Bioactivities of Proctolin Mimetic in Drosophila melanogaster

The insect neuropeptide proctolin was originally purified for its myotropic actions on insect hindguts, however it has been shown to be distributed widely throughout arthropods. This pentapeptide, RYLPT or Arg-Tyr-Leu-Pro-Thr, is highly conserved across arthropod species. We were interested in whether observable bioactivity, physiological and behavioral changes, occurs upon the injections of proctolin or proctolin mimetic peptides. We found strong activities of proctolin and proctolin mimetic in immediate inductions of proboscis behavior and defecation. Peptidomimetics showed strong activities opening a new revenue for development of new class of insecticidal compound

INVESTIGATIONS OF NOVEL SOURCES OF SPIN-POLARIZED ELECTRONS

Using a pulsed laser, we investigated the spin-polarization of electrons emitted from bulk GaAs, Ti and Pd chiral nanostructures, and electro-chemically thinned GaAs. Standard sources of spin-polarized electrons from GaAs can have polarizations of approximately 30%, while state-of-the-art spin-polarized electron sources using GaAs cathodes can have as high as 85% spin polarization. Drawbacks for these sources are that they require constant upkeep, have strict vacuum requirements, and are very difficult to learn how to use. For these reasons, we investigated new methods through a different emission process and different materials to see if we could measure a spin-polarization from these electron sources. For the bulk GaAs, we found that the amount of emission that is obtained for a laser pulse decreases due to an electron population in the conduction band state caused by an earlier laser pulse. We refer to this as subadditivity and developed a model that would describe the emission of the electrons and showed us that the emission of the electrons is fast, i.e. comparable to the duration of a laser pulse. After measuring the spin-polarization of the electrons from bulk GaAs, we found that it is spin-polarized, so this may be the first fast, spin-polarized source of electrons with a polarization of approximately 13%. Measurements of the other materials yielded no spin-polarization but brought up further questions that may be investigated in the future. Photoemitted electrons from a chiral surface reconstruction of Si were also investigated to find out if there is a polarization of emitted electrons using the APE beamline at the Elettra Sincrotrone facility. Advisor: Timothy J. Ga

INVESTIGATIONS OF NOVEL SOURCES OF SPIN-POLARIZED ELECTRONS

Using a pulsed laser, we investigated the spin-polarization of electrons emitted from bulk GaAs, Ti and Pd chiral nanostructures, and electro-chemically thinned GaAs. Standard sources of spin-polarized electrons from GaAs can have polarizations of approximately 30%, while state-of-the-art spin-polarized electron sources using GaAs cathodes can have as high as 85% spin polarization. Drawbacks for these sources are that they require constant upkeep, have strict vacuum requirements, and are very difficult to learn how to use. For these reasons, we investigated new methods through a different emission process and different materials to see if we could measure a spin-polarization from these electron sources. For the bulk GaAs, we found that the amount of emission that is obtained for a laser pulse decreases due to an electron population in the conduction band state caused by an earlier laser pulse. We refer to this as subadditivity and developed a model that would describe the emission of the electrons and showed us that the emission of the electrons is fast, i.e. comparable to the duration of a laser pulse. After measuring the spin-polarization of the electrons from bulk GaAs, we found that it is spin-polarized, so this may be the first fast, spin-polarized source of electrons with a polarization of approximately 13%. Measurements of the other materials yielded no spin-polarization but brought up further questions that may be investigated in the future. Photoemitted electrons from a chiral surface reconstruction of Si were also investigated to find out if there is a polarization of emitted electrons using the APE beamline at the Elettra Sincrotrone facility. Advisor: Timothy J. Ga

Utilizing Nebraska Case Farms to Analyze Farm-Level Income and Policy Changes

Agricultural producers, professionals, and policymakers often look to long-run projections for the agricultural industry as they make business and policy decisions. They can look to three different baseline projections that are produced by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Food & Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). These baselines provide a 10-year outlook for the agricultural industry from prices and inventories for crops and livestock to international markets and income and expenditures. While this information provides insight into what direction agriculture may move, it can be hard to see the impact at the state and farm levels. The Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) works with FAPRI to produce state-level income projections. The Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln collaborates with RaFF under the leadership of Dr. Bradley D. Lubben and Tatum R. Brunkow to produce state-level analysis for Nebraska. Figure 1 comes from the Spring 2023 Nebraska Farm Income Outlook (Maltsbarger, et al. 2023) and provides information as to the drivers of Nebraska’s net farm income changes between 2021 and 2023

Análise de comportamento e evolução cultural : relações entre propostas conceituais de B. F. Skinner e S.S. Glenn

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Alexandre DittrichDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia. Defesa: Curitiba, 15/08/2014Inclui referênciasÁrea de concentração: PsicologiaResumo: Skinner inclui a cultura como parte do objeto de estudo da Análise do Comportamento e afirma que esta sofre a ação de um terceiro nível de seleção, nomeado evolução cultural. Esta compreensão sobre a evolução cultural é revolucionada em 1986, ocasião em que Glenn introduz sua proposta conceitual envolvendo o conceito de metacontingência. O conceito de metacontingência é identificado por Glenn e por uma parcela da literatura analítico-comportamental como referente a este terceiro nível de seleção; todavia, não ficam imediatamente claras as relações entre esta nova proposta teórica e os conceitos skinnerianos precedentes. O objetivo deste trabalho é indicar tais relações no tratamento dado à evolução cultural. O método desenvolvido parte do pressuposto de que a pesquisa conceitual é comportamento verbal, e que o "referente" de uma resposta deve ser encontrado entre as variáveis que a determinam. Assim, investigamos nos relatos de eventos apresentados pelos próprios autores quais propriedades físicas parecem controlar a emissão dos conceitos relacionados à evolução cultural. Em Skinner, foram selecionados os conceitos de comportamento social, prática cultural, sobrevivência da cultura e evolução cultural, e nos textos de Glenn os conceitos de contingência entrelaçada, produto agregado, sistema receptor e metacontingência. Inicialmente, foram esclarecidas as variáveis que controlam a emissão dos conceitos em cada autor individualmente e, posteriormente, estes dados foram comparados. As relações entre o tratamento dado a evolução cultural foram estabelecidas em três elementos: unidade de seleção, consequência cultural e processo de evolução cultural. Como resultado, identificamos que o conceito de evolução cultural em Skinner é emitido predominantemente em referência a operantes transmitidos, que compõem práticas culturais, selecionadas devido ao favorecimento da sobrevivência física dos membros da cultura. Em Glenn, por sua vez, o termo metacontingência é aplicado a um fenômeno diferente, qual seja: a seleção de determinadas formas de interação devido a consequências comuns, que podem ser automáticas ou socialmente mediadas. Foram encontradas diferenças no tratamento dos autores tanto em relação aos conceitos empregados quanto em consideração aos relatos de eventos que controlavam tais respostas verbais nos três elementos avaliados. Concluiu-se que as propostas conceituais de Skinner e Glenn a respeito da evolução cultural são distintas, mas não incompatíveis. Não obstante, ressaltamos a necessidade de diferenciá-las conceitualmente, considerando que não demonstram estar sob controle dos mesmos fenômenos. Palavras-chave: análise do comportamento; evolução cultural; metacontingência.Abstract: Skinner includes culture as part of the subject matter of behavior analysis, and asserts that culture undergoes a third kind of selection called cultural evolution. This comprehension about cultural evolution is revolutionized in 1986, when Glenn introduces her conceptual proposal involving the concept of metacontingency. The concept of metacontingency is identified by Glenn and part of the behavior analysis literature as referring to this third kind of cultural selection; nevertheless, the relations between this new proposal and previous Skinnerian concepts aren et immediately obvious. The aim of this study is to indicate those relations in the treatment given by both authors to cultural evolution. The method here developed relies on the assumption that conceptual research is verbal behavior, and that the \reference. of a verbal response must be found among the variables that determine it. Given this, we investigated which physical properties seem to control the emission of concepts related to cultural evolution in the reports of both authors. From Skinner es reports we selected the concepts of social behavior, cultural practice, cultural survival and cultural evolution, while interlocked contingencies, aggregate product, receiving system and metacontingency were selected from Glenn es. Initially, variables which control the emission of the concepts were clarified and, after that, this data were compared. The relations between the treatment given by the authors to cultural evolution were established based on three elements: unity of selection, cultural consequence and cultural evolution process. As a result, we identified that, for Skinner, the concept of cultural evolution is mainly emitted in reference to transmitted operants, which compose cultural practices that are selected because they favor the physical survival of the members of the culture. For Glenn, on the other hand, the term metacontingency is applied to a different phenomenon - that is, the selection of specific forms of interaction due to common consequences, which can be either automatic or socially mediated. Differences were found in the treatment given by the authors regarding both the concepts employed and the reports of events that controlled the verbal responses in the three elements we analysed. It was concluded that the conceptual proposals of Skinner and Glenn about cultural evolution are distinct, although not incompatible. Nonetheless, we emphasize the necessity of differentiate them conceptually, considering that they do not appear to be under control of the same phenomena. Keywords: behavior analysis; cultural evolution; metacontingency

IMPLEMENTING HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES IN RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS

Master of Public HealthPublic Health Interdepartmental ProgramMajor Professor Not ListedDeterminants of health go beyond the direct choices people make. The environment people live in, access to healthy and affordable food, and safe transportation are just some of the factors that influence the health of a community. Local governments influence health and health equity through city planning, and local policy may influence regional policy via vertical diffusion. Health in All Policies is a sizeable intersectoral program to improve health through attention to the full range of social determinants. It challenges political and public service leaders to branch out of their usual roles and commits to reaching health goals. Health in All Policies can increase awareness of social determinants of health in non-health departments and encourage policymakers to include health as a priority when making decisions. The scope of the work was to give presentations to decision-makers in Riley County, including school boards, city and county commissioners, local advisory boards, and others, on Health in All Policies. The presentations took place March 2021 – February 2022. Success depends on the community's needs, and no program is one size fits all. Long-term, Health in All Policies implementation can bring light to non-health sectors and help improve the community's health. Health in All Policies aims to improve determinants of health and reduce inequities by designing policies with health uppermost in mind. Intersectoral work can achieve this with the common goal of a healthy community. Health is affected by a cascade of events, and Health in All Policies hopes to help close those gaps. Social determinants of health mainly influence population health and equity. Still, for Health in All Policies to be successful, there must be a shift in health policy from illness-oriented health care to social environments of daily living. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention uses this approach to help achieve both National Prevention Strategy and Healthy People goals [1]. Health in All Policies is diverse in that it can involve engagements from all levels of government and has been increasing in popularity. Successful implementation of Health in All Policies depends on intersectoral efforts, often with the public health sector taking the lead role. Current structural and political factors often prevent long-range strategies to improve the health of communities

The Difference Christopher Morse Makes: A Dogmatics for the Practice of Ministry

My contribution to this festschrift will be a brief sketch of how the work of Christopher L. Morse is a great resource for the church and the practice of ministry. Particularly how his work in dogmatics has informed and influenced my own fifty-year ministry as a United Methodist pastor

Femtosecond-Laser-Induced Spin-Polarized Electron Emission from a GaAs Tip

It is shown that focusing circularly-polarized 800 nm light pulses of 100 fs duration on the tips of p-GaAs crystalline shards having no negative electron affinity (NEA) activation results in electron emission that is both fast and spin-polarized. The 400 fs duration of the emission process was determined by pump/probe measurements. The three samples we investigated produced electron polarizations of 13.1(9)%, 13.3(7)%, and 10.4(2)%. Emission currents ranged between 50 pA and 3 nA with a sample bias of -100V and average laser power of 100 mW. The electron emission exhibited linear dichroism and was obtained under moderate vacuum conditions, similar to that of metallic tips. This source of spin-polarized electron pulses is "fast" in the sense that the electron emission process is of comparable duration to the laser pulses that initiate it.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Femtosecond-laser-induced spin-polarized electron emission from a GaAs tip

It is shown that focusing circularly polarized 800nm light pulses of duration 100 fs on the tips of p-GaAs crystalline shards having no negative electron affinity (NEA) activation results in electron emission that is both fast and spin-polarized. The 400 fs duration of the emission process was determined by pump/probe measurements. The three samples we investigated produced electron polarizations of 13.1(0.9)%, 13.3(0.7)%, and 10.4(0.2)%. Emission currents ranged between 50 pA and 3 nA with a sample bias of –100 V and an average laser power of 100 mW. The electron emission exhibited linear dichroism and was obtained under moderate vacuum conditions, similar to that of metallic tips. This source of spin-polarized electron pulses is “fast” in the sense that the electron emission process is of comparable duration to the laser pulses that initiate it

Spin- and angle-resolved photoemission studies of the electronic structure of Si(110)"16x2" surfaces

The electronic structure of Si(110)"16 x 2" double-domain, single-domain and 1 x 1 surfaces have been investigated using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission at sample temperatures of 77 K and 300 K. Angle-resolved photoemission was conducted using horizontally- and vertically-polarised 60 eV and 80 eV photons. Band-dispersion maps revealed four surface states ($S_1$ to $S_4$) which were assigned to silicon dangling bonds on the basis of measured binding energies and photoemission intensity changes between horizontal and vertical light polarisations. Three surface states ($S_1$, $S_2$ and $S_4$), observed in the Si(110)"16 x 2" reconstruction, were assigned to Si adatoms and Si atoms present at the edges of the corrugated terrace structure. Only one of the four surface states, $S_3$, was observed in both the Si(110)"16 x 2" and 1 x 1 band maps and consequently attributed to the pervasive Si zigzag chains that are components of both the Si(110)"16 x 2" and 1 x 1 surfaces. A state in the bulk-band region was attributed to an in-plane bond. All data were consistent with the adatom-buckling model of the Si(110)"16 x 2" surface. Whilst room temperature measurements of $P_y$ and $P_z$ were statistically compatible with zero, $P_x$ measurements of the enantiomorphic A-type and B-type Si(110)"16 x 2" surfaces gave small average polarisations of around 1.5\% that were opposite in sign. Further measurements at 77 K on A-type Si(110)"16 x 2" surface gave a smaller value of +0.3\%. An upper limit of $\sim1\%$ may thus be taken for the longitudinal polarisation.Comment: Main paper: 12 pages and 11 figures. Supplemental information: 5 pages and 2 figure