Showing papers by "College of The Bahamas published in 2015"

Swimming energetics and thermal ecology of adult bonefish (Albula vulpes): a combined laboratory and field study in Eleuthera, The Bahamas

Abstract: Knowledge of the swimming energetics and thermal ecology of sub-tropical and tropical coastal species is extremely limited, yet this information is critical for understanding animal-environment relation- ships in the face of climate change. Using the ecologi- cally and economically important sportfish, bonefish (Albula vulpes), we determined the critical swimming speed (Ucrit), metabolic rates (M ⋅ O2max and M ⋅ O2routine), scopeforactivity,andcostoftransport(COTnet)acrossa range of temperatures using a swim tunnel. For both critical swimming speed and scope for activity, optimal (Topt) and critical (Tcrit) temperatures were determined. The optimal temperature for Ucrit (96 cm/s) was 28.0 °C and the optimal temperature for scope for activity (7.5 mgO2/min/kg) was 26.7 °C. We also estimated the thermal profile of bonefish in the wild using surgically implanted thermal loggers. Of the 138 implanted fish, eight were recaptured with functional loggers. After 220 days more than 55 % of recaptured tagged fish had expelled their thermal loggers. Thermal profiles revealed that bonefish did not exceed laboratory- determined critical temperatures (i.e., 14.5 °C minima and 37.9 °C maxima) and spent the majority of their time at their critical swimming speed optimal tempera- ture. Nonetheless, fish experienced wide variation in daily temperature—both through time (up to 8 °C diel fluctuation and 14 °C seasonally) and among individ- uals. Collectively, laboratory and field data suggest that bonefish occupy habitats that approach, but rarely ex- ceed (0.51 % of the time) their Tcrit. Bonefish routinely experienced water temperatures in the field that exceeded their Topt (~54 % of the time). Even minor increases in temperature (e.g., 1 °C) in tidal creeks will lead to greater exceedances of Topt and Tcrit or potential- ly reduce access of bonefish to essential feeding areas.

Defining adult bonefish (Albula vulpes) movement corridors around Grand Bahama in the Bahamian Archipelago

Abstract: Development on Grand Bahama in the Bahamian Archipelago during the 1950’s to 1970’s resulted in substantial changes to the island’s geography. Hawksbill Creek, which potentially served as a natural migration route for fish from the north side to the south side of the island, was severed and replaced by a man-made canal called the Grand Lucayan Waterway (GLW). Bonefish (Albula spp.), a sport-fish that contributes more than $141 million to the Bahamian economy annually, is one such species that may have been affected. The purpose of this study was to determine contemporary movement corridors of adult bonefish during their spawning season (October to May) in Grand Bahamian waters. This was accomplished by using a passive acoustic telemetry array of 17 receivers and 30 transmitter-implanted individuals. A total of 26,108 detections were logged from 20 of the fish. Eight bonefish tagged on the north side used the GLW to access waters on the south, whereas no transmitter-implanted fish tagged on the south side fully traversed the man-made canal, suggesting that primary spawning areas may be located on the south side of the island. This result is consistent with previous reports that bonefish spawn near deep water which is easier to access on the south side of Grand Bahama. Further supporting this finding, two other bonefish tagged on the north side forayed around the east end of the island and were detected on receivers approximately 88 km from their tagging locations. Additionally, two other bonefish tagged on the north side were detected at the west end of the island, with one individual continuing its movements along the south side of the island for an approximate straight-line distance of 80 km. Canal use typically corresponded to days immediately prior to or after new or full moons, indicating that movements were related to spawning. This study suggests that despite historical habitat modifications, bonefish today use the GLW as a movement corridor for migrations during spawning season, emphasizing the importance of protecting the canal from any activities that could impede connectivity.

Demystifying the Mystery of Second Career Teachers' Motivation to Teach

Abstract: Within the field of education, there has been much discussion regarding what prompts the career change of second career teachers. This study examines motivational factors that influence second career teachers' decision to teach and how their previous careers influence their teaching experience. The theoretical framework that acts as foundational platform is the Expectancy Theory. The study utilized a qualitative approach. Data was collected using focus groups and analyzed utilizing open coding consistent with Corbin and Strauss (2010). The results of the study revealed that most participants were intrinsically motivated to transition to the teaching profession. Keywords: Second Career Teachers, Intrinsic, Extrinsic, MotivationIt is often taken as self-evident that teachers can and do make a difference by influencing the lives of children and adolescent and their orientation to learning (Richardson & Watt, 2006). On this premise, it is paramount that only the best and most qualified teachers are hired for the profession by the educational system within any country. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; 2005) report emphasizes that the "teaching profession needs to be competitive with other occupations in attracting talented and motivated people" (p. 39). As a result of this report, many countries are now realizing how critical it is to have an educational system equipped with qualified teachers and are encouraging individuals with existing occupations to transition to the teaching profession (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003; Richardson & Watt, 2005).Subsequently, there has been much discussion regarding who is considered to be the more qualified teacher, whether they are teachers that are younger, motivated and recently graduated from college or second career teachers who are older and more equipped with professional and real world experience. Despite the difference in teacher's entry to the profession as first career teachers or second career teachers, it is imperative that the emphasis be placed on minimizing the attrition rate of teachers and implementing strategies to retain qualified teachers. According to Darling-Hammond (2001) there are a number of factors that contribute to approximately 30% of teachers leaving the teaching profession within the first three years of teaching. Such factors include: limited training and education of teachers to address the demands within the learning environment, poor salary, lack of mentoring, sinkor-swim mentality and difficult administrative tasks.As much emphasis is being placed on second career teachers, it is imperative to know what motivational factors are associated with their decision to transition to the teaching profession from their previous careers, possible motivational or influential factors that would result in them leaving the teaching profession, and exactly how they can utilize their experiences from the their previous careers within the classroom environment to promote and enhance the learning process.Purpose Statement and Study SignificanceThe purpose of this study is three-fold. First, it was intended to identify and examine possible motivational factors associated with the decision of second career teachers to transition from their previous careers to the teaching profession. Secondly, to identify and examine the perceptions of second career teachers' motivational factors associated with their decision to return to their previous career or another career. Lastly, to examine second career teachers' perception of how their previous career can enhance their teaching experience.This study is significant because it can provide great insight regarding designing teacher education programs conducive for second career teachers. Further, it provides a platform for providing supplemental knowledge which can be beneficial in the recruitment and retention of second career teachers. These second career teachers are not only qualified academically, but are equipped with practical real world experience, which would enhance the learning experience meanwhile filling the void for the need for teachers in the educational system. …

Building an expert judgment-based model of mangrove fisheries

Abstract: Mangroves are critically important habitats for fisheries, both for their resident fish, crustacean, and mollusk populations and as nursery grounds for the target species of offshore fisheries. However, the spatial variation in the benefits provided by mangroves to fisheries is poorly understood. Based on expert knowledge of mangrove ecology and fisheries biology, we developed a preliminary model of the spatial distribution of benefits to fisheries from mangroves. The preliminary model covers the environmental factors that determine the amount of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other fishery target species produced by mangrove areas (termed “potential fish production”) and the socioeconomic variables that determine the level of fishing in any given location. The combination of these two outputs gives the predicted catch. Potential fish production is predicted to be highest where there is high freshwater and nutrient input to mangroves, such as in large estuaries. At large seascape scales, total mangrove area is also an important driver. Fishing effort is highest close to human populations, which provide both the fishers and the markets for their catch. The model is qualitative and has not been parameterized with field data and, as such, should only be considered as a first step towards understanding the spatial variation in the benefits that mangroves provide to fisheries.

A Cross-cultural Comparison of Interpersonal Violence in the Lives of College Students from Two Colleges from The Bahamas and the United States of America

Abstract: There is a dearth of studies that compare interpersonal violence cross nationally. This paper reports the findings of a cross-sectional study which compares and contrasts violence in the lives of 740 college students, as children and as adults, in The Bahamas and the United States of America. Overall, students in The Bahamas were subjected to more violence (more frequently spanked) than their American counterparts. Frequency of spanking when the student was a preteen and teenager were linked to anger outbursts in adulthood, and higher numbers of anger outbursts were linked with violent behaviours of students. Although Bahamian students were exposed to more violence than the American students, this did not result in Bahamian students being more violent than American students in interpersonal relationships. However, Bahamian students were more likely than American students to anticipate using corporal punishment on their children and to condone violence in marital relationships.

Fourth Order Impulsive Periodic Boundary Value Problems

Abstract: In this work it is presented an existence result for the impulsive problem composed by the fourth order fully nonlinear equation $$\begin{aligned} u^{\left( iv\right) }\left( x\right) =f\left( x,u\left( x\right) ,u^{\prime }\left( x\right) ,u^{\prime \prime }\left( x\right) ,u^{\prime \prime \prime }\left( x\right) \right) \end{aligned}$$ for a.e. \(x\in \left[ 0,1\right] ~\backslash ~\left\{ x_{1},\ldots ,x_{m}\right\} \) where \(f:\left[ 0,1\right] \times \mathbb {R} ^{4}\rightarrow \mathbb {R}\) is a \(L^{1}\)-Caratheodory function, along with the periodic boundary conditions $$\begin{aligned} u^{\left( i\right) }\left( 0\right) =u^{\left( i\right) }\left( 1\right) , \quad i=0,1,2,3, \end{aligned}$$ and the impulses $$\begin{aligned} \begin{array}{c} u\left( x_{j}^{+}\right) =g_{j}\left( u\left( x_{j}\right) \right) , \\ u^{\prime }\left( x_{j}^{+}\right) =h_{j}\left( u^{\prime }\left( x_{j}\right) \right) , \\ u^{\prime \prime }\left( x_{j}^{+}\right) =k_{j}\left( u^{\prime \prime }\left( x_{j}\right) \right) , \\ u^{\prime \prime \prime }\left( x_{j}^{+}\right) =l_{j}\left( u^{\prime \prime \prime }\left( x_{j}\right) \right) , \end{array} \end{aligned}$$ where \(x_{j}\in \left( 0,1\right) ,\) for \(j=1,\ldots ,m,\) such that \( 0=x_{0}

Algebraicity of normal analytic compactifications of C^2 with one irreducible curve at infinity

Abstract: We present an effective criterion to determine if a normal analytic compactification of C^2 with one irreducible curve at infinity is algebraic or not. As a by product we establish a correspondence between normal algebraic compactifications of C^2 with one irreducible curve at infinity and algebraic curves contained in C^2 with one place at infinity. Using our criterion we construct pairs of homeomorphic normal analytic surfaces with minimally elliptic singularities such that one of the surfaces is algebraic and the other is not. Our main technical tool is the sequence of "key forms" - a 'global' variant of the sequence of "key polynomials" introduced by MacLane to study valuations in the 'local' setting - which also extends the notion of "approximate roots" of polynomials considered by Abhyankar and Moh.

History in the Making: Establishing an Institutional Archive at The College of The Bahamas:

Abstract: As the College of The Bahamas transitions to a university, an institutional archive housing records of legal, administrative, financial, educational, cultural, and historical significance has been formally established. The COB Institutional Archive will collect and preserve records and documents deemed to have permanent value, thereby making them accessible for future researchers. The archive, presently located in the Harry C. Moore Library Special Collections area, will include not only institutional records, manuscripts and documents but also College catalogues and other published ephemera.

Bahamian Bush Medicine: Fact or Folklore

Abstract: The practice of bush medicine in The Bahamas is shrouded in mystery. This literature review is not an attempt to verify or disclaim the beliefs as to the authenticity of the healing powers of native plants but rather to give a brief informative overview of the rich cultural heritage of the Bahamian people. The sources used in this review include statements from local inhabitants whose belief systems are so deeply entrenched that they are confident that their very survival and that of their ancestors hinged on the medicinal powers of bush medicine. Included is historical evidence explaining why bush medicine became an integral part of Bahamian culture as well as scientific evidence of its effectiveness and curative properties.

The Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescents in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Abstract: Objective: To determine the prevalence of elevated blood pressure (EBP) in Bahamian adolescents.

Nervous Shock: Time and Space

Abstract: Liability for psychiatric injury, also known as nervous shock, may pose several challenges when considered as an aspect of personal injury. Within the context of Bahamian tort law, it is an emerging area, which so far has been dealt with only briefly. Several questions arise when assessing nervous shock, such as determining whether a defendant is liable and whether the plaintiff should be awarded damages. In The Bahamas the approach has been similar to that in other jurisdictions such as England and other Commonwealth states. In these jurisdictions the issue has been whether the cause of the psychiatric injury was reasonably foreseeable, especially where the claimant did not suffer any physical injury or was not directly involved in the accident. This article reflects on The Bahamas’ approach to nervous shock, the correlation of “time and space,” where the claimant is said to have witnessed the injury: it will present a discussion of the current understanding of nervous shock and whether it constitutes an appropriate claim.

Effects of degradation on the performance of a triphenylene based liquid crystal organic semiconductor

Abstract: We report on time-of-flight (TOF) hole mobility measurements in an aged discotic columnar liquid crystal, Hexakis(pentyloxy)triphenylene (HAT5). The experimental data was fit to an interfacial trapping model based on Van de Walle’s approximations. The theory accurately reproduces the TOF transients of delayed charge release near the optically excited material/electrode interface. Interfacial trapping appears only in the aged materials, but the bulk mobility is the same as that of the pristine material. We also discuss preliminary results of TOF photocurrent transients of HAT5 exposed to ozone.

Visualization of 4D Q 2 PSK and CEQ 2 PSK in ideal bandlimited channels

Abstract: This paper presents new visualization techniques for 4D Quadrature-Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (Q 2 PSK), Saha's Constant Envelope (CE) Q 2 PSK, and Cartwright's CEQ 2 PSK in ideal bandlimited channels. The signal diagrams analyzed are: time-signal eye patterns for 4D passband signals, 2D complex trajectory diagrams of baseband signals, and time-signal eye patterns for the 1D outputs of the baseband matched filter. These methods may be applied to other multidimensional modulation systems to obtain insight into the effects of noise, interference, and channel filtering.

Using DNA to Locate the Ancestry of Today's Island Dogs of the Caribbean: The Case of the Bahamian Potcake

Abstract: Dogs in The Bahamas have been documented since the time of Columbus, so dogs have been residents of the country for at least as long as our written records. While the term “potcake” has been associated with mongrel dogs in The Bahamas for some time, written references have been traced back only as far as 1970. Since then, the written word potcake has become relatively common. Potcakes, while reviled by some, are considered as quintessentially Bahamian by others. This paper attempts to determine if the potcake is unique to The Bahamas. Our analysis of potcake DNA from New Providence and Grand Bahama suggests that the importation of dogs has diluted the pool of any ancient potcake DNA to an extent that the Bahamian potcake, if it ever existed, is now either extinct or highly admixed. Some implications for demystifying this Bahamian icon based upon the current welfare offered potcakes are proposed. The Dogology of Nassau is a science worthy of profound study and investigation by all those dogmatically inclined (Wilson, 1864, pp. 28-29).

The Lynden Pindling Exhibit: the Man, the Dream, the Moment

Abstract: The Sir Lynden O. Pindling Room at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre of The College of The Bahamas contains an exhibit of over 260 items, including personal effects, gifts, gowns, photographs, speeches and publications. The items included in this special exhibit space are resources that scholars, students and the public may use to research the legacy of the former prime minister and, by extension, the history of The Bahamas.

Optical properties of cellulose nanocrystals decorated with silver nanospheres

Abstract: We discuss some optical properties of cellulose nanocrystals decorated with silver nanospheres. We give a short description of the discrete dipole interactions, and the broadening effects observed in the extinction spectrum. We also discuss some preliminary results for their use in organic photovoltaic devices.