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Digitization and Archival of Insect Collections: Literature Review
No full textA slide presentation discussing how and why digitization has become a key component in the curation and care of natural history collections
Bringing the Ideas to Life
No full textDiscusses the development of the First-year Seminar and Honors Program at Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech)
Impact of Constant Versus Variable Inclusions of Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles on Feedlot Cattle Performance and Carcass Characteristics and Impact of the Frequency of Varying Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Inclusions in Feedlot Diets on Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Feeding Behavior, and Ruminal pH of Finishing Steers
No full textInconsistent availability or supply of distillers grains (DGS) can cause more variation in DGS inclusions throughout the feeding period. Two feedlot experiments evaluated the effects of varying inclusions of modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS) in feedlot diets. Beef steers (n = 400; initial BW = 287) were used in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial experiment with treatments including: control with no MDGS compared to 2 inclusions (10% and 25%) of MDGS diet inclusions fed consistently or variably. No interactions were observed between MDGS consistency and inclusion for any performance or carcass characteristics (P \u3e 0.10), so contrast statements were used to determine the linear and quadratic effects of inclusion for constant and variable treatments fitted through the control. Increasing the inclusion of MDGS from 0 to 25% of the diet and feeding it at the same diet inclusion consistently, linearly increased dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), hot carcass weight (HCW), and final body weight (P ≤ 0.03). Increasing the inclusion of MDGS from 0 to 25% with varying diet inclusion tended to increase ADG and HCW (P ≤ 0.09) but to a lesser degree than feeding at a constant inclusion. Steers (n = 229; initial BW = 426) were used in an individual animal feeding experiment with five treatments including: (1) corn control with no MDGS, (2) 25% MDGS constant inclusion, and 25% MDGS varying on a (3) daily, (4) weekly, or (5) monthly basis to assess the impact of frequency of changing MDGS inclusions. Feeding MDGS improved (P ≤ 0.06) ADG and HCW compared to the control. Cattle fed MDGS constantly had greater ADG compared to weekly variation. There was no difference between treatments for DMI (P = 0.42). Control cattle had the lowest G:F and cattle fed constant MDGS had the greatest G:F (P ≤ 0.05), with cattle fed the variable treatments being intermediate. There were no differences between treatments for carcass characteristics (P ≥ 0.12). There were no differences between treatments in number of bunk visits or time spent at the bunk each day (P ≥ 0.19). For the control, constant and daily treatments ruminal pH was 5.90, 6.13 and 6.10, respectively, with the corn control having the lowest pH (P \u3c 0.04) compared to constant and daily. Results suggest that varying inclusions of MDGS had little impact in feedlot steers if fed the same amount on average over the feeding period. However, including MDGS in the diet was beneficial to just feeding corn.
Advisor: James C. MacDonal
The Recovery and Accounting of US Military Service Personnel from the WWII European Theater of Operations: Optimizing the Archaeological Recovery of Material Evidence
No full textDeemed material evidence, the artifacts found at the site of a forensic investigation can be essential in understanding what happened and who was involved. With the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), material evidence (ME) takes specific value through a mission to recover and account for the over 80,000 United States Military service personnel missing since World War II (WWII). Found at excavation sites of past aircraft wrecks, battlefield losses, and unknown burials, ME can be utilized in laboratory analysis to help identify any human skeletal remains recovered, or at least help account for the last known whereabouts of missing individuals. The ME must reasonably prove that a specific individual is/was present at the site, with the best example of ME to do this being identification tags. Through text or natural exclusivity, other ME like inscribed jewelry, rank insignia, and footwear can also help with identification; however, these are often vastly outnumbered by the amount of ME useless to the mission. It is currently believed that the Agency’s ME recovery methods have been inefficient, with an excess of the insignificant ME entering the DPAA’s laboratories and needlessly undergoing required documentation and analysis – slowing down Agency operations. Since the DPAA has a congressionally mandated requirement to account for over 200 individuals per fiscal year, this inefficiency becomes an issue as the DPAA has been increasing its number of recoveries annually through partnerships. With the need for an effective system, there is room for optimization in the ME recovery process. This analysis seeks to help fulfill this objective. With a scope of WWII European Theater of Operations recoveries, several hundred Agency reports that detailed ME analysis findings were examined to both understand what ME has been the most useful in accounting and identification, and to establish the statistical extent that ME intake has been inefficient. As a result, a list of the most useful ME was created for use in training and in-field decision making going forward, along with a measured percentage of intake disparity that demonstrates the urgency of this issue and the need for larger optimization actions by the Agency.
Advisor: William R. Belche
Impact of Full-Fat Wet Distillers Grains Inclusion in Steam-flaked Corn Based Finishing Diets
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Steam-flaked corn and distillers grains are common feed ingredients in finishing rations, but the interaction between the two is not well understood. A finishing trial at a commercial feedlot using 700 calf-fed heifers was conducted to evaluate cattle performance when fed 18 or 30% (dry matter basis) full-fat wet distillers grains plus solubles in steam-flaked corn based diets with 8% roughage (hay + corn silage). No effects on cattle performance were observed due to distillers grains inclusion in the diet. Final body weight, dry matter intake, average daily gain, feed conversion, and hot carcass weight were not statistically different between treatments when expressed on a carcass-adjusted basis. These data suggest flexibility of including 18 to 30% of the diet when using full-fat (13% fat) wet distillers grains plus solubles even in diets based on steam-flaked corn
Effect of Using Whole Soybeans, Roasted Soybeans, or Soybean Meal in Finishing Cattle Diets
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A feedlot study compared the effect of using whole or roasted soybeans at two inclusion rates (12% and 16% of diet dry matter), soybean meal, distillers grains, or a dry-rolled corn with urea control in finishing cattle diets. Steers fed the diet with the 16% inclusion of roasted soybeans had better average daily gain, feed conversion, and hot carcass weight. All other diets resulted in similar performance to the dry-rolled corn and distillers grains treatments. Roasted soybeans fed at a 16% inclusion improved F:G over the 12% roasted soybeans as compared to the whole soybeans which were better at the 12% inclusion. These data suggest that soybeans can be fed to finishing cattle to provide fat and protein, but roasting enhances the response in performance
Ber Anena’s \u3cem\u3eVagina Diaries\u3c/em\u3e, A Review: An African Student’s Encounter with the American Health System
Get PDFThis work delves into the disappointment, indifference, and pretense experienced by the narrator when she sorts the American healthcare system. It also addresses the struggles immigrants face, particularly from Africa, as they navigate a healthcare system that often requires them to prove their pain and worthiness of attention. The narrative emphasizes the importance of not generalizing the entire healthcare system based on a single negative experience while acknowledging the profound impact on one\u27s perception of the system. Furthermore, it explores the paradox between the availability of better resources in America compared to the narrator\u27s home country and the mistreatment and challenges still faced by immigrants. The work emphasizes the need for empathy, understanding, and equitable care from medical practitioners, irrespective of patients\u27 backgrounds or identities. The narrative serves as a call to prioritize compassion and inclusivity in the healthcare system to ensure that every patient receives the care they deserve
From In-the-Head to In-the-World: Frameworks for Understanding and Applying Computational Thinking
No full textIn the five decades since Papert coined the term Computational Thinking (CT), it has become a core framework for thinking about learning, problem-solving, design, and creativity. Although CT is most commonly, and initially, associated with the cognitive orientations involved in coding and learning to code, it also includes situated and critical processes related to computational problem solving. Herein we unpack ways researchers in different fields and points in time have organized CT. We include creative coding as a uniquely generative lens for rethinking CT, outlining its potential as an expressive, constructionist, and culturally situated practice. In doing so, we explore how CT can function as a literacy that supports meaning-making and creative inquiry across domains. By juxtaposing these models in text and diagrams, we offer a visual and theoretical synthesis of how different framings and perspectives on CT shape our understanding and use of the construct across contexts and disciplines—inviting a more expansive view of what becoming computationally literate makes possible, particularly in authentic constructionist learning environments
Supporting Novice Programmers with Scaffolded and Open-ended Generative AI Interfaces: Insights from a Design-based Research Study
No full textIn this study, we explore student experiences in coding and learning programming with scaffolded and unscaffolded generative AI interfaces. Specifically, we supported higher education students in using ChatGPT, an open ended interface for interacting with generative AI; and Giuseppe, a specialized interface with an OpenAI backend service that offers personalized supports specifically for helping students overcome early-stage challenges in learning to code, and working on education technology prototyping projects. This study contributes to the field by offering design insights for scaffolding initial learning interactions between generative AI interfaces and novice programmers. Our findings suggest that those new to coding welcome additional scaffolds at the outset of learning to code. The need for this scaffolding tended to fade with our participants as they gained familiarity with programming terminology and constructs as well as with using generative AI for learning technical skills and content