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Sociology Commons

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2020

University of Vermont

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Articles 1 - 30 of 52

Full-Text Articles in Sociology

Erratum: Upcyclingphosphorus Recovered From Anaerobically Digesteddairy Manure To Support Production Of Vegetables And Flowers (Sustainability 2020, 12, 1139), Katherine K. Porterfield, Robert Joblin, Deborah A. Neher, Michael Curtis, Steve Dvorak, Donna M. Rizzo, Joshua W. Faulkner, Eric D. Roy Dec 2020

Erratum: Upcyclingphosphorus Recovered From Anaerobically Digesteddairy Manure To Support Production Of Vegetables And Flowers (Sustainability 2020, 12, 1139), Katherine K. Porterfield, Robert Joblin, Deborah A. Neher, Michael Curtis, Steve Dvorak, Donna M. Rizzo, Joshua W. Faulkner, Eric D. Roy

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

The authors would like to make the following correction for the published paper [1]. The changes are as follows: (1) Replacing Figure 4 (Figure presented).


The Shocklet Transform: A Decomposition Method For The Identification Of Local, Mechanism-Driven Dynamics In Sociotechnical Time Series, David Rushing Dewhurst, Thayer Alshaabi, Dilan Kiley, Michael V. Arnold, Joshua R. Minot, Christopher M. Danforth, Peter Sheridan Dodds Dec 2020

The Shocklet Transform: A Decomposition Method For The Identification Of Local, Mechanism-Driven Dynamics In Sociotechnical Time Series, David Rushing Dewhurst, Thayer Alshaabi, Dilan Kiley, Michael V. Arnold, Joshua R. Minot, Christopher M. Danforth, Peter Sheridan Dodds

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

We introduce a qualitative, shape-based, timescale-independent time-domain transform used to extract local dynamics from sociotechnical time series—termed the Discrete Shocklet Transform (DST)—and an associated similarity search routine, the Shocklet Transform And Ranking (STAR) algorithm, that indicates time windows during which panels of time series display qualitatively-similar anomalous behavior. After distinguishing our algorithms from other methods used in anomaly detection and time series similarity search, such as the matrix profile, seasonal-hybrid ESD, and discrete wavelet transform-based procedures, we demonstrate the DST’s ability to identify mechanism-driven dynamics at a wide range of timescales and its relative insensitivity to functional parameterization. As an …


Healthy Diets Can Create Environmental Trade-Offs, Depending On How Diet Quality Is Measured, Zach Conrad, Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, Eric D. Roy Dec 2020

Healthy Diets Can Create Environmental Trade-Offs, Depending On How Diet Quality Is Measured, Zach Conrad, Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, Eric D. Roy

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Background: There is an urgent need to assess the linkages between diet patterns and environmental sustainability in order to meet global targets for reducing premature mortality and improving sustainable management of natural resources. This study fills an important research gap by evaluating the relationship between incremental differences in diet quality and multiple environmental burdens, while also accounting for the separate contributions of retail losses, inedible portions, and consumer waste. Methods: Cross sectional, nationally-representative data on food intake in the United States were acquired from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2016), and were linked with nationally-representative data on food …


Mobilizing Crop Biodiversity, Susan Mccouch, Zahra Katy Navabi, Michael Abberton, Noelle L. Anglin, Rosa Lia Barbieri, Michael Baum, Kirstin Bett, Helen Booker, Gerald L. Brown, Glenn J. Bryan, Luigi Cattivelli, David Charest, Kellye Eversole, Marcelo Freitas, Kioumars Ghamkhar, Dario Grattipaglia, Robert Henry, Maria Cleria Valadares Inglis, Tofazzal Islam, Zakaria Kehel, Paul J. Kersey, Graham J. King, Stephen Kresovich, Emily Marden, Sean Mayes, Marie Noelle Ndjiondjiop, Henry T. Nguyen, Samuel Rezende Paiva, Roberto Papa, Peter W.B. Phillips, Awais Rasheed Oct 2020

Mobilizing Crop Biodiversity, Susan Mccouch, Zahra Katy Navabi, Michael Abberton, Noelle L. Anglin, Rosa Lia Barbieri, Michael Baum, Kirstin Bett, Helen Booker, Gerald L. Brown, Glenn J. Bryan, Luigi Cattivelli, David Charest, Kellye Eversole, Marcelo Freitas, Kioumars Ghamkhar, Dario Grattipaglia, Robert Henry, Maria Cleria Valadares Inglis, Tofazzal Islam, Zakaria Kehel, Paul J. Kersey, Graham J. King, Stephen Kresovich, Emily Marden, Sean Mayes, Marie Noelle Ndjiondjiop, Henry T. Nguyen, Samuel Rezende Paiva, Roberto Papa, Peter W.B. Phillips, Awais Rasheed

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Chimera States And Seizures In A Mouse Neuronal Model, Henry M. Mitchell, Peter Sheridan Dodds, J. Matthew Mahoney, Christopher M. Danforth Oct 2020

Chimera States And Seizures In A Mouse Neuronal Model, Henry M. Mitchell, Peter Sheridan Dodds, J. Matthew Mahoney, Christopher M. Danforth

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Chimera states - the coexistence of synchrony and asynchrony in a nonlocally-coupled network of identical oscillators - are often used as a model framework for epileptic seizures. Here, we explore the dynamics of chimera states in a network of modified Hindmarsh-Rose neurons, configured to reflect the graph of the mesoscale mouse connectome. Our model produces superficially epileptiform activity converging on persistent chimera states in a large region of a two-parameter space governing connections (a) between subcortices within a cortex and (b) between cortices. Our findings contribute to a growing body of literature suggesting mathematical models can qualitatively reproduce epileptic seizure …


Modeling The Influence Of Public Risk Perceptions On The Adoption Of Green Stormwater Infrastructure: An Application Of Bayesian Belief Networks Versus Logistic Regressions On A Statewide Survey Of Households In Vermont, Qing Ren, Asim Zia, Donna M. Rizzo, Nancy Mathews Oct 2020

Modeling The Influence Of Public Risk Perceptions On The Adoption Of Green Stormwater Infrastructure: An Application Of Bayesian Belief Networks Versus Logistic Regressions On A Statewide Survey Of Households In Vermont, Qing Ren, Asim Zia, Donna M. Rizzo, Nancy Mathews

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

There is growing environmental psychology and behavior literature with mixed empirical evidence about the influence of public risk perceptions on the adoption of environmentally friendly “green behaviors”. Adoption of stormwater green infrastructure on residential properties, while costlier in the short term compared to conventional greywater infrastructure, plays an important role in the reduction of nutrient loading from non-point sources into freshwater rivers and lakes. In this study, we use Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to analyze a 2015 survey dataset (sample size = 472 respondents) about the adoption of green infrastructure (GSI) in Vermont’s residential areas, most of which are located …


Modeling Alternative Collaborative Governance Network Designs: An Agent-Based Model Of Water Governance In The Lake Champlain Basin, Vermont, Patrick Bitterman, Christopher J. Koliba Oct 2020

Modeling Alternative Collaborative Governance Network Designs: An Agent-Based Model Of Water Governance In The Lake Champlain Basin, Vermont, Patrick Bitterman, Christopher J. Koliba

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Public Management Research Association. With the widespread use of collaborative governance mechanisms for mitigating water pollution, an opportunity exists to test alternative institutional designs based on collaborative governance theory using computer simulation models, particularly when there is a clear relationship between governance networks, observable resource allocation decisions, and measurable outcomes. This is especially the case for wicked problems like nonpoint source water pollution where there are compelling questions regarding how best to design policies, allocate funds, and build administrative capacity to meet water quality standards. We present an agent-based model (ABM) …


Genome-Wide Association Study In Accessions Of The Mini-Core Collection Of Mungbean (Vigna Radiata) From The World Vegetable Gene Bank (Taiwan), Alena Sokolkova, Marina Burlyaeva, Tatjana Valiannikova, Margarita Vishnyakova, Roland Schafleitner, Cheng Ruei Lee, Chau Ti Ting, Ramakrishnan Madhavan Nair, Sergey Nuzhdin, Maria Samsonova, Eric Von Wettberg Oct 2020

Genome-Wide Association Study In Accessions Of The Mini-Core Collection Of Mungbean (Vigna Radiata) From The World Vegetable Gene Bank (Taiwan), Alena Sokolkova, Marina Burlyaeva, Tatjana Valiannikova, Margarita Vishnyakova, Roland Schafleitner, Cheng Ruei Lee, Chau Ti Ting, Ramakrishnan Madhavan Nair, Sergey Nuzhdin, Maria Samsonova, Eric Von Wettberg

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek, or green gram) is important tropical and sub-tropical legume and a rich source of dietary protein and micronutrients. In this study we employ GWAS to examine the genetic basis of variation in several important traits in mungbean, using the mini-core collection established by the World Vegetable Center, which includes 296 accessions that represent the major market classes. This collection has been grown in a common field plot in southern European part of Russia in 2018. Results: We used 5041 SNPs in 293 accessions that passed strict filtering for genetic diversity, linkage disequilibrium, population …


Dynamical Climatic Model For Time To Flowering In Vigna Radiata, Konstantin Kozlov, Alena Sokolkova, Cheng Ruei Lee, Chau Ti Ting, Roland Schafleitner, Eric Bishop-Von Wettberg, Sergey Nuzhdin, Maria Samsonova Oct 2020

Dynamical Climatic Model For Time To Flowering In Vigna Radiata, Konstantin Kozlov, Alena Sokolkova, Cheng Ruei Lee, Chau Ti Ting, Roland Schafleitner, Eric Bishop-Von Wettberg, Sergey Nuzhdin, Maria Samsonova

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Phenology data collected recently for about 300 accessions of Vigna radiata (mungbean) is an invaluable resource for investigation of impacts of climatic factors on plant development. Results: We developed a new mathematical model that describes the dynamic control of time to flowering by daily values of maximal and minimal temperature, precipitation, day length and solar radiation. We obtained model parameters by adaptation to the available experimental data. The models were validated by cross-validation and used to demonstrate that the phenology of adaptive traits, like flowering time, is strongly predicted not only by local environmental factors but also by plant …


Editorial: Wild Plants As Source Of New Crops, Eric Von Wettberg, Thomas M. Davis, Petr Smýkal Sep 2020

Editorial: Wild Plants As Source Of New Crops, Eric Von Wettberg, Thomas M. Davis, Petr Smýkal

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Perspective Article: Actions To Reconfigure Food Systems, Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Philip Thornton, Jonathan Wadsworth, Bruce M. Campbell, Mario Herrero, Daniel Mason-D'Croz, Dhanush Dinesh, Sophia Huyer, Andy Jarvis, Alberto Millan, Eva Wollenberg, Stephen Zebiak Sep 2020

Perspective Article: Actions To Reconfigure Food Systems, Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Philip Thornton, Jonathan Wadsworth, Bruce M. Campbell, Mario Herrero, Daniel Mason-D'Croz, Dhanush Dinesh, Sophia Huyer, Andy Jarvis, Alberto Millan, Eva Wollenberg, Stephen Zebiak

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

There is broad agreement that current food systems are not on a sustainable trajectory that will enable us to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, particularly in the face of anthropogenic climate change. Guided by a consideration of some food system reconfigurations in the past, we outline an agenda of work around four action areas: rerouting old systems into new trajectories; reducing risks; minimising the environmental footprint of food systems; and realigning the enablers of change needed to make new food systems function. Here we highlight food systems levers that, along with activities within these four action areas, may …


Simulating Phase Transitions And Control Measures For Network Epidemics Caused By Infections With Presymptomatic, Asymptomatic, And Symptomatic Stages, Benjamin Braun, Başak Taraktaş, Brian Beckage, Jane Molofsky Sep 2020

Simulating Phase Transitions And Control Measures For Network Epidemics Caused By Infections With Presymptomatic, Asymptomatic, And Symptomatic Stages, Benjamin Braun, Başak Taraktaş, Brian Beckage, Jane Molofsky

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. We investigate phase transitions associated with three control methods for epidemics on small world networks. Motivated by the behavior of SARS-CoV-2, we construct a theoretical SIR model of a virus that exhibits presymptomatic, asymptomatic, and symptomatic stages in two possible pathways. Using agent-based simulations on small world networks, we observe phase transitions for epidemic spread related to: 1) Global social distancing with a fixed probability of …


Text Mining The Food Security Literature Reveals Substantial Spatial Bias And Thematic Broadening Over Time, Matthew W. Cooper, Molly E. Brown, Meredith T. Niles, Moataz M. Elqadi Sep 2020

Text Mining The Food Security Literature Reveals Substantial Spatial Bias And Thematic Broadening Over Time, Matthew W. Cooper, Molly E. Brown, Meredith T. Niles, Moataz M. Elqadi

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

We conducted text mining analyses on nearly the entirety of academic literature related to food security. Assessing the literature's spatial scope, we found a truly global body of research conducted across 187 different countries, but with significant spatial heterogeneities in where research is conducted. Comparing the spatial distribution of the literature to actual rates of food insecurity, we found only a slight association between where food security research is conducted and where food security needs are located. Using topic modeling to assess the thematic scope of the literature, we found that originally food security research focused on economic policy and …


Characterizing Heterogeneous Behavior Of Non-Point-Source Polluters In A Spatial Game Under Alternate Sensing And Incentive Designs, Asim Zia, Shanshan Ding, Kent D. Messer, Haoran Miao, Jordan F. Suter, Jacob R. Fooks, Todd Guilfoos, Simona Trandafir, Emi Uchida, Yushiou Tsai, Scott Merrill, Scott Turnbull, Christopher Koliba Aug 2020

Characterizing Heterogeneous Behavior Of Non-Point-Source Polluters In A Spatial Game Under Alternate Sensing And Incentive Designs, Asim Zia, Shanshan Ding, Kent D. Messer, Haoran Miao, Jordan F. Suter, Jacob R. Fooks, Todd Guilfoos, Simona Trandafir, Emi Uchida, Yushiou Tsai, Scott Merrill, Scott Turnbull, Christopher Koliba

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Behavioral research on natural resource management has revealed a number of variables that can impact collective action. This research builds upon an interactive decision game using experimental economics methods with a focus on production decisions and the corresponding impact they have on ambient water quality. Using hierarchical clustering algorithms, four primary types of behavior are identified: competitive, hypercompetitive, cooperative, and hypercooperative. The results from the experiment are used to test the following three hypotheses: (1) financial incentives increase cooperative behavior, (2) increasing the number and frequency of water quality sensors increases cooperative behavior, and (3) the spatial location of the …


Prevalence And Factors Associated With Food Insecurity Across An Entire Campus Population, Emilie S. Riddle, Meredith T. Niles, Amy Nickerson Aug 2020

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Food Insecurity Across An Entire Campus Population, Emilie S. Riddle, Meredith T. Niles, Amy Nickerson

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Comprehensive assessment of food insecurity across all college community members is lacking. This research surveyed a random sample of an entire campus population at a Northeast University in two surveys (spring 2017, n = 1,037 and fall 2017, n = 1,123). Analysis of variance, t-tests, and multivariable logit models were used to understand food insecurity outcomes and comparisons among groups. The overall rate of food insecurity on campus was 19.6% (spring) and 15.0% (fall). Food insecurity rates were highest among undergraduates, graduate and medical students, and staff as compared to faculty. First generation students and off-campus students were also more …


Novel Evolutionary Algorithm Identifies Interactions Driving Infestation Of Triatoma Dimidiata, A Chagas Disease Vector, John P. Hanley, Donna M. Rizzo, Lori Stevens, Sara Helms Cahan, Patricia L. Dorn, Leslie A. Morrissey, Antonieta Guadalupe Rodas, Lucia C. Orantes, Carlota Monroy Aug 2020

Novel Evolutionary Algorithm Identifies Interactions Driving Infestation Of Triatoma Dimidiata, A Chagas Disease Vector, John P. Hanley, Donna M. Rizzo, Lori Stevens, Sara Helms Cahan, Patricia L. Dorn, Leslie A. Morrissey, Antonieta Guadalupe Rodas, Lucia C. Orantes, Carlota Monroy

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Chagas disease is a lethal, neglected tropical disease. Unfortunately, aggressive insecticide-spraying campaigns have not been able to eliminate domestic infestation of Triatoma dimidiata, the native vector in Guatemala. To target interventions toward houses most at risk of infestation, comprehensive socioeconomic and entomologic surveys were conducted in two towns in Jutiapa, Guatemala. Given the exhaustively large search space associated with combinations of risk factors, traditional statistics are limited in their ability to discover risk factor interactions. Two recently developed statistical evolutionary algorithms, specifically designed to accommodate risk factor interactions and heterogeneity, were applied to this large combinatorial search space and used …


First Authorship Gender Gap In The Geosciences, T. Pico, P. Bierman, K. Doyle, S. Richardson Aug 2020

First Authorship Gender Gap In The Geosciences, T. Pico, P. Bierman, K. Doyle, S. Richardson

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications

Although gender parity has been reached at the graduate level in the geosciences, women remain a minority in faculty positions. First authorship of peer-reviewed scholarship is a measure of academic success and is often used to project potential in the hiring process. Given the importance of first author publications for hiring and advancement, we sought to quantify whether women are underrepresented as first authors relative to their representation in the field of geoscience. We compiled first author names across 13 leading geoscience journals from January 2013 to April 2019 (n = 35,183). Using a database of 216,286 names from 79 …


Covid-19 And Food Insecurity Impacts: A Follow Up Vermont Study, Meredith T. Niles, Anna L. Josephson, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Roni Neff Aug 2020

Covid-19 And Food Insecurity Impacts: A Follow Up Vermont Study, Meredith T. Niles, Anna L. Josephson, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Roni Neff

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This brief report details the results from a follow-up survey of 1,236 Vermonters in June 2020, after an initial survey in March/April 2020 focused on the impact of COVID-19 on food access and security. The key results include: 1) Nearly 1 in 4 respondents (23%) were classified as food insecure in June, a reported 22% decrease since March, but higher than before COVID-19. 2) People of color, those without a college degree, those with a job loss, households with children, women, and younger people had greater odds of experiencing food insecurity. 3) The majority of respondent households had experienced some …


The Early Food Insecurity Impacts Of Covid‐19, Meredith T. Niles, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff Jul 2020

The Early Food Insecurity Impacts Of Covid‐19, Meredith T. Niles, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

COVID‐19 has disrupted food access and impacted food insecurity, which is associated with numerous adverse individual and public health outcomes. To assess these challenges and understand their impact on food security, we conducted a statewide population‐level survey using a convenience sample in Vermont from March 29 to April 12, 2020, during the beginning of a statewide stay‐at‐home order. We utilized the United States Department of Agriculture six‐item validated food security module to measure food insecurity before COVID‐19 and since COVID‐19. We assessed food insecurity prevalence and reported food access challenges, coping strategies, and perceived helpful interventions among food secure, consistently …


The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Local Food System: Early Findings From Vermont, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, Meredith T. Niles Jun 2020

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Local Food System: Early Findings From Vermont, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected people worldwide, disrupting food access and security. To understand how food systems and security are impacted during this pandemic, an online survey was launched in Vermont from March 29th - April 12th, 2020 (less than a week after the Governor’s Stay Home/Stay Safe order). A total of 3,219 Vermonters responded, and nearly half provided written comments in response to open-ended questions about worries or general remarks. This brief summarizes survey findings and respondent comments relevant to the local food system, specifically local farms and direct-to-consumer sales, home food production, foraging, hunting, and fishing. …


Food Access Through School Meals And Food Pantries During Covid-19: Early Findings From Vermont, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, Meredith T. Niles Jun 2020

Food Access Through School Meals And Food Pantries During Covid-19: Early Findings From Vermont, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected people worldwide, disrupting food access, and security. To understand how food systems and security are impacted during this pandemic, an online survey was launched in Vermont from March 29 - April 12, 2020 (less than a week after the “Stay Home/Stay Safe” order). A total of 3,219 Vermonters responded with 182 providing a written answer specifically about food pantries and 828 of the respondents providing written comments to the open-ended question at the end of the survey. This brief summarizes survey findings and respondent comments about experiences with two programs during the early …


Early Covid-19 Impacts On Food Retail And Restaurants: Consumer Perspectives From Vermont, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, Meredith T. Niles Jun 2020

Early Covid-19 Impacts On Food Retail And Restaurants: Consumer Perspectives From Vermont, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected people worldwide, disrupting food access and security. To understand how food systems and security are impacted during this pandemic, an online survey was launched in Vermont from March 29th - April 12th, 2020 (less than a week after the Governor’s Stay Home/Stay Safe order). A total of 3,219 Vermonters responded, and nearly half provided written remarks in response to open-ended questions about worries or general comments. This brief summarizes survey findings and respondent comments about food retail and restaurants. We use quantitative data to understand the frequency of beliefs and behaviors, and qualitative …


Environment And Global Health: Investments In Natural Capital Can Improve Human Health, Stephen Posner, Taylor Ricketts May 2020

Environment And Global Health: Investments In Natural Capital Can Improve Human Health, Stephen Posner, Taylor Ricketts

Reports and Policy Briefs

Gund Fellows led several key “big data” studies on how investments in nature can benefit people’s health and economic prosperity in developing countries. This policy brief summarized research evidence on links between health and the environment for stakeholders and partners, including the Biodiversity Results and Integrated Development Gains Enhanced Project (BRIDGE) managed by USAID’s Forestry and Biodiversity Office.


Legume Genetics And Biology: From Mendel’S Pea To Legume Genomics, Petr Smýkal, Eric J.B. Von Wettberg, Kevin Mcphee May 2020

Legume Genetics And Biology: From Mendel’S Pea To Legume Genomics, Petr Smýkal, Eric J.B. Von Wettberg, Kevin Mcphee

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Legumes have played an important part in cropping systems since the dawn of agriculture, both as human food and as animal feed. The legume family is arguably one of the most abundantly domesticated crop plant families. Their ability to symbiotically fix nitrogen and improve soil fertility has been rewarded since antiquity and makes them a key protein source. The pea was the original model organism used in Mendel’s discovery of the laws of inheritance, making it the foundation of modern plant genetics. This Special Issue provides up-to-date information on legume biology, genetic advances, and the legacy of Mendel.


Hahahahaha, Duuuuude, Yeeessss!: A Two-Parameter Characterization Of Stretchable Words And The Dynamics Of Mistypings And Misspellings, Tyler J. Gray, Christopher M. Danforth, Peter Sheridan Dodds May 2020

Hahahahaha, Duuuuude, Yeeessss!: A Two-Parameter Characterization Of Stretchable Words And The Dynamics Of Mistypings And Misspellings, Tyler J. Gray, Christopher M. Danforth, Peter Sheridan Dodds

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Stretched words like 'heellllp' or 'heyyyyy' are a regular feature of spoken language, often used to emphasize or exaggerate the underlying meaning of the root word. While stretched words are rarely found in formal written language and dictionaries, they are prevalent within social media. In this paper, we examine the frequency distributions of 'stretchable words' found in roughly 100 billion tweets authored over an 8 year period. We introduce two central parameters, 'balance' and 'stretch', that capture their main characteristics, and explore their dynamics by creating visual tools we call 'balance plots' and 'spelling trees'. We discuss how the tools …


Growing Specialty Coffee: Economic Security And Environmental Sustainability In Global Coffee Systems, Stephen Posner, Janica Anderzen, Alejandra Guzman Luna, Ernesto Mendez Apr 2020

Growing Specialty Coffee: Economic Security And Environmental Sustainability In Global Coffee Systems, Stephen Posner, Janica Anderzen, Alejandra Guzman Luna, Ernesto Mendez

Reports and Policy Briefs

The Gund Institute has partnered with the Agroecology & Livelihoods Collaborative to create a more sustainable and just global coffee sector. Gund Fellows used this research brief to leverage our networks and engage NGOs such as The Specialty Coffee Association, funders, and companies in early discussions about how to address systemic inequity across the coffee value chain.


Effects Of Social Cues On Biosecurity Compliance In Livestock Facilities: Evidence From Experimental Simulations, Luke Trinity, Scott C. Merrill, Eric M. Clark, Christopher J. Koliba, Asim Zia, Gabriela Bucini, Julia M. Smith Mar 2020

Effects Of Social Cues On Biosecurity Compliance In Livestock Facilities: Evidence From Experimental Simulations, Luke Trinity, Scott C. Merrill, Eric M. Clark, Christopher J. Koliba, Asim Zia, Gabriela Bucini, Julia M. Smith

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Disease outbreaks in U.S. animal livestock industries have economic impacts measured in hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Biosecurity, or procedures intended to protect animals against disease, is known to be effective at reducing infection risk at facilities. Yet, to the detriment of animal health, humans do not always follow biosecurity protocols. Human behavioral factors have been shown to influence willingness to follow biosecurity protocols. Here we show how social cues may affect cooperation with a biosecurity practice. Participants were immersed in a simulated swine production facility through a graphical user interface and prompted to make a decision that …


Forest Conservation: A Potential Nutrition-Sensitive Intervention In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Ranaivo A. Rasolofoson, Taylor H. Ricketts, Anila Jacob, Kiersten B. Johnson, Ari Pappinen, Brendan Fisher Mar 2020

Forest Conservation: A Potential Nutrition-Sensitive Intervention In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Ranaivo A. Rasolofoson, Taylor H. Ricketts, Anila Jacob, Kiersten B. Johnson, Ari Pappinen, Brendan Fisher

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Rasolofoson, Ricketts, Jacob, Johnson, Pappinen and Fisher. Childhood undernutrition yearly kills 3.1 million children worldwide. For those who survive early life undernutrition, it can cause motor and cognitive development problems that translate into poor educational performance and limited work productivity later in life. It has been suggested that nutrition-specific interventions (e.g., micronutrient supplementation) that directly address the immediate determinants of undernutrition (e.g., nutrient intake) need to be complemented by nutrition-sensitive interventions that more broadly address the underlying determinants of undernutrition (e.g., food insecurity). Here, we argue that forest conservation represents a potentially important but overlooked nutrition-sensitive intervention. Forests can address …


Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Have Higher Biodiversity Via Increased Evenness, Not Abundance, Shane A. Blowes, Jonathan M. Chase, Antonio Di Franco, Ori Frid, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Paolo Guidetti, Tiffany M. Knight, Felix May, Daniel J. Mcglinn, Fiorenza Micheli, Enric Sala, Jonathan Belmaker Mar 2020

Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Have Higher Biodiversity Via Increased Evenness, Not Abundance, Shane A. Blowes, Jonathan M. Chase, Antonio Di Franco, Ori Frid, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Paolo Guidetti, Tiffany M. Knight, Felix May, Daniel J. Mcglinn, Fiorenza Micheli, Enric Sala, Jonathan Belmaker

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications

Journal of Applied Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society. Protected areas are central to biodiversity conservation. For marine fish, marine protected areas (MPAs) often harbour more individuals, especially of species targeted by fisheries. But precise pathways of biodiversity change remain unclear. For example, how local-scale responses combine to affect regional biodiversity, important for managing spatial networks of MPAs, is not well known. Protection potentially influences three components of fish assemblages that determine how species accumulate with sampling effort and spatial scale: the total number of individuals, the relative abundance of species and …


Temperature Controls Production But Hydrology Regulates Export Of Dissolved Organic Carbon At The Catchment Scale, Hang Wen, Julia Perdrial, Benjamin W. Abbott, Susana Bernal, Remi Dupas, Sarah E. Godsey, Adrian Harpold, Donna Rizzo, Kristen Underwood, Thomas Adler, Gary Sterle, Li Li Feb 2020

Temperature Controls Production But Hydrology Regulates Export Of Dissolved Organic Carbon At The Catchment Scale, Hang Wen, Julia Perdrial, Benjamin W. Abbott, Susana Bernal, Remi Dupas, Sarah E. Godsey, Adrian Harpold, Donna Rizzo, Kristen Underwood, Thomas Adler, Gary Sterle, Li Li

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Lateral carbon flux through river networks is an important and poorly understood component of the global carbon budget. This work investigates how temperature and hydrology control the production and export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory in Pennsylvania, USA. Using field measurements of daily stream discharge, evapotranspiration, and stream DOC concentration, we calibrated the catchment-scale biogeochemical reactive transport model BioRT-Flux-PIHM (Biogeochemical Reactive Transport-Flux-Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Model, BFP), which met the satisfactory standard of a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) value greater than 0.5. We used the calibrated model to estimate and compare the daily …