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2016

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Concurrent Validity Of The Fitbit Flex Personal Activity Monitor And Actigraph Gt3x+ In Free-Living Setting, Nicklaus Alan Redenius Jan 2016

Concurrent Validity Of The Fitbit Flex Personal Activity Monitor And Actigraph Gt3x+ In Free-Living Setting, Nicklaus Alan Redenius

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

This study investigated the concurrent validity of two accelerometer-based physical activity (PA) monitors, the wrist-worn Fitbit Flex, and ActiGraph’s hip-worn GT3X+. Specifically, we examined the relationship, differences, and level of agreement between Fitbit and GT3X+ sedentary behavior (SED) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) estimates. Sixty-seven adults (mean age: 47.1 ± 14.1, female: 73.1%) from North Dakota State University wore the Fitbit and GT3X+, and logged any sleep and non-wear time, for seven consecutive days in free-living conditions. GT3X+ estimates were calculated using ActiGraph Freedson, Troiano, and Freedson’s VM3 cut-points. Fitbit estimates were calculated via Fitabase. Only data during waking hours where …

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Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning As Creative Problem Solving, Tr Colin, T Belpaeme, A Cangelosi, N Hemion Jan 2016

Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning As Creative Problem Solving, Tr Colin, T Belpaeme, A Cangelosi, N Hemion

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Although creativity is studied from philosophy to cognitive robotics, a definition has proven elusive. We argue for emphasizing the creative process (the cognition of the creative agent), rather than the creative product (the artifact or behavior). Owing to developments in experimental psychology, the process approach has become an increasingly attractive way of characterizing creative problem solving. In particular, the phenomenon of insight, in which an individual arrives at a solution through a sudden change in perspective, is a crucial component of the process of creativity. These developments resonate with advances in machine learning, in particular hierarchical and modular approaches, as …

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Material Type And Roughness Influence Structure Of Inter-Tidal Communities On Coastal Defenses, Eva Cacabelos, Gustavo M. Martins, Richard Thompson, Afonso C.L. Prestes, José Manuel N. Azevedo, Ana I. Neto Jan 2016

Material Type And Roughness Influence Structure Of Inter-Tidal Communities On Coastal Defenses, Eva Cacabelos, Gustavo M. Martins, Richard Thompson, Afonso C.L. Prestes, José Manuel N. Azevedo, Ana I. Neto

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

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A Core Curriculum For Sociology In Uk Undergraduate Medical Education, T Collett, L Brooks, S Forrest, J Harden, M Kelly, K Kendall, Stewart S Macbride, M Sbaiti, F Stevenson Jan 2016

A Core Curriculum For Sociology In Uk Undergraduate Medical Education, T Collett, L Brooks, S Forrest, J Harden, M Kelly, K Kendall, Stewart S Macbride, M Sbaiti, F Stevenson

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

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What’S On The Inside Counts: A Grounded Account Of Concept Acquisition And Development, S Thill, K Twomey Jan 2016

What’S On The Inside Counts: A Grounded Account Of Concept Acquisition And Development, S Thill, K Twomey

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Understanding the factors which affect the age of acquisition (AoA) of words and concepts is fundamental to understanding cognitive development more broadly. Traditionally, studies of AoA have taken two approaches, either exploring the effect of linguistic variables such as input frequency (e.g., Naigles and Hoff-Ginsberg, 1998) or the semantics of the underlying concept, such as concreteness or imageability (e.g., Bird et al., 2001). Embodied theories of cognition, meanwhile, assume that concepts, even relatively abstract ones, can be grounded in the embodied experience. While the focus of such discussions has been mainly on grounding in external modalities, more recently some have …

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Unearthing The Process Roots Of Environment Ethics: Whitehead, Leopold, And The Land Ethic, Brian G. Henning Jan 2016

Unearthing The Process Roots Of Environment Ethics: Whitehead, Leopold, And The Land Ethic, Brian G. Henning

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

The aim of this essay is twofold. First, I examine the role of Alfred North Whitehead and process thinkers in bringing about and shaping the field of environmental ethics. As we will see, our job is not so much to develop the connections between Whitehead and environmental thought as to recover them. Second, given this genealogical work, I invite process scholars to reconsider their generally hostile reception of Aldo Leopold and his land ethic. I suggest that a version of the land ethic grounded in a process axiology could make a significant contribution to contemporary environmental thought.

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From The Anthropocene To The Ecozoic: Philosophy And Global Climate Change, Brian G. Henning Jan 2016

From The Anthropocene To The Ecozoic: Philosophy And Global Climate Change, Brian G. Henning

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

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Animal Groups And Social Ontology: An Argument From The Phenomenology Of Behavior, Alejandro Arango Jan 2016

Animal Groups And Social Ontology: An Argument From The Phenomenology Of Behavior, Alejandro Arango

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

Through a critical engagement with Merleau-Ponty’s discussion of the concepts of nature, life, and behavior, and with contemporary accounts of animal groups, this article argues that animal groups exhibit sociality and that sociality is a fundamental ontological condition. I situate my account in relation to the superorganism and selfish individual accounts of animal groups in recent biology and zoology. I argue that both accounts are inadequate. I propose an alternative account of animal groups and animal sociality through a Merleau-Pontian inspired definition of behavior. I criticize Merleau-Ponty’s individualistic prejudice, but show that his philosophy contains the resources necessary to overcome …

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On The Origin Of Modern Horse Breeds From Four Distinct Subspecies Of Equus Caballus, Margaret Turkish Brady Jan 2016

On The Origin Of Modern Horse Breeds From Four Distinct Subspecies Of Equus Caballus, Margaret Turkish Brady

Biological Sciences

Although the evolution and domestication of the horse has been extensively studied, many mysteries remain. No other animal has been as influential on the development of human societies and cultures as the horse. Horses have been used for milk, meat transportation, riding, plowing, transportation of goods, and recreation. Over the course of the domestication of the horse, specific traits were selected for or against depending on the intended use of the animal. A variety of types of horses appeared in different regions of the world and it has been theorized that several indigenous subspecies of wild horses were used to …

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Cruel And Unusual: The Architecture Of Oppression, Cory Cwiak Jan 2016

Cruel And Unusual: The Architecture Of Oppression, Cory Cwiak

Architecture Theses

Currently over 2.4 million people are incarcerated in the state prison system in the United States. This figure is a result of dramatic spike in incarceration since 1980, in which the U.S. prison population has grown 800%. The U.S. prison population far out numbers every other country on a per capita basis. Today, 734 of each 100,000 Americans are behind bars. Within this population, two statistics stand out: 72% of prison inmates are incarcerated are there for non-violent offenses and 55% of the overall prison population is serving time for drug related charges. Decades of “get tough on crime” initiatives …

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Novel Synthetic Routes To Complex Amines: The Catalytic Hydroamination Of Alkynes And Hydroimination Of Allenes, Erik John Moran Jan 2016

Novel Synthetic Routes To Complex Amines: The Catalytic Hydroamination Of Alkynes And Hydroimination Of Allenes, Erik John Moran

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Amines are valuable targets for synthesis in contexts of both research and industrial applications. This work proposes two atom-economical methods—hydroamination (HAM) and hydroimination (HIM)—as C-N bond formation strategies. A nickel-(N-heterocyclic carbene) catalyst system was developed to carry out HAM of internal, unactivated alkynes with aryl amines and cyclic secondary amines. It was demonstrated that the Ni-NHC catalyst was capable of promoting both HAM at room temperature and transfer hydrogenation to produce α-branched aryl amines. These two procedures were performed by the same catalyst to demonstrate an elegant 1-pot, multi-transformation protocol. Separately, optimization of a Rh-HIM catalyst system for the combination …

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Structural Studies Of The Mechanism By Which Bcl-2 And Beclin Proteins Regulate Autophagy And Apoptosis, Minfei Su Jan 2016

Structural Studies Of The Mechanism By Which Bcl-2 And Beclin Proteins Regulate Autophagy And Apoptosis, Minfei Su

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Autophagy and apoptosis are catabolic pathways essential for homeostasis in all eukaryotes. While autophagy usually promotes cell-survival by enabling degradation and recycling of damaged macromolecules, apoptosis is the canonical programmed cell death pathway. Dysfunction of autophagy and apoptosis is implicated in diseases like cancers, cardiac disease, and infectious disease. Beclin homologs are key for autophagy as they are core components of class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase autophagosome nucleation and maturation complexes. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2s inhibit apoptosis through binding and antagonizing pro-apoptotic Bcl-2s. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2s also down-regulate autophagy by binding to the Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3D) of Beclin homologs, thereby enabling crosstalk …

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Phatic Communication Use In Employment Interviews: Predicted Outcome Value, Liking, Relational Closeness, And Communication Satisfaction, Jennifer Hanson Jan 2016

Phatic Communication Use In Employment Interviews: Predicted Outcome Value, Liking, Relational Closeness, And Communication Satisfaction, Jennifer Hanson

Communication

The purpose of this study was to examine phatic communication use in employment interviews and whether or not phatic communication use affects applicant perceptions of the interviewer. A lab experiment was conducted with three conditions: the absence of phatic communication, phatic communication, and phatic communication violation. Ninety-nine participants were interviewed and then they completed a survey that measured predicted outcome value, liking, relational closeness, and communication satisfaction. First, the current data revealed that when interviewers used some kind of phatic interaction, applicants rated the future relationship with the interviewer (i.e., predicted outcome value) positively; when phatic communication was absent, applicants …

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Romantic Relationships And Social Media Use: The Emergence And Management Of Relational Dialectics, Bethany Rose Lutovsky Jan 2016

Romantic Relationships And Social Media Use: The Emergence And Management Of Relational Dialectics, Bethany Rose Lutovsky

Communication

This study implements Baxter’s (1988) relational dialectic theory to determine how relational dialectics emerge and are managed when people in romantic relationships use social media. Eighteen participants who were in romantic relationships and used social media took part in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the framework analysis method. The participants in this study experienced both internal and external dialectics when sharing information about their relationship on social media and when sharing information about their social media use with their significant other. Revelation-concealment emerged as the dominant dialectic, as participants faced the inherent expectations of transparency …

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Surface Optimization Of Siloxane-Polyurethane Marine Coatings For Improved Fouling-Release Properties, Teluka Pasan Galhenage Jan 2016

Surface Optimization Of Siloxane-Polyurethane Marine Coatings For Improved Fouling-Release Properties, Teluka Pasan Galhenage

Coatings and Polymeric Materials

Biofouling has been an economically and environmentally costly problem to mankind ever since they set sail. Biofouling causes frictional drag leading to slow vessel speeds, and increased fuel costs. Antifouling (AF) coatings containing biocides have been used for decades, however, since some biocides have shown undesired effects towards the environment, a non-toxic solution to combat fouling is desired. Subsequently, fouling release (FR) coatings quickly gained acceptance as a non-toxic approach to contend with biofouling. Unlike AF coatings, FR coatings not necessarily prevent settlement of organisms, they permit weak adhesion which is easily released by water shear or light grooming. The …

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Classification Of Lidar Data Using Window-Based Techniques, Shuhang Li Jan 2016

Classification Of Lidar Data Using Window-Based Techniques, Shuhang Li

Computer Science

Given LiDAR maps, we focus on identifying anthropologically relevant ditches automatically on the map. Archeologists can identify these features visually at the site, but approaches based on remotely sensed data would be preferable. This paper proposes an algorithm that uses window-based technique to read the characteristics of each region from maps, whose ditches are already identified, regressively, and then builds histograms to represent the different characters of each region. A classification model is then built based on the histograms and used to predict future data. The goal is to produce a large training data set using window-based technology and use …

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Signature Extraction From E-Mails, Divya Muttineni Jan 2016

Signature Extraction From E-Mails, Divya Muttineni

Computer Science

Detecting user identity information from the email is one of the predominant exploring topics in data mining. One approach is to extract signature from the body of emails. Those names are usually suitable for representing the sender’s or recipient’s identity. To overcome the limitation, we proposed the novel approach to extract the signature of email sender and recipient from salutation and signature blocks and email bodies. After locating and extracting signature blocks from email bodies, we can identify the names in the salutation and signature lines, which can be directly associated with the corresponding email address in email headers and …

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Computing The Yield Per Acre For A Given Field Using Gis Capabilities, Sadhana Badu Jan 2016

Computing The Yield Per Acre For A Given Field Using Gis Capabilities, Sadhana Badu

Computer Science

Software tools and technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), are playing an important role in the field of agriculture. The capabilities of the open source GIS system GRASS are used to process LandSat imagery and calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), as a measure of biomass, for a given agricultural field at times before and after early harvest activity. Areas for which the NDVI value decreases substantially between two images are assumed to have been harvested during that time. Knowledge of the harvested area, in conjunction with the delivery records from American Crystal Sugar, allows computing the yield …

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Living Together In Student Accommodation: Performances, Boundaries And Homemaking, Mark Holton Jan 2016

Living Together In Student Accommodation: Performances, Boundaries And Homemaking, Mark Holton

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Recent discussions of the geographies of students have drawn attention to the trajectories of UK students electing to leave home for university. While such debates recognise these important mobilities, little has been discussed as to how students interact within their term‐time accommodation. Through a qualitative study of the living arrangements of UK students, this paper will demonstrate that much can be drawn from focusing on the micro‐geographies of non‐local students within their term‐time homes. Student accommodation is more than simply somewhere to live. Student homes are intensely dynamic places, perhaps more so than family homes as they contain multiple, disconnected …

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Pataphysical Prosthesis: Bringing The 3d Printing Industry From Detroit, Mi To The World, Carmen Johnson Jan 2016

Pataphysical Prosthesis: Bringing The 3d Printing Industry From Detroit, Mi To The World, Carmen Johnson

Architecture Theses

Modern architectural theory criticizes the use of computers in architectural design for producing cold, inhuman environments. How then should we use the fascinating technology at our fingertips if we are told that doing so will result in meaningless architecture? Historically, man has been driven to push technology forward. Technology plays a crucial role in the way that humans perceive and experience the world, and the innate calling to advance technology has become a construct of our identity as a species and a culture. However, we stand at risk to lose control of technology, and in doing so would lose a …

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2015 National Pork Retail Benchmarking Study, Laura Anne Bachmeier Jan 2016

2015 National Pork Retail Benchmarking Study, Laura Anne Bachmeier

Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to quantify pork quality variation in the retail self-serve meat case nationwide. Center-cut loin chops (CCLC) (n=3795) were analyzed in-store for subjective color and marbling scores (2.85 and 2.30). Means for enhanced (EN) and non-enhanced (NON) CCLC were: L* (54.46 vs. 55.99; P < 0.0001), pH (6.00 vs. 5.74; P < 0.0001), and Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) (20.43 vs. 25.99 N; P < 0.0001). Mean EN and NON sirloin chop values were: L* (53.74 vs. 52.51; P = 0.20), pH (6.00 vs. 5.89; P = 0.04), and WBSF (16.18 vs. 22.92 N; P < 0.0001). Mean EN and NON blade steak values were L* (45.81 vs. 45.96; P = 0.82), pH (6.42 vs. 6.28; P = 0.04), WBSF (15.74 vs. 19.42 N; P = 0.0005). Results indicate a large amount of variation exists in the pork retail self-serve meat case.

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Disengagement From Ideologically-Based And Violent Organizations: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Steven Windisch, Peter Simi, Gina Sott Ligon, Hillary Mcneel Jan 2016

Disengagement From Ideologically-Based And Violent Organizations: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Steven Windisch, Peter Simi, Gina Sott Ligon, Hillary Mcneel

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Research on disengagement from violent extremism is an emerging field of inquiry. As compared to the related field of radicalization, there have been fewer studies of disengagement. Further, little effort has been made to conduct a large scale, systematic review of what is currently known about disengagement from violent extremism. This type of meta-literature assessment can play an important role in terms of informing strategies and programs designed to facilitate exit. To help fill this gap, our project systematically examines the disengagement literature to determine the range and frequency of various exit factors identified in previous studies. We also rely …

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Gauging The Perceptions Of High School Students In Different Demographics On Environmental Education Topics, Kory Bonnell Jan 2016

Gauging The Perceptions Of High School Students In Different Demographics On Environmental Education Topics, Kory Bonnell

Natural Resources Management

Environmental education is a topic that has been promoted by advocates and researchers for more than three decades; however, a majority of public schools still fail to cover the fundamental basics of environmental education in their curriculum. This project seeks to understand how high school aged students (10th grade) understand three environmental concepts including: 1) recycling; 2) food production; and 3) concept of the natural environment, amongst the demographics of: 1) rural; 2) urban cluster; and 3) large metropolitan/inner city. Questionnaires were designed using the Likert Scale questions in order to quantify differing perceptions between rural, urban cluster, and large …

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An Insilico Design Of Nanoclay Based Nanocomposites And Scaffolds In Bone Tissue Engineering, Anurag Sharma Jan 2016

An Insilico Design Of Nanoclay Based Nanocomposites And Scaffolds In Bone Tissue Engineering, Anurag Sharma

Materials and Nanotechnology

A multiscale in silico approach to design polymer nanocomposites and scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications is described in this study. This study focuses on the role of biomaterials design and selection, structural integrity and mechanical properties evolution during degradation and tissue regeneration in the successful design of polymer nanocomposite scaffolds. Polymer nanocomposite scaffolds are synthesized using aminoacid modified montmorillonite nanoclay with biomineralized hydroxyapatite and polycaprolactone (PCL/in situ HAPclay). Representative molecular models of polymer nanocomposite system are systematically developed using molecular dynamics (MD) technique and successfully validated using material characterization techniques. The constant force steered molecular dynamics (fSMD) simulation results …

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Experience Needed: Recruitment Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Clients In Coamfte-Accredited Training Programs, William Osgood Pearson Jan 2016

Experience Needed: Recruitment Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Clients In Coamfte-Accredited Training Programs, William Osgood Pearson

Human Development and Family Science

This study explored the efforts that faculty at accredited Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) training programs made to recruit lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients, and to what extent these reflected the LGB-affirmative therapy training literature. The sample for this study included 63 faculty members from accredited CFT programs. The data for this study originated from a larger survey and included one Likert scaled item and one open-ended item focused on LGB client recruitment. The thematic analysis revealed five categories: (1) Fostering an LGBAffirmative Clinic Identity, (2) Marketing Efforts, (3) Networking and Collaborating, (4) Creating LGB-specific Training Opportunities and Programs, …

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An Insider Account Of Insider Witness Practices: Discovering My Chicana Identity, Ana Karen Huerta Lopez Jan 2016

An Insider Account Of Insider Witness Practices: Discovering My Chicana Identity, Ana Karen Huerta Lopez

Human Development and Family Science

This thesis is an autoethnographic study of my transformation as a result of being involved with Insider Witness Practices (IWP). By engaging in a multi-vocal dialogue with “Anita”, my Mexican self, and “Hyphen Ana”, my Chicana (my reclaimed Mexican-American identity) self, I give an insider account of my participation in IWP. My study was guided by the following questions: How does my own hyphenated identity as Mexican-American play a role in my intimate connection to narrative therapy? Do narrative therapy and my Mexican culture have shared dreams and beliefs about humanity? What would happen to my personal life and hopes …

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The Expansion Of Gender Roles In The Legend Of Zelda Series, Rachel Elyce Jones Jan 2016

The Expansion Of Gender Roles In The Legend Of Zelda Series, Rachel Elyce Jones

English

This study asked how the existing roles in video games may or may not change over time. The study used The Legend of Zelda series for a content analysis of the actions performed by all characters that appear in a segment of the game and all actions were recorded as data. The study used Judith Butler’s concept of gender being a performative act as a critical lens. Results showed that the possibilities for performing different character roles for male, female, and ungendered characters expanded across the study. The majority of females were found to be the Healer, Non-Profit Gifter and …

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Effectors And Effector Delivery In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Thakshayni Thevathasan Jan 2016

Effectors And Effector Delivery In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Thakshayni Thevathasan

Plant Pathology

Rice blast, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most destructive rice diseases. All plant parts can be affected including leaves, leaf collars, necks, panicles, pedicels, and seeds. The disease symptoms are caused in part by the effectors produced by Magnaporthe oryzae. Magnaporthe oryzae apoplastic effectors are secreted from invasive hyphae into the extracellular compartment through the conventional secretory pathway, Golgi complex to the plasma membrane, and are released into the apoplastic space. The biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC) appears to be the site of transfer of some of the cytoplasmic effectors into the host. Experimental results suggest …

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Oil-Based Food Extracts From Distillers Dried Grains, Joseph Michael Kallenbach Jan 2016

Oil-Based Food Extracts From Distillers Dried Grains, Joseph Michael Kallenbach

Plant Sciences

The goal of this project was to examine benefits of developing a DDGS-based extract for human food consumption. The antioxidant activity of extracts derived from corn and distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was determined. Adding 1% DDGS extract to chips significantly decreased peroxide value and hexanal content compared to the control and potentially lengthened the oxidation induction period. Supercritical carbon dioxide was successful in producing extracts with similar phytochemical content, but adding 0.05% extract to crackers did not significantly reduce oxidation, although the DDGS extract may have lengthened the induction period. Tocopherols and lutein significantly decreased during oxidation and …

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Civil Religion, Nativist Rhetoric, And The Origins Of Washington National Cathedral, Richard Benjamin Crosby Jan 2016

Civil Religion, Nativist Rhetoric, And The Origins Of Washington National Cathedral, Richard Benjamin Crosby

Faculty Publications

Set atop the highest point in the nation's capital, The Washington National Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world. It has become a central site for the high holy rituals of American civil religion, hosting presidential funerals, National Day of Prayer services, and the tombs of national luminaries. Drawing on archival research, this essay situates the cathedral within a history of religious competition and national tension. The essay concludes that the cathedral's roots lie largely in the fecund rhetorical soil of nineteenth-century nativism, the cultural prejudice that emerged in reaction to Roman Catholicism's remarkable growth during that period. …

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