Effect of Habitat on Blow Fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Oviposition in Michigan

Forensic entomology applies data gained from insects to aid the criminal justice system. Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are usually the first insects to arrive and oviposit (lay eggs) on carrion. Their quick appearance is the foundation for post mortem interval estimations, making any factors that influence their oviposition crucial. This study examined the effects of habitat (forest vs. prairie) on blow fly oviposition timing. Research was conducted in 2015 at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Barry County, Michigan. No significant differences were found in oviposition timing or frequency between prairie and forest habitats. Temperature and humidity were not correlated with oviposition timing, which contradicted previous studies. Lucilia coeruleiviridis (Macquart) was the dominant species found, comprising about 90% of collected specimens. The data confirm previous reports that Lucilia species are the first to arrive on carrion

On classical representations of convex descriptions

It is demonstrated that if V is not a vector lattice, where V is a base norm Banach space, then there is no commutative observable providing a classical representation for V. This observation generalizes a similar result of Busch and Lahti, obtained for V - the trace class of operators on a separable complex Hilbert space

The Beyond Bethany Mentorship Program: Equipping Volunteers to Support Asylum-Seeking Women

There are a number of factors that negatively impact the integration of asylum-seekers into the culture and society of their host countries. This portfolio describes the creation of a mentorship intervention to support the integration of asylum-seeking women in an urban community. This included the creation of a mentor role description, application, virtual training, and follow-up surveys. The initial training included 5 mentors. Survey results indicated that mentor training positively impacted volunteer self-perceived readiness for mentorship. It also positively impacted their self-perceived ability to practice trauma informed care and cultural humility in their relationship with their mentee. This project suggests the value of occupational therapy knowledge and skills in the support of persons seeking asylum. Implications of this project include opportunities for advocacy at the local and national level

Is every single human being a person? : a dispute between Robert Spaemann and Peter Singer

One of the central issues of contemporary philosophy concerns the definition of the person. Many philosophers and bioethicists have sought to determine the basis for ascribing personhood, and to resolve the associated question of whether only human beings may be properly granted this status. Two contemporary thinkers have played a leading role in this debate, namely Robert Spaemann and Peter Singer. The former, coming from the tradition of Christian thought, seeks to demonstrate that the personality of a human being begins when he or she is conceived and ends with his or her death. In his opinion, only God, as the source of all life, has a right to exercise authority over human destiny. The opposite position is defended by the Australian philosopher Peter Singer. His philosophical views have emerged from the tradition of empiricist thought initiated by Democritus and expanded on later, above all, by John Locke. Singer postulates a descriptive theoretical account of persons, claiming that personhood results from the possession of a set of qualitative features, namely: to become a person, a human being ought to have certain properties, such as self-awareness, rationality of thought, or the possession of preferences - without these, he would say, one cannot even talk about persons. This paper seeks to confront the tenets of personalist ethics (as in Spaemann) with those of preference-based utilitarianism (Peter Singer), presenting the metaphysical, ontological and cognitive commitments that make up these two positions, but also asking whether there is any shared set of underlying concerns that could furnish a basis for dialogue between them

Balkan Pitfalls. ACES Working Papers, 2011

The Western Balkans are becoming increasingly mired in political conflicts, social disquiet, ethnic disputes, and state fragilities that can precipitate a new phase of regional instability. At the same time, the major international players may be unprepared and ill equipped to manage or resolve the emerging conflicts. While the U.S. and NATO have scaled down their presence in the region, the EU’s capabilities and effectiveness are coming under closer scrutiny