cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Vibration and sound signal analysis in gas stirred ladles
Creators: name: Yenus, Jaefer
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: The thesis is about improving the quality of steel and optimizing the cost of the secondary steel making process. It tried to examine how sensors can be useful in automating the steel production operations. The work showed that an accelerometer and a microphone which measure sound and vibration signals respectively may greatly help in estimating the actual phenomenon happening during steelmaking. The study aimed at addressing an industrial problem on accurately evaluating the volumetric gas flow rate used to mix the molten steel. The outcome of this research is used to improve steel quality.
Washington State University Puget Sound Extension Forestry E-Newsletter, Fall 2022
Creators: name: Washington State University Puget Sound Extension
Publisher: name: Washington State University
Year: 2022

description: In this issue:
description: • Forester’s notes
description: • Western Washington Online Forest Owners’ Field Day – October 22nd
description: • Focus on Forestry – November 10th
description: • Winter 2023 Online Forest Stewardship Coached Planning courses
description: • Sapsuckers bigleaf maple syrup community science program
description: • New NW WA Extension Forester
description: • 2023 conservation district plant sales
description: • New publications of interest
description: • Other educational opportunities
description: • Focus on: Emerald ash borer
description: • Subscription and contact info
The Impacts of Social Media Distractors on Attentional Task Performance
Creators: name: Collins, Jessica
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2022
Subjects: Social media
Attention
Cognitive Psychology

description: Smartphones and social media have become an increasingly common form of distraction in recent years. However, there is limited research investigating the impacts of social media-specific distractors. The content of social media notifications, whether negative or positive, may differentially impact attention. A Continual Temporal Expectancy Task (CTET) was used to examine sustained attention in 16 undergraduate students in three separate conditions: positive, negative, and neutral. Relationships between executive function and affective measures were also examined. Results indicated no significant differences in task accuracy among conditions, but there was a significant interaction between time and condition in terms of time on task effects. In addition, higher scores on the reflection subscale of the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) were correlated with better task performance, notably in the negative condition. Implications include that individuals who partake in more positive self-reflection or introspection may be better able to filter out unpleasant stimuli. Future research should examine the relationship between social media and attention in a more robust sample and possibly look into sex differences in distractibility.
A functional pipeline framework for landmark identification on 3D surface extracted from volumetric data
Creators: name: Zheng, Pan
name: Belaton, Bahari
name: Liao, Iman Yi
name: Rajion, Zainul Ahmad
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Landmarks, also known as feature points, are one of the important geometry primitives that describe the predominant characteristics of a surface. In this study we proposed a self-contained framework to generate landmarks on surfaces extracted from volumetric data. The framework is designed to be a three-fold pipeline structure. The pipeline comprises three phases which are surface construction, crest line extraction and landmark identification. With input as a volumetric data and output as landmarks, the pipeline takes in 3D raw data and produces a 0D geometry feature. In each phase we investigate existing methods, extend and tailor the methods to fit the pipeline design. The pipeline is designed to be functional as it is modularised to have a dedicated function in each phase. We extended the implicit surface polygonizer for surface construction in first phase, developed an alternative way to compute the gradient of maximal curvature for crest line extraction in second phase and finally we combine curvature information and K-means clustering method to identify the landmarks in the third phase. The implementations are firstly carried on a controlled environment, i.e. synthetic data, for proof of concept. Then the method is tested on a small scale data set and subsequently on huge data set. Issues and justifications are addressed accordingly for each phase.
Laws of the land: Aboriginal customary law, state law and sustainable resource management in Canada's north.
Creators: name: Chapeskie, Andrew.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1993
Subjects: subject: Law.

description: This thesis presents a comparative analysis of Aboriginal customary law and Canadian law in relation to the management and conservation of natural resources on crown lands. By reference to field research carried out with respect to a specific context of Aboriginal resource management, the thesis highlights the sophistication and distinctiveness of the customary Aboriginal regulation of community-based common property resource harvesting and management in both subsistence and commercial use contexts. This perspective reveals the conflictual tendencies between Aboriginal and State systems of the regulation of resource management where the former has been largely unrecognized by the latter. An analysis of the relevant jurisprudence highlights the ethocentric bias mitigating against the recognition and acceptance of Aboriginal resource management that has continued right up to the present time.
A novel method for multifactorial biochemical experiments design based on combinational design theory
Creators: name: Wang, Xun
name: Sun, Beibei
name: Liu, Boyang
name: Fu, Yaping
name: Zheng, Pan
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Experimental design focuses on describing or explaining the multifactorial interactions that are hypothesized to reflect the variation. The design introduces conditions that may directly affect the variation, where particular conditions are purposely selected for observation. Combinatorial design theory deals with the existence, construction and properties of systems of finite sets whose arrangements satisfy generalized concepts of balance and/or symmetry. In this work, borrowing the concept of “balance” in combinatorial design theory, a novel method for multifactorial bio-chemical experiments design is proposed, where balanced templates in combinational design are used to select the conditions for observation. Balanced experimental data that covers all the influencing factors of experiments can be obtianed for further processing, such as training set for machine learning models. Finally, a software based on the proposed method is developed for designing experiments with covering influencing factors a certain number of times.
Investigating the zoonotic origin of the West African Ebola epidemic
Creators: name: Saéz, Almudena Marí
name: Weiss, Sabrina
name: Nowak, Kathrin
name: Lapeyre, Vincent
name: Zimmermann, Fee
name: Düx, Ariane
name: Kühl, Hjalmar S.
name: Kaba, Moussa
name: Regnaut, Sebastien
name: Merkel, Kevin
name: Sachse, Andreas
name: Thiesen, Ulla
name: Villányi, Lili
name: Boesch, Christophe
name: Dabrowski, Piotr W.
name: Radoni´C, Aleksandar
name: Nitsche, Andreas
name: Leendertz, Siv Aina J.
name: Petterson, Stefan
name: Becker, Stephan
name: Krähling, Verena
name: Couacy-Hymann, Emmanuel
name: Akoua-Koffi, Chantal
name: Weber, Natalie
name: Schaade, Lars
name: Fahr, Jakob
name: Borchert, Matthias
name: Gogarten, Jan F.
name: Calvignac-Spencer, Sébastien
name: Leendertz, Fabian H.
Publisher: name: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit

description: The severe Ebola virus disease epidemic occurring in West Africa stems from a single zoonotic transmission event to a 2‐year‐old boy in Meliandou, Guinea. We investigated the zoonotic origins of the epidemic using wildlife surveys, interviews, and molecular analyses of bat and environmental samples. We found no evidence for a concurrent outbreak in larger wildlife. Exposure to fruit bats is common in the region, but the index case may have been infected by playing in a hollow tree housing a colony of insectivorous free‐tailed bats (Mops condylurus). Bats in this family have previously been discussed as potential sources for Ebola virus outbreaks, and experimental data have shown that this species can survive experimental infection. These analyses expand the range of possible Ebola virus sources to include insectivorous bats and reiterate the importance of broader sampling efforts for understanding Ebola virus ecology.
Suppression of murine splenic mononuclear cell response to mitogen by irradiation and tetanus toxoid: A study of possible mechanisms.
Creators: name: Harrington, Noel P.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1994
Subjects: subject: Health Sciences, Immunology.

description: This study examines the possible mechanisms by which radiation and the bacterial toxin, Tetanus toxoid (TT), suppress the murine splenic mononuclear cell (SMNC) response to mitogen. This study demonstrates that the lymphocyte proliferation response of SMNC to the mitogenic lectin PHA can be suppressed by TT in a dose-dependant manner in vitro, without affecting the viability of the cells, in the anti-proliferative concentrations used (0.5-5 $\mu$g/ml). SMNC pre-incubated with TT could suppress the pHA blastogenic response of fresh autologous cells during co-incubation suggestion the involvement of activated suppressor cells. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that TT does not produce an alteration in the cellular balance, indicating that the suppression would appear to be dependant upon a change in T cell function. TT down-regulated the expression of class II MHC antigens on antigen-presenting cells which may represent an inappropriate costimulatory signal required for T cell activation. Whole body irradiation has been reported to induce active immune suppression. In the present study, ionizing radiation (0-700 cGy) produced decreased spleen cellularity and decreased ability of surviving SMNC to respond to mitogen. There was no evidence, however, to indicate that irradiation (100 cGy) activated suppressor cells during the first 7 days post-irradiation. Similarly, radiation did not seem to interact with TT to increase the amount of TT-induced suppression. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Choanolaimus de Man 1880
Creators: name: Leduc, Daniel
name: Zhao, Zeng Qi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Nematoda
Chromadorea
Chromadorida
Selachinematidae
Choanolaimus

description: Genus Choanolaimus de Man, 1880
Type species
Choanolaimus psammophilus de Man, 1880 (= Halichoanolaimus obtusicaudatus Shulz, 1934).
Diagnosis (emended from Tchesunov 2014)
All the anterior sensilla are papilliform. Cuticle is laterally differentiated with larger, more widely separated punctations. Spiral amphidial fovea with two or more turns. Rhabdions of the anterior cup-shaped buccal chamber posteriorly bicuspid. Pharynx cylindrical or with weak posterior bulb. Intestine blind; anus absent. Precloacal supplements are papilla pierced by fine pores. Tail very short, rounded conical or semicircular.
Remarks
The type species of the genus occurs in dunes (“about roots of beach spermatophytes”; de Man 1880: 50) and estuarine environments (Riemann 1966). Halichoanolaimus obtusicaudatus Schulz, 1934 was synonymised with Choanolaimus psammophilus by Gerlach (1964). The diagnosis is emended to reflect the blind intestine and the absence of the anus in representatives of this genus.
description: Published as part of Leduc, Daniel & Zhao, Zeng Qi, 2025, Three new nematode species (Chromadorida: Selachinematidae) from the continental slope of New Zealand, pp. 119-143 in European Journal of Taxonomy 989 on page 123, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.989.2889, http://zenodo.org/record/15316535
The Experience of Patients who are Blind or Low Vision in Genetic Counseling; A Qualitative Study About Effective Patient Education
Creators: name: Dellas, Helen
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2022
Subjects: accessibility
equitable
genetic counseling
low-vision
patient education
Blindness
Medical Counseling

description: There are millions of blind and low vision individuals in the United States, and many genetic disorders are associated with vision loss. Coupled with the growth of the genetic counseling field, it is important that we identify ways to improve the genetic counseling experience for this patient population. As genetic counseling strives to be more accessible to all, regardless of race, socioeconomic, or disability status, it is important to gather the opinions of those groups that we wish to assist. However, to this date, there is limited information about the needs of blind and low vision patients when it comes to genetic counseling. This qualitative study is the first of our knowledge to interview individuals who self-identify as either blind or having low vision, about their experience with genetic counseling.Ten individuals who identify as blind or low vision and have recently had genetic counseling were interviewed to determine what this experience is like and consider ways it can be improved, especially regarding effective patient education. All interviews were transcribed, and coded using an inductive approach in Atlas.ti9. Sixty-four codes were utilized, and five of the ten transcripts were independently coded by a second researcher to ensure concordance. Ultimately, five themes emerged from this coding analysis: 1) Inaccessibility, 2) Support systems and autonomy, 3) Feelings about vision loss or disability, 4) Assistive methods, and 5) Service delivery models. Recommendations were made to the field of genetic counseling that emphasized the central tenets of genetic counseling, including offering accessible counseling materials, evaluating patient support systems, and utilizing empathic understanding. Further research is needed to determine whether these themes can be generalized to the greater blind or low vision patient population.
Subthalamic nucleus stimulation impairs emotional conflict adaptation in Parkinson’s disease
Creators: name: Irmen, Friederike
name: Hueb, Julius
name: Schroll, Henning
name: Brücke, Christof
name: Schneider, Gerd-Helge
name: Hamker, Fred H.
name: Kühn, Andrea A.
Publisher: name: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: subthalamic nucleus
subject: deep brain stimulation
subject: emotional conflict
subject: stroop model
subject: Parkinson’s disease
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit

description: The subthalamic nucleus (STN) occupies a strategic position in the motor network, slowing down responses in situations with conflicting perceptual input. Recent evidence suggests a role of the STN in emotion processing through strong connections with emotion recognition structures. As deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the STN in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) inhibits monitoring of perceptual and value-based conflict, STN DBS may also interfere with emotional conflict processing. To assess a possible interference of STN DBS with emotional conflict processing, we used an emotional Stroop paradigm. Subjects categorized face stimuli according to their emotional expression while ignoring emotionally congruent or incongruent superimposed word labels. Eleven PD patients ON and OFF STN DBS and eleven age-matched healthy subjects conducted the task. We found conflict-induced response slowing in healthy controls and PD patients OFF DBS, but not ON DBS, suggesting STN DBS to decrease adaptation to within-trial conflict. OFF DBS, patients showed more conflict-induced slowing for negative conflict stimuli, which was diminished by STN DBS. Computational modelling of STN influence on conflict adaptation disclosed DBS to interfere via increased baseline activity.
title: Towards systems biology of heterosis
title: a hypothesis about molecular network structure applied for the Arabidopsis metabolome
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Andorf, Sandra
name: Gärtner, Tanja
name: Steinfath, Matthias
name: Witucka-Wall, Hanna
name: Altmann, Thomas
name: Repsilber, Dirk
Publisher: name: Universität Potsdam
Year: 2020

description: We propose a network structure-based model for heterosis, and investigate it relying on metabolite profiles from Arabidopsis. A simple feed-forward two-layer network model (the Steinbuch matrix) is used in our conceptual approach. It allows for directly relating structural network properties with biological function. Interpreting heterosis as increased adaptability, our model predicts that the biological networks involved show increasing connectivity of regulatory interactions. A detailed analysis of metabolite profile data reveals that the increasing-connectivity prediction is true for graphical Gaussian models in our data from early development. This mirrors properties of observed heterotic Arabidopsis phenotypes. Furthermore, the model predicts a limit for increasing hybrid vigor with increasing heterozygosity—a known phenomenon in the literature.
description: Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe, 949
Exploring the use of olfaction in house sparrow (Passer domesticus) behavior
Creators: name: Wanamaker, Sarah Margaret
Publisher: name: Washington State University
Year: 2015
Subjects: House sparrow
Smell
odor--female--olfactory--signal--chemical--birds--species

description: Chemosignals are an important means of communication between individuals across taxa, from bacteria to mammals. Nonetheless, a traditional belief that birds have little sense of smell has left the field of avian olfaction largely ignored. Yet there is growing evidence that olfaction is used by many avian species in various contexts, including social behavior and reproduction. Here, we explore the role of odors and chemical communication in songbird behavior using a captive house sparrow (Passer domesticus) model. Behavioral trials tested subjects' responses to 1) predator odor and 2) male and female conspecific odors. During behavioral trials, female sparrows were provided two nest boxes, each containing either a treatment or control odor. To test whether females respond to predator odors, the nest boxes contained used or unused rat bedding. We predicted that individuals would detect and avoid the predator odor by spending more time at the predator-free nest box. To test whether intraspecific odor acts as a sexual signal, preen oil from either male or female sparrows was placed in each nest box. Previous research suggests preen oil may be used as a chemosignal, but few studies have tested this. We predicted that as females enter breeding condition, motivation to find a mate would increase and females would therefore spend more time investigating the male-scented nest box. Individual response to these odors was measured using motion detectors to record the amount of time spent in or around each next box, and these data were used to deduce the female's odor preference. We found that female house sparrows avoided the treatment nest box containing used rat bedding, supporting our hypothesis and suggesting that house sparrows use olfactory cues to detect and avoid predators. However, there was no significant difference in the amount of time spent with the male or female odor. Thus, our hypothesis was not supported. It is possible that male odor alone did not pique female interest, but perhaps is one of multiple cues used in mate choice.
FORMACIÓN MORAL Y SOCIAL DE LOS HIJOS
Creators: name: Dr. A. Furutan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012

description: Este libro (del cual fue extraído este tema) fue escrito a partir de mi experiencia como psicólogo infantil trabajando con niños y sus madres. Es una guía práctica para madres y padres, y no una presentación académica, aún cuando los académicos y los educadores puedan encontrar en él lo que les interese. Mi intención era ayudar a los padres en sus diarios esfuerzos por llevar a cabo la difícil tarea de educar a un niño. Al escribir el libro, he usado ideas recogidas de estudios de las Escrituras Bahá'ís, de la Biblia, del Corán, de filósofos tales como Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Darwin y Spencer, y de educadores y psicólogos infantiles de nuestra propia época. No he enumerado todos los títulos, pero los padres que tengan interés podrán encontrar un cúmulo de información valiosa disponible en librerías y bibliotecas. Originalmente escrito en persa, el libro ha sido editado para el lector occidental. Quisiera expresar mis sinceros agradecimientos a los traductores Katayoon y Robert Crerar, y a Mahnaz Aflatooni, quien tradujo los extractos de poesía persa. Quisiera también agradecer a tos correctores de prueba, Ginnie Busey, Steve Eddy, Rustom Sabit y Stephen Tomlin.
DBR Case Study Template
Creators: name: Cochrane, Thomas
Publisher: name: The University of Melbourne
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 390102
subject: Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development

description: A Design Based Research Case Study Template including:Description of the projectActivity Theory to identify the constraints and strengths of the socio-cultural contextIdentifying Bakker's 5 characteristics of DBROutcomes: Sustained, Expansive or AdaptiveCrafting a Design Principles Statement
Open-Ended Dynamics of Coevolutionary Games
Creators: name: Willkens, Thomas Colburn
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2024
Subjects: cellular automata
coevolution
cooptimization
evolutionary computation
open-endedness
Optimization

description: A recently proposed coevolutionary domain, the Linguistic Prediction Game (LPG), has shown evidence of open-ended dynamics and complexity growth. The game involves combinations of cooperative and competitive interactions within an ecosystem model. Two avenues are given for future work: (1) to find whether the results of the game are truly complex, and (2) to put the model to practical use. The MODES Toolbox is a recent set of metrics for examining such systems. After applying the metrics and performing adaptive pruning, we find that genetic material produced by the LPG, while structurally complex, can be largely nonadaptive in a manner similar to spandrels found in evolutionary biology. To further probe the generality of the evolutionary dynamics, we propose the Collision Game, a new domain with similar characteristics. Despite observing much interesting behavior, we ultimately find that complexity growth appears dependent on the domain, substrate, and selection method. Adopting the perspective of cooptimization and directly seeking a measure of utility, we recast the LPG as the Moore Machine Binary Prediction Task (MM-BPT); however, the problem is found to be too difficult for existing heuristics. This leads us to propose a new algorithm, QueMEU, that maintains a reliable learning gradient in spite of coevolutionary pathologies. In addition to increasing utility on the MM-BPT, certain QueMEU configurations yield strong rates of adaptive complexity growth, novelty, and change by the standards of the MODES Toolbox. Experiments further show that QueMEU outperforms recent alternative cooptimization heuristics across a set of challenging established benchmarks, giving evidence of the algorithm's potential to benefit a wide range of practical applications.
Enhancing sustainability: co-pyrolysis of date palm branches and wastewater microalgae for tailored biochar production
Creators: name: Akhtar, Ali
name: Jiříček, Ivo
name: Krepl, Vladimir
name: Mehrabadi, Abbas
name: Ivanova, Tatiana
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Plant Biology

description: The use of waste products in different applications contains prime importance in today’s research and industry. Researchers are working on producing innovative technologies and processes to utilize waste and produce valuable products for different applications. Microalgae-derived char contains low aromaticity and heating values with relatively higher nitrogen content than lignocellulosic char. This study presents the use of waste from date palm branches and wastewater-derived microalgae through co-pyrolysis to produce char of improved properties. Two batches of experiments were conducted (a) single-step pyrolysis (SSP) and (b) two-step pyrolysis, in the range of highest treatment temperature of 400–600 °C. Single-step pyrolysed char showed lower aromaticity, higher yield, ash content and heating values of the char than two-step pyrolysed char. Similarly, ignition temperature and activation energy were higher during combustion by single-step pyrolysed char than two-step char. Economic analysis also showed slightly higher prices for single-step pyrolysed char. Hence, two-step pyrolysed char is suitable for energy applications, whereas low-temperature processing (400–500 °C) will result in optimum properties in terms of yield and heating values.
Whisper, Speak, Sing
Creators: name: Adamthwaite, Tyler
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2019
Subjects: String Quartet

description: Whisper, Speak, Sing is a string quartet which seeks to explore the affect of spoken\r word using instruments. The poem Alice, Bewildered, by A.E. Stallings was broken down\r into its phonetic components and recontextualized into sounds that a string quartet could\r reproduce. No text remains from the poem and no formal structures within the work were\r derived directly from the poem. The composer’s rhythm of speaking the poem derived the\r formal elements of the piece. This leads the ensemble to play with atypical (extended)\r techniques, some of which were derived directly by the composer. Primarily these\r techniques focus on creating the initial attack sounds produced by the human voice. Vowel sounds were interpreted as pitch materials at the digression of the composer. The sonic space seeks to create the atmosphere of the poetry in the mind of the listener, bridging the gap between physical and mental soundscapes.
The potential production of biofuel from Sargassum sp.: turning the waste catastrophe into an opportunity
Creators: name: Tulashie, Samuel Kofi
name: Osei, Clement Akonnor
name: Kwofie, Rebecca
name: Olorunyomi, Mavis Olayemi
name: Attagba, Hope
name: Boateng, Oscar Opoku
name: Adade, Richard
name: Mattah, Precious
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy
subject: Plant Biology

description: This study employs the potential for biofuel production from Sargassum sp. (macroalgae) addressing the environmental challenges it poses to coastal communities worldwide. Sargassum, obtained from seawater as waste presents a promising feedstock with 4–64% carbohydrate and 0.5 – 3.9% lipid content, making it a promising source for bioethanol and biodiesel production. The research investigates the impact of concentration, pH, temperature, and fermentation time on bioethanol quantity and assesses extractive procedures and solvents for biodiesel production . The Anthrone method was used to quantify and evaluate reducing sugars in acid hydrolysates at varying concentrations (0.09, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 M). Biodiesel production involved Soxhlet extraction and cold maceration with different solvents (hexane, petroleum ether, dichloromethane, and diethyl ether), followed by transesterification using methanol and sodium hydroxide at 60 °C for 30 min. The descending order of biodiesel yield for the solvents after the transesterification process was diethyl ether, dichloromethane, hexane, and petroleum ether, for both methods. The biodiesel was characterized by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), Kinematic viscosity, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy while the produced bioethanol was evaluated using FTIR. The findings are instrumental for establishing the feasibility of bioethanol and biodiesel production from Sargassum, offering insights into optimal conditions and solvent selection.
Using DNA Nanostars to Program the Crystallization of DNA-Coated Colloids
Creators: name: Koretsky, Adrian
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2023
Subjects: DNA Nanostars
DNA-Coated Colloids
Self-Asssembly
Crystallization

description: DNA-coated colloids have been used as a model system to study self-assembly, and in particular, crystallization: the formation of ordered, repeating structures. Typically, attractive interactions between particles are mediated by direct hybridization between DNA strands grafted onto the particles’ surfaces. I will describe a new approach in which DNA nanostars mediate the interactions of DNA-coated colloids. DNA nanostars are multi-armed, self-assembled structures made up of complementary, single-stranded DNA molecules. Changing the number of strands and their sequences alters the number of arms (valence), arm length (size), and strength of interaction. We find that two-, four-, and eight-arm nanostars can direct the assembly of face-centered cubic (FCC) colloidal crystals with variable lattice spacing. Furthermore, whereas direct hybridization typically results in defective polycrystalline structures in a one-component mixture, we find that four-arm nanostars form single-domain, faceted crystals, which we hypothesize results from changes in the crystal growth rate. Finally, I discuss the beginnings of quantification and comparison of the growth rates of crystals with interactions mediated by direct hybridization versus nanostar linkers. These results suggest that DNA nanostars may be a useful tool to more easily control single crystal formation and program crystal properties, like the lattice spacing, without the need to synthesize many different particle types.
Application of spent coffee ground as a road subgrade construction material
Creators: name: Kua, Teck Ang
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Exponential growth in construction projects across the Globe has resulted in dwindling natural resources. On the other hand, rapid urbanisation also leads to increased amount of municipal and industrial waste, consequently raising the demand for landfill space. This research focused on treating Spent Coffee Ground- a beverage waste resulting from one of the most popular commodities in the current generation, into a recycled product which has adequate strength to be considered a construction material for roadwork foundations. The end product would provide a waste-management alternative which reduces both the demand for landfill space and raw construction materials.
title: Minimization of Childhood Maltreatment Is Common and Consequential
title: Results from a Large, Multinational Sample Using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: MacDonald, Kai
name: Thomas, Michael L.
name: Sciolla, Andres F.
name: Schneider, Beacher
name: Pappas, Katherine
name: Bleijenberg, Gijs
name: Bohus, Martin
name: Bekh, Bradley
name: Carpenter, Linda
name: Carr, Alan
name: Dannlowski, Udo
name: Dorahy, Martin
name: Fahlke, Claudia
name: Finzi-Dottan, Ricky
name: Karu, Tobi
name: Gerdner, Arne
name: Glaesmer, Heide
name: Grabe, Hans Jörgen
name: Heins, Marianne
name: Kenny, Dianna T.
name: Kim, Daeho
name: Knoop, Hans
name: Lobbestael, Jill
name: Lochner, Christine
name: Lauritzen, Grethe
name: Ravndal, Edle
name: Riggs, Shelley
name: Sar, Vedat
name: Schäfer, Ingo
name: Schlosser, Nicole
name: Schwandt, Melanie L.
name: Stein, Murray B.
name: Subic-Wrana, Claudia
name: Vogel, Mark
name: Wingenfeld, Katja
Publisher: name: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: 100 Philosophie und Psychologie::150 Psychologie
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit

description: Childhood maltreatment has diverse, lifelong impact on morbidity and mortality. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) is one of the most commonly used scales to assess and quantify these experiences and their impact. Curiously, despite very widespread use of the CTQ, scores on its Minimization-Denial (MD) subscale—originally designed to assess a positive response bias—are rarely reported. Hence, little is known about this measure. If response biases are either common or consequential, current practices of ignoring the MD scale deserve revision. Therewith, we designed a study to investigate 3 aspects of minimization, as defined by the CTQ’s MD scale: 1) its prevalence; 2) its latent structure; and finally 3) whether minimization moderates the CTQ’s discriminative validity in terms of distinguishing between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Archival, item-level CTQ data from 24 multinational samples were combined for a total of 19,652 participants. Analyses indicated: 1) minimization is common; 2) minimization functions as a continuous construct; and 3) high MD scores attenuate the ability of the CTQ to distinguish between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Overall, results suggest that a minimizing response bias—as detected by the MD subscale—has a small but significant moderating effect on the CTQ’s discriminative validity. Results also may suggest that some prior analyses of maltreatment rates or the effects of early maltreatment that have used the CTQ may have underestimated its incidence and impact. We caution researchers and clinicians about the widespread practice of using the CTQ without the MD or collecting MD data but failing to assess and control for its effects on outcomes or dependent variables.
Cartographie de la dégradation des sols par une approche géomatique dans la région d'Azilal, Haut Atlas marocain
Creators: name: Parenteau, Marie-Pierre
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2004
Subjects: subject: Physical Geography.

description: Changes in land cover at a regional scale and the assessment of the risk of soil degradation at the scale of the basin require not only information on the physical structure of soil but also appropriate tools to evaluate these changes. In order to identify the areas subject to a high risk of degradation in a region of Northern Africa, a geomatics approach integrating the following variables was considered: state of soil degradation, slope length, aspect, presence of vegetation and the erosive potential of overland flow. In order to map the state of soil degradation, the Hue and the Coloration indices were calculated from remotely sensed imagery. The complimentary nature of these two spectral indices allows the identification of the different levels of soil degradation. A vegetation index, MSAVI(2), was used to obtain a map of vegetation. Geomorphometric data (aspect, slope length, stream power index), were derived from a DEM generated in a GIS from a topographic map at a 1:50 000 scale. These data were integrated in a GIS by means of a multicriterion model. Multicriterion evaluations were then performed to identify and map areas of potential degradation. Model results were then compared with a cartographic document (reference map) using the Kappa coefficient. Comparisons between modeled potential degradation and the reference map showed overall low levels of agreement. Subsequently, a visual comparison using photographs of the study area was also performed as a way to further evaluate the results of the proposed method. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
The end of convenience: a Hip Hopera and exegesis
Creators: name: Hogarth, Christina
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: This practice-led PhD consists of a feature film screenplay titled ‘THE END OF CONVENIENCE’ and an accompanying exegesis. The screenplay explores the life and relationship challenges encountered by couples who are forced by finances and circumstance to co-habit in share accommodation. It also investigates some of the difficulties of youth cohabitation, such as economic and social marginalisation. The dialogue is constructed in rap.
The exegesis benefits society by offering new insights into how creativity can comment on the role of gender and lived experience in Hip Hop. It also interrogates the debates around appropriation of cultural and musical forms.
Exploring the Effects of Neuromodulatory Input on Crustacean Stomatogastric Ganglion’s Adaptive Response to Elevated Levels of Extracellular Potassium
Creators: name: Li, Janis
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2021
Subjects: Neuromodulation
Crab
Cancer borealis
Potassium
Environmental Perturbation
Stomach
Pyloric
STG
STNS
Ganglia
CPG
Oxotremorine
Modulation

description: The crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) is a relatively simple central pattern generator that produces two well-studied robust rhythmic motor patterns in the absence of sensory feedback. One of the patterns, the pyloric rhythm, is responsible for controlling the muscles along the pyloric region of the crab’s stomach. Upstream neuromodulatory input from other ganglia support the pyloric rhythm by enhancing neuronal oscillations through an inward modulatory current (IMI).This modulation can be removed by a process called decentralization, which blocks/severs the connecting nerves. Previous studies have tested the response of the STG’s pyloric rhythm towards changes in ionic concentration, particularly 2.5x potassium concentration ([K+]) in its extracellular environment, which have led to the eventual crashing or silence of neural activity, followed by a gradual recovery. We are interested in understanding the role of upper neuromodulatory input in the circuit’s robustness and how its removal may affect how the pyloric rhythm adapts during repeated exposures to heightened levels of extracellular [K+]. Data provided by Mara Rue show that repeatedly exposing the circuit to a 2.5x [K+] environment, through 20-30 minute superfusions, causes the rhythm to consecutively increase its rate of recovery and decrease its chances of crashing. However, experiments that are decentralized before the repeated exposures have shown that removing upstream neuromodulatory input decreases the rhythm’s response recovery in 2.5x [K+], but does not eliminate the recovery altogether.
The Compost Connection for Western Agriculture, October 1998
Creators: name: Granatstein, David
Publisher: name: Washington State University Cooperative Extension
Year: 1998
Subjects: composting
Agriculture

description: Compost Workshops to Begin / Composting in the West: Weather and Feedstock / Effect of Windrow Composting on Weed Seed Germination and Viability / Vermicompost Analysis
Interrogating Safety: How College Students Navigate Resources in Times of Need
Creators: name: Lewis, Mariah Colorado
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2022
Subjects: Student Experience
College Students

description: This thesis explores how current Brandeis University undergraduate students 18 years or older respond to available resources and how they envision strengthening or changing them to better fit their needs. At Brandeis, this research begins to fill in a student perspective gap, as there was no university-approved way to collect sensitive data on students’ feelings about resources for academics, mental health, and assault prior to this project. Data was gathered through four focus groups with a total of 12 participants in order to get a better understanding of which on-campus or off-campus resources students utilize and their reasoning behind these preferences. Participants responded to fake scenarios where they were asked to identify and explain why they would offer specific resources to students in distressing situations. The key finding is that students vocalized how important it is to both modify and revolutionize the resources Brandeis currently provides. Brandeis students have varying degrees of knowledge, trust, and usage of campus resources and a more robust and diverse data set is needed to identify explicit patterns and trends as these findings have the potential to help inform future Brandeis policies. This research sheds light on the need to center the student perspective when it comes to how campus resources are created and managed.
The Genetic Counseling Profession: A Study of Factors that Influence Career Choice and Training Program Selection
Creators: name: Lewis, Heather
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2010
Subjects: diversity
students
genetic counselors
gender
ethnicity
recruitment
program selection
training programs

description: Since the opening of the first genetic counseling training program in 1969, the field has expanded to 30 programs in the United States, graduating approximately 230 students annually. Previous research has investigated why individuals select genetic counseling as a career, yet little is known about how applicants decide which program to attend. This study aimed to explore the factors that influence the selection of programs and whether the factors differ depending upon applicants’ demographic backgrounds. Genetic counseling students and practicing genetic counselors were invited via the National Society of Genetic Counselors and Program Directors listservs to complete an anonymous, online survey. Of the 707 total respondents, most discovered the genetic counseling profession through school or word of mouth. The most important factors for selecting programs to apply to were geographic area, program reputation, internship variety, cost of tuition, and ability to live near friends or family. When applying to programs, non-Caucasian respondents were significantly more likely to consider factual demographics about the program such as class/course size, faculty to student ratio, medical center affiliation, and program size than Caucasian respondents. The most important factors for selecting the program to attend were acceptance status, interaction with faculty/staff, geographic area, cost of tuition, program reputation and internship variety. Most respondents were accepted in their first application cycle. Non-Caucasian respondents went through multiple application cycles and were accepted to multiple schools at rates not significantly different from Caucasian respondents. Males were more likely than females to be accepted to multiple programs, however, they also went through multiple application cycles more frequently. This study is the first large-scale investigation into the criteria individuals use for selecting genetic counseling training programs. The results may be useful to the genetic counseling profession and its training programs in structuring recruitment strategies to attract future cohorts of students.
THE EFFECT OF WEATHER SHOCKS AND A STRATEGIC INVESTOR ON COMPETITION AND ABATEMENT EFFORTS UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
Creators: name: Aldhafian, Yazeed Rashed
Publisher: name: Washington State University
Year: 2026
Subjects: Abatement effort
Cournot
Emission fee
Monopoly
Strategic investor

description: The first chapter investigates how weather shocks that affect firm costs induce different output and abatement decisions. We find that imposing an emissions fee on the polluting firm reduces its output and increases its investments in abatement, while the output of its clean rival increases. When the polluting firm faces severe weather shocks, the emissions fee becomes less stringent; in contrast, when the clean firm faces severe weather shocks, the emissions fee becomes more stringent if environmental damages are relatively large. While we show that regulation is unambiguously welfare improving, our findings indicate a U-shaped relationship between welfare under regulation and the efficiency of the abatement efforts.
description: The second chapter investigates the impact of strategic investors on competition and abatement in energy markets. Under a monopoly market with a polluting company, the presence of strategic investors increases investments in abatement, decreases emissions fees, and increases total outputs with lower environmental damage in comparison to markets with no strategic investors when abatement is relatively efficient. In addition, the relationship between social welfare with regulation and abatement efficiency indicates a U-shaped relationship. Under a Cournot market, the presence of strategic investors increases investments in abatement, decreases emissions fees, and increases total outputs with lower environmental damage even if abatement is relatively costly. Interestingly, as the opportunity cost of investing in both firms increases, strategic investors decrease their investments in both firms. And as the opportunity cost continues to increase, investors further decrease their investment in the polluting firm while start to increase their investment in the clean firm.
description: The third chapter considers weather shocks that affect both consumers and firms, and its influence on competition and abatement efforts in a Cournot duopoly with a clean and a polluting firm. We find that emission fees effectively decrease the polluting firm's output while encouraging investment in abatement efforts. The cleaner firm gains from the decrease in its competitor's output. Furthermore, weather shocks on the polluting firm negatively impact emissions fees and investment in abatement. Conversely, shocks on the clean firm have a positive impact on both emissions fees and investment in abatement when damage severity is relatively large. Additionally, weather shocks affecting consumers increase the output of both firms along with emission fees and abatement. Importantly, regulation improves social welfare, highlighting its advantages over an unregulated environment. Our findings indicate a U-shape relationship between abatement efficacy and welfare under regulation.
Unhealthy Eating as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Stress and Anxiety: A Longitudinal Study of College Students Moderated by Depression
Creators: name: Singer, Hannah
Publisher: name: Brandeis University
Year: 2018
Subjects: Anxiety
Unhealthy Eating
Emotional Eating
Depression
College
Stress

description: Stress has been shown to be a risk factor for anxiety especially among college-aged individuals. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric problem among college students. This study looked at the relationship between stress, unhealthy eating and anxiety, moderated by depression. Further, we hoped to determine whether this relationship differed between the two types of anxiety: anxious arousal and anxious apprehension. We hypothesized that (1) both subtypes of anxiety would increase as stress increases; (2) unhealthy eating would mediate the relationship between stress and both subtypes of anxiety; and (3) depression would moderate the relationship between unhealthy eating and both subtypes of anxiety.\r Methods: We used self-report questionnaires that asked participants (ages 18-23, N=103) to rate the frequency of stress, unhealthy eating, anxiety and depression longitudinally across the span of a semester. Total effect, mediation and moderated mediation models were tested in Mplus with separate models predicting anxious arousal and anxious apprehension.\r Results: When controlling for baseline anxiety, unhealthy eating did not mediate the relationship between stress and end of semester anxiety. However, unhealthy eating did predict an increase in anxious arousal over time.\r Discussion: These results highlight the possible role of unhealthy eating as a risk factor for anxious arousal based on the evidence that unhealthy eating predicted longitudinal increases in anxious arousal but not anxious apprehension