Bennett, Breen, and the birdman of alcatraz: A case study of collaborative censorship between the production code administration and the federal bureau of prisons

In bringing to the screen the life of murderer Robert Stroud in Birdman of Alcatraz (United Artists, 1962), filmmakers encountered official obstruction from the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, James V. Bennett. Campaigning for the release of Stroud, Burt Lancaster retaliated by exposing Bennett’s efforts to censor the film as evidence of a personal vendetta against the prisoner. However, new archival research demonstrates how the Bureau had collaborated with Hollywood’s own censorship body, the Production Code Administration, for many years - and that Birdman was in fact the culmination of a decades-long struggle to control all films about Alcatraz

Plant composition of three woodland communities of variable condition in the western Riverina, New South Wales, Australia

We examined differences in floristics among three regionally-threatened woodland communities in the western Riverina: Blackbox (Eucalyptus largiflorens), Bimble box-Pine (Eucalyptus populnea-Callitris glaucophylla) and Boree (Acacia pendula) between 2001 and 2004. Our aim was to examine possible relationships between the diversity and biomass of groundstorey vegetation, and remnant condition and rainfall both among communities and across years. The three woodland communities varied widely in their plant species composition, with only 22% of the 358 species common to all communities. Seven species, mainly exotic grasses and forbs, contributed 25% of the total cover across all sites and times. Blackbox communities had the greatest number of exotic and annual species. There were poor relationships between condition and diversity, richness, evenness or abundance of groundstorey plant species within 400 m2 quadrats. Overall, sites in better condition tended to support a greater cover of native plants and a lower cover of exotic plants (Blackbox only). There were only weak relationships between rainfall and biomass. The marked variation in species diversity in relation to changing seasonal conditions and within similar condition classes highlights the difficulties of developing benchmarks for separating the effects of management, and seasonal and longer-term climate change

IN VITRO APPARENT RUMINAL DIGESTIBILITY OF DIETS CONTAINING CORN DISTILLERS GRAIN WITH DIFFERENT QUANTITIES OF CRUDE FAT

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF David Williams for the Master of Ruminant Nutrition degree in Animal Science, presented on December 12, 2016 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: IN VITRO APPARENT RUMINAL DIGESTIBILITY OF DIETS CONTAINING CORN DISTILLERS GRAIN WITH VARYING LEVELS OF CRUDE FAT MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Rebecca Atkinson Four dual-flow continuous fermenters were used in a Latin square design to determine the apparent ruminal digestibility and ruminal characteristics of diets containing dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) at various levels of fat content. Fermenters were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: 1) 40% DDGS containing 4.82% fat content (40 LOW); 2) 40% DDGS plus corn oil to obtain 7.5% fat (40 MED); 3) 40% DDGS plus corn oil to obtain 10.5% fat (40 HIGH); or 4) 70% DDGS plus corn oil to obtain 7.5% fat (70 MED). Rumen fluid was collected at the beginning of each period from two ruminally cannulated Angus cows previously adapted to the 40LOW treatment. Each period consisted of 10 days with a seven day adaptation period followed by three days of sample collection. Calories per gram of diet increased as percent fat increased and calories per gram was greater at the 70% inclusion of DDGS compared to 40% inclusion of DDGS at all levels of fat content. However, level of fat in the diet did not influence (P ≥ 0.35) apparent ruminal digestibility of DM, NDF, ADF, CP or total calories. Similarly, inclusion rate of DDGS had no influence (P ≥ 0.35) on nutrient digestibility. Ammonia concentrations were greatest (P = 0.0002) for 70 MED compared to the other treatments. However, treatment had no impact (P ≥ 0.16) on volatile fatty acid production with the exception of propionate which increased (P =0.05) as the level of DDGS increased from 40 to 70% inclusion rate. This data would suggest that level of fat content of DDGS has no negative influence on apparent ruminal digestibility and select ruminal characteristics. From an economic perspective, higher fat DDGS should have a higher price differential, but lower fat DDGS can still be an effective protein and energy substitute

Brick Versus Earth: The Construction and Destruction of Confederate Seacoast Forts Pulaski and McAllister, Georgia

The United States government created America\u27s third coastal defense system during the early-to-mid nineteenth century based upon the recommendations of the Board of Engineers of 1816. The engineers of 1816 believed the most economical means of protecting America was the construction of large, permanent forts along key areas of America\u27s coast. Union forces under Brigadier General Quincy Gillmore seized Fort Pulaski in April of 1862. Pulaski was one of the most formidable forts built under the third system. Gillmore required two months to install the weapons used against Pulaski; most of the time was spent installing smoothbore Columbiads, the standard breaching weapon of the day. Yet the weapons that destroyed Pulaski were lighter, rifled guns. Gillmore attributed the fort\u27s destruction to rifled weapons, and found the smoothbore guns practically worthless during the engagement. All forts built by Southern engineers prior to the fall of Pulaski, prior to the proof of the superiority of rifled weapons over permanent works, were earthen forts. Masonry\u27s obsolescence was not a factor in the decision to build earthen works. The South needed forts immediately, for it faced an enemy that had invaded its soil and established a base on its shores. The change in construction material from masonry to earth was not in response to the recognition of a new threat, the rifled weapon, but because the Confederacy lacked the time and resources to build forts like Pulaski. Earthen forts like Fort McAllister, Georgia, were able to withstand repeated attacks by the United States Navy and emerged unscathed. The largest guns in Federal service, 15 Columbiads, were used on several occasions against McAllister. The fort did not fall until assaulted by a greatly superior land force. Although the lessons provided by earthen forts did not change the immediate future of coastal defenses, they did have an impact later in the nineteenth century. Under the Endicott system of the 1880s, engineers constructed coastal forts as one-tier works with dispersed batteries. The materials used were earth and reinforced concrete. By the tum of the century the impressive forts of the third system were abandoned in favor of the Endicott forts

Application of ecological principles to accelerate reclamation of well pad sites, The

Department Head: Michael J. Manfredo.2009 Spring.Includes bibliographical references (pages 25-28).Western Colorado is experiencing a boom in natural gas development. However, the semi-arid ecosystems of this area have difficulty recovering from energy related disturbances. The purpose of this study was to improve reclamation techniques of natural gas well pads on the Western Slope of Colorado to establish viable native plant populations. The reclamation techniques studied are intended to repair damaged ecological processes and help guide the trajectory of natural plant succession toward a more desired plant community. The study examined the effects and interactions of seedbed preparation, soil amendments, seed mixtures, and seeding methods. The experiment was conducted in pinyon-juniper and sagebrush steppe/salt desert scrub plant communities on five natural gas well pads near Parachute, Colorado. Soil and plant cover data were collected to assess the effectiveness of 16 different treatment combinations. The data were analyzed by using a generalized linear mixed model. There was a significant difference in precipitation between 2007 and 2008, with 2007 receiving only 53% of average precipitation while 2008 was slightly above the average precipitation of 300 mm. After two growing seasons, the data show that the use of wood chips as a soil amendment increased organic matter content and reduced non-native species. Rough seedbed preparation increased the establishment of native species, especially during years of below average precipitation. Island broadcasting resulted in an increase of noxious plant cover in 2008. Additional monitoring over time is still needed before more conclusive statements can be made about the effects of the different seed mixtures. Soil testing revealed that soil salinity will need to be ameliorated in some areas for successful reclamation to occur

The Making of a Courtroom: Landlord-Tenant Trials in Philadelphia\u27s Municipal Court

This dissertation analyzes Philadelphia\u27s Landlord-Tenant Court (L-T Court) within organizational and policy contexts. It identifies the factors that influence the outcome of private landlord-tenant trials, describes people\u27s experience of the courtroom from multiple perspectives, and analyzes the Municipal Court\u27s intraorganizational and interorganizational dynamics that inform L-T Court\u27s behavior. Housing courts have been mandated to prevent the deterioration of existing housing stock by protecting landlords\u27 property rights and tenants\u27 rights to a habitable dwelling. Landlords have long had the right to receive rent and to hold tenants responsible for property damage; recent changes in landlord-tenant law have established tenants\u27 right to receive habitable, safe homes. It is only in the protection of both rights that these courts can help preserve affordable, adequate rental housing. This study employs mixed method, single-case study design that utilizes quantitative, case study, and ethnographic methodologies. The combined methods establish a complementary, holistic approach that triangulates methods and data to derive convergent findings. Multiple regression of the judge\u27s identity and actions, litigants\u27 legal strategy, contest participant characteristics, and case characteristics on trial outcomes is based on trial transcript, in-court observation, and court administrative data. Case study analysis is based on interviews with trial participants, including landlords, tenants, attorneys, judges, and court staff and trial transcripts. Ethnographic analysis is based on informal discussions with and observations of disputants, judges, court staff, and others who interact with the court system that surrounds L-T Court. The study also employs a theoretical bundle comprised of autopoiesis, territoriality, paradox theory, and street level bureaucracy to analyze L-T Court\u27s organizational behavior. The study\u27s central finding is that L-T Court propagates substantive and procedural policies that diverge from theoretically binding common law and basic jurisprudential expectations. This divergence can be explained by Municipal Court\u27s organizational dynamics within a legal and regulatory environment. The study concludes that policies designed to strengthen the supply of affordable housing must incorporate the interests of both landlords and tenants. Policy recommendations address the legal representation gap between landlords and tenants, the weak court linkage with legal and administrative organizations, and other areas that prevent effective rental housing regulation

Rewilding soil-disturbing vertebrates to rehabilitate degraded landscapes: benefits and risks

Soil-disturbing animals are common globally and play important roles in creating and maintaining healthy functional soils and landscapes. Yet many of these animals are threatened or locally extinct due to habitat loss, predation by non-native animals or poaching and poisoning. Some reintroduction and rewilding programmes have as their core aims to increase animal populations and reinstate processes that have been lost due to their extirpation. Here we use a meta-analytical approach to review the effects of soil-disturbing vertebrates on ecosystem processes, and advance the argument that they can be used to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems by altering mainly composition and function, but with fewer positive effects on structure. We describe four examples where the loss or reintroduction of soil-disturbing vertebrates leads to ecosystem state changes and highlight the role of spatial scale, covarying management changes, and species co-occurrence in modulating their effects. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using soil-disturbing vertebrates over mechanized engineering approaches such as pitting and furrowing, considering some advantages to include more self-sustainable and heterogeneous disturbances, creation of new habitats and added recreational values. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps in our understanding of the use of soil-disturbing vertebrates for rehabilitating degraded ecosystems.This research was funded by the Hermon Slade Foundation (grant no. HSF21040)