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Outdoor Lighting and the Effects of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN)
Get PDFKirmser Undergraduate Research Award - Individual Non-Freshman category, honorable mentionRoger FriedmannAs Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are replacing High Pressure Sodium (HPS) street lights, some groups have concerns about the health and environmental effects of blue-rich LED lights. The AMA released a report recommending that all street lighting have a CCT of less than 3000K, but other organizations felt this threshold was arbitrary and unfounded. To shed light on this dispute, I researched the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN), particularly concerning LED lights, to determine what policies design companies should set concerning outdoor lighting. I have learned that artificial light at night (ALAN) has been linked to many serious health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and depression. Light sources with high intensities of 450-500 nm light disrupt our bodies’ circadian rhythm and make it more difficult for our eyes to adjust to darkness. LEDs, even low-CCT LEDs, have a spike in intensity in that range. Studies have also shown that sources with high blue light content impact natural photosynthesis cycles, disrupt animal behavior, and affect skyglow and star visibility much more severely than warmer sources like HPS. Unfortunately, I also discovered that CCT, often the only metric that manufacturers release about the light source in a luminaire, is a poor descriptor of blue light content. On average, higher-CCT sources will have higher levels of blue light, but two sources with the same CCT can have wildly different levels of blue light, meaning that a designer cannot know the effects of the light source they choose. This presents a challenge and an opportunity for lighting designers. To provide exceptional design to clients, designers will need to be pioneers in calling for new light sources and metrics to describe spectral distribution, while continuing to serve their clients excellently with limited information
Environmental & architectural phenomenology. Vol. 32, issue 1
No full textBesides “Items of interest,” and “citations received,” this issue includes the following items: Zoologist Stephen Wood’s commentary relating to the phenomenology of animal welfare; Environmental psychologist Claudia Mausner discussion of liminality, place, home, and multiple “homes”; Architect Tim White’s firsthand examination of the human-sustaining walkability of Florence, Italy; Geographer Edward Relph’s overview of the future of places and place experiences in the 21st century; Architect Levent Şentürk’s effort to summarize graphically the work of urban designer Kevin Lynch’s seminal The Image of the City (1961)
Effect of Concrete Composition on Splitting Cracks in Prestressed Concrete Railroad Ties: Application of Fracture Mechanics
Get PDFThe effect of concrete composition on end-splitting cracks in pretensioned concrete members was investigated. Specific parameters included the effect of aggregate shape and content, water-to-cementitious (w/cm) ratio, fly ash, paste and air void content. For each mixture evaluated, prisms were load tested in three-point bending at 4000, 6000 and 8000 psi to determine the effect of concrete compressive strength on crack growth potential. Corresponding splitting tensile tests were also conducted on samples at each compressive strength for all mixtures. Results show that increasing angularity, aggregate size distribution, and decreasing w/cm ratio improve fracture toughness by as much as 28% whereas changing other parameters had little effect. All improving factors were seen to be most effective at low strengths. A statistical model predicting fracture toughness was developed, and the results correlated well with observed cracking in pretensioned concrete members
The influence of particle size of Engen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn on nursery and finishing pig performance, carcass characteristics and stomach morphology
Get PDFMaster of ScienceDepartment of Animal Sciences and IndustryJoel M. DeRoucheyMichael D. TokachEnogen Feed corn is a corn hybrid developed by Syngenta Seeds that has been genetically modified to contain an α-amylase enzyme trait (SYT-EFC). Several approaches to compare Enogen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn were evaluated including interventions within the feed manufacturing process to maximize animal performance. A total of 2,513 pigs were used in a total of 4 experiments structured in 3 chapters. Chapter 1 evaluated the influence of particle size and Enogen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn on nursery and finishing pig performance, carcass characteristics and stomach morphology. The six experimental treatments included Enogen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn ground to 3 different particle sizes: 300, 600, and 900 microns. For nursery pigs there was a corn source × particle size interaction for gain to feed (G:F) ratio. There was no difference due to particle size when pigs were fed conventional yellow dent corn, but in pigs fed Enogen Feed corn, G:F decreased with increasing particle size. Neither corn source nor particle size affected average daily gain (ADG) or average daily feed intake (ADFI). For finishing pigs, there were no differences observed among pigs fed either corn source for ADG, ADFI or G:F while G:F increased linearly as corn particle size decreased. Chapter 2 evaluated the influence of particle size of Enogen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn on lactating sow and their offspring performance. We observed no differences when comparing Enogen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn on lactating sow and litter performance. Litter ADG and overall litter gain tended to be greater in sows fed 600-micron corn compared to sows fed diets with 900 microns. Chapter 3 evaluated the influence of Enogen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn in pelleted- or meal- based diets on finishing pig performance and carcass characteristics. Feeding pelleted diets to pigs increased ADG and improved G:F with no major differences between corn sources on growth performance
Calm Down Collaborative: Veteran Mental Health And Self-Regulation
No full textSim JunCalm Down Collective evaluated three established EBPs at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and implemented their strengths into a new program that would supplement the mental health care they currently offer clients. The goal of Calm Down Collective is to help the client learn how to process incoming sensory disruptions to effectively utilize the cognitive work that should follow and alleviate the immediate symptom. The program will use a mixed-method quasi-experimental evaluation with a nonequivalent switched replication design for the participant's portion of the study and a cross-sectional survey for staff respondents. It is hypothesized that more than 50% of participants should be able to self-identify stress or sensory disruptions. The second hypothesis is that they should be able to intervene on their own behalf with the sensory aides provided by the program at least 75% of the time by their final phone interview. Using a paired T-test, pre-test and post-test survey data will be compared to mark a progression in self-regulation as well as assess any change in symptoms using the PSSI-5 PTSD Symptom Scale Interview. The Calm Down Collective will support the dominant treatment plan by providing additional coping skills in the gaps where the client is learning how to self-regulate
Strong-field ionization of the triplet ground state of O2
Get PDFUsing strong-field ionization as a probe, we observe highly nonperiodic evolution of the spin-rotation wave packet launched by a nonionizing femtosecond pulse in oxygen. The nonperiodicity is readily apparent only in rotationally cold molecules that are pumped with a weak alignment pulse. We show that this behavior is a consequence of the spin-rotation and the spin-spin couplings in the triplet ground state of the neutral molecule. A model that includes these couplings in the field-free Hamiltonian but in neither the alignment nor the ionization step explains most of the observed dynamics, suggesting that neither process depends explicitly on the electronic spin. We also show that the angle dependence of strong-field ionization can be retrieved from the delay-dependent signal even when coupling to spin complicates the rotational dynamics
Anomalous ellipticity dependence of the generation of near-threshold harmonics in noble gases
Get PDFWe measured the ellipticity dependence of the harmonic yield of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. It is found that the harmonic yield in general decreases monotonically with increasing laser ellipticity but anomalous dependence does occur for each atom for some harmonic orders. We found that the degree of anomaly is weakest in helium but is stronger for the heavier atoms. The anomaly also depends on laser intensity. To explain these features, we developed a quantum trajectory Monte Carlo (QTMC) model based on the quantum path integral theory to study high-order harmonic generation (HHG). The model includes the effect of Coulomb potential from the target ion, thus it is capable of calculating near-threshold harmonics quantitatively. This model reveals that the presence of Coulomb potential would generate orbiting trajectories which are responsible for the anomalous ellipticity dependence near the threshold
Formation of covalently bound C4H4+ upon electron-impact ionization of acetylene dimer
Get PDFWe investigate the formation mechanisms of covalently bound C4H4+ cations from direct ionization of hydrogen bonded dimers of acetylene molecules through fragment ion and electron coincident momentum spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations. The measurements of momenta and energies of two outgoing electrons and one ion in triple-coincidence allow us to assign the ionization channels associated with different ionic fragments. The measured binding energy spectra show that the formation of C4H4+ can be attributed to the ionization of the outermost 1πu orbital of acetylene. The kinetic energy distributions of the ionic fragments indicate that the C4H4+ ions originate from direct ionization of acetylene dimers while ions resulting from the fragmentation of larger clusters would obtain significantly larger momenta. The formation of C4H4+ through the evaporation mechanism in larger clusters is not identified in the present experiments. The calculated potential energy curves show a potential well for the electronic ground state of (C2H2)2+, supporting that the ionization of (C2H2)2 dimers can form stable C2H2⋅C2H2+(1πu−1) cations. Further transition state analysis and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal a detailed picture of the formation dynamics. After ionization of (C2H2)2, the system undergoes a significant rearrangement of the structure involving, in particular, C–C bond formation and hydrogen migrations, leading to different C44+ isomers
Proverbial Wisdom From K-State’s First Book: How to run a successful selection committee and approach a meaningful first year common reading experience.
Get PDFCommon reading programs provide first-year students with common experiences that facilitate their engagement in the academic and social domains of college life. The experience gives faculty and staff the opportunity to engage and connect with students inside and outside of the classroom, and allows them to model academic behavior and intellectual discussion. Providing students with a stepping stone to make connections, through a book and related programming, K-State students aren’t thrown into campus life and left to navigate and fend for themselves. Selected books often address difficult themes, and serve as effective tools in bridging cultural gaps, and addressing issues in inclusion, diversity, equity, and access proactively rather than retroactively.
In this session, we will talk about the guiding principles that shape the success of K-State’s First Book. We talk about the program’s history, and then dive into the administrative considerations and guiding principles that shape each stage of the common reading selection process. We will discuss decision making principles on various topics including: membership, selection criteria, partnerships, programming, and evaluating outcomes. We will also provide recommendations based on our experience on how to administer a successful and diverse common reading program and a successful book selection process
Energy-Adjusted Dietary Intakes Are Associated with Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating but Not Food Insecurity or Sports Nutrition Knowledge in a Pilot Study of ROTC Cadets
Get PDFMilitary service is inherently demanding and, due to the nature of these demands, the term “tactical athlete” has been coined to capture the physical requirements of the profession. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets are a unique subset of the military service community, and the complexity of their training and educational pursuits increases their susceptibility to unhealthy eating patterns. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the relationship between the perceived barriers to healthy eating, food insecurity, sports nutrition knowledge, and dietary patterns among Army ROTC cadets. The usual dietary intake was gathered from (N = 37) cadets using the General Nutrition Assessment Food Frequency Questionnaire. The perceived barriers to healthy eating were measured using a set of scales consisting of social barriers (6 items, α = 0.86), access barriers (2 items, α = 0.95), and personal barriers (2 items, α = 0.67), with higher-scale scores indicating greater perceived barriers. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to measure the association between the energy-adjusted dietary intakes and the scores on the barriers scales. Energy-adjusted intakes of calcium (ρ = −0.47, p ≤ 0.01), fiber (ρ = −0.35, p = 0.03), vitamin A (ρ = −0.46, p ≤ 0.01), vitamin C (ρ = −0.43, p ≤ 0.01), fruit (ρ = −0.34, p = 0.04), and vegetables (ρ = −0.50, p ≤ 0.01) were negatively correlated with the perceived personal barrier scores. The energy-adjusted intakes of fiber (ρ = −0.36, p = 0.03), vitamin C (ρ = −0.37, p = 0.03), and vitamin E (ρ = −0.45, p ≤.01) were negatively correlated with perceived social barriers, while energy-adjusted vitamin C intake was negatively correlated with perceived access barriers (ρ = −0.40, p = 0.01). Although additional research is needed to better understand the dietary patterns of ROTC cadets, among the participants in this study, greater perceived personal, social, and access barriers were associated with less nutrient-dense eating patterns. Interventions aimed at addressing such barriers may prove beneficial for the improvement of diet quality among ROTC cadets