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Xenarthrans constitute a relict clade of endemic South American placental mammals with a long evolutionary history starting, at least, in the early Eocene. Within Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae (late Eocene–earliest Holocene) was a conspicuous group of large-sized armoured herbivores. During the Pleistocene (ca. 2.6–0.001 Ma) several genera (e.g. Panochthus and Glyptodon) achieved a remarkable latitudinal distribution in South America, as members of one of the xenarthran groups that participated in the Great American Biotic Interchange. Knowledge of the evolutionary history of this clade in some areas remains poorly known, especially in the high elevation Andean and sub-Andean regions of South America. Here we describe a new species, Glyptodon jatunkhirkhi sp. nov., from several localities of the Eastern Cordillera in Bolivia (ca. 2500–4100 m above sea level). From a phylogenetic viewpoint this new taxon appears as the sister group of the two lowland species recorded in southern South America (Glyptodon munizi + G. reticulatus), and this is congruent with the morphological differences observed between both clades, mainly with respect to the general morphology of the dorsal carapace and the skull. This new species expands the complex biogeographical scenario for Pleistocene glyptodonts and highlights the importance of Andean areas as key in understanding the evolutionary history of this clade. According to this revision, the diversity of Glyptodon is limited to G. munizi and G. reticulatus (two chronologically successive lowland species) plus this new species. The genera Panochthus (P. hipsilis) and Glyptodon seem to be the only Pleistocene glyptodonts to have been adapted to high elevation environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PanochthusandGlyptodonare the Pleistocene Glyptodontidae having the greatest range of latitudinal distribution and elevation in South America. The most recent revisions ofPanochthusrecognized its high taxonomic diversification mainly distributed in the Chaco-Pampean region of Argentina, Uruguay, southern Bolivia and southern and north-eastern Brazil, while the Andean records are poorly known. This contribution aims: (a) to describe a new species ofPanochthusfrom the Pleistocene of the surroundings of Potosi (Bolivia), which represents one of the highest known elevation records for fossil Xenarthra; (b) to carry out a phylogenetic analysis in order to test its location inPanochthusand relationship to some allied genera; (c) to discuss some palaeobiogeographical and morphological implications. The results show that, in agreement with previous studies,Panochthusis a natural group, beingPropanochthusthe sister taxa. This conclusion agrees, at least in part, with the original interpretation of Burmeister, who recognizedPr. bulliferas belonging toPanochthus. The generaNopachtusandPhlyctaenopygaare more closely related to some ‘Plohophorini’ than to the cladePropanochthus+Panochthus. WithinPanochthus, this new species occupies a relatively basal position as a sister taxon of the clade composed ofP. tuberculatus,P. intermedius, andP. greslebini.http://zoobank.org/lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5A766550-DBCA-4C4A-BDB8-602E500E4954 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the importance of encouraging many support communities for curriculums that combine liberal studies with engineering. Topics include need idea to include liberal studies in engineering (LSE), a proposal to integrate engineering with arts and humanities, importance of liberal arts and engineering studies (LAES) program, and the HO:ME (Housing Opportunities through Modular Environments) project.

This paper examines the process of putting a new interdisciplinary program into place that combines study in the liberal arts with traditional engineering study at a traditional state university to create a new, hybrid program of study. The program is called the Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies (LAES) program and it was built at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The LAES program is one of only a few programs in the USA to successfully combine liberal arts with engineering study into a comprehensive Bachelor of Arts degree. The authors discuss the conflicts involved with the process of permanently adding this hybrid form of study to the university's curriculum and offer their definition of hybrid study using this new program as their central example. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We assessed the effects of lowhead dams on the EPT group (ephemeropterans, plecopterans, and trichopterans) by sampling habitat and macroinvertebiates monthly from November 2000 to October 2001 at eight gravel bars centered around two lowhead dams on the Neosho River, Lyon County, Kansas. Sites included a reference and treatment site upstream and downstream from each dam. Percent EFF was greater at reference sites than upstream treatment sites, and was positively correlated with stream velocity and %gravel in the substrate, but negatively correlated with substrate compaction and %boulder in the substrate. These results are similar to those for large dams and suggest that differences in habitat around these lowhead dams are unfavorable for EPT taxa, a finding important to the conservation and restoration of biotic integrity in riverine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on teaching technical communication through the Internet. Buildings, classrooms, and personnel support as part of an educator's teaching duties; New roles of educators when teaching technical information online; Guidelines for educators when conducting online instruction sessions.