Managing soil microorganisms to improve productivity of agrosoil ecosystems

Non-Peer Reviewe

The Pervasive Emptiness: Acedia, Modernity, and the Boredom of Secularity

A case can be made that the greatest fear of our time is the fear of boredom. We live in an age in which things change daily. New technologies are developed, old inventions are reconceived, the entertainment industry churns out movies, shows, and music constantly, and yet, people still experience boredom. Some have even said that it\u27s the defining experience of our day. Where does this boredom come from? Why has it become prominent? What is causing it to gain power so rapidly? And how might it be stopped? Those questions are the driving force behind his work. This dissertation presents to problem of profound boredom as a secular problem with spiritual roots. The argument is structured to first consider the concept of acedia in the works of Evagrius of Pontus, and Thomas Aquinas; establishing it as sorrow at the divine good, which leads to a rejection of the divine, or the transcendent. This rejection serves as the spiritual root for the epidemic of profound boredom. This root took hold of the western world as an unintended consequence of the work of Rene Descartes. Descartes’ reframing of philosophy entailed shifting the central philosophic discipline from metaphysics to epistemology. This shift resulted in a never ending quest for certitude, and a disenchanting, or secularizing of the world, inherent to modernity. It is not until after the start of modernity that the word “boredom” appears in any meaningful way. Within modernity however, what we see is an expansive use of the term, which gains prominence and depth the further into modernity one goes. This matter is explored throughout this dissertation by means of three thinkers, each positioned at a different point within modernity. The argument begins by looking at Descartes’ contemporary, Blaise Pascal, who rejects Descartes’ entire philosophical framework, and makes initial arguments against the rise of boredom, particularly seeing it as connected to identity and distraction. The argument then moves forward 200 years to modernity as an established framework in the critique of Søren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard understands boredom to be deeply connected to the sickness unto death and to the despair/emptiness that comes from living a life that is empty of both faith and love, and therefore, devoid of meaning. People are fearful of boredom, and approach it either by seeking diversion, or enduring it, because the actual cure is untenable. The argument then proceeds to the end of modernity in the 20 th century, in the work of Martin Heidegger. Heidegger presents boredom as a fundamental mood that initially a person, late an epoch, has toward the world. In boredom we find a way to learn more about ourselves as that which we use to form our identity begins to melt away. Heidegger presents three depths of boredom, all of which are inherently temporal, revealing that at least part of what is empty in boredom is time. In the most profound form of boredom, the one experiencing it sees the entirety of time, space, and existence as empty, and lacking meaning. Heidegger sees this as a way for a person to attune themselves to the world in a more authentic fashion; however, this dissertation argues that Heidegger’s way forward can only truly be successful when put in conversation with Pascal, and Kierkegaard, to understand profound boredom as a secular problem that is only cured by returning to Aquinas’ understanding of acedia, and combating that sin with faith and love, and therefore, filling the emptiness of modernity with profound meaning

Biomechanical, biochemical, and morphological mechanisms of heat shock-mediated germination in Carica papaya seed.

Carica papaya (papaya) seed germinate readily fresh from the fruit, but desiccation induces a dormant state. Dormancy can be released by exposure of the hydrated seed to a pulse of elevated temperature, typical of that encountered in its tropical habitat. Carica papaya is one of only a few species known to germinate in response to heat shock (HS) and we know little of the mechanisms that control germination in tropical ecosystems. Here we investigate the mechanisms that mediate HS-induced stimulation of germination in pre-dried and re-imbibed papaya seed. Exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3 ≥250 µM) overcame the requirement for HS to initiate germination. However, HS did not sensitise seeds to GA3, indicative that it may act independently of GA biosynthesis. Seed coat removal also overcame desiccation-imposed dormancy, indicative that resistance to radicle emergence is coat-imposed. Morphological and biomechanical studies identified that neither desiccation nor HS alter the physical structure or the mechanical strength of the seed coat. However, cycloheximide prevented both seed coat weakening and germination, implicating a requirement for de novo protein synthesis in both processes. The germination antagonist abscisic acid prevented radicle emergence but had no effect on papaya seed coat weakening. Desiccation therefore appears to reduce embryo growth potential, which is reversed by HS, without physically altering the mechanical properties of the seed coat. The ability to germinate in response to a HS may confer a competitive advantage to C. papaya, an opportunistic pioneer species, through detection of canopy removal in tropical forests

Big Data Marketing Strategies for Improving Sales Revenues

Marketing leaders often lack strategies to increase sales revenues using big data (BD) analytics and technology. Marketing leaders who better understand the strategies that influence BD-based sales revenues may benefit from BD market opportunities to be economic catalysts in the markets they serve. Grounded by change theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore BD-based marketing strategies used by marketing leaders to increase sales revenues. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 3 marketing leaders from organizations headquartered in Ohio and online sales documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and coded to identify 5 themes: customer experience, BD marketing analytics, collaboration across business units, marketing sales alignment, and key performance indicators. A key recommendation is for marketing leaders to refine marketing mix activities leading to increased sales revenues. The implications for positive social change include the potential for BD-based marketing managers to increase sales, create jobs, and support regional communitiesâ economic development

CHIA PROTEIN CONCENTRATE (SALVIA HISPANICA L.) ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

 Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of chia proteins concentrates in in vitro conditions.Methods: Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) were utilized to obtain chia protein concentrate at different pH 2.0, pH 3.0, pH 4.0, pH 5.0, and pH 6.0 using the isoelectric precipitation method and to evaluate the in vitro anti-inflammatory and in vitro inhibition of peroxidation lipid of chia protein concentrates.Results: The best treatment to obtain chia protein concentrate was at pH 3.0 with a value of 25.53% yield using water as solvent and 38.13% yield using NaCl 1M as solvent. The higher protein content was found in the chia protein concentrate at pH 4.0 with values of 91.18% and 57.87% of protein content. All chia protein concentrates presented high in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and inhibition peroxidation lipid. Chia protein concentrate at pH 3.0 (100–100 μg/ml) presented anti-inflammatory activity with values ranging from 56.32% to 103.00% in a form dependent doses. Chia protein concentrate at pH 6.0 presented a value range of 92.80–95.98% of inhibition of peroxidation lipid.Conclusion: This study suggests that chia protein concentrates possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in in vitro conditions

Seed development and maturation in early spring-flowering Galanthus nivalis and Narcissus pseudonarcissus continues post-shedding with little evidence of maturation in planta

Background and Aims: Seeds of the moist temperate woodland species Galanthus nivalis and Narcissus pseudonarcissus, dispersed during spring or early summer, germinated poorly in laboratory tests. Seed development and maturation were studied to better understand the progression from developmental to germinable mode in order to improve seed collection and germination practices in these and similar species. Methods: Phenology, seed mass, moisture content, and ability to germinate and tolerate desiccation were monitored during seed development until shedding. Embryo elongation within seeds was investigated during seed development and at several temperature regimes after shedding. Key Results: Seeds were shed at high moisture content (> 59%) with little evidence that dry mass accumulation or embryo elongation were complete. Ability to germinate developed prior to the ability of some seeds to tolerate enforced desiccation. Germination was sporadic and slow. Embryo elongation occurred post-shedding in moist environments, most rapidly at 20C in G. nivalis and 15C in N. pseudonarcissus. The greatest germination also occurred in these regimes, 78 and 48%, respectively, after 700 d. Conclusions: Seeds of G. nivalis and N. pseudonarcissus seeds were comparatively immature at shedding and substantial embryo elongation occurred post-shedding. Seeds showed limited desiccation tolerance at dispersal

Reductions in bud carbohydrates are associated with grapevine bud necrosis

Research Not

HEAVY METAL-INDUCED INHIBITION OF ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY IN HEN EGG WHITE LYSOZYME

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the content of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), boron (B), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in chicken hen eggs in hen's eggs and to evaluate their influence on the enzymatic activity of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL).Methods: In this study, we have determined the content of Cr, Ni, Cd, B, Hg, and Pb in chicken hen eggs using absorption atomic (AA) method. The residual enzymatic activity of HEWL, HEWL was evaluated using spectrophotometric method.Results: The levels of Cr, Ni, Cd, B, Hg, and Pb in hen eggs were 1.8300, 1.1300, 0.5350, 0.5200, 0.0025, and 0.0021 mg/kg, respectively. The inhibition of enzymatic activity of HEWL, by exposure to heavy metals was studied. We found that Cr, Ni, Cd, B, Hg, and Pb produced a loss of enzymatic activity. Cr III was the metal with the highest reduction of HEWL enzymatic activity. 0.01 M of Cr III was able to reduce HEWL enzymatic activity levels up to 49% after 24 h of exposure to this metal. An exposure of 0.05 M of Cr III reduced HEWL enzymatic activity to 1%. 24 h exposure to 0.01 M of Cd presented a reduction of 37% of HEWL enzymatic activity and 0.05 M of Cd resulted in only 75% of HEWL enzymatic residual activity.Conclusions: Content of heavy metals in hen egg from Tungurahua region was high. Cr, Ni, Cd, B, Hg, and Pb produced a loss of enzymatic activity of HEWL