Digital Commons Network^™

Range-Based Livestock Production In Turkmenistan, R. H. Behnke, G. Davidson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Turkmenistan retains a centralized system of livestock production in which many critical assets are owned by the state. Though technically in the temperate zone, the country's climate is harsh and unstable. Groundwater resources are unevenly distributed, leaving many potential grazing areas seasonally inaccessible due to lack of drinking water for livestock. This paper summarizes the results of a three-year study of rangelands, livestock production, flock economics and land tenure at two study sites, one in central and the other in eastern Turkmenistan. The results of this study suggest that pastoral communities in Turkmenistan have coped remarkably well with the institutional …

Surviving A Broken System: Synergies Between Solidarity Economies And Sustainable Development Goals, Julie Beach

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capitalism has created problems including wealth polarization, rapid depletion of natural resources, and pervasive systemic societal issues. Hard work is not enough to solve the unequal distribution and barriers preventing access to necessities. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created to remedy the harsh reality of global inequities and negative environmental impacts by working towards a more just and equitable future for all. Solidarity Economies (SE) offer an alternative framework to achieve these goals.

This research used multiple qualitative methods to investigate the synergies between SE and SDGs in a growing urban environment. St. Petersburg, FL struggles with affordable housing, food …

Assessment Of Nitrogen Nutrition Status Of Grasses Under Water Deficit And Recovery, V. G. Dugo, Jean-Louis Durand, F. Gastal

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands are rarely irrigated. They are therefore systematically submitted to more or less severe water deficits: as well as mineral deficiencies, water scarcity often also results in a reduction of nitrogen (N) status. Although identified some time ago, qualitatively, the interaction with N still remains difficult to take into account in quantitative analyses of crop physiology under water deficits. This paper illustrates how the nitrogen (N) status of the crop changes under water deficits. A N nutrition index (INN) was defined as the ratio of the actual N concentration of forage with the theoretical N concentration under optimal conditions, the …

The Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Subclinical Mastitis In Lactating European Women, Myriam C. Afeiche, Alison Iroz, Frank Thielecke, Antoino C. De Castro, Gregory Lefebvre, Colleen F. Draper, Cecilia Martiínez-Costa, Maria Jose Costeira, Mireille Vanpee, Claude Billeaud, Jean-Charles Picaud, Daryl Lim Kah Hian, Guimei Liu, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James Hébert Scd, Tinu M. Samuel

Faculty Publications

Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is an inflammatory state of the lactating mammary gland, which is asymptomatic and may have negative consequences for child growth. The objectives of this study were to: (1) test the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) and SCM and (2) assess the differences in nutrient intakes between women without SCM and those with SCM. One hundred and seventy-seven women with available data on human milk (HM) sodium potassium ratio (Na:K) and dietary intake data were included for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between nutrient intake and the DII score in relation …

Diet Effects On Dairy Manure Nitrogen Excretion And Cycling, J. M. Powell, T. H. Misselbrook

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The amount and forms of (nitrogen) N excreted by ruminant livestock and post excretion manure N cycling are highly influenced by what is fed. For example, the relative amount of urinary N, faecal endogenous N of microbial and gut origin, and faecal undigested feed N is affected by how much dietary fibre and secondary compounds (e.g., tannins, polyphneolics) are consumed. Each manure N component has a different propensity for loss; for example via ammonia (NH3) volatilisation (Misselbrook et al., 2004), leaching, and cycles differently in the soil-plant continuum (Powell, 2003). We evaluated dairy diet effects on amount and forms …

Benomyl Effects On Plant Productivity Through Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Restriction In A Greek Upland Grassland, M. Orfanoudakis, A. P. Mamolos, F. Karanika, D. S. Veresoglou

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Interactions between plants and microbes are important for plant community structure. Many plants establish symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which play a central role in soil fertility, plant nutrition and the maintenance of stability and biodiversity within plant communities by improving uptake of nutrients and water. AM fungi can improve growth/performance in a variety of plant species by influencing intra- and interspecific competition of neighbouring plants and thus regulate coexistence and diversity in mixed communities. The aim was to study AMF effects on plant productivity and diversity in Greek upland grasslands.

Integrating Below-Ground Ecology Into Sustainable Grassland Management, R. D. Bardgett

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Grasslands produce soils that sustain an abundant and diverse soil food web, providing tremendous opportunity for below-ground interactions to influence nutrient cycling processes and plant production.

2. Fast developing areas of ecological science offer scope to harness positive outcomes of below-ground ecology for enhancing efficient cycling of nutrients in sustainable grassland systems.

Chemical Components And Effects On Soil Quality In Temperate Grazed Pasture Systems, M. H. Beare, D. Curtin, S. Thomas, P. M. Fraser, G. S. Francis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Legume/grass pastures retain feedbacks on N supply that may help to reduce losses of N to the wider environment.

2. Intensive use of N fertilisers tends to increase SOM turnover and increase losses of N to the environment.

3. Increased use of fertilisers has contributed little to soil organic matter storage in grazed pastoral systems.

Physical Constraints In Grassland Ecosystems, I. M. Young, K. Ritz, C. S. Sturrock, R. Heck

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Grassland system management must account adequately for biophysical and biochemical processes.

2. Amenity turf, especially sports turf, provides an excellent case study on how biology and physics interact to impact on the functioning of a grass ecosystem.

3. Microorganisms produce hydrophobic compounds that act to decrease water ingress and alter the function of the soil-grass ecosystem.

Improved Livelihoods From Grasslands; The Case Of Napier Grass In Smallholder Dairy Farms In Kenya, David Miano Mwangi, D. Romney, S. Staal, I. Baltenweck, S. Mwendia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Kenya, smallholder farmers produce about 80% of the marketed milk. The farming systems vary from mixed farms with up to 10 ha of land and < 10 dairy cows (Gitau et al., 1994; Anon., 1985), to intensive smallholder dairy producers in the high human population central Kenya region with 0.9 to 2 ha of land and 3-4 dairy cows (Staal et al., 2001a). Milk production depends heavily on the cultivation of forages, with Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass) by far the most important. An estimated 350,000 of the 600,000 smallholder farms in Kenya grow and utilize P. purpureum on their farms.

There are …

Computer-Based Forage Management Tools: Historical, Current, And Future Applications, David B. Hannaway, C. Daly, D. F. Chapman, B. B. Baker, A. S. Cooper

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage management has been an important human activity since the beginning of civilization. By comparison, the personal computer has been available only in the immediate past. The software developed to deal with the complexity of climate, soil, plant, animal, and socioeconomic factors has seen huge changes in a few decades. Mainframe computers facilitated numerical calculations for exploring relationships among dozens of variables. Personal computers opened the door for more individual scientist creativity and routine communication. Web-based communication globalised the option for multidisciplinary teams to tackle problems. Forage-related computer applications abound, allowing farmers, ranchers, and others to more effectively manage the …

Paying For Our Keep: Grasslands Decision Support In More-Developed Countries, Andrew D. Moore

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

“Models in grassland science have come to stay, and so they must be made to pay for their keep. To do that, it will be necessary to improve their scientific sophistication and their management relevance...” (Seligman, 1993).

Decision support (DS) tools in grassland agriculture have also come to stay. This review will examine the ways and means by which DS tools are being made to pay for their keep, with a focus upon DS efforts from the last decade and on the lessons that arise for those who develop DS tools for grasslands. A survey of the present state of …

From Biowaste To Product: The Functionalization Of Biochar For Agricultural And Environmental Applications, Baoyue Zhou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biochar is a porous carbonated substance that is manufactured through pyrolysis of biomass feedstocks in an oxygen-deficiency environment. The production of biochar from agricultural waste materials provides a potential solution for eliminating pollution while improving carbon sequestration. While biochar is shown to provide multiple benefits to soil health and fertility, its use in environmental remediation has been hampered by its low affinity for hazardous anionic species and the difficulty in isolating from water phase. To overcome these obstacles, various efforts have been made to modify biochar surface chemistry and morphology.

Fe/Mg co-doped biochar composites from sugarcane harvest residue were prepared …

Decision Support For Grassland Systems In Developing Countries, P. K. Thornton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Information flows in complex systems are often themselves highly complex, and decision support approaches based on linear input-output processes may have only limited impact.

2. How decisions are made, and how they can be appropriately supported, is often incompletely understood, in part because of inadequate understanding of the objectives and attitudes of all the decision makers involved.

3. Much of the developing world faces daunting problems in the coming 30 years, and appropriate information could play a critical role in dealing with these.

4. System complexity, household variability, and institutional intricacies have to be embraced rather than …

Synthesis, Characterization And Cell Viability Of Novel Tripodal Amines, Kinsley Lupton

Honors College Theses

Cancer, over the years, has become a much more prevalent focus for the scientific community. Organizations and laboratories all over the world have spent countless hours searching for a cure, trying to learn more about what makes cancer so powerful and what is the best way to stop its growth. Iron-chelation drugs were already on the market, and it was shown that they did have the ability to act as both iron-chelators and anticancer drugs. Most of these iron-chelating drugs are not as effective at killing cancer cells as the medical field desires. Novel iron-chelating tris-indolyl derivatives, GSO2, GSO4 and …

Comparison Review Of The Production, Microbiology, And Sensory Profile Of Lambic And American Coolship Ales, John Carriglio, Drew Budner, Katherine A. Thompson-Witrick

Chemistry

Sour beers have been traditionally brewed with spontaneous fermentation. This has been occurring in Belgium for hundreds of years, and more recently in the United States as the American craft beer industry has boomed. Belgian sour styles include lambics, which are mirrored in a burgeoning style called the American coolship ale (ACA). American beers have much more creative leeway than their Belgian counterparts, as American craft brewing tends to incorporate more contemporary techniques and ingredients than their traditional European forebears. This review paper will summarize the history, production methods, fermentation, microbiological profiles, and sensory profiles of Belgian lambics and American …

Snapshots Of Coastal Ecology During Glacial And Deglacial Intervals: A Multiproxy Assessment Of Northern Gulf Of Mexico Sediment Cores, Kendall Emilie Brome

LSU Master's Theses

Terrestrial ecosystems along exposed continental shelves during times of relatively low sea level and glaciation are rarely preserved due to the mechanically erosive nature of marine transgression and regression. In this study, I investigate the geochemical and palynological characteristics of two well-preserved sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) to determine the ecologic settings and subsequent mechanisms of preservation in this region. Both sites contain preserved terrigenous sediments of previously exposed coastal margins; the first is located at the Alabama Underwater Forest (~13 km south of Gulf Shores, AL, at ~15 mbsl), and optically stimulated luminescence dates to 72–56 …

Polymer Mimetics For Soil Modeling And Detection Of Biomarkers, Md Ragib Hasan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The population of the world is increasing day by day and is expected to reach 9.8 billion by the year 2050. The ever-increasing demand for agricultural products is putting an unprecedented strain on the world's soils as the human population continues to expand. Soil degradation caused by over-farming and the agrochemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) used in agriculture is a growing problem, although its causes remain murky. In addition, little is understood about the molecular-level interactions of substances that are subsequently introduced to soils, such as agricultural chemicals (ACs). Therefore, it is expected that these constraints may be circumvented by the …

How Social Media Controls Your Gut: The Internet, Health Misinformation, And The Human Gut Microbe, Maggie Willis

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

An Improved Bio-Based Activated Carbon For The Water Treatment Of A Lagoon In Northern Mexico Based On Life Cycle Assessment Methodology, Leticia Elizabeth Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this research, different options in the preparation of activated carbon are investigated looking at potential environmental impacts, production cost improvement and physical characteristics for water treatment. The activated carbon made with agricultural waste is compared to activated carbon made with hard coal. Life cycle assessment techniques follow ISO 14040 to 14044 standards are used and calculations were performed using GaBi _education 18® software and databases at mid-point TRACI impact categories. The results of the life cycle impact assessment show that, compared to activated carbon made with hard coal, activated carbon made with peanut shell and rice husk allows reductions …

The Synapse: Issue 2022

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

11th International Conference On Business, Technology And Innovation 2022, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

Welcome to IC – UBT 2022

UBT Annual International Conference is the 11th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make …

Identification Of Disease Resistance Parents And Genome-Wide Association Mapping Of Resistance In Spring Wheat, Muhammad Iqbal, Kassa Semagn, Diego Jarquin, Harpinder Randhawa, Brent D. Mccallum, Reka Howard, Reem Aboukhaddour, Izabela Ciechanowska, Klaus Strenzke, José Crossa, J. Jesus Céron-Rojas, Amidou N’Diaye, Curtis Pozniak, Dean Spaner

Department of Statistics: Faculty Publications

The likelihood of success in developing modern cultivars depend on multiple factors, including the identification of suitable parents to initiate new crosses, and characterizations of genomic regions associated with target traits. The objectives of the present study were to (a) determine the best economic weights of four major wheat diseases (leaf spot, common bunt, leaf rust, and stripe rust) and grain yield for multi-trait restrictive linear phenotypic selection index (RLPSI), (b) select the top 10% cultivars and lines (hereafter referred as genotypes) with better resistance to combinations of the four diseases and acceptable grain yield as potential parents, and (c) …

Hay Feeding Strategies To Build Fertility In Grazing Systems, Nick Roy, Fred Thomas

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

2022 Celebration Of Scholarship, Creativity, And Engagement, Todd Bruns, Beth Heldebrandt

Programs

At this annual celebration, the entire Division of Academic Affairs is pleased that the important work of faculty continues and evolves as EIU’s professors have individually and collectively redefined the boundaries of scholarship, creativity, and innovation for the emerging post-COVID era. Indeed, we are excited to come together to celebrate the achievements and outstanding contributions of our colleagues and students to their disciplines and professions. And, as the following pages illustrate, faculty have engaged in continuing scholarly and creative activities that have provided outstanding mentoring experiences for our undergraduate and graduate students.

In addition to sharing faculty productivity, research excellence …

Process Evaluation Methods And Results From The Health In Pregnancy And Postpartum (Hipp) Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Alicia A. Dahl, Alycia K. Boutté, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Kelsey Day, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Ellen Wingard

Faculty Publications

Background

Excessive gestational weight gain has increased over time and is resistant to intervention, especially in women living with overweight or obesity. This study described the process evaluation methods and findings from a behavioral lifestyle intervention for African American and white women living with overweight and obesity that spanned pregnancy (≤ 16 weeks gestation) through 6 months postpartum.

Methods

The Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) study tested a theory-based behavioral intervention (vs. standard care) to help women (N = 219; 44% African American, 29.1 ± 4.8 years) living with overweight or obesity meet weight gain guidelines in pregnancy and …

River Discharge Mediates Extent Of Phytoplankton And Harmful Algal Bloom Habitat In The Columbia River Estuary (Usa) During North Pacific Marine Heat Waves, Taylor N. Dodrill, Yangdong Pan, Tawnya D. Peterson

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Marine heat waves (MHWs) have been associated with extensive harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the northeast Pacifc Ocean, but the degree to which these large-scale oceanographic events are mirrored in nearshore environments has not been well established. We compared phytoplankton assemblages in the Lower Columbia River Estuary (LCRE) during two Pacifc MHWs that took place in 2015 and 2019, with observations from 2017, a year with no MHW. These data were paired with environmental data from the summers of 2015–2019 to characterize differences in estuarine conditions during MHWs that promote phytoplankton assemblage transitions and identify HAB-conducive conditions. Bloom densities of …

Higher Adherence To A Mediterranean Diet Is Associated With Improved Insulin Sensitivity And Selected Markers Of Inflammation In Individuals Who Are Overweight And Obese Without Diabetes, Surbhi Sood, Jack Feehan, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Kirsty Wilson, Magdalena Plebanski, David Scott, James Hébert Scd, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Aya Mousa, Elena S. George, Barbora De Courten

Faculty Publications

Insulin resistance (IR) and chronic low-grade inflammation are risk factors for chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate two dietary indices: Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) and Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®), and their associations with direct measures of glucose metabolism and adiposity, and biochemical measures including lipids, cytokines and adipokines in overweight/obese adults. This cross-sectional study included 65 participants (males = 63%; age 31.3 ± 8.5 years). Dietary intake via 3-day food diaries was used to measure adherence to MDS (0–45 points); higher scores indicating adherence. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) scores were calculated with …

The Impact Of Meal Dietary Inflammatory Index On Exercise-Induced Changes In Airway Inflammation In Adults With Asthma, Katrina P. Mcdiarmid, Lisa G. Wood, John W. Upham, Lesley K. Macdonald-Wicks, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd, Hayley A. Scott

Faculty Publications

Research suggests exercise may reduce eosinophilic airway inflammation in adults with asthma. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) quantifies the inflammatory potential of the diet and has been associated with asthma outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether the DII of a meal consumed either before or after exercise influences exercise-induced changes in airway inflammation. A total of 56 adults with asthma were randomised to (1) 30–45 min moderate–vigorous exercise, or (2) a control group. Participants consumed self-selected meals, two hours pre- and two hours post-intervention. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DIITM) was determined for each meal, with meals then characterised as “anti-inflammatory” or …

The Effects Of Human Behavioral Changes Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Reservoir Of Lytic Escherichia Coli And Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteriophage On Humans At A South Carolina University, Korinne M. Swanson, Owen R. Smith, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bacteriophages are viruses, whose unique ability to infect and lyse bacterial cells may provide valuable insight for evading the repercussions of a post-antibiotic era in medicine. This study isolated and characterized Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage on students and faculty at Coastal Carolina University as a means to understand the viability of human bacteriophage reservoirs for bacteriophage therapy. From September 2021 to March 2022, nasal and postauricular swab samples and a behavioral survey were collected from ninety-three randomly selected participants. Additionally, sixteen participants contributed nasal and postauricular swab samples and a behavioral survey on a monthly basis in a …