Improvement of public roads

Citation: Parrack, Albert William. Improvement of public roads. Senior thesis, Kansas State Agricultural College, 1900.Morse Department of Special CollectionsIntroduction: Perhaps no question is of more universal importance, and yet less written or spoken on, than that of public wagon roads. The railroad is a subject of common discussion. It forms a part of the theme of the political orator, is commented on by every citizen who thinks and talks on public questions, and no layman is so ignorant as not to have an opinion about how the railroads, factories and schools should be controlled. This is true of questions relating to taxation, tariff, money, and expansion; but, when it comes to the question of wagon roads, that is a subject too common and insignificant for many to think on; and, although we are constantly worrying over it, the wagon road is left to the care of the wind and flood and a few yearly scratches directed by the inefficient Kansas “Road-boss.” One reason why the development of the common road has been so slow is the marvelous increase in railroad building, it being assumed that the latter obviates, to a considerable extent, the necessity of the former. But, notwithstanding the fact that our whole country is covered with a network of railroads, there is still as great a need of good public roads as before; in fact, this great system of railroads seems to have increased rather than have diminished their necessity. It is true that the farmers do not have to haul their farm products twenty or thirty miles to market, as they did fifty or seventy-five years ago, because the railroad has taken the place of the public roads connecting the farming districts with the central markets, such as Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago. But, on the other hand, the existence of the railroads effects a more complete utilization of the land of a community, and a large increase in the number of inhabitants. This means an increase in agricultural products, and the necessity of more and better roads that these products may be hauled to the local market—the point at which the farmer now disposes of his produce; though the final market is any place on the globe that is in telegraphic and steam connection with his station, and where there is a demand for what he has to sell

The Influence of Stakeholder Values on the Acceptance of Water Reallocation Policy in Southern Alberta

Historically, a great deal of water has been allocated to the agricultural sector in Alberta to support economic development and to contribute to food security. However, demand from other areas has increased in recent years, notably from the environment. Meeting new demands while still satisfying existing users has become a significant challenge. The combination of increased water use efficiency and productivity combined with reallocating water from agriculture to other sectors has emerged globally as a solution to this challenge. Thus, new policies regarding water reallocation need to be developed. Designing policies that are acceptable to the various stakeholders involved poses a considerable challenge. The values held by individuals determine how they will react to new public policies. Hence, to support effective policy making, a better understanding of how the non-irrigator population perceives water reallocation issues is necessary. Using mail-out surveys to collect data from the populations of Lethbridge, Alberta, and the surrounding smaller communities, this research aimed to identify the values regarding water allocation held by domestic, non-irrigator water users, and to determine how these values influence their acceptance of water allocation policies. Findings from the survey reveal how non-irrigators’ values influence their opinion of water transfers from the irrigation sector to the urban and environment sectors, and the conditions under which they should take place. A pro-environment value orientation was most prominent amongst the urban sample, while the rural sample was mainly moderate in their value orientation. The large moderate value cluster within the rural sample represented both pro-economic and pro-environment values depending on the focus of the survey item. Statements that would affect the community (irrigation sector) were met with pro-economic values while statements that involved making a personal sacrifice in order to protect the aquatic environment were strongly supported. Value orientation was found to greatly influence the respondents’ perception of water reallocation policy

Un alojamiento fluctuante

Las actuales directrices humanitarias no abarcan suficientemente lo que implica el alojamiento en entornos de conflicto inestables y prolongados, en especial fuera de los campos organizados. Proponemos unas herramientas mejoradas para llenar esas lagunas

Functional roles of the two cyclic AMP-dependent forms of cyclic AMP receptor protein from Escherichia coli

AbstractThe cyclic AMP receptor protein activates transcription in Escherichia coli, only when complexed with cyclic AMP. The cyclic AMP receptor protein-cyclic AMP complex formed at low concentrations of cyclic AMP has a different conformation from either cyclic AMP receptor protein alone or its complex with cyclic AMP formed at high cyclic AMP concentrations. Various biophysical data suggest that the latter complex resembles free cyclic AMP receptor protein. We have examined the conformational and biological properties of cyclic AMP receptor protein as a function of cyclic AMP concentrations, using the gal operon of E. coli. A biphasic behavior is observed. It is shown that only the complex formed at lower concentrations of cyclic AMP is the transcriptionally active form. This difference between the complexes at different levels of cyclic AMP arises from a decreased ability of the cyclic AMP receptor protein-cyclic AMP complex at high cyclic AMP concentrations to bind to DNA at specific sites

Polymorphism in B-DNA: X-ray diffraction studies on Li-DNA fibres

From X-ray diffraction studies it is generally believed that B-DNA has the structural parameters n=10 and h=3.4 Å. However, for the first time we report that polymorphism in the B-form can be observed in DNA fibres. This was achieved by the precise control of salt and humidity in fibres and by the application of the precession method of X-ray diffraction to DNA fibres. The significant result obtained is that n=10 is not observed for crystalline fibre patterns. In fact, n=10 and h=3.4 Å are not found to occur simultaneously. Instead, a range of values, n=9.6-10.0 and h=3.35 Å-3.41 Å is observed

Disorder-order transition of λ CII promoted by low concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride suggests a stable core and a flexible C-terminus

The CII protein of bacteriophage λ, which activates the synthesis of the λ repressor, plays a key role in the lysis-lysogeny switch. CII has a small in vivo half-life due to its proteolytic susceptibility, and this instability is a key component for its regulatory role. The structural basis of this instability is not known. While studying guanidine hydrochloride-assisted unfolding of CII, we found that low concentrations of the chaotrope (50-500 mm) have a considerable effect on the structure of this protein. This effect is manifest in an increase in molar ellipticity, an enhancement of intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence intensity and a reduction in ANS binding. At low concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride CII is stabilized, as reflected in a significant decrease in the rate of proteolysis by trypsin and resistance to thermal aggregation, while the tetrameric nature of the protein is retained. Thus low concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride promote a more structured conformation of the CII protein. On the basis of these observations, a model has been proposed for the structure of CII wherein the protein equilibrates between a compact form and a proteolytically accessible form, in which the C-terminal region assumes different structures

Shelter self-recovery: The experience of Vanuatu

This paper draws from a research project that explored the lived reality of communities in Vanuatu recovering from major disasters to understand the impacts of shelter interventions by humanitarian organizations. It focuses on “shelter self-recovery”, an approach followed by organizations after recent disasters. A global overview of self-recovery highlights the potential of this approach to support recovery pathways and indicates the reliance on local context. The overview shows the need for more evidence on the impact of self-recovery programs. In Vanuatu, the study was undertaken in three island sites—Tanna, Maewo and Pentecost—affected by different disasters, particularly cyclones. It examined three main issues: (a) understanding and interpretation of self-recovery; (b) how the approach has evolved over time; and (c) what is being done by communities to support self-recovery to reduce future disaster risk. Key findings from the field indicated that devastation by disasters such as cyclones can cause a serious scarcity of natural building materials, which impedes the self-recovery process. The other significant issue is that of traditional versus modern building materials, where many people aspire for modern houses. However, poorly constructed modern houses pose a risk in disasters, and there are examples of shelters made of traditional materials that provide safety. Drawing from the field investigations, a set of recommendations were developed for more effective shelter self-recovery by humanitarian agencies in partnership with communities and other stakeholders. These recommendations place importance on contextual factors, community consultation and engagement, and addressing the supply of natural building materials

Analysis of Three Commercial Harvest Estimation Procedures Used in the Oklahoma Commercial Fishery

Zoolog