Weld control system using thermocouple wire Patent

Control of fusion welding through use of thermocouple wir

RC rate generator for slow speed measurement Patent

Device utilizing RC rate generators for continuous slow speed measuremen

Organismal composition and photosynthetic traits of biological soil crusts in prairie ecosystems of the Great Plains

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are soil-surface microecosystems composed of a close association of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and non-vascular plants with soil particles. BSCs have several ecological functions including carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, nutrient relations, soil stabilization, water relations, and floral community development, which make them extremely important in the dryland ecosystems where they occur. While BSCs have been studied throughout the American West, little work has been done in the Great Plains region where they are less prominent among the dominant vascular plant communities. This novel study examined organismal and photosynthetic traits of BSCs in four ecosystems within the Great Plains—sandsage, short grass, mixed grass, and tall grass prairies. To document the BSCs, seasonal photosynthesis measurements were performed in the field and samples were collected for lab analysis. The BSCs primarily consisted of lichens, bryophytes, and cyanobacteria with lichens being dominant in all ecosystems and an increasing bryophyte presence in the wetter and cooler ecosystems. Heterocystic (nitrogen-fixing) and non-heterocystic cyanobacteria were present in lichens at all sites, which contribute to soil nitrogen content. Photosynthesis rates varied between sites and seasons, ranging from 0.26 to 3.31 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 CO2 m-2 s-1, that were generally correlated with precipitation and temperature. Not only does this research provide more knowledge about BSCs, but its information could also be incorporated into the conservation, restoration, and management of prairie ecosystems

Food and Hunger Initiatives at Fort Hays State University

FHSU students and faculty are committed to addressing food insecurity issues faced by students, faculty and staff. In 2011, the FHSU Victor E. Garden was created to provide greater access to fresh produce for the campus community. In 2012, a campus food pantry, known as the Tiger Food Exchange, was created to provide access to food and also access to information about food and hunger issues. In 2013, a student-led undergraduate research project used the USDA\u27s 6-Item Food Security Short Form Survey to compare FHSU students\u27 food insecurity rates to national averages. Survey results revealed that FHSU students\u27 food insecurity rates were higher than the national average. In fall 2013, the Campus Food and Hunger Initiatives Committee was formed to address campus food and hunger issues. A Healthy Living Grant (2-year) from the Kansas Health Foundation broadened the reach of this campus-wide initiative by improving the infrastructure, developing and implementing educational strategies, and investing in needed resources. The grant provided funding for student coordinators for the Victor E. Garden, the Tiger Food Exchange and a Web and Social Media Coordinator to manage communications and outreach. The garden was expanded by adding a hoop house, a shed, cold frames, drip irrigation, rain barrels and a compost bin. Plans are underway to build an outdoor classroom at the garden site. Individuals accessing the Tiger Food Exchange benefit from a greater array of fresh foods. Educational programming is aimed at addressing resource and knowledge deficits

The Development and Failure of the Nineteenth-Century Evolutionary Theory of Ethics

McCampbell, Duane (1983) The Development and Failure of the Nineteenth-Century Evolutionary Theory of Ethics, Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 26 : No. 3. This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service

It\u27s Time to Replace Sam Farr, the Ultimate Bureaucrat

Paid campaign advertisement against Sam Farr, on behalf of Bill McCampbell’s campaign, January 30, 1998.https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/samfarr_campaign/1012/thumbnail.jp

Good intentions in complex realities: Challenges for designing responsibly in digital agriculture in low-income countries

Human-centred design (HCD) approaches are adopted to develop digital agriculture interventions inclusively and responsibly. Whether these approaches indeed lead to responsible designs remains unclear, especially for low-income countries. Using a Rwandan case-study, we contribute to debates on inclusive, participatory and responsible design by developing a framework for operationalising HCD and responsible innovation in practice and studying the process of designing a digital agriculture intervention for banana disease management. The four dimensions (inclusion, anticipation, reflexivity, responsiveness) of responsible innovation and our own framework of digital rights served as analytical lenses. Findings show that power relations and digital capacity negatively affect user inclusivity in design. The context in which HCD is deployed hinders anticipation, reflexivity and responsiveness, resulting in design decisions that do not fully respect digital rights and thus in potentially irresponsible digital technologies. Broader, long-term consequences of digital technologies should be a central consideration in design processes, while responsible innovation theory needs to become cognizant of the complex realities in which digital innovations emerge