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Qualitative Analysis of Illicit Drug Use in Hair Samples via GC/MS
No full textFor decades literature has shown that hair analysis is one of the most common methods to test for substance abuse, one which allows for drugs to be detected after significant periods of time. An experimental method for qualitative analysis of drugs in hair samples was developed and validated. Hair samples were decontaminated with dichloromethane and cut into small pieces before extraction with methanol. After heating, the extracts were divided into two parts. One half of the extract was derivatized using N-Methyl-bis-trifluoroacetamide (MBTFA) for analysis of amphetamines, and the other half was derivatized using N-methyl-N-t-butyldimethylsilyl trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) for analysis of other illicit drugs. Deuterated methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA-d5), deuterated oxazepam (oxazepam- d5), and deuterated phencylidine (PCP-d5) were used as the internal standards. Standard solutions were prepared by mixing all three internal standards at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL in methanol. The samples were analyzed using electron-impact gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for analysis of commonly abused drugs. The experimental design of this research project and preliminary results will be presented
High-frequency accelerometer monitoring of foraging and movement behavior in a secretive predator (Central Rat Snakes, Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
No full textAdvancements in bio-logging technology have transformed the study of animals in nature. Accelerometer (ACTs) dataloggers remotely and continuously log three-dimensional acceleration (upward, downward, and side-to-side) derived from subject-motion. When paired with machine learning techniques, automated classification of distinct behavioral states from these high-resolution data can quantify real-time activity budgets in wild-ranging subjects. The goal of this project is to expand upon a recently validated framework for ACT monitoring of snake behavior. Using Rat Snakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) as a model for large-bodied constrictors, we conducted a series of captive behavioral trials with ACT-equipped snakes that stimulated a series of key behaviors: full-body locomotion, immobility, predatory strikes, constriction, and prey swallowing. We then produced an extensive validation dataset for supervised model development containing 38 observations of each behavior class. Model training and testing procedures were conducted using an open-source web application, demonstrating the increasing accessibility of animal-borne ACT studies. The top performing model indicated a combined class accuracy of 82.69%, with class subset accuracies of 95%. Model development is a fundamental step toward field-recording of predatory behaviors in snakes. Translation to wild-ranging individuals require overcoming additional hurdles, including refinement of a method for long-term ACT attachment at 25% of snake snout-to-vent lengths, and assessing the generalizability of our model to field data. We envision this technique transforming field studies of snake behavioral ecology, as unlocking real-time monitoring of foraging efficiency facilitates improved interpretation of the causes and consequences of variation in individual behavior, and its effects on population trajectories
Do nest box temperatures affect nest success and nestlings growth for Eastern Bluebirds?
Get PDFRising global temperatures due to climate change have caused declines in many species. For birds, temperature is a primary factor in nest site selection and nest success, so successful management will require temperature mitigation techniques. Secondary cavity nesting birds such as the Eastern Bluebird are particularly vulnerable as common occupants of nest boxes, which are often warmer inside than the outside ambient temperature. Temperatures exceeding 42°C can have numerous negative consequences for Bluebirds, including reducing hatching success and nestling growth. We monitored 50 Eastern Bluebird nest boxes (25 are painted white and 25 are unpainted) at Panola Mountain State Park in central Georgia during the 2022 and 2023 breeding seasons. Each nest box contained two temperature data loggers that recorded temperatures every hour, one inside and one on the underside. The daily high temperature in control boxes remained approximately 2°C warmer than outside while the daily high temperature in painted boxes remained approximately 2°C cooler. Control boxes also experienced significantly more hours over 42°C than painted boxes. Only three of 17 nesting attempts were successful, though all successful nests were in painted boxes. While we did not detect a significant relationship between success and temperature, this was likely because of low statistical power from a small sample size. Our aim for this project is to determine if nests experiencing temperatures above 42°C have lower nestling growth rates and nest success rates than nests that are cooler by isolating the effects of temperature as much as possible in the wild
Strategic Plan for The Flannery O\u27Connor Institute for the Humanities
Get PDFMary Flannery O’Connor (1925-1963) is the most prestigious alumna of Georgia College and State University (GCSU). On March 25, 2025, GCSU will celebrate the Centenary of her birth. In the period leading up to that time there are many activities and events to commemorate this significant occasion. One of the most significant is the renaming of the now Andalusia Institute at GCSU to the Flannery O’Connor Institute for the Humanities with a new mission, vision and goals. My proposed Capstone Project is to create a new strategic plan for the rebranded Flannery O’Connor Institute for the Humanities so that it aligns with the new Five Pillars Strategic Plan for GCSU which was launched in 2023
Roundtable: Student Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence
No full textThis panel of undergraduate and graduate students representing a wide range of perspectives will examine how they are leveraging AI in their academic pursuits and personal lives. The discussion will delve into the exciting possibilities and challenges posed by generative AI, including ethical considerations and the potential future landscape of AI in education and beyond. This panel will be moderated by Dr. Daniel Holcombe, Associate Professor of Spanish from the Department of World Languages and Cultures
Effects of Remote Jobs
No full textCOVID-19 had a huge impact on every industry. There have been many studies conducted to measure the impact that this has had on productivity, however, job satisfaction seems to be a mixed result. Research questions for this study include, how does remote work affect job satisfaction and productivity levels among employees? With more jobs becoming “at a distance” or remote in the past few years there are more things for organizations to consider and analyze when looking at job performance and hiring new employees. The research method will be a mixed method starting with exploratory or qualitative research and then moving on to quantitative research. The sample or population that can be tested will include two different types of employees based on their experience with remote work. This will allow us to understand if it is purely remote work or the transition from being in-person to remote that has an effect if there is one. These samples will be people who have newly worked remotely when they have years of experience working in person and another sample of the population would be people who have newly entered the workforce such as recent college graduates and have only ever worked remote jobs. Overall, there has been an increasing number of jobs going remote leaving more room for error and less boss supervision of employees which could affect both job quality and employee productivity
A Look At Hedonism
Get PDFBrett Bowers Research Day Proposal: A Look at Hedonism (Abstract/Key Words) Hedonism introduces us to a convenient, yet slightly inoperative compass for determining moral values. While it contains useful, fundamental truths, in order for hedonism to provide us with a strong basis for moral values it needs certain modifications, modifications that seem to forsake its foundations. In its purest form hedonism necessitates pleasure as the highest form of good and the best path to moral righteousness. Hedonism’s emphasis on pleasure ultimately limits its ability to speak on matters that do not pertain directly to pleasure. Additionally, in order for hedonists such as Micheal Onfray or Epicurus to address many of these limitations, or objections they must either stray from key hedonistic premises, or at least modify or add to many of hedonisms original lines of thought. First, for example, Onfray, Epicurus and most hedonists acknowledge that some pleasure is not valuable or good. Second, Onfray makes it clear that hedonism does not necessitate self-centered behavior. Third, Onfray and Epicurus somewhat agree that the pursuit of pleasure alone, without moderation or control is ultimately self-defeating, and tapering one’s pursuit of pleasure seems to be a more ideal stance for a morally sound and fulfilling lifestyle. However, each of these thoughts essentially belay the founding premise of hedonism, that pleasure is life’s highest good and supreme pursuit. In other words, Onfray or Epicurus’ additions and modification to Hedonistic thought seem to push back against the most basic premise of hedonism, that pleasure is the most beneficial outcome of any given action. To answer the questions of this paper, Onfray, Michel. A Hedonist Manifesto: The Power to Exist. Columbia University Press, 2015.; as well as, Dorsey, Dale. “Objectivity and Perfection in Hume’s Hedonism.” Journal of the History of Philosophy, vol. 53, no. 2, Apr. 2015, pp. 245– 70. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=phl&AN=PHL224 2024&site=ehost-live&scope=site.;, will be a central source that will be examined in greater detail. Key Words: 1. Hedonism 2. Modification 3. Pleasure 4. Moral 5. Limitations 6. Premis
Orwell\u27s Dystopia: Tracing The Steps of Orwell\u27s Radicalization Through his Self-Insert Winston Smith
No full text1984, widely considered to be the masterpiece of George Orwell, is a highly politicized novel. This is by design, as Oceania is meant to be a warning against the amount of governmental control that Orwell felt wasn’t far off. Orwell expresses his frustration through the character of Winston Smith, who acts as his self insert. This is a confusing sentiment, as Winston is not portrayed as a hero, setting the stage for most, if not all, negative consequences that take place throughout the book. However the similarities to the real life Orwell and Winston are clear, both middle-aged white men who hold the same beliefs and outwardly oppose the systems they believe shackle them down. While it may be obvious to the modern reader that Winston is not the hero nor a good person, Orwell may have written him to be the hero. 1949, the end of a decade marred by dictators and lower class turmoil is the same year 1984 was published. Orwell quickly became radicalized in his anti-authoritarian beliefs. Not only does this make itself apparent in 1984, Orwell’s beliefs repeat themselves throughout his previous works such as Animal Farm and Such, Such Were the Joys. Throughout these writings, Orwell\u27s commentary slowly grows more pessimistic as does his endings, as they all end in a more sinister fashion. This paints a picture of Orwell’s own radicalization and he expresses all his frustrations and radicalized views through the character of Winston. Keywords: Orwell, Radicalization, 1984, Authoritarian, Animal Farm, Dystopian, Self-Inser
A Panoptic System and Social Control’s Influence on The Children in Henry James’s \u27The Turn of The Screw\u27
Get PDFThis paper’s purpose is to offer a new reading of the children in Henry James’s novella The Turn of The Screw (1898). The paper argues that the characters are subjects of Foucault’s panopticon and social control, which results in Flora’s loss of social status and Miles’s death due to their lack of adherence to the social control. I also argue that the social control and the panoptic system integrate themselves into the Bly household and work alongside one another to reinforce the hierarchy. A panoptic system represents a type of surveillance based on Bentham’s architectural design that subject prisoners to a visual field. Social control makes those in a social group conform to expected behavior, and in the novel social control is integrated through a panoptic system. These two systems of control put the children into a unique position given their class expectations and the interactions they had with former servants Mr. Quint and Miss Jessel. These two characters did not enforce the children’s class expectations, allowing them to form meaningful relationships with those considered below them. These relationships taught the children to behave in a way that goes against their class expectations and therefore the social control, which causes the children to be deemed unnecessary to the novel’s society
Bo Prosser Interviewed by Thomas Duke
Get PDFThomas Duke interviews Bo Prosser on his experience attending seminary school and living on the grounds of Central State Hospital.
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