Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Pathoecological Relationship Between Ancient Diet And Modern Diabetes Through Coprolite Analysis: A Case Example From Antelope Cave, Mojave County, Arizona, Karl J. Reinhard, Keith L. Johnson, Sara Leroy-Toren, Kyle Wieseman, Isabel Teixeira-Santos, Mônica Vieira

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The elevated prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Native Americans of the Southwest has been explained by several authors in terms of a dietary change from preindustrial traditional foods to modern foods. Physiology adapted to traditional foods became deleterious during the process of modernization. Although several versions of this hypothesis exist, they all relate to the rise in modern NIDDM with change from prehistoric subsistence practices to modern dietary practices. This is especially true for the Southwestern desert tribes of Arizona and New Mexico. Coprolite analysts have been recovering the sort of data needed by diabetes researchers to explore …

Mass Latex Balloon Releases And The Potential Effects On Wildlife, Stephan Irwin

All Dissertations

The first component of the study examined the fate of balloons after release to determine aspects of where, in what state, and how long they persist in the environment to assess potential risk of exposure to wildlife. Tagged balloons from sporting events gave estimates of mean distances traveled from releases. Effects on the structural integrity of the latex balloon as it reaches the upper atmosphere were also tested to determine the physical state when fragments landed. Degradation studies were conducted to determine the length of time latex can persist in the environment after exposure to various environmental conditions (sun, shade, …

Sigtree: An Automated Meta-Analytic Approach To Find Significant Branches In A Phylogenetic Tree, Todd R. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An experiment was performed on two groups of mice, the first group receiving a refined wheat diet, and the second group receiving a whole wheat diet. The levels of abundance of hundreds of bacteria in the guts of the mice were measured. Of interest was whether the levels of these bacteria were different depending on type of diet. In addition, it was desired to examine differences by diet in all of the families of bacteria. These family relationships are represented in a tree, and it was determined helpful to color the branches of this tree based on the differences of …

Urban Edibles: Ornamentals, H. Waldbillig, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Who says the only place for city dwellers to pick up their daily dose of vegetables is the local farmers market or grocer? Much of the produce you need and enjoy is available to you in your own backyard and, better yet, is free of cost! Urban foraging is the art of finding, identifying and collecting wild edibles in everyday urban settings. From delicious fruits to weeds you would never in your wildest dreams think to eat, cities are full of handpicked eating opportunities!

Urban Edibles: Weeds, Roslynn Brain, H. Waldbillig

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

They invade your garden, tap your soil’s precious nutrients and grow quicker than lightning strikes. If you can’t beat them, eat them! Increase your garden’s yield by identifying the edible weeds and adding them to your harvest.

Beef Production And Consumption: Sustainable Alternatives, Jennifer W. Macadam, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Sustainable living involves choosing a lifestyle with minimal environmental impacts. The ultimate goal is to leave future generations with a healthier environment than the one we were born into. How can we do that with beef consumption? Beef is part of American culture, so is there a way to make wiser choices when it comes to purchasing beef ? The short answer is, yes!

Water Quality Trends And Nutrient Loads For The Watershed Research And Education Center In Northwest Arkansas, 2009-2012, John Metrailer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment transport is a concern for Northwest Arkansas due to high exports through riverine discharge. Urban, agricultural, and pastured watersheds have been associated with increased N, P, and sediment concentrations when compared to forested catchments. The objective of this study was to evaluate discharge and nutrient loads associated with a small urban, agricultural (row crop), wetland influenced, and pasture/farmland sub-catchment within four ephemeral drainages and located at the Watershed Research and Education Center in Fayetteville, AR. Samples were collected during base flow conditions and periodic storm flow conditions from 2009-2012. Flow adjusted concentration trends were used to …

Missed Opportunities For Diagnosis And Treatment Of Diabetes, Hypertension, And Hypercholesterolemia In A Mexican American Population, Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, 2003-2008, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Kristina Vatcheva, Susan T. Laing, Monir Hossain, M Hossein Rahbar, Craig Hanis, H Shelton Brown, Anne R. Rentfro, Belinda M. Reininger, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction

Diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia are common chronic diseases among Hispanics, a group projected to comprise 30% of the US population by 2050. Mexican Americans are the largest ethnically distinct subgroup among Hispanics. We assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for undiagnosed and untreated diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia among Mexican Americans in Cameron County, Texas.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data collected from 2003 to 2008 in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, a randomly selected, community-recruited cohort of 2,000 Mexican American adults aged 18 or older, to assess prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia; to assess the extent to …

Soil Biochemical Changes Induced By Poultry Litter Application And Conservation Tillage Under Cotton Production Systems, Regine Mankolo, Chandra Reddy, Zachary Senwo, Ermson Nyakatawa, Seshadri Sajjala

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Problems arising from conventional tillage (CT) systems (such as soil erosion, decrease of organic matter, environmental damage etc.) have led many farmers to the adoption of no-till (NT) systems that are more effective in improving soil physical, chemical and microbial properties. Results from this study clearly indicated that NT, mulch tillage (MT), and winter rye cover cropping systems increased the activity of phosphatase, β-glucosidase and arylsulfatase at a 0–10 cm soil depth but decreased the activity of these enzymes at 10–20 cm. The increase in enzyme activity was a good indicator of intensive soil microbial activity in different soil management …

A Comparison Of Methods Of Analysis To Control For Confounding In A Cohort Study Of A Dietary Intervention, Esinhart Hali

Theses and Dissertations

Comparing samples from different populations can be biased by confounding. There are several statistical methods that can be used to control for confounding. These include; multiple linear regression, propensity score matching, propensity score/logit of propensity score as a single covariate in a linear regression model, stratified analysis using propensity score quintiles, weighted analysis using propensity scores or trimmed scores. The data were from two studies of a dietary intervention (FIBERR and RNP). The outcome variable was change from baseline to one month for eight outcome measures; fat, fiber, and fruits/ vegetables behavior, fat, fiber, and fruits/vegetables intentions, fat and fruits/vegetables …

Il-6 Regulation On Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Remodeling During Cancer Cachexia In The ApcMin/+ Mouse, James P. White, Melissa J. Puppa, Shuichi Sato, Song Gao, Robert L. Price, John W. Baynes, Matthew C. Kostek, Lydia E. Matesic, James A. Carson

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Muscle protein turnover regulation during cancer cachexia is being rapidly defined, and skeletal muscle mitochondria function appears coupled to processes regulating muscle wasting. Skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and the expression of proteins regulating mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics are disrupted in severely cachectic Apc^Min/+ mice. It has not been determined if these changes occur at the onset of cachexia and are necessary for the progression of muscle wasting. Exercise and anti-cytokine therapies have proven effective in preventing cachexia development in tumor bearing mice, while their effect on mitochondrial content, biogenesis and dynamics is not well understood. The purposes of …

Circle Hooks In Commercial, Recreational, And Artisanal Fisheries: Research Status And Needs For Improved Conservation And Management, Joseph E. Serafy, Steven J. Cooke, Guillermo A. Diaz, John E. Graves, Martin Hall, Mahmood S. Shivji, Yonat Swimmer

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The intent of convening the International Symposium on Circle Hooks in Research, Management, and Conservation was to yield a contemporary, science-based assessment of the management and conservation utility of circle hooks in commercial, recreational, and artisanal fisheries around the globe. The symposium objective was to provide a forum for individuals, organizations, and agencies to share relevant research results and perspectives. Based on the presentations, an examination of the literature, and the collective experience and knowledge of the authors, we provide a brief overview of the current status of circle hook research along with a list of research needs, with a …

The Effects Of A New Bridge On Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Use Of The Fpl Discharge Canal At Port Everglades, Florida, Brea Viragh

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is an endangered species that migrates to warm water refuges such as natural springs or power plant effluents during the winter months to escape cold water. The Florida Power and Light (FPL) discharge canal in Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale, FL., is utilized as a refuge by overwintering manatees. Construction of a new bridge over the FPL effluent canal had a potential effect on manatee usage of the canal. Discharge is often 10-15° C warmer in the winter season than the surrounding waters of the Intracoastal Waterway. Previous data, including age class and …

Food Fight: A Case Study Of The Community Food Security Coalition’S Campaign For A Fair Farm Bill, Marni Salmon

Capstone Collection

The farm bill is an all-encompassing piece of legislation that is reauthorized approximately every five years and establishes federal policy for everything from farm subsidies and crop insurance to energy, conservation, food stamps and school lunches. The current law expires at the end of September 2012. Reauthorization of the farm bill represents the single largest opportunity to reform the policies that shape food systems in the United States. The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) is campaigning to improve access to healthy food by increasing links with family farmers and to strengthen local and regional food systems. This case study traces …

Water Current, Volume 44, No. 3, Summer 2012

Water Current Newsletter

November Law and Science, Practice and Policy Events at Cornhusker Hotel

NU, Food and Agriculture Organization Partner on Water and Food Security

Meet the Faculty: Larkin Powell, Ph.D., Tonya Bernadt

From the Interim Director: Moving into a Busy Fall Schedule

Urrea Breeds Drought-Resistant Edible Beans in Western Nebraska

Advisory Board Meets in June

UNL's National Drought Mitigation Center

UNESCO-IHE Students Make First Visit to University of Nebraska

Schild Puts Priority on Conserving Water In Home Landscapes

Is Your Water Affecting Herbicide Performance?

Water Cap and Trade A Problem Solver for U.S. Rivers?

Operations of the Central Nebraska Public Power and …

The Spatial Distribution Of K-Factor Values Across A Toposequence And A Soil Survey Map Unit, Jacqueline Elizabeth Tilligkeit

Master's Theses

Rivers and streams are adversely affected by an increase in sedimentation in their waters from eroding land. High sediment loads in streams can bury fish eggs and prevent hatching, increasing nutrients in the water causing algae blooms, or even contaminating the water with heavy metals carried in or on the aggregates. The erodibility of soil is valuable knowledge to all land users so that we may predict soil loss and its potential to pollute streams. This is done by using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). By predicting soil loss from a given landscape, land managers can take mitigation …

Determinants In Sustaining A Local Information System In The Philippines: The Case Of The Barangay Management Information System (Bmis), Charina P. Maneja, Nancy A. Tandang, Merlyne M. Paunlagui

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

Information is important for the executive and legislative functions of local officials. The study determined the institutional and individual factors that contributed in sustaining a Barangay Management Information System (BMIS). The study was done in five provinces covering 90 randomly selected continuing barangays and 68 randomly selected non-continuing barangays. Chi-square Test of Independence was used to determine factors associated with whether the barangay will continue to sustain BMIS or not. Logistic regression analysis was also performed to determine factors that may influence barangay's decision to sustain BMIS. The identified significant individual factors that influenced the barangays' decision to sustain BMIS …

Investigation Of Stress Changes At Mount St. Helens, Washington, And Receiver Functions At The Katmai Volcanic Group, Alaska, With An Additional Section On The Assessment Of Spreadsheet-Based Modules., Heather L. Lehto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forecasting eruptions using volcano seismology is a subject that affects the lives and property of millions of people around the world. However, there is still much to learn about the inner workings of volcanoes and how this relates to the chance of eruption. This dissertation attempts to increase the breadth of knowledge aimed at helping to understand when a volcano is likely to erupt and how large that eruption might be. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on a technique that uses changes in the local stress field beneath a volcano to determine the source of these changes and help forecast …

Transcendental Thermodynamics, Richard E. Morel, George Fleck

Kahn Institute Projects

Thermodynamics is often viewed as a narrow, introspective discipline, trapped by its origins in the 18th and 19th centuries. By dramatic contrast, we show that the Fourth Law of Thermodynamics provides explanations and interpretations of all natural events, extending across artificial boundaries of tradition- al academic disciplines. The Fourth Law of Thermodynamics states that far-from-equilibrium systems increase entropy at the maximum rate available to them. This broadly inclusive paradigm applies to systems from molecules, to organisms, to the biosphere. The Fourth Law is the Law of Evolution. All systems that communicate with their environment exhibit self-organization and self-optimization, enabling the …

The Effects Of Biochar Age And Concentration On Soil Retention Of Phosphorus And Infiltration Rate, Emilie Schneider

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Changes in land use and land management practices are regarded as one of the main factors in altering the hydrogeological system, causing changes in runoff, surface supply yields, and the quality of receiving water (Tong and Chen, 2002). Phosphorus is a significant contributor to accelerated eutrophication of fresh water and is largely sourced from agricultural runoff (Sharpley et al., 1994). The dominant processes controlling solution composition in agricultural soils are primarily ‘chemical’ for P (i.e. adsorption/desorption and dissolution/precipitation) (Edwards and Withers, 1998). Biochar has chemical characteristics that have the potential to adsorb P or influence precipitation of P insoluble pools …

A Survey Of Seafood Traceability And Sustainability In The United States— Processes, Regulations, And Current Initiatives, Nancy A. Olsen

Working Papers

The global seafood industry currently lacks a standardized, widespread method to easily trace the chain of custody of products that they purchase. With global overfishing leading to declining fish stocks around the world, it is vital for seafood providers to have the ability to identify and buy products from sustainable fisheries that are well managed, target abundant species, and fish in environmentally responsible ways. This paper analyzes public and private initiatives that seek to provide product traceability. In summarizing the current status of seafood traceability, stakeholders agree that are a number of challenges with trying to piece together so many …

Analysis Of Dietary Patterns Over Freshman Year Of College, Chelsea Lofland

Statistics

This analysis is an investigation of changes in Cal Poly students’ eating habits over freshman year. The motivation behind this was an interest in college students’ lifestyles; college is the first time most students live on their own and it can be an important maturation period. College is stressful, exciting, liberating, and terrifying all at the same time. This distinctive life experience, along with my desire to handle big and messy data, led me to this research question.

The response variable analyzed was food consumption and the explanatory variables were: sex, race, quarter, food group, stress, exercise, BMI, sleep quality …

Germination Response Of Prairie Dropseed And Hairy Goldaster To Stratification And Temperature, Aurora R. Roemmich, Jack L. Bulter, Gary E. Larson, E. Brent Turnipseed

The Prairie Naturalist

The unique vegetation assemblage of the Black Hills in conjunction with the frequent occurrence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances emphasizes the need to use locally adapted native species in a wide variety of restoration efforts. However, a general lack of information regarding germination and propagation requirements for most native plant species has restricted their usage. A better understanding of dormancy and germination patterns for native species will increase their availability and affordability. We selected two common native species, hairy goldaster (Heterotheca villosa) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), to determine their optimum germination conditions. We hand-harvested seeds during 2007–2009 for use …

Determination Of Toxic Heavy Metals In Wet Deposition And Ambient Air In Columbus, Ga, Melissa K.M. Nestor

Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric pollution is one of the most significant and potentially catastrophic environmental issues threatening the United States and the world today. One such source of this pollution is heavy metals. The impact of heavy metal pollution on living organisms can be disastrous, having the potential to cause the deterioration of ecosystems and posing danger to the health and survival of the human race. Chronic and acute human exposure to this type of pollution can damage the proper functioning of vital body organs by inhibiting important neurological pathways. In plants, it essentially acts as a counter-agent to proper growth. In areas …

The Invasion Of California Grasslands: Past, Present, And Future Implications, Danielle Simone Caziarc

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Reducing The Enviromental Impact Of Horse Keeping, Amanda R. Shere

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Grass And Canada Goldenrod (Solidago Canadensis) Competition And Implications For Management In The Northern Tallgrass Prairie, Alexander J. Smart, Gary E. Larson, Peter J. Bauman

The Prairie Naturalist

Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) is a native perennial forb that can form dense clonal patches and become weedy in pastures of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Ecoregion. Our objectives were to determine 1) the competitive effects between Canada goldenrod and grass, 2) the relationship between Canada goldenrod stem density and grass biomass, and 3) the distribution of Canada goldenrod stem density at the pasture scale. We used regression analysis to develop a relationship between Canada goldenrod stem density and grass biomass. Additionally, we estimated the frequency distribution of Canada goldenrod stem density categories using three evenly distributed 100 × 100-m …

Identifying Risk Factors For Disparities In Breast Cancer Mortality Among African-American And Hispanic Women, Nancy Tian, Pierre Goovaerts, T. Benjamin Zhan, T. Edwin Chow, J. Gaines Wilson

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Background: This study evaluated the risk factors associated with racial disparities in female breast cancer mortality for African-American and Hispanic women at the census tract level in Texas from 1995 to 2005.

Methods: Data on female breast cancer cases were obtained from the Texas Cancer Registry. Socioeconomic and demographic data were collected from Census 2000. Network distance and driving times to mammography facilities were estimated using Geographic Information System techniques. Demographic, poverty and spatial accessibility factors were constructed using principal component analysis. Logistic regression models were developed to predict the census tracts with significant racial disparities in breast cancer mortality …

An Investigation Of The Bioactivity Of Irish Seaweeds And Potential Applications As Nutraceuticals., Sabrina Cox

Doctoral

The primary goals of this research were to; identify the bioactivity of a range of edible Irish seaweeds, to examine the current technological procedures currently applied with respect to seaweed processing and in light of this information, to examine the potential of incorporating seaweeds into traditional food products in order to enhance their nutraceutical properties. Currently most Irish seaweeds are washed, dried and packaged, with little done to increase consumer appeal or interest and dried seaweed may appear inaccessible and unfamiliar to consumers. Seaweeds possess an excellent nutritional quality, such as high fibre and phytochemical content, low cholesterol and low …

System Dynamics Implementation Of A Model Of Population And Resource Dynamics With Adaptation, Takuro Uehara, Yoko Nagase, Wayne Wakeland

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

We build and analyze a dynamic ecological economic model that incorporates endogenous innovation on input substitutability. The use of the system dynamics method allows us to depart from conventional equilibrium thinking and conduct an out-of-equilibrium (adaptation) analysis. Simulation results show that while improvement in input substitutability will expand an economy, this change alone may not improve sustainability measured by indicators such as utility-per-capita and natural resource stock. It could, however, be possible that in combination with other technological progress, improvement in input substitutability will contribute to sustainable development. Sensitivity analysis also indicates a possible complication with the use of exogenous …