Can We Programme Utopia? The Influence of the Digital Neoliberal Discourse on Utopian Videogames

This article has a dual purpose. The first is to establish the relationship between videogames and utopia in the neoliberal era and clarify the origins of this compromise in the theoretical dimension of game studies. The second is to examine the ways in which there has been an application of the utopian genre throughout videogame history (the style of procedural rhetoric and the subgenre of walking simulator) and the way in which the material dimension of the medium ideologically updates the classical forms of that genre, be it through activation or deactivation. The article concludes with an evaluation of the degree in which the neoliberal discourse interferes with the understanding of utopia on behalf of the medium and with its imaginary capabilities to allow for an effective change in social reality

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief H. Luis Vargas\u27 editorial for the latest issue of Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Insight Gains of Narrative Case Studies

The Editor provides an Editorial for the new issue

Determinants of fluid milk quality

The objectives of this study were to provide an overview of fluid milk quality in the U.S., determine if there is a correlation between rapid and traditional tests, determine if results from different analyses correlate with a sensory analysis and to determine any correlation between any of the analyses done in this study. Whole and 2% milks were received from 17 dairy processing plants located in the west, midwest, and southern regions of the U.S in duplicates. Samples were pasteurized at the processing plants by HTST method (161-175oF for 15-25 seconds). For standard plate counts at day 0 no significant differences were found. The mean value was 1.89 log CFU/ml. In day 14, significant differences were found. The mean was 7.58 log CFU/ml. No coliforms were found in any of the samples on either day 0 or day 14. Psychrotrophic counts had no significant differences for the traditional method. 5% of the samples showed psychrotrophic counts. For the rapid method no significant differences were found. The mean value was 0.63 log CFU/ml. 10% of the samples showed psychrotrophic counts. For heat-resistant spore-forming psychrotrophs no significant differences were found. 10% of the samples showed psychrotrophs. For aerobic spores no significant differences were found. The mean value was 1.94 log CFU/ml. HR-1 tests showed no significant differences. The mean was a pink coloration. HR-2 test results did result in significant differences at 48 and 60 hrs, with a mean of a pink color. HR-3 tests showed a mean of pink. Significant differences were found among samples. Fat% results had no significant difference for either milk samples. 2% samples had a mean of 2.08%. Whole milk samples had a mean of 3.43%. Protein content showed no significant differences. The mean was 3.15%. No significant differences were found for somatic cell counts. The mean value was 1.77 log SCC/ml. Regarding sensory evaluation, for day 0 no significant differences were found. The mean score was 7. Day 14 showed significant differences with a mean score of 4.39. Both test methods of psychrotrophic counts shared a high correlation coefficient but a t-test confirmed otherwise. We can conclude that the fluid milk quality in the U.S. needs to be improved

Damage assessment and sampling of the rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in rice, Oryza sativa L., in Texas

Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted from 2003 to 2006 at the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Beaumont and commercial rice fields throughout the Texas Rice Belt with the objectives of characterizing the nature of rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax (Fabricius), damage to rice, Oryza sativa L., and developing visual sampling methods and sequential sampling plans. During 2005 and 2006, in greenhouse and field experiments, rice plants were caged and infested with adult or nymph O. pugnax during the heading, milk or soft dough stage. No differences were found in the weight of rough, brown or milled rice infested with O. pugnax during different stages. More peck was found in grain from plants infested during milk and soft dough than heading. Adult O. pugnax caused more peck than nymphs in all stages. In field experiments conducted during 2005 and 2006, single rice panicles were caged at the onset of heading and infested with one male or female O. pugnax for 48 h during the heading, milk, soft or hard dough stage. No differences were found in the weight of rough rice per panicle infested with O. pugnax. No differences were detected in percentage peck caused by male and female O. pugnax. Infestation during all stages of panicle development produced significantly more peck than no infestation In greenhouse experiments conducted during 2004 and 2005, rice plants at the pre-heading, heading, milk and soft dough stages were caged together and infested with male and female O. pugnax. Insects were observed for a period of five days and their preferences recorded. More insects were observed on milk and soft dough than on pre-heading or heading plants.Commercial rice fields throughout the Texas Rice Belt were sampled during 2003 and 2004 and visual sampling methods were compared to the sweep net method of sampling. Analysis of covariance showed that one sweep of the “long stick” or two sweeps of the “sweep stick” compared favorably to 10 sweep net sweeps. Analyses revealed that visual sampling using the long stick is more cost-reliable than sweep net sampling for O. pugnax in Texas rice fields

The Distribution of Alpha Elements in Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies

The Milky Way ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) contain some of the oldest, most metal-poor stars in the Universe. We present [Mg/Fe], [Si/Fe], [Ca/Fe], [Ti/Fe], and mean [alpha/Fe], abundance ratios for 61 individual red giant branch stars across 8 UFDs. This is the largest sample of alpha abundances published to date in galaxies with absolute magnitudes M_V > -8, including the first measurements for Segue 1, Canes Venatici II, Ursa Major I, and Leo T. Abundances were determined via medium-resolution Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy and spectral synthesis. The sample spans the metallicity range -3.4 < [Fe/H] < -1.1. With the possible exception of Segue 1 and Ursa Major II, the individual UFDs show on average lower [alpha/Fe] at higher metallicities, consistent with enrichment from Type Ia supernovae. Thus even the faintest galaxies have undergone at least a limited level of chemical self-enrichment. Together with recent photometric studies, this suggests that star formation in the UFDs was not a single burst, but instead lasted at least as much as the minimum time delay of the onset of Type Ia supernovae (~100 Myr) and less than ~2 Gyr. We further show that the combined population of UFDs has an [alpha/Fe] abundance pattern that is inconsistent with a flat, Galactic halo-like alpha abundance trend, and is also qualitatively different from that of the more luminous CVn I dSph, which does show a hint of a plateau at very low [Fe/H].Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, re-submitted to ApJ with revisions based on referee repor

Prototipo para la recolección y reutilización de aguas residuales en la sede del Claustro de la Universidad Católica de Colombia

Trabajo de InvestigaciónEl enfoque de este trabajo está basado en la implementación de un prototipo para el tratamiento del agua residual de la sede del Claustro de la Universidad Católica de Colombia, específicamente el agua de los lavamanos, siendo este una primera aproximación un filtro de tratamiento para lograr los estándares requeridos para disponer de las aguas residuales como una fuente de abastecimiento.PregradoIngeniero Civi