Hearing the Voices of the Deserters: Activist Critical Making in Electronic Literature

Critical making is an approach to scholarship which combines discursive methods with creative practices. The concept has recently gained traction in the digital humanities, where scholars are looking for ways of integrating making into their research in ways that are inclusive and empowering to marginalized populations. This dissertation explores how digital humanists can engage critical making as a form of activism in electronic literature, specifically in the interactive fiction platform Twine. The author analyzes the making process of her own activist Twine game The Deserters and embeds the project within digital humanities discourses on activism and social justice, hypertext, electronic literature, critical making, and hacker culture. The Deserters is a text-based digital game based on the experiences of the author\u27s family as refugees from East Germany. The player\u27s objective in the game is to research a family\u27s history by searching the game-world for authentic documents, including biographical writings, journal entries, photographs, and records, thereby retracing historical events through personal experience. The Deserters aims at inspiring a compassionate and empathetic stance towards immigrants and refugees today. The author reflects on the ethical, narrative, aesthetic, and technical choices she made throughout the creation process of The Deserters to create a critical activist game. The results of the analysis demonstrate that Twine offers a unique environment for composing politically impactful personal narratives. From the project, the author derives best practices for activist critical making, which emphasize the importance for makers to imagine the needs and perspectives of their audience. The work expands digital humanities\u27 theoretical and practical toolkit for critical making

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A MOBILE TEST CELL

In this thesis, a modular powertrain mounting and instrumentation system is developed to increase engine testing efficiency in the Michigan Technological University Mobile Laboratory (Mobile Lab). This method is specifically designed for use in an on-the-road application with limited space where traditional engine test cell designs are not practical. This system is made to be robust, but simple enough that it can easily be built by future powertrain test engineers. In addition, a wall mounted diesel system was developed to provide common rail injection pressures to add the ability for conversion of mechanical injected diesel engines. And finally, an engine was installed that uses all the test cell innovations covered in this thesis. Implementation of the system described in this thesis will help to increase the capabilities of the Mobile Lab for teaching courses and help to improve efficiency of engine testing

Perspectives of animal caretakers on udder edema in dairy cattle and the effects of udder edema on parlor behavior in first and second lactation dairy cattle, The

2022 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Udder edema is a metabolic disorder in dairy cattle that results in lymphatic fluid being trapped in mammary tissues. Severe cases of udder edema can present in the brisket, navel, upper rear legs, and vulva. Known factors associated with udder edema include genetics, nutrition, oxidative stress, and high body condition score. Furthermore, as heifers are developing the mammary system during late-gestation, changes to their physiology are also occurring that influence the presentation of udder edema. Udder edema has been shown to negatively affect milk production, damage support structures of the mammary gland, and increase the risk of secondary diseases, such as mastitis and udder cleft dermatitis. With the concentration of udder edema, two studies were conducted examining dairy caretaker perspectives on udder edema and the effect udder edema has on behavior during the milk procedure. The objectives of the dairy caretaker survey were to 1) capture and evaluate current perspectives on udder edema from dairy caretakers, 2) assess caretakers' knowledge about factors that influence the development of udder edema, and 3) understand what the current monitoring practices of udder edema are on farms. The survey was distributed through an industry magazine and in a dairy exposition's electronic newsletter. A total of thirty caretakers completed the survey. The majority of dairy animal caretakers within the study agreed with the following statements: udder edema is a part of udder health, udder edema is more commonly seen in heifers (93.3%), an industry-standard rating scale would be useful to monitor udder edema (70%), it is important to be trained to identify udder edema (93.3%) , udder edema increases the risk for mastitis (73.3%), udder edema can be managed through nutrition (73.3%), udder edema negatively affects milk production (80%), high genetic milk production potential increases the risk of udder edema (70%), udder edema affects the attachment of the milking unit (90%), udder edema is painful (90%), and that udder edema is an animal welfare issue (86.7%). Currently, there is no validated scoring tool for udder edema. Based on these findings it can be concluded that the caretakers in the study feel that udder edema has a negative impact on the overall wellbeing and productive ability of their cattle. A second study was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that udder edema causes discomfort to dairy cattle during the milking session. Increased sensitivity of the teats due to udder edema may cause cows to show discomfort-related behaviors, such as stepping and kicking. First and second lactation cows (n=376) on two large Colorado farms (>500 head) were observed in the milking parlor during the udder preparation and active milking phase. All cows were visually examined and scored for udder edema at the end of the milking session. The stepping and kicking behaviors were counted to possibly identify if, at any time during the udder preparation or milking phase, cows with edematous udders showed heightened levels of rear leg behavior. First lactation dairy cattle showed an increase in stepping behavior during the udder preparation phase as compared to first lactation cows without udder edema when the milker is physically manipulating the udder (p = 0.0168). Second lactation cows with udder edema had greater step rate than first lactation cows without udder edema during udder prep when the milker was in contact with the udder (p = 0.0215). First lactation cows with udder edema have greater frequency of kick behavior compared to second lactation cows with udder edema during the milking session (p=0.0092). First lactation cows with udder edema kicked off the milking unit more often compared to first lactation cows without udder edema (p=0.0500) and second lactation cows with udder edema (p=0.0017). It was concluded that udder edema can influence a change in step and kick behavior in the milking parlor

Creative Media Advertising: Het begin van het einde van de groeiende plastic soep?

De huidige studie onderzocht de effectiviteit van creative media advertising (CMA) in vergelijking met traditional media advertising (TMA) in sociale marketing rondom milieuproblemen door plasticgebruik. Met behulp van een online experiment (N = 107) is gekeken of CMA tot een  milieuvriendelijkere gedragsintentie leidt dan TMA en of deze relatie gemedieerd wordt door bewustzijn van het probleem. Er is een direct positief effect gevonden van CMA versus TMA op milieuvriendelijke gedragsintentie met betrekking tot eenmalig plasticgebruik bij consumenten. Echter bleek dat bewustzijn van het probleem dit effect niet medieert. In alle analyses werd gecontroleerd voor de covariaat milieu-zelfidentiteit, die significant samenhingmet zowel probleembewustzijn als gedragsintentie

Assessment methods in laparoscopic colorectal surgery:a systematic review of available instruments

Background: Laparoscopic surgery has become the golden standard for many procedures, requiring new skills and training methods. The aim of this review is to appraise literature on assessment methods for laparoscopic colorectal procedures and quantify these methods for implementation in surgical training. Materials and methods: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched in October 2022 for studies reporting learning and assessment methods for laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Quality was scored using the Downs and Black checklist. Included articles were categorized in procedure-based assessment methods and non-procedure-based assessment methods. A second distinction was made between capability for formative and/or summative assessment. Results: In this systematic review, nineteen studies were included. These studies showed large heterogeneity despite categorization. Median quality score was 15 (range 0–26). Fourteen studies were categorized as procedure-based assessment methods (PBA), and five as non-procedure-based assessment methods. Three studies were applicable for summative assessment. Conclusions: The results show a considerable diversity in assessment methods with varying quality and suitability. To prevent a sprawl of assessment methods, we argue for selection and development of available high-quality assessment methods. A procedure-based structure combined with an objective assessment scale and possibility for summative assessment should be cornerstones.</p

Procedure-based assessment for laparoscopic cholecystectomy can replace global rating scales

Introduction Global rating scales (GRSs) such as the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) and Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Surgery (GOALS) are assessment methods for surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to establish construct validity of Procedure-Based Assessment (PBA) and to compare PBA with GRSs for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Material and methods OSATS and GOALS GRSs were compared with PBA in their ability to discriminate between levels of performance between trainees who can perform the procedure independently and those who cannot. Three groups were formed based on the number of procedures performed by the trainee: novice (1-10), intermediate (11-20) and experienced (>20). Differences between groups were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results Increasing experience correlated significantly with higher GRSs and PBA scores (all p < .001). Scores of novice and intermediate groups overlapped substantially on the OSATS (p = .1) and GOALS (p = .1), while the PBA discriminated between these groups (p = .03). The median score in the experienced group was higher with less dispersion for PBA (97.2[85.3-100]) compared to OSATS (82.1[60.7-100]) and GOALS (80[60-100]). Conclusion For assessing skill level or the capability of performing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy independently, PBA has a higher discriminative ability compared to the GRSs

Whole-Genome Analysis of Temporal Gene Expression during Foregut Development

We have investigated the cis-regulatory network that mediates temporal gene expression during organogenesis. Previous studies demonstrated that the organ selector gene pha-4/FoxA is critical to establish the onset of transcription of Caenorhabditis elegans foregut (pharynx) genes. Here, we discover additional cis-regulatory elements that function in combination with PHA-4. We use a computational approach to identify candidate cis-regulatory sites for genes activated either early or late during pharyngeal development. Analysis of natural or synthetic promoters reveals that six of these sites function in vivo. The newly discovered temporal elements, together with predicted PHA-4 sites, account for the onset of expression of roughly half of the pharyngeal genes examined. Moreover, combinations of temporal elements and PHA-4 sites can be used in genome-wide searches to predict pharyngeal genes, with more than 85% accuracy for their onset of expression. These findings suggest a regulatory code for temporal gene expression during foregut development and provide a means to predict gene expression patterns based solely on genomic sequence

The HLH-6 Transcription Factor Regulates C. elegans Pharyngeal Gland Development and Function

The Caenorhabditis elegans pharynx (or foregut) functions as a pump that draws in food (bacteria) from the environment. While the “organ identity factor” PHA-4 is critical for formation of the C. elegans pharynx as a whole, little is known about the specification of distinct cell types within the pharynx. Here, we use a combination of bioinformatics, molecular biology, and genetics to identify a helix-loop-helix transcription factor (HLH-6) as a critical regulator of pharyngeal gland development. HLH-6 is required for expression of a number of gland-specific genes, acting through a discrete cis-regulatory element named PGM1 (Pharyngeal Gland Motif 1). hlh-6 mutants exhibit a frequent loss of a subset of glands, while the remaining glands have impaired activity, indicating a role for hlh-6 in both gland development and function. Interestingly, hlh-6 mutants are also feeding defective, ascribing a biological function for the glands. Pharyngeal pumping in hlh-6 mutants is normal, but hlh-6 mutants lack expression of a class of mucin-related proteins that are normally secreted by pharyngeal glands and line the pharyngeal cuticle. An interesting possibility is that one function of pharyngeal glands is to secrete a pharyngeal lining that ensures efficient transport of food along the pharyngeal lumen

Multiple Wnts Redundantly Control Polarity Orientation in Caenorhabditis elegans Epithelial Stem Cells

During development, cell polarization is often coordinated to harmonize tissue patterning and morphogenesis. However, how extrinsic signals synchronize cell polarization is not understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, most mitotic cells are polarized along the anterior-posterior axis and divide asymmetrically. Although this process is regulated by a Wnt-signaling pathway, Wnts functioning in cell polarity have been demonstrated in only a few cells. We analyzed how Wnts control cell polarity, using compound Wnt mutants, including animals with mutations in all five Wnt genes. We found that somatic gonadal precursor cells (SGPs) are properly polarized and oriented in quintuple Wnt mutants, suggesting Wnts are dispensable for the SGPs' polarity, which instead requires signals from the germ cells. Thus, signals from the germ cells organize the C. elegans somatic gonad. In contrast, in compound but not single Wnt mutants, most of the six seam cells, V1–V6 (which are epithelial stem cells), retain their polarization, but their polar orientation becomes random, indicating that it is redundantly regulated by multiple Wnt genes. In contrast, in animals in which the functions of three Wnt receptors (LIN-17, MOM-5, and CAM-1) are disrupted—the stem cells are not polarized and divide symmetrically—suggesting that the Wnt receptors are essential for generating polarity and that they function even in the absence of Wnts. All the seam cells except V5 were polarized properly by a single Wnt gene expressed at the cell's anterior or posterior. The ectopic expression of posteriorly expressed Wnts in an anterior region and vice versa rescued polarity defects in compound Wnt mutants, raising two possibilities: one, Wnts permissively control the orientation of polarity; or two, Wnt functions are instructive, but which orientation they specify is determined by the cells that express them. Our results provide a paradigm for understanding how cell polarity is coordinated by extrinsic signals