Aging, Equality, and Confucian Selves

Liberal democracy aims to treat all adult citizens as politically equal, at least in ideal cases: Once a citizen is over the age of majority, she is deemed a full-fledged member of the community and in theory has equal standing with all other adult citizens when it comes to making policy and participating in the political realm in general. I consider three questions: (1) Is there any plausible alternative to a standard "all adult citizens have equal political standing" model of democracy that could be drawn from a specifically Confucian valuing of elder members of the community? (2) Insofar as there is a plausible alternative, what might it reveal about differences between how liberalism and Confucianism think of human selves as located in time? (3) What sort of difference would it make if the Confucian valuing of age were implemented via informal social norms, on the one hand, or via explicit institutional mechanisms and procedures, on the other

Understanding Clay and its Media Properties Through the Expressive Therapies Continuum

For centuries, clay has been used by civilizations to hold food, memories, and records of history. To this day, it is used by engineers, hobbyists, artists, art therapists and many more. This art based, heuristic study explores clay through the researcher’s ongoing practice with the material, within the framework of the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) and examines how its unique media properties make it such a versatile material for both ceramic artists and art therapists. Results exhibit these unique media properties and clay’s ability to reach all levels of the ETC through collected data of images, journals, critiques, and notes. These results conclude and explore the extent of clay’s unique abilities and open future avenues of research on the material

Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs) as Tracers of Environmental Change and Antarctic Seabird Ecology

Antarctic seabirds including Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), south polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki), southern giant petrels (Macronectes gigantus) are high trophic level predators that accumulate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in the food webs in which they forage. Little is known about the levels of POPs in some Antarctic organisms (e.g. southern giant petrels), as well as the long-term trends of POPs in the Antarctic ecosystem. Samples from all three seabird species were collected post mortem, including eggs, from the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and in the Ross Sea throughout the austral summer breeding seasons of 2004--2006. The samples were analyzed for C and N stable isotopes and POPs including organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs). The objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the long-term trends of POP residues in Adelie penguins, (2) compare POP levels within livers of the three seabird species based on migratory patterns and trophic level using stable isotope analysis of delta15N and delta13C, and (3) demonstrate POPs can be used as tracers of Antarctic seabird ecology. POPs in Antarctic biota were first evaluated using Adelie penguin tissues and a long-term analysis including data from the current study showed SigmaDDT has not declined in WAP penguins for more than 30 years. Indeed, the presence of p,p\u27-DDT in these birds indicates that there is a current source of DDT to the WAP marine food web, and both measurements and calculations suggest that this source of DDT is related to climate driven environmental change in the region. A more broad analysis including all three seabird species showed SigmaPCBs, SigmaDDTs, Sigmachlordanes and mirex are 3--100 times higher in migratory seabird livers than the endemic penguins, while hexachlorobenzene (HCB) exhibits no difference in concentration between the three seabird species. Model predictions compared to measured output of delta13C and delta13N indicate a stronger correlation between delta13C and less volatile POP concentrations demonstrating the heavy influence of winter migration on the contaminant loads of seabirds that breed in Antarctica. Finally, discrepancies in POP ratios between migratory and endemic seabird eggs and fat in combination with stable isotope signatures gave insight into seabird evolutionary breeding strategies. For example, the relative abundance of SigmaPCBs was highest in south polar skua eggs and endogenous lipid input into skua eggs was estimated at \u3e79% by examining discrepancies in contaminant ratios. The combined stable isotope and contaminant data indicate that south polar skuas and southern giant petrels employee different combinations of income and capital breeding strategies

Le thon : enjeux et stratégies pour l'océan Indien

Les tendances de la pêche, la transformation, et le commerce des produits thoniers sont influencés par un grand nombre de forces motrices. La pêche est fonction de la disponibilité de la ressource, de la technologie de la pêche, et des prix des intrants et des extrants. D'une manière semblable, la distribution mondiale des activités de la pêche thonière est fonction des coûts relatifs, qui sont particulièrement influencés par la disponibilité du produit brut, et le prix relatif de la main d'oeuvre. Le marché des produits thoniers est un marché mondial, et le commerce de ces produits joue un rôle important dans la détermination des prix et des quantités d'équilibre du marché de détail. La récente émergence de l'industrie de la pêche thonière dans l'océan Indien, en conjonction avec les développements dans le secteur de la transformation dans cette même région, a eu un impact important sur la distribution de la pêche et du commerce mondial du thon. (Résumé d'auteur

Phenolische Inhaltsstoffe in Achillea millefolium L. s.l.

Das vorwiegend bei gastrointestinalen Beschwerden eingesetzte Kraut der Schafgarbe (Achillea millefolium L. s.l.) ist schon seit der Antike wegen seiner spasmolytischen, antiphlogistischen, antimikrobiellen und auch choleretischen Eigenschaften bekannt. Neben den spasmolytisch wirksamen Flavonoiden zählen die Monocaffeoylchinasäure Chlorogensäure (5-O-CCA) und drei Dicaffeoylchinasäuren (DCCAs), 3,4-, 3,5- und 4,5-DCCA zu den wichtigsten phenolischen Inhaltsstoffen dieser als Sammelart gehandelten Arzneipflanze. Die Wahl des zur Erfassung der Caffeoylchinasäuren und der Flavonoide bestgeeigneten Extraktionsmittels geschah anhand der Quantifzierung der einzelnen Inhaltsstoffe mithilfe der Hochleistungsflüssigchromatographie (HPLC). Die Achillea-Extrakte aus vier Methanol-Wasser-Mischungen ansteigender Polarität wurden mittels Festphasenextraktion (solid phase extraction, SPE) in jeweils drei Fraktionen aufgespalten. Chlorogensäure, die drei DCCAs gemeinsam mit einem polaren Flavonoid sowie die Hauptflavonoide Rutin, Luteolin-7-O-glucosid, Apigenin-7-O-glucosid, Luteolin-4´-O-glucosid sowie Apigenin wurden in den Frakionen angepassten Gradientensystemen quantitativ erfasst und gegenübergestellt. Eine Wiederholung der Untersuchungen mit 40% (V/V) und 60% Methanolanteil bei einer Erweiterung der Versuchsreihe auf n = 6 Versuche diente der Methodensicherung und Repräsentanz der erhaltenen Werte. Bezogen auf das eingesetzte Drogenmaterial wurden für das Extraktionsmittelgemisch mit 40% Methanol (V/V) durchschnittlich 0,65% Chlorogensäure, 1,63% DCCAs gesamt und 0,46% Flavonoide gesamt ermittelt. Für 60% Methanolanteil lagen die Werte für die Chlorogensäure bei 0,68%, die DCCAs bei 1,54% und die Flavonoide bei 0,44%. Die verbreitete Verwendung des Schafgarbenkrautes in Teemischungen veranlasste zu einem Vergleich der im wässrigen Auszug einer Teezubereitung enthaltenen Inhaltsstoffe. 0,27% Chlorogensäure, 0,33% DCCAs und 0,12% Flavonoide wurden nach entsprechender Aufbereitung mittels SPE quantifiziert. Abhängig von der Polarität des Extraktionmittels variierten nicht nur die ermittelten Gesamtmengen der Stoffgruppen, sondern auch innerhalb der strukturisomeren DCCAs waren Verteilungsunterschiede zu beobachten. In der Strukturverwandtschaft dieser drei DCCAs zu dem in der Artischocke (Cynara scolymus L.) als gallensekretionssteigernde Wirkkomponente nachgewiesenen Cynarin (1,3-DCCA) lag die Basis für vergleichende pharmakologische Untersuchungen am Modell der isoliert perfundierten Rattenleber (IPRL). Drei ansteigende Konzentrationen (10 mg/l, 20 mg/l und 40mg/l Perusionsmedium) einer Anreicherung der drei DCCAs (48,84% Fraktionsanteil) aus Achillea millefolium L. s.l. wurden in jeweils drei Versuchen den selben Konzentrationen der Reinsubstanz Cynarin gegenübergestellt. Während der je Konzentrationsstufe 10minütigen Perfusionsläufe wurden für die Achillea-Fraktionen dabei durchschnittliche Maximalwerte ermittelt, die das Doppelte bis Dreifache (+47,33% bei 40mg/l, +44,10% bei 20mg/l) jener des Cynarins (+21,60% bei 40mg/l, +15,92% bei 20mg/l) ausmachten. Noch größer war der Unterschied bei der niedrigsten Konzentration von nur 10mg Substanz je Liter Perfusionsmedium: +5,12% Maximalanstieg für Cynarin, jedoch +23,06% für die Achillea-Fraktion mit 48,84% DCCA-Anteil. Die Ergebnisse dieser pharmakologischen Untersuchungen leisteten erste wesentliche Erkenntnisse über die choleretische Wirksamkeit der Dicaffeoylchinasäuren in Achillea millefolium L. s.l.

Classification of Lakebed Geologic Substrate in Autonomously Collected Benthic Imagery Using Machine Learning

Mapping benthic habitats with bathymetric, acoustic, and spectral data requires georeferenced ground-truth information about habitat types and characteristics. New technologies like autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) collect tens of thousands of images per mission making image-based ground truthing particularly attractive. Two types of machine learning (ML) models, random forest (RF) and deep neural network (DNN), were tested to determine whether ML models could serve as an accurate substitute for manual classification of AUV images for substrate type interpretation. RF models were trained to predict substrate class as a function of texture, edge, and intensity metrics (i.e., features) calculated for each image. Models were tested using a manually classified image dataset with 9-, 6-, and 2-class schemes based on the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). Results suggest that both RF and DNN models achieve comparable accuracies, with the 9-class models being least accurate (~73–78%) and the 2-class models being the most accurate (~95–96%). However, the DNN models were more efficient to train and apply because they did not require feature estimation before training or classification. Integrating ML models into benthic habitat mapping process can improve our ability to efficiently and accurately ground-truth large areas of benthic habitat using AUV or similar images

Optimized Triple-Junction Solar Cells Using Inverted Metamorphic Approach

Record efficiencies with triple-junction inverted metamorphic designs, modeling useful to optimize, and consider operating conditions before choosing design

THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE KATRINA ON THE NURSE ANESTHESIA COMMUNITY IN NEW ORLEANS

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) were impacted by the storm. CRNAs were required to be on duty during the storm and SRNAs’ education was disrupted by the storm. This dissertation is a compilation of three papers that represent the initial exploratory research into the impact of natural disasters on CRNAs and future CRNAs. The first article was a focused ethnography utilizing focus groups and described the shared experiences of CRNAs who were on duty in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and the psychosocial impact the storm had on them. Ten CRNAs participated in focus groups that were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed. Six major themes emerged from the study and represented how the CRNAs appraised and coped with the stressful events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. The psychosocial impact of Hurricane Katrina on the CRNAs resulted in short-term sleep disturbances and a temporary increase in alcohol consumption. The second article was also a focused ethnography that utilized focus groups to describe the shared experiences of SRNAs whose senior year was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina and the psychosocial impact the storm had on them. Ten former SRNAs participated in focus groups that were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Three major themes emerged from the study and represented how the SRNAs appraised and coped with the stressful events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. The psychosocial impact of Hurricane Katrina on the SRNAs resulted in temporary increased alcohol consumption and anxiety. The third article discussed the results of an observational study regarding the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the outcome of the Self-Evaluation Exam (SEE) taken by senior-level students in the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Nurse Anesthesia Program. A convenience sample consisted of 174 former students. Regression analysis revealed the relationship between the overall percentile score of the SEE and the year the test was taken (prior to or after Hurricane Katrina) while adjusting for potential confounding variables. The findings suggest that Hurricane Katrina did not have an impact on the outcome of the SEE taken by these individuals

Melting glaciers: A probable source of DDT to the Antarctic marine ecosystem

Persistent organic pollutants reach polar regions by long-range atmospheric transport and biomagnify through the food web accumulating in higher trophic level predators. We analyzed Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) samples collected from 2004 to 2006 to evaluate current levels of Sigma DDT (p,p\u27-DDT + p,p\u27-DDE) in these birds, which are confined to Antarctica. Ratios of p,p\u27-DDT to p,p\u27-DDE in Adelie penguins have declined significantly since 1964 indicating current exposure to old rather than new sources of Sigma DDT. However, Sigma DDT has not declined in Adelie penguins from the Western Antarctic Peninsula for more than 30 years and the presence of p,p\u27-DDT in these birds indicates that there is a current source of DDT to the Antarctic marine food web. DDT has been banned or severely restricted since peak use in the 1970s, implicating glacier meltwater as a likely source for DDT contamination in coastal Antarctic seas. Our estimates indicate that 1-4 kg.y(-1) Sigma DDT are currently being released into coastal waters along the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet due to glacier ablation