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Effect of early and late post emergence herbicides on weed suppression, crop injury, and biomass yield of industrial hemp in semiarid conditions
No full textIndustrial hemp is receiving attention for its numerous benefits, particularly in the fiber industry. Weed competition is a primary concern for hemp cultivation, causing reduced yields and inferior-quality fiber. However, little is known about herbicide application in hemp since a limited range of herbicides are available for hemp production. During 2023, this study evaluated the effect of different post-emergence herbicides applied at early and late growth stages to optimize weed suppression and minimize crop injury in hemp under semiarid conditions. A randomized complete block design was used with six herbicide treatments, including early post (2 weeks after planting [WAP]) and late post (5 WAP) emergence applications of S-metolachlor, clopyralid, and ethalfluralin. Hemp plant stand showed no significant difference among treatments. Early post herbicide application reduced 86% of weed biomass compared to untreated control at 7 WAP. By 10 WAP, weed biomass became comparable across treatments. At harvest, untreated control recorded comparatively higher weed biomass than early post treatments and late post ethalfluralin. Plant height remained nonsignificant among treatments until 10 WAP. At harvest, control showed no variation with late post treatments but recorded an average of 63% lower plant height than early post applications. Hemp biomass was insignificantly affected by treatments at 10 WAP. However, on average, early post S-metolachlor and ethalfluralin applications demonstrated potential as effective herbicides, yielding four-folds greater hemp biomass than untreated control at harvest. In conclusion, early post S-metolachlor and ethalfluralin are promising tools for weed control, enhancing crop competitiveness and yield in hemp cultivation
Francisco Rendon's MM Tenor Recital 2
Full text linkA Young Man’s Exhortation (Part I), Gerald Finzi
from Theodora, HWV 68, George Frideric Handel
Auf dem Strom, D. 943, Franz Schubert
La vie antérieure, Henri Duparc
Sérénade Florentine, Henri Duparc
Chanson triste, Henri Duparc
Sorrow in Springtime, Op. 21, No. 12, Sergei Rachmaninof
Everything was taken from me, Op. 26, No. 2, Sergei Rachmaninof
Again, I am alone, Op. 26, No. 9, Sergei Rachmaninof
A Young Man’s Exhortation (Part II), Gerald FinziRelated performance for this degree -- Francisco Rendon's MM Tenor Recital 1: https://hdl.handle.net/2346/102329Recital recordings are archival copies for educational purposes only. Members of the TTU community may request to listen/view them for educational purposes via the PDF link to the left
Low temperature carbonation and CO2 mineral trapping in altered hydrotalcite-rich ultrmafic rocks
Full text linkMitigating global warming necessitates the immediate reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and its effective sequestration and storage. One promising strategy is geologic carbon sequestration (GCS), which relies on the mineralization of CO2 through its reaction with mafic and ultramafic host phases to form stable carbonate minerals. While many experimental studies have focused on CO2-basalt interactions, the carbonation processes in more reactive ultramafic rocks remain less explored. In this study, the interaction of aqueous CO₂ with pulverized serpentinized harzburgite from the Kempirsay Massif in Western Kazakhstan was studied under controlled low temperature of 40 °C and a pressure of 60 bars over a period of 14 days. The initial sample consists predominantly of serpentine, olivine, and layered double hydroxides (LDH, specifically hydrotalcite), which comprise 95% of the rock. After the end of the experiment, solid-phase transformations were observed, including the formation of approximately 70% nesquehonite, complete carbonation of hydrotalcite, and a 75% reduction in the contents of serpentine and olivine. Additionally, a two-fold increase in loss on ignition (LOI) and a reduction in SiO2 content indicate significant silicate dissolution and effective incorporation of CO2 into the newly formed carbonate phases. Overall, the results confirm that ultramafic rocks can be efficiently carbonated at low temperatures and pressures. Moreover, the findings highlight the critical role of LDH as reactive phases for CO2 mineral trapping, pointing out their potential importance in GCS strategies. This research offers new insights into engineered CO2 mineral trapping in subsurface ultramafic formations, particularly under low temperature conditions below 50 °C. However, further experiments on various ultramafic lithologies containing a broad range of LDH are still required to fully understand their potential for CO₂ mineral trapping.This work was supported by Nazarbayev University Faculty Development Competitive Research Grant Program No. 040225FD4717 and Collaborative Research Project Reference No. 111024CRP2015 as well as the Nazarbayev University Faculty Development Competitive Research Grant No. 201223FD8836. The authors express their gratitude to Kazchrome company for providing the raw material utilized in this study and granting access to the mining site
Effects of Spatial Resolution on Assessing Cotton Water Stress Using Unmanned Aerial System Imagery
Full text linkAccurate detection of cotton water stress is essential for improving irrigation efficiency and yield prediction. Unmanned aerial system (UAS) imagery offers an effective means for high-throughput crop monitoring, yet its performance across spatial resolutions remains insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the performance of UAS-derived Water Deficit Index (WDI) and Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) across cotton growth stages and (2) examine how spatial resolution influences stress detection and yield prediction. Field experiments were conducted in Lubbock County, Texas, during the 2021–2022 growing seasons under three irrigation treatments (30%, 60%, and 90% ET replacement). Multispectral and thermal UAS imagery were processed to generate WDI and CWSI maps at spatial resolutions ranging from 0.1 to 4.0 m. Results showed that WDI outperformed CWSI at distinguishing water-stress levels, particularly during early growth stages. A 0.5 m resolution provided the best balance between detection accuracy and computational efficiency, whereas finer resolutions improved detection at the expense of processing time. Coarser resolutions (≥1 m) reduced accuracy due to spatial averaging and plot-mixing effects. These findings highlight the need to optimize UAS flight altitude and sensor configuration to achieve efficient, scalable, and precise cotton water-stress assessment and yield prediction.We appreciate financial support from USDA NIFA (Award No. 2023-70001-40993), USDA NIFA and Cotton Board (Award No. 2022-67013-36992), USDA NIFA HATCH (Award No. 9898), USDA ARS (OAP 58-3090-1-006), and Cotton Incorporated (Award No. 17-012) for this study
Long-Term Regime Shifts in Xeric Ecoregion Freshwater Fish Assemblages due to Anthropogenic and Climate Stressors
Full text linkShifting climate regimes are projected to increase the area of xeric regions and result in more pronounced intermittency across river networks. Given these projected changes, we aim to understand the factors contributing to species persistence under increasing aridity. To investigate how changing flow regimes are related to changes in fish richness and assemblage composition, we compiled data from 1473 xeric stream sites in the United States and Australia. The temporal coverage of this dataset is more than 40 years, from 1980 to 2021. Our focus was on fishes occurring in xeric streams and included 191 species. We compiled climate, hydrologic, and fish species trait data to identify relationships between environmental drivers of species persistence and corresponding characteristics common to species in these systems and traits eliciting the strongest responses to environmental change. Our data show declines in overall precipitation in concert with increasing temperatures over the last several decades. Climatic shifts were accompanied by declines in discharge, increased zero-flow days, and longer durations of no-flow periods. In these same systems, an overall linear decline in fish species richness was observed, but it was not directly correlated with any hydrologic predictors. However, xeric species of conservation concern were small-bodied and occupied lower trophic levels than those not of concern. Listed species were primarily affected by multiple stressors, including habitat degradation and invasive species, compounded by a small geographic range. We thus propose a multiple stressors argument for the declines in xeric fish assemblages, something that may be exacerbated by climate alterations in the future. This work highlights a critical conservation need for xeric fishes and identifies taxa that are especially vulnerable to a combination of anthropogenic stressors and changing climates
Amateur Sleuths and Online Truths: Defamation Lawsuits in the Internet Age of True Crime
Full text linkAmateur Sleuths and Online Truths: Defamation Lawsuits in the Internet Age of True Crime examines the rise of online true crime communities and their impact on defamation law. The article explores how podcasts, social media, and crowd-sourced investigations amplify accusations against private individuals. It analyzes the challenges courts face in applying traditional defamation doctrines to digital platforms characterized by speed, anonymity, and wide dissemination. The discussion considers issues of fault, falsity, and public-versus-private figure status in the true crime context. The article concludes by assessing how defamation law may adapt to balance free expression with protection against reputational harm in the internet age
Effects of a Drying Treatment on the Mechanical Properties and Hemodynamic Characteristics of Bovine Pericardial Bioprosthetic Valves
Full text linkThe high incidence of cardiovascular disease and the early failure of bioprosthetic valves due to calcification have driven the development of anti-calcification technologies. As a new storage technology, drying treatment is expected to delay the calcification process by reducing glutaraldehyde residues. However, the effects of drying treatment on the mechanical properties and valve functions of bovine pericardial materials are still unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of drying and rehydration treatments on the mechanical integrity and geometric properties of bovine pericardium and the hemodynamic performance of bioprosthetic valves made with these tissues. Cross-linked bovine pericardial samples (n = 15) were divided into three groups—wet (control group progressed with normal glutaraldehyde), dehydrated (ethanol–glycerol dehydration), and rehydration (saline immersion) groups—and the geometric stability and nonlinear mechanical behaviors of the materials were analyzed via thickness measurements and uniaxial and biaxial tensile tests. Quantitative results showed that thickness remained stable across groups (wet: 0.356 ± 0.052 mm; dry: 0.361 ± 0.053 mm; rehydrated: 0.361 ± 0.053 mm, p > 0.05). Elastic modulus values were preserved (wet: 12.5 ± 1.8 MPa; dry: 13.1 ± 2.0 MPa; rehydrated: 12.7 ± 1.9 MPa, p > 0.05), and anisotropy ratio showed no significant changes (1.53 ± 0.06 vs. 1.57 ± 0.07, p > 0.05). The hemodynamic performance of bioprosthetic valves made with these materials was evaluated in vitro using a pulsating flow simulation. Hemodynamic parameters demonstrated excellent preservation: effective orifice area (wet: 2.625 ± 0.11 cm2; rehydrated: 2.585 ± 0.12 cm2, Δ = 1.5%, p = 0.32) and regurgitation fraction (wet: 39.35 ± 2.9%; rehydrated: 42.78 ± 3.2%, p = 0.15) showed no statistically significant differences. The geometric properties of the material were not significantly changed by the drying treatment, and the material maintained its nonlinear viscoelastic characteristics and anisotropy. The rehydrated bioprosthetic valves did not differ significantly from those in the wet group in terms of the effective orifice area, regurgitation fraction, and transvalvular pressure difference, and the hemodynamic performance remained stable
Surface interactions and radical generation in TCD decomposition: a DFT approach
Full text linkContext: Exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (exo-TCD) is a key component of Jet Propellant-10 (JP-10), a high-density hydrocarbon fuel extensively used in aerospace applications. The addition of aluminum particles enhances fuel performance and reactivity, making the understanding of initial decomposition pathways crucial. This study used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the initial hydrogen abstraction reactions in the decomposition of exo-TCD, with emphasis on radical formation processes. A significant aspect of this work is the role of the γ-Al2O3 surface in facilitating these reaction pathways, especially considering surface defects modeled by removing hydrogen from active hydroxyl groups. Five known active hydroxyl sites on γ-Al2O3 (A_Ia, A_Ib, A_IIA, B_IIb, and B_III) were used to construct complexes with exo-TCD. The formed complexes are primarily van der Waals interactions, with energies ranging from −11 to −20 kcal/mol and no substantial energy differences between configurations. The results indicate that hydrogen abstraction from the R4 site of exo-TCD is the most energetically favorable, owing to the molecular structure. Surface defects can boost reactivity by facilitating hydrogen abstraction, as seen in spontaneous H transfer to the active A_Ib site and low energetic barrier to the transition state of the H-abstraction of the B_IIb site. These findings improve the understanding of TCD decomposition and the catalytic role of γ-Al2O3, aiding the development of better propulsion fuels and energetic materials.
Methods: The calculations used the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof PBE exchange–correlation functional with split-valence polarization (SVP) and triple-zeta valence polarization (TZVP) basis sets, combined with the resolution of identity (RI) method to accelerate four-center electron repulsion integrals. The PBE results were benchmarked with the hybrid meta-GGA functional M06-2X. Dispersion correction D3 was applied throughout. All computations were performed using the Turbomole program
Gabriela Nord's MM Soprano Rectial 2
Full text linkTornami a vagghegiar from Alcina by George Frideric Handel
La promessa, La pastorella delle Alpi, and La danza from Les soirèes musicales by Gioachino Rossini.
Ihr Bildnis from Op. 13, Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen and Liebst du um Schönheit from Op. 12 by Clara Schumann
De que me sirve from Los diamantes de la corona by Francisco Asenjo Barbieri
Airs chantés by Francis Poulenc
Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by Samuel BarberRelated performance for this degree -- Gabriela Nord's MM Soprano Rectial 1: https://hdl.handle.net/2346/102375Recital recordings are archival copies for educational purposes only. Members of the TTU community may request to listen/view them for educational purposes via the PDF link to the left
Preparing RaiderVet students in communication skills to support animal, human, and ecosystem health
Full text linkToday’s veterinarians must navigate rising client and societal expectations, zoonotic and biosecurity risks, economic pressures, agricultural sustainability concerns, and the growing prevalence of professional burnout and compassion fatigue. Preparing future veterinary graduates to meet these challenges is both essential and urgent. Veterinary clinical environments demand effective communication skills, relational competence, and coordinated care.
The Texas Tech University (TTU) School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) addresses these critical demands through a competency-based curriculum that integrates foundational sciences, clinical proficiency, and professional development. Grounded in the RaiderVet Competency Framework, the program is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to thrive and overcome the current demands of veterinary practice. The curriculum centered around TTU SVM’s core values of community, integrity, kindheartedness, grit, and inspiration emphasizes 10 core RaiderVet competency domains: clinical reasoning and decision-making, individual animal care and management, animal population care and management, public health, communication, collaboration, professionalism and professional identity, financial and practice management, scholarship, and preclinical preparation