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Pre-Sowing Treatments Improve Germinability Of South Texas Native Plant Seeds, Kaitlynn Lavallee, Pushpa Soti, Hansapani Rodrigo, Rupesh R. Kariyat, Alexis Racelis

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The incorporation of native plant species is central to restoration efforts, but this is often limited by both the availability of seeds and the relatively low viability and germination rates of commercially available seeds. Although pre-sowing treatments are commonly used to improve germination rates of seeds, the efficacy of these treatments is found to vary across species. In this study, we tested how four pre-sow treatments (physical scarification, acid scarification, cold stratification, and aerated hydropriming) affected the viability and seed germination rates of 12 commercially available plant species native to south Texas and commonly used in restoration efforts. Our results …

A Novel Algorithm Using Cell Population Data (Vcs Parameters) As A Screening Discriminant Between Alpha And Beta Thalassemia Traits, Angeli Ambayya, Santina Sahibon, Thoo Wei Yang, Qian-Yun Zhang, Rosline Hassan, Jameela Sathar

Pathology Research and Scholarship

Thalassemia is one of the major inherited haematological disorders in the Southeast Asia region. This study explored the potential utility of red blood cell (RBC) parameters and reticulocyte cell population data (CPD) parameters in the differential diagnosis of α and β-thalassaemia traits as a rapid and cost-effective tool for screening of thalassemia traits. In this study, a total of 1597 subjects (1394 apparently healthy subjects, 155 subjects with α-thalassaemia trait, and 48 subjects with β-thalassaemia trait) were accrued. The parameters studied were the RBC parameters and reticulocyte CPD parameters derived from Unicel DxH800. A novel algorithm named αβ-algorithm was developed: …

Investigating Threshold Concept And Troublesome Knowledge In Cyber Security, Ievgeniia Kuzminykh, Bogdan Ghita, Hannan Xiao, Maryna Yevdokymenko, Oleksandra Yeremenko

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Peer-Led Team Learning In Mathematics: An Effort To Address Diversity And Inclusion Through Learning And Leadership, Janet Liou-Mark, Melanie L. Villatoro, Ariane Masuda, Malika Ikramova, Farjana Shati, Julia Rivera, Victor Lee

Publications and Research

The Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) model has shown to be an effective instructional method to support females, underrepresented minorities, and first-generation students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The collaborative problem-solving setting, led by a peer leader, fosters learning that engages all the students. There are six critical components that are vital to the PLTL model: 1) The PLTL Workshop is integral to the course; 2) Faculty is actively involved; 3) Peer Leaders are well trained; 4) The PLTL Workshop modules are challenging; 5) PLTL workshops are allocated time and space; and 6) There is institutional support. City Tech …

Urine Calcium But Not Plasma Calcium Or Urine Hydroxyproline Is Increased By A Systemic Acidosis In The Dairy Cow, J. R. Roche, Dawn E. Dalley, F. O’Mara, E. S. Kolver

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Eight non-lactating, pregnant Holstein-Friesian cows were allocated to two treatments and individually offered diets differing in dietary cation-anion difference. Decreasing the dietary cation-anion difference reduced the urine pH within hours of anionic salt supplementation. Plasma calcium concentration was unaffected by dietary cation-anion difference but urine calcium concentration was significantly increased within 10 days of including anionic salts in the diet. Faecal calcium concentration was significantly reduced, indicating increased calcium absorption. Dietary calcium concentration or dietary cationanion difference did not significantly affect urinary hydroxyproline.

Dry Matter Intake Of Periparturient Cows On A Fresh Pasture/Pasture-Hay Diet, J. R. Roche, Dawn E. Dalley, F. O’Mara, E. S. Kolver

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Reports of the depression in dry matter intake in the periparturient period have been inconsistent and little dry matter intake data is available for an all-forage diet prior to calving. Data to examine intake depression prior to calving was obtained from two experiments. In experiment 1, sixteen non-lactating, periparturient cows ate 1.3% of pre-calving body weight of grass-hay and freshly cut grass for two weeks pre-calving (restricted). Experiment 2 comprised thiry-six cows that ate 1.6% of pre-calving body weight of grass-hay and freshly cut grass for the final two weeks of pregnancy (ad libitum). Individual dry matter intakes …

Effectt Of Supplements On Forage Degradability Of Brachiaria Brizantha Cv. Marandu Grazed By Steers, J. R. A. Pereira, Ricardo A. Reis, L. R. De A. Rodrigues, D. Freitas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The supplementation effect was evaluated using crossbred rumen-fistulated steers maintained in a Brachiaria brizantha cv. marandu pasture. The animals received energy supplementation (corn-COR); low degradability protein supplementation (corn gluten-GLU); and high degradability protein supplementation (soybean-SBM) at two levels N1 (± 0.5 kg/an/day) and N2 (± 1.5 kg/an/day); or no supplementation (Control). The factorial (3x2), plus the control, was studied according to complete randomized block design with three replications. The supplementation did not affect (P> 0.05) the potential degradability (POD), the effective degradability (EFD), and the degradation rates (DR) of the forage (extrusa). The GLU supplementation provided higher (P< 0.05) EFD of the NIDN fraction than the SBM, and both did not differ (P> 0.05) of …

Use Of Supplements For Increasing Performances Of Suckling Martinik Ewes When Fed Tropical Forages, E. O. Jimenez, G. Alexandre, H. Archimède, P. Despois, M. Jean-Bart, C. Jacquet

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Experiments have been carried out to determine the effects of supplementation upon milk production and growing performances with hair sheep Martinik ewes weighing 48 ± 4 kg liveweight (LW). In a first trial, 6 single bearing ewes (group GS) were offered individually a daily 0.5 kg of commercial pellets. They were compared to the control group (GN; 6 ewes) with no supplement during 10 weeks of lactation. Basal diet was chopped Digitaria decumbens grass ad libitum. In a second trial, level of supplementation was adapted to the ewes’ litter size: 6 twins bearing ewes (TW) and 6 single (SI). …

Low Impact Sampling Of Speleothems – Reconciling Scientific Study With Cave Conservation, Claire L.V. Macgregor, John C. Hellstrom, Jon D. Woodhead, Russell N. Drysdale, Rolan S. Eberhard

International Journal of Speleology

Speleothems are increasingly valued as important paleoclimate archives and yet the removal of samples from caves can come at a cost to natural heritage, impacting delicate environments with limited mechanisms for repair. Conservation of cave environments is a key responsibility for scientists and, with this in mind, we are working to develop and implement techniques that allow us to extract valuable scientific data, with minimal impact. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of low-impact reconnaissance dating surveys on caves in southern Tasmania and southwest Western Australia as a precursor to the removal of stalagmites for paleoclimate reconstruction. Small flakes …

Physiological, Musculoskeletal & Anthropometric Characteristics & Performance Between Competitive & Recreational Surfers: A Scoping Review, Harrison Stone, Lucy Douglas, James Furness, Kevin Kemp-Smith, Mike Climstein, Sean Newcomer

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(6): 1277-1293, 2021. Surfing is the ability to ride a surfboard along the unbroken section, wall or face of a wave, as it moves closer towards the shore. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the physiological, musculoskeletal and anthropometric characteristics that can differentiate between paddling and wave riding performance in competitive and recreational surfing populations. The eligibility criteria for this scoping review included articles that distinguished between multiple surfing ability groups, identified physiological, musculoskeletal or anthropometric characteristics, were peer reviewed, and directly related to the sport of surfing. The databases …

Contributions Of Muslim Mechanical Engineers In Modern Automata (In The Light Of Kitāb Al-Ḥiyal Of Al- Ǧazarī) A Descriptive And Analytical Study, Dr.Boussy Muhammad Zidan

Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists

(En)

Were the Muslims in ancient times highly proficient in mechanical engineering? Did they have a head start over the West in this field? Unfortunately, it is noticeable nowadays that Arabs and Muslims all over the world became just consumers; exploiting all technological developments of the West that are rapidly growing. Here we had to wonder whether the Arab Muslims, long ago, was in this manner. This research hypothesizes that Muslims had attained an advanced level of mechanical engineering and were the inventors of the self-moving artifacts; recently known as automata. Accordingly, this research has undertaken the mission to prove …

The Danov Archive, Victor Fet, Alexander Kogan

Open Access Books

This memorial volume compiles materials about Rostislav Dаnov (1941—1993) of St. Petersburg (Russia), a naturalist, artist, and snake-hunter, who worked for many years in Turkmenistan (West Kopetgagh Mts). The book celebrates Dаnov’s 80th birthday. It includes previously unpublished artwork and scientific illustrations by Dаnov as well as his texts, research papers, various memoirs, biographic information, and unique photographs. The book is intended for everyone who is interested in history of science and conservation in Central Asia and the USSR.

Фет В, Коган А, составители. Дановcкий архив. Библиотека Университета Маршалла, Хантингтон, Западная Виргиния, 2021. 494 с. Этот том содержит материалы о …

Some Nonparametric Hybrid Predictive Models : Asymptotic Properties And Applications., Tanujit Chakraborty Dr.

Doctoral Theses

Prediction problems like classification, regression, and time series forecasting have always attracted both the statisticians and computer scientists worldwide to take up the challenges of data science and implementation of complicated models using modern computing facilities. But most traditional statistical and machine learning models assume the available data to be well-behaved in terms of the presence of a full set of essential features, equal size of classes, and stationary data structures in all data instances, etc. Practical data sets from the domain of business analytics, process and quality control, software reliability, and macroeconomics, to name a few, suffer from various …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Pyridine-Based Diimide Ligands And Metal Phosphonate Coordination Polymers, Juan L. Pinedo

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Coordination polymers have been a topic of interest because of the large variety of applications these materials have. in particular Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have been researched due to their porosity and simple synthetic pathways. Structurally a MOF is composed of one or more organic ligands serving as the backbone of the structure. These ligands are complexed with metal ions coordinating into the desired structure. It is this structure that gives way to a variable porosity useful for proton conductivity and material transport. By varying backbone size a framework can be customized for use in specific conditions. This is due not …

Identification Of Needs Of Community Schools Of Kavre, Nepal For Educational Improvement, Roshani Rajbanshi, Parbati Dhungana, Bal Luitel

The Qualitative Report

Needs assessment is a method to find out the current needs of the school that can be considered for providing quality education to the students. This paper presents the needs of five community schools intending to bring changes in the school community. Thus, this paper aims to identify the needs of the five community schools of Kavre, Nepal, and recommend possible interventions. In-depth interviews, observations, and focus group discussions with different stakeholders provided rich data for this study. School-specific needs were identified from the data based on which recommendations are made for intervention, which are: Teacher professional development, contextualized curriculum, …

Guidance For Management Of Free-Roaming Community Cats: A Bioeconomic Analysis, Valeria A. Benka, John D. Boone, Philip S. Miller, Joyce R. Briggs, Aaron M. Anderson, Christopher Slootmaker, Margaret Slater, Julie K. Levy, Felicia B. Nutter, Stephen Zawistowski

Publications and Research

Objectives This study used computer simulation modeling to estimate and compare costs of different free-roaming cat (FRC) management options (lethal and non-lethal removal, trap–neuter–return, combinations of these options and no action) and their ability to reduce FRC population abundance in open demographic settings. The findings provide a resource for selecting management approaches that are well matched for specific communities, goals and timelines, and they represent use of best available science to address FRC issues.

Methods Multiple FRC management approaches were simulated at varying intensities using a stochastic individual- based model in the software package Vortex. Itemized costs were obtained from …

Digital Rights Management (Drm) In The Libraries Of Digital-Era: Concepts, Ipr Issues & Concerns Of Lis Community, Subhajit Panda

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

A rapid shifting perceived from traditional content to digital media due to increasing advantages in every step of the information life cycle: create, collect, organize, store, access, deliver & use. Along with the advantages, digital content transactions are more likely prone to effects through IPR issues. Copyright and intellectual property rights (IPR) have been established and extended over hundreds of years, but implementing the same in the digital environment faces huge challenges. This article started by introducing digital rights & digital rights management (DRM), its architectural framework & techniques, and associated IPR issues. The perception of the LIS community about …

Performance Of Dairy Goats To Alfalfa Silage Based Diets Supplemented With Different Sources Of Carbohydrates, J. L. Danelón, P. Allocati, M. Wawrzkiewicz, S. Bedogne, E. Ceballos, M. D’Alessio, L. Barletta, C. Colatto, D. Victoria

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lactating Saanen dairy goats fed alfalfa silage (AS) based diets in four 4x4 Latin Square designed experiment were studied for the effects of supplementation of three different type of carbohydrates (wheat grain, (W); sorghum grain, (SG) and dry citrus pulp, (DCP)) on milk yield, composition and chewing activities. Sixteen does (45± 10 DIM and 2.016 kg ± 0.48 4% FCM) housed indoors in individual pens in a four 4x4 experiment were fed four diets 1) AS (33.9%DM, 19.9%CP, 44.01%NDF); 2) ASW (52.4%DM, 19.8%CP, 33.7%NDF); 3) ASSG (50.9%DM, 17.9%CP, 37%NDF), 4) ASDCP (52.5%DM, 16.12%CP, 39.1%NDF) with forage-to-concentrate ratios of 100:0 or …

Integrating Pastures Into The Traditional Slash-And-Burn Cycle In Northeastern Pará, Brazil, S. Hohnwald, B. Rischkowsky, R. Schultze-Kraft, J. M. King, A. P. Camarão

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A project to test possibilities to integrate pastures into the traditional slash-and-burn cycle of small farmers in the Bragantina region in northeastern Pará, Brazil, is presented. Whereas in practice the traditional grass-only pasture is managed separately from the crop/fallow cycle, two options for integration are tested: a Brachiaria humidicola pasture enriched with two bushy and one herbaceous legume, Cratylia argentea, Chamaecrista rotundifolia and Arachis pintoi, and a B. humidicola pasture allowing a controlled regrowth of secondary vegetation ("Capoeira"). The regeneration performance of these pastures for a subsequent cropping period is compared with plots of undisturbed regrowth of Capoeira …

Mineral Concentration Of Herbage From Three Paulownia Species Used For Goat Browse, J-M. Luginbuhl, J. P. Mueller, B. A. Bergmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Goats naturally prefer a high proportion of browse in their diets. Therefore, research was initiated to investigate various silvo-pastoral production systems. In May 1997, six Paulownia treatments were planted in a randomized complete block experiment with six replications. Trees were between 6 and 12 cm in height at planting. Treatments included: P. fortunei seedlings, P. tomentosa seedlings, P. elongata seedlings, and three P. elongata clones. Each 4-m wide plot contained a single row of 12 trees with an intra-row spacing of 1 m. Leaf samples were analyzed from all six replications to determine mineral concentration in October 1997, and June …

Relationship Between Canopy Closure And Pasture Production In Deciduous Tree Based Temperate Silvopastoral Systems, N. R. Devkota, A. J. Wall, Peter D. Kemp, J. Hodgson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Experiments were carried out in New Zealand with 11 year-old alder (Alnus chordata) on lowland pasture, and with 30+ year-old poplar (Populus spp) on hill pasture. Alder tree shade decreased (P< 0.001) tiller density and total herbage harvested, with the highest tiller density at the lowest shade level of 41% canopy closure (DifN 0.59). Net herbage accumulation (NHA) directly under a poplar canopy was 35% of the NHA of open pasture, but NHA in canopy gaps increased with gap size. These results suggested that keeping canopy closure percentage in the 40-50% range for a deciduous tree silvopastoral system, would maintain pasture production and tiller density at approximately two-thirds of that of unshaded pasture.

Annual Dry Matter And Nutrient Yields In A Dichanthium Sward With Or Without Gliricidia Shrubs, P. Cruz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of this work was to compare the annual biomass production and nutrient removal of a Dichanthium aristatum pasture with those of a pasture of the same species associated with a leguminous tree, Gliricidia sepium. Measurements were made over twelve months between April 1993 and April 1994. Sampling was done with the same defoliation frequency as an intensive cut-and-carry system: every 4 and 10 weeks for the grassland and tree layers respectively. There was no significant difference between the yield of the pure grass (21.6 ± 2.0 t ha^-1) and that of the grass with trees …

Accumulation Of Mutated Maize Zeins In Transgenic Forage Legumes, Sergio Arcioni, A. Alpini, M. Bellucci

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Accumulation of zeins, the endosperm storage proteins of maize, in a heterologous plant expression system was attempted. Plants of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) were transformed by Agrobacterium with binary vectors harboring genes that code for γ-zein and β-zein, two proteins rich in sulphur amino acids. Adding the ER retention signal KDEL to the C-terminal domain modified zein polypeptides. Our long-term goal was to improve birdsfoot trefoil and alfalfa forage quality. Significant levels of γ- zein:KDEL and β-zein:KDEL were detected in primary transformants of birdsfoot trefoil. Moreover, alfalfa plants expressing γ-zein:KDEL in the …

A Meshless Method With Radial Basis Function For Solving Unsaturated Flow In Heterogeneous Porous Media, Cheng-Yu Ku, Chih-Yu Liu, Wei-Po Huang, Jing-En Xiao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper presents a study for solving unsaturated flow in heterogeneous porous media using the meshless method with the radial basis function (RBF). For modeling the nonlinear hydrological process in unsaturated zone, an exponential model is introduced in the Richards equation such that we may obtain the linearized Richards equation. We adopt the multiquadric function as the RBF in the meshless method for solving the linearized Richards equation. For simulating the unsaturated flow problems in layered heterogeneous soils, the flux and the head must satisfy the continuity condition at the interface. Several examples are carried out for modeling the hydrological …

Dioxins Contamination In Sediment And Their Effect On Accumulation In The Portuguese Oyster (Crassostrea Angulata) And White Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei), Yin-Yu Chen, Yu-Sheng Wu, Hsiang-Yin Chen, Zhen-Hao Liau, Fan-Hua Nan

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This research aims to realize whether the dioxin accumulation in the oyster and white shrimp which were cultured in the dioxin pollutant sediment. This presented evidence indicated that dioxin was detected in all experimental groups with high concentration accumulated in experiment animals. Observation of the concentration, the PCDD/F, 2,3,7,8-T4CDD was with high concentration in the sediment and declined with the time elapsed. Detection of the dioxin accumulated in the animal, the accumulative maximum amounts was in the oyster as 3746.16 (pg-TEQ/g d.w.) and in the shrimp as 705.44 (pg-TEQ/g d.w.). The detected amount of dioxin in the supernatant was quite …

Catch Rates And Distribution Pattern Of The Silky Shark, Carcharhinus Falciformis, Caught By The Taiwanese Large-Scale Longline Fishery In The Indian Ocean, Chia Yun Li, Xing-Han Wu, Shang Yin Vanson Liu, Sheng-Ping Wang, Wen-Pei Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The silky shark, Carcharhinus falciformis, is widely distributed in tropical and temperate waters, and it is a common bycatch species for tuna longline fisheries. This study examined the distribution of and presents relative abundance indices of the silky shark in the Indian Ocean by using logbook and observer data from the Taiwanese large-scale tuna longline fishery between 2005 and 2019. Due to the high zero catch rate, a zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model was used to standardize catch per unit effort. Due to a lack of detailed targeting information, the fishery strategy was identified by using cluster analysis based on …

Accumulation And Bioavailability Of Heavy Metals (Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, Lead And Zinc) In Water And Sediment Samples In The Musa Creek, Northwest Coasts Of The Persian Gulf, Saghafiankhoo Sedigheh, Battaleb-Looie Sedigheh, Amanipoor Hakimeh, Dravishi Khatooni Javad, Ghanemi Kamal

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The current study aimed to investigate the total concentrations of heavy metals in water and sediment samples as well as their bioavailability in sediments of Musa Creek. Twenty samples including 10 sediments and 10 water samples were collected from 10 stations. The concentration of heavy metals was measured using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. The bioavailability of heavy metals was carried out by first step of Tessier sequential extraction method so called single extraction in the manuscript. The results showed that the mean concentrations of cadmium, chromium, nickel, and zinc in water samples was 0.17, 7.44, 43.80, and 8.85 µg/L, respectively. …

Parametric Analyses Of The Dynamic Response And Fatigue Life Of A Compliant Vertical Access Riser With Internal Flow, Fuheng Li, Haiyan Guo, Xiaomin Li, Zhen Liu, Honglu Gu, Peng Cui

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Subsea interventions on wellheads can be directly performed from a platform using a compliant vertical access riser (CVAR), thereby incurring tremendous economic benefits. The dynamic response and the fatigue damage of a CVAR subjected to regular waves are important for assessing its application feasibility. Therefore, a reasonable numerical model is presented for assessing the damage to a CVAR considering the internal flow using the slender rod theory. The finite element method combined with a Newmark-β scheme is employed to discretize the equations and update the time integration. The Palmgren-Miner rule is applied for fatigue life prediction, focusing on the wave-induced …

Using The Inverse Method To Investigate Flow Models For Mixed Convection Of Annular Finned Tube Heat Exchanger, Han-Taw Chen, Cheng-Hui You, Wei-Lun Hsu, Jiang-Ren Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The inverse heat conduction method (IHCM) and three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) in combination with are used to select the appropriate flow model and near-wall treatment for the mixed convection of the annular finned tube heat exchanger. Thus, the numerical results obtained by all k-ε models and near-wall treatments are yielded for 4 m/s ≤ Va ≤ 5 m/s. First, IHCM combined with is applied to estimate and Q values. The obtained estimates of and Q are used as reference values for CFD. The results show that the Tk and results obtained by the standard (STD) k-ε model with …

Prediction Of Remaining Useful Life Of Wind Turbine Shaft Bearings Using Machine Learning, Jinsiang Shaw, Bingjie Wu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Wind turbines are a major trend in the current green energy market. Wind energy is abundant, and if utilized properly, can result in significant reductions in carbon emissions. Therefore, the development of wind power systems is urgently required. However, wind turbines are mainly built in unmanned areas. Regular inspections require substantial manpower and material resources, and doubts regarding the accuracy of the inspected data may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an automatic diagnostic method for determining the remaining useful life (RUL) of a wind turbine to facilitate predictive maintenance. In this study, a multi-class support vector machine (SVM) …