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Effective exploration of spatially referenced educational achievement data can help educational researchers and policy analysts speed up gaining valuable insight into datasets. This article illustrates a demo system developed in the National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems (NORMES) for supporting Web-based interactive exploration of state-wide educational achievement data. The spatially referenced statistical summaries are presented in thematic maps that are generated using the Geographic Information System (GIS). Visual analysis of the thematic maps can help the educational policy analysts to "see" complex spatial relationships and to detect patterns easily. Linking among GIS maps allows the educators to interactively "drill down" through a hierarchy of geopolitical levels and to visualize statistical graphics and tables which are dynamically generated using Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) script language. Through building up the relationships between maps, graphs, and databases, this highly interactive Web-based system allows administrators to have an enhanced understanding of what is occurring in their schools, and allows the policy analysts to generate more accurate and effective policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suttkus. Royal D. 1980. Notropis candidus. a new cyprinid fish from the Mobile Bay basin. and a review of the nomenclatural history of Notropis shumardi (Girard). Bulletin Alabama Museum of Natural History. Number 5:1-15. 11 tables. 5 figs. A new species of shiner. Notropis candidus. is described. It is an endemic in the Mobile Bay basin and is believed to be a close relative of N. shumardi. Both species have 2.4-4.2 pharyngeal teeth and typically nine pelvic fin rays. The two species differ in pigmentation. proportions and in a number of meristic characters. Notropis candidus usually has eight anal rays. N. shumardi typically nine; candidus has lower modal number of vertebrae. lateral line scales and body circumference scale rows and higher modal number of gill rakers than lower Mississippi River samples of shumardi. Notropis candidus attains a larger size. has a slimmer body, larger eye. and different chin pigmentation than shumardi. Data on reproduction. sex ratio and tuberculation are presented. The nomenclatural history of Notropis shumardi is reviewed. Various discrepancies are disclosed; however. these are considered to be insufficient to warrant a change in trivial name usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we explore the long-term trends of floodplain population dynamics at different spatial scales in the contiguous United States (U.S.). We exploit different types of datasets from 1790–2010—i.e., decadal spatial distribution for the population density in the US, global floodplains dataset, large-scale data of flood occurrence and damage, and structural and nonstructural flood protection measures for the US. At the national level, we found that the population initially settled down within the floodplains and then spread across its territory over time. At the state level, we observed that flood damages and national protection measures might have contributed to a learning effect, which in turn, shaped the floodplain population dynamics over time. Finally, at the county level, other socio-economic factors such as local flood insurances, economic activities, and socio-political context may predominantly influence the dynamics. Our study shows that different influencing factors affect floodplain population dynamics at different spatial scales. These facts are crucial for a reliable development and implementation of flood risk management planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]