Session 3: Natural Selection as a Causal Theory

Proceedings of the Pittsburgh Workshop in History and Philosophy of Biology, Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, March 23-24 2001 Session 3: Natural Selection as a Causal Theor

The solid state fermentation of apple pomace using yeasts to produce an improved stock feed supplement : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Technology degree at Massey University

Apple pomace is a waste stream generated from the apple juice extraction process and constitutes about 25% of the original fruit (Walter and Sherman, 1976). It contains a large amount of water and sugars, has a low pH and a small amount of protein. The total production of apple pomace in New Zealand is 2.7 x 10⁴ tonnes/year. At present, it is mainly disposed of by transportation to landfill areas, with a minor portion being used locally as a pig feed supplement. However, this main disposal method is a major cost and is also of considerable environmental concern. As the quantity of pomace produced is forecasted to increase gradually over the next five years, alternative treatments and disposal options will become necessary. This project involved the solid state fermentation of apple pomace with the aim of producing an improved stock feed supplement. The fermentations were conducted using a variety of yeasts with the purpose of improving the nutritional value by increasing the crude protein content. The effects of unsterilised media, moisture content and nitrogen addition were also addressed. Sterilisation of the apple pomace medium prior to yeast inoculation was found to be necessary due to the superior growth characteristics of a yeast from the natural biota. This yeast was isolated and identified as Kloeckera apiculata. The growth of Kloeckera apiculata on sterilised apple pomace was superior to that exhibited by Candida utilis Y15, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y10 and Yarrowia lipolytica IFO1659. Schizosaccharomyces pombe H115 grew poorly on the apple pomace medium. A reduction in the moisture content of the apple pomace medium from 80% to 65% was found to have little effect upon the growth characteristics of C. utilis, Kl. apiculata and Sacch. cerevisiae. Ammonium hydroxide was the most effective nitrogeous growth substrate at improving the growth of Kl. apiculata, when used as a medium supplement. The growth of C. utilis benefited most from the addition of ammonium sulphate. Kl. apiculata growth on apple pomace supplemented with 1% v/w 2 N ammonium hydroxide achieved a maximum crude protein content of 3.5%, measured on a dry weight basis, after 48 hours. Kl. apiculata growth on pomace supplemented with 1% v/w 7.8 N ammonium hydroxide achieved a maximum protein content of 7.2%, measured on a dry weight basis, after 72 hours. Comparison of the amino acid profile of the microbially modified apple pomace (7.2% protein) with amino acid profiles recommended for growing pigs and breeding pigs revealed a deficiency in nearly all amino acids. This research indicates that the increased protein content of the apple pomace, due to yeast propagation, is still insufficient to qualify it as a suitable stock feed supplement. However, research into the effects of other fermentation parameters may lead to further improvements in yeast growth. As the pig industry is potentially the greatest market in New Zealand for a microbial biomass product such as this, feeding trials with growing and breeding pigs are essential to determine its nutritional value. These trials would have a major bearing on determining the commercial prospects of this apple pomace feed product. However, before any further research is conducted, consideration must be given to a new process which has been proposed for the extraction of apple juice. This process would result in an altered apple pomace waste stream and, if it was adopted for future commercial use, may reduce the applicability in New Zealand of the research results described in this thesis

Care and Handling of Historic Sound Recordings

Manual on the care and handling, and cleaning of historic sound recordings as practiced at the Belfer Audio Archive. Covers cylinders and discs (78s, LPs, ...). Document contains links to videos demonstrating these techniques

Letter from G. Robert Hodge, New York City Disability Rights Officer, to Geraldine Ferraro

Congratulatory letter from G. Robert Hodge, Disability Rights Officer with the New York City Mayor\u27s Office for the Handicapped, to Geraldine Ferraro.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_correspondence_1984_new_york/1217/thumbnail.jp

Bite Mark Identification - A Reliable Forensic Tool or Junk Science

Bite mark evidence has been a prosecution tool since the 1950s, especially in burglary, homicide, child abuse, and rape cases. In fact it has been said that without bite mark evidence, many violent crimes could not be prosecuted successfully. This forensic principle is premised upon the idea that no two people have the same dentitition as to size, shape and teeth alignment. Hundreds of cases have admitted bite mark identification into evidence that have resulted in conviction. The accuracy of bite mark evidence is currently under assault. A major challenge to bit mark evidence is that it lacks an adequate scientific foundation, as it is not based on reliable scientific methodology. In fact, several scientific bodies have recently released reports critical of bite mark evidence. Each has determined that bite mark analysis does not meet scientific standards for foundational validity. This article will examine this growing controversy and recent court cases on the topic. The courts show great reluctance in overturning the many years of precedent concerning the admissibility of the evidence, but the tide may be changing

Stolen wages, corruption, and selective application of the law : is APUNCAC a solution?

APUNCAC is a draft international convention designed to address systemic corruption, strengthening UNCAC’s provisions and adding mechanisms to make it more effective. ‘Corruption’ includes public officials abusing their powers. This article addresses an especially insidious form: when laws are created and applied to deny equal protection under the law. Ruling elites control the executive and parliament, to pass laws that selectively target and disadvantage a segment of the population. Our empirical data comes from a historical case, massive government-sanctioned wage theft from Western Australian Aboriginal workers between 1901 and 1972. We use these data to analyse how this kind of corruption works in practice, to evaluate APUNCAC’s measures and strategies, to see what specific measures might be used or modified, and where APUNCAC might need supplementing. We argue that Article 4(3) could have a major impact, especially supported by other Articles and processes, such as dedicated independent courts and strategic engagement with local courts. We evaluate two scenarios: The first scenario is prospective, assuming that APUNCAC is adopted. We evaluate the possible impact of APUNCAC in deterring future corruption involving selective application of the law. The second scenario is retrospective. We evaluate the possible support that APUNCAC might provide regarding court actions that seek redress for potential litigants, such as WA Aboriginal people who were injured in the past

Changes in mass balance of South Cascade Glacier, North Cascades, 1959 to 1994

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): Annual, winter, and summer mass balance measurements at South Cascade Glacier in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State constitute a continuous time series 36 years long, from 1959 to 1994. ... The long-term trends at South Cascade Glacier are decreased winter accumulation and increased summer ablation, neither of which is conducive to glacier growth, so the trend in the Pacific Northwest is clearly away from an ice-age type of climate at the current time. The data also demonstrate that a glaciologically significant long-term change in snow precipitation can occur rapidly, in as short an interval as 1 year, much more rapidly than changes in temperature

Intermediate progenitors support migration of neural stem cells into dentate gyrus outer neurogenic niches.

The hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is a unique brain region maintaining neural stem cells (NCSs) and neurogenesis into adulthood. We used multiphoton imaging to visualize genetically defined progenitor subpopulations in live slices across key stages of mouse DG development, testing decades old static models of DG formation with molecular identification, genetic-lineage tracing, and mutant analyses. We found novel progenitor migrations, timings, dynamic cell-cell interactions, signaling activities, and routes underlie mosaic DG formation. Intermediate progenitors (IPs, Tbr2+) pioneered migrations, supporting and guiding later emigrating NSCs (Sox9+) through multiple transient zones prior to converging at the nascent outer adult niche in a dynamic settling process, generating all prenatal and postnatal granule neurons in defined spatiotemporal order. IPs (Dll1+) extensively targeted contacts to mitotic NSCs (Notch active), revealing a substrate for cell-cell contact support during migrations, a developmental feature maintained in adults. Mouse DG formation shares conserved features of human neocortical expansion