Digital Commons Network^™

Integrated Crop Recommendation System: Harnessing Machine Learning, Arun Kumar Reddy Saddikuti

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

To meet the increasing demand, for food while also reducing impact this study introduces an innovative "Integrated Crop Recommendation System" that combines advanced machine learning with sustainable farming methods. The goal of this system is to transform how crops are chosen by considering factors like soil quality, local climate and habitats for pollinators thereby enhancing the precision and effectiveness of crop suggestions. In contrast to agricultural decision support systems that often neglect the interconnectedness of soil health, weather conditions and biodiversity, this new approach aims to improve food security and sustainability. The primary research focus is on optimizing practices that …

Producer Perceptions Of Us Livestock Indemnity Policy, Victoria L. Campbell, Jada M. Thompson, Jenny L. Apriesnig, Glynn T. Tonsor, Dustin L. Pendell

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

Materials and Methods

Results and Discussion

Corn Leaf Disease Prediction Using Deep Learning, Meghana Varayuri

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Corn is a widely cultivated agricultural product, serving as a cornerstone in food production and industrial applications such as biofuels, playing a crucial role in the global economy. This study explores the application of deep transfer learning to accurately classify major corn diseases from leaf images, aiming to enhance disease management strategies for improved agricultural productivity and sustainability. The customized Dense net 201 model achieved 95% prediction accuracy on an untrained dataset. Data augmentation improved the model’s accuracy from 91% to 95%. This supervised learning approach enhances the model’s performance by increasing the diversity, leading to better generalization and accuracy. …

Empowering Change To Shape Tomorrow: An Integrated Marketing Communications Plan For The Building Wealth Initiative, Ramtin Ranjpour

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

We are witnessing a renaissance — one where organizations are expected to be a community with a valued culture. With the rise of this wave, incorporating integrated marketing communications (IMC) into organizations is more vital than ever. This project uses the public relations theory of relationship management, and the marketing model of AIDAR (attention, interest, desire, action, retention) to craft a professional IMC plan for the Building Wealth Initiative (BWI), an Inland Empire nonprofit organization specializing in financial literacy and services. The project uses focus groups and secondary research through informal online observations to gain the essential understanding for creating …

Building Resilience To Contagious Diseases In High Contact Services: An Investigation Of Customers’ Willingness To Dine-In At Restaurants In The Era Of Covid, Hongli Ye

All Dissertations

High customer contact services play a crucial role in our economy, providing essential interactions and experiences that drive numerous industries. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to these sectors due to their inherent characteristics, requiring close and frequent interactions. To rebound from the disruptions caused by such a contagious disease, service providers must adopt innovative strategies. Thus, this dissertation addresses the dynamic nature of building resilience strategies in high-contact services, which are affected by contagious diseases. In doing so, we propose an integrative framework that outlines essential new service resilience components, based on the CDC guidelines, to conventional …

Spaces Of Progress And The Challenge Of “Mindfulness” In A Postcolonial World, M. Satish Kumar

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Progress implied both change and improvement in the colonial and postcolonial world. Such a concept of progress came to be enshrined in specific geographical places. The notions of development and underdevelopment in the postcolonial context thereafter supplanted this idea. Over time, while the structures of colonial domination dissolved, those of embedded regional inequalities came to be deeply entrenched, thereby urging for Thich Nhat Hanh’s approach to “mindfulness” in a “postcapitalist,” postcolonial world. The key question is whether postcolonialism has reached an impasse in its delivery and deployment of ideas across the widening gulf between the spaces of progress and stagnancy. …

Analyzing Market Dynamics: Effects On Quality Grade Premiums And Discounts For Alfalfa Hay, Colby Wilkins

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This paper looks at how market strength affects the price premiums and discounts associated with alfalfa hay quality grades. Previous research has mainly focused on how attributes of alfalfa hay influence the price received. In this study, we use ordinary least squares linear regression and visual data representations to examine the effects of market strength on price received in conjunction with hay quality. The results demonstrate that during periods of relatively high average prices of alfalfa hay there is no significant impact on the average premiums and discounts associated with hay quality. However, during periods of relatively low average prices, …

Balancing The Scales: Evaluating Variables Of Greatest Impact To Profit Margins When Finishing Cattle, Ryan Bake

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examines the risk associated with finishing cattle in a feedlot, specifically in the context of historically high cattle prices and quality grade grid marketing systems that have not adjusted to these elevated prices. The analysis also looks at performance factors that drive profitability differences in pens of cattle in a commercial feedlot, and how market factors also impact profitability. Regression analysis determines the significance of performance variables such as days on feed, average daily gain, feed conversion rates, and carcass characteristics on pen profitability. The impact of cattle breeding and pre-feedlot management of the cattle are also considered …

Evaluating The Cost Of Gain And Financial Returns Of Cattle Fed Hydroponically Produced Barley Fodder, Lex Peterson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Hydroponically produced fodder continues to garner attention as a feed source within livestock production. This attention in part is due to a belief that hydroponically produced fodder is more efficient in its use of inputs such as water when compared to conventional feeds. Water efficiency is especially appealing in areas like the Intermountain West region of the U.S where water availability is often constrained. This analysis looks to understand how using hydroponically produced barley fodder to finish steers compares economically to finishing steers on a nutritionally equivalent conventional finishing ration. To do so, a stochastic simulation model is constructed to …

Consumption Of Over-The-Top (Ott) Media Streaming Services In Rural Tamil Nadu, Rajarathi K

Theses and Dissertations

Over-the-top (OTT) Media Streaming Services are modern online entertainment services based on new media technologies. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the OTT consumer base experienced exponential growth, especially in India. Currently, the Indian OTT industry is in its second growth phase, owing to increased consumption in rural India. The interests of rural consumers align with different types of OTT content, providing potential market for OTT media streaming services. Tamil Nadu is a front runner in the consumption of YouTube and other popular OTT media streaming services in the country. The Government of Tamil Nadu is making penetration efforts to establish OTT …

Sullivan, Frank Victor, Collection, 1924-2005, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

This collection contains materials from the life and projects of Dr. Frank “Vic” Victor Sullivan. They document contributions to: the Sperry Galligher Audubon collection of documents; reports on the planning and construction of the Kansas Technology Center at Pittsburg State University; slides of university trips and family.

Analysis Of Global Tourism And Creative Economy Trends To Support Jakarta As A Global City, Banu Muhammad Haidlir, Budiman Mahmud Musthofa, Basuki Muhammad Mukhlish

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

The city of Jakarta is currently faced with new challenges to become a global city because the status of the country's capital has been revoked. The transformation of Jakarta into a global city requires in-depth study by exploring global trends and looking for the city's potential so that Jakarta can become a globally competitive city. One of the areas that is the focus of this study is tourism and the creative economy. The aim of this study is to analyze global and national trends in tourism and the creative economy. Through library research and document study methods, the author discovered …

Effect Of Beef Heifer Development Systems Utilizing Corn Residue And Late Summer Planted Cover Crops On Growth, Reproductive Performance, And Economics, Hannah F. Speer, Robert A. Cushman, Harvey Freetly, Jay Parsons, Jessica Windh, M. E. Drewnoski

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate growth and reproductive performance of heifers developed using 3 different winter systems in the midwestern U.S. Spring-born heifers (n = 1,156; 214 d of age; SD ± 17 d) were used in a 3-yr study to evaluate performance in winter development systems, which utilized cover crop (CC) and corn residue grazing. Heifers were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: grazing corn residue with 0.77 kg/d dried distillers grains (CD) or 1.69 kg/d wheat midds (CW) supplementation followed by a grower ration in the drylot, or grazing late summer planted oat-brassica CC followed …

Cover Cropping: How Sustainability And Economics Can Work Hand In Hand, Emma Reyes

Business and Economics Summer Fellows

Research finds that over half of the agricultural lands worldwide have been moderately or severely affected by soil degradation (Kopittke et al., 2019). This problem is further heightened by the fact that many farmers are concerned about the profitability of sustainable practices. As a result, this may lead to an increase in the practice of more harmful conventional agricultural techniques if they continue to be considered more economically beneficial in comparison. This paper aims to see if the use of a specific sustainable practice known as cover cropping can help to increase the level of economic benefits farmers receive. Cover …

Annual Forage Insurance Program Performance, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

In 2014, the Annual Forage Insurance Program (AFIP) was offered for the first time by the USDA – Risk Management Agency (RMA) as a pilot program for the states of Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It was expanded to include Colorado in 2016 and New Mexico in 2017. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the program, and the goal of this article is to provide a summary of where the program is and how it is being used. We will focus specific attention on Nebraska but also provide an overview of the national picture.

The …

Stephen Covey’S Leadership Approach And The Quest For Ethics In Leadership, Ezekiel Ifeanyichukwu Oko

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This article brings valuable insights from Stephen Covey’s Principle-Centered Leadership (PCL) to the limelight as a contribution to the critical efforts of leadership practitioners and scholars to remedy organizations and societies through quest for ethics in leadership and practice of value-based leadership (VBL). It explored the major ideas and content of PCL and demonstrated its significance in the current leadership research. Firstly, with a meta-analysis in comparison with five recent key theories of leadership, it revealed that those theories adopt the insights of PCL to a great extent. Secondly, subjecting PCL to the evaluative criteria of leadership ethics, it demonstrated …

Thai Americans: A Poem Collection Featuring "Bilingual หมา Standard Poodle" And "Last Name กู Too Long", Simon Boonsripaisal, Ravadee Boonsripaisal

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This is a co-authored poem collection focusing on Thai American life. In Bilingual หมา Standard Poodle, interactions and observations are made between a Thai American family and their supportive standard poodle named Pumpkin. This poem interjects on the disaggregated Southeast Asian American experience with inclusion of a pet companion. In Last Name กู Too Long, a Thai American graduate student discusses with their mother the challenges of gaining employment. This poem brings attention to hiring bias in the screening and interview process.

From “Defilement” To “Modernity”: How Japan's Encounter With The West Brought Beef To The Table, Ying Yi Tan

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

The long Tokugawa – Meiji transition (1850s – 1880s) is arguably one of the most profound socio-economic transitions that Japan underwent in its history. This paper uses beef consumption in Japan as a lens to further investigate the players involved in this transition. Historically more eschewed than other types of meat and tightly associated with the notion of the “other,” beef became an embodiment of progress and modernity during the Meiji Period. Through tracing the historical shift in the Japanese perception of beef, this paper argues that the evolution of beef consumption corresponds to the radically shifting attitudes of the …

Interpreting Consumer Attitude Towards Milk Alternatives: A Purchase Intention Model For Marketing Success, Anjolize Wassenaar, Elizabeth Kempen

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Within an emerging market context, the purchase of dairy free milk alternatives is not well understood. The purpose of the article is to present a model within which purchase intentions of South African emerging market consumers can be interpreted, providing marketers with information on which product positioning upon market entry and continuous marketing strategies can be developed for the growing niche ultra-heat treated (UHT) milk alternative product category. Using a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive approach, data was gathered in-person and online from 35 participants through mini-focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Through inductive-deductive thematic data analysis, findings describe consumer purchase intention towards UHT …

Barley Grass And Its Management In Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Barley grass is a common name for Hordeum glaucum and H. leporinum. Barley grass is a major crop weeds species because the seed is readily dispersed, it is renowned for rapidly germinating in autumn, and post-emergent herbicide control options are limited. It can also act as an alternate host for cereal diseases and can develop resistance to herbicides.

The rapid germination of the species after rainfall gives barley grass the potential to act as a green bridge for cereal root rot diseases

Promoting Community Health And Wellness Through Arts And Nature-Based Interventions: A Literature Review, Tessa Tinkler, Laura Deitrick, Richard W. Hurt Iii, Connelly Meschen

Arts and Culture

This literature review covers two areas of nonprofit work that are traditionally underfunded yet potentially impactful for improving social determinants of health: engagement with the arts and connecting with nature.

The Relationship Between Communication Styles And Nonverbal Communication Level: A Study On Tourist Guides, Melike Sak, Ali Turan Bayram, Gül Erkol Bayram, Anuj Kumar, Shakeel Basheer

Journal of Mediterranean Tourism Research

Communication, a fundamental tool in human interaction, encompasses a variety of methods and techniques. One such method, non-verbal communication, is a form of expression that transcends words or language. Instead, it relies on a spectrum of non-verbal cues, such as body language, eye contact, physical posture, gestures, and facial expressions, to convey meaning. In the context of tourist guiding, non-verbal communication is a key element. The non-verbal communication skills of tourist guides are pivotal in shaping the quality of the tour experience. By employing non-verbal communication techniques, guides can significantly enhance the quality of interaction with tourists, thereby optimizing communication …

How Passion Functions In Sport Applicant Attraction: A Biometric Approach, Jiayao Qi

Theses and Dissertations

Passion has been extensively researched from the perspective of athletes, entrepreneurs, and employees. In this dissertation, the researcher conducted an in-depth investigation of the way passion functions in sport job attraction. The two-stage experimental design combines the pioneer biometric methodology with qualitative inquiry, and 25 job seekers selected from a larger sample participated in the biometric lab. Results indicate that the interplay between cognitive and affective appraisals is critical in explaining sport job seekers’ highly individualistic and discriminative attraction toward work opportunities in sport. In particular, sports job seekers foster work passion through their multiple identifications with sport (playing history, …

The Effect Of Advertising On Consumer Self-Improvement Motivation: When And How Advertising Motivates Consumers, Suwakitti Amornpan

Theses and Dissertations

In today's modern world, advertising permeates nearly every facet of consumers’ daily lives, from billboards over city streets to posts seamlessly integrated into social media feeds. The current research identifies a positive unintended consequence of advertising on consumer behavior: increased consumer self-improvement motivation. Across four studies, I find that exposure to mass (vs. luxury) advertising increases consumer motivation to engage in self-improvement. Specifically, I argue that because advertisements for mass (vs. luxury) products prime attainable (vs. unattainable) consumption goals, they increase consumer confidence in their ability to achieve their consumption goals (i.e., they enhance self-efficacy perceptions). This, in turn, puts …

Brome Grass And Its Management In Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Brome grass (Bromus spp.) is one of the most competitive grass weeds in wheat. Over the last 10 years, brome grass has increased in importance to a greater extent than any other weed species in Australia.

Recent changes in crop production systems, increased conservation tillage, a lack of available selective herbicides, and a decline in system diversity have seen an increase in the importance of this weed in Western Australia (WA).

Seed is the main source of brome grass infestation and, as few seeds remain dormant, the most important aspect of management is to reduce its seed bank.

Exploring Gen Z’S Identity Formation And Its Influence On Consumption Of Pop Culture And Entertainment Merchandise, Melisa Annette Spilinek

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Fandoms have grown in size and influence, becoming a complex and dynamic cultural phenomenon that richly impacts the consumption of media and consumer behavior. The capitalistic United States with its diverse and media-savvy population, is a prime destination to study fan studies, particularly among young adults who are a crucial component of fandom influence.

The internet has grown to be a major component of the fan experience, an integral part of fandom culture. Online communities provide avenues for Generation Z to connect with others who share similar struggles, challenges, and interests, highlighting the importance of digital platofrms on the evolution …

Work-Life Balance Fantasy Logics Of Mothers Working In Community Colleges: A Glitch Methodology Using Intimate Inquiry And Aesthetic Mediation, Emily Hanson Moore

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This post-qualitative study explores work-life balance as a sustaining fantasy produced by neoliberal, patriarchal, productivity-driven systems and how this fantasy manifests affectively for mothers who work in community colleges. The study began by contextualizing the work-life balance fantasy within higher education as a gendered workscape. Using intimate inquiry (Laura, 2013) and aesthetic meditation as the primary approaches, the researcher engaged in conversations with participants about their experiences mothering and working in community colleges. The primary data sources were these conversations, participant artifacts, researcher self-reflection and artifacts, and a range of contemporary cultural texts including podcasts, poetry, television, social media posts …

T. Boudieri Extract Potentiates The Effects Of Capecitabine Treatment In Human Colon Cancer Cells, Katia Sawaya, Mahmoud Khalil, Ghada Khawaja

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Resistance to chemotherapy remains a major challenge for colorectal cancer patients worldwide, hence the persistent need to uncover alternative treatments as well as new adjunct therapies in the fight against cancer. Natural extracts constitute an excellent source of bioactive substances that have a promising potential in that regard, with minimal negative side effects. We have previously demonstrated that both the ethanolic as well as the water extracts of Terfezia boudieri, a black desert truffle abundant in and part of the cuisine of the Mediterranean region, have significant antiproliferative effects against colon cancer cells. Our aim in this study was …

Studi Mediasi Sekuensial: Mitigasi Turnover Intention Pada Tenaga Kerja Subsektor Arsitektur Di Era Transformasi Digital, Altheannisa Agatha Soraya, Niken Ardiyanti

Jurnal Manajemen dan Usahawan Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the role of resilience, job security, social support, and job satisfaction on turnover intention among 300 workers in the architecture sector in Indonesia. Using Covariance Based Structural Equation Model, this study found that social support and job satisfaction act as mediators in the relationship between resilience and turnover intention. Social support has a positive influence on turnover intention, different from earlier findings, which may be due to the context of the Indonesian architecture sector. This study contributes to the literature by testing the sequential mediating relationships between resilience, social support, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. …

The Use Of Sustainable Energy Resources In Accommodation Businesses: The Case Of Hakkâri, Murat Tamer

Journal of Mediterranean Tourism Research

This study addresses the utilization of sustainable energy resources. It aims to uncover the initiatives taken by the accommodation businesses in Hakkâri to use sustainable energy resources. To achieve this, a field study was carried out in the Center, Çukurova, and Yüksekova Districts of the city by employing qualitative research methodologies involving interviews. In-depth interviews were conducted with a study group comprised of five managers selected through non-random snowball sampling. The data collected from the field were subjected to descriptive analysis and presented within the thematic framework. The findings revealed that accommodation businesses are not only concentrated on water conservation …