Digital Commons Network^™

Flood Adaptation And Productivity Of Savanna Grasses, E Gonzalez Jimenez, A Escobar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Savannas subjected to seasonal flooding occupy· vast areas of the Tropics. Above-ground bio­mass values for Venezuelan flooded savannas are high and related to the longer availability of water. C3 plants colonized the waterlogged unit and showed the highest productivity and nutritive value. This natural system permits a prolonged grazing season. These first results show the great potential for animal production of this ecosystem, stressing the need for coor­dinated research efforts in order to gain a better understanding of it.

Studies On Site, Vegetation And Intensification Of Temporarily Flooded Grassland Of The Lower Oder River Near Schwedt, Gisbert Schalitz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On the temporarily flooded grassland of the lower Oder River near Schwedt, yields can be considerably increased by establishing high­yielding Phalaris arundinacea stands. In the drier zone it is indispensable to kill the old sward. To this effect, adequate methods should be chosen according to the type of existing vegetation. In the range of moisture-tolerant plant as­sociations, increased nitrogen fertilization will allow to build up high-yielding pure stands in short time.

Lead Content In Meadow Vegetation From Non­Contaminated Areas, Andrzej Sapek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In 270 samples of selected meadow plant spe­cies, taken from natural sites and permanent meadows in the 1st-cut period, the lead con­tent was determined. Mean lead content in particular species fluctuated from 0.36 ppm in Phalaris arundinacea to 1.38 ppm in Carex vulpina. On a whole, the lead content was lower in grasses than in herbs. No relationship between the total lead content in soil and plants has been proved. On the other hand, a positive and often significant relationship between the lead content in particular plant species and their potassium, copper, nickel, and phospho­rus contents was observed.

Influence Of Plant Nutrition And Method Of Utilization On The Accumulation And Decomposition Of Root Matter In Meadow Soils, Yan Liyv, Rikhard Toomre

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Root matter formation of forage plants de­pends primarily on soil fertility. In fertile soils and under intensive fertilization less root matter is formed than in soils of low fertility. The decomposition of root matter as influenced by microbiological processes was found to be more intensive under grazing than under mow­ing. The application of high rates of nitrogen fertilizer (more than 200 kg N/ha) over longer periods is likely to cause undesirable changes in the relationship between forage plants and soil microorganisms, this resulting in yield decline and in lower efficiency of the fertilizers applied.

The Influence Of Grassland Plants Ort The Accu1nulation Of Humus And Nitrogen In The Soil In The Conditions Of The Estonian Ssr, Arnold Sau

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The accumulation of nitrogen and humus in soil under perennial grassland plants was studied between 1965 and 1974 in a trial laid out on carbonated reddish brown sandy loam moraine of original levels of 0.22 % humus and 18 m %1 nitrogen, the C: N ratio being 7 .2. Nitrogen and humus accumulation in the moraine was found to proceed the faster, the higher were the yields of above-ground and underground plant matter. In the course of 10 years, the humus content in the upper 5 cm of soil reached 1.92 to 2.26 % for the higher­yielding variants (grasses+ 150 …

Nitrogen Status Of A Shortgrass Prairie, Pasture Ecosystem, Robert G. Woodmansee, Jerrold L. Dodd, Rudolph A. Bowman, Charles E. Dickinson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrogen was partitioned among soil organic matter, living and dead plant material, micro­organisms, above-ground and below-ground animals, and mineral N in a shortgrass prairie, pasture ecosystem in eastern Colorado, USA Soil organic matter contained the largest amount of N (89.5 %), and dead plant material contained 6.8 % of the total N in the system. Living organisms contained 3.4 % of the N in the ecosystem. Mineral N accounted for 0.2 %. Less than 1.0 % of the N in the system was located above ground. The amount of N im­mobilized in animals was small.

Nutrient Leaching In Hydromorphic Grassland Soils As Established In Lysimeters, Gerhart Mundel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lysimeter experiments were laid out for study­ing the leaching of nitrogen, calcium, po­tassium, and phosphorus from different hy­dromorphic soils. Most of the hydromorphic soils, above all those of low-bog sites, have to be considered as instable open systems from the very be­ginning of their cultivation. Matter removal well exceeds the amount of matter introduced into these soils. The degree of nutrient leaching in most cases is clearly dependent on the soil humus status. Attention is drawn to the in­tensive calcium leaching and the low level of nitrogen removal as compared with an­pydromorphic soils. The level of potassium leaching is closely …

Available Soil Nutrients Related To Species Composition Of Some Meadow Communities In North-Western Bohemia, Emilie Balatova-Tulackova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The pH value as well as the content of humus and some available nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, P, N) were assessed in soil samples taken from the upper part of the rhizosphere in 15 different types of moist meadows situated in north­western Bohemia. The results obtained were evaluated mainly from the point of view of the occurrence of Ca, K, and Pin soil related to the species composition (which is the decisive factor in its classification in the phytocenolog­ical system). The greatest indicative value is shown by plants with relatively narrow ecolog­ical amplitude in the given phytocenological bounds, such as …

Yearly Nitrogen Budget In Natural And Fertilized Grasslands Of A Bohemian-Moravian Highlands District, Milada Findeisova, Vladimir Ruzicka, Blanka Ulehlova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Simplified models are presented of nitrogen cycling in the three grassland ecosystems, as compiled from soil, plant, rain- and lysimetric water analyses pertaining to an experimental site near Kamenicky, in the nature conservancy area Zdarske vrchy in the Bohemian-Moravian highlands. The plant stands, all originally classified as Polygalo-Nardetum strictae, in­clude a control and two stands as modified by two levels of fertilization for three years. The increment of nitrogen harvested decreases con­siderably at the higher level of fertilization, while the nitrogen losses from the ecosystem increase and the atmospheric nitrogen fixation decreases dramatically.

Mineral Composition Of Vegetation Related To Primary Production In Alluvial Meadow Ecosystems, Jana Jakrlova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Concentration and ratio of mineral nutrients, dynamics of mineral nutrient uptake per 1 m2, and the contents of mineral nutrients in per­manent biomass reserve and in maximum biomass were assessed in three selected types of meadow ecosystems representing a natural hydrological series in a given area (dry, moist, wet). The assessment was based on chemical analyses (N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg) and production analysis of above-ground and underground parts of defined vegetation.

Total above-ground biomass produced per year was estimated (from the dry type to the wet one) at 706, 1070, 2430 g • W • m-2, re­spectively; total …

Biomass Budget And Energy Flow In Alluvial Meadow Ecosystem, Milena Rychnovska, Blanka Ulehlova, Jana Jakrlova, Marta Tesrova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Primary production, production processes, and decomposition have been studied in alluvial meadow ecosystems for 6 years. Water has been found to be the decisive factor in the energy flow and mineral elements turnover. The quality and quantity of production and decomposition processes depend on the oc­currence and duration o( floods. Permanent pool of underground biomass in Alopecurus pratensis stand makes 45.3 %, permanent pool of shoot biomass makes 54.7 % of the total biomass. 19.4 % of the total biomass is taken off as forage. 11. 7 % of shoot biomass is de­composed during the summer season, and 3 .1 …

Current Aspects Of Eco-Physiological Studies Of Meadow Plants, Momcilo Konic

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Basic parameters applied in eco-physiological studies of meadow plants are: water balance (hydration, transpiration intensity, amounts and forms of water, water deficit, etc.), assim­ilation balance (CO2 balance, assimilation performance, compensation effect), matter pro­duction. Eco-physiological studies should be followed by microclimatic measurements and the anatomical analysis of the meadow plants under study. Eco-physiological studies of meadow plants, if performed in a complex and systematic way, constitute the safest basis for detennining the characters of the entire meadow plant com­munity under the concrete conditions of natural factors prevailing in terms of natural condi­tions and human influence.

Landscape Management Problems Of Grassland Utilization In Mountainous Regions Of The Gdr, Peter Hentschel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the medium-altitude mountains of the GDR, many meadows cannot be utilized for intensive forage production. Because of their importance for recreation, game feeding and nature con­servation, general afforestation is not possible. A model is presented that allows for every meadow to choose between intensive utili­zation, afforestation, and reservation for other social needs. Management methods for mead­ows not suitable for intensive utilization, espe­cially the employment of herbicides, are dis­cussed.

Mitigating An Influenza Outbreak At A Residential Youth Summer Camp, Sandra D. Shapiro, Rachel Thomas, Stacey A. Hobbick, Bretta Weissman, Erica Gottlieb, Rebecca Spielman

CompassPoint

No abstract provided.

Fall 2024 - Volume 34, Number 2, Compass Point

CompassPoint

No abstract provided.

Can Ungrading Make Sport Management Education More Practical And Engaging?, Michael A. Odio

The COSMA Journal

In this essay I take on the subject of grades in sport management education. While grades are used as a measure of success across higher education, they are an imperfect measure of achievement and learning and have major limitations in terms of student employability. The ungrading movement brings attention to the ways grades can harm learning by shifting attention away from students’ development, and instructor or peer feedback, and intrinsic motivation, while incentivizing compliance and risk-aversion. These harms directly affect what are arguably some of the most important aspects of sport management education, as when grades are the main incentive, …

Technical Disclosure: A Multi-Variable, Object-Oriented Database Schema And Api Protocol For Ai-Guided, Performance-Based Curriculum Routing, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This technical disclosure details the architecture for an automated, multi-variable, object-oriented data schema and Application Programming Interface (API) designed to execute performance-based curriculum routing without age-segregated grade boundaries. The system structures diverse academic, kinetic, and technical disciplines into standardized, interoperable data objects called Discipline Blueprints. Each blueprint enforces a non-linear advancement pipeline governed by two immutable checkpoints: a zero-assist algorithmic velocity sprint and a physical/systemic product generation milestone. A localized machine learning agent parses real-time telemetry from user interactions, dynamically matching individual cognitive profiles against localized workforce shortages and trade vectors to prevent network drop-out. Crucially, the architecture incorporates an …

From Ai To Alien(S): Universal Alignment Principles And The Architecture Of Inter-Species Communication Metrics, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

The critical bottleneck in both contemporary Artificial Intelligence (AI) alignment and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is anthropomorphic bias. Modern AI alignment models rely heavily on human linguistic structures, reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), and qualitative ethical frameworks. These models degrade rapidly when scaled to non-human or multi-agent networks. Similarly, traditional SETI protocols look for messages encoded in cultural or linguistic formats that assume shared biological or social evolutionary tracks.

This paper introduces a foundational framework for AI-Alien Alignment Principles (AAAP). By treating communication as a problem of non-linear dynamical systems integration, this model establishes Topology, Vector Calculus, …

Molecular Detection Of Chlamydiales In Captive Zoo Animals At Songkhla Zoo, Southern Thailand, Rawikan Inchuai, Sunisa Khongthong, Boontarikaan Wititkornkul, Naruepan Wongpluksin

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Several species of Chlamydia are recognized as significant zoonotic pathogens that infect a wide range of hosts, including humans. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and genetic characteristics of Chlamydiales–related bacteria in captive animals at Songkhla Zoo, southern Thailand. A total of 92 cloacal and rectal swab samples were collected from mammals (n = 22), birds (n = 55), and reptiles (n = 15). Genomic DNA was screened using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the Chlamydiales 16S rRNA gene and the ompA gene specific for Chlamydia psittaci. Positive amplicons were subjected to Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. A …

Repetition As Ritual Structure: Sound, Movement, And Electrodermal Activity In A Hmong Shaman Ceremony, Maile Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between repetitive sound, physiological arousal, and embodied participation in a Hmong shamanic ritual. Drawing on scholarship about music, trance, absorption, repetition, and Hmong ritual journeying and communication, I consider how sonic layers such as chant, rattle and gong help structure ritual time and sustain the shaman's altered state. The project uses electrodermal activity (EDA) data from wearable sensors, video and audio recordings, and my own event coding of sonic and physical activity during a selected 30-minute section of a recorded Hmong shaman ceremony. By aligning EDA data with a timeline of chanting, rattling, gong playing, …

Gust-Induced Aerodynamic Performance In Insects' Forward Flapping Flight, Arash Farsani, Ori Stearns, Gal Ribak, Roi Gurka

Physics and Engineering Science

Flapping-wing flight is inherently unsteady, where atmospheric gusts can substantially degrade the aerodynamic performance when their characteristic time scales are comparable to the wingbeat period. This study presents a numerical investigation and time–frequency characterization of gust-induced aerodynamic response of flapping wings of varying size, inspired by the flight of a longhorn beetle, Batocera rufomaculata. Geometrically similar wings spanning the biological range were simulated in forward flight under identical prescribed kinematics and a transient frontal gust with a smoothly ramped profile. Three-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations using the shear stress transport k–ω turbulence model were performed to resolve the instantaneous pressure …

Upar-Guided Dendrimer Gel Nanoparticles Reprogram Inflammation To Stabilize Atherosclerotic Plaques, Hsin Yin Chuang, Huari Kou, Yue-Wern Huang, Hu Yang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Atherosclerosis is characterized by lipid deposition, chronic inflammation, and apoptosis within the arterial wall, leading to plaque progression and instability. Current lipid-lowering therapies fail to fully address residual cardiovascular risk driven by local inflammation and cell death. Here, we report the development of uPA-functionalized, rapamycin-encapsulated dendrimer nanoparticles (G5PM-uPA/RA) that preferentially accumulate in urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR)-enriched atherosclerotic plaque, including macrophage- and apoptosis-rich lesion microenvironments. G5PM-uPA/RA was constructed by cross-linking reaction-enabled flash nanoprecipitation in a custom-made multi-inlet vortex mixer, followed by thiol-maleimide conjugation of uPA for uPAR-guided targeting. The nanoparticles demonstrated uniform morphology, favorable stability, and efficient rapamycin loading. In …

Polydopamine-Cu(Ii) Ions Functional Coatings On Zinc Wire: Surface Characterization And Degradation Behavior, Md Tanvir Hossain, H. R. Bakhsheshi-Rad, Bashir Ahamed, Erico Freitas, Bruce Lee, Jeremy Goldman, Jaroslaw Drelich

Michigan Tech Publications

Bioactive surface modification of degradable zinc (Zn) vascular implants is essential for controlling biodegradation and supporting vascular healing. Here, we describe the fabrication of polydopamine coating (PDA-Cu) containing up to ∼0.8 wt % Cu ions on Zn substrates using an immersion-assisted mussel-inspired polymerization strategy. The coating is composed of densely packed PDA-Cu nanospheres with diameters of ∼130-170 nm, exhibiting an even distribution of Cu ions within the PDA matrix via Cu-catechol coordination. Thirty-day leaching tests confirmed a steady release of 0.01-0.04 ppm of Cu ions per 5 days from Zn/PDA-Cu samples in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS). In vitro nitric …

Risk, Trust, And Medical Decision-Making: Perinatal Care Among Patients And Providers In South Florida, Isabella Viera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how structural inequality shapes the experience of perinatal care among pregnant individuals and healthcare providers in South Florida, with particular attention to how risk is perceived and communicated, how trust between patients and providers is built or eroded, and how medical decision-making unfolds under conditions of structural vulnerability. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2025 and April 2026, supplemented by a quantitative analysis of low-birth-weight rates across all 67 Florida counties, the project analyzes how risk is defined, communicated, and lived across community-based prenatal organizations, online educational platforms, and in-depth provider and patient interviews. The …

Avian Conservation And Translocations In The Mariana Archipelago, John V. Bender

Dissertations

Island birds are among the world’s most imperiled vertebrates, and conservation translocations are increasingly used to combat threats, but their success depends on understanding the mechanics of whether and how to conduct translocations effectively. In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, native forest birds persist across a chain of islands where habitat degradation and loss, invasive species, and extreme weather create persistent conservation challenges. For my dissertation, I investigated how avian conservation programs and translocations can be planned, implemented, and improved under biological, logistical, and social uncertainty. For Chapter 1 I analyzed 15 years of avian translocations across seven …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Bensonia (Bensoniella Oregana), Nora Dunkirk, Sue Vrilakas, Gabriel Campbell

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Bensonia (Bensoniella oregana) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Unbiased Avidity-Based Isolation Of Antigen-Specific T Cells, Amanda Montoya, Meredith L Frank, Peixin Jiang, Hui Nie, Minying Zhang, Emily Bontekoe, Jared K Slone, Ludovica L Posta, Sofia Rosy Caterina Sorice, Tina Cascone, Maura Gillison, Don L Gibbons, Jianjun Zhang, Eleonora Dondossola, Lydia Kavraki, Pamela L Wenzel, John V Heymach, Alexandre Reuben

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Cancer immunotherapies have significantly improved treatment efficacy and patient survival by exploiting antigen-specific T cells to eliminate cancer cells. However, current approaches for identifying and isolating antigen-specific T cells typically require prior knowledge of target antigens, limiting discovery, and reducing the ability to consistently detect rare tumor-reactive T cells. We therefore sought to develop an unbiased platform for the identification and enrichment of antigen-specific T cells using naturally processed and presented tumor antigens.

Methods: We developed ATTACH (Assessment of T cells Tethered to Antigen Class I Histocompatibility), a microfluidic platform that applies controlled shear stress and leverages tumor cells …

Maternal Attachment Style As A Moderator Between Maternal Stress And Postpartum Depressive Symptoms, Kristie Lynn Hills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research aimed to discover if maternal attachment style moderates the association between maternal stress and postpartum depressive symptoms for mothers living in the United States. Previous research has indicated a trend of maternal bonding mediating the association between postpartum depression and maternal stress. In this study, attachment theory was utilized as the foundational theory for understanding whether the link between maternal stress and postpartum depressive symptoms vary as a function of maternal attachment style. This quantitative examination was completed using a multiple regression analytic approach. An online questionnaire measured the three study variables. The target population for this study …

Spatiotemporal Trends In Schistocephalus Solidus Infection Among Populations Of Alaskan Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus Aculeatus), A.M Wohlleben, Neva Meyer, N.C. Steinel

Biology

Understanding the dynamics of host-parasite interactions is essential for uncovering the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping natural populations. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of prevalence of the cestode Schistocephalus solidus in 4 Alaskan populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) over 11 years (1996 to 2006). Additionally, we assessed host tolerance through key indicators such as the Parasite Index and the presence of fibrotic scar tissue, a specialized form of resistance in this system. We observed fibrosis formation in both infected and uninfected fish across all populations, with notable year-to-year variability in Cornelius Lake. Here, fibrosis …

Gene Dosage Differences And Non-Linear Impacts On Complex Traits., Craig Smail

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Large differences in gene dosage are usually associated with opposite phenotypic effects but show a bias toward one direction in aggregate genome wide. Milind et al. suggest that this is explained by differences in regulatory mechanisms by which genes influence phenotypes and by the increased selective pressures acting on a subset of genes.