Nature, Domestic Labor, and Moral Community in Susan Fenimore Cooper\u27s Rural Hours and Elinor Wyllys

Cooper\u27s argument for a domestic ideal situated within a rural setting reinforces the importance of community connections through a shared sense of morality, as well as understanding of the natural world. Community alone—the human connections—never seems to be enough in Cooper\u27s formulation, but must always exist with an awareness of the world outside the narrow confines of one\u27s own domestic sphere. Concern for one\u27s fellow-beings necessitates a concern for the world in which these beings live, and Cooper understands that when any bonds are broken—such as the bonds that connect us to the natural world—other bonds are threatened. Thus, when we begin to care more for our environment, we awaken within ourselves the possibility of caring for the rest of our human community. At a time when environmentalists and other activists for social justice are urging us to think globally and act locally, it is perhaps a good moment to consider how Cooper, in her own subtle way, spoke of the power of the local and domestic to create a more just society

Beautifying a country home

Citation: McCullough, William Andrews. Bacteria- their relation to disease. Senior thesis, Kansas State Agricultural College, 1898.Morse Department of Special CollectionsIntroduction: He who has the privilege of laying out home grounds should consider the work as an art - for it demands quite as much in the way of aesthetic feeling, creative power and executive skill as does the art of sculpture and painting. This is the art which creates beautiful cornposition upon the surface of the ground. We are the painters with the earth as our canvas. It differs from the other arts, in that it uses the same materials as nature herself, as been said: - "This is an Art Which does mend Nature; change it rather but "The Art itself is nature". We see man producing many effects which, under favorable conditions nature herself might have produced without the aid of man. Home should stand for harmony, order, neatness and contentment. In order to have these we must study our surroundings and the materials we have to work with

Thermal Inactivation of Bacterial Pathogens and Fungal Spores Under Post-Process Contamination Scenarios in Maple Syrup Processing

Maple syrup is produced by the extensive thermal evaporation of maple sap traditionally collected from the Acer saccharum tree and other maple varietals. The resulting low water activity product (Aw \u3c 0.85) is classified by the FDA as a low risk food commodity, due to the moisture limitations which inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. However, recent outbreaks associated with other designated low risk products, including peanut butter and wheat flour, now challenge the current understanding of factors required to induce human illness. Among the most notorious bacterial pathogens, as few as ten bacterial cells, have been cited to cause infection. In addition to bacteria-based risks, fungal contaminants have also been noted to jeopardize safety due to the potential for mycotoxin production, penetrating beyond the immediate product surface. The extensive heating process required to produce syrup from sap is sufficient to eradicate the majority of present microflora. However, post-process contamination scenarios, which are augmented by producer behaviors, can introduce microorganisms into the finished product. Among these risk factors include direct product contamination due to insufficient heating temperatures, or contamination of bottles, as a result of improper container storage. Therefore, the objectives of this work are to (i) determine the thermal inactivation (D-value) of predominant bacterial pathogens (STEC, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella) in maple syrup heated to 180°F, a common bottling temperature, (ii) assess the effectiveness of commonly used bottling temperatures (180°F and 190°F) in the inactivation of bacteria (previously described) and fungal spores (Aspergillus and Penicillium) desiccated on the interior of several types of retail containers, (iii) determine the efficacy of applying a boiling water pre-fill treatment in eradicating microbial hazards, and (iv) assess the survival or growth capabilities of both bacteria and fungi in maple sap and syrup held under normal storage conditions. The data from this work showed that when the syrup is heated to 180°F for at least 23 seconds, this heating method is sufficient to achieve a 5-log reduction (pasteurization) in the three bacterial pathogens we identified. However, when contaminants were desiccated on the interior of bottles, even a fill temperature of 190°F, is ineffective in eradicating all contamination risks. Although a boiling water pre-fill treatment reduced the likelihood of microbial survival, it did not eradicate all populations we studied across every container type. However, due to reduced heat retention capacity and bottle shape, utilizing a fancy glass bottle results in the greatest likelihood of microbe survival. Therefore, the largest plastic bottle at the highest fill temperature possible, is recommended to reduce product contamination risks. If contamination does occur, bacterial pathogens are capable of survival for up to 30 days in ambient maple syrup and up to 60 days in refrigerated maple sap. Producers may consider retaining finished product prior to sale in order to reduce the potential for bacterial food safety risks. Fungal (Aspergillus and Penicillium) contaminated syrup demonstrated continuous growth in both products. Therefore, it is recommended that fungal-contaminated syrup must be discarded due to the potential risks of mycotoxin production that could pose harm to consumer health

Oregon's Emerging Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) Industry: A Literature Review and Three Case Studies of Sugaring Operations

This capstone report provides an overview of the emergence of the bigleaf maple sugaring industry in Oregon. This report consists of a literature review and three case studies. The literature review compiles information relevant to bigleaf maple sugaring within the wider context of maple sugaring in North America. The three case studies detail the activities of the private landowners who are pioneering the bigleaf maple sugaring industry in Oregon

Browsing the bog

The Cedarburg Bog and its surrounding uplands provided a rich smorgasbord of plants to fill the many needs of its earliest human inhabitants. A flora of the area and a list of plant species that were employed in some manner by the Native Americans would be almost identical. The species discussed in this paper had real or rumored values for a variety of Woodland tribes of the Upper Midwest and later for the settlers. Besides their medicinal value, many plants were sources of food, fiber, dyes, construction, and of a variety of “magical” or symbolic purposes. My intent is not to document the actual effectiveness or safety of the medicinal or food plants, but to present their historical perception as resources in a landscape empty of drugstores, grocery stores, hardware stores, and often, doctors

Effects of interior aircraft noise on speech intelligibility and annoyance

Recordings of the aircraft ambiance from ten different types of aircraft were used in conjunction with four distinct speech interference tests as stimuli to determine the effects of interior aircraft background levels and speech intelligibility on perceived annoyance in 36 subjects. Both speech intelligibility and background level significantly affected judged annoyance. However, the interaction between the two variables showed that above an 85 db background level the speech intelligibility results had a minimal effect on annoyance ratings. Below this level, people rated the background as less annoying if there was adequate speech intelligibility

Natty Bumppo: An Interpreter of the other’s Civilization in James Fenimore Cooper’s The Pioneers from the Perspective of Literary Anthropology

In the novel The Pioneers, James Fenimore Cooper shows the overwhelming conflicts between the civilized society built by the white pioneers and the primitive and barbarous life style of the native Indians. Meanwhile, he successfully constructs the image of “Leather Stocking,” Natty Bumppo, the ideal white hero who is white in the skin but “red” in the mind. In doing so, Cooper fully expresses his disappointment with the white pioneers’ arrogance and brutality in their dealing with the Indians as well as his longing for the ideal of simple living in harmony with nature. This ideal is invested in the characterization of Natty Bumppo, who embraces the culture of the Indian by demonstrating the noble qualities of loving freedom, upholding justice, being industrious and brave, and immersion with nature. He is an example of the “noble savage” that answers to the need of the 19th century white America