Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Rickettsia Africae Discovered In A Short-Term Urban Traveller To South Africa: A Case Report, Zunairah Sikder

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Rickettsia Africae is a pathogen that causes African tick-bite fever (ATBF). Transmission typically occurs from ticks within the Central and South African regions. Previous studies suggested that ATBF is not uncommon amongst travelers to rural sub-Saharan Africa, especially during the rainy months of November through April. However, this case report highlights a woman who contracted ATBF in novel conditions. The 70-year-old woman reported travelling strictly to and from the local church and hotel for her four-day stay in July. After returning to America, the patient experienced extreme irritation on her arm, as well as complaints of headaches. She presented to …

A Message From The Managing Editor, Carissa Bayack

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

A message from the 2025-2026 Managing Editor of the Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal, Carissa Bayack.

Palmnet: Confidence-Calibrated Edge-Cloud Ai For Field Diagnosis Of Date Palm Diseases, Muntadher Kareem, Raed Majeed

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a cornerstone crop for Iraq and the wider MENA region, yet reliable in-field diagnosis of leaf disorders remains slow, labour-intensive, and constrained by a limited pool of agronomists. This paper presents PalmNet, a full-stack diagnostic system that classifies nine leaf conditions through a calibrated edge-cloud framework. The system is developed and evaluated on a public dataset of 3,089 field images spanning the nine classes, using a 70/15/15 stratified split. A ShuffleNetV2 student network, distilled from a ConvNeXt-Tiny teacher, is deployed on two complementary edge endpoints: a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W field station …

Modeling The Clonal Rosette Composition Of A Bromeliaceae Genet: A Combinatorial Approach, Layla K. Lammers, Erin N. Bodine

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Bromeliaceae, a neo-tropical plant family encompassing over 3,000 species, exhibit two modes of reproduction: sexual reproduction via flowers and seeds, and asexual reproduction via genetically identical clonal rosettes. The vegetative bodies of bromeliads form rosettes with new leaves emerging from the center and clonal rosettes emerging above a single leaf in the rosette, resulting in a genetic individual consisting of a seed-grown rosette and multiple iterations of clonal rosettes. This research develops a combinatorial model of probability that a single genetic individual will include at least n clonal rosettes when a single rosette can produce at most 1 or 2 …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Deer-Cabbage (Nephrophyllidium Crista-Galli), Lindsey K. Wise

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Deer-cabbage (Nephrophyllidium crista-galli) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Modeling Population Growth With Logistic And Modified Logistic Equations, Mihil Dimpal Patel

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Population growth models are essential tools for understanding how biological populations change over time under environmental constraints. This study examines population dynamics by comparing the classical exponential growth model with the logistic growth model. While exponential growth assumes unlimited resources and results in unbounded population increase, the logistic model incorporates a carrying capacity that limits growth as resources become scarce. To better represent real-world conditions, the logistic model is extended by introducing modifications such as harvesting terms and time-varying carrying capacities, which account for external removal of individuals and changing environmental limits. The equilibria of these models are determined, and …

Adaptive Phishing Url Detection Using Hybrid Fuzzy C-Means Clustering And Xgboost, Muntadher Mohammed Kareem, Rawaa I. Farhan

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Phishing attacks continue to evolve in sophistication, rendering static detection methods increasingly ineffective. Existing URL-based approaches suffer from limited adaptability to emerging phishing patterns, mislabeled training data, and insufficient validation protocols. This paper proposes a hybrid phishing URL detection system that integrates Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering with XGBoost classification, enhanced by a novel Micro Adaptive Feature Extractor (MAFE). The system employs a multi-stage pipeline: feature engineering generating 36 statistical and interaction features, MAFE producing 15 adaptive features through class-aware dynamic weighting, micro-pattern detection, and entropy analysis, and FCM with K=2 clusters providing soft membership features to XGBoost. A two-pass confidence-based …

Crystal Structure Of New Polar Rare Earth Borates Na2.62Ln2.12(Bo3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) Containing Isolated Bo3 Groups, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Three new rare earth borates, Na2.62Ln2.12(BO3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm), were synthesized via a high-temperature solution reaction using a BaCO3–H3BO3–NaF flux and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Amm2 with lattice parameters a = 5.0985(10) Å, b = 11.180(2) Å, c = 7.1483(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.48(14) ų (Z = 2) for Na2.62Pr2.12(BO3)3, a = 5.0983(10) Å, b = 11.181(2) Å, c = 7.1491(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.51(14) ų (Z = 2) for Na2.62Nd2.12(BO3)3, and a = 5.08630(10) Å, b …

Single Crystal Growth Of The Orthoborate Nabalu(Bo3)2 And Optical Investigation Of Eu3+ And Tb3+ Doped Nabalu(Bo3)2, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Lakshani W. Masachchi, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Sodium barium lutetium borate NaBaLu(BO₃)₂ crystals were synthesized using a high-temperature solution method. The crystal structure of this layered orthoborate is described and corresponds to that of an extensive orthoborates family, NaBaR(BO₃)₂ (R = Sc, Y, Yb, Tb – Lu). NaBaLu(BO₃)₂ was doped by Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ to explore its performance as a host material and to investigate the luminescent properties of the Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ doped materials. The emission spectra of the NaBaLu(BO₃)₂:Ln (Ln = Eu, Tb) crystals are presented. The most …

Temperature And Salinity Effects On The Physiology Of Bullfrog Tadpoles (Lithobates Catesbeianus) From A Suburban Temperate Wetland, Angela Brown

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

One of the most robust amphibians is the American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus, which is a widespread species that is invasive worldwide, and is broadly tolerant of a range of environmental conditions. Despite this tolerance, survival and performance of adult L. catesbeianus can be negatively affected by increasing temperatures and salinity resulting from anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change and road salts. This study focuses on the effects of acute salinity exposure (mimicking road salt influx into a pond) on L. catesbeianus tadpoles at different larval stages. Increased salinity was predicted to negatively affect two physiological performance measures. Critical maximum temperature …

Why Technical Readiness Is Not Enough: Institutional Barriers To Full Harvest Strategy Adoption In The International Pacific Halibut Commission, Evelyn Roozee, Owen Temby, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Harvest strategies are increasingly promoted as a mechanism to reduce political discretion and align fisheries management with pre-agreed scientific objectives. While substantial progress has been made in tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), non-tuna RFMOs have lagged behind. Existing research has focused primarily on technical modeling challenges, with comparatively limited attention to the governance dynamics shaping adoption. Using the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) as an instrumental case study, we examine the progress and delays in the development of a harvest strategy policy (HSP) through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. We find that the IPHC successfully addressed commonly cited barriers, …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 42: How Accurate Are The Transcriptions Presented At The Alfred Russel Wallace Page Website?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

A look is taken at the level of accuracy displayed by the transcriptions of Wallace writings offered at the Alfred Russel Wallace Page website, as determined by a ChatGPT analysis.

Understanding And Predicting Precipitation Characteristics In The United States Through Machine Learning, Numerical Modeling And Measurements, Cody Luther Ratterman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Precipitation is one of the most important yet uncertain variables in the climate system. It varies dramatically in terms of timing, accumulation, rate, and phase, depending on location, season, circulation patterns, and atmospheric conditions. Precipitation forecasts, especially snowfall, are essential to supporting drought mitigation and water management in the Intermountain West. Because rainfall and snowfall lead to opposite effects on snowpack, accurately partitioning rain and snow is important to estimate snowpack levels, winter recreation, mountain ecosystems and runoff. The research findings in this dissertation have advanced the understanding and prediction of precipitation and snowpack in the U.S. by addressing the …

Drought And Diet Breadth: Does Insect Specialization Influence Herbivory When Plants Are Under Stress?, Jakob Palmer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Climate change will alter precipitation worldwide, causing more frequent and severe drought events worldwide. Drought affects many ecological processes, including plant-herbivore interactions, which are critical to biodiversity and ecosystem health. A variety of plant characteristics can influence herbivory – such as how hairy, nutritious, or toxic a leaf is – and drought has been shown to alter many of these traits. Unique characteristics of herbivore species are also important: herbivores can either feed on a variety of plants (generalists) or a group of closely related plants (specialists). Specialists can cope with traits of the plants they eat, while generalists are …

Technological Behaviour Of Pellets Containing Dried Green Crop, Christian Furll

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pelleted dried green crop presents essential advantages compared to chaff and meal as processing forms. Normally, the solidity of the pellets does not exceed the values required by animal feeding. Abrasion resulting from turnover processes is at present too high, particularly for the discharge of bins. Belt conveyors, vibrating conveyors, and bucket elevators are suitable to convey pellets. Storage of pellets over long periods has to be done by respecting prescribed climate conditions. Zones with excessive portion of abraded par­ticles in the storing pile are a preferred cause for self-heating. Slit-type dosing units as well as dosing units equipped with …

Results Of Comparative Investigations Into The Chevving And Ruminating Activities Of The Dairy Cow Fed Dried Forage From Grass And Leguminous Crops, B Piatkowski, S Nagel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The chewing and ruminating activities were studied of dairy cows fed grass, alfalfa, and straw of different physical forms. An electronic­ally controlled measuring device was applied. When feeding 8 kg of grass hay (32 % crude fibre in dry matter), the ruminating time was 5: 24 and 1 :49 hours (20,712 and 6,982 ruminat­ing movements) for chopped and ground + pelleted forages, respectively. It declined from 1 : 49 to 0: 0 l hours (from 6,929 to 70 move­ments) when hot-air dried alfalfa (23 % crude fibre) was fed in chopped and ground + pelleted forms, respectively. The ruminating time …

Feed Efficiency In Dairy Cows Of Roughages Preserved And Treated In Different Ways, M Zausch, E Boldt

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Trials were conducted with dairy cows to investigate the feed efficiency of grass-clover mixture (wilted silage, silage made of fresh material with addition of foDTiic acid, artifi­cially dried forage, pellets with varying portions of straw). The results obtained allow to draw the following conclusions:

As regards dry matter intake, digestibility, and feed efficiency, grass-dover for wilted silage should be wilted to give a OM content not exceeding 40 %.

Pelleting artificially dried grass-clover mix­ture and its use in mixed rations together with other separately pelleted components should be avoided.

The best feed efficiency is reached when dried grass-clover is converted …

The Influence Of Dried And Ensiled Grass On Rumen Fermen­Tation, J Voigt, B Piatkowski

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rumen-fistulated cows were used to study the influence of the forage preservation technique on rumen fermentation and holdup time of the feed in the rumen. Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) preserved as wilted silage or dried green crop was fed in the following variants: wilted silage alone; wilted silage + sugar beet + protein supplement; dried green crop alone; dried green crop + sugar beet + protein supplement. As compared with dried green crop, the shares of true protein and sugar in wilted silage were reduced from 9.8 • to 6.4 '.'I􀉧 and from 7.7 to 1.8 %in DM, respectively. In comparison …

Changes In Feeding Value Of Preserved Grass And Legumes By The Action Of High Temperatures, R Prym, F Weissbach

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

High temperatures acting on grass and legumes during preservation and storage, cause nutrient digestibility to deteriorate. Protein digestibility is likely to be most strongly affected. Digest­ibility measurements were performed on sheep to estimate the extent of heat damage suffered by dried green forage and silages. Various laboratory methods were applied for record­ing. such damage. The detennination of the acid-detergent insoluble crude protein portion proved a very suitable approach.

Growth And Nitrogen Retention Of Lambs Fed Alfalfa Dehy­Drated At Different Temperatures, H K. Goering

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa was dried at four temperatures ranging from 60 to 180 °C in two experiments to evaluate the effect on composition, diet di­gestibility, and growth by lambs. In Experi­ment I, the alfalfa was supplemented with 0.6 % salt and pelleted. In Experiment 2, alfalfa was supplemented with 24.4 % starch, 18.5% straw, 6% cane molasses, 0.5% sodium phosphate, and 0.6 % salt so that total nitrogen intake was not in excess of the protein require­ment for growth of the lambs. Cell wall, acid­detergent fiber, lignin, acid-detergent insoluble nitrogen, and pepsin insoluble nitrogen in­creased in the alfalfa dried at 180 °C. …

Non-Mechanical Field Losses In Wilting Grasses As Influenced By Different Factors, G Rucker, O Knabe

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

When wilting grasses, non-mechanical field losses of different extent may occur. The main factors influencing the extent of losses were: water content at cutting time, drying rate, temperature, amount of rain, swath den­sity, and content of water-soluble carbohy­drates in the crop.

The Effect Of Mechanical, Thermal And Chemical Treatment On The Loss Of Water From Cut Leaves Of Grasses, Colin Edward Harris

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that cut grass -leaves have a high resistance to water loss, probably largely due to the imper­meability of the surface cuticle to water vapour. This resistance can be reduced and drying rate increased by thermal and mechanical treatment, and by exposure to the vapour of boiling petroleum ether. The effectiveness of formic acid and tri-n-butyl phosphate suggests the possibility of using chemicals to increase the drying rate of grass crops cut for hay and dried in the field.

Measures For Increasing The Efficiency Of Hot-Air Drying Of Forage, Siegfried Prufer, Gerd Neubert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the GDR, the drying of wilted green forage as well as of whole plants of cereals and grain maize considerably improves the effi­ciency of hot-air drying as a whole. The proc­essing of wilted crop and the inclusion of whole-plant drying in the drying pattern cause the throughput to increase by 30 to 50% and fuel consurnption per ton of dried crop to de­crease by up to 50 %, in comparison with drying of fresh green forage containing 15 to 18 % dry matter. Hot-air drying is particularly suitable for feed production along industrial lines. -Being but little dependent on …

Gdr Standard Plant For Producing Feed Pellets On Straw Basis, Gerheard Schmidt

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Following the international trend, livestock production units are growing in size. Straw, a major feed reserve, must be effectively utilized to meet the growing roughage requirements, especially of ruminants. Therefore, in the GDR a standard feed pelleting plant (type GF A) was developed and put to commercial production. The various machines and equipment em­ployed in the different stages of the GFA pellet­ing technology are explained in detail. The use of that standard feed pelleting plant shows the advantages of processing straw for semi-finished and finished feeds.

The Efficiency Of Producing And Feeding Complete-Ration Feed Briquets Containing Forage Chop, G V. Blagoveshcheski, V M. Sokolov

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Production of forage chop from a clover­timothy mixture is efficient when harvesting the forage between the shooting of clover (35 to 40 cm stand height) and mid-flowering. For high-temperature drying, each vegetative stage of the plants requires a clearly defined regime. When establishing formulas for com­plete-ration feed briquets containing clover­timoihy chop harvested before clover budding, the protein/carbohydrate ratio must be bal­anced by supplementing the ration with 30 p.c. barley meal and 29 p.c. straw; when the mix­ture was harvested during budding, phos­phorus supplementation (one p.c. monocal­cium phosphate) is necessary, whilst the mix­ture harvested during flowering has to be supplemented with …

The Production Of Dry Feeds From Straw And Green Forage In The Gdr, Fritz Berg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the GDR, at present about 9% of the feed energy requirement of cattle is covered by dry feeds, above all mechanically processed and chemically treated straw as well as dried green forages. This share is expected to rise to 15 % in forthcoming years. On the basis of technological fundamentals devised by animal nutritionists, corresponding production processes are being developed and perfected. They allow to convert the feedstuffs into a physical and chemical form favourable to high intake; in addition, the feeding value of high-fibre feedstuffs is improved. In this way, the feedstuffs are fed in favourable com­bination as …

Evaluation And Determination Off Actors Defining The Length Of Thin-Stalked Green Forage Chop, Peter Szendro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A more exact analysis of the length distribution of chopped material from thin-stalked green forage crops provides more information for the further processing of this material and for comparing the quality of work of the different technologies. Material cut into longer and less homoge­neous chop with heavier destruction of the green plant particles shows properties more suitable for further processing than chop harvested with a self-propelled precision-chop forage harvester. In consideration of the special importance of the questions discussed it seems advisable to continue the experiments and to perform them under production conditions as well; the results thus obtained will …

Organization Of Wilted Silage Production Along Industrial Lines In The Selbelang Inter-Farm Cooperative Crop Produc­Tion Division, Hunter Watzke, Karl Bachmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The production of high-quality wilted silages on the basis of highly efficient machines and facilities for harvesting and preservation in the Selbelang inter-farm cooperative crop pro­duction division (KAP) is determined by the use of industrial methods of production. Ob­servance of optimum spans for harvesting forage to be used for the production of wilted silage, and the full utilization of machinery and facilities at rising levels of labour pro­ductivity and declining cost are achieved by way of complex and shift employment of machines, facilities, and workers. The size of machine complexes and their performance are dependent on the shape, equipment and …

Possibilities Of Ensiling Meadow Grass With Different Water Content, Roman Moraczewski, Helena Jurkiewicz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The paper involves results of investigations into the influence of various methods of grass preservation, different cutting times, and dif­Jerent water contents on the nutrient and min­eral levels in the silage. These results show good possibilities of preserving meadow grass by ensiling. Silage fodder has higher contents of crude protein, crude fibre, crude fat, and ash constituents than are found in hay dried under optimum conditions.

Material And Processing Characteristics Of Grasses And Grass Silages, Manfred Muller, Georg Otto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Material and processing characteristics are essential initial values for planning of proce­dures in industrialized crop production. From the technological stages and process sequences from grass mowing to removing the silage, the following key operations can be derived: chop­ping,. compressing, storing, and removing. For adequate planning of procedures it is necessary to determine the quantitative relations between the essential factors: chopper throughput, pro­portion of short chop, crude fibre content, and relative final density. A relation suitable for practical application and providing sufficient accuracy is established for estimating the mean dry matter content of a trailer load. If high­quality silage is to …