Art influences on Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves and Los Angeles's influence on Johnny Truant

"...is a novel that combines literature and art to create a unique postmodern object. It was published just over a decade ago, and in that time numerous scholars and students have written papers and articles on it. Within these articles, the themes are usually about deconstruction, the house as a digital object, the house's lack of homeliness, or characters who claim authorial presence. Danielewski distance himself from that role. The house and its impossible labyrinth are the central feature of the book. A house should provide stability, but this house shifts its rooms and walls at random. A house should protect its occupants, but this one kills people. This house links itself into an infinite amount of information through its use of the internet as an influence and a stylistic device, but it has nothing but an absence in its very foundation, an empty labyrinth with an unseen monster."

Land use practices near tributary rivers and their influence on duckweed (Lemna obscura) bloom in the southern part of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela: Sustainable solutions to address the issue

This study examined the relationship between land-use practices near tributary rivers in South Lake Maracaibo and the appearance of duckweed (Lemna obscura) in the lake. Four rivers were studied: The Mucujepe, Capaz, Guamo and Frio. Eight factors were assessed: rivers, sediments, erosion, soils, fertilizers, water quality, land use activities and vegetation corridors. Satellite images, official cartography, field visits and observations, water samples and personal communication with organizations involved were held to get an accurate and current assessment of the conditions. The study revealed the land-use practices surrounding the Pan-American Zone Rivers contribute to the duckweed blooming in Lake Maracaibo.