Evaluating the Epidemiology and Management of Bovine Congestive Heart Failure

A form of congestive heart failure is increasingly reported as a cause of death in feedlot cattle located at moderate altitude (≤ 1524 m.). Significant knowledge gaps exist in the epidemiology and management of this form of bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) regarding frequency and timing of BCHF cases and ways in which beef cattle producers and veterinarians can mitigate this condition. These knowledge gaps present major barriers to understanding the mechanism of BCHF and mitigating the consequences of BCHF. The purpose of this thesis is to summarize current knowledge about BCHF, define gaps in knowledge for which more research is needed, formulate hypotheses regarding the knowledge gaps, and discuss two studies designed to test those hypotheses related to the emergence of BCHF. The first study presented is designed to estimate the frequency and timing of BCHF case development. The second study was completed to evaluate the effect of moving two bulls affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension from their ranch of origin to lower elevation as a possible management strategy for mitigation of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Results presented in this thesis provide evidence that the frequency of BCHF cases has increased over the course of six years in the feedlot studied and changing the environment of animals affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension by moving them to lower altitude can lead to a decrease in pulmonary arterial pressure. This thesis will interpret the results of both studies to highlight how these data can aid in understanding the underlying mechanism of BCHF. Advisor: Brian L. Vander Le

“The thing is, to adapt is traditional”: Environmental Change and its Effects on Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Eastern United States

In this essay, I examine the transformation of traditional ecological knowledge, particularly that concerning plant knowledge pertaining to medicine. I argue that this transformation is a result of an environmental history influenced by the presence of a colonial population. When the Europeans began to arrive in the Eastern United States in the sixteenth century, they created a domino effect of environmental change. This change occurred because the Europeans had different cultural adaptations when interacting with the environment than the natives did; in other words, they drew from a differently developed form of ecological knowledge. When the colonists utilized this knowledge to interact with their new environment in the Eastern United States, they altered the environment in ways that contradicted how the natives interacted with the same environment. The ecological changes occurring as a result of such alterations fostered changes in native traditional knowledge, because there were now new plants, animals, and people to interact with, as well as transformations of the landscape to contend with

Organic red meat development in Wales

Much of the recent expansion of organic farming in Wales in associated with red meat production. Of the 56,621 hectares that will be fully organic by 2004, probably 80% is permanent grassland (assumption from Soil Association OFFR, 2002), the majority of which will be associated with beef and lamb production. The following factors suggest that the development of a strategy (which may encompass several sub strategies) for the red meat sector in Wales, to include production, processing, retailing, and consumer awareness, is vital to minimise disruption to the developing sector: · Most of the organic red meat production in Wales is new. · Other regions of the UK are seeing similar increases organic red meat production. · The retail market for organic red meat in the UK as a whole is relatively new and untested. · The organic red meat retail market in Wales is small. · Import channels for organic red meat have been established. Due to land area still in conversion in 2003 (much of which is in second year conversion) and the long production cycles for red meat in general, but particularly beef, 2004, 2005 and 2006 are still likely to result in increased organic red meat coming onto the market. One significant unknown factor is the risk that some producers may choose to revert to non-organic farming as their Organic Farming Scheme agreements come to an end in 2004 and 2005. This decision is likely to depend on the success of the organic system on their farm at that time and whether viable options exist outside the organic sector. Factors affecting the viability of the organic farming system will focus on profitability from production (access to good prices and costs of production), and income from the first (direct support payments) and second (agri-environment) pillars of the CAP. This report concentrates on the key issues important in maintaining organic red meat production system profitability and stability, but also recognises the influence of direct support and agri-environment payments

Agent-Based Modeling of Pollen Competition

Non-random mating in Arabidopsis Thaliana is, at least in part, due to intense competition between pollen grains to fertilize the limited number of ovules. Previous studies have pinpointed some of the competition traits that make pollen more or less competitive. Using these competition traits, we will build an agent-based computer model with NetLogo that simulates the competition between two accessions of Arabidopsis Thaliana pollen. This 2D model will allow the user to adjust pollen traits and competition strategies for each of the two pollen accessions. Some of the factors being considered include pollen viability, pollen tube growth rate, nutrients provided by the female, pollen tube attrition and the means of locating unfertilized ovules. To assess the competitiveness of the selected pollen traits, this model will track the number of fertilized ovules and maximum pollen tube length for each accession. This agent-based model will allow further study into the traits that make pollen most competitive as well as the strategies used by pollen to fertilize ovules. This model has the potential to quickly test a wide variety of competition traits and strategies without the need for in-lab experiments

Pseudo-archaeology: The Appropriation and Commercialization of Cultural Heritage

Heritage can be defined as the use of the past to construct ideas about identity in the present. The past that this definition references is most commonly linked to tangible objects, and therefore archaeological artifacts. As such, archaeology becomes inexorably linked with cultural heritage in that many cultures are dependent on archaeological objects helping them continue to define their identity. However, there are various threats to cultural heritage, especially as more groups of peoples attempt to evoke objects as belonging to their own cultural background. This has been happening throughout history, but in the nineteenth-century pseudo-archaeology became a new threat. Pseudoarchaeology does not fall in line with academic archaeology and often attempts to appropriate or commercialize heritage to ends that are not scientific or beneficial to the conservation of heritage. Williams argues, “…pseudo-archaeology [is] one of the two greatest challenges to contemporary archaeologists- the other being the destruction of archaeological remains” (Williams 1991: 08). Merely placing pseudo-archaeology on the same level as the actual destruction of tangible heritage shows the threat the adherence to such practices imposes. In this paper, I explore the popularity of pseudo-archaeology that has emerged from several different factors, including nationalism to populism (the way pseudo-archaeology attempts to simplify archaeology for the masses). This popularity poses a threat to cultural heritage by way of appropriation and commercialization

Applying Theories in Language Programs

Selected Topics in Applied Linguistics: How to Choose a Theory. I offer a critical exploration of some of the conditions involved in Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA), as well as of the paradoxical approaches in the theoretical questions, methods, categories, and perspectives of ISLA. The discussion proceeds with a very short overview of prevalent theories of ISLA generally. Then I add a contrastive look in more depth at only two “theories” and their possible applications in language programs. I emphasize some of the discussions in our profession concerning processing instruction, e.g. (VanPatten "Processing Instruction") or VanPatten ("Why Explicit Knowledge Cannot Become Implicit Knowledge" ), and the multiliteracies framework, e.g. (Paesani, Allen and Dupuy). I conclude with an invitation to a set of questions we might pose to any theory, framework, or approach as we consider its efficacy and applications for our own specific contexts