Digital Commons Network^™

Constructing Credibility: Using Technoscience To Legitimate Strategies In Agrifood Governance, Carmen Bain, Elizabeth Ransom, Michelle R. Worosz

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept of governance to analyze the regulation of global agricultural and food systems. An important limitation of this approach is that it fails to explain how governance strategies are legitimated. Drawing on three diverse cases that span three continents, our paper examines how standards makers appeal to technoscientific norms and values to establish both credibility for their standards and their authority in constructing them. These cases explore the development and implementation of a standard requiring complete elimination of a tart cherry insect pest in the United States; the …

Technoscience In Agriculture: Reflections On The Contributions Of The Msu School Of Sociology Of Food And Agriculture, Keiko Tanaka, Arunsa Juska

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper argues that one of the most important contributions of the MSU School of Agrifood Governance and Technoscience (MSU-SAGT) was its focus on previously less explored and analyzed roles of technoscience in agriculture.The notion of technoscience was derived from the broader field of Science and Technology Studies, especially from Actor Network Theory.Studies conducted under Lawrence Busch’s direction conceptualized this notion to indicate networks/collectives of human and nonhuman actors implicated in production, distribution and consumption of food. While these studies analyzed the role of technoscience in transforming agriculture, they also examined ethical issues (e.g.,social justice and democracy)that arise from the …

Lamprey Watershed Education And Outreach, Lamprey River Watershed Association, Dawn Genes, Lamprey River Watershed Association. Lamprey River Nominating Committee

PREP Reports & Publications

The Lamprey River Nomination Committee sought the assistance of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) to complete an extensive and detailed information package to nominate the Lamprey River and its major tributaries to the NH Rivers Management and Protection Program. The nomination package was due at DES on June 1, 2010, was reviewed and accepted by the State Rivers Management Committee in September and forwarded to the Commissioner of DES. The nomination is now working through the NH legislature with hearings anticipated during the spring 2011 session. If passed, the bill should be signed by Governor Lynch in July of …

Science, Standards, And Power: New Food Safety Governance In California, Diana Stuart

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In 2006, an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with California spinach resulted in widespread illness across the United States. The magnitude of the outbreak and the resulting media attention demanded a change in the governance of leafy green produce. Drawing from more than 130 personal interviews, this paper critically examines how powerful players in the produce industry organized a strategic approach to governing leafy greens production in California. Networks are used to explore the evolution of new industry-led food safety standards and how they directly conflicted with and overpowered environmental agendas. This paper highlights serious concerns regarding participation and …

A Note On The Economy Of Qualities: Attributing Production Practices To Agricultural Practices, B. James Deaton, Lawrence Busch, Warren J. Samuels, Paul B. Thompson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Agricultural products are valued for many attributes including those that describe production practices. These production attributes are established through public and private efforts to promulgate standards and labels that differentiate products based on labor treatment, environmental impact, animal welfare, and other practices that occur during production. Organizations, like third-party certifiers, coordinate information and give credence to products in a way that enables consumers to differentiate products by production practices. Libertarian and utilitarian arguments may be used in the normative debate surrounding the appropriate role of government in sponsoring standards and labels that inform consumers about the modes of production.

The Michigan State University School Of Agrifood Governance And Technoscience: Democracy, Justice, And Sustainability In An Age Of Scientism, Marketism, And Statism, Jason Konefal, Maki Hatanaka

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In this article, we introduce the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Agrifood Governance and Technoscience. Centered on the work of Dr. Lawrence Busch, the MSU School examines how science, the market, and the state function in food and agriculture, and possibilities to make these institutions more democratic, equitable, and just. Research by the MSU School consists of four specific foci: (1) actor-network theory and commodity studies, (2) standards, (3) third-party certification and tripartite standards regimes, and (4) supermarkets and supply chain management. We review each of these areas and discuss how the research in each contributes to democratizing science, …

A Role For Ethical Analysis In Social Research On Agrifood And Environmental Standards, Kyle Powys White, Paul B. Thompson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Lawrence Busch claims that, although some philosophers may recognize the ethical import of standards, they do not endeavor to understand how people justify standards in social reality. The argument in this paper is that the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Agrifood Governance and Technoscience should actually be understood as fleshing out a more important role for ethicists. This argument is explored through an analysis of the MSU School’s research on standards, a reassessment of J.O. Urmson’s “On Grading,” and a review of major ethical theories, from utilitarianism to discourse ethics. The conclusion is that, though standards may be used …

Standards, Law, And Governance, Lawrence Busch

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The last several centuries have been marked first by a tendency toward the use of standards to standardize, and then by the use of standards to differentiate. Both have been built on the legal edifice of the state. More recently, in response to the rapid rise of neoliberalism, standardized differentiation has increased in scope and has become part of a larger Tripartite Standards Regime (TSR) consisting of standards, certifications, and accreditations. Over the last half century, the TSR has grown to cover nearly every aspect of social life. In many ways this new form of governance replaces and transmutes positive …

Cooperative Nrda & New Governance: Getting To Restoration In The Hudson River, The Gulf Of Mexico, And Beyond, Michael B. Runnels, Andrea Giampetro-Meyer

Brooklyn Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ultrasound Assessment Of Primary Pyomyositis In A Man With Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes: A Casereport, Ya-Chen Lee, Ya-Wen Tu, Wei-Ting Wu, Shao-Li Han

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

A 38-year-old man with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus complained of a mild painful swelling over the right posterior thigh that had been present for 3 days. He was initially diagnosed as having a right hamstring strain. After a 7-day treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the symptoms progressed to a prominent painful swelling over the right posterior thigh. Leukocytosis and high inflammation indices were noted. The ultrasonography of the right posterior thigh showed an ill-defined heteroechoic lesion surrounded by an irregularly thick hyperechoic and hypervascular wall in the muscle layer. The diagnosis was pyomyositis of the right biceps femoris muscle, …

The Effects Of Cabotage Regime On Indigenous Shipping In Nigeria, Ganiyu Babatunde. Bello-Olowookere

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Acetate Causes Alcohol Hangover Headache In Rats, Christina R. Maxwell, Rebecca Jay Spangenberg, Jan B. Hoek, Stephen D. Silberstein, Michael L. Oshinsky

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Background

The mechanism of veisalgia cephalgia or hangover headache is unknown. Despite a lack of mechanistic studies, there are a number of theories positing congeners, dehydration, or the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde as causes of hangover headache.

Methods

We used a chronic headache model to examine how pure ethanol produces increased sensitivity for nociceptive behaviors in normally hydrated rats.

Results

Ethanol initially decreased sensitivity to mechanical stimuli on the face (analgesia), followed 4 to 6 hours later by inflammatory pain. Inhibiting alcohol dehydrogenase extended the analgesia whereas inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase decreased analgesia. Neither treatment had nociceptive effects. Direct administration of acetate …

Enhancement Of Reactive Oxygen Species Production And Chlamydial Infection By The Mitochondrial Nod-Like Family Member Nlrx1, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, Najwene Saïd-Sadier, Verissa M. Lam, Bhavni Singh, Matthew A. Pettengill, Fraser Soares, Ivan Tattoli, Simone Lipinski, Stephen E. Girardin, Philip Rosenstiel, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Chlamydia trachomatis infections cause severe and irreversible damage that can lead to infertility and blindness in both males and females. Following infection of epithelial cells, Chlamydia induces production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Unconventionally, Chlamydiae use ROS to their advantage by activating caspase-1, which contributes to chlamydial growth. NLRX1, a member of the Nod-like receptor family that translocates to the mitochondria, can augment ROS production from the mitochondria following Shigella flexneri infections. However, in general, ROS can also be produced by membrane-bound NADPH oxidases. Given the importance of ROS-induced caspase-1 activation in growth of the chlamydial vacuole, we investigated the …

Effects Of Mulching, Fertilizer, Seeding And Seedling Treatments On Plant Species Recovery In Kondoa Irangi Hills, Tanzania, H. V. M. Lyaruu

Tanzania Journal of Science

Fertilization, mulching, imported seed bank seeding and seedlings were applied to triplicates of 1m x1m plots at Chakwe and Gubali sites in Kondoa Irangi Hills, Tanzania. Responses tested were seedling recruitment, species turnover, species’ biomass, mortality of seedlings, total number of perennial and woody species recruited and leguminous species. There were high significant correlations of 0.85 and 0.87 between seedling recruitment and mortality in both sites, indicating that other factors, probably aridity, rather than prevailing site conditions were likely to be important determinants of mortality. Inorganic fertilization was not an efficient means of improving short-term productivity, seedling recruitment or increased …

Geomorphological Potential Of Coelacanth Habitat Across Mozambique-Tanzania Border, N. Nyandwi

Tanzania Journal of Science

The coelacanth is a new fish in Tanzania. It was first discovered in September 2003 after it was spotted by a tourist in a fish market. It was caught by fishermen in the deep waters off Songo Mnara Island offshore of Kilwa Masoko Town in Southern Tanzania. The find potentially added southern Tanzania to the list of known coelacanth areas of the southern Western Indian Ocean Region. Observed current conditions indicate that the waters are swept by strong (2 m/sec) northward flowing current. This suggests that there must exist hideouts for the fish, such as caves in canyons and overhangs. …

Revegetating Burned Arid Lands: Identifying Successful Native Species Using Trait And Competition Analysis: Final Report, Scott R. Abella

Fire Science

Species selection can make the difference between successful revegetation projects and costly failures. Candidate native species for revegetating burned arid lands in the southwestern United States must meet at least two criteria. These species must: (1) be competitive in postfire environments typically dominated by exotic grasses, and (2) be able to become established reliably by seeding or planting. In response to Manager’s Request Task 3 (reestablishment of native vegetation after fires on arid lands) in the 2006 JFS announcement for proposals, this research tackled the problem of selecting native species with the greatest chance of revegetation success by conducting synergistic …

Due Diligence And Demographic Disparities: Effects Of The Planning Of U.S.- Mexico Border Fence On Marginalized Populations, J. Gaines Wilson, Jude A. Benavides, Karen Engle, Denise Gilman, Anthony Reisinger, Jessica Spangler, Joe Lemen

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In the buildup to the construction the U.S.-Mexico border fence by the United States Department of Homeland Security (USDHS), much attention was drawn to security, drug enforcement, and immigration issues. However, there was little quantitative analysis regarding which populations were most likely to be affected by the proposed fence. Using a geographic information system, we classified census blocks in Cameron County, Texas into one of two categories: either ‘fence’ or ‘gap’. A total of 14 demographic factors were tested for disparities between those living in gap areas and those living in areas exposed to the fence. Twelve of fourteen factors …

Bendera Macan Ali Koleksi Museum Tekstil Jakarta, Tawalinuddin Haris

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The Textile Museum of Jakarta in Tanah Abang preserves a ragged animal calligraphy embroidered in indigo banner framed in white silk cloth of the Cirebon Sultanate made in 1797. The old bunting has three pictures of “Ali” Tiger painted in Arabic letters, a double-edged Sword of Zulfakar, four magical square boxes decorated with Arabic inscription, and Arabic letters quoted from the Quran on five-cornered stars. The paper describes the significance of the regalia: it does not only function as the symbol of sovereignty of the Cirebon Sultanate, but it also has a magical power to protect the kingdom.

Evaluation Of Common Inherited Variants In Mitochondrial-Related And Microrna-Related Genes As Novel Risk Factors For Ovarian Cancer, Jennifer Permuth Wey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in the United States, and the etiology is incompletely understood. Common, low penetrant genetic variants such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) likely contribute to a significant proportion of EOC. We examined whether SNPs in two understudied yet biologically important types of genes, mitochondrial-related and miRNA-related genes, may contribute to EOC susceptibility using data from a large, homogeneous study population of 1,815 EOC cases and 1,900 controls (frequency-matched on age-group and race/ethnicity) genotyped through stage 1 of an ongoing genome-wide association study. Inter-individual variation in genes involved …

Epidemiological Study Of Contributing Factors In The Development Of Peptic Ulcer And Gastric Cancer Initiated By Helicobacter Pylori Infection In India, Rahul Suresh Mhaskar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a significant risk factor for peptic ulcer (PU) and gastric cancer (GC). Apart from the virulent CagA genotype of H. pylori environmental and dietary factors influence disease outcomes. There have been no studies addressing these factors in Western India. Hence, we conducted a case control study enrolling PU, GC patients and controls at Pune, India.

Methods: Risk factors for PU and H. pylori infection were assessed in participant interview. H. pylori status was assessed from stool by monoclonal antigen detection. To understand treatment effect, we followed 100 H. pylori positive patients.

Results: We …

Dna Methylation And Its Association With Prenatal Exposures And Pregnancy Outcomes, Jennifer Straughen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Altered DNA methylation may lead to suboptimal fetal programming, increasing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as small for gestational age (SGA); however, few studies have examined the associations between DNA methylation, prenatal exposures, and fetal outcomes. Cross-sectional data from a larger, ongoing study were used to assess the impact of prenatal smoking on gene specific methylation of umbilical cord blood derived DNA and to investigate the association between gene-specific methylation and risk of SGA. The association between gene-specific DNA methylation and birthweight was also assessed. Maternal and infant covariates were abstracted from medical records, cigarette smoke exposure was …

Aspects Of The Life History Of The Snowy Grouper, Epinephelus Niveatus, In The Gulf Of Mexico, Kelley Kowal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge of many life history parameters are essential to properly assess and manage fish species. Although the snowy grouper, Epinephelus niveatus, is a commercially valuable fish, which is harvested throughout the Gulf of Mexico, little is known about its age, growth, and reproduction from this region. In this study, snowy grouper from the northern and eastern regions of the Gulf of Mexico were examined primarily using commercially-derived samples that were collected between 1984 and 2004. A total of 1,200 snowy grouper with fork lengths between 242 and 1,190 mm were collected. Sectioned saggital otoliths were used to determine the age …

Discovery Of Novel Viruses From Animals, Plants, And Insect Vectors Using Viral Metagenomics, Terry Fei Fan Ng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding emerging viruses is critical for disease monitoring and prediction; however, surveys of novel viruses are hindered by the lack of a universal assay for viruses. Viral metagenomics, consisting of viral particle purification and shotgun sequencing, is a powerful technique for discovering viruses in a wide variety of sample types. However, current protocols are not effective on tissue samples (e.g., lungs, livers and tumors), where they are hindered by the high amount of host nucleic acids which limits the percentage of sequences that originate from viruses. In this dissertation, a modified viral metagenomics protocol was developed and utilized to effectively …

The Introduction Of Alien Aquatic Species By Ships In The Arctic : The Role Of The Polar Code And Other International Legal Instruments, Anne Bouyssou

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analytical Review Of Market-Based Measures For Reducing Marine Ghg Emissions And The Impacts On The Chinese Shipping Sector, Jian Zhao

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Creation Of A Global Ship Recycling Fund In The Framework Of The Hong Kong International Convention For The Safe And Environmentally Sound Recycling Of Ships, 2009, Gopal Krishna Choudhary

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spatial Distribution Of Calcium-Gated Chloride Channels In Olfactory Cilia, Donald A. French, Dorjsuren Badamdorj, Steven J. Kleene

Mathematical Sciences Faculty Research

Background

In vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons, sensory cilia transduce odor stimuli into changes in neuronal membrane potential. The voltage changes are primarily caused by the sequential openings of two types of channel: a cyclic-nucleotide-gated (CNG) cationic channel and a calcium-gated chloride channel. In frog, the cilia are 25 to 200 µm in length, so the spatial distributions of the channels may be an important determinant of odor sensitivity.

Principal Findings

To determine the spatial distribution of the chloride channels, we recorded from single cilia as calcium was allowed to diffuse down the length of the cilium and activate the channels. …

Global Patterns And Predictions Of Seafloor Biomass Using Random Forests, Chih-Lin Wei, Gilbert T. Rowe, Elva Escobar-Briones, Antje Boetius, Thomas Soltwedel, M. Julian Caley, Yousria Soliman, Falk Huettmann, Fangyuan Qu, Zishan Yu, C. Roland Pitcher, Richard L. Haedrich, Mary K. Wicksten, Michael A. Rex, Jeffrey G. Baguley, Jyotsna Sharma, Roberto Danovaro, Ian R. Macdonald, Clifton C. Nunnally, Jody W. Deming, Paul Montagna, Mélanie Lévesque, Jan Marcin Weslawski, Maria Wlodarska-Kowalczuk, Baban S. Ingole, Brian J. Bett, David S. M. Billett, Andrew Yool, Bodil A. Bluhm, Katrin Iken, Bhavani E. Narayanaswamy

Biology Faculty Publication Series

A comprehensive seafloor biomass and abundance database has been constructed from 24 oceanographic institutions worldwide within the Census of Marine Life (CoML) field projects. The machine-learning algorithm, Random Forests, was employed to model and predict seafloor standing stocks from surface primary production, water-column integrated and export particulate organic matter (POM), seafloor relief, and bottom water properties. The predictive models explain 63% to 88% of stock variance among the major size groups. Individual and composite maps of predicted global seafloor biomass and abundance are generated for bacteria, meiofauna, macrofauna, and megafauna (invertebrates and fishes). Patterns of benthic standing stocks were positive …

Oregon Aspen Project, Forest Restoration Partnership

Aspen Bibliography

The Oregon Aspen Project was initiated in response to the decline of aspen groves in Oregon and throughout the Western United States, and the lack of information to guide managers interested in stewardship to enhance this resource. There were three central goals and accompanying objectives for this project which are listed below. The project accomplishments are provided below each bulleted objective

A Multicriteria Based Quantitative Framework For Assessing Sustainability Of Pile Foundations, Aditi Misra

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Civil Engineering is the major instrument of anthropocentric development over centuries through ever expanding infrastructure, cities and facilities.  Civil engineering processes are both resource and fuel intensive.  The building industry alone, during the construction stage, uses about 30-40% of the total resources used in the industrialized countries.  There is a growing consensus that delivering a sustainable built environment starts with incorporating sustainability thoughts at the planning and design stages of a project.  Geotechnical engineering is most resource intensive although this intensive consumption of energy goes unnoticed mainly because of the indirect nature of the energy used in the …