Deciphering the Role of Microbial Functional Traits in Agricultural Subsoil Organic Carbon Dynamics

Soil is vital for agriculture, playing a crucial role in biogeochemical cycles by acting as the largest terrestrial carbon (C) pool, significantly impacting the global C cycle. Intensive agricultural practices have caused an extensive soil organic C (SOC) deficit. Conservation practices like no-tillage (NT) and winter cover cropping help mitigate these deficits by improving soil conditions and supporting active microbial traits associated with C cycling. This aids the crop residue conversion into microbial biomass and by-products, stabilizing them as a more persistent mineral-associated organic matter-C (MAOM-C) pool. Agricultural subsoils beneath the plow horizon, are emerging as potential C sinks due to their unique soil environment, lower management impacts, and a higher abundance of C-unsaturated mineral fraction, presenting an opportunity for secure SOC storage. This research aims to understand microbial functional trait-mediated SOC dynamics under conventional and conservation agricultural practices in both topsoil and subsoil. Utilizing a long-term continuous cotton field experiment in West Tennessee, the study examines the effects of soil depth and agricultural practices on microbial functional traits associated with C cycling and SOC accrual. We hypothesized that conservation practices, particularly NT combined with deep-rooted winter wheat (WW), would enhance microbial functional traits such as carbon use efficiency (CUE) and enzymatic efficiency (EE), leading to increased SOC storage. We found that NT increased topsoil SOC stock than conventional tillage. However, WW increased subsoil SOC stock. A short-term incubation experiment with 13C-glucose addition revealed significant increases in CUE and EE under NT topsoil. WW improved microbial CUE in both topsoil and subsoil layers. A long-term incubation study with 13C-labeled plant residue revealed increased residue-derived C allocation to SOC fraction under long-term cover crops. This increase in SOC was mediated by improved microbial functional traits, increased residue-derived C storage in the MAOM-C pool, and decreased C loss from native SOC. This research demonstrates how management practices and soil depth influence microbial functional traits, affecting SOC dynamics. Strategic implementation of long-term conservation agriculture promotes SOC storage and mitigates C loss, especially in the subsoil. Our results demonstrate the need for further research and policy support to implement agricultural subsoil-targeted SOC sequestration strategies

EXEMPLARY MIDDLE GRADES TEACHERS\u27 VOICES: EXPERIENCES WITH USING TEXTS FOR INSTRUCTION

In recent years, educators in Tennessee have experienced changes in legislation that impact them daily. Laws that require educators to use curriculum materials from an approved list and that restrict teachers from supplementing these materials greatly impact student learning and success. This qualitative study examined exemplary middle grades language arts teachers\u27 experiences with using texts and curriculum materials for instruction. Exemplary teachers in this study share their experiences with the use of texts and curriculum materials to meet the academic needs of their students

Understanding Traits to Support Crowdworkers\u27 Flexibility

Crowdworkers are drawn to the profession in part due to the flexibility it affords. However, the current design of crowdsourcing platforms limits this flexibility. Therefore, it is important to support the overall flexibility of crowdworkers. Incorporating a variety of device types in the workflow plays an important role in supporting the flexibility of crowdworkers, however each device type requires a tailored workflow. The standard workflow of crowdworkers consists of stages of work such as managing and completing tasks. I hypothesize that different devices will have unique traits for task completion and task management. Therefore in this dissertation, I explore what those traits are. Future work can build upon this research by creating tailored workflows and interfaces to best support each device type. To achieve this, this dissertation introduces four pivotal innovations : (1) understanding traits of task completion on smartphones to support the tailored workflow on smartphones in crowdwork (2) understanding of crowdworkers\u27 current task completion and task management practices and expectations when working on smartphone, tablet, speaker and smartwatch to support the flexibility of crowdworkers on all these devices based on crowdworkers’ work practices and expectations. (3) After a broad understanding of crowdworkers’ practices and expectations across different devices, this thesis identifies the systematic differences among crowdworkers in order to develop customizable support depending on workers\u27 individual need for flexibility in crowdsourcing platforms (4) Finally, this dissertation looks into other popular crowdsourcing platform named Prolific to understand work practices of Prolific workers as well as compare Prolific with Amazon MTurk to gain a comprehensive understanding of the traits that support flexibility in different crowdsourcing environments

Setting Fire to the Field: The Effects of a Prescribed Burn on Arthropod Abundance and Diversity in a Contiguous Grassland Field, Edge, and Forest Area

Edges (transitional zones) can be a combination of faunas of adjacent environments or can have their own unique subset of organisms. Edges are heavily traveled by organisms looking for food sources or refuge from the elements, and they have a greater diversity in vegetation. Arthropods in or adjacent to controlled burn areas are heavily understudied; holistic studies examining insect diversity and abundance in such systems are not common. By sampling an area with an edge, a basic understanding can be gained of its contribution to diversity and its value as a reservoir for repopulation of burned areas. It was hypothesized abundance and diversity would be higher in an edge (transitional) site than in the forest or burned sites, and that within the burn area abundance would decrease but diversity would increase over time. This study was composed of six contiguous sampling sites at Arnold Air Force Base, Tullahoma, TN: two in the forest, two on the edge, and two within a field that was subject to a prescribed burn in March 2023. Each of the sampling sites was equipped with one SLAM (Sea -Land- Air Malaise) trap and five pitfall traps. These traps operated for 10 -14 days, and all sites were sampled every other month for one year. Sweep-net sampling and organic litter collection for extraction in Tullgren funnels were performed. Data was analyzed using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Sørensen index, and a generalized linear mixed model was created to assess significance. Edge habitats had the highest arthropod abundance, but diversity was not statistically different. SLAM trap results and precipitation were correlated with arthropod abundances and diversity values. Repopulation of the burn area was most likely coming from the edge habitat rather than another source. The controlled burn did not significantly decrease arthropod numbers or diversity. In conclusion, a study such as this one provides invaluable information on the role of edges in arthropod biodiversity and effects of anthropogenic disturbance

Design and Development of a Radiation Survey and Rescue Robot with Shielding of Electronic Equipment from Radiation Damage with Image Radiation Mapping Facility

The use of remote-controlled robots in emergency fields is a necessary requirement at present, which includes the nuclear engineering field because the radioactive environment creates adverse effects on human health. This work describes the development of a remotely controlled rover capable of detecting ionizing radiation, isolating radiation sources using a robotic arm, and sufficient shielding for its internal components. A custom-made Geiger–Muller counter has been used to detect ionizing radiation. The radioactive environment is not only harmful for humans but also can cause severe damage to the electronic circuit mounted on the robot. Therefore, a custom concrete material sandwiched between lead sheets has been employed to shield internal electronic components. The rover is connected to a web application to visualize data such as background radiation, location, and surveillance; thus, the operator can perform their actions from a remote and safe location by using Internet of Things devices. The rover is expected to be used in nuclear facilities to monitor background radiation data and help workers to minimize exposure from unshielded radiation sources. Other than this use, in case of emergency, the rover can find the radiation source in a highly radioactive environment, pick it up using its arm, and isolate it by putting it on the shielded box mounted over the rover. In a nuclear medicine facility, the rover can handle radiation sources and reduce unwanted exposure to occupational exposure groups

Feasibility and uncertainty evaluation of sequential hybrid manufacturing using optical coordinate metrology

Hybrid manufacturing has been suggested as a solution to global manufacturing challenges including stock availability, manufacturing costs, and difficulty in production of complex parts. However, feasibility and validation of hybrid manufacturing remain open research opportunities. This research evaluates measurement uncertainty for optical coordinate metrology (OCM) within a sequential hybrid manufacturing (SHM) framework where a primary manufacturing process, a part geometry measurement, and a secondary manufacturing process are performed sequentially on optionally separate machine tools. In this work, an additively manufactured preform is produced, the part geometry is measured using structured light optical coordinate metrology, and the final geometry is obtained using subtractive manufacturing. Quality parameters for four low to high cost OCM 3D scanning systems are found using a performance evaluation based on current ISO and VDI/VDE standards. Uncertainty of a fiducial sphere\u27s center position is defined using the selected OCM system. This uncertainty is then propagated into the uncertainty of the coordinate system position and orientation for a coordinate system defined by three sphere centers using Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation results are validated with experimental testing. An additional function is implemented into the simulation to estimate the required overbuild to account for the coordinate system positional and rotational uncertainty. A case study with wire arc additively manufactured preforms is provided. Combined, this work represents a step towards validation, traceability, and feasibility of sequential hybrid manufacturing

Molecule-based quantum materials under extreme conditions

Molecule-based quantum materials are a class of compounds with competition between the spin, orbitals, charge, and lattice. They feature flexible architectures and structural designs that can be easily modified for different functionalities. As a result of their overall low energy scales, they can be easily tuned with external stimuli like magnetic field or pressure to reveal new states and properties. This dissertation presents a high magnetic field investigation of three different molecule-based quantum materials under extreme conditions revealing insights into their structural, electronic, and magnetic properties. My initial study analyzes decoherence pathways in spin qubit Na9[Ho(W5O18)2]·35H2O using magneto-infrared spectroscopy. In this single-molecule magnet, there are two frequency regions where the crystal field excitations from the central Ho3+ ion interact with nearby vibrational modes. This vibronic coupling gives rise to decoherence. We find that this material also has a transparency window in its phonon density of states that helps to separate majority of the vibrational modes from the crystal field excitations limiting the extent of vibronic coupling. Designing materials with limited vibronic coupling increases their coherence time and functionality as a spin qubit. Subsequently, we explored the development of magnetoelectric coupling in chiral chain magnet [Cu(pym)(H2O)4]SiF6·H2O. We measured the electric polarization as a function of magnetic field and created a series of magnetic field-temperature phase diagrams. We find a series of phase transitions consistent with symmetry-breaking in combination with long-range magnetic ordering, magnetoelectric coupling, and striction effects. These findings deviate from the anticipated behavior of one-dimensional spin chains, revealing increased complexity in applied fields. The last project focused on exploring quantum phase transitions in the quasi-one-dimensional magnet [CuL2(H2O)2(pyz)](ClO4)2 [L = 5-methyl-2-pyridone]. We combined optical spectroscopy, magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy, high field magnetization, and complementary first-principle calculations to reveal the orbital characteristics as they relate to the magnetic properties across the transition to the fully saturated spin state at 20 T. Magnetic circular dichroism revealed the individual contribution of different electronic excitations to bulk magnetism and showed that all excitations play a role in magnetic properties with the Cu2+ to pyrazine charge transfer excitation being the most important

Co-creating the pitch: An exploration of the role of traditions on co-creation in European soccer

As the sport of soccer continues to grow throughout the world – and particularly into North America – the current study assessed the causal effect fans’ sensory traditions have on co-creation. Data were collected by intercepting Portugese and Spanish soccer attendees outside of the stadium prior to the match’s start. A total of 282 useable surveys were retrieved from fans during the 2022-23 seasons. Path modeling results indicate that traditions relating to aesthetics, sound, and beverage provided the greatest means to co-create experiences for attendees. The study’s results align with previous research within retail and sport exhibiting the positive impact of the sensory experience on social, psychological, and behavioral outcomes (Clark et al., 2012; Hungenberg et al., 2020). Furthermore, the findings provide support that sensory experiences wielding heightened levels of co-creation for fans contribute positively to merchandise spending and arrival time. This is meaningful as sport organizations continue to seek marketing strategies that will overcome the widespread media platforms that have made consuming sport remotely so accessible

Introjection, Mentalization, Ego Functioning, and Lacan’s “Name of the Father”

Psychoanalytic literature has traditionally focused on the theoretical explanations of psychological phenomena rather than empirical research to support those ideas. One such theory is Lacan’s “Name of the Father” (NOF), which recast Freud’s Oedipal situation, positing its representation in language use and situating it even earlier in psychological development. Lacan suggested that the NOF construct (establishing psychological structure and preventing psychosis) was best represented by metaphor use and linguistic structure. The current study attempted to measure the NOF construct (1955) through linguistic structure and metaphor use. We examined the relationship between an indirect measure of NOF functioning and overall personality functioning via Freud’s concept of the “original introject” and mentalization capacity in a double-mediational model. In a sample of 50 young adults, we hypothesized that linguistic indicators of Lacan’s Name of the Father construct would predict stronger paternal introjection, which in turn would predict higher mentalization capacity. We further predicted that mentalization capacity would lead to healthier and more integrated personality functioning. Results indicated that NOF was identified by verbal immediacy elicited via metaphor. Additionally, NOF predicted ego impairment measured by the Rorschach and certainty in mentalization. Implications for future research and clinical interventions are discussed