Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Tennessee Consumers’ Willingness To Pay For Beef Produced In Tennessee, Leah Moore Dobbs

Masters Theses

Little is known about Tennessee consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for beef produced in the state or about the type of outlet where they would expect to purchase Tennessee beef. Tennessee beef cattle production and sales decision making can be guided by the willingness to pay of consumers, demographics profiles of those willing to pay a premium for Tennessee beef, and outlet choice for purchasing local beef. A telephone (land-line and wireless) survey of major metropolitan areas in Tennessee was conducted in 2013 to collect data from a total of 1,209 respondents. This data is used in probit models to …

Optimal Location Of Cellulosic Ethanol Facilities And Their Impacts On Surface Water Quality In The Southeastern United States, Kevin Eric Cavasos

Masters Theses

Research suggests that by 2022, 10.5 billion of the 21 billion gallon annual production target for advanced biofuels mandated by the expanded 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) could originate in the Southeastern United States (US) (USDA 2010). This study applied a biorefinery siting and feedstock optimization model and a water quality model to examine the ex-ante impact of biorefinery locations on agricultural input use and nitrogen (N) loading into the region’s hydrological system. The objective of this research is to understand the potential implications of this level of cellulosic ethanol production and concomitant changes in land use on surface water …

Exploring The Potential To Penetrate The Energy Market For Tennessee-Produced Switchgrass, Fnu Shikha

Masters Theses

The need for alternative sources of energy which are renewable and environmentally friendly has focused attention on the development of biomass-based energy sector. Lignocellulosic energy crops such as switchgrass are considered potential feedstock for biomass-based energy because of wide range adaptability in conjunction with lower input requirements. However, the costs of the collection, storage, and transportation of the low density feedstock from farm to conversion facilities in the switchgrass supply chain pose a major barrier to the development of bioenergy sector.

The objective of the present study is to determine the optimal logistics configuration for Tennessee-produced switchgrass to penetrate the …

Two Essays On The Application Of Ordered Probability Model, Jun Zhang

Masters Theses

This thesis includes two essays on health issues of mental health and household food insecurity, and how socioeconomic, demographic, and other factors may influence these health issues are explored. The first essay investigates the effects of regular physical activity and socio-demographic factors on depressive symptoms for both men and women. Data for this study come from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and an ordered probability model with binary endogenous physical activity is developed to accommodate the ordinal nature of depression outcomes. Results suggest that physical activity is most beneficial for mild and moderate depressed individuals and the …