North Carolina State University Research Articles

ARTISANS—Artificial Intelligence for Simulation of Advanced Nuclear Systems for Nuclear Fission Technology

The objective of this Technical Opinion Paper (TOP) is to provide an overview of the research topics in the ARTISANS (Artificial Intelligence for Simulation of Advanced Nuclear Systems) research group at the North Carolina State University. We will discuss the connections between our research with the key items outlined in the Virtual Special Issues (VSI) Nuclear Fission Technology (NFT) series. NFT is crucial for the global goal of decarbonization, but as outlined by the VSI framework, significant challenges remain that inhibit NFT profitability. Our research addresses some of these challenges, centered around improving the simulation of complex nuclear systems with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML). The ARTISANS group specializes in many aspects of applications of AI/ML to nuclear engineering, whose potential impact on NFT continues to grow as AI/ML technologies improve.

Hemadsorption extracorporeal therapy removes cytokines ex vivo in horses.

Plasma cytokine adsorption has shown benefit as an adjunctive therapy in human sepsis but has yet to be investigated in horses. We hypothesized that ex vivo filtration of equine plasma with a novel cytokine adsorption device would significantly reduce concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cytokines. We also hypothesized that the device would adsorb medications commonly used to treat sepsis. 8 horses owned by North Carolina State University. Four liters of heparinized whole blood was collected from healthy adult horses (n = 8) and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (100 ng/mL) for 6 hours (37 °C.) from June 4, 2023, to December 15, 2023. Plasma was filtered through a cytokine adsorption device or sham circuit. Samples were collected at 11 time points for multiplex cytokine analysis. Chemistry analysis was performed before and after filtration. To investigate the impact of the device on medication concentrations, equine plasma containing potassium penicillin, gentamicin, and flunixin meglumine was filtered through the cytokine adsorption device or sham for 6 hours. Drug concentrations before and after filtration were determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. Prefiltration versus postfiltration sample concentrations were analyzed by Student paired t test using GraphPad Prism 9.0 (P < .05). Filtration of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated equine plasma (n = 8) for 6 hours resulted in significant mean reductions in the cytokines IL-10, IL-5, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-1β, as well as albumin. Drug concentrations of potassium penicillin, gentamicin, and flunixin meglumine were also significantly reduced by filtration. This work provides proof of concept for further investigation of extracorporeal cytokine adsorption as a potential adjunct treatment for equine sepsis.

Optimal Mating of Pinus taeda L. Under Different Scenarios Using Differential Evolution Algorithm

Abstract A newly developed software, AgMate, was used to perform optimized mating for monoecious Pinus taeda L. breeding. Using a computational optimization procedure called differential evolution, AgMate was applied under different breeding population sizes scenarios (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250) and candidate contribution scenarios (maximum use of each candidate was set to 1 or 8), to assess its efficiency in maximizing the genetic gain while controlling inbreeding. A population of 962 Pinus taeda parents with a known pedigree from the North Carolina State University Tree Improvement Program was used to optimize objective functions accounting for the coancestry of parents and expected genetic gain and inbreeding of the future progeny. AgMate results were compared with those from another widely used mating software called MateSel. For the proposed mating list of 200 progenies, AgMate resulted in an 83.7% increase in genetic gain compared with the candidate population. There was evidence that AgMate performed similarly to MateSel in managing coancestry and expected genetic gain, but MateSel was superior in avoiding inbreeding in proposed mate pairs. The developed algorithm was computationally efficient in maximizing the objective functions and flexible for practical application in monoecious diploid conifer breeding. AgMate, with its open-source software, free-to-modify algorithm and front-end ShinyApp, is a necessary addition for the advancement of conifer breeding. Study Implications: A dataset from a breeding population of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) was analyzed using an optimal mating software, AgMate (developed by the authors), to optimize the selection, contribution, and mating of candidates simultaneously. The software helps breeders decide on trees to cross and the crossing frequency, such that the trees are unrelated and would result in the best-performing progenies. AgMate is effective in meeting the breeding objectives for monoecious diploid species. The open-source, easy-to-use, and flexible AgMate software, also accessible via a website, is invaluable in helping breeders create optimal matings for future generations, which balances the pursuit of maximizing genetic gain while maintaining genetic diversity.

The people behind the papers - Julia Grzymkowski and Nanette Nascone-Yoder.

As the digestive system develops, the gut tube lengthens and convolutes to correctly package the intestine. Intestinal malrotation is a prevalent birth anomaly, but its underlying causes are not well understood. In this new study, Nanette Nascone-Yoder and colleagues show that exposure of Xenopus embryos to atrazine, a widely-used herbicide, can disrupt cellular metabolism in the developing gut tube and lead to intestinal malrotation. We caught up with first author Julia Grzymkowski and corresponding author Nanette Nascone-Yoder, Professor at North Carolina State University, to hear more about the story.

Abstract B031: Localized cytokine immunotherapy with a novel injectable hydrogel confers immune memory in murine triple negative breast cancer tumors

Abstract Introduction. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), representing 10-15% of all diagnosed breast cancer (BC) cases, is the most aggressive BC subtype and has higher recurrence rates and therapy resistance. It typically has an inflamed tumor microenvironment and relatively high tumor infiltrating lymphocyte levels. However, T cells are typically less activated compared to non-invasive BC. Hence, we hypothesize that local delivery of immunotherapeutics to activate and reinvigorate T cells can restore the anti-tumor immune response. To this end, we have developed an injectable delivery medium to effectively localize immune agonists to activate, expand, and reinvigorate T cells at the site of the tumor. Methods. The naturally occurring polysaccharide chitosan was crosslinked to form a novel injectable hydrogel (XCSgel). For in vivo tumor treatment, 2.5 × 105 E0771 murine breast cancer cells were implanted subcutaneously on the right flank of C57BL/6 mice. When tumors grew to be 50-100mm3, 5ug and 20ug of interleukin-12 (IL-12) co-formulated in 50uL of XCSgel was delivered intratumorally, with additional treatment groups of 5ug IL-12 in saline, XCSgel alone, and an untreated control. For re-challenge studies, 2.5 × 105 E0771 murine breast cancer cells were implanted subcutaneously on the left flank of mice, with a naïve cohort as a control. For the second tumor study to reinvigorate T cells in mice with larger tumor burdens, 5 × 105 E0771 murine breast cancer cells were implanted subcutaneously on the right flank of C57BL/6 mice. When tumors reach 100-150mm3, 5ug IL-12 in XCSgel, 20ug IL-10 in XCSgel, 5ug IL-12 + 20ug IL-10 in XCSgel, 5ug IL-12 + 20ug IL-10 in saline, and XCSgel will be delivered intratumorally, with an untreated control. Tumor sizes and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were/will be collected across all cohorts. All experiments involving laboratory animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at North Carolina State University. Results and Discussion. In the first tumor study, 5ug IL-12 in XCSgel eliminated tumors in 5/5 mice, while 20ug IL-12 in XCSgel eliminated tumors in 4/5 mice and IL-12 in saline eliminated 2/5 tumors. No tumor delay or elimination was observed in untreated and gel alone groups. Upon re-challenge, 5/5 mice in the 5ug IL-12 in XCSgel remained tumor-free over 40 days post-re-challenge, as did 3/4 of the 20ug in XCSgel and 2/2 in IL-12 saline treatment groups. The second intratumoral study is ongoing. Conclusions. A single injection of IL-12 formulated in a novel injectable hydrogel was found to eliminate tumors and stimulate immune memory in a murine triple negative breast cancer model. Results from localized IL-12 and IL-10 cytokine treatment of tumors with larger tumor burdens are ongoing. Given the ability of this localized immunotherapy to induce systemic antitumor immunity, it deserves further consideration as a neoadjuvant treatment prior to breast conserving surgery.Acknowledgements. This work is supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Citation Format: Siena M Mantooth, David A Zaharoff. Localized cytokine immunotherapy with a novel injectable hydrogel confers immune memory in murine triple negative breast cancer tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2023 Oct 19-22; San Diego, California. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(3 Suppl_1):Abstract nr B031.

The Transition from Letter Grading to Modified Pass-Fail Grading at a College of Veterinary Medicine: A Narrative Inquiry of Student Experiences

Compared with traditional letter grading, pass/fail grading is an assessment approach that can alter the educational environment and enhance student wellbeing without compromising education quality. Little is known about the experiences of students during the transition from traditional grading to pass/fail grading. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an abrupt move to modified pass-fail (MPF) grading at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine (NCSU-CVM), followed by a decision to permanently adopt MPF grading for the entire core pre-clinical doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) curriculum. This study employed a narrative inquiry of surveys and interviews to facilitate deep understanding of student perspectives during the transition to MPF grading. Focus was placed on understanding what this transition meant for DVM students in terms of life and learning quality. Our analysis identified seven key themes that captured student experiences, which were generally positive, during this transition: education culture, student perceptions of instructor impact, shift from extrinsic to intrinsic valuation of curricular content, competitiveness for external merit-based opportunities, use of letter grading and MPF in a single semester, student recommendations, and wellbeing. Through exploration of these themes and presentation of concerns identified in students’ stories, this study provides guidance for other programs considering revision of their own assessment frameworks.

Warm‐season turfgrass species genotype‐by‐environment interaction for turfgrass quality under drought

AbstractOne of the biggest challenges the turfgrass industry is currently facing is limitations of available water for irrigation of turfgrass areas. Efforts on breeding for drought resistance have increased over the past several years across the United States. Thus, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of bermudagrass (Cynodon spp. Rich.), St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze), seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz) and zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp. Willd.) breeding lines from five different breeding programs under drought and estimate genetic parameters in order to increase selection efficiency for drought resistance improvement in these breeding programs. The germplasm sources were bermudagrass from Oklahoma State University and University of Georgia (UGA); St. Augustinegrass from North Carolina State University, Texas A&amp;M University System (TAMUS) and University of Florida (UF); zoysiagrass from UF and TAMUS; seashore paspalum from UGA. Field trials were conducted from 2016 to 2019 at research facilities in Citra, FL and Dallas, TX. The response variables evaluated were per cent living ground cover (%GC), and turfgrass quality under normal or non‐drought (TQND) and drought conditions (TQD). The genetic variance was significant for TQND and TQD in bermudagrass, TQD in St. Augustinegrass and all traits in zoysiagrass. The heritability estimates were higher for TQD than for TQND in bermudagrass and St. Augustinegrass. Genetic correlation estimates showed that indirect selection can be effective to select drought‐resistant genotypes. Several genotypes performed better than all commercial cultivars in both St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass.

Judge rules against former student‐athlete

Case name: Doe v. North Carolina State University, No. 5:23‐CV‐044 (E.D. N.C. 09/11/23).

Proton Radiation Effect on Iron Thermal Oxides: Point Defects, Microstructure & Corrosion Electrochemistry

Iron(Fe)-based alloys, such as austenitic stainless steels, form protective surface oxide layers when exposed to oxygen, aqueous electrolyte, and water vapor, which effectively inhibit corrosion [1]. One attribute that underpins the electrochemical reactivity of surface oxide layers is the presence and properties of charged point defects (e.g. vacancies and interstitials charge compensated by electrons or holes), which govern the rate and mechanism of ionic transport when exposed to an oxidizing environment such as an aqueous electrolyte [2,3,4]. However, the effect of radiation on the relationship between point defects, oxide microstructure, and oxidation behavior is poorly understood. Structural materials used in nuclear applications are particularly susceptible to radiation damage, which can degrade the underlying surface oxides. To investigate this phenomenon, thermally oxidized pure Fe was selected as a model material system to study radiation-induced defects in iron oxide scales [3]. Iron oxides were fabricated by thermal oxidation of pure Fe metal in air at 400°C, 600oC, and 800°C for 1 hour. Each oxides layer exhibits an outer hematite (α-Fe2O3) and inner magnetite (Fe3O4)/wüstite (FeO) layers with varying thickness depending on the oxidation conditions. These oxides were then irradiated with 200 keV, 0.03 dpa protons at room temperature. The oxide microstructure and phase compositions were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). These results were corroborated with X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy analysis. The relative vacancy concentrations and size distributions in the oxide layers were investigated using positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) techniques. Lastly, these oxides were exposed to a 0.1 M borate buffer solution (pH 9.2) at applied potential where corrosion reactivity was governed by interfacial reactions and ionic defects to regulate the growth processes observed. The potentials were cycled over the ranges where oxides growth and reduction occurred involving Fe/Fe(II)/Fe(III) reactions at a pH which suppressed chemical reactions at the oxide/electrolyte interface and would lead to solubilization of Fe species. The subsequent oxidation, reduction, and semiconductor properties of the oxides were evaluated using AC and DC electrochemical methods, both with and without prior irradiation. Current results demonstrate that radiation damage can manifest itself in the form of vacancy clustering and possible maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) formation. These phenomena were corroborated with donor density and diffusivity values calculated using Mott-Schottky analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis and equivalent circuit model (ECM) interpretation, respectively. Radiation damages to the outer rate-regulating α-Fe2O3 layer correlates with enhanced anodic current density corresponding to Fe/Fe(II)/Fe(III) reactions. However, proton radiation may also interact with the metal/oxide and oxide/oxide interfaces depending on the oxide structure and H+ beam penetration depth, leading to either degradation or improvement in the Fe-oxide corrosion responses. Nevertheless, the damage persists and can continue to impact corrosion mechanisms long after the irradiation source is removed. The multiple techniques adopted, each characterizing a material property of a different length scale (from meso-, micro-, to macroscopic) enable us to hypothesize the roles that point defects played after irradiation and during corrosion and how the radiation-induced changes in the defect characteristics influence corrosion electrochemistry. Acknowledgment Research primarily supported as part of the fundamental understanding of transport under reactor extremes (FUTURE), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences. Utilization of the Malvern-Panalytical Empyrean diffractometer were supported by Nanoscale Materials Characterization Facility with National Science Foundation under award CHE-2102156. The TEM sample preparation and characterization was performed at the Analytical Instrumentation Facility at North Carolina State University, which is supported by the State of North Carolina and the National Science Foundation (award number ECCS-1542015). LANL is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. DOE (Contract No. 89233218CNA000001).

When Life Gives You Lemons, Do Outreach! A Program for University Professors to Virtually Connect to K-12 Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic and beyond

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the Spring of 2020, North Carolina (NC) public schools moved to distance education in which all students attended classes on video conferencing programs. During this time, NC State University faculty offered virtual guest talks to NC K-12 students. Eighty-eight faculty from three NC State colleges volunteered and 161 teachers requested talks, with approximately 5,400 students. Overall, significantly more teachers from the NC Piedmont region requested speakers (p&lt;.0001); significantly more urban teachers requested talks (p&lt;.0001); and, significantly more elementary school teachers requested speakers than middle (p&lt;.0001) or high school (p&lt;.0001) teachers. The program was beneficial to teachers and students, exposing them to real-world research. In the future, the program should be

Influence of Genetic Selection on Rearing Parameters and Production Performance of Two Leghorn Type Pullets, 1940 Random-Bred Control Versus W-36 (2016) Commercial Strain Grown under the Same Regimen

The aim of this study was to expand the period of selection history by evaluating the pullet growth characteristics of two genetic stocks of Leghorns reared under identical conditions 1940 Leghorn Strain (WL40) from the University of Arkansas and a 2016 Commercial Hy-Line W-36 (WLCC) from Hy-Line were housed in the same environment, comparing rearing production characteristics from the day of hatch until 16 weeks of age. All chicks were hatched at the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University and raised in the same cage-rearing facility, with 14 birds per brooding cage then reduced to 10 birds per cage. Pullets were weighed bi-weekly, and feed weigh-backs were concurrent to determine body growth, feed consumption, and utilization. Pullet starter was fed from 0-6 weeks, a grower from 6-12 weeks, and a developer from 12-16 weeks. Diets were provided ad libitum, and mortality was recorded daily. The experiment was a randomized block design using a 2 ×3 factorial design, 2 genetic strains, and 3 dietary phase regimens and all data were statistically analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. Both strains responded similarly, showing an increase in body weights with the 2016 commercial strain exhibiting heavier weights with no significant differences (P&gt;0.05) in all feed phases. Results from this data suggest that layer selection over the years had neutral adverse effects on body weights or feed conversion reared in the same environment and current commercial diet. This indicated that selection preferences for desirable traits such as body weights and feed conversion have been successfully implemented for optimal performance benefiting the 2016 pullet.

Hematologic Abnormalities and Diseases Associated with Moderate-to-Marked Basophilia in a Large Cohort of Dogs.

Basophilia is a rare hematologic finding in dogs. This research aimed to describe the hematologic and clinical characteristics of dogs with moderate-to-marked basophilia. CBC reports with blood smear examinations from dogs presented to the North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital were retrospectively reviewed for basophilia (>193 cells/µL). We classified basophilia as moderate when counts were ≥500 cells/µL and marked when they reached ≥1000 cells/µL. We compared the hematologic and clinical profiles of dogs with moderate-to-marked basophilia (the basophilia group) to those without basophilia, serving as our control group. In addition, we investigated differences between dogs with marked basophilia versus those with moderate basophilia, as well as between dogs in the basophilia group with and without concurrent eosinophilia. Diseases associated with moderate-to-marked basophilia included eosinophilic lung disease (p < 0.0001), leukemia/myeloproliferative neoplasms (p = 0.004), parasitic infection (p = 0.004), mast cell tumor (p = 0.005), and inflammatory bowel disease (p = 0.02). Overall, dogs with marked basophilia had a lower frequency of inflammatory diseases (51% vs. 70%, p = 0.009) and a higher frequency of neoplastic diseases (48% vs. 26%, p = 0.003) compared to those with moderate basophilia. In the basophilia group, concurrent eosinophilia was only seen in 36% of dogs. Dogs with concurrent eosinophilia were more often diagnosed with inflammatory diseases (77% vs. 58%, p = 0.006), with fewer diagnoses of neoplasia (19% vs. 40%, p = 0.001), compared to dogs without concurrent eosinophilia. The findings of this study offer veterinary clinicians valuable guidance in determining diagnostic priorities for dogs with moderate-to-marked basophilia.

Calculation of body surface area of corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) utilizing computed tomography.

To determine the K-constant for body surface area calculation from body weight in corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) through the use of computed tomography (CT) measurements. 12 adult corn snakes held by North Carolina State University for research purposes underwent CT between November 2022 and January 2023. Each snake had a CT scan, physical examination, and body weight measurement. CT images were uploaded into software able to perform 3-D reconstruction and measure body surface area. The species-specific K-constant was determined using nonlinear regression analysis between body surface area and (body weight in grams)2/3. The mean body weight of the 12 adult corn snakes was 228 g, with a mean body surface area of 505.1 cm2. The calculated K-constant was 13.6 (P < .001). The resulting formula for body surface area in corn snakes is BSA in cm2 = 13.6 X (body weight in grams)2/3. The body surface area formula developed for corn snakes will allow for improved dosing accuracy for medications with low therapeutic safety margins. Additional pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies are necessary to determine the safety and efficacy of individual medications.

Pancreatic Torsion Resulting in Acute Pancreatic Necrosis in a Young Dog.

We report a case of 7 mo old French bulldog who was referred to North Carolina State University Small Animal Emergency and Triage Services because of acute abdomen, regurgitation, lethargy, and fever. The patient had a history of pulmonic stenosis, which was corrected by balloon valvuloplasty 3 wk before presenting for the current complaint. The patient had nonspecific changes noted on blood work at his referring veterinarian. An abdominal ultrasound examination showed pathological changes that were supportive of a left-limb pancreatic torsion that was confirmed postmortem.

First report of a Herbaspirillum sp. causing leaf spots on Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) in Florida.

Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) samples were submitted by a nursery operation in Florida separately to the University of Florida Plant Diagnostic Center (UFPDC, Gainesville, FL) and to the North Carolina State University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab (NCSU PPDL, Raleigh, NC) in October 2021. Symptoms included tan spots on pinnules, some of which progressed into pinnule blight (Fig. S1). Bacterial streaming was noted from samples in both labs. Leaf spot margins were excised, macerated in sterile tap water, then streaked onto nutrient agar (NA) plates and incubated for 48 h at 27°C. Individual representative colonies that were opaque, creamy white, mucoid, and round with smooth margins were transferred and streaked onto additional NA plates. One strain from each lab (G21-1742, UFPDC and NC40101, NCSU PPDL) was selected for subsequent characterization. A suspension of each strain was adjusted to 108 CFU/mL and infiltrated into tobacco and tomato leaves, and confluent necrosis was observed 72 h after infiltration. The isolates were Gram-negative, oxidase-positive, HR-positive on tomato and tobacco, aerobic, not pectolytic, and nonfluorescent on King's Medium B. DNA was extracted from G21-1742 using Qiagen Stool kit (Qiagen cat#51604) and the 16S rRNA gene from strain G21-1742 was amplified using 16SrRNA universal primers UP1 (5'-TACGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATA-3') and UP2 (5'-AGTAAGGAGGGTATCCAACCGCA-3') (Kuppusamy et al. 2014). The amplicon was sequenced and submitted to NCBI (Genbank Accession No. OR004801). BLASTn analysis of 16S rRNA of G21-1742 resulted in 99.7% sequence identity to the type strain of Herbaspirillum huttiense subsp. huttiense ATCC 14670T (Genbank Accession NR_024698). The 16S rRNA sequence of NC40101 was identical to that of G21-1742. To determine if the G21-1742 strain was pathogenic, Boston fern plants were inoculated by suspending bacterial cells in tap water from a 24h culture grown on NA, adjusting the suspension to 108 CFU/mL and spraying the suspension on one three-week old frond from each of three healthy Boston fern plants. A second frond from each plant was sprayed with sterile tap water. Each treated frond was individually sealed in a clear plastic bag for 24h at approximately 25°C. Inoculated plants remained on the greenhouse bench after the plastic bags were removed. The inoculation experiment was repeated once. After 4 days, tan spots were observed on pinnules of inoculated plants that were identical to the original submitted samples, while no symptoms developed on water-inoculated plants. Bacterial strains were reisolated from symptomatic plants and were morphologically identical to G21-1742. The 16S rRNA sequence of the reisolated strain was identical to G21-1742. Additionally, we conducted MLSA analysis using 12 housekeeping genes (See Table S2 for housekeeping genes and accession numbers) from the fern strains and the corresponding housekeeping genes for the type strains of 13 Herbaspirillum species, which placed the fern strains most closely with H. huttiense (see Fig. S2). This is the first known report of a Herbaspirillum sp. on Boston fern, an important ornamental crop, that renders the plants aesthetically unsaleable. Previously, a Herbaspirillum sp. was reported in Florida to cause a leaf spot and blight on greenhouse grown tomato seedlings (Obradovic et al. 2007).

Cut/Copy/Paste: Fragments from the History of Bookwork

Book Review| June 12 2023 Cut/Copy/Paste: Fragments from the History of Bookwork Cut/Copy/Paste: Fragments from the History of Bookwork. By Whitney Trettien. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2021. 328 pp. Margaret Simon Margaret Simon Margaret Simon is associate professor of English at North Carolina State University. She is coeditor of Forming Sleep: Writing Lost Consciousness in the English Renaissance (2020). She is completing a monograph about early modern books and multimateriality. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Modern Language Quarterly 10574855. https://doi.org/10.1215/00267929-10574855 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Margaret Simon; Cut/Copy/Paste: Fragments from the History of Bookwork. Modern Language Quarterly 2023; 10574855. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/00267929-10574855 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search Books & JournalsAll JournalsModern Language Quarterly Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright © 2023 by University of Washington2023 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

OPTIMIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL YIELD ON THE IMPACT OF OZONE AND SULPHUR DIOXIDE USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

In this study, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to the analysis of ozone and Sulphur dioxide on soybean. The data used was secondary data which came from research on the effects of air pollutants on crop yields conducted in North Carolina State University and USDA in 1981. From the analyses, the adequacy of the model used was validated with the F-value of 18.71 and 18.55 respectively suggests the models are significant. The Coefficient of Determination  the Adjusted ,written as   and Predicted  were also used to find the adequacy of the model used. Effects of ozone and Sulphur dioxide were looked into in the yields of soybean in two different locations. It was found that the 0.395 inlet of sulphur and 0.018 inlet of ozone gives optimum yield of 724.427 grams of soybeans in yield 1 and same quatity gives optimum yield of 248.282 grams of soybeans in yield 2 which made ozone and sulphurdioxide to have significant effect on the yield of soyabeans.

Long-term telemetry study monitoring health parameters and behaviour of eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) released from treatment and rehabilitation

In this pilot study, 16 rehabilitated eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) had radio transmitters attached to their carapace and were being monitored for the life of the transmitter (average lifespan of 283 days). Turtles in this study were presented to North Carolina State University’s Turtle Rescue Team (TRT), an organization that cares for wild, injured and ill turtles, to triage, rehabilitate and release them back into the wild. In the years from 2005 to 2014, 897 turtles were released after treatment, which accounted for 47.1% of admissions; this percentage remains the trend. There has never been a long-term study tracking the survival and health of turtles once released from TRT’s care. At the study’s conclusion, one turtle was successfully followed for the entire tracking period. Three turtles were lost after a period of torpor (a state of inactivity during the winter months). Three turtles died sometime after release (mean 86 days after release). Five turtles have not been found since their release and are believed to have travelled a significant distance from their release site. Three turtles were found once after release, but not in consequent searches. One of the radio transmitters is known to have stopped emitting a signal for unknown reasons. Most commonly, the turtles have been found motionless and unboxed. All of the turtles located were found within 722 m of their release sites. This study is the first step in developing more effective protocols to estimate the survivability and behaviour of the turtles released from rehabilitation settings.

Defining a species-specific K constant in American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) through use of computed tomography.

To use CT measurements to define the body surface area (BSA) formula in American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and calculate the species-specific shape constant (K) to suggest chemotherapeutic doses. 12 American bullfrogs owned by the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Laboratory Animal Resources underwent CT scans without anesthesia or sedation in November 2022. As part of this prospective study, each American bullfrog underwent a complete physical exam and CT scan. 3-D surface models were created using CT data, and the resulting measurements were used for BSA calculations. Animals were grouped by sex. Nonlinear regression analysis of BSA versus body weight was performed, and a species-specific formula was derived for calculating BSA in American bullfrogs. The mean body weight of the bullfrogs was 354 grams. The mean CT-derived BSA was 414.92 cm2. The calculated K constant was 8.28 for the 12 American bullfrogs, and the CT-derived BSA formula was BSA in cm2 = 8.28 X (body weight in g)2/3. The K constant was 8.07 for females and 8.44 for males and was not significantly different between sexes (P = .5). Results indicated that the species-specific K constant for American bullfrogs is 8.28. This is the first calculated K constant that exists for amphibians to our knowledge.

Interview with APPLE Lecture Speaker Dr. Walt Wolfram

On March 3, 2023, the Studies in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (SALT) journal interviewed Dr. Walt Wolfram, an invited speaker for the 2023 APPLE Lecture Series hosted by the Applied Linguistics and TESOL Program at Teachers College, Columbia University.&#x0D; Walt Wolfram is William C. Friday Distinguished University Professor at North Carolina State University, where he also directs the Language and Life Project. He has pioneered research on social and ethnic dialects since the 1960s and published 23 books and more than 300 articles. Over the last two decades, he and his students have conducted more than 3,500 sociolinguistic interviews with residents of North Carolina and beyond. In addition to his research interests, Professor Wolfram is particularly interested in the application of sociolinguistic information to the public, including the production of television documentaries, the construction of museum exhibits, and the development of innovative formal and informal materials related to language diversity for different institutions. He has received numerous awards, including the North Carolina Award (the highest award given to a citizen of North Carolina), Caldwell Humanities Laureate from the NC Humanities Council, the Holladay Medal at NC State, the Board of Governor’s Holshouser Award for Excellence in Public Service, and the Linguistics, Language and the Public Award from the Linguistic Society of America. He has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts &amp; Sciences and served as President of the Linguistic Society of America, the American Dialect Society, and the Southeastern Conference on Linguistics. We thank Dr. Wolfram for his participation in this interview.