Digital Commons Network^™

A Computer Model For Determining When To Start Spring Grazing, Dennis R. Buckmaster, Warren J. Parker

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A simple computer model is presented for determining the earliest grazing date after winter freezing. The model also illustrates principles of rotational grazing management and projects when forage should be conserved during the spring. Inputs to the model include initial herbage cover, herbage growth rate, herbage quality, a post•grazing residual dry matter target, a harvest set•aside threshold, and a description of the grazing animals.

Use Of A Simple Model Of Continuous And Rotational Grazing To Compare Herbage Consumption, Simon J.R Woodward, G `C Wake, D G. Mccall, A B. Pleasants

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A simple mathematical model (a linear dynamical system) was constructed to predict herbage consumption by grazing animals. This model was used to compare 3 grazing methods over a range of stocking rates at low pasture mass. The grazing methods compared were: continuous grazing (CTS), rotational grazing with equal time intervals (BQ), and rotational grazing where the time of shift was optimal for maximising intake (OPT). The rotational methods were the simplest possible, the land being subdivided into 2 fields, each of which was grazed once. The order of grazing the fields was also considered. The model predicts (I) that at …

Farm Monitoring, A Way To Improve Performance On Sheep And Beef Farms, R W. Webby, G W. Sheath

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A programme that centres on monitoring the performance of sheep and beef farms is being used to encourage farmers to make decisions based on objective measurements, Monitor farmers are supported by their farming peers in groups that include extension and science personnel. Key biological performance indicators such as animal numbers, weights; weight gains, pasture production; and financial returns from meat and wool are monitored. Farmers are encouraged to be in a position to use this information and identify opportunities. Processors of sheep and beef products are demanding the production of livestock to tighter specifications. Close monitoring by farmers will be …

Module: Ai And Value-Neutrality, Jonathan Auyer Ph.D., Department Of Philosophy

Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25

Artificial Intelligence is on the tips of everyone’s tongues these days – What exactly is it? What will can it be used for? What will it be used for in the future? What problems will it create or solve or exacerbate? This learning module aims to look at a specific facet of AI — the issue of value-neutrality — by having students look inward at capabilities necessary for human flourishing and then ask whether AI can cultivate (or inhibit) those capabilities. This will lead to a discussion of what values underlie AI and what this says about whether or not …

As Soon As [A]I Speak[S], Lytton Smith Professor Of Poetry, Department Of English

Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25

This guide facilitates the delivery of a two-workshop sequence allowing students to understand how an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Large Language Model (LLM) composes poetry, and to use that knowledge to compose their own poem for optional display in both electronic and physical form. Students may participate in either/both workshops, and in each will engage in reflective work to understand how AI impacts them and vice versa. This guide and curriculum aligns with the "Contemporary Global Challenges, Creativity and Innovation" Participation in a Global Society outcome within the Geneseo GLOBE Curriculum.

Psychology And The Digital Everywhere: Artificial Intelligence, Cassie Van Stolk Assistant Professor Of Psychology, Department Of Psychology

Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25

This module within the PSYC 390: Psychology and the Digital Everywhere course investigates the the implications of AI on human experiences using a biopsychosocial lens. Topics covered include an exploration of AI as a tool versus as an autonomous mind, ethical considerations of AI usage, and the promises and pitfalls of AI as a tool within the field of psychology. This module aligns with the "Contemporary Global Challenges, Creativity and Innovation" Participation in a Global Society outcome within the Geneseo GLOBE Curriculum.

Integrating Authentication Schemes In Augmented And Virtual Reality Classrooms, Naheem Noah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technologies are revolutionizing educational experiences, but their widespread adoption hinges on addressing critical security and usability challenges, particularly in the domain of user authentication. This research presents an investigation into the security landscape of AR/VR and explores a graphical authentication scheme called “Things” that enhances both security and usability in immersive learning environments. Through a systematic evaluation of popular AR/VR devices and applications, potential vulnerabilities and limitations were identified, such as high usage of pin/passwords which are susceptible to shoulder-surfing attacks, lack of multi-factor authentication, and unclear data-sharing practices. A review of existing knowledge-based …

Robotic Odor Source Localization Using Vision And Olfaction Sensing, Sunzid Hassan

Master's Theses

Robotic Odor Source Localization (ROSL) technology allows autonomous agents like robots to find an odor source in unknown environments. A successful odor source location depends crucially on an effective navigation algorithm that directs the robot towards the odor source. This thesis is a combination of three projects. First, we detail development of a versatile multi-modal robotic platform for ROSL real-world ROSL experimentation and discussed real-world validation of a traditional olfactionbased ROSL algorithm. Secondly, we introduced vision in ROSL by proposing a fusion navigation algorithm that integrates deep-learning enabled vision and olfaction-based navigation. This hybrid approach tackles challenges such as turbulent …

Key Largo Mangrove Population Monitoring: A Remote Sensing Analysis And Classification Methodology Review, David Lackajs

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Mangrove forests are some of the world's most bio-diverse habitats, providing essential services to the surrounding coasts. Removal of these habitats has a devastating impact on the ecosystems within them. The Florida Keys are some of the last areas in the United States with extensive mangrove populations. One specific area, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, has been under state protection since 1959. For that reason, mangrove forest habitats there are less fragmented. This study uses remotely sensed imagery to quantify and analyze mangrove populations in this area using two methods: sub-pixel analysis and supervised classification. The …

Ozone Gardens: Impacts Of Air Quality On Native Plants In Chicago, Elene Drosos

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Air quality impacts are hard for the public to understand where air pollution is not visible. Visual indications of plant damage like stipples can help residents in cities with understanding how poor air quality impacts both plants and humans. This is particularly important since the effects of climate change and air pollution are difficult to observe at small temporal and spatial scales. Ozone gardens with ozone-sensitive plants are a space to visualize ozone damage on leaves of plants. They are a practical way to express these complicated scientific topics to the public, especially in heavily polluted areas like Chicago. Some …

Molecular Docking, Pharmacological Profiling, And Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of Potential Antihyperuricemic Agent From Secondary Metabolites Of Dillenia Philippinensis Rolfe (Dilleniaceae), Louie Rince C. Suyo, John P. Paulin, Nicole Clarence Louise L. Gapaz, Markus Brent S. Arevalo, Vince Tyrell P. Yongco, Librado A. Santiago

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Crystal accumulation in the joints due to increased serum uric acid (sUA) may lead to an inflammatory condition called gout. Increased sUA is caused by the excessive reabsorption of the urate anion transporter-1 (URAT-1). Therefore, URAT-1 inhibition will promote uric acid excretion and reduce the risk of having gout. Dillenia philippinensis Rolfe, often known as katmon, is an endemic plant in the Philippines with bioactive compounds associated with several therapeutic benefits. The present study represents the first scientific inquiry into the antihyperuricemic potential of compounds isolated from D. philippinensis. This study aimed to assess the interaction of URAT-1 with …

Development And Testing Of Small-Scale Flash Dryer For Maize Bran, Eden Ngowi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Sun drying is the most common technique used to dry various food products due to its economic convenience. However, it is not effective owing to its unreliable nature leading to microbial deterioration and aflatoxin contamination of food. In Tanzania, about 1.3 million tonnes of maize bran are at risk of deterioration annually due to improper drying. The aim of this study was to design, fabricate and test an efficient small-scale flash dryer for maize bran. Using principles of material and energy balance, a small-scale flash dryer with a throughput of 500 kg of dry product per hour was designed resulting …

Analysis Of Serum Exosome Metabolites Identifies Potential Biomarkers For Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Tingting Zhao, Yan Liang, Xiaolan Zhen, Hong Wang, Li Song, Didi Xing, Hui Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Currently, the clinical cure rate for primary liver cancer remains low. Effective screening and early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain clinical challenges. Exosomes are intimately associated with tumor development and their contents have the potential to serve as highly sensitive tumor-specific markers. A comprehensive untargeted metabolomics study was conducted using exosome samples extracted from the serum of 48 subjects (36 HCC patients and 12 healthy controls) via a commercial kit. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) strategy was used to identify the metabolic compounds. A total of 18 differential metabolites were identified using the non-targeted metabolomics approach of UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. …

Investigation Of Heavy Metal Composition And Associated Health Risks From Selected Groundwater Wells In Temeke, Dar-Es-Salaam, Justin M. Jeremiah

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Water quality continues to be the challenge to residents in Dar es Salaam due to various anthropogenic activities in the city. This study was conducted to assess groundwater quality by determining concentrations of heavy metals. Both probability and Nonprobability sampling techniques were used to collect samples from 40 groundwater wells in 24 wards of Temeke municipal and analysed using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer (Agilent 4210 MP-AES) at the Geochemistry Laboratory of the University of Dar es Salaam. Results indicated varying heavy metal concentrations ranging from 0.71 ± 0.08 to 6.64 ± 0.21 mg/l for As, 0.02 ± 0.01 to …

Exploring The Efficiency Of Nitrogenated Carbon Quantum Dots/Tio2 S-Scheme Heterojunction In Photodegradation Of Ciprofloxacin In Aqueous Environments, Yilmaz Ateş, Zafer Eroğlu, Özkan Açişli, Önder Meti̇n, Semra Karaca

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

The usability of polyvinyl chloride-based quaternary triethanol ammonium chloride anionite (PVC-TEAC) as a potential extractant for tungstate was investigated to recover tungstate from Gabal Qash Amir, Egypt, assaying 70.91% WO3. Structure elucidation for PVC-TEAC anionite was successfully carried out using several techniques. Experimental measurements, such as pH, agitation time, initial tungsten concentration, anionite dose, co-ions, temperature, and eluting agents, have been optimized. It was found that PVC-TEAC anionite has a maximum capacity of 63 mg per gram. From the distribution isotherm modeling, Langmuir’s model fits the experimental results better than Freundlich’s, with a theoretical value of 61.728 mg g–1. According …

Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction Technique Based On Fe3o4@Coppy-Pth Nanocomposite For Extraction Of Cobalt, Chromium, And Nickel Prior To Determination By Micro-Sample Injection System-Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry In Alcoholic And Nonalcoholic Beverages, Meli̇ke Küçüksakalli, Qamar Salamat, Buket Ti̇reli̇, Şükrü Gökhan Elçi̇

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

A novel Fe3O4@coPPy-PTH nanocomposite-based sorbent was prepared via in-situ oxidative polymerization using Fe3O4 nanoparticles with spherical and flower-like morphologies of thiophene and pyrrole as the feedstocks. The synthesized nanocomposite utilized sensitive extraction and determination of the metal ions Co(II), Cr(III), and Ni(II) without a chelating agent, followed by a micro-sample injection system-flame atomic absorption spectrometer (MIS-FAAS). The composition and morphology of Fe3O4@coPPy-PTH nanocomposite were characterized by advanced spectroscopic and imaging techniques like SEM and FT-IR. SEM observations showed the size of Fe3O4 nanoparticles changed from 30 nm to 120 nm in diameter after the copolymer (PPy-PTH) coating. The Fe3O4@coPPy-PTH nanocomposite …

Synthesis And Characterization Of New Hexahydroquinoline Derivatives, Evaluation Of Their Cytotoxicity, Intracellular Ros Production And Inhibitory Effects On Inflammatory Mediators, Ezgi̇ Pehli̇vanlar, Deni̇z Arca Çakir, Sonia Sanajou, Hülya Tezel Yalçin, Terken Baydar, Pinar Erkekoğlu, Hani̇fe Avci, Rahi̇me Şi̇mşek

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Inflammation is a response to injury and infection in the organism. It can be categorized as acute and chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is the underlying cause of many diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have proven the anti-inflammatory properties of 1,4-dihydropyridines (1,4-DHPs) and its derivatives, which have many biological properties including calcium channel blockers. The structures of the synthesized compounds were elucidated by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and HRMS methods. The cytotoxic properties of the compounds were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method in 3T3 cell line. Among the 15 compounds, the three compounds …

Role Of Vegfa In Intervertebral Disc Pathoanatomy And Low Back Pain, Ryan Potter

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Chronic low back pain (LBP) affects more than 80% of Americans and causes significant disability and staggering public health costs. Despite this astonishing prevalence, there are currently no disease modifying therapies. Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration accounts for a considerable proportion of LBP, but the precise mechanisms driving the painful pathoanatomy are not understood. The degenerating IVD exhibits a complex array of inflammatory and physiologic changes, and many are associated with the presentation of LBP. For example, the presence of nerves and blood vessels in degenerate IVDs have been identified in patients and animals presenting with LBP symptoms. However, no studies …

Time-Transgressive Microbial Diversity In A Tropical Bat Guano Accumulation, Deer Cave, Mulu, Borneo, Joyce Lundberg, Donald A. Mcfarlane

International Journal of Speleology

Bat guano accumulations in caves can constitute large deposits of organic material, particularly chitin and its degradation products, that host a diverse microbiome. Previous microbiological studies have not addressed the stratified nature of these deposits in the context of the timeframe of the decomposition process. We present such data (temperature, pH, DNA sampling of eight carbon-dated strata) for a 75 cm-deep tropical guano accumulation that undergoes complete decomposition over a timescale of ~120 years. The aerobic, surface layer of freshly-fallen guano has the greatest diversity of taxa, with Bacteroidota co-dominant with Pseudomonadota, and includes many taxa unique to this …

Statistical Inference Based On Elliptically Symmetric Distributions For Directional Data, Zehao Yu

Theses and Dissertations

Directional data arise in many scientific fields such as meteorology, oceanography, geology, zoology, and biomechanics. Geometrically, directional data lie in a spherical space. Although not in a spherical space, compositional data, such as microbiome data, can be mapped from a simplex to a spherical space via the component-wise square-root transformation. Other examples where compositional data emerge as a subject of interest include compositions of minerals in rocks, compositions of chemical mixtures, investment portfolios, and demographic composition of a population. This dissertation aims to develop inference procedures for analyzing directional data in general initially, with later focus shifted to the transformed …

Linking Geospatial Trends And Geochemical Fingerprints To Anthropogenic Phosphorus Dust Deposition In Subalpine Soils, Austen Michael Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

This study shows that fugitive emissions associated with the surface mining of phosphate rock are a significant phosphorus (P) source to surface soils in northeastern Utah. Phosphorus is a nonrenewable resource essential for all life. Anthropogenic alterations to the P-cycle have led to widespread P pollution, and the unsustainable management of P has led to the threat of global depletion of P resources. Thus, accounting for both natural and anthropogenic flow paths of P is essential for the conservation and pollution reduction of P. One such source of human alteration to the P-cycle is the mining of phosphate rock. Mining, …

The Basic Dualism In The World: Object-Oriented Ontology And Systems Theory, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graham Harman writes that the “basic dualism in the world lies…between things in their intimate reality and things as confronted by other things.” However, dualism implies irreconcilable difference; what Harman points to is better expressed as a dyad, where the two components imply one another and interact. This article shows that systems theory has long asserted the fundamental character of Harman’s dyad, expressing it as the union of internal structure and external function, which correspond exactly to what Levi Bryant, characterizing Harman’s views, refers to as the intra-ontic and the inter-ontic, respectively. After interpreting Harman’s dyad in terms of the …

Malivhu: A Comprehensive Bioinformatics Resource For Filtering Sars And Mers Virus Proteins By Their Classification, Family And Species, And Prediction Of Their Interactions Against Human Proteins, David Guevara-Barrientos, Rakesh Kaundal

Computer Science Student Research

COVID 19 pandemic is still ongoing, having taken more than 6 million human lives with it, and it seems that the world will have to learn how to live with the virus around. In consequence, there is a need to develop different treatments against it, not only with vaccines, but also new medicines. To do this, human-virus protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play a key part in drug-target discovery, but finding them experimentally can be either costly or sometimes unreliable. Therefore, computational methods arose as a powerful alternative to predict these interactions, reducing costs and helping researchers confirm only certain interactions instead …

Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Metabolomics, And Artificial Intelligence To Interrogate The Metabolic Evolution Of Glioblastoma, Kang Lin Hsieh, Qing Chen, Travis C Salzillo, Jian Zhang, Xiaoqian Jiang, Pratip K Bhattacharya, Shyan Shams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant Grade VI cancer type with a median survival duration of only 8-16 months. Earlier detection of GBM could enable more effective treatment. Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HPMRS) could detect GBM earlier than conventional anatomical MRI in glioblastoma murine models. We further investigated whether artificial intelligence (A.I.) could detect GBM earlier than HPMRS. We developed a deep learning model that combines multiple modalities of cancer data to predict tumor progression, assess treatment effects, and to reconstruct in vivo metabolomic information from ex vivo data. Our model can detect GBM progression two weeks earlier than conventional MRIs …

Northern Fur Ssal Vibrissae Organochlorine Contaminant Concentrations, Dimitri Giarikos, Amy Hirons, Courtney White

SECLER Data

The eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on the Pribilof Islands has experienced population declines since 1980. The decline may be due to anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which bioaccumulate, are toxic, and persistent. This study conducted a comparison of 21 organochlorine (OC) and 39 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) analyte concentrations utilizing archived vibrissae (whiskers) from individual fur seals sampled in 1993 (n=30) and 2013 (n=41). The PBDEs had values five times greater than the legacy status OCs. There were no significant mean concentration differences between 1993 and 2013 for total organochlorines (ΣOCs), or total …

Northern Fur Seal Vibrissae Polybrominateddiphenylether Concentrations, Dimitri Giarikos, Amy Hirons, Courtney White

SECLER Data

The eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on the Pribilof Islands has experienced population declines since 1980. The decline may be due to anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which bioaccumulate, are toxic, and persistent. This study conducted a comparison of 21 organochlorine (OC) and 39 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) analyte concentrations utilizing archived vibrissae (whiskers) from individual fur seals sampled in 1993 (n=30) and 2013 (n=41). The PBDEs had values five times greater than the legacy status OCs. There were no significant mean concentration differences between 1993 and 2013 for total organochlorines (ΣOCs), or total …

Open-Source Forensics Tools Are Great Tools For Critical Used Machines, Erik Herrera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Open-Source software exists on everything from operating systems to daily productivity applications. In digital forensics, a very popular tool that is used to learn on and expand is Autopsy. Autopsy is known in the digital world due to its potential and wide usage. It is in many built packages of software inside the open-source world of applications. It is built into premade operating systems that are involved in Digital Forensics and Penetration Testing. Prebuilt OS includes Kali Linux and Computer Aided Investigative Environment (CAINE).

In the application to defend Open-Source software being just as good as closed-source software, I will …

Chinese Tallow Long-Term Impact On Stand Dynamics In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Following Vegetation Management, Nicklaus R. Langlois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an invasive tree known to have negative impacts on bottomland hardwood forests. Chinese tallow is proficient in reproducing and surviving in bottomland hardwood forests because it is more flood and shade tolerant than most native trees. The long-term effectiveness of Chinese tallow control is an important topic to research as only a few long-term studies of Chinese tallow control have been conducted. A 10-year re-measurement of 22 paired plots installed in 2012 on the Pineywoods Mitigation Bank near Diboll, Texas following herbicide treatments examined Chinese tallow and native tree stand structure. Each …

Questioning Reality: The Progressive Development Of Modern Physics, Joshua Lancman

STEM Month

Humanity has a tendency to divide time. The past is distinct from the present which is entirely separate from the future. In supposedly 20-20 vision history is neatly divided into different sections, distinct eras with sharp lines between them. What is present and in the future is always modern. What is past is something else with another name.

Yet time is not divided so neatly. We know this living through it: years and decades blend into one another in a non-uniform progression. To divide human history into separate eras is a necessary simplification, as it helps to ascribe order onto …

Revolutionizing Wild Silk Fibers: Ultrasound Enhances Structure, Properties, And Regenerability Of Protein Biomaterials In Ionic Liquids., Xincheng Zhuang, Haomiao Zhu, Fang Wang, Xiao Hu

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Ultrasound-assisted regulation of biomaterial properties has attracted increasing attention due to the unique reaction conditions induced by ultrasound cavitation. In this study, we explored the fabrication of wild tussah silk nanofiber membranes via ultrasound spray spinning from an ionic liquid system, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle, cytocompatibility tests, and enzymatic degradation studies. We investigated the effects of ultrasound propagation in an ionic liquid on the morphology, structure, thermal and mechanical properties, surface hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability …