University of Northern Colorado

About: University of Northern Colorado is a education organization based out in Greeley, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Higher education. The organization has 2419 authors who have published 4634 publications receiving 99162 citations. The organization is also known as: State Normal School of Colorado & Colorado State Teachers College.

Bats: Important Reservoir Hosts of Emerging Viruses

Abstract: Bats (order Chiroptera, suborders Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera) are abundant, diverse, and geographically widespread. These mammals provide us with resources, but their importance is minimized and many of their populations and species are at risk, even threatened or endangered. Some of their characteristics (food choices, colonial or solitary nature, population structure, ability to fly, seasonal migration and daily movement patterns, torpor and hibernation, life span, roosting behaviors, ability to echolocate, virus susceptibility) make them exquisitely suitable hosts of viruses and other disease agents. Bats of certain species are well recognized as being capable of transmitting rabies virus, but recent observations of outbreaks and epidemics of newly recognized human and livestock diseases caused by viruses transmitted by various megachiropteran and microchiropteran bats have drawn attention anew to these remarkable mammals. This paper summarizes information regarding chiropteran characteristics and information regarding 66 viruses that have been isolated from bats. From these summaries, it is clear that we do not know enough about bat biology, that we are doing too little in terms of bat conservation, and that there remain a multitude of questions regarding the role of bats in disease emergence.

Theory of production

Abstract: This chapter focuses on the motivations, objectives, and decisions of the producer. A producer's primary aim is to produce and sell the goods, services, and make profits. In economics terminology, the final or finished product is the output, while the resources used for production are the inputs. The production method, or a combination of methods and processes, is called technology. The production function is a technical relationship between the output and the inputs under a specified set of conditions. More complex functions relate many different forms of output to several variables. The inputs may be classified as being either fixed or variable, depending on the circumstances. Those inputs that may be varied are usually called variable inputs, while those whose quantities are invariant are referred to as fixed inputs. Production theory is discussed in terms of either the short run or the long run. These “runs” do not necessarily imply different lengths of time, but rather the circumstances surrounding production.

Detritus, trophic dynamics and biodiversity

Abstract: Traditional approaches to the study of food webs emphasize the transfer of local primary productivity in the form of living plant organic matter across trophic levels. However, dead organic matter, or detritus, a common feature of most ecosystems plays a frequently overlooked role as a dynamic heterogeneous resource and habitat for many species. We develop an integrative framework for understanding the impact of detritus that emphasizes the ontogeny and heterogeneity of detritus and the various ways that explicit inclusion of detrital dynamics alters generalizations about the structure and functioning of food webs. Through its influences on food web composition and dynamics, detritus often increases system stability and persistence, having substantial effects on trophic structure and biodiversity. Inclusion of detrital heterogeneity in models of food web dynamics is an essential new direction for ecological research.

Clinical Validation of the Quality of Life Inventory: A Measure of Life Satisfaction for Use in Treatment Planning and Outcome Assessment

Abstract: This study details the psychometric evaluation of the Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI), a measure of life satisfaction that may complement symptom-oriented measures of psychological functioning in evaluating the outcome of interventions aimed at ameliorating mental disorders, disabling physical illnesses, and community-wide social problems

Minimum Sample Size Recommendations for Conducting Factor Analyses

Abstract: There is no shortage of recommendations regarding the appropriate sample size to use when conducting a factor analysis. Suggested minimums for sample size include from 3 to 20 times the number of variables and absolute ranges from 100 to over 1,000. For the most part, there is little empirical evidence to support these recommendations. This simulation study addressed minimum sample size requirements for 180 different population conditions that varied in the number of factors, the number of variables per factor, and the level of communality. Congruence coefficients were calculated to assess the agreement between population solutions and sample solutions generated from the various population conditions. Although absolute minimums are not presented, it was found that, in general, minimum sample sizes appear to be smaller for higher levels of communality; minimum sample sizes appear to be smaller for higher ratios of the number of variables to the number of factors; and when the variables-to-factors ratio exc...