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Pasture Research Results In The Brazilian Amazon, E.A S. Serrao

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Natural upland savanna grasslands are represented mainly by well-drained savannas, with the cerrado type predominant, and by poorly drained savannas with the campo alto-type being the most common. The main limitations are low forage­production potential and, especially, low forage quality. About 3 million ha of rain forest has been replaced by improved pastures of guineagrass (Panicum maximum, 80% ), jaraguagrass (Hyparrhenia rufa, 10% ), and Brachiaria spp. and other grasses (10% ). During the first few years after establish­ment, pastures are productive. However, with time, a gradual decline of productivity occurs, especially in P. maximum pastures. About 0.5 million ha …

Pasture Research Project In The Brazilian Amazon, H M. Saito, H W. Koster, E.J A. Khan, D F. Winslow, A M. Hollick, P M. Paollichi, A C. Costa, F A. Rolim

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The procedure for pasture establishment in the Brazilian Amazon has been to cut down and burn forest and then to seed guineagrass (Panicum maximum L.). Under normal management, animal production has dropped significantly as pastures have deteriorated and have been invaded by weeds. A dearth of knowledge of climate, soils, and plant species; the manner in which pastures have been planted and managed; and a complete absence of fertilization have led to overgrazing and complete degrada­tion of the pastures. This study was undertaken to identify soil problems, adapted forage species, pasture-management practices, and ways of regenerating pastures. Two regions …

Intensive Beef Production In The Humid Tropics: An Evaluation Of Technical And Economic Feasibility, R O. Burton Jr, W B. Bryan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Some parts of the humid tropks show great potential for intensive livestock production from forages. However, in many cases, economic analyses have not been performed. In this study technical a.nd economic feasibility of three strategies for developing intensive pasture for beef production are evaluated. These st:rategies are fast development (no capital limitations) using commerdal nitrogen (N), slow development using commercial N, and slow development using legumes as a N source, The strategies are based on experimental data and experience from the Orinoco Delta, Venezuela. Pastures of pangolagrass (Digitaria decumbens) and Swazi (D. swazilandensis) were rotationally grazed with unselected Criollo/Zebu cattle. …

Yield And Quality Of Tropical Legumes During The Dry Season: Galactia Striata (Jacq.) Urb., R R. Vera, E A. Pizarro, M Martins, J.A. C. Viana

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A small-plot experiment was conducted during 2 consecutive years in the cerrados of Brazil to evaluate the effect of four dates of deferment (21 February, 7 and 21 March, and 4 April, respectively) on rate of growth, chemical composition, and in-vitro dry-matter digestibility (IVDMD) of a pure stand of Galactia striata, a naturalized legume. The chosen dates of deferment em­braced the last 2 months of the rainy season. Yields were estimated at intervals of 28 days, over an experimental period of 237 days, ending with the beginning of the following rainy season. Asymptotic growth was observed throughout the experimental period. …

Potential Of Aeschynomene Sp. For Pastures In The Tropics, A E. Kretschmer Jr, G H. Snyder

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objectives of this study were to assess the forage potential of readily available world germ plasm of the genus Aeschynomene, which comprises 160 species; to compare some attributes of the commercial American jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana L.) with those of other accessions of the same and of other species; and to compare the seasonal growth pattern and response to phosphorus (P) of commercial jointvetch with two perennial tropical legumes. Evaluations were made of 342 accessions, including 25 identified species. Data collected from observational plots in 1978 and 1980 included initial flowering dates, plant vigor, and growth habit; from replicated plots, …

Some Initial Results Of Field Trials Conducted In Establishing A Pasture-Seed Industry In Cojedes State, Venezuela, E.J A. Khan, W H. Mark

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In starting a pasture-seed industry on a farm located at lat 9°50' N that gets about 1,600 mm of rain yearly followed by a severe dry season from mid-December to April, four widely separated sites were selected to plant three grasses for commercial seed production in 1978. The objectives were to assess the fertility status of the soils, then to determine the fertilizer re­quirements of the grasses at each site and to establish an introduction garden with 70 cultivars of grasses and legumes to study their suitability for expanding seed production. Based on the results of soil analyses, a modified …

Insect Pests Of Tropical Forage Plants In South America, Mario Calderon

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objectives of this continuing research are to make a general survey of the insect populations occurring on tropical forage plants in South America and to identify the most important pests. To realize this investigation, pure stand plots 5 X 5 m were sampled every 14 days during 2 years using a D-Vac. Vacuum Sampler.

The following information was obtained:

• Most important families and/or genera of insects in tropical forage legumes and grasses. • Insect group frequency for each season. • Insect group frequency for each plant ecotype under study. • Preliminary data on insect preference. • Preliminary data …

Sown Grassland As An Alternative To Shifting Cultivation In Lowland Humid Tropics, H R. Chheda, O Babalola, M.A M. Saleem, M E. Aken'ova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Agriculture based on existing forms of shifting cultivation will not be able to support and feed adequately the rapidly increasing human population of the lowland humid tropics of Africa. The forest and natural fallows have shortened and even disap• peared in some areas because of rising food demands. Crop yields are low and continue to decline. What, then, are the alter­natives? Using Cynodon as an example, an attempt is made to show that mixed farming offers an alternative whereby the nutrient status and physical properties of the soil can be maintained, erosion can be checked, weeds can be kept under …

Animal Production From Brazilian Tropical Pastures, G L. Rocha, V.B G. Alcantara, P B. Alcantara

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This review deals with the potential for beef production from nitrogen- and legume-based pastures in tropical Brazil. Possibilities for impr􀀞ving the beef industry supported by grass-legume pastures are very promising. According to the literature examined, legume-based pastures produced an annual average of 329 kg gain/ha, and nitrogen (N) fertilization resulted in 4.56 kg gain/ha. Phosphorus (P) was the main fertilizer utilized in addition to N, followed by potassium (K), lime, and micronutrients. An­nual rainfall averaged 1430 mm. Grasses used were of the genera Melinis, Hyparrhenia, Panicum, Cenchrus, Digitaria, Cynodon, Brachiaria, and Pennisetum, and the legumes were of the genera Macroptilium, …

Verano Stylo In Semiarid Northeastern Thailand, A Topark-Ngarm

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Srylosanthes hamata cv. Verano was first introduced to Thailand in 197 5. In the northeastern part of the country where the climate is marginal and the soils are low in fertility, Verano appears to be one of the most suitable forage legumes used in pasture-improvement programs. Verano can be grown satisfactorily on most soils in the northeast. Oversowing the seed at 3.1 kg/ha on unploughed areas resulted in a density of 5-30 plants/m2, while in cultivated land the same amount of seed gave 20-45 plant/m2 • In a 3-year ex­periment under different seeding rates and cutting intervals Verano outyielded three …

Hemarthria Altissima: A Pasture Grass For The Tropics, K H. Quesenberry, W R. Ocumpaugh, O C. Ruelke

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Limpograss (Hemarthria altissima [Poir] Stapf. et C.E. Hubb), introduced into the U.S. in 1964, has been evaluated for use as a pasture grass. Under Florida conditions it has shown yield potential equal to or greater than other tropical pasture grasses. The cultivar Bigalta has higher in-vitro organic-matter digestion (IVOMD) than other tropical grasses at comparable growth stages. Early evaluations of limpograss involved only three clones, but additional genotypes were collected and introduced during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and an evaluation scheme for this germ plasm was undertaken. Our objectives were to evaluate rapidly the available germ plasm of …

Synthetic-Chicken-Fillets, Chirantan Sen Mukherjee, Seung-Chul Yoon, William J. Beksi

Agriculture

This Synthetic-Chicken-Fillets dataset contains 1,000 synthetic 3D meshes designed to capture the natural variance and size diversity of real broiler fillets. The collection was developed to test automated woody breast detection algorithms within a physics-based simulation environment. We utilized a seed dataset of 2D depth maps derived from 40 real-world RGBD point cloud scans. These real depth maps were fed into a few-shot transfer learning pipeline using a generative adversarial network architecture. The resulting generated depth maps were reconstructed back into 3D meshes. The length and thickness of each mesh were randomly scaled based on physical measurements of real broiler …

Ontology-Based Decision Support System For Improving Aquaculture Management, Thuy Thi Thu Pham, Phuong Thi Can, Nga Thi Thanh Ha

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Early detection of shrimp diseases is vital for reducing losses and ensuring sustainable aquaculture. In this study, a novel ontology-driven framework for shrimp disease diagnosis that integrates environmental knowledge with machine learning-based image analysis is proposed. An ontology was constructed from a structured dataset of environmental parameters and farm conditions related to shrimp diseases, which formally represents concepts such as farm characteristics, environmental factors, symptoms, and disease types. Two public shrimp image datasets were subsequently used to train convolutional neural networks (ResNet50 and MobileNetV2) for automated disease classification. The predicted disease labels and confidence scores were mapped onto the ontology. …

Case Study On Operational Performance Improvement By Turbocharger Nozzle-Ring Modification In Shipboard Generators, Jong-Hun Im, Mukyeong Kang, Sang-Deuk Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Owing to increasingly stringent emission regulations imposed by the International Maritime Organization and rising fuel prices, the demand for enhanced energy efficiency and emission control in marine power systems is increasing. This study presents a case study in which the performance of an aging auxiliary generator is restored by modifying the turbocharger nozzle ring. The vessel, a 12-year-old crude-oil tanker, experienced repeated operational issues with its No. 3 generator. This included elevated exhaust gas temperatures, reduced intake air pressure, and frequent turbocharger surges. To address these challenges, the nozzle-ring blade angle was reduced by approximately 2° using spare components, while …

Towards Sustainable Marine Education: Assessing High School Students’ Understanding Of Conservation Concepts, Cheng-Chieh Chang, Tsuyoshi Sasaki, Ya-Yin Liao, Ling-Ya Hung, Liang-Ting Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study assesses the concepts of marine resource conservation and sustainability among Taiwanese high school students by developing a Chinese version of the Marine Resources Conservation and Sustainability Scale. Grounded in the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives outlined in UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDGs), the scale targets students aged 16 to 18 to examine gender differences in marine knowledge and conservation concepts. The scale comprises 31 items across four dimensions: the first section evaluates marine knowledge, while the remaining dimensions utilize a four-point Likert scale to assess cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives, respectively. The results indicate …

Dynamic Governance Of Transboundary Fisheries Through Deep Learning And High-Frequency Vessel Tracking Data For Climate-Resilient Management: An Application To The East China Sea, Qin Lin, Yaqing Shu, Manel Grifoll, Hongxiang Feng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Transboundary fisheries governance is increasingly challenged by jurisdictional conflicts, regulatory asymmetries, and climate-induced stock shifts in fish stocks, especially in contested regions like the East China Sea (ECS). This study capitalizes on China’s high-frequency BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) data (June 2021–May 2022) to pioneer a CNN-BiLSTM deep learning model to dynamically identify fishing hotspots and evaluate policy effectiveness. By integrating vessel trajectories, environmental variables, and regulatory events, we examine spatiotemporal patterns of fishing effort relative to seasonal bans, extreme weather, and quota systems. Key findings reveal: (1) post-moratorium (September–December) concentration of fishing intensity, peaking in November; (2) significant weather-driven …

Lock Scheduling Decisions And Strategy Optimization Under Operation Interruption Scenarios, Junhe Li, Qiang Zhang, Junpeng Jiang, Jiangchao Bao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Locks are critical nodes in inland waterway transportation systems that concentrate vessel traffic between upstream and downstream reaches, making their operations highly sensitive to hydrological conditions. Therefore, disruptions caused by droughts, floods, or routine maintenance can easily trigger congestion. To address this issue, this study systematically examines the interrelationships among the number of ships awaiting passage, scheduling strategies, the trade-off between lock chamber utilization and ship waiting time, the influence of ship entry sequences on user satisfaction, and the combined effects of these factors on overall lock scheduling performance. Based on these analyses, an integrated decision-making model for two-stage ship …

Corrosion Protection Assessment Of Offshore Wind Turbine Substructures Using Beasy Cp Simulation Analysis, Chuan-Yang Wan, Hung-Hua Sheu, Sheng-Yu Wang, Yao-Ming Wang, Wei-De Chen, Ming-Yuan Lin, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study investigates the corrosion protection assessment of offshore wind turbine substructures established in the waters off Keelung, Taiwan. First, a cathodic protection system for the monopile foundation is designed and established. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is applied using the BEASY simulation software to develop a 3D geometric model for cathodic protection. In the steel monopile simulation analysis, the exposed marine environment is set based on the sea conditions of the Keelung small boat marina, including parameters such as salinity, resistance, and polarization curves, to establish an effective cathodic protection system for underwater structures. By simulating these parameters, a …

Face-To-Face Versus Distance Education In Competence-Based Maritime Education And Training, Clara Borén, Marcella Castells-Sanabra, Manel Grifoll

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for higher education, with universities being shut down and face-to-face teaching and assessment shifting to an online format. This presented an opportunity to focus on the continuity of learning through distance education, especially in the maritime context, due to the on-board training requirements, and even though five years have passed, this shift has reshaped the education landscape, proving that remote learning has come to stay.

At the Barcelona School of Nautical Studies, we have developed a weather routing software in the framework of distance education and teaching innovation. We conducted a teaching trial alternatively …

A Bibliometric And Visualization Analysis Of Global Giant Clam Research, Chia-Hsiang Chen, Chih-Hsien Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, bibliometric analysis and visualization tools were used to investigate the academic network and knowledge structure surrounding global giant clam research. A total of 551 relevant publications from the Web of Science database, published from 1900 to 2024, were analyzed. The findings indicate that research on giant clams has experienced considerable growth since 2012, peaking in publication output in 2021. Sixty-six countries were represented in the study sample, with the United States, Australia, China, Singapore, and Japan being the most represented ones. Notably, the rate of international collaboration was only 29%, highlighting a need for additional integrated cross-border …

(Re)Claiming Homeplace: Dance As Embodied Resistance & Healing For Health & Spatial Justice, Preeya G. Kannan

University Honors Theses

This thesis argues that dance functions as both an upstream public health intervention and a form of radical spatial resistance; creating healing, agency, and belonging among historically marginalized communities. Drawing on bell hooks' concept of homeplace, Jasbir Puar's assemblage theory, Nancy Krieger's eco-social theory, and Katherine McKittrick's Black geographies, I position the body as both an ecological and political landscape shaped by histories of colonialism, racial capitalism, displacement, and resilience.

Through this community-based participatory research study, Homeplace, I explore dance as a form of social prescription that centers liberation rather than pathology. Movement is often reduced in public health discourse …

The Neuroprotective Effect Of Cdc42 Inhibition In The G93a Mutant Hsod1 Mouse Model Of Als, Andrea Koly

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of upper and lower motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degeneration, paralysis, and eventual death due to respiratory failure. Despite extensive research, effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited, underscoring the need to identify novel molecular targets involved in ALS pathogenesis. Dysregulation of Rho family GTPases has been implicated in neurodegeneration, with Rac and Rho exerting opposing effects on neuronal survival; however, the role of the closely related GTPase Cdc42 remains poorly understood in ALS. In this study, the therapeutic potential of inhibiting …

Differential Roles Of Moesin And Vasp In Β-Catenin-Associated Networks During Zebrafish Heart Regeneration, Allen Rutman

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

With cardiovascular disease remaining as the leading cause of mortality worldwide, it is largely due to the limited regenerative capacity of the human heart. However, zebrafish (Danio rerio) can fully regenerate cardiac tissue following injury, providing a valuable model for studying the mechanisms of heart repair. To investigate these mechanisms, we used proteomics methods in the past. Proximity labeling is a technique that identifies proteins based on their physical proximity to a protein of interest. It can be applied in organisms and in living cells (Roux et al., 2012; Cho et al., 2020). We used proximity labeling to characterize protein …

Exploring The Relationship Between Tree Dbh And Lichen Cover On Coast Redwood, Grace M. Personeus, Sierra Gittleman, Alisa A. Zarattini

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

We investigated the relationship between Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) and lichen cover on coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) to see if larger trees had higher percentages of cover. We measured cover using 10 cover classes on the southeastern and southwestern sides of trees in a secondary growth forest. We found a significant relationship between DBH and cover, yet no significant difference between the two sides measured. We suggest that further research with a larger sample size and more varied age classes will provide further insight into the relationship.

Allosteric And Uncompetitive Inhibition Of Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase Identified By Enzyme Kinetics, Dylan Jeremy Harrison, Jenny A. Cappuccio

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

Enzyme kinetics is a powerful technique used to quantify the rate at which an enzyme converts a substrate into a product and to identify potential inhibitors. In this study, kinetic analysis was employed to assess the activity of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) in the presence and absence of sweeteners commonly found in alcoholic beverages. YADH catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde using NAD⁺ as a cofactor; the reduction to NADH can be monitored spectrophotometrically at 340 nm. Based on structural similarities to the ribose moiety of NAD⁺, it was hypothesized that sucrose and sucralose could directly interact with the …

The Palm Farm Next-Door: Land Concessions, Livelihoods, And Nutrition In Plantation-Adjacent Communities, Julia Entwistle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large-scale land concessions have reshaped agrarian landscapes globally, yet their implications for community land tenure, livelihoods, and nutrition remain unevenly understood. This dissertation examines how plantation agriculture and foreign investment have transformed land access, labor relations, and food systems in Liberia, a country with one of the highest proportions of land under concession globally. Guided by a political ecology framework, the study employs a mixed-methods design integrating policy analysis, in-depth interviews, and household surveys across two palm oil concession sites. The findings show that ambiguous land policies historically facilitated dispossession, while recent legal reforms have enabled communities to strategically mobilize …

Beyond The Best Fit: Fitting Sir-Style Models To Data While Prioritizing Biological Meaning, Meredith L. Greer

CODEE Journal

Many students find comfort in mathematics because math classes have been a place where they can find the “right answer” to exercises. Modeling courses typically emphasize more nuance, teaching students to try modeling approaches, compare back with real-world mechanisms and data, and then refine their models, in an ongoing cycle. One topic, however, can cause students to quickly revert into “right answer” mode: fitting a model to data. Phrases such as best fit and minimize the distance suggest there is one optimal solution that can be determined by an algorithm, and these algorithms typically have no relationship to the biology …

A Computational Micropatterning Approach To Study Caveolae And Protein Localization In Vascular Biology, Andrew B. Grespin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caveolae are specialized, flask-shaped membrane invaginations highly expressed in endothelium and dysregulated in atherosclerosis. Caveolae play a central role in buffering membrane tension, yet the principles governing their spatial organization remain elusive. Thus, we sought to generate the most comprehensive and systematic analysis of blood vessel caveolar spatial organization. However, cell culturing, the backbone of human-focused biological research, does not standardly do well to model physiologically relevant cell behaviors such as migration or polarity-based tissue formation, particularly for punctate proteins and structures like caveolae. Micropatterns are cell-adhesive shapes that biophysically confine cell(s) to a user defined geometry which stereotype organelle …

Structure-Based Discovery Of Malate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors With Efficacy Against C. Parvum Oocysts, Ankita Bharatbhai Kheni

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Cryptosporidium parvum, the etiological agent of Cryptosporidiosis (diarrheal illness) represents a significant global health burden, particularly affecting immunodeficient and pediatric populations. Since the parasite has a highly reduced mitochondrion and relies on glycolysis, enzymes such as C. parvum malate dehydrogenase (CpMDH), which are believed to be indispensable for parasite viability due to their pivotal roles in NAD⁺ regeneration and redox balance, remain largely unexplored as therapeutic targets. The present study employed a multifaceted experimental and computational strategy to evaluate the inhibitory activity of two lead-like and drug-like small molecules, referred to as compound 1.8 and compound 1.5, against the cofactor …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Managing Rainwater, Lawrence Krissek, Kathy Cabe Trundle

All Current Publications

Rainscaping can help solve drainage problems, reduce erosion, improve water quality, and conserve soil by effectively managing rainwater movement across the landscape. It can also provide environments with increased biodiversity while reducing the need for supplemental watering.  The details of rainscaping your garden are very site-specific, affected by the amount of space and money available, your garden’s physical and weather/climate characteristics, and your garden goals. This resource sheet addresses the use of natural methods to ensure efficient rainwater management.