The Weight of Love

Supplementing theological interpretation with historical, literary, and philosophical perspectives, 'The Weight of Love' analyzes the nature and role of affectivity in medieval Christian devotion through an original interpretation of the writings of the Franciscan theologian Bonaventure. It intervenes in two crucial developments in medieval Christian thought and practice: the renewal of interest in the corpus of Dionysius the Areopagite in thirteenth-century Paris and the proliferation of new forms of affective meditation focused on the passion of Christ in the later Middle Ages. Through the exemplary life and death of Francis of Assisi, Robert Glenn Davis examines how Bonaventure traces a mystical itinerary culminating in the meditant’s full participation in Christ’s crucifixion. For Bonaventure, Davis asserts, this death represents the becoming-body of the soul, the consummation and transformation of desire into the crucified body of Christ

Biotechnology, Schismogenesis, and the Demise of Uncertainty

One of the most fundamental aspects of science is uncertainty. Uncertainty fuels scientists to research, experiment, and draw conclusions. Interestingly, both sides of the current “GMO-war” are alleging certainty where it simply does not exist. Through the use of a case study of Bt in India, this Article addresses the irony inherent in both the pro- and anti-GMO arguments based on science that is allegedly foolproof

Transformations and movement of anhydrous ammonia-derived N in soils

Some studies have concluded that anhydrous ammonia is indistinguishable from other common nitrogen (N) fertilizers for corn (Zea mays L.) production, however, new soil and plant tissue tests give researchers more sensitive and precise tools for detecting situations where N may be deficient or sufficient. The existence of these new tools creates a need for a reexamination of the properties of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. This dissertation reports results from several studies using N-15-labeled and nonlabeled anhydrous ammonia for corn production in Iowa. The objectives were (i) to evaluate the possibility that injection of anhydrous ammonia at sidedressing could result in reduced availability of N for growing corn plants, (ii) to evaluate the late-spring soil nitrate test and the end-of-season cornstalk test as tools for comparing broadcast N applied at different times of the year, (iii) evaluation of the effects of rate and timing of anhydrous ammonia on late-spring soil nitrate concentrations, end-of-season stalk nitrate concentrations, and corn yields, and (iv) comparisons of the effects of anhydrous ammonia and broadcast ammonium sulfate applied at selected rates and times;Results revealed no marked tendency for delayed availability of N for corn from sidedressed anhydrous ammonia. However, substantial quantities of N were incorporated into forms not readily available for plants. The late-spring soil nitrate test and the end-of-season cornstalk test were more effective tools for comparing the N-supplying power of broadcast fertilizers applied at different times than were measurements of corn grain yields alone. Yields of corn grain tended to show no effect of N rate or application time when anhydrous ammonia was applied at selected times of the year. However, the end-of-season cornstalk test revealed that broadcast ammonium sulfate had greater N-supplying power than banded anhydrous ammonia in wet years

“The Lingha Boys of Siem Reap” A Baseline Study of Sexually-Exploited Young Men in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Young women working as masseurs (with additional sexual services) is very common and visible in Cambodia but there are increasingly more masseur places available for both local and foreign men which also provide sexual services. Most of the research being conducted with entertainment workers has a focus on HIV but this research provides a broader understanding of their other needs and vulnerabilities. In this session as well as presenting the research findings we will consider what can be done to reach out to this hidden community to reduce their vulnerability to exploitation. Download button links to full paper; PowerPoint slides (pdf format) are attached below

Students\u27 Sense of Belonging as a Predictor of Retention

This presentation introduces the theoretical foundations of student belonging, and discusses the Fall 2017 St. Cloud State University Student Survey responses on belonging. Research questions for a longitudinal study on student belonging at St Cloud State University discussed, as well as a plan for outreach to those students who may report a low sense of belonging

They Shamed Me : An Exploratory Study on the Vulnerabilities of Street-Involved Boys to Sexual Exploitation in Manila, Philippines

This exploratory study is one of a series of research projects interviewing survivors of sexual exploitation in Southeast Asia. It assesses the risk factors and vulnerabilities of street children in Manila. This research study assesses the risk factors and vulnerabilities of street children in this context. A questionnaire-based survey was administered to participants to gain a holistic view of the lives of 51 street-involved (street-living or street-working) boys from the Manila area. The survey consisted of a series of questions about demographics, family background, prejudice and discrimination, sexual risk factors, substance abuse, sexual violence and abuse, income generation, spirituality, and future plans. The key findings of this survey indicate that most of the participants were experiencing physical, sexual and substance abuse. Furthermore, participants revealed the stigma and discrimination they experience from working on the streets and demonstrate the internal struggle between providing for their families and societal traditions. By truly understanding these effects and the factors leading up to sexual exploitation and their hopes for the future, then their needs can best be met. Direct service providers can use the findings of the study to provide services that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the target vulnerable population and prevent further exploitation

Biological effects of Gulf Stream meandering

A modeling study was conducted to examine the effects of time-dependent mesoscale meandering of a jet on nutrient—phytoplankton—zooplankton (NPZ) dynamics. The jet was represented as a quasi-geostrophic flow using the method of contour dynamics. Two cases for biology were examined: 1) plankton in a mixed layer of fixed depth and 2) plankton at the base of a mixed layer (i.e., pycnocline) of variable depth. When the mixed layer depth is fixed, nutrient upwelling and dilution of the phytoplankton and zooplankton populations occur along the northward branch of the meander. The additional nutrients and reduced grazing pressure leads to significant enhancement (10–20%) of the phytoplankton production and biomass, while the zooplankton biomass decreases similarly. For plankton on a material surface of variable depth, phytoplankton growth in the pycnocline is increased by the higher light levels encountered during along-isopycnal upwelling. The nutrients decrease and the zooplankton mass in the pycnocline increases by a small amount downstream of the phytoplankton peak. Although the biological enhancements found are not large, the results suggest that vertical motions resulting from mesoscale oceanographic features such as jet meanders and mid-ocean eddies can be an important source of new nutrients for oceanic plankton production