Keeper of the Flame: Antifascist Feature Films and the Hollywood Popular Front, 1934-1941

Abstract My thesis examines the production and exhibition of left-influenced antifascist feature films in Hollywood from 1934 to 1941. Antifascist, and specifically anti-Nazi films drew upon the ideas and filmmaking talent of a growing antifascist filmmaking community brought together in organizations, associations, and campaigns centered in and inspired by the Hollywood Popular Front. My thesis is meant as a synthesis that ties together the newest scholarship on pre-World War II Hollywood message films, the relationship between the Hollywood studios and the European dictatorships, and the growth of an antifascist community in Los Angeles. It is meant to contribute to the scholarship on late 1930s and early 1940s Hollywood message films. The films analyzed in my thesis are tied together by the contributions of left-wing filmmakers and their success in engaging with audiences through the successful engagement with and utilization of realist aesthetics within the boundaries of the Hollywood studio system to bring antifascist messages to the widest possible audience. The thesis concludes with the legacy of this form of left-wing cinematic engagement on the World War II and immediate postwar message films

Relaxation Methods for Mixed-Integer Optimal Control of Partial Differential Equations

We consider integer-restricted optimal control of systems governed by abstract semilinear evolution equations. This includes the problem of optimal control design for certain distributed parameter systems endowed with multiple actuators, where the task is to minimize costs associated with the dynamics of the system by choosing, for each instant in time, one of the actuators together with ordinary controls. We consider relaxation techniques that are already used successfully for mixed-integer optimal control of ordinary differential equations. Our analysis yields sufficient conditions such that the optimal value and the optimal state of the relaxed problem can be approximated with arbitrary precision by a control satisfying the integer restrictions. The results are obtained by semigroup theory methods. The approach is constructive and gives rise to a numerical method. We supplement the analysis with numerical experiments

Excretion of Cannabinoids in Urine after Ingestion of Cannabis Seed Oil

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) quantitation of 25 cannabis sed oils determined Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations from 3 to 1500 µg/g oil. In a pilot study, the morning urine of six volunteers who had ingested 11 or 22 g of the oil, which contained the highest THC content (1500 µg/g), was collected for six days. The urine samples were screened by immunoassay, and the content of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-THC (THCCOOH) was determined by GC-MS. Urine samples were found cannabis positive for up to six days with THCCOOH-equivalent concentrations up to 243 ng/ml, by the Abuscreen OnLine immunoassay and THCCOOH contents from 5 to 431 ng/mL by the GC-MS method. All subjects reported THC-specific psychotropic effect

Development of physical and mathematical models for the Porous Ceramic Tube Plant Nutrification System (PCTPNS)

A physical model of the Porous Ceramic Tube Plant Nutrification System (PCTPNS) was developed through microscopic observations of the tube surface under various operational conditions. In addition, a mathematical model of this system was developed which incorporated the effects of the applied suction pressure, surface tension, and gravitational forces as well as the porosity and physical dimensions of the tubes. The flow of liquid through the PCTPNS was thus characterized for non-biological situations. One of the key factors in the verification of these models is the accurate and rapid measurement of the 'wetness' or holding capacity of the ceramic tubes. This study evaluated a thermistor based moisture sensor device and recommendations for future research on alternative sensing devices are proposed. In addition, extensions of the physical and mathematical models to include the effects of plant physiology and growth are also discussed for future research

A summary of porous tube plant nutrient delivery system investigations from 1985 to 1991

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Program is a research effort to evaluate biological processes at a one person scale to provide air, water, and food for humans in closed environments for space habitation. This program focuses currently on the use of conventional crop plants and the use of hydroponic systems to grow them. Because conventional hydroponic systems are dependent on gravity to conduct solution flow, they cannot be used in the microgravity of space. Thus, there is a need for a system that will deliver water and nutrients to plant roots under microgravity conditions. The Plant Space Biology Program is interested in investigating the effect that the space environment has on the growth and development of plants. Thus, there is also a need to have a standard nutrient delivery method for growing plants in space for research into plant responses to microgravity. The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS) utilizes a hydrophilic, microporous material to control water and nutrient delivery to plant roots. It has been designed and analyzed to support plant growth independent of gravity and plans are progressing to test it in microgravity. It has been used successfully to grow food crops to maturity in an earth-bound laboratory. This document includes a bibliography and summary reports from the growth trials performed utilizing the PTPNDS

Design and Assembly of a Carbon Fiber Professional Scooter

After reviewing the current professional grade scooter market, it was concluded that there is a definite need for weight reduction. The current market consists of rigid aluminum and titanium structures. This design is made primarily of unidirectional carbon fiber in an epoxy resin system. The deck of the scooter will be made with a high density foam core. Using carbon fiber to replace metal will provide a substantial weight reduction in the final assembly. Testing will be done to ensure that the scooter meets all required safety and dimensional requirements.https://openriver.winona.edu/urc2019/1054/thumbnail.jp

Impact of guided bone regeneration and defect dimension on wound healing at chemically modified hydrophilic titanium implant surfaces: an experimental study in dogs

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of guided bone regeneration and defect dimension on wound healing at chemically modified titanium implant surfaces (modSLA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: ModSLA implants were placed at chronic-type lateral ridge defects of different heights (H1-H4: 2, 4, 6 and 8 mm) and randomly allocated to either (a) GBR (polyethylene glycol membrane + biphasic calcium phosphate) or (b) untreated control. At 2 and 8 weeks (n=6 dogs each), dissected blocks were processed for histomorphometrical analysis [e.g., percentage linear fill (PLF), regenerated area (RA)]. RESULTS: At 8 weeks, both groups revealed comparable mean PLF (%) [Control: H1 (26.1 +/- 5.8)-H4 (60.4 +/- 11.8); GBR: H1 (8.3 +/- 5.3)-H4 (50.7 +/- 23.1)] and RA (mm(2)) [Control: H1 (2.5 +/- 0.4)-H4 (7.4 +/- 4.1); GBR: H1 (1.8 +/- 1.0)-H4 (10.8 +/- 5.9)] values. A significant difference was observed for the mean PLF values at H1 defects. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that (i) modSLA titanium implants supported bone regeneration and osseointegration at H1-H4 defects and (ii) the present GBR procedure did not seem to improve the outcome of vertical bone regeneration, but tended to increase the mean RA values