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When experiencing a building's interior or exterior conditions, one may be inclined to 'feel-out' its spatial and volumetric proportions, judge their appropriateness, its quality of formal conditions, its power, its clearness of the structure, and get a sense for the way its architecture was placed onto the site. It is said that, 'knowledge is key', and knowing how a building is soundly and structurally assembled and seated onto the earth -- is key. This thought brings to the table an important question, why do we build beautifully sound and monolithic (at times) structural systems then choose to cover them up entirely? In the context of the Washington, D.C.'s current building climate -- why must we build a dense grove of slender wood posts atop concrete plinths only to cover them up in clothing with certain ephemeral stylistic ideas? Obvious reasons such as insulation and weatherproofing are valid, but thermal barrier technology now allows for exposing the raw architectural elements without sacrificing thermal qualities. Can we use this technology to our advantage, and if so, how would one begin to conceive of a structural system which celebrates the bearing members in an architectural manner? Are there ways to interact more directly with the structure itself? In what manner will the site specific and environmental constraints play a role in making creative architectural decisions? I believe the research conducted in the past year resulted in a truthful approach toward form finding, space making, and respecting the chosen site and its unique constraints. / Master of Architecture

Current feeding strategies aim to maximize efficiency at the pen level. However, feed intake varies across animals and in response to diet composition, making it difficult to capture these variations and control feeding effectively. A precision feeding system is required to feed animals individually, continuously monitor responses, and make timely adjustments to feed tailoring. Such a system would efficiently integrate dairy operations to enhance profitability and reduce their environmental footprint. Thus, the objectives of this dissertation were to build, test, and apply a precision feeding system able to tailor feeding strategies to animals more precisely and closely match their individual requirements. In Chapter 3, we describe the precision feeding system framework using directional data streams. The system integrates real-time farm data, segmented into data-analytic modules for independent testing and troubleshooting. It provides feeding instructions to automatic feeders and generates animal and financial monitoring reports. In Chapter 4, we describe the "Animal Performance" system module. This study developed a predictive model to estimate individual dry matter intake (DMI) by integrating markers, animal characteristics, dietary nutrient concentrations, and chewing sensor data. The performance of the developed model was then assessed and contrasted with the NASEM (2021) DMI equations. By incorporating covariates derived from short-term use of external and internal markers we demonstrated a greater accuracy of DMI predictions when using a fixed effects model, supporting its predictive capabilities for further application. In Chapter 5, we describe the "Diet Optimization" systems module, used to maximize profit by optimizing rations using a developed compact-vectorized version of NASEM (2021). The study aimed to simulate optimized diets, evaluate the economic impact of feeding individual diet, compare feed costs and income over feed cost (IOFC) for optimized group diet, and compare optimized diets against pen-averages (PEN). The results showed that IND diets had lower costs, higher milk production, and increased IOFC compared to CLU diets. Additionally, both IND and CLU diets outperformed PEN solutions. This work established methods for deriving efficient diet solutions for individual animals and using clustering techniques for more precise pen-level feeding. In Chapter 6, we describe the application of "Animal Performance", "Diet Optimization", and "Nutrient Titration" system modules. The former DMI model described in Chapter 4 was applied to the experimental data. The middle utilized optimized diets generated by the optimizer developed in Chapter 5, with additional algorithm updates. The latter aimed to investigate individual milk true protein production responses of dairy cows to varying levels of metabolizable protein (MP) and rumen-protected amino acids (RPAA) using automatic feeding systems and rank animals based on their individual gross milk protein efficiencies. Results demonstrated heterogeneous animal responses across MP and RPAA levels, ranging from linear, and quadratic to no response, emphasizing the necessity of addressing individual variability within a common pen. High-efficiency animals behaved consistently across MP treatments with lower variability, while low-efficiency animals showed high variability but consistently remained in the bottom efficiency rank. In conclusion, the precision feeding system underscores true capabilities to tailor nutrient delivery to individual cows, maximizing economic and environmental benefits, and sets the stage for future research focused on further refinement and automation of these technologies / Doctor of Philosophy / Feeding practices for dairy cattle have evolved significantly from manual grain mix offering to group feeding. While pen-level feeding has its benefits, it overlooks opportunities to maximize efficiency and minimize feed waste and nutrient excretion by not using individual animal variation to apply control feeding. With modern farms and increased technology adoption, feeding animals while being individually milked, even when group-housed, is now possible, leveraging this variability to apply precision feeding. In Chapter 3, we described the development of a precision feeding system that leverages technological advancements on dairy farms to gather and analyze data, supporting informed decision-making. This system includes various modules for testing and adjusting feeding strategies according to animal needs, providing feeding instructions to automatic feeders, and generating reports to help farmers monitor their animals and manage costs. Recognizing that precision feeding relies on quality data and accurate predictions of crucial metrics such as dry matter intake (DMI), Chapter 4 focused on developing a mathematical equation to predict DMI on an individual animal basis. This model demonstrated potential for commercial dairy operations due to its use of readily available farm-level predictors and its adequate performance compared to gold-standard field equations. Given the lack of efficient optimizers that incorporate individual animal data, in Chapter 5, we described the development of a new optimizer incorporated into the system to maximize profits. We simulated different feeding strategies, including optimized individual and group diets, and demonstrated that these tailored diets were more cost-effective and led to higher milk production compared to pen-average diets. To complete the development, testing, and application cycle, in Chapter 6, we applied the precision feeding system to determine the metabolizable protein (MP) requirements of dairy cows and assess milk protein production responses to different levels of MP and rumen-protected amino acids (RPAA). The results indicated varied responses among cows, highlighting the importance of individualized feeding to account for animal-to-animal differences within the same pen. Top-efficient animals were consistent in their responses across treatments, whereas bottom-efficient animals exhibited greater variability and consistently underperformed. In conclusion, the precision feeding system demonstrated significant potential to improve the efficiency of dairy farming by more accurately meeting the specific needs of dairy cattle. Future research will focus on refining this system and further automating the process for broader farm applications.

Microcomputer simulation was used to evaluate effects of all combinations of two levels of involuntary culling, heifer rearing, and sire selection against dystocia in heifers on timing and magnitude of net income in dairy cattle. Time to cumulative payoff of expenses and net income per day of herdlife were measured for herds and individual cows. Net income was accumulated monthly, and expressed per day of life and per day to 96 mo. Twenty herds of 80 cows were simulated for 20 yr under eight options in the herd study. More than 1000 cows with complete herdlives, from a single herd, were individually simulated for each of eight options in the cow study, with no voluntary culling of cows. For the herd study, milk yield per cow averaged 6838 kg ± 858 kg/yr, and net income per cow was $671 i $193/yr. Mean time to payoff was 60.0 mo, and mean net income to 96 mo, including salvage value, was $.36/d. Heifers calving at 26 mo had rearing expenses of $1030, time to payoff of 54.6 mo, and net income of $.432/d, compared with rearing expenses of $1200, time to payoff of 70.0 mo, and net income of $.285/d for heifers calving at 32 mo. Options with 12% involuntary culling paid off 2.3 mo earlier and had $.081 more net income per day than 24% involuntary culling. Differences in response variables due to sire dystocia and PD Dollars were minimal. Options with 26 mo age at first calving, 12% involuntary culling, and random mating had earliest time to payoff (54.0 mo) and highest net income ($.485/d). Options with 32 mo age at first calving, 24% involuntary culling, and random mating had latest payoff (74.3 mo) and lowest net income (S.246/d). Herds and years had large effects on time to payoff and net income due to differences in herd production and genetic trend of sires for production over time. Including salvage value for cows surviving 96 mo increased net income $.064/d for herds, and $.25/d for cows. Twenty-one percent of the value of increased milk yield was attributed to increased feed costs. For the cow study, cost of rearing heifers was $141 ± $127, mean time to payoff was 53.4 mo, and mean time to cumulative profit was of 56.5 mo. Cumulative profit represented positive cumulative net income for 12 consecutive mo, which included 69% of cows with time to payoff. Net income was $.19/d for all cows, $.46/d for cows with a first calving, $.60/d for cows surviving 96 mo, and $.85/d for cows surviving 96 mo including salvage value. Heifers calving at 26 mo paid off expenses at 47.1 mo, compared with 60.6 mo for heifers calving at 32 mo. Heifers calving at 26 mo cost $.07/d more to raise to first calving, but paid off by 70 d in milk into their second lactation, compared with payoff by 140 d in milk of the third lactation for cows calving at 32 mo. Regressions of time to payoff and net income per day at 96 mo on cow production were -.0077 d/kg and .00028 $/kg, respectively. The regression of time to payoff on PD Dollars was -.0035 d/PDS, and the regression of net income per day on PD Dollars was .00072 S/PDS for cows that calved. Differences did not exist in time to payoff between levels of involuntary culling and selection against dystocia. Heifer rearing was most important in this study due to large differences in time to payoff and net income as age at first calving changed. Sire selection against dystocia in heifers was least important due to the mating program used, with intermediate differences in payoff and net income between levels of involuntary culling. / Ph. D.

Following a background of pertinent economic theory and a description of the present system for marketing Ontario winter wheat, this study examines the current problems of the marketing system. Briefly, the domestic minimum price negotiated by the Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board bears no relation to the value of the entire crop; the financial position of the Board is inherently unstable; and finally, very little planning of transportation and storage facilities for Board purchases occurs. In light of the present problems and objectives of the Board, a number of possible changes concerning supply and demand are presented. The author concludes that the Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board (hereafter referred to as O.W.P.M.B.) should adopt a new marketing system. Essentially, the Board would buy and sell an amount equal to, or less than, the total amount of soft wheat needed for domestic flour and cereal manufacturers. The remainder of the crop would be sold by farmers at free market prices. A study of transportation and existing storage facilities would be required before this proposed marketing system could be adopted. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

It is the architect's responsibility to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare. Ironically, healthcare facilities, whose programs focus on those elements, often seem to fall short of those basic design standards. The evolution of healthcare practices has brought us to a stage of design that focuses on the machine rather than the patient. This shift has created stripped, unwelcoming, and unnatural healthcare environments that have proven to negatively impact the health and well-being of facilities' patients. Dialysis treatment facilities, whose medical procedures rely so heavily on machines, are an even more extreme condition of this imbalance. In an effort to raise awareness of this problem and reinvigorate architectural design that actually promotes healthy environments, I chose to explore the idea of "design that heals". Through the conscientious integration of nature, light, and color, this project redefines the priorities of a healthcare facility and takes a holistic and sustainable approach to design that better cares for the patients and enlivens the community. The proposed program pairs a dialysis clinic with a community nutrition center which helps address the causes of kidney disease at the source. Located in an underserved Anacostia neighborhood, the people-focused building provides nutrition education, food production and healthcare services. Taking inspiration from the filtration process of dialysis, the building aims to celebrate and expose its own water circulation systems, mirroring the beautiful, yet chaotic, systems within the human body. / Master of Architecture / This thesis explores how the architectural design of healthcare facilities impacts the health and well-being of the building’s occupants. Healing requires a holistic support system that provides for the patients physically, psychologically, and socially. Therefore, the environments which are designed to support this healing must be in tune with those needs and cater to each those factors. “Design that Heals” applies this holistic design strategy to a dialysis treatment facility, a branch of healthcare whose design is often overlooked and underserved. This research reveals specific environmental elements that can be improved upon through design in order to create spaces that better support healing, including the integration of natural light, nature, artwork, social support, increased patient control and decreased noise levels. This proposed treatment facility, which acts as an example for the design of future clinics, illustrates the application of these design strategies, creating a facility that actually supports the welfare and healing of the building’s occupants.

Due to growing global concern regarding climate change and CO2 emissions, the use of soil as a potential carbon (C) sink has become increasingly recognised as a potential mitigation measure. Global agricultural soil has the estimated capacity for sequestering C at around 20 to 30 Pg (Peta grams) of C over the next 50 to 100 years if correct land management practises are applied. The benefits on improving soil C levels are not limited to reduced CO2 emissions and climate change mitigation however. It is widely accepted that improved organic C levels provide an array of positive benefits, including enhanced soil fertility, soil structure and water holding capacity and generally improve soil biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Therefore, the pursuit of increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) levels in agricultural soil could create a win-win-win scenario. To improve SOC levels in agriculture, there are two key components that need to be fully effective. The first being the scientific understanding of SOC and its responses to different farming practices and systems. Secondly, the policy and advisory environment needs to be effective and conducive, promoting those practices and systems which are proven to increase SOC levels. This research therefore, explores these two components by conducting a series of investigations into current on-farm practices for managing SOC, the current policy and legislation structure, the quality and extent of farm-facing SOC related advice, and the scope for improving SOC levels through farm management practices and agri-environmental policy. A critical review and synopsis of global, European and national policy and advice was conducted to identify those policies that encourage the improvement of SOC and to highlight those areas where SOC does not currently feature as a management issue. Whilst soil and SOC do not feature heavily at the European or national level, there are a number of mechanisms which have the potential to improve SOC levels through their ability to reach a large audience of farmers and via the promotion of suitable management practices. The review of current policy was supplemented by interviews with those responsible for providing advice to farmers and farmers themselves. The interviewed farmers and advisors were relatively engaged with the subject of SOC although the results demonstrated that there was scope to improve current levels of understanding and practice. The currently policy environment at the national level, was not, in general, creating changes in management practices with those interviewed, so any potential enhancement of SOC that the policy mechanisms had the ability to create, were being missed. A review of the scientific literature regarding SOC and data gathered from subsequent soil sampling under a range of farming practices has allowed for the exploration of the potential and realisation to increase SOC levels through various management approaches. Practices which promote an increased use of organic matter amendments, reduced tillage systems and organic farming systems were of particular focus; with all three demonstrating the potential in improve SOC levels. Combining the social and natural science aspects of the issue of SOC has allowed for an exploration of the potential approaches to improve SOC within English agriculture. Critically, research and development of the subject needs to be improved to further the scientific understanding of SOC in relation to farming practices and land use. Development is also required of current national policy, in particular agri-environment schemes (AES), which despite reaching a wide farming audience, would appear to create minimal management changes and therefore has minimal impact on improving SOC levels. The two sides of this issue, the social and the natural sciences, must be addressed together otherwise a full understanding and an appropriate approach forward cannot be reached. This is why an interdisciplinary approach has been viewed as a suitable research framework for this thesis. The concluding aim of this work is to present a ‘best practice approach’ in terms of physically improving SOC levels by enhancing current advisory pathways and developing an effective policy environment.

Die Landwirtschaft ist bereits digital – seit vielen Jahren prägen Informatik und Elektronik den landwirtschaftlichen Alltag. Digitale Anwendungen helfen beim Pflanzenschutz und der Wettervorhersage. Für die Präzisionslandwirtschaft sind Landmaschinen mit intelligenten Technologien bestückt. So kommunizieren sie untereinander. Automatisierte Arbeitsprozesse sind auf dem Feld und im Hof angekommen. Wie lässt sich Ökonomie und Ökologie nachhaltig verbinden und gut mit dem Faktor „Mensch“ integrieren? Die Frage, wer über Daten verfügt und sie interpretieren kann, wird zum Wettbewerbsfaktor in der Landwirtschaft – ist aber auch fachlich, juristisch und ethisch von Interesse. Diesen Themen widmet sich unter Schirmherrschaft des Bundeslandwirtschaftsministeriums (BMEL) die erste Konferenz zur Digitalisierung in der Landwirtschaft. Dabei geht es neben Begriffsfindung (z.B. Digitalisierung, Transformation, Big Data, Farming 4.0, Precision Farming), um das Aufzeigen der Potenziale und Risiken sowie den Erfahrungsaustausch über praxisnahe Lösungsansätze für die in der Wertschöpfungskette Beteiligten. Die Veranstaltung wird im Rahmen eines Programmkomitees durch DLG, KTBL, Leibniz Institut für Agrartechnik Potsdam, Bornim, Hochschule Osnabrück, Gesellschaft für Informatik in der Landtechnik und das Institut für Naturstofftechnik der TU Dresden unterstützt. Die Veranstaltung findet parallel zum IEEE 5G Summit statt (https://5glab.de/5gsummit/). Dies erlaubt erste Blicke auf die Anwendungsdemonstrationen der nächsten Mobilfunkgeneration und den direkten Kontakt mit den Teilnehmern des Summits während der Abendveranstaltung.

O objetivo do trabalho é verificar os impactos jurídicos da tipificação do contrato agroindustrial de integração no setor avícola, partindo da perspectiva apresentada pela Nova Economia Institucional. Para isso, foram utilizados como fonte de dados pesquisa bibliográfica e dados secundários oficiais. Além disso, realizou-se pesquisa documental de instrumentos contratuais e entrevistas com avicultores em duas regiões, localizadas no Estado de São Paulo e Santa Catarina. Utilizou-se como marco teórico as premissas da Nova Economia Institucional, relacionando-se as estruturas de governança com a regulação do contrato. Os objetivos do trabalho voltaram-se para: i) analisar a formação e a tipificação dos contratos à luz da Nova Economia Institucional; ii) estudar o contrato de integração; iii) verificar os impactos jurídicos da Lei n. 13.288/2016 para o setor avícola brasileiro. Os resultados mostram a opção do legislador por estabelecer regras de conduta em contrapartida às normas imperativas que regem os contratos agrários típicos do Estatuto da Terra. Apesar da importante previsão de órgãos colegiados de formação paritária e de mecanismos de transparência, a lei mostrou-se insuficiente para coibir abuso de dependência econômica. Por fim, verificou-se que, mesmo após dois anos de sua publicação, os avicultores pouco têm ciência sobre a sua existência e o seu conteúdo, não sendo respeitada na relação contratual de integração. / The objective of this study is to verify the legal impacts of the typification of contract farming in the poultry farming sector, starting from the perspective presented by the New Institutional Economics. For this purpose, bibliographic research and official secondary data were used as data source. In addition, documentary research on contractual instruments and interviews with poultry farmers were carried out in two regions, located in the States of São Paulo and Santa Catarina. The premises of the New Institutional Economics were used as theoretical framework, relating the structures of governance with contract regulation. The objectives of the study were: i) to analyze the formation and regulation of contracts in the light of the New Institutional Economics; ii) to study the integration contract; iii) to verify the impacts of Law n. 13,288/2016 on the Brazilian poultry farming sector. The results show the legislator\'s option to establish rules of conduct in contrast to the mandatory rules that govern the typical agricultural contracts regulated by Law 4,504, 30th November 1964. Despite the important prediction of collegiate bodies of parity formation and mechanisms of transparency, the law has proved insufficient to curb abuse of economic dependence. Finally, it was found that, even after two years of the law\'s publication, the poultry farmers are not aware of its existence and content, and it\'s not being respected in the contractual relationship of integration.