Life Sciences Commons^™

Fairmount Greenway - A Community Initative, Leah H. Bamberger, Liliana Carvajal, Mary F. Dehais, Yuanfang Gong, John E. Hulsey, Eric C. Kells, Kimberley Klosterman, Pamela Jo Landi, Adam G. Monroy, Seth A. Morrow, Bryan O'Bara, Jie Su, Arianna Thompson, Owen M. White

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

This studio was based on the Fairmount Greenway that was developed through a series of public meetings with the neighborhood community and with consultants from the firm Crosby, Schlessinger and Smallridge (CSS). The Fairmount Greenway, while drawing its identity from the traditional greenway model is in fact a reinterpretation of an urban greenway. The greenway path follows along both primary and secondary city streets because of the lack of space along the rail right-of-way. The Fairmount Greenway begins at what will be a new station stop at New Market South Bay near Upham’s Corner in northern Dorchester. The greenway follows …

Sorghum Millet And Other Grains Crsp, Leader With Associates Cooperative Agreement No. Eep-A-00-06-00160: The New Program, John Yohe

INTSORMIL Presentations

INTSORMIL was created in 1979 by USAID and BIFAD as a long-term mechanism for agriculture development. It is meant to utilize capacity of U.S. land grant universities increase research capacity Increase food production. INTSORMIL was replaced in 2006 by the SMOG, Sorghum, Millet and Other Grains CRSP. The focus of these programs in Africa has been on sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, tef, and fonio. The programs have facilitated investigation of soil and water (environmental considerations), integrated pest management, nutrition and health, broadening market access, mitigating post-harvest constraints, enhancing productivity and livelihood in marginal areas, increasing income, improving food quality, …

Leaching Mechanism Of Semiconducting Minerals, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

The mechanism of leaching of semiconducting minerals such as PbS, ZnS, UO2, etc., has been the subject of intensive speculation by hydrometallurgists in the early 1950s. The electrochemical mechanism proposed in 1970 by the author in volume 2 of his Principles of Extractive Metallurgy avoids the assumption of forming intermediate complexes that cannot be isolated or identified.

Sorghum Breeding Programme, Medson Chisi

INTSORMIL Presentations

Overall the project has been a success--the challenge is to supply sufficient seed.

A sustainable seed distribution system is needed for farmers living in remote areas.

The Sorghum Programme requires continued support from all stake holders--collaboration.

There is need to link farmers to potential markets.

Most farmers have expressed the need for assistance in terms extension service and inputs.

Sorghum is an important crop as it is a direct substitute for maize.

Stock feed companies have also expressed willingness to purchase sorghum if more farmers are able to grow sufficient quantities.

Growth And Species Interactions Of Eucalyptus Pellita In A Mixed And Monoculture Plantation In The Humid Tropics Of North Queensland, Mila Bristow, Jerome K. Vanclay, Lyndon O. Brooks, Mark Hunt

Dr Lyndon O Brooks

This study investigated whether mixed-species designs can increase the growth of a tropical eucalypt when compared to monocultures. Monocultures of Eucalyptus pellita (E) and Acacia peregrina (A) and mixtures in various proportions (75E:25A, 50E:50A, 25E:75A) were planted in a replacement series design on the Atherton Tablelands of north Queensland, Australia. High mortality in the establishment phase due to repeated damage by tropical cyclones altered the trial design. Effects of experimental designs on tree growth were estimated using a linear mixed effects model with restricted maximum likelihood analysis (REML). Volume growth of individual eucalypt trees were positively affected by the presence …

Enhancing Chocolate Flavour Quality – Effects Of Technological Modifications During Fermentation Of Ghanaian Cocoa Beans, Dr. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa (Phd)

Professor Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa

No abstract provided.

Sorghum And Pearl Millet Improved Seed Value Chains In Zambia: Challenges And Opportunities For Smallholder Farmers, Priscilla Hamukwala, Gelson Tembo, Don Larson, Mark Erbaugh

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

Sorghum and millet are a very important source of food and farm income for smallholder farmers, which can be enhanced especially if linked to new markets. These two crops have been widely viewed as minor traditional crops in the Zambian food systems. The two crops were displaced by maize in the 1900s with the opening of the copper mines. However, they remain important food crops for semi-arid areas of the country. In recent years, there have also been new market developments requiring farmers to increase productivity and production. Unfortunately significant productivity enhancements are impeded by low access to improved technologies …

Semillas Y La Ciudad: La Agricultura Urbana En Oaxaca De Juárez Como Un Aporte A La Soberanía Alimentaria, Katie Oberwager

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto trata de examinar el movimiento creciente de la agricultura urbana en Oaxaca de Juárez, México como un aporte potencial a la soberanía alimentaria. Las políticas económicas en los Estados Unidos tienen un efecto directo en las vidas mexicanas, y esto es especialmente la verdad con los campesinos mexicanos. Por ejemplo, el Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte ha causado la inundación de México con maíz barato. La mayoría de los campesinos mexicanos no pueden competir con estos precios bajos y han sido obligados a huir de su tierra en busca de trabajo en las ciudades o …

The Prospects Of Using Athrospira Platensis As A Malnutrition Treatment In Kenya, Kari N. Harris

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research was to explore the current efforts using spirulina as a malnutrition treatment in Kenya. There are currently five spirulina cultivation sites that growing spirulina, four of which are located in the Nyanza Province. Their production and scope of advocacy efforts are limited. Some of the cultivation sites have a better quality control measures and strategic plan in place for expanding cultivation. Significant efforts need to be made to improve the scope of production and create links with nutrition experts in other non-governmental organizations and at the national level.

Foodshed Foundations: Law's Role In Shaping Our Food System's Future, Margaret Sova Mccabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

[. . .] This symposium Article analyzes how we can rethink the architecture of law based on a foodshed model to provide a greater role for local, state, and regional government in the American food system. In turn, greater roles for different levels of government may help America achieve greater efficiencies in domestic food safety, nutrition and related public health issues, sustainability, and international trade.

Americans need a greater voice in the food system. The foodshed model is a powerful vehicle that allows us to conceptualize change, allowing greater citizen participation and a more nuanced approach to food policy. The …

Guano Exploitation In Madagascar, Christina Buliga

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Agriculture in Madagascar continues to remain largely undeveloped. Out of the eighty percent of Malagasy individuals that live in rural areas an overwhelming sixty five percent practice subsistence agriculture. With respect to the country as a whole this means that out of Madagascar's 58.2 million hectares of available land only 5.2 percent (3 million hectares) are farmed. And out of these 3 million hectares only 67% are cultivated permanently and only 11% are fertilized.

While there are several reasons for why Madagascar’s agriculture has remained largely undeveloped and for why Madagascar continues to rely on imported crops to meet its …

Collaboration For Improved Soil And Water Management In Eastern And Southern Africa, Charles S. Wortmann

INTSORMIL Presentations

INTSORMIL Technical Focal Areas:

Enhancing productivity and livelihood in marginal areas

Soil and water management

Integrated pest management

Mitigating post-harvest losses

Nutrition and health

Food quality, processing and safety

Broadening market access

Increasing income

Breeding, biotechnology, and biodiversity

Spring-Fed Stream Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities As Early Biological Indicators Of Groundwater Tipping Points., Rosemary A. Burk, Jan Kallberg, James H. Kennedy

Rosemary A. Burk

In 2007, a 20-county area encompassing the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex was designated by the State as a Priority Groundwater Management Area (PGMA) in need of implementing strategies for groundwater conservation. The newly created PGMA’s population is expected to increase from 5.5 million in 2000 to 9.5 million by 2030 with projected water needs rising from 1,677 million m3 in 2000 to 3,034 million m3 by 2030 according to a study by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The Trinity Aquifer supplied 73% of the area’s groundwater in 2000, with the aquifer outcrop zone being highly susceptible to anthropogenic sources of …

The Growth, Yield, And Financial Performance Of Isolated Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus L.) Reserve Trees, Christopher E. Zellers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ability of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) to persist as emergent trees makes this species well suited to silvicultural systems in which they are retained as isolated reserves after a regeneration harvest. While such systems are implemented throughout the Acadian spruce-fir region of Maine, little is known about the growth response and financial performance of eastern white pine following complete release from competition. In this study, 77 trees from 8 sites throughout the Acadian spruce-fir region were sampled tree and crown measurements, and increment cores were extracted at breast height, as well as from the top of …

Mother Earth "Speaks": Change Yourself, Change The World, Use The Archetypal Energy "Harmony" As A Guide, Carroy U. Ferguson

Carroy U "Cuf" Ferguson, Ph.D.

In relation to the Cosmos, we all, as human beings, live on this tiny planet we call Earth, a planet that supports and sustains life, as we know it. There are many different kinds of people, plants, and animals functioning in harmony with soil, air, and water--all linked to one another in a complex web of life to form one Earth community. Unfortunately, we often take this miracle and ecosystem of life for granted. When, however, we take the ecosystem of life too much for granted, Mother Earth "speaks," reflecting imbalances and dis-harmonies. When Mother Earth "speaks," her message is …

Design, Planning, And Evaluation Of Upgraded Cattle Handling Facility, Lindsey Kaeli Tulloch

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, planning, and evaluation of a livestock handling facility for Tulloch Ranches. The facility will be an upgrade to the facility currently used at the ranch in Pine Valley, California. The design parameters for the facility were narrowed down to the following: 1. Must reduce stress to animals during handling. 2. Must be cost effective to save labor and maintenance. 3. Must show improvement from the current set- up. The above parameters combine to form a system that enables the handlers of Tulloch Ranches to manage and work cattle in a more calm and humane …

A Comparison Of Costs And Returns For Organic And Conventional Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Production In San Luis Obispo County, Amanda N. Johansen

Agribusiness

This study examined the differences in costs and profitability for established conventional and organic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Edna Valley region of San Luis Obispo County, California. The study used a partial budgeting approach to compare cost and profitability for established vineyards for 2009, and thus ignored transition costs. Data were obtained from UC Davis cost studies for organic and conventional grape production in other regions of California in previous years. Adjustments made to these costs to account for changes in input use, input costs and grape prices in San Luis Obispo County during the 2009 growing season.

The …

A Comprehensive Index For Assessing Environmental Stress In Animals, Terry L. Mader, Leslie J. Johnson, John B. Gaghan Dr

Nebraska Extension: Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous models and indices exist that attempt to characterize the effect of environmental factors on the comfort of animals and humans. Heat and cold indices have been utilized to adjust ambient temperature (Ta) for the effects of relative humidity (RH) or wind speed (WS) or both for the purposes of obtaining a “feels-like” or apparent temperature. However, no model has been found that incorporates adjustments for RH, WS, and radiation (RAD) over conditions that encompass hot and cold environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive climate index (CCI) that has application under a wide range …

Object-Based Segmentation And Classification Of One Meter Imagery For Use In Forest Management Plans, W. Kevin Wells

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research developed an ArcGIS Python model that extracts polygons from aerial imagery and assigns each polygon a vegetation type based on a modified set of landcover classes from the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project. The model showed an ability to generate polygons that accurately represent vegetation community boundaries across a large landscape. The model is for use by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to assist in the preparation of forest management plans. The model was judged useful because it was easy to use, it met a designated 50% threshold of useable polygons, and it met …

Evaluating Native Wheatgrasses For Restoration Of Sagebrush Steppes, Jayanti Ray Mukherjee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pseudoroegneria spicata and Elymus wawawaiensis are two native perennial bunchgrasses of North America's Intermountain West. Frequent drought, past overgrazing practices, subsequent weed invasions, and increased wildfire frequency have combined to severely degrade natural landscapes in the region, leading to a decline in the abundance of native vegetation. Being formerly widespread throughout the region, P. spicata is a favorite for restoration purposes in the Intermountain West. Elymus wawawaiensis, which occupies a more restricted distribution in the Intermountain West, is often used as a restoration surrogate for P. spicata. However, since most restoration sites are outside the native range of …

Effect Of Spontaneous Fermentation And Amylase Rich Flour (Arf) On The Nutritive Value, Functional And Viscoelastic Properties Of Cowpea-Fortified Nixtamalized Maize, Dr. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa (Phd), Philip Roger Aidoo, Randy Adjonu

Professor Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa

Studied were conducted to evaluate the combined effects of spontaneous fermentation and Amylase Rich Flours (ARF) on some nutritive value, functional and viscoelastic properties of cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize. A 2x3x3 factorial design, with fermentation medium, fermentation time and ARF level was performed. The blends were fermented for the specific times and analysed for their titratable acidity, pH, water absorption capacity, viscoelastic properties, texture, protein and mineral content. Fermentation and ARF addition influenced titratable acidity, pH, water absorption, viscoelastic properties and texture of the cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize. Addition of ARF decreased the viscoelastic properties, texture and pH of all the blends …

Chicos Del Horno: How Adobe Oven-Roasted Corn Became A Local, Slow, And Deep Food, Devon Peña

NACCS Annual Conference Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Participatory Rural Appraisal, Ganesh Chandra

Ganesh Chandra

Participation, empowerment and inclusion have become the new development buzzword. There has been a range of interpretations of the meaning of participation in development. Participatory development starts from the premise that it is important to identify and build upon strengths already present in communities. Perhaps the most widespread appearance of participation in mainstream development has been seen in the form of participatory methodologies of research, intended to gather a wide range of information from local people at their livelihoods, needs, and strengths, at the same time as 'empowering' them through a process of collaborative analysis and learning. PRA is a …

Dissemination Of Communication And Information In Inland Fisheries, Ganesh Chandra

Ganesh Chandra

Flow of communication and information from the research station to the end user is sine qua non for the sustainable production as well as productivity enhancement in inland fisheries and the development of fishers as a whole. The resource poor who are often more in need than others of information on sustainable and low external input technologies is least likely to gain access to the information required. This has been seen particularly in the fisheries sector where the channels of information accessible to the resource poor delivered information on new practices and recommendations as well as the new culture technologies, …

Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activities Of Essential Oil And Methanol Extract Of Jasminum Sambac From Djibouti, Fatou Abdoul-Latif, Prosper Edou, François Eba, Nabil Mohamed, Adwa Ali, Samatar Djama, Louis-Clément Obame, Mamoudou Hama Dicko

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The essential oil of jasminum sambac from Djibouti was subjected to screening for their possible antioxidant activity by two complementary test systems, namely DPPH free radical scavenging and beta-carotene-linoleic acid assays. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was used as positive control in both test systems. In the DPPH test system, the IC50 value of essential oil and methanol extract were respectively 7.43 and 2.30 μg/ml. In the beta-carotene-linoleic acid system, oxidation was effectively inhibited by Jasminum sambac, the RAA value of essential oil and methanol extract were respectively 96.6 and 93.9%. When compared to BHT, the essential oil and methanol extract had …

Metals: Typical And Less Typical, Transition And Inner Transition, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

While most chemists agree on what is a metal and what is a non-metal there is a disagreement with respect to what is a metalloid and what is a transition metal. It is believed that this problem can be solved if two new terms are adopted: typical and less typical metals. These new terms will also help reconcile the European Periodic Table versus the North American regarding numbering of groups as well as the IUPAC numbering which could be as well abandoned in favour of group names as will be shown in the manuscript.

Monopoly, Regulation, And Innovation, Matt Bogard

Economics Faculty Publications

Recently the Justice department has started investigations into alleged anti-trust violations by Monsanto. This has helped fuel a lot of already hyped discontent with one of the world’s leaders in innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture. This article discusses how the regulatory environment could possibly have contributed to more concentration and power in the biotech industry. Increasing regulation would likely have the opposite effect of creating a level playing field in the agriculture industry. From AgWeb, March 27,2010 http://www.agweb.com/blog/Economic_Sense_190/Monopoly_Regulation__and_Innovation_10771/

Beethoven: Patriotism And Social Justice, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Phosphate Industry And The Radon Problem, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

The problem of radon generated during the treatment of phosphate rock by sulfuric acid to produce fertilizers can be solved by using nitric acid. In this case radium, which is the source of radon, goes into solution and can be precipitated by a controlled method and safely disposed of. A variety of options are discussed. Text in Farsi with English translation.

Participation In The First Cdm Project: The Role Of Property Rights, Social Capital And Contractual Rules, Yazhen Gong, Gary Bull, Kathy Baylis

Kathy Baylis

Paying developing countries for carbon sequestration is seen as a vital component of climate change mitigation. If appropriately designed, these payments can also transfer income to poor villagers, which can aid both the long-term sustainability of the carbon sequestered, as well as meeting the goal of poverty reduction. However, to encourage the participation of small-scale producers, a CDM forest project must offer sufficient incentives with minimal costs to participants. Both incentives and costs are embedded in property rights, social capital and contractual rules. In this paper, we ask what factors affect participation in the world’s first CDM project, established in …