The Ursinus Weekly, May 6, 1940

Speaker Clinchy shows threat of ideology clash • Open house program includes track meet, exhibits, exams • Penn invites three to bicentennial this fall • Seniors revolutionize program of Class Day • Le Art\u27s Ambassadors to play for May hop • King\u27s daughters is feature of Mothers\u27 Day entertainment • The lovable Sycamore family comes to Ursinus • Dubuque wins contest • Lantern deadline announced • Review of Ursinus athletic program • Counseling system used aids student adjustment • Placement tests indicate high ranking of Ursinus freshmen • Application of three tests to educational institutions should precede matriculation • Ursinus graduates win med. school success • Lookin\u27 at Ursinus and where we live • Footprints is novel theme featured as Ruby makes earliest debut in years • French, German clubs to give joint doggie roast and sing • Phys Ed. Club elects • Manuscript Club elects Shisler • Varsity acquires wins from Leb. Valley, Swarthmore; J.V.\u27s lose to Brown Prep • Raban breaks Ursinus record as bears lose • Over 500 compete in scholastic meet here • Racqueteers top Swarthmore co-eds; men lose to F. and M. • Hillegass, Wood elected heads of forum group • Showalter inducted into office at banquet of student council • Dr. Stoner to address pre-meds. on Tuesday • Mauchly attends Washington convention of physics society • Bruehl talks to Newman Club • Tau Sig\u27s exhibit hobbies • Dr. Russell Sturgis discusses cultural aspects of sciences • Fraternity election resultshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1843/thumbnail.jp

Farmers’ perceptions of climate change : identifying types

Ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture have been set by both national governments and their respective livestock sectors. We hypothesize that farmer self-identity influences their assessment of climate change and their willingness to im- plement measures which address the issue. Perceptions of climate change were determined from 286 beef/sheep farmers and evaluated using principal component analysis (PCA). The analysis elicits two components which evaluate identity (productivism and environmental responsibility), and two components which evaluate behavioral capacity to adopt mitigation and adaptation measures (awareness and risk perception). Subsequent Cluster Analyses reveal four farmer types based on the PCA scores. ‘The Productivist’ and ‘The Countryside Steward’ portray low levels of awareness of climate change, but differ in their motivation to adopt pro-environmental behavior. Conversely, both ‘The Environmentalist’ and ‘The Dejected’ score higher in their awareness of the issue. In addition, ‘The Dejected’ holds a high sense of perceived risk; however, their awareness is not conflated with an explicit understanding of agricultural GHG sources. With the exception of ‘The Environmentalist’, there is an evident disconnect between perceptions of agricultural emission sources and their contribution towards GHG emissions amongst all types. If such linkages are not con- ceptualized, it is unlikely that behavioral capacities will be realized. Effective communication channels which encour- age action should target farmers based on the groupings depicted. Therefore, understanding farmer types through the constructs used in this study can facilitate effective and tai- lored policy development and implementation

Empathy-Conditioned Conservation: “Walking in the Shoes of Others” as a Conservation Farmer

Conservation tillage on farms can improve downstream water quality. Using a dual-interests theoretical framework guided by the metaeconomics approach, this paper examines the role of self-interest and shared other-interest in the conservation tillage adoption decision. The data is from a 2007 survey of farmers in the Blue River/Tuttle Creek watershed of Nebraska and Kansas. Logit models show that farmers who temper their pursuit of self-interest with shared other-interest reflecting empathy-sympathy are more likely to adopt conservation tillage. Habit and control also play a role. Farmers pursue a joint and interdependent own-interest and not only self-interest as presumed in microeconomics.

Influence of Gelatin-Thrombin Matrix Tissue Sealant on Bacterial Colony Formation and Risk of Pelvic Infection

Objective. Gelatin-thrombin matrix (GTM) tissue sealant use was previously identified as an independent predictor of pelvic infection following hysterectomies. We aim to elucidate contributing factors by assessing influence of GTM on bacterial colony formation and characterizing bacteria present at the vaginal cuff. Methods. Escherichia coli was incubated in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and pelvic washings with and without GTM to assess influence on colony formation. Pelvic washings of the vaginal cuff were collected from hysterectomies occurring from June through October 2015. In vitro techniques, 16S rRNA gene qPCR, and 16S amplicon sequencing were performed with washings to characterize bacteria at the vaginal cuff. Results. Mean bacterial colony formation in PBS was greater for E. coli incubated in the presence of GTM (1.48 × 107 CFU/mL) versus without (9.95 × 105 CFU/mL) following 20-hour incubation (p=0.001). Out of 61 pelvic washings samples, 3 were culture positive (≥5000 CFU/mL) with Enterococcus faecalis. Conclusion. In vitro experiments support a facilitating role of GTM on colony formation of E. coli in PBS. However, given the negative results of surgical site washings following adequate disinfection, the role of GTM in promoting posthysterectomy pelvic infections may be limited. Analysis of pelvic washings revealed presence of E. faecalis, but results were inconclusive. Further studies are recommended