Digital Commons Network^™

Pandemic Images And Gestalt Theory: Introspective Musings About A Series Of Digital Art-Works, Roy R. Behrens

Faculty Publications

In this paper, the author shares his thoughts about the precedents, process, and significance of a series of “digital montage” artworks that he originated during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, he talks about the indebtedness of these works to Gestalt theory, and particularly their use of what is sometimes known as “laws of seeing,” “unit-forming factors,” or inherent “grouping tendencies.”

Water-Use Efficiency And Infiltration Under Different Rangeland Conditions And Cultivation In A Semi-Arid Climate Of South Africa, Hennie A. Snyman

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of rangeland in different botanical composition classes (good, moderate and poor), on water-use efficiency (WUE: crude protein produced per unit of evapotranspiration) and soilwater content. The same measurements were also made on an undisturbed bare soil surface and soil cultivated twice per annum. Evapotranspiration was determined by quantifying the soil-water balance equation with the aid of runoff plots and soil-water content measurements done by a neutron hydroprobe. Water-use efficiency declined significantly (P ≤ 0.01) with rangeland degradation. Rangeland in good condition averaged a WUE of 0.28 kg crude protein ha …

Valuing The Pasture Resource - Importance Of Perennials In Higher Rainfall Regions Of South Eastern Australia, P. M. Dowling, R. E. Jones, David R. Kemp, D. L. Michalk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The premature decline of perennial grass based pastures in southern temperate Australia results in poor productivity and unstable pastures that allow invasion by less desirable weedy species and the potential for soil degradation. The loss of perennial species is attributed to overgrazing arising from an undervaluation of the pasture resource. Resowing pastures is largely uneconomic so maintenance of, or increasing the perennial, is dependent on improved grazing and pasture management practices. A key to changing perceptions is valuing the true worth of the perennial component. Results are presented from a model that takes into account the seasonality of production of …

The Question Of Veganism, The Dangers Of Moral Extensionism, And A Pragmatist Ecofeminist Alternative, Erin Mckenna

Between the Species

In this paper I argue that the framework of moral extensionism relies on human exceptionalism and human centeredness. I discuss the dangers of human exceptionalism and human centeredness using the work of ecofeminist philosophers Val Plumwood, Carol Adams, Lori Gruen, A. Breeze Harper, and Lisa Kemmerer. These ecofeminists each articulate alternative approaches to human relations with other animal beings. There are tensions among these alternatives, though, and I use a pragmatist perspective to interrogate their different positions on how other animal beings should or should not figure into the diets of human beings. I will argue that we need a …

Risk Assessment Model Of Grain Resources Based On Ahp And Random Forest Regression Algorithm, Chen Zhuo, Ding Li, Cao Tian-Hong, Cheng Yun-Hui, Wen Li, Xu Zhou, Chen Mao-Long, Jiao Ye, Li Hong-Hui

Food and Machinery

Objective: To ensure the consumption safety of grain resources. Methods: According to the relevant national standards, eight chemical pollutants, such As cadmium （Cd）, arsenic （As）, lead （Pb）, chromium （Cr）, aflatoxin （AFs）, fumonisin （FB）, zearalenone （ZEN） and deoxynivalenone （Don）, were identified as the risk assessment indexes of grain quality and safety, and the entropy weight method was adopted. At the same time, taking the data of evaluation index as the input of risk assessment model, four machine learning algorithms, namely, random forest regression （LR）, support vector machine regression （SVM）, BP neural network regression （BP） and K-nearest neighbor regression （KNN）, are selected …

Research Progress In Aptasensors For The Detection Of Kanamycin Residues In Animal-Derived Foods, Ma Jing-Yi, Tian Bing, Wang Xin, Tao Xiao-Qi

Food and Machinery

The research progress in aptasensors for the detection of kanamycin residues in animal-derived foods was summarized. The principles of the colorimetric, fluorescent, electrochemical methods, and surface-enhanced raman scattering and so on were outlined. Then the advantages and drawbacks of the above detection methods, and aptamer sequences used were summarized. Moreover, the development of aptasensors for kanamycin detection was prospected.

The Calculating For An Adequate Systems Tool (Cast): A Low-Cost And Effective Tool To Improve A Community’S Substance Use Disorder Care Preparedness, Margarita Consing, Quinci Paine, Gabriela Balf

School of Medicine and Health Sciences Student Publications

Objective

In the context of an ongoing opioid crisis, the authors used The Calculating for an Adequate Systems Tool (CAST) to help quantify the rural community preparedness to care of people with substance use disorders (SUDs.)

Methods

CAST was developed by Green and associates in 2017. CAST uses demographics, social, and community indicators to produce a global risk score for hospitalization due to SUDs and highlights which SUD care system resource areas in the studied community are lacking or redundant. There are no human subjects involved; the majority of the required data for CAST is freely available on official national …

Volume 24, Full Contents, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Walter Scott At 250, Alison Lumsden, Kirsty Archer-Thompson

Studies in Scottish Literature

This essay marking the 250th anniversary of Walter Scott's birth reflects on the current state of Scott studies, the scholarly directions in which it might develop, and ways in which the relevance of Scott’s work may be re-discovered and re-invigorated for contemporary audiences. In particular, it examines scholarly and critical attitudes to Scott's work over the past 50 years through papers given at the triennial international Scott conferences initiated in Edinburgh in 1971, alongside developments in public engagement at Abbotsford House and elsewhere during the 250th anniversary year.

Robert Burns’S Life On The Stage: A Bibliography Of Dramatic Works, 1842–2019, Thomas Keith

Studies in Scottish Literature

This article traces the changing history of how the Scottish poet Robert Burns has been portrayed on stage, both in Scotland and elsewhere, discussing the the issues playwrights have faced and some of the approaches they have used, and provides an annotated chronological bibliography of ninety plays about Burns's life written or first staged between 1842 and 2019, with information on first known performance and on any published versions or known manuscript or typescript, and with brief notes where information is available on the style of the play and critical reaction.

Reconstruction Of Branded Leisure Food Supply Chain Under The Background Of Business Model Innovation, Li Xia, Lu Yue, Li Feng-Ting, Wang Pei-Pei

Food and Machinery

The paper proposed that branded leisure food companies should keep up with the pace of business model innovation, reduce production costs, expand product sales channels and improve logistics efficiency by analyzing the problems of traditional Branded Leisure Food Supply Chain（BLFSC） under the E-commerce model. Additionally, it is pointed out that branded leisure food companies urgently need restructure and improve the overall circulation efficiency of BLFSC under the background of innovative business models.

Conatus, The Will To Persist: An Introduction, Jasmin Özel, Nikos Psarros

Philosophy Faculty Research

The papers collected in this issue address a variety of aspects of the concept of conatus ranging from the explorations of its roots in early ancient Greek thought to its application on modern theories of democratic education. The conatus is a special relation between the parts of a monad and their subparts and the subparts of the subparts to infinity, which ensures that each part and subpart is a part of this monad and not of any other. As a fundamental trait of monadic existence, the conatus is manifested in a multiplicity of facets that sustain the persistence of any …

Development Of Radiochemical Quality Control Methods For Ra-223 And Th-227 Radiotherapies, Abigail Hasson

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. Radiolabeled molecules for use in disease detection and targeted treatment are a mainstay of patient management. The majority of radiopharmaceuticals deployed to date undergo a single radioactive transition (decay) to reach a stable ground state. Complex emitters, which produce a series of daughter radionuclides, are emerging as novel radiopharmaceuticals, and there is a need for the proper validation of content and purity using common quality control instrumentation. Hypothesis. There is a need for proper characterization of complex emitters for more accurate quality control on readily available equipment. Here, we demonstrate the novel characterization of Th-227 and Ra-223 using a …

The Future For Savanna And Tropical Grasslands: A Latin American Perspective, R. R. Vera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of the paper is to briefly review the main trends in the tropical lowlands of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with particular emphasis in the neotropical savannas. These tropical native grasslands cover occupy approximately 210 million hectares, and constitute major portions of the territory of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Venezuela. Many analysts consider that intensification of their use is a valid alternative to the expansion of the livestock and crop industries into the rainforest.

The evidence reviewed shows that since the late 1980s, the LAC agricultural sector has shown dynamism not seen for many years. Despite …

Ecophysiology And Management Response Of The Subtropical Grasslands Of Southern South America, E. J. Berretta

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The subtropical grasslands of Southern South America (campos) are located approximately in the range of 24° S to 37° S latitude. These grasslands are dominated by C₃ and C₄ grasses, and in a lesser extent to herbaceous plants, shrubs and dispersed trees, with some exceptions in particular regions. Previous to the introduction of large herbivores, at the beginning of the XVII century, like cattle and horses, shrubs and tall grasses dominated the vegetation. Then, associated with greater grazing pressure and partially due to fire, the original campos are maintained, actually in a pseudo-climax herbaceous phase. These native communities …

Goats To Control The Encroachment Of Undesirable Brush And Woody Species In Cattle Pastures, J-M. Luginbuhl, J. T. Green Jr., M. H. Poore, A. C. Conrad

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Field studies were initiated in an abandoned, overgrown 8.4 ha orchard left untouched for 15 years to evaluate the effectiveness of using goats (Capra hircus hircus) to manage undesirable vegetation. Goats alone (G: 30 does/ha) or cattle (Bos taurus) with goats (GC:17 does/ha and 3 steers/ha) were mob-grazed twice a year during four grazing seasons. Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora Thunb.) canopy area decreased from 12 to 2.5 m² in grazed pastures and multiflora rose live canes were 100% in the control, 0% in G, and only 8% in GC at the completion of the …

Herbaceous Vegetation Dynamic After Cut And Burn Shrub Plants In Southern Brazil, A. M. Girardi-Deiro, M. L. Porto, J. Riboldi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A savanna area at "Serra do Sudeste" in southern Brazil, was studied during four years to evaluate the influence of cutting and burning shrub plants on dynamic of herbaceous vegetation. The cover of each species in 44 permanent quadrats (0,25 m²) and in each area (cut and burned) was evaluated. The results suggested that grasses and legumes were favored by cutting shrub plants. Burning favored forbs in the first years after disturbance and retarded the development of native forage species desirable for grazing.

Characterization Of Forage Selected By Cattle On Communal Range In Manhiça, Mozambique, O. Faftine, A. Alage, J. P. Muir

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage selection by 10 cattle herds was observed monthly over 2 years on a communal rangeland. Plants grazed were hand-plucked as representative of both species and plant portions being cropped by cattle. Herds were led to green pasture year-round. Nutrient concentration of species and plant portions selected by cattle indicated adequate crude protein and calcium but phosphorus deficiency during the dry season. Well-drained escarpments and uplands were more important during the rains while upland depressions and the Nkomati valley were essential for adequate forage intake during the dry seasons.

Deforestation For Pasture Development – Has It Been Worth It?, W. H. Burrows

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Differing scenarios leading to deforestation for pasture development in savanna (woodland) and closed forest communities in the tropics – sub-tropics are compared and contrasted. Australian and Brazilian examples are highlighted. No simple answer is given to the question of whether deforestation for pasture development has been worth it, since both commercial and non-commercial values have equal validity and need to be taken into account. These issues are addressed in the context of land assigned by governments for agricultural purposes. It is concluded that technology and ecological understanding are now available to maintain sustainable production from converted forest systems. However emphasis …

Back To The Future – Pastoral Land Use In A Forest Land – Sustainability Challenges For The 21St Century, J. Morgan Williams

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To contribute meaningfully to a session entitled “Deforestation” with a proposed paper title of “Trees in Pastoral Zones; Landuse Standards in the 21^st Century” necessitates I carefully define the scope of my contribution. My paper will draw on my experiences as an ecologist working in the pastoral lands of New Zealand in roles that have led me to delve increasingly into what constitutes sustainability (of people, land and economy) for a tiny multicultural nation maturing amidst the remnants of a unique Gondwanaland ecosystem. As New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) I now examine a very wide range …

Carbon Accumulation In Soils Under Brachiaria Pastures In The Atlantic Forest Region Of The South Of Bahia, Brazil, R. M. Tarré, R. Macedo, R. B. Cantarutti, C. De P. Rezende, J. M. Pereira, E. Ferreira, B. J. R. Alves, S. Urquiaga, R. M. Boddey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this study was to investigate the change in carbon stocks in soil following deforestation of the Atlantic forest in the South of Bahia State (Brazil) and replacement with productive pastures of Brachiaria humidicola either in monoculture or with the introduction of the forage legume Desmodium ovalifolium. Carbon stocks in the 0-30 cm layer were 44.5 Mg ha^-1 under the original forest and found to be approximately 42 Mg ha^-1 C 10 years later. At this time pastures of B. humidicola with or without the presence of D. ovalifolium were formed and grazed continuously for …

Detecting Anomalous User Responses To Happy-Path Flow, Rob Hanton

Defensive Publications Series

Presented herein are techniques through which video and other potential inputs can be used by a software product or system in order to detect sudden increases in user frustration or confusion during certain system transitions, such as a call being hung up manually, in order to automatically detect when such things occur in a way that is unexpected by the user. For such increases, additional information and/or interactions can be provided to the user in accordance with techniques herein to help the user better understand and/or remediate the issue, such as providing a dialog box that explains that the other …

The Imrovement Of Esp Teaching Via Methodical Provision At Technical Institution: Specializm-Oriented English Via Agriculture, G. Eshchanova, U. Nullaev

Irrigation and Melioration

In the given article the ways that ESP combines subject matter and English language teaching is discussed. This approach can be highly motivating for students because students are able to apply what they learn in their English classes to their main field of study, whether it be law, computing, business, tourism, etc. Being able to use the vocabulary and structures that they learn in a meaningful context reinforces what is taught and increases their motivation. Nevertheless, ESP concentrates more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures. Additionally, the ways of teaching English in ESL classes and …

Compact Gas Sensor Using Silicon-On-Insulator Loop-Terminated Mach–Zehnder Interferometer, Raghi S. El Shamy, Mohamed A. Swillam, Mohamed M. Elrayany, Alaa Sultan

Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper, we propose a compact optical gas sensor based on the widespread silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, operating in the near-infrared (NIR) region around the 1.55 µm wavelength. The sensor employs a loop-terminated Mach–Zehnder interferometer (LT-MZI) with a slot waveguide and a strip waveguide for the sensing arm and the reference arm, respectively. For the same arm length, the LT-MZI can achieve a detection limit two times lower than that of the conventional MZI. Different sensor components were designed, and the optimum dimensions were obtained using finite-difference eigenmode (FDE) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solvers. With a sensing arm length of …

The “Muddle” Of Landscape And Machinery In E.M. Forster’S Howard’S End And A Passage To India: An Ecocritical Reading, Ryan Ignatius Vera

Theses and Dissertations

This is an ecocritical reading of E.M. Forster's A Passage to India and Howard's End. I argue that Forster is concerned with imperial power structures that damaged the environment, as well as the looming aftereffects of the Industrial Revolution on both landscape and the people that reside in it.

The Circle Of Life: The Mathematics Of Predator-Prey Dynamics, John Butler, Rebecca Brady

Articles

Some animals hunt other animals to feed themselves; these animals are called predators. Animals who are hunted and eaten are known as prey. What do you think would happen if a predator were introduced to an ecosystem where the prey previously lived without fear of being hunted? Would the new predator eat all the prey animals until they go extinct? Actually, the relationship between predator and prey is far more interesting than this. In this article, we show what the predator-prey relationship looks like over time and explain how scientists can make predictions about future population levels, all using basic …

Application Of A Bacteriophage–Sanitizer Combination In Post-Harvest Control Of E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination On Spinach Leaves In The Presence Or Absence Of A High Organic Load Produce Wash, Badrinath Vengarai Jagannathan, Steven Kitchens, Stuart Price, Melissa Morgan, Paul Priyesh Vijayakumar

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Foodborne illness due to the consumption of contaminated products continues to be a serious public health issue. Bacteriophages might provide a natural and effective way to control and reduce the pathogenic bacterial population on food products. Researchers have conducted various experiments to prove their effectiveness against different pathogens and their ability to act as a natural intervention to control pathogen populations, especially in the food industry. In this study, a cocktail of bacteriophages (phages) was added to wash water in the presence of a high organic load along with commercially used sanitizers (chlorine or Sanidate 5.0) to study the efficacy …

Acetyl-L-Carnitine Protects Against Lps Induced Depression Via Ppar-Γ Induced Inhibition Of Nf-Κb/Nlrp3 Pathway, Amna Samin, Lina Tariq Al Kury, Muhammad Imran Khan, Shabir Hussain, Abdullah Alattar, Reem Alshaman, Fawad Ali Shah, Muhammad Aamir, Shupeng Li

All Works

Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating human health status characterized by mood swings and high suicidal attempts. Several studies have reported the role of neuroinflammation in MMD, yet the efficacy of natural drug substances on neuroinflammation-associated depression needs to be further investigated. The present study demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of Acetyl-L- carnitine (ALC) alone or in combination with caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced neuro-inflammation, depression, and anxiety-like behavior. Material and methods Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were used to explore the relative effects of ALC and the mechanistic interplay of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors …

Evaluating A Test For Shedding Propensity Using Tape Lifts From Different Skin Locations, Xiao M. Chen

Student Theses

The shedding propensity of a person can assist data interpretation in casework when assessing the possibility of passive transfer for DNA analysis. Past studies on shedding propensity evaluated palmar skin (washed and unwashed) deposits. This study compared different skin locations with respect to shedding propensity, and explored the potential of tape-lifts as a skin surface collection method. Eight different skin types and samples were collected with adhesive tape disks from 28 participants over three non-consecutive days; the washed and unwashed fingers from both hands, toe, and arm, neck below ear, and nape. Samples were extracted, quantified, amplified, genotyped, and evaluated …

A Nanoscale Shape-Discovery Framework Supporting Systematic Investigations Of Shape-Dependent Biological Effects And Immunomodulation, Wei Zhang, Hender Lopez, Luca Boselli, Paolo Bigini, André Perez-Potti, Zengchun Xie, Valentina Castagnola, Qi Cai, Camila P. Silveira, Joao M. De Araujo, Laura Talamini, Nicolò Panini, Giuseppe Ristagno, Martina B. Violatto, Stéphanie Devineau, Marco P. Monopoli, Mario Salmona, Valeria A. Giannone, Sandra Lara, Kenneth A. Dawson, Yan Yan

Articles

Since it is now possible to make, in a controlled fashion, an almost unlimited variety of nanostructure shapes, it is of increasing interest to understand the forms of biological control that nanoscale shape allows. However, a priori rational investigation of such a vast universe of shapes appears to present intractable fundamental and practical challenges. This has limited the useful systematic investigation of their biological interactions and the development of innovative nanoscale shape-dependent therapies. Here, we introduce a concept of biologically relevant inductive nanoscale shape discovery and evaluation that is ideally suited to, and will ultimately become, a vehicle for machine …