Digital Commons Network^™

#Thirsty4change: Bubble Tea Goes Sustainable, Singapore Management University

Social Space

The global bubble tea market was valued at US$1.96 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach US$3.21 billion by 2023. However, the bubble tea craze comes as a heavy price to the environment. Since plastic cups and straws—used to contain and consume the drinks—are non-biodegradable, most of these end up in oceans and cause severe harm to animals that mistake the plastic for food. Used bubble tea cups also cannot be placed into “Plastics”-designated recycling bins as they contain too much liquid and leftover “pearls”, usually made of tapioca. To date, there have been efforts to address bubble-tea-related waste, …

Unanticipated Stressful And Rewarding Experiences Engage The Same Prefrontal Cortex And Ventral Tegmental Area Neuronal Populations, Alberto Del Arco, Junchol Park, Bita Moghaddam

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 Del Arco et al. Brain networks that mediate motivated behavior in the context of aversive and rewarding experiences involve the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Neurons in both regions are activated by stress and reward, and by learned cues that predict aversive or appetitive outcomes. Recent studies have proposed that separate neuronal populations and circuits in these regions encode learned aversive versus appetitive contexts. But how about the actual experience? Do the same or different PFC and VTA neurons encode unanticipated aversive and appetitive experiences? To address this, we recorded unit activity and local field …

The Political Preferences Of Arkansas Farmers And Ranchers, Rachel J. Barry

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research was conducted to evaluate where farmers and ranchers find political information and assess their political preferences. By conducting a survey of Arkansas farmers and ranchers we were able to determine that they prefer face to face interaction as a source of information by large margins. They typically consult friends, peers, and extension agents where appropriate. Depending on the type of political information they are seeking (information about candidates as opposed to information about policy topics), they often used other types of information sources such as the internet and broadcast media. We also ascertained that farmers and ranchers have …

2020 May, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2020.

Is China Stealing Our Tech? A Look Into The Role Of Intellectual Property Rights In Us-China Trade Relations, Ryan Chester

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis aims to further the current scholarship on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and their effects on international trade and the US-China trade relationship more specifically. The main analysis of this thesis is a quantitative cross-country analysis of over 100 countries to see how IPR plays a role in international trade, while analyzing how the Sino-US trade relationship fits into larger trends. This thesis aims to answer the questions as follows: What are the current policies surrounding Intellectual Property Rights between China and the US? Does increasing the strength of IPR laws influence imports? Does the strength of a country’s …

The Impact Of Robotic Milking Systems: The Case Of The Rocky Mountain Region, Garret Nelson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The increasing adoption of automatic milking systems (AMS) in the U.S. has caused interest in determining if they are truly beneficial to the farmers who install them. The focus in this study is to identify the monetary value of AMS for dairies in the Rocky Mountain region and the estimated value of the non-monetary benefits. Using a mixed methods approach to create a survey; information was gathered from farmers in the Rocky Mountain region who are using AMS. The results reveal that monetary benefits from production and labor savings are lacking in themselves to provide positive net present values (NPVs) …

Consumer Response To Green Brands Vs. Traditional Brands On Digital Platforms: An Analysis Through A Series Of Case Studies, Madison Busick

Honors Scholar Theses

In the age of environmental crisis, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their decisions. Accordingly, many companies seek to provide more eco-friendly and sustainable products while building their brand around these values. Consumers also are increasingly using and engaging on social media and other digital platforms. But just how well do these "green" brands do in the digital space? This study aims to compare differences between brands that embody environmentalist values and traditional brands with a variety of case studies across several consumer goods segments including clothing, cosmetics, and technology. The data is collected from a variety …

Chefs' Perceptions Of Zero Waste Cooking In Restaurants, Josephine Reardon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine chefs’ perceptions and practices relative to current and potentially future efforts to decrease food waste. Through qualitative inquiry, this research aims to identify food waste reduction practices in Northwest Arkansas restaurants; chef’s perceptions of these practices and zero waste cooking; the impact these practices have on successfully implementing sustainability; and the biggest challenges in reducing food waste in restaurants. The results of this study will assist chefs and restaurant owners by providing guidance on practices easily utilized in restaurants currently.

An interview protocol, with five sections, was conducted with ten chefs at …

Building Value Through Innovative Eucheuma Spp. Product Development: A Case Study With The Belize Women's Seaweed Farming Association, Bailey Moritz

All Theses And Dissertations

Seaweed aquaculture has been a successful supplemental livelihood in coastal communities worldwide, creating new income opportunities for women in particular. In most cases, raw or dried carrageenan-producing seaweed is sold into supply chains without local value addition taking place. Upgrading value chains can come in the form of new products, differentiation from existing products through marketing, or breaking into new markets. The research investigates the local market potential for value-added Belizean Eucheuma seaweed products and offers insights into a pathway forward for the Belize Women’s Seaweed Farming Association (BWSFA) to take advantage of these opportunities at an early stage of …

Equity Crowdfunding In The United States: Evolution, Determinants And Performance, Kenny Ozuna

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, equity crowdfunding has developed into an alternative form of early stage financing for startup firms. The main purpose of this dissertation is to understand the evolution, process and regulation of equity crowdfunding in the United States as well as assess the determinants of a successful campaign and whether this capital market lead to an enduring business.

The first essay examines the evolution, process and regulation surrounding equity crowdfunding. I establish a clear definition of crowdfunding and its restructuring of the music industry to establishing an alternative form of raising capital for nascent firms via equity crowdfunding. I …

An Analysis Of Dredge Efficiency For Surfclam And Ocean Quahog Commercial Dredges, Leanne Poussard

Master's Theses

Between 1997 and 2011, The National Marine Fisheries Service conducted 50 depletion experiments to estimate survey gear efficiency and stock density for Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) and ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) populations using commercial hydraulic dredges. The Patch Model was formulated to estimate gear efficiency and organism density from the data. The range of efficiencies estimated is substantial, leading to uncertainty in the application of these estimates in stock assessment. Analysis of depletion experiment simulations showed that uncertainty in the estimates of gear efficiency from depletion experiments was reduced by higher numbers of dredge tows per experiment, more tow overlap …

What Are The Impacts Of Local Food Systems?, Jamie Chadwick

Hospitality Graduate Student Scholarship

Sourcing products locally is not just a trend, it is also an important step towards sustainable business practices. Sustainable business depends on balancing sales with the ability to maintain growth. Sustainability is a complex concept. In the charter for the UCLA Sustainability Committee, sustainability is defined as: “the physical development and institutional operating practices that meet the needs of present users without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, particularly with regard to use and waste of natural resources. Sustainable practices support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality. Sustainability presumes that resources are finite and …

The Sars Pandemic And Its Impact On The Hospitality Industry For Crisis Mitigation, Rachel Robie

Hospitality Graduate Student Scholarship

This article proves that pandemics greatly affect the hospitality and tourism industry. Certain infectious diseases and pandemics spread rapidly in hospitality settings and lead to global outbreak. Global outbreak of deadly diseases has the capability to financially hurt the hospitality and tourism industry. It’s important for the hospitality industry to have knowledge of previous global pandemic outbreak cases and their influences and effects on the industry. The following research article focuses specifically on the SARS pandemic outbreak’s impact on the hospitality industry. The information in this research article provides factual advice that can be applied and contributed to hospitality crisis …

And Lettuce Is Nonanimal: Toward A Positive Theory Of Voluntary Action, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Much recent conceptual and theoretical effort to identify and define the kinds of voluntary action that take place outside households, economic markets and governments has a consistent emphasis on negation: It seems to define these matters by what they are not: not for profit, or nonprofit, nongovernmental, unproductive, inefficient, examples of contract failure, market failure, government failure and more. This paper is a beginning effort to shift the emphasis to the positive and the describe and explain what voluntary action is and what it consists of. It proposes the beginnings of an economics of common goods production, and differentiates such …

Millenial Influence On Labor In The Pet Industry, Taylor Hendrix

Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

The pet industry employs over a million people in the United States alone and has continued to grow and flourish every year, without taking a dip or standstill during a recession. This paper dives into the psychology and millennial influence in the pet industry. Janice Arenofsky from the Sage Business Researcher has stated that “the pet industry is considered virtually recession-resistant.” It is rare that any industry doesn’t take a hit during a recession. According to the American Pet Products Association, within the past ten years, the pet industry has nearly doubled in growth every year. The APPA also found …

Food Waste, Damon Cox

Research and Creativity Symposium

My project talks about the high amounts of food waste in America and around the word. It talks about problems that food waste causes, causes of food waste, and recommendations on how to slow down food waste.

Size And Scope Of Carbon County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Steven Price

All Current Publications

Carbon County is located south of Duchesne and Wasatch counties in east-central Utah. Along with Emery County to the south, it is often referred to as Utah’s Castle Country. The county became industrialized very early after statehood with the arrival of the railroads and discovery of many coal beds for which the county is named. It is also a large producer of natural gas within the state. Its primary economic base today comes from regional services, retail, tourism, recreation and resource extraction. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 20,295. Price is the largest city and county seat. This …

2020-April-20-Paleoartist Mauricio AntóN To Speak In Virtual Lecture, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (UPDATED April 20, 2020) – World-renowned paleoartist Mauricio Antón will discuss his work in a free public virtual lecture on Tuesday, April 21.

“First-Hand Study of Extant Animals as a Reference for Natural History Reconstructions: From Dissection to Wildlife Observation” will begin at 7 p.m. and may be accessed via Zoom. The previously published Zoom access information has changed. To access the lecture, go to zoom.com and join the webinar by using meeting ID 963 2470 9325. The lecture is sponsored by East Tennessee State University’s Center of Excellence in Paleontology, Department of Geosciences and Department of Art …

Drowning Of Pet Owners During Attempted Animal Rescues: The Avir-A Syndrome, John Pearn, Amy E. Peden, Richard Charles Franklin

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The rescuer who drowns can result from the attempted rescue of a human or an animal. We report here a total population analysis of all drowning fatalities for the 14-year period 1–July-2002 to 30-June-2016 which involved an attempted rescue of an animal. Cases were drawn from the Royal Life Saving National Fatal Drowning Database, which in turn, derived its data primarily from the National Coronial Information System (NCIS). Eight people drowned, all adults (ranging in age from 19-74 years), in the attempted rescue of an animal. Seven of the animals were domestic pet dogs, and in two cases farm animals. …

2020 - The Twenty-Fourth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Twenty-fourth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 16, 2020. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

2020-04-16 Agenda Book, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Agenda booklet for the Board of Regents quarterly board meeting for April 16, 2020. Includes the approved meeting minutes of December 5, 2019 and February 27, 2020.

Advancing U.S. Latino Entrepreneurship: A New National Economic Imperative, Marlene Orozco, Alfonso Morales, Michael J. Pisani, Jerry I. Porras

Purdue University Press Books

Advancing U.S. Latino Entrepreneurship examines business formation and success among Latinos by identifying arrangements that enhance entrepreneurship and by understanding the sociopolitical contexts that shape entrepreneurial trajectories. While it is well known that Latinos make up one of the largest and fastest growing populations in the U.S., Latino-owned businesses are now outpacing this population growth and the startup business growth of all other demographic groups in the country.

The institutional arrangements shaping business formation are no level playing field. Minority entrepreneurs face racism and sexism, but structural barriers are not the only obstacles that matter; there are agentic barriers and …

Islamic Tourism And Sustainable Development: From Utopia To Reality, Rehailia Hassib, Saadsi Ibtissem

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism is a key player in development, and an valuable factor of solidarity and dynamism in international exchanges. It is a flourishing sector, and one of the largest industries in the world; in many regions, it is the only major source of investment and employment. It is also one of the main vehicles for the construction and promotion of the image of a country as a whole. In this perspective, it is pertinent to ask what the vision of Islam is and how do the proposed answers link with tourism, development and nature conservation. This Islamic kind of tourism which …

Faith-Based Activities And Tourism: Exploiting The Possibilities For Religious Tourism Development In Anaocha Local Government Area, Nigeria, Emeka Okonkwo, Afamefuna Eyisi, Daniel Okoye

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Over the years, people have travelled for various motivations, giving birth to various types of specific interest tourism. The result is that various scholars have devoted their research to these specific areas of tourism. One such area of tourism that has grown exponentially is religious tourism (which some scholars also called spiritual tourism). This type of tourism explores travels motivated by the desire to visit places that inspire an individual’s belief system and to meet with people that share the same faith. Our study aims to understand the faith-based activities and religious centres in Anaocha Local Government Area (LGA) of …

Dead Men At War: The Ideological Battle Between Karl Marx And Adam Smith, Matthew Beals

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis’s foremost purpose is to illustrate the nature of the intellectual battle waged between Karl Marx and Adam Smith. A detailed summary of each philosopher’s respective ideology is given, as well as an explanation for how such ideologies arose. Furthermore, an illustration of how the writings of Marx and Smith impacted historical events is provided. Ultimately, this thesis seeks to explain the core differences between Marxism and the free market system, and why such differences exhibit a great need for the preservation of liberty.

Ways To Reduce Restaurant Industry Food Waste Costs, David Blum

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Food waste costs U.S. restaurant leaders billions of dollars per year. The purpose of this research was to provide restaurant leaders with processes and strategies to reduce food waste costs. The research method used was systematic literature review in addressing this research question: What processes and strategies are available to U.S. restaurant leaders to reduce food waste costs? This study addresses a gap in literature related to processes and strategies to reduce food waste costs. Six processes and seven strategies to reduce food waste costs were presented.

2020-04-06 Newsletter, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Staff Congress newsletter for April 6, 2020.

2020-04-06 Minutes, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Staff Congress meeting minutes from April 6, 2020.

2020-April-03-Virtual Film Screenings, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (April 3, 2020) – The South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, sponsored by Mary B. Martin School of the Arts at East Tennessee State University, will present free online virtual screenings of four films from the tour series’ “Purple Circuit.”

One film will be screened online every Monday in April at 7:30 p.m., and each will be followed by a real-time online conversation with the filmmaker or filmmakers. The link to each screening will be provided on the Martin School of the Arts website, www.etsu.edu/cas/martin/.

“We thought our spring season might be over far too …

2020-April-02-New Plant Species At Gray, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (April 2, 2020) – The Gray Fossil Site in Gray, Tennessee, is famous for preserving the remains of a 5-million-year-old Appalachian ecosystem. Not only do these fossils include a variety of ancient animals like rhinos, mastodons and pandas, they also include a forest’s worth of ancient plants. And that list of plants is now a bit longer thanks to a pair of recent studies identifying two extinct Gray Fossil Site plant species that are entirely new to science.

The past several million years on Earth have been marked by dramatic climatic and environmental change, but few fossil sites …