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Evaluating The Influences Of Harvesting Activity And Eutrophication On Loss Of Aquatic Vegetations In Taihu Lake, China, Juhua Luo, Ruiliang Pu, Hongtao Duan, Ronghua Ma, Zhigang Mao, Yuan Zeng, Linsheng Huang, Qitao Xiao

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

A rapid degradation of aquatic vegetations in Taihu Lake has roused a wide attention in recent years. Giving large-scale harvesting activity on aquatic vegetation since 2012, whether water eutrophication or the human harvest activity induced the degradation remains controversial and unclear. In this study, based on Landsat and HJ-CCD data acquired from 1984 to 2016 and a 12-year field observation (2005–2016) of water quality, a method was proposed to quantitatively assess impacts of harvesting activity and water quality change on degradations of both floating-leaved aquatic vegetation (FAV) and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Taihu Lake. First, areas of FAV and …

Recombinant Expression Of Preptin Analogs For Alanine Scanning Mutagenesis Of Residues 27-29, Tehgan N. Anguilm

Theses and Dissertations

The novel peptide preptin consists of 34 amino acid residues corresponding to Asp⁶⁹-Leu¹⁰² of proinsulin-like growth factor E-peptide. Preptin has been isolated from pancreatic beta cells, and it has been found to exhibit both metabolic and mitogenic activities. This makes preptin an attractive candidate to treat insulin-independent diabetes and osteoporosis. Alanine scanning mutagenesis was utilized to substitute an alanine for residues Trp²⁷, Arg²⁸, and Gln²⁹ of preptin in order to ultimately study the structure-activity relationship of these residues to preptin’s metabolic activity.

Remediation Of Crude Petroleum Oil-Water Emulsions Using Microalgae, Mohamed Shafi

Civil and Environmental Theses

Crude petroleum oil spills are among the most important organic contaminations, which result from uncontrolled releases and spillages during transportation or storage. The separated oils on that accumulate on top of the water can be removed by various conventional skimming methods. However, the emulsified portions that remain within the water phase are more difficult to remove and pose significant threats to the environment and could tamper the tertiary treatment in a wastewater treatment plant. Biological treatment, using bacteria, have proven to be an effective method in the removal of the emulsified oils. However, the biomass produced in this case does …

Soil Amendment And Soil Testing As Nutrient Reduction Strategies For The Peel Integrated Water Initiative, Robert Summers, Peta Richards, David Weaver, David Rowe

Resource management technical reports

The Transform Peel program focuses on 42 000 hectares (ha) due east of Mandurah called the Peel Food Zone, 75 kilometres (km) south of Perth in the shires of Murray and Serpentine Jarrahdale and includes an assessment of intensified and enclosed agriculture and a business park. The Peel Integrated Water Initiative was developed through Transform Peel to identify water sources and minimise the effect of these projects on water quality by reducing the nutrient loads discharged into the Peel–Harvey Estuarine System, which has been suffering from poor water quality for this reason.

The mineral sand miner MZI Resources Pty Ltd …

Jplink: On Linking Jobs To Vocational Interest Types, Amila Silva, Pei Chi Lo, Ee-Peng Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Linking job seekers with relevant jobs requires matching based on not only skills, but also personality types. Although the Holland Code also known as RIASEC has frequently been used to group people by their suitability for six different categories of occupations, the RIASEC category labels of individual jobs are often not found in job posts. This is attributed to significant manual efforts required for assigning job posts with RIASEC labels. To cope with assigning massive number of jobs with RIASEC labels, we propose JPLink, a machine learning approach using the text content in job titles and job descriptions. JPLink exploits …

Detection And Enumeration Of Bacterial Pathogens In The American Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica), Mohammad Maruf Billah

Theses and Dissertations

American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a popular seafood for its delicacy and high nutritional value. Based on increasing concern about contamination of bacterial pathogens in raw oyster, my research objectives have been focused on detection and enumeration of two important bacterial pathogens, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in the American oyster in south Texas waters, local markets and controlled laboratory studies. Immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analyses showed substantial bacterial pathogen’s presence in gills and digestive glands of oysters collected from San Martin Lake and South Padre Island as well as local markets. Laboratory studies showed increasing trend of both …

Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (Amf) On Growth And Herbivore Defenses In Sorghum Sudangrass (Sorghum X Drummondii), Jasleen Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 2: In this chapter we have examined the role of trichomes in plant stress biology, reviewed the studies on herbivore X trichome interactions, and their role in plant defences. Ultimately, we have proposed new areas of research for future work.

Chapter 3: In this chapter, we examined whether AMF has cascading effects on insect community dynamics through attraction/repulsion of beneficial and damaging insects using Sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum x drummondii), either inoculated with commercial AMF mix or left as control in lab and field experiments. Our results suggest positive effects of AMF on plant growth, and a lower initial incidence of …

Investigation Of Multiple Imputation Methods For Categorical Variables, Samantha Miranda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We compare different multiple imputation methods for categorical variables using the MICE package in R. We take a complete data set and remove different levels of missingness and evaluate the imputation methods for each level of missingness. Logistic regression imputation and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) are used for binary variables. Multinomial logit imputation and LDA are used for nominal variables while ordered logit imputation and LDA are used for ordinal variables. After imputation, the regression coefficients, percent deviation index (PDI) values, and relative frequency tables were found for each imputed data set for each level of missingness and compared to …

Archaeological, Geophysical, And Geospatial Analysis At David Crockett Birthplace State Park, In Upper East Tennessee, Reagan Cornett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A geophysical survey was conducted at David Crockett Birthplace State Park (40GN205, 40GN12) using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry. The data indicated multiple levels of occupation that were investigated by Phase II and Phase III archaeological excavations. New cultural components were discovered, including the remnants of a Protohistoric Native American structure containing European glass trade beads and Middle Woodland artifacts that suggest trade with Hopewell groups from Ohio. A circular Archaic hearth was uncovered at one meter below surface and similar deep anomalies were seen in the GPR data at this level. A semi-automated object-based image analysis (OBIA) was implemented …

Hydroponic And Soilless Culture Systems And Transplant Practices Influence Production Of Basil (Omicum Basilicum L.), Samuel Warren Edward Doty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two controlled-environment greenhouse experiments evaluated (1) plant growth and morphology of basil (Omicum basilicum L.) grown in three different hydroponic and soilless substrate systems and (2) seedling tray cell-count and transplant date into hydroponic culture effects on basil growth and yield at harvest. For the first experiment, four basil cultivars (‘Genovese’, ‘Mrs. Burns Lemon’, ‘Sweet Thai’, and ‘Cinnamon’) were grown in deep flow technique (DFT) hydroponics, nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponics, and a novel shallow aggregate ebb-and-flood (SAEF) soilless substrate system and were harvested after 21 d. Plant yield and morphological characteristics measured at harvest included shoot fresh mass, shoot …

Effects Of Incubation Temperature On Nanomechanical Properties Of Β-Lactoglobulin Amyloid Fibers, Santosh Khatri

Theses and Dissertations

Amyloid fibrils constitute a class of highly ordered nanomaterials formed by aggregates of the protein. Although The irreversible fibril formation of various proteins is related to the disorders like Alzheimer’s diseases, Creutzfeldt-Jacob and many more, amyloid fibrils have also been noticed in many physiologically beneficial roles such as in adhesive and hormone storage. Here, we compare the stiffness and structural properties of the amyloid fibers examined by the statistical approaches of single molecule atomic force microscopy images of heat-denatured β-lactoglobulin fibrils at different incubation time period (24, 48, and 72 hours). We demonstrate the gradual decrease in stiffness of the …

A Tale Of Two Species: Black-Tailed And White-Tailed Prairie Dog Biogeography From The Last Interglacial To 2070, April Dawn Bledsoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ecological niche models (ENMs) were created for White-tailed and Black-tailed prairie dogs and projected into the Last Interglacial (LI), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and mid-Holocene (mid-H) to discern possible past suitable habitat for both species. Additionally, ENMs were projected into the future year 2070 representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 2.6 and 8.5 to discern how climate change may affect future habitat suitability. Kernel density estimations, minimum convex polygons, and median distribution centers of White-tailed and Black-tailed occurrence records were examined between time-periods to discern the effects of anthropogenic westward expansion on both species’ distributions. Current ENMs were constructed from commonly …

Characterization Of Microbial Communities Across Disease States And Environmental Conditions In Kemp’S Ridley (Lepidochelys Kempii) And Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas), Kerry L. Mcnally

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

All species of sea turtles are threatened or endangered, with various diseases and conditions affecting populations around the world. Understanding healthy populations as well as populations beset by disease conditions, such as fibropapillomatosis and cold-stunning, could lead to helpful tools in the conservation management and medical treatment needed to protect these species. Microbial communities, or the microbiome, at different body sites of sea turtles likely play important roles in the health of these animals, from aiding in digestion to immune system regulation. Disruption of these communities, either through disease and/or environmental factors, may play a role in disease processes and …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2019, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Association Of Visceral Adipose Tissue And Subclinical Atherosclerosis In Us-Born Mexican Americans But Not First Generation Immigrants, Clarence Gill, Miryoung Lee, Kristina Vatcheva, Nahid Rianon, Beverly Smulevitz, David D. Mcpherson, Joseph B. Mccormick, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Susan T. Laing

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a primary driver for the cardiometabolic complications of obesity; VATassociated cardiovascular disease risk varies by race, but most studies have been done on Non-Hispanics. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and metabolic correlates of VAT, its association with subclinical atherosclerosis, and the factors affecting this association in Mexican Americans.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants (n=527) were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC), on whom a carotid ultrasound to assess carotid intima media thickness and a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan to assess for VAT were obtained. Those in the highest quartiles of …

Comparison Of Three Analytical Techniques For General Characterisation Of Selected Algae And Cyanobacteria, Mohamed Iqbal Suhaina Nashath

Student Works (2020-2029)

Algae and cyanobacteria maintain the oxygenation of earth, and are utilised as biofuels, biofertilizers and nutrition feed. The characterisation of algae and cyanobacteria through conventional methods require technical expertise, laborious sample preparation, and moderately expensive instruments and reagents. Hence, in this study, selected bioanalytical techniques with minimal sample preparation were incorporated, to simplify the characterisation of algae and cyanobacteria. The objectives of this research were to study the phylogenetic relationship of the selected algae and cyanobacteria via the 23S plastid ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) and 18S rRNA biomarkers; to validate the presence of the microcystin synthetase (mcy) gene cluster encoding …

Detection Of Snps Associated With Bone Loss Rate By Using Machine Learning Approaches, Avinash Yaganapu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Osteoporosis is one of the most common diseases seen in postmenopausal women, it decreases the bone density and quality, and later causes bone loss. Generally, bone loss occurs when bone losses its content and become porous: a sponge like substance. In most Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), researchers perform experiments with genomic data that contains some millions of numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and checks their association with the trait or disease. In this thesis, we performed two separate analyses with 2207 (of bone loss and bone gain) and 645 (of bone loss) instances separately. For predicting the SNPs …

Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Ammonia Volatilization From Soil Amended With Excreta From Ruminants Fed Alternative Forage-Based Diets, Samuel Park

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forage-based ruminant diets supplemented with condensed tannins or polyphenolic-containing legumes may alter nitrogen (N) metabolism in the animal and reduce gas emissions from soil receiving excreta. The objective of the study was to determine if soil receiving urine or manure from sheep fed forage diets supplemented with condensed tannin or polyphenolic-containing legumes would decrease N gas emissions. Two field trials were conducted: in the first trial, sheep were fed alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage diets supplemented with 0, 9, 18, or 27% sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneate [Dumont de Courset] G. Don) (n = 4). In the second trial sheep were …

Encephalization In Commensal Raccoons: A Unique Test Of The Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis, Peter M. Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated selective pressures associated with encephalization in mammals and discussed broader implications. Relative brain size as measured by EQ (Encephalization Quotient) was compared between ecological categories. Omnivores had higher average EQ than ecological specialists. Since specialists are disproportionately affected by extinction events, selection for ecological generalism is proposed as encephalization mechanism. This mechanism may reinforce the more widely known Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis (CBH)—the idea that possessing relatively large brains has buffered lineages against environmental change. CBH is tested here by comparing EQs in Procyon lotor (raccoon) in urban and rural environments. CBH predicts that raccoons in the most …

Effects Of Light, Nutrients, And Salts On Microbial Biofilm Productivity And Detrital Processing In Aquatic Mesocosms, Bethanie Brooke Howard-Parker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities associated with urbanization, agriculture, and resource extraction continue to increase to support increasing needs of the growing population. These activities increase the amounts of pollutants entering freshwater streams and put aquatic ecosystems at structural and functional risk. Aquatic microbes play an important role in detrital processing in streams as a key linkage in moving carbon from detrital stocks into aquatic food webs. My research investigates the effects of light, nutrients, and salts on detrital microbes and decomposition in freshwaters using a mesocosm approach. In chapter one, I modified a current priming effect (PE) hypothesis model to include light …

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 …

Cplr And Water Resource Utilization By Livestock Farmers In Different Ecosystems Of India, Purushottam Sharma, Sadhna Pandey, R. K. Sharma, J. P. Upadhyay, Satyapriya, A. K. Ray, Nagaratna Biradar, S. Radotra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The common property resources comprises of all such resources that are meant for common use of the villagers including all resources. The National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), 1999 in its report defines CPRs as “Resources accessible to and collectively owned\held\managed by an identifiable community and on which no individual has exclusive property rights are called common property resources”. Over the time, there has been gradual decline in CPRs availability to the villagers. The CPRs play an important role in the livelihood of resource poor farmers. According to NSSO, 1999, the percentage of Common Property Land Resources in total geographical area, …

Examination Of Parasite Assemblages In Killifish Of The Genus Fundulus Across The Atlantic Coast Of The United States And Canada, Derek Garvey

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Killifish of the genus Fundulus were examined to assess the factors shaping parasite community structure at a genus level. A database of previous parasite surveys on Fundulus species across the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada was created from a literature review. The database included parasite and environmental factor data from 15 sources. Additional sites from New Brunswick, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and South Carolina were sampled for Fundulus species. The resulting database includes data for 10 species from a total of 57 unique geographic sites. Data on the diversity and abundance of metazoan parasites were …

Participatory Pasture Development In Hot Arid Region Of India, Arun Kumar Misra, R. P. Singh, Ram Narayan Kumawat, Mavji Patidar, M. M. Roy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock production is one of the main occupations of resource-poor and resource-rich people living in India’s arid regions, and common grazing lands have always played a major role in livestock based livelihood systems, as around 50% of animals depend on grazing (Misra et al, 2015). According to the National Sample Survey Organization, common property land resources constitute about 15% of the total geographical area of India, of which 23% is community pasture and grazing lands and 16% have been classified as village forests and woodlots (NSSO, 1999). At another level, India has the largest livestock population in the world, …

Feasibility Of Buffalo Rearing On Pasture In Tropical Climate Of Andaman And Nicobar Islands, M. S. Kundu, A. Kundu, S. Dam Roy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands form the Southern most tip of the Indian subcontinent, located (6-14° N latitude and 92-94°E longitude) in the South Eastern part of the Bay of Bengal .There are 572 Islands of which only 37 are currently inhabited. The Islands are beautiful and unique. The indigenous plants, animals, livestock, and marine life contribute to uniqueness of these Islands. The total livestock population has increased to many fold from meager 38.6 thousand in 1961 to 154.75 thousand in 2012. The buffalo constitute 5.08 per cent of the livestock of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The buffaloes …

Mitigating Policy Measures To Increase Fodder Availabilty In Natural Calamities Situations, Om Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Though the availability of feed and fodder has improved in the last decade, still there exists a substantial gap between demand and availability of fodder in the country, particularly during the lean periods and at the time of natural calamities including droughts and or flood situations. Availability of adequate quantity of feed and fodder for livestock is essential for improving livestock productivity. Under the Rasthriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the States have sufficient funds and autonomy to undertake development of feed and fodder besides other agricultural and allied activities. There is a need to disseminate the benefits of using high …

Policy Perspective For Grassland Based Integrated Farming System: Innovation & Challenges In Indian Context, Kamal Kumar Datta, Soumitra Chowdhury, Madhu Mohini

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Indian agriculture is increasingly getting influenced more and more by economic factors. This needs not be surprising because irrigation expansion, infrastructure development, penetration of rural markets, development and spread of short duration and drought resistant crop technologies have all contributed to minimizing the role of non-economic factors in crop choice for even small farmers. Both at micro and macro level, the picture of livestock sector is very much disintegrated where growth is mainly from fishery and meat production and not from milk production. The common perception that animal rearing is not as remunerative as poultry or fishery seems to be …

Realising The Potential Of Youth In The Development Of Sustainable Grasslands, J. C. Bidogeza, Ralph Von Kaufmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The declining interest of youth worldwide to remain in rural areas and pursue careers in agriculture and grasslands is a threat to all human welfare. Ways and means must be found to redress the decreasing interest of youths in grassland development. Ironically there is a lot of untapped potential for rewarding careers but the youths do not have the skills needed to exploit it. This cannot be corrected by providing occasional and piecemeal training opportunities. The perilous consequences of allowing the rangelands to degenerate are sufficiently serious to warrant a comprehensive approach to developing the wide range of skills needed …

Master Grazer: Improving Grazing Management In Kentucky, S. Ray Smith, Garry D. Lacefield, Lyndsay Jones, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Donna M. Amaral-Phillips, Kelly Kramer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Master Grazer Educational Program is the result of funding provided by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board to educate producers on better utilization of grazing lands to improve livestock production and the profitability of the State. County agriculture and natural resource agents, extension specialists, industry contacts and producers work together to make this program a success. The Master Grazer Educational Program began in 2006 as evening lecture sessions taking place in local extension offices. In 2008, the program grew with the addition of a field session that showcased a farm with successful grazing practices, a farm with underdeveloped grazing practices, …

Creating An International Forage And Grasslands Curriculum, Brianna L. Randow, David B. Hannaway, Kimberly Japhet, Phil Shuler, Chunhua Yang, Zhihua Li, Peter J. Ballerstedt, Alan S. Cooper, Xianguo Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands cover nearly 2/3 of the land masses of the world and make up 1/4 of the earth's surface. Although various regions of the world have different names for their grasslands, common management principles govern maintaining and improving these lands for the food production and environmental services they provide. There is much talk today about “finding the balance between environmental protection and economic development” but there is little evidence of knowledge about grassland ecosystems being translated into effectively implemented policies designed to restore degraded grasslands. In contrast, there are many examples of the tragic consequences of economic development rather than …