Mixed Chamber Ensembles

Kennesaw State University School of Music presents Mixed Chamber Ensembles, 10:00 a.m. performance.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1395/thumbnail.jp

The impact of whole human blood on the kinetic inertness of platinum(IV) prodrugs - an HPLC-ICP-MS study

The potential advantage of platinum(IV) complexes as alternative to classical platinum(II)-based drugs relies on their kinetic stability in the body before reaching the tumor site and on their activation by reduction inside cancer cells. In this study, an analytical workflow was developed to investigate the reductive biotransformation and kinetic inertness of platinum(IV) prodrugs comprising different ligand coordination spheres (respectively, lipophilicity and redox behavior) in whole human blood. The distribution of the platinum(IV) complexes in blood pellet and plasma was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave digestion. An analytical approach based on reversed-phase (RP)-ICP-MS was used to monitor the parent compound and the formation of metabolites using two different extraction procedures. The ligand coordination sphere of the platinum(IV) complexes had significant impact on their accumulation in red blood cells and on their degree of kinetic inertness in whole human blood. The most lipophilic platinum(IV) compound featuring equatorial chlorido ligands showed a pronounced penetration into blood cells and a rapid reductive biotransformation. In contrast, the more hydrophilic platinum(IV) complexes with a carboplatin- and oxaliplatin-core exerted kinetic inertness on a pharmacologically relevant time scale with notable amounts of the compound accumulated in the plasma fraction

Strain fingerprinting of exciton valley character

Momentum-indirect excitons composed of electrons and holes in different valleys define optoelectronic properties of many semiconductors, but are challenging to detect due to their weak coupling to light. The identification of an excitons' valley character is further limited by complexities associated with momentum-selective probes. Here, we study the photoluminescence of indirect excitons in controllably strained prototypical 2D semiconductors (WSe$_2$, WS$_2$) at cryogenic temperatures. We find that these excitons i) exhibit valley-specific energy shifts, enabling their valley fingerprinting, and ii) hybridize with bright excitons, becoming directly accessible to optical spectroscopy methods. This approach allows us to identify multiple previously inaccessible excitons with wavefunctions residing in K, $\Gamma$, or Q valleys in the momentum space as well as various types of defect-related excitons. Overall, our approach is well-suited to unravel and tune intervalley excitons in various semiconductors.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Mixed Chamber Ensembles

Kennesaw State University School of Music presents Mixed Chamber Ensembles, 7:00 pm performance.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1359/thumbnail.jp

Animal Ethics and Eating Animals: Consumer Segmentation Based on Domain-Specific Values

For a sustainable diet, especially with regard to animal welfare, human health, and environmental issues, a significant reduction in the consumption of animal source foods is essential. The most frequently reported motivations for a meat-reduced or meat-free diet are ethical concerns about animal welfare. This study realizes one of the first consumer segmentations in the context of the human–animal relationship based on domain-specific values; animal ethics. Such a consumer segmentation is relatively stable over time and encompasses the issue of the human–animal relationship in its entirety without limiting itself to a specific question. Based on a comprehensive consumer survey in Germany and by means of a three-step cluster analysis, five consumer segments characterized by di erent animal-ethical value profiles were defined. A subsequent analysis revealed a link between animal ethics and diet. As a key result, relationism as an animal-ethical position seems to play a key role in the choice of a sustainable diet. About a quarter of the population is characterized by a combination of animal welfare-oriented ethical positions with a clear rejection of relationism, i.e., they do not distinguish between farm animals and companion animals. This specific combination of animal-ethical values is associated with a significantly above-average proportion of flexitarians and vegetarians. Thus, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of existing animal-ethical values and their link to the choice of diet

Inclusion of Animal Ethics into the Consumer Value-Attitude System Using the Example of Game Meat Consumption

In recent decades, the demand for ethically acceptable treatment of animals – especially in case of livestock animals – has increased significantly in western societies and can thus have a significant impact on the consumption of animal products. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the influence and the mode of action of animal-ethical values. In consumer research, the consumer value-attitude system consisting of global values, domain-specific values and attitudes is essential in many studies. However, there have been no attempts so far to operationalise domain-specific values in the context of human-animal relationship empirically. This means that an essential component for the analysis of animal product consumption behaviour is missing. Therefore, the present study includes animal ethics into the consumer value-attitude system as domain-specific values. The aim is, to analyse the influence of animal-ethical values on consumer behaviour concerning animal products. As a concrete example, the consumption of game meat is chosen in this study, because the consumption of game meat is often judged in a contradictory way in terms of animal welfare. This offers the possibility to cover the entire spectrum of societal animal-ethical values. The study is based on a virtually representative online survey with 523 German participants. A structural equation model is used for analysis. It was found, that animal ethics can be perfectly integrated into the value system as domain-specific values. Furthermore, the results show that especially the two extreme positions in animal ethics, original anthropocentrism and abolitionism, have a significant influence on consumer behaviour – in this case on the consumption of game meat. Overall, this first study on domain-specific values in the context of human-animal relationship contributes to a deeper understanding of which animal-ethical values affect the behaviour of consumers. This is of great importance for marketing and consumer theory concerning animal products

Does picture background matter? People's evaluation of pigs in different farm settings.

Pictures of farm animals and their husbandry systems are frequently presented in the media and are mostly connected to discussions surrounding farm animal welfare. How such pictures are perceived by the broader public is not fully understood thus far. It is presumable that the animals' expressions and body languages as well as their depicted environment or husbandry systems affect public perception. Therefore, the aim of this study is to test how the evaluation of a picture showing a farmed pig is influenced by portrayed attributes, as well as participants' perceptions of pigs' abilities in general, and if connection to agriculture has an influence. In an online survey, 1,019 German residents were shown four modified pictures of a pig in a pen. The pictures varied with regards to facial expression and body language of the pig ('happy' versus 'unhappy' pig) and the barn setting (straw versus slatted floor pen). Respondents were asked to evaluate both the pen and the welfare of the pig. Two Linear Mixed Models were calculated to analyze effects on pig and pen evaluation. For the pictures, the pen had the largest influence on both pig and pen evaluation, followed by the pig's appearance and participants' beliefs in pigs' mental and emotional abilities, as well as their connection to agriculture. The welfare of both the 'happy' and the 'unhappy' pig was assessed to be higher in the straw setting compared to the slatted floor setting in our study, and even the 'unhappy pig' on straw was perceived more positively than the 'happy pig' on slatted floor. The straw pen was evaluated as being better than the slatted floor pen on the pictures we presented but the pens also differed in level of dirt on the walls (more dirt in the slatted floor pen), which might have influenced the results. Nevertheless, the results suggest that enduring aspects of pictures such as the husbandry system influence perceptions more than a momentary body expression of the pig, at least in the settings tested herein

Tierethische Intuitionen in Deutschland: Entwicklung eines Messinstrumentes zur Erfassung bereichsspezifischer Werte im Kontext der Mensch-Tier-Beziehung

In der jüngeren Vergangenheit wird der Umgang mit Tieren, insbesondere den sogenannten landwirtschaftlichen Nutztieren, von der Gesellschaft zunehmend kritisch hinterfragt. Solche tierethischen Wertvorstellungen zum moralisch richtigen Umgang mit Tieren beeinflussen das menschliche Verhalten. Daher ist es insbesondere für die Agrarbranche von großer Bedeutung, ein tieferes Verständnis für die tierethischen Werte der Gesellschaft zu erlangen, um den veränderten Ansprüchen nachhaltig begegnen zu können. Da tierethische Werte den Themenkomplex der Mensch-Tier-Beziehung sehr allgemein erfassen und grundlegende Werte widerspiegeln, sind sie im menschlichen Wertesystem auf der Ebene der bereichsspezifischen Werte einzuordnen. Bereichsspezifische Werte zeichnen sich dadurch aus, dass sie über die Zeit relativ stabil und zu einem gewissen Grad generalisierbar sind. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist daher die Entwicklung von reliablen und validen Skalen, mit denen ethische Werte im Kontext der Mensch-Tier-Beziehung erfasst werden können. Die Grundlage hierfür bilden Kernaussagen zentraler tierethischer Positionen aus der Philosophie. Eine konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse zeigt, dass sich tierethische Werte in der Gesellschaft identifizieren lassen und die entwickelten Skalen über eine gute Reliabilität und Validität verfügen. Des Weiteren geben die deskriptiven Ergebnisse einen ersten Überblick, welche tierethischen Werte in der deutschen Bevölkerung vorliegen. So wird der ursprüngliche Anthropozentrismus, wonach der Mensch mit Tieren umgehen darf, wie er möchte, fast gänzlich abgelehnt. Eine ausgesprochen hohe Zustimmung erfährt hingegen der neue kontrakttheoretische Ansatz („New Deal“), wonach der Mensch Tiere grundsätzlich nutzen darf, ihnen aber im Gegenzug ein gutes Leben ermöglichen muss. In the recent past, society has increasingly questioned the way animals are treated, especially so-called farm animals. Such ethical values, dealing with the morally correct treatment of animals, affect human behaviour. Therefore, it is of great importance for the agricultural sector in particular to gain a deeper understanding of animal-ethical values in society in order to meet the changing demands. Since such animal-ethical values cover the thematic complex of the human-animal relationship in a very general way and mirror fundamental values, they can be classified in the human value system at the level of domain-specific values. Domain-specific values are characterized by the fact that they are relatively stable over time and are to a certain extent generalizable. The aim of the present study is to develop reliable and valid scales to capture domain-specific values in the context of the human-animal relationship. This is based on core statements of central animal-ethical positions from philosophy. A confirmatory factor analysis reveals that animal-ethical values can be identified in society and that the developed scales are of good reliability and validity. Furthermore, the descriptive results provide a first overview of which animal-ethical values are represent-ed in the German population. Thus, the original anthropocentrism, allowing humans to treat animals as they want, is almost completely rejected. The new contractarian approach (“New Deal”), however, receives an extremely high level of approval. This animal-ethical position in principle allows humans to use animals, but, in exchange, they have to enable them to live a good life