LEARNING AN ETHICS OF COMMITMENT: A SCHOLARLY PERSONAL NARRATIVE ABOUT CREATING A COMMUNITY AND FAMILY OF CHOICE

Using a Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) methodology, this study began as an exploration of marriage and its impact on lesbian identity, community, and relationship. What ultimately emerged was a study that considered how living a life excluded from the cultural context of legal marriage prompted learning an ethics of commitment and creating a community and family of choice. Personal story provided perspective and lesbian, feminist, and queer theories provided an initial framework for analysis. In addition, theories of community and relationship informed reflections moving from specific to general. This study is based on the views of one lesbian living and loving, beginning in the closets of the 1970s through the current day of marriage expansion. Marking a moment in civil rights history to legalize same-sex marriage, the study found that lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and queer people, despite current differences about the rationality of pursuing legal marriage, have created love and family throughout their lives. Through personal experiences, many have consequently discovered universal principles about commitment, community, and family even without marriage. Though important and symbolic of broader “acceptance,” a focus on marriage with its social benefits is not enough to achieve full equality and civil rights for sexual minorities. Further lesbian, gay, and queer reflections and interpretations are needed to add to the lessons and ethics of commitment of this lesbian and continue expanding equality within the larger cultures and communities

Interactive Effects of Weeds and Defoliating Insects in Soybean (Glycine Max).

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of simulated insect defoliation and full season weed competition on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) growth and yield. Weeds were johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.), common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.), and hemp sesbania (Sesbania exaltata (Raf.) Rybd. ex A. W. Hill) at 15, 3, and 12 plants/6 m of row. Simulated defoliation at R2 and R5 soybean growth stages was accomplished by removal of 0, 1, or 2 leaflets per soybean trifoliate, which approximated 0, 33, and 66% defoliation, respectively. Averaged across defoliation levels and stages, johnsongrass, common cocklebur, and hemp sesbania reduced soybean yields 30, 15, and 14%, respectively, in 1994 compared with no weed interference. In 1995, common cocklebur did not affect yield, whereas johnsongrass reduced yield 35%. As defoliation level increased, a linear decrease in soybean yield was observed. Averaged across weeds and defoliation stages, 33 and 66% defoliation reduced soybean yield 6 and 20% in 1994 and 12 and 33% in 1995, respectively. Defoliation at R5 resulted in 10% lower yield than defoliation at R2 in one of two years. Yield reduction due combinations of weeds and defoliation was additive. Field experiments evaluated the influence of hemp sesbania and sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby) on insecticide deposition within the soybean canopy and resultant soybean looper (Pseudoplusia includens (Walker)) control. Dye-sensitive cards placed in top, middle, and bottom portions of the soybean canopy measured spray droplet deposition for the insecticide thiodicarb applied at 504 g ai/ha in 94 L/ha spray volume with a ground sprayer. Spray droplet deposition was highest on cards placed in the top of the soybean canopy, and weeds reduced deposition 26 to 43% compared with weed-free soybean. Thiodicarb deposition within the middle and bottom levels of the canopy was not reduced by weeds. Weeds, however, did not influence thiodicarb efficacy against soybean looper in the field or in laboratory feeding bioassays. Control of both weeds and defoliating pest is important; however, management strategies for soybean looper may not need to be altered when weeds are present

Paper Session I-C - Seeds II: More Tomatoes from Space

NASA Life Sciences Outreach, in collaboration with several other organizations, is getting ready to release space exposed seeds to teachers and students. This project, called Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students II (SEEDS II) was designed to provide teachers and students with seeds and information so that they can conduct biological research relating to the effects of the space and undersea environments

NASA Ames Sustainability Initiatives: Aeronautics, Space Exploration, and Sustainable Futures

In support of the mission-specific challenges of aeronautics and space exploration, NASA Ames produces a wealth of research and technology advancements with significant relevance to larger issues of planetary sustainability. NASA research on NexGen airspace solutions and its development of autonomous and intelligent technologies will revolutionize both the nation's air transporation systems and have applicability to the low altitude flight economy and to both air and ground transporation, more generally. NASA's understanding of the Earth as a complex of integrated systems contributes to humanity's perception of the sustainability of our home planet. Research at NASA Ames on closed environment life support systems produces directly applicable lessons on energy, water, and resource management in ground-based infrastructure. Moreover, every NASA campus is a 'city'; including an urbanscape and a workplace including scientists, human relations specialists, plumbers, engineers, facility managers, construction trades, transportation managers, software developers, leaders, financial planners, technologists, electricians, students, accountants, and even lawyers. NASA is applying the lessons of our mission-related activities to our urbanscapes and infrastructure, and also anticipates a leadership role in developing future environments for living and working in space

Sustainability Base: The Self-guided "Tour"

This series of 6 information sheets was designed to familiarize readers with the performance capabilities of Sustainability Base. The set described the design intentions and operational characteristics of this LEED Platinum facilit

The astrobiology primer: An outline of general knowledge - Version 1, 2006

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