 2014, 09:27:08 am
6. pretty sure all games do that don't know why SR3 wouldn't.
I only brought it up because drift racing wasn't really a thing in the U.S. until the '90s AFAIK.
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text: A year or two ago Trump was in financial crisis, was watching this unfold and at a certain point, that feeling came over me, Trump has just been enlisted, bought off etc or aligned into a future plan/timeline, by tptW. IMO one ( whomever it is ) cannot do what Trump at present is doing unless it has been orchestrated, by tptW, because Noone gets a potential crack opened for them president wise unless the illusion can continue, Fullstop imo. I was taught by an amazing chess player years ago how things are pre planned and executed by media and tptW and the script of Trump so far is brilliantly done, even part of myself is cheering for him, I acknowledge that part of myself and why it cheers and also know thyself/mind well enough to see and feel the illusion created by tptW. Okay now for the BUT > the world has changed and also Gaia and Humanity, So huge potentials will be within timelines totally unseen by tptW that will present themselves, just watch as your popcorn decreases.


text:
Business, Economics and Jobs
China's Grip on Solar Power
The World
October 6, 2011 · 1:30 PM EDT
Jason Margolis
Marco Werman
(Photo: SolarWorld)
When President Barack Obama came into office, he pledged to make green technologies a top priority. But now his administration is on the defensive for giving a $535 million loan guarantee to the California solar panel maker Solyndra. The company went belly up last month and laid off about 1,100 workers. And the FBI is investigating the company. Thursday, President Obama said the government should continue to support clean energy technologies. He rejected Republican claims that the US can't compete with China when it comes to making solar panels. "Part of what's happening is China and Europe, other countries, are putting enormous subsidies into these companies and giving them incentives to move offshore," said Mr. Obama. "Even if the technology was developed here in the United States, they end up going to China because the Chinese government is saying, 'We're going to help you get started, we'll help you scale up, we'll give you low-interest loans or no-interest loans… We will do whatever it takes for you to get started here." It wasn't so long ago that the US dominated solar manufacturing. In 1995, 43 percent of solar panels were built in the US, according to the Department of Energy. Today, that figure is around 5 percent. To try and figure out what happened, I visited SolarWorld in Hillsboro, Oregon, the largest solar manufacturer in the United States. The company is headquartered in Germany, but about a thousand people work in the Oregon facility. In its new factory, which opened last year, robotic arms glide across the factory, lifting, pushing, spinning and rolling solar panels from one station to the next. It's kind of mesmerizing, and very impressive. But the company is selling these panels for less than it costs to make them. Gordon Brinser, the president of SolarWorld in America, said they can't compete with Chinese manufacturers. "It's not an issue of them out innovating us. It is really, purely a subsidized manufacturing component." The Chinese government issued $30 billion in credit last year to its top solar companies. That's more than 15 times what the US government provided to American solar manufacturers. And the Chinese also subsidize things like land, power, and water. And Brinser complains that Chinese companies aren't held to the same environmental standards. "We need to wake up as a nation because we're on the verge of losing one of the core industries I believe for our future. Right now, we're dependent on Middle East for our fossil fuel oil. And very shortly, we're going to be dependent upon on the Fareast for our solar." After my visit at SolarWorld, I asked a few solar industry watchers: Is China to blame for the precipitous downturn of solar manufacturing in America? "It's a very subjective thing. I think it's really hard to make China totally out as the bad guy," said Thomas Maslin with IHS Emerging Energy Research. Joanna Lewis at Georgetown University said, "China's entry into this market has really benefited the global solar industry, in that we've seen these very sharp cost reductions and is driving the technology down the learning curve." Lewis said solar manufacturing in China actually helps the overall solar industry in the US. "When we look at the actual revenue that comes from solar projects, a lot of it comes not from manufacturing of the panels themselves, but installing the panels and preparing the sites." In other words, importing Chinese-made solar panels is putting a lot of people to work in the US putting panels on roofs and buildings. As for the solar manufacturers, Thomas Maslin said, they're struggling everywhere, in the US, Europe, even China. That's because there's been less demand for solar panels this year, especially in parts of Europe. "The reality is it's just a very difficult environment for these companies right now," said Maslin. "There's a high level of over-supply, there's a lot of downward price pressure, and therefore there's going to be a lot of consolidation, so somebody's gotta fail somewhere." Still, Maslin said, yes, it's legitimate for American manufacturers to gripe about China. But if somebody's gotta fail, somebody's gotta succeed too. I asked Shayle Kann at GTM Research how a solar manufacturer in America can make it? He said it'll be difficult to beat China at its own game, high-volume manufacturing of commoditized products. But Kann said American manufacturers can succeed in two ways. First, have a new technology that can't easily be replicated by the Chinese. Or, have a better business model. "You can imagine, one manufacturer comes to you and says, 'I'll sell you these solar panels at this price.' And another manufacturer comes to you and says, 'I will sell you these solar panels at a slightly higher price, but I will also give you all of these additional services including helping you finance these systems for your customers and lead generation, so you don't have to do that, I'll do all these things for you.' It's not actually a straightforward decision to go with the lower-priced panel in that case." Kann said SolarWorld in Oregon is one of the companies that offers more than just the panel. And that answers a question: How does SolarWorld make money if it sells its panels for below cost? SolarWorld charges extra for things like installation, maintenance and engineering expertise. And they guarantee their work for 25 years. Back at SolarWorld, Gordon Brinser said they still need government help. But he's worried that some politicians in Washington will use the Solyndra case to scale back support for the entire industry. "In the solar industry, everybody's being lumped into one bucket. And the mudslinging that's going on, we're catching some of that mud directly." Brinser said his company has been around 35 years. The technology has been around longer. But he doesn't like today's business climate. Just last week, SolarWorld shut down its California factory and laid off 186 workers. The company says it had to do that largely because of competition from China.
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Bucs want to invest in their own guys this year
The Bucs were among the biggest spenders in free agency a year ago, and they might be again this year.
But the difference might be in what they spend on plane fare.
After making a first-weekend splash by signing outside free agents Carl Nicks, Vincent Jackson and Eric Wright a year ago, the Bucs are aiming differently this year.
After converting big base salaries for Nicks and Jackson into bonuses and prorating the difference over the remaining years of their deals, but the Bucs created around $30 million worth of salary cap room.
"That has actually opened a lot of cap room for us going into 2013, a tremendous amount," general manager Mark Dominik said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "We've got a chance to be (very) involved in free agency again.
"But we also have a chance to try to retain this nucleus of players, so it was a big commitment that our owners made, and I think that should be encouraging for all fans about our football team."
The Bucs could create more room if they release Wright, who voided the guarantees in his contract when he was suspended for violating the performance-enhancing substance policy. Injured linebacker Quincy Black's future is also in doubt.
With any savings, Dominik is prepared to invest in a number of the Bucs' own guys.
He's already started talking about a new deal for wide receiver Mike Williams, and defensive end Michael Bennett is another possible target, as he'll draw plenty of interest elsewhere if the Bucs can't get a deal for him done before March 12.


text:
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