Life Sciences Commons^™

The Influence Of An Advanced Agriculture & Life Science Course On Students' Views Of The Nature Of Science, Megan N. Anderson

Open Access Theses

One of the goals in today's society is to ensure that students exiting school have the ability to understand, develop, and comprehend scientific information. For students to be able to meet these goals, it is imperative that they become scientifically literate and understand the concept of the Nature of Science (NOS). The discipline of Agricultural Education has strong connections with science and today many students are earning science credit and developing science understanding through Agricultural Education courses. If students are continuing to gain science mastery through their Agricultural Education courses, they should also be gaining adequate conceptions of science and …

Consumer Perceptions Of Child-Friendly Shaped Healthy Fruit And Vegetable Snacks, Selena Lauren Baker

Open Access Theses

Fruits and vegetables (FV) are widely recognized as healthful foods by the public, and most individuals are aware of dietary guidance recommendations to consume more FV. However, actual consumption of FV has been and continues to be low in the United States and many other countries, despite public health efforts to change this trend. The sub-optimal intake of FV among children and adolescents is of particular concern due to high nutrient requirements for proper growth and development during these life stages. Fruit and vegetable intake patterns in childhood have been shown to track into later life and may affect individuals' …

Ecological Interactions Affecting American Chestnut Restoration And Allegheny Woodrat Conservation In Indiana, Rita Michelle Blythe

Open Access Theses

The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister ) is a small rodent native to rocky habitats surrounded by deciduous forests in the eastern United States. Woodrats have recently experienced a severe range-wide decline and are a species of conservation concern throughout their range. In Indiana, the persistence of woodrat populations is threatened by a loss of genetic diversity, so captive propagation was initiated to ameliorate the immediate threat of inbreeding depression and improve local genetic diversity. However, achieving the objectives of captive propagation ultimately depends on the ability of captive-reared individuals to survive in the wild until they can contribute reproductively …

An Exploratory Study Of Diversified Mentoring Relationships Among Graduate Students And Their Advisors In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Fields, Krystin R. Bodden

Open Access Theses

Minorities and women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In graduate education, factors such as racism, prejudice, discrimination, sexism, stereotypes, tokenism, and a lack of role models can all plague students and contribute to uncompleted degrees and non-entrance into STEM fields. One of the tools being used to combat these barriers is effective mentoring. Graduate students and their advisors generally have close working relationships and advisors serve in a tremendously important role in the development of the graduate student, so an effective mentoring relationship is vital.

The purpose of this study was to explore …

An Economic Analysis Of Sizing Constraints: Price Discrimination And Changes In Welfare Under The New York City Soda Ban, Brian A. Bourquard

Open Access Theses

This thesis uses profit maximizing techniques and nonlinear, second-degree price discrimination theory to describe changes in consumption and gains and losses in welfare of consumption under a container size constraint. It observationally examines the New York City soda ban to provide insight into retailer behavior in the event of such a ban, and examines three cases to highlight potential retailer decisions to compensate for a ban: to continue using a restricted menu of pricing options; to sell only to high type soda consumers; or to serve both markets with a one-size-fits-all strategy. This thesis finds that the ban generally reduces …

Application And Timing Effects Of Qoi And Dmi Fungicides And A Foliar Fertilizer On Overall Plant Health And Grain Yield In Corn, Jason Phillip Geis

Open Access Theses

The use of fungicides on corn has recently increased as a result of higher grain market prices, changes in cropping practices, higher disease incidence and severity, and the availability and marketing claims of new fungicides. Some of the marketed potential "plant health(TM)" benefits include improved tolerance to drought and heat, improved N utilization, and increased stalk strength. Previous studies have displayed delayed canopy senescence, changes in water use efficiency, and reduced ozone damage in controlled environments. Foliar fertilization has also increased in popularity in recent years due to an increase in grain prices, manufacturer claims, and product availability.

Large-scale field …

Study Of The Sustainbility Issues Of Food Production Using Vertical Farm Methods In An Urban Environment Within The State Of Indiana, Victor Mendez Perez

Open Access Theses

There are several problems around the globe related to water scarcity, energy shortages, deforestation and loss of fertile land, and food security. Climate change is making environmental and social issues arise. Issues such as, changes in the agricultural landscape, increasing population (9 billion is the expected population for 2040), rising food borne illnesses, scarcity of drinking water, and more crop failure due to plant pathogens and insect pests, among other factors make this study specially significant. Vertical farming could be a potencial solution to some of these problems.

Due to these problems the present thesis analyzed vertical farming as a …

Breakthrough Of Sub-Saharan Africa’S Agricultural Production In The 21st Century: The Role Of Foreign Aid, Jiangyi Qian

Open Access Theses

Sub-Saharan African countries' agricultural production has accelerated in the twenty-first century. This study shows that aggregate African agricultural production exhibits a breakthrough after 2000. More specifically, agricultural production breakthroughs occurred in 24 sub-Saharan African countries after 2000. 15 of them were caused by yield improvement and 8 of them were caused by area expansion. These breakthroughs helped these countries meet their increasing food consumption demands and lower their dependency on agricultural imports. However, we also found these breakthroughs were fragile. In addition to the influences of recent natural disasters and drought, these fertilizer-enabled production accelerations might also have been negatively …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Black Men, Jacqueline Reiter

Open Access Theses

Objective: Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and lower risk for diseases such as hypertension, stroke and cancer. In other related studies, education level, retail food environment, and fruit and vegetable consumption were also examined together to discover patterns and associations. Currently, Black males have a higher risk for poor health outcomes. Limited research has focused specifically on Black men's fruit and vegetable consumption. This study explored the association between education level, food store access (measured by proximity) and fruit and vegetable consumption in black African American men.

Design: The data for this study …

Parent Tree Selection And Evaluation Of Frost Resistance, Wood Quality, And Seed Relatedness Of Acacia Koa., Oriana Rueda Krauss

Open Access Theses

This project represents an important effort to develop an improvement program for a valuable native hardwood tree species in Hawai'i, Acacia koa. The ultimate goal of the tree improvement program is to provide improved stock of A. koa through classical breeding, focusing mainly on stem form. In addition, wood quality assessment on young A. koa trees is important to try to develop markets for pre-commercial thinning. This project also clarifies some of the trends related to frost resistance fluctuations over the different seasons in Hawai'i. The main questions that were addressed are: Which are the best families to maintain in …

Efficacy Of Manual Dishwashing And Sanitizer Wiping In Removing Food Soils From Chel Knives, Xiaodi Sun

Open Access Theses

Improperly cleaned and sanitized chef knives may present a potential contamination risk and thus be a risk for foodborne illness. Therefore, ensuring effective cleaning and sanitization of knife surfaces may help prevent the spread of foodborne pathogens. The primary objective of this research was to compare the efficacies of two different cleaning methods (three-compartment manual dishwashing and sanitizer wiping) at removing food soils from contaminated chef knives using procedures that are typical of restaurant kitchens. Knife wiping and washing procedures were determined and standardized according to an observation of knife cleaning behavior in a kitchen. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence was …

Effects Of Wheat Grain Moisture: Quality, Germination, And Relationship To Accumulated Growing Degree Days, Kirsten Thomas

Open Access Theses

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a cereal crop of global importance. As global demand increases, it is essential to increase the quality and efficiency of crop production. Harvesting wheat early provides an opportunity for increased grain quality, and it may also allow the grower to double-crop soybean ( Glycine max L.) after wheat more effectively. Our objectives were to determine if harvesting grain early, at high moisture would, 1) increase milling and baking quality and 2) improve germination potential. As a result of these objectives, we will develop a model to predict dry-down of wheat. Five soft red …

Effect Of Carvacrol-Loaded Nanoemulsions On A Bioluminescent Strain Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7, Clara Maria Vasquez Mejia

Open Access Theses

Nanoemulsions have been shown to be effective delivery vehicles for poorly water soluble natural antimicrobials. In this study the antimicrobial activity of carvacrol (5-isopropyl-2-methylphenol) nanoemulsions against a bioluminescent Escherichia coli O157:H7 was investigated using light emission as an indicator of cell viability. Different emulsifiers (Ultralec Lecithin and Tween 20), oils (Palm stearin and Coconut oil) and various carvacrol concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 2.5%) were evaluated. Bioluminescence was monitored in situ using a Hamamatsu (photo multiplier tube) sensor module integrated with a Programmable Logic Controller interfaced with a PC for data acquisition. Bioluminescence decreased rapidly with the addition of emulsions …

Quantifying Subsurface Hydrology Effects On Chemical Transport In Agriculture Drainage Ditches Using A 20 Meter Flume, Colton Eugene Yoder

Open Access Theses

Agriculture drainage ditches serve as the veins of the Midwestern agricultural landscapes. The transport of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in these ditches affects both local and downstream ecosystems. Although much research has already been conducted on chemical transport in streams and drainage ditches, as well as through drainage tiles, there has not been sufficient research on the effects of subsurface hydrology on nutrient storage and interactions between the stream water and the hyporheic zone. In this study, a 20-meter flume was filled with ditch sediment from Marshall Ditch at Purdue University's Agronomy Center for Research and Education in West Lafayette, …

Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products: Emerging Contaminants In Aquatic Ecosystems, Jenny E. Zenobio

Open Access Theses

In recent years, the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic systems has led to research on their fate and effects. PPCPs have been found in mixture in wastewater effluents, surface, ground, and drinking water at low concentrations from areas of intense urbanization. Although adverse effects to human health from the current environmental concentrations are unlikely, the impacts to ecological receptors are not clear. We performed field and laboratory studies to quantify and evaluate effects of PPCPs on fish. First, a field study was conducted at the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado (2010-2012) because a portion of …

Wheat Stored In Triple Layer Plastic Bags: Protection Against The Rice Weevil, Sitophilus Oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) And The Effect Of Air Leaks On Hermetic Storage, Daniel Thomas Martin

Open Access Theses

Triple layer bags consisting of two inner layers of 80 micron thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) surrounded by an outer woven polypropylene bag have proven to be an effective technology for hermetic storage of cowpea and to prevent loss caused by the cowpea bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). This bagging technology is called the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) system. If PICS bags prove useful for protecting other crops against their insect pests during storage it would allow farmers to store these commodities for longer periods of time to increase personal food availability and market flexibility. Accordingly, PICS bags were …