Cafishin'

Nathan H. BeanCatfishin' is an interactive fishing game developed in the Unity Engine with C# from Microsoft Visual Studio. In the game, there are over 100 different unique fish that the player can collect and display in their inventory. The game evokes a relaxing feeling from the background music and the art style that pairs very well with the rhythm-based catching mechanic. When the player casts their line, a fish bites on and the catching sequence begins. In tandem with the music playing in the background, the player must respond to notes on the screen to catch the fish. Once the fish is caught, the player can review that fish in their inventory and can continue fishing to complete various tasks. Since what we have done of Catfishin' is largely a sophisticated and bug-free prototype, there is a lot of room for growth and improvement. We plan to make more detailed tasks and an achievement system. We plan to make the environment in which the player can fish more interactive with new characters. Additionally, we plan to add more variety to the catching sequence, with various new melodies and rhythm components to correspond to the wide variety of fish that we already have in the game. Lastly, we plan for there to be a currency component in place to reward players for selling the fish that they catch, completing daily tasks, and completing long achievement rewards. With this currency system in place, we will be able give the player visual upgrades to their character so the best Catfishermen can show it off in a great way. With new environments and new features, we believe Catfishin' will be a one-of-a-kind. relaxing, and fun game that everyone can enjoy

Effects of essential fatty acids and branched-chain amino acids in lactation diets on sow and litter performance

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Animal Sciences and IndustryBob GoodbandMike TokachThis dissertation is comprised of 5 chapters consisting of a review of literature on branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in lactation diets, a meta-regression analysis to evaluate the effects of BCAA on sow and litter growth performance, evaluation of the effects of essential fatty acids (EFA) in lactating sow diets on sow reproductive performance, colostrum and milk composition, and piglet survivability, supplementation of fat sources and pre-farrow EFA intake on lactating sow performance and EFA status, and the effects of increasing soybean meal in corn-based diets on growth performance of late finishing pigs. Chapter 1 presents a review of the literature on the effects of BCAA on sow mammary gland metabolism, colostrum and milk composition, and sow and litter performance. Chapter 2 describes a meta-regression analysis conducted to evaluate the effects of BCAA and their interactions in lactating sow diets to predict litter growth performance, sow bodyweight change, and sow feed intake. The results suggest that Ile, Leu, and Val play an important role in litter growth, sow bodyweight change, and sow feed intake during lactation; however, the influence of BCAA on these criteria is much smaller than that of other dietary components such as net energy, SID Lys, sow average daily feed intake, and crude protein. In Chapter 3, mixed-parity sows and their litters were used to evaluate the effects of EFA intake on sow reproductive performance, piglet growth and survivability, and colostrum and milk composition. Overall, sows consuming high EFA produced litters with heavier piglet weaning weights and greater litter average daily gain (ADG) when compared to litters from sows fed diets with low EFA. However, there was no impact of sow EFA intake on piglet survivability or subsequent sow reproductive performance. Chapter 4 describes a study evaluating the effects of supplemental fat sources and pre-farrow EFA intake on lactating sow and litter performance and EFA composition of colostrum, milk, and adipose tissue. The results suggest that providing dietary fat sources with high concentrations of EFA can increase colostrum linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid concentrations that are maintained throughout lactation. However, the changes in colostrum and milk composition did not alter litter growth performance in this experiment. Lastly, Chapter 5 presents three experiments that were conducted to determine the effects of increasing soybean meal levels in replacement of feed-grade amino acids in corn-based diets on growth performance of late finishing pigs raised in commercial facilities. The combined results of the three experiments suggest that inclusion at least 4 to 8% dietary SBM at the expense of feed-grade amino acids in corn-based diets with or without grain co-products can improve growth performance of late-finishing pigs

Sustainable management in turfgrass systems: survivability during drought via minimal irrigation and simulating nitrous oxide emissions with process-based models

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Horticulture and Natural ResourcesDale BremerReductions of water and nitrogen (N) inputs have long been important topics for sustainable turfgrass management. Facing rising challenges of water crises and climate change, more research is needed on such topics. With increasing city water shortages and water restrictions on turfgrasses in the U.S., it is important to research strategies to preserve C3 and C4 turfgrasses during prolonged drought. In addition, to guide the best irrigation and N-fertilization management strategies of turfgrass for the mitigation of global warming in this century, process-based models, such as DAYCENT and DeNitrification‐DeComposition (DNDC), become important tools, which simulate nitrous oxide (N₂O, an important greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting gas) and soil carbon sequestration. To find strategies for alleviating drought stress during prolonged drought with imposed water restrictions, the objectives in the first part of the dissertation were to (1) evaluate turfgrass performance during drought and recovery among irrigation levels, and (2) determine minimum water amounts for turfgrass during prolonged drought that allow for acceptable recovery. Two independent studies were conducted on C3 and C4 turfgrasses, respectively, using irrigation much lower than recommendation levels during 2 summers of drought under a rainout shelter. Results indicated that during severe drought and imposed water restrictions, minimal weekly irrigation of at least 20 to 30% reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and 40 to 50% ETo could reduce turfgrass damage and conserve water in zoysiagrass (C4; Zoysia japonica Steud., hereafter referred to as zoysia) and tall fescue (C3; Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), respectively. The failure of Kentucky bluegrass (C3; Poa pratensis L.) to survive extended drought was possibly related to being first-year sod. To inform and guide irrigation and N-fertilization management of turfgrass for global warming mitigation, the objectives of the second part of this dissertation were to 1) calibrate DAYCENT and DNDC for N₂O emissions from Meyer zoysia; 2) validate and test the two calibrated models and compare their prediction accuracies; and 3) predict long-term N₂O emissions, C sequestration, and global warming potential (GWP) of different irrigation and N-fertilization practices. A combination of global sensitivity analysis and a Bayesian method was used to calibrate DAYCENT and DNDC. After calibration, both models were validated using field measurements from two studies of zoysia. Validation results indicated DAYCENT (R² = 0.22 to 0.89; relative RMSE = 36 to 171%) outperformed DNDC (R² = 0.01 to 0.38; relative RMSE = 119 to 193%) in biweekly N₂O fluxes. Annual N₂O emission estimates obtained from validation of DAYCENT were within -49 to +26% of annual estimates interpolated from measurements, whereas DNDC simulations generally underestimated N₂O emissions by up to -86%. Results indicated DAYCENT, but not DNDC, can adequately simulate the impacts of irrigation and N-fertilization practices on N₂O emissions in C4 turfgrasses such as zoysia. When assuming no further climate change, the validated DAYCENT model predicted that the typically recommended N-fertilization and irrigation practice in fairway zoysia turf would reduce net GWP by encouraging soil carbon sequestration in the first 40 years of establishment, better than no N-fertilization, after which reducing N and water inputs would be beneficial in mitigating increases of N₂O emissions and net GWP. A medium global warming scenario would accelerate increases in N₂O emissions and GWP, especially with higher N and water inputs

Friend or Foe: The Importance of Identifying Bacteria with Biochemical Tests

Kirmser Undergraduate Research Award - Individual Non-Freshman category, grand prizeMartha CaldasBrett NaveDebolina DasguptaIdentifying bacteria by utilizing biochemical tests is important, as bacteria can have a great impact on humans. Some bacterial strains are helpful while others are harmful, and having the ability to precisely identify bacteria can be crucial in maintaining human health. Biochemical tests generally consist of both selective and differential medias. Selective media only allows particular organisms to grow on it, while differential media will produce differing results, like a change in color, with the growth of different species. In this report, two bacterial strains were identified by performing a Gram stain and a series of selective and differential tests. Using an expected results table, the strains were identified as _Enterococcus faecalis_, a probiotic, and _Proteus vulgaris_, a potentially pathogenic bacterium. Correctly identifying bacteria is important in determining further steps after discovering bacteria in area from the food industry to the medical field

Cu-isotope evidence for subduction modification of lithospheric mantle

A. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S1_probe_data_silicates.xlsx Short description: Excel file containing major element mineral compositions for silicate minerals (olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, phlogopite and amphibole) in GVF ultramafic xenoliths determined by electron microprobe analysis B. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S1_probe_data_silicates.pdf Short description: pdf version of the Excel file described in (A) C. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S2_probe_data_nonsilicates.xlsx Short description: Excel file containing major element mineral compositions for nonsilicate minerals (spinel, sulfides, FeTi oxides) in GVF ultramafic xenoliths determined by electron microprobe analysis D. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S2_probe_data_nonsilicates.pdf Short description: pdf version of the Excel file described in (C) E. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S3_mineral_trace_elements.xlsx Short description: Excel file containing mineral trace element analyses (clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, olivine, amphibole, and glass) determined on hand-picked mineral separates by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and in situ Laser-Assisted Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry on thin sections (LA-ICPMS) F. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S3_mineral_trace_elements.pdf Short description: pdf version of the Excel file described in (E) G. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S4_Cu_isotope_rock_standard_data.xlsx Short description: Excel file containing the Cu isotope compositions of rock standard BHVO-2 run during the project. H. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S4_Cu_isotope_rock_standard_data.pdf Short description: pdf version of the Excel file described in (G) I. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S5_WR_major_and_trace_elements.xlsx Short description: Excel file containing whole rock major and trace element analyses determined by XRF and LA-ICPMS for GVF ultramafic peridotites J. Filename: 2021GC010134_Table_S5_WR_major_and_trace_elements.pdf Short description: pdf version of the Excel file described in (I

I want to poke my eyes out!: Why meetings are painful and tips on how to make them better

At one of the first meetings Tara Coleman attended as a new professional, Dove chocolate was distributed with the agenda to “sweeten the subject matter”. As the meeting progressed, she learned that the chocolate was a bribe to get people in the room, and a sign of tremendous boredom and irritation ahead. Soon she saw her colleagues turn the foil wrappers into little swords and stab themselves in the heart and eyes to show how their feelings on how the meeting was going. Spoiler alert, candy does not sweeten boring subject matter and foil swords are sharp enough to hurt the unguarded eyeball. You know the ones, you’re not sure why you are in the room, one person dominates the conversation, nothing is accomplished, and you might leave with a completely different understanding of what happened than someone else. You might have even wanted to fake an injury to get out of it early. Meetings can be exhausting and leave you feeling like you wasted valuable time. And since the pandemic, for some meetings have gone from painful to torture. All at once folks needed to learn Zoom, struggle with shared wifi, and have fewer reasons to get up and move around. While we can’t promise to make meetings a party, we can provide ways to make them less painful for everyone involved. If this proposal is selected, folks will receive tangible tips that will shape meeting expectations and roles, free or low cost tools that allow for voices to be heard that would otherwise be hidden or talked over, and sage advice about how to best use and respect everyone’s time

Marginal cost of carbon sequestration through forest afforestation of agricultural land in the southeastern United States

One tool to mitigate climate change is to sequester carbon through changes in land use. The purpose of this study is to analyze the cost-effectiveness of carbon sequestration through afforestation of cropland via the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the United States. We use the correlated random effects (CRE) probit model to estimate the impact of an increase in the CRP rental payments on land use transitions between cropland and forest. Our estimates are used to simulate land use change and carbon sequestration supply curves over different time horizons. Increasing the CRP rent to reflect the social cost of carbon of $154/tonne of carbon increases annual carbon sequestered by 7.42 million tonnes, 23.58 million tonnes, and 34.96 million tonnes over 1, 5, and 10-year horizons

2022 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report® Data and Analytics Edition

With the 2022 data and analytics edition, we further expand our series of Horizon Reports to focus on an emerging area of practice that is driving institutional decision-making and strategic planning for the future—the trends, technologies, and practices that are shaping the world of postsecondary data and analytics. Based on a methodology that grounds the findings in the perspectives and expertise of a panel of leaders in higher education data and analytics, in this report we summarize the panel's input on the major trends shaping higher education, including panelists' reflections on the implications of this research for the future of higher education for particular institutional roles

The Geography of To the Last Man

To the Last Man was Zane Grey’s first book set in Arizona’s Tonto Basin and along the section of the Mogollon Rim that he popularized as the Tonto Rim (Fig. 1). Like The Mysterious Rider, Grey’s adventures in the American West influenced how and when he was able to write To the Last Man. To get this story, Grey made three hunting trips to the Tonto Rim in the autumn of 1918, 1919, and 1920, and wrote the book between November 1920 and February 1921. When Harper and Brothers published it in 1922 it became the # 9 bestseller. 1922 was a big publication year for Grey as Harpers also published The Day of the Beast and Tales of Lonely Trails

Track Performance in Tunnels and Rail Transition Areas with Under Tie Pads and Under Ballast Mats

Railroads have begun to use under tie pads (UTP) and under ballast mats (UBM) in rail track construction to reduce maintenance costs by better distributing loads, reducing the track modulus, and increasing ballast contact areas with ties. Locations such as tunnels, bridges, and bridge approaches are especially strong candidates for UTP and UBM use due to the high support stiffness they provide to the ballast. In this study, the University of Florida (UF) instrumented the Virginia Avenue Tunnel in Washington D.C., which uses UTP and UBM, during construction to monitor track pressure distribution, tie movement, and tunnel floor vibration during the first 20 months of use (July 2018 – February 2020). Track pressure distributions across ties were measured for hundreds of trains at the tunnel floor transition area and inside the tunnel. Measurements showed that the track settlement occurred over the first 6 months of measurement after track was opened, after which it stabilized to less than 0.157 in. (4 mm)