Digital Commons Network^™

Revitalising Communities To Sustain Grassland Research, Jacqueline Rowarth

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Participation in science subjects at school and University has decreased in developed countries as the curriculum has broadened and the proportion of students staying on at school and entering university has increased. Global shortfalls in STEM graduates (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) mean an increase in salaries, which in turn are decreasing the likelihood of students staying on at University for postgraduate study. This is unfortunate given the increasing challenges in sustainable food production – grassland research needs great people enjoying great careers in order to contribute to global sustainability. This paper addresses the complex issues which have been the …

Grasslands Are My Home: An Innovative Primary School Program Developed For Remote Chinese Villages, Limin Hua, Victor Squires, Chengzhang Zhao

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Environmental education is a useful tool for changing the mind-set of people and it has been developed over many years and in many countries. This paper reports the environmental education program funded by World Bank/GEF pastoral development project in northwest China. The involved writing training materials for students and teachers, teaching in classroom, practicing in filed, and interactions with parents. The purpose of the environmental education program was training a student to influence the whole family, educate a class and help manage a community. The result showed that the environmental education program had positive impact on student attitudes toward environmental …

Barriers And Opportunities For The Use Of Forage Tree Legumes In Smallholder Cattle Fattening Systems In Eastern Indonesia, Debora Kana Hau, Tanda Panjaitan, Jacob Nulik, H. Dahlanuddin, Elske Van De Fliert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage tree legumes (FTL) have existed in the Eastern Indonesian landscape since colonial traders introduced several species in the late 1800s. A specific effort was made to establish leucaena (Leucaena leucoephala) and sesbania (Sesbania grandiflora) for use as forage for cattle fattening at Amarasi in East Nusa Tenggara Province and Central Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, in the 1970s (Yuksel et al. 1999; Dahlanuddin et al. 2005). Its spread within these provinces as potential forage to intensify cattle fattening systems, however, has been slow if not stagnant. In preparation for intensified efforts to encourage …

Using E-Learning To Aid Technical Uptake Of Goat-Based Technologies By Small Livestock Producers In The Philippines, Anna Marie P. Alo, Jose Rey Y. Alo, Francisco G. Gabunada Jr., Emilio M. Cruz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The improvement of goat raising in the Philippines by achieving a stable supply of good quality breeders and highly uniform slaughter goats by 2020 is the aim of an Industry Strategic Plan. While a number of ways of promoting science-based technology have been offered to farmers, countless small to medium-scale farmers are almost impossible to reach. Online FLS or e-learning courses on goats have been developed where learners can take the courses from any place, at their own pace, and in their own convenient time. Internet cafes are available throughout the Philippines, where goat raisers are able to access the …

Degradation Of Grassland Ecosystems In The Developing World: The Tragedy Of Breaking Coupled Human-Natural Systems, Shikui Dong, L. Wen, Yuanyuan Li, J. P. Lassoie

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Since Hardin (1968) published his famous theory "Tragedy of the Commons" supported by examples showing that communal grasslands can be easily overgrazed when herdsman increase their herd numbers, a lot of research has supported the viewpoint that rangeland degradation and desertification in much of the pastoral areas in the developing world are caused by overgrazing (Arnalds and Archer 2000). With increasing focus on change at the global scale, many scientists, guided by the disequilibrium theory, hypothesized that climatic variability and change rather than overgrazing is associated with rangeland degradation. We argue that neither overgrazing nor climate change can alone explain …

Dutch Dairies Reward Grazing, Anjo Elgersma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Changing societal drivers and consumer demands require systems that provide desired human foods produced through sustainable production systems. The aim was to show effects of grazing system on milk fatty acid (FA) composition in Dutch farming practice and to analyse current developments in grassland utilization and dairy payments. Milk conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentration was a function of hours cows spent at pasture, both at a regional and at a farm scale. Despite beneficial effects of fresh herbage in the dairy production chain on unsaturated FA in milk, the trend in The Netherlands is that cows are more indoors and …

Reflecting On Pasuc Heritage Initiatives Through Time, Positionality, And Place, Scott R. Hutson, Céline Lamb, Daniel Vallejo-Cáliz, Jacob Welch

Anthropology Faculty Publications

This paper reports on heritage initiatives associated with a 12-year-long archaeology project in Yucatan, Mexico. Our work has involved both surprises and setbacks and in the spirit of adding to the repository of useful knowledge, we present these in a frank and transparent manner. Our findings are significant for a number of reasons. First, we show that the possibilities available to a heritage project facilitated by archaeologists depend not just on the form and focus of other stakeholders, but on the gender, sexuality, and class position of the archaeologists. Second, we provide a ground-level view of what approaches work well …

A Proposal For Improving Pastures In Subsistence Farming Systems On The East India Plateau, Shivendra Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Peter Stuart Cornish

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The East India Plateau (EIP) experiences deep poverty despite high rainfall (> 1200 mm). Livelihoods, once derived from Sal (Shorea robusta) forest, now depend on agriculture. Subsistence farmers practice monoculture rice-fallow on small, fragmented landholdings (total < 1 ha). Rice in the undulating landscape was traditionally grown in lowland drainage lines (Fig. 1) but population pressure has forced it onto adjacent terraced slopes (medium-uplands) that now comprise > 80% of the rice area (> 50% of land area). Rice is protected from grazing, but the watershed is otherwise grazed as common land with no pasture management. Grazed uplands are often degraded and unproductive, receiving no inputs. Livestock are limited to large animals providing draft power (males) and manure (fuel, compost), and goats for emergency finance.

Rainfall is not the primary …

Application Of Payment For Ecosystem Services In China’S Rangeland Conservation: A Social-Ecological System Resilience Perspective, Wenjun Li, Yanbo Li

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Payment for ecosystem services (PES) has been adopted by the Chinese government over the past decade as a mechanism to combat regional-scale rangeland degradation. We analyzed some fundamental problems associated with PES application in rangeland management from the perspective of social-ecological system (SES) resilience by using as a case study he PES project of “retire livestock to restore rangeland” in Inner Mongolia. The study findings demonstrated that PES project resulted in obvious negative impacts on local pastoralists’ livelihood and society networks without achieving any substantial rangeland restoration. Such failures are rooted in that PES strategy in which the logic of …

Uk Libraries: Your Partner In Data Management, Data Sharing, And Data Preservation, Lauren E. Robinson, Adrian K. Ho

Library Presentations

This presentation:

• Defines Data
• Discusses why research data management (RDM) is important
• Discusses the Data Lifecycle and RDM Tools
• Discusses how UK Libraries can help with RDM

Qualitative Research Data Management And Archiving, Lisa Cliggett

Anthropology Presentations

With reference to the Gwembe Tonga Research Project, this presentation discusses challenges for qualitative data management and proposes strategies for overcoming them.

Rural Caregivers: Identification Of Informational Needs Through Telemedicine Questions, Shoshana H. Bardach, Allison Gibson, Kelly Parsons, April Stauffer, Gregory A. Jicha

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and associated disorders is increasing. Rural residents in the United States have less access to memory care specialists and educational and community resources than in other areas of the country. Over a decade ago, we initiated an interdisciplinary rural caregiving telemedicine program to reach Kentucky residents in areas of the state where resources for supporting individuals with dementia are limited. Telemedicine programs involve a short informational presentation followed by a question and answer session; programs are offered 4 times a year. The purpose of this study was to explore questions asked over 1 year …

Evaluating The Effects Of Electric And Magnetic Loading On The Performance Of Single And Double Rotor Axial Flux Pm Machines, Narges Taran, Greg Heins, Vandana Rallabandi, Dean Patterson, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Axial flux PM (AFPM) machines are used particularly in applications requiring a compact structure. Their disc shape topology and axial air-gap have led to a variety of configurations including two popular ones: the yokeless and segmented armature (YASA), and the single-stator single rotor or single sided machine. In this study, a comprehensive comparative analysis of these configurations is conducted at different magnetic and electric loadings. It is found that at lower loadings, typically employed for air-cooled machines, the torque/ampere characteristics of the YASA machine are almost identical to those of a single sided machine constructed with half the magnet volume. …

Social Justice Mitigation In Transportation Projects: Why And How Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Can Support The Lexington Community Land Trust’S Path To Self-Sustainability, Pamela Clay-Young, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The city of Lexington has reached a critical shortage of affordable housing available to families earning 80% - 50% of area median income (AMI). This study focuses on how to grow the Lexington CLT into self-sustainability while also narrowing the affordable housing gaps in Fayette County. Current research offers support for the city’s affordable housing program to adopt the community land trust model (CLT). The research recommends using tools such as the Lexington CLT, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Landbank Authority (LFUCLA), and Lexington’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, along with new development incentives, to develop a housing strategy that is cost …

What Is The Effect Of Long-Term Cutting Versus Abandonment On The Vegetation And Chemical Properties In The Soil And The Herbage Of A Mountain Hay Meadow (Polygono-Trisetion)?, Pavlů Lenka, Pavlů Vilém, Hejcman Michal, Gaisler Jan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Polygono-Trisetion meadow communities are endangered in Europe. These meadows are common in the Alps, but in the past, such meadows were also common in the western alpine regions of Central Europe. The aim of our experiment was to find a suitable management regime for the maintenance of these Polygono-Trisetion grasslands and its effect on the vegetation and chemical properties of the soil and in the herbage.

Protection Against Ionizing Radiation And Chemotherapy Toxicity Via Latexin Regulation, Gary Van Zant, Ying Liang, Yi Liu

Internal Medicine Faculty Patents

The present invention relates to methods for protecting against damage caused by radiation and/or chemotherapy, and methods for treating bone marrow damage by reducing/ inhibiting Latexin expression and/or Latexin activity. The methods comprise administering to a subject in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition comprising an antagonist that reduces expression and/or activity of latexin, wherein latexin is a latexin polynucleotide variant and/or a latexin polypeptide variant that binds to the antagonist.

Method And System For Identification Of Metabolites Using Mass Spectra, Hunter N. B. Moseley, William J. Carreer, Joshua Mitchell, Robert M. Flight

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Patents

A method and system is provided for mass spectrometry for identification of a specific elemental formula for an unknown compound which includes but is not limited to a metabolite. The method includes calculating a natural abundance probability (NAP) of a given isotopologue for isotopes of non-labelling elements of an unknown compound. Molecular fragments for a subset of isotopes identified using the NAP are created and sorted into a requisite cache data structure to be subsequently searched. Peaks from raw spectrum data from mass spectrometry for an unknown compound. Sample-specific peaks of the unknown com- pound from various spectral artifacts in …

The Impact Of Surface Coal Mining On The Pre- And Post-Mining Agricultural Potential Of The Grassland Biome Of Southern Africa, Wayne F. Truter, T. Bredell, J. Olivier, D. Van Heerden, P. Mosebi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Surface mining of coal is widespread in the grassland areas of the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa, and is the main cause of many environmental impacts in this agriculturally important region. To ensure healthy and productive vegetation after the reclamation process, disturbed soils need to be ameliorated and re-vegetated with locally adapted grass species to protect, preserve and improve soils for future agricultural use. To date, soil compaction is regarded as one of the main factors that cause severe restrictions in the effective rooting depth of plants, and the level of compaction is strongly influenced by altered soil water contents, …

A Visual Typology Of Abandonment In Rural America: From End-Of-Life To Treading Water, Recycling, Renaissance, And Revival, Jason P. Holcomb, Paul Frederic, Stanley D. Brunn

Geography Faculty Publications

The contemporary American rural landscape reflects a mix of ongoing economic changes in agricultural land use, population change, and built environments. The mix depends on past and recent change which represent landscapes of memory and silence to those experiencing economic and demographic renaissance. We develop a typology of five stages that reflect the contemporary rural scene and conduct field transects in Northwest Iowa and Central Maine. Features of the dynamics in rural America are evident in photographs of residences, land use changes, and commercial structure. The study calls for additional studies on rural settlement populations, economies, and society in different …

Co2 Mass Transfer Enhancement Of Aqueous Amine Solvents By Particle Additives, Leland R. Widger, Guojie Qi, Kun Liu, Jonathan Bryant, Cameron A. Lippert, Kunlei Liu

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

The present invention relates to methods for improving carbon capture by providing particles within an amine solvent. The particles provide for increased turbulence at the interface between the counter-flowing gas and solvent, which allows for increased amine and carbamate salt diffusion between the liquid film and bulk.

The Role Of Popular Media In 2016 Us Presidential Election Memes, Kyra Osten Hunting

Journalism and Media Faculty Publications

The 2016 US presidential election was marked by the extensive role that social media played in the construction of the candidates as well as by the growth of a number of forms of digital political rhetoric, including memes. The subgenre of popular culture-based political memes that draw on well-known entertainment media, particularly those with large fandoms like the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises, reveal inequities in gender representation in entertainment media that are replicated when these media become source material for memes. Memes based on popular culture that are designed to celebrate female candidates are disadvantaged by having a …

Efficacy Of Laccases Obtained From The White Rot Basidiomycete Schizophyllum Commune-Ni 07 In Enhancing The In Vitro Digestibility Of Crop Residues For Ruminants, Vidya Pradeep Kumar, Manpal Sridhar, Chandrashekar Naik

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Crop residues like maize stover, finger millet straw, wheat straw, rice straw, etc. generally constitute the main dietary component for animals. The rumen microbial utilization of these crop residues is hindered by the presence of lignin, which limits its overall digestion process and can significantly influence animal performance, because it is resistant to most of the enzymatic hydrolysis by microorganisms. In nature lignin is degraded by lignolytic enzymes of white rot fungi (WRF). These residues can thus be converted into high quality feed by means of fungal delignification improving their nutritive value. Fungal ligninolysis breaks down the cellulose-hemicellulose matrix liberating …

Selenium Enrichment Of Laboratory Scale Silos Using Lactic Acid Bacteria Inoculum, Michael R. F. Lee, Hannah R. Fleming, Christopher Hodgson, David Davies

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Selenium (Se) is a trace element essential for normal cellular function, which has been linked with reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and thyroid disease in humans. Se deficiency in livestock is associated with white muscle disease, retained placenta, ill-thrift and mastitis. Where Se status or bioavailability from the soil for plants is poor, livestock rely on supplemental Se in their diets either as sodium selenite (inorganic form) or seleno-yeast (organic form). As lactic acid bacteria have been shown to incorporate Se as either organic or elemental (Nano-Se) (Eszenyi et al., 2011) there may be potential to …

Enrichment Of Lactic Acid Silage Bacteria With Selenium By Growing Cultures In Modified Mrs Broth Supplemented With Sodium Selenite, Hannah R. Fleming, Michael R. F. Lee, Christopher Hodgson, Tristan Cogan, David Davies, Michael Lee

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Selenium (Se) is a trace element essential for normal cellular function, which has been linked with reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and thyroid disease in humans. Se deficiency in livestock is associated with white muscle disease, retained placenta, ill-thrift and mastitis. Where Se status or bioavailability from the soil for plants is poor, livestock rely on supplemental Se in their diets either as sodium selenite (inorganic form) or seleno-yeast (organic form). As lactic acid bacteria have been shown to incorporate Se as either organic or elemental (Nano-Se), (Eszenyi et al., 2011) there may be potential to use …

Rna Nanoparticles For Brain Tumor Treatment, Peixuan Guo, Carlo M. Croce, Tae Jin Lee, Farzin Haque, Hui Li

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

The presently-disclosed subject matter relates to an artificial RNA nanostructure molecule and method to treat brain tumor in a subject. More particularly, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a RNA nanostructure containing a multiple branched RNA nanoparticle, a brain tumor targeting module, and an effective amount of a therapeutic agent. Further, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method of using the RNA nanostructure composition to treat brain tumor in a subject having or at risk of having brain tumor.

Improving Livestock Production Assuring Natural Grassland Ecosystem Conservation: Three Key Management Practices At Farm Level, Oscar Blumetto, Santiago Scarlato, Andrés Castagna, Guadalupe Tiscornia, Andrea Ruggia, Gerónimo Cardozo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ecosystem changes by human activities are a central topic in environmental discussions and temperate grasslands are among the most altered ecosystems on the planet (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). The Rio de la Plata grasslands are among of the most extended temperate grasslands in the world, along with the prairie system of North America, the grasslands in east Europe and Mongolia, the grassvelds in South Africa and the New Zealand plains. They cover the central-eastern part of Argentina, Uruguay and south of Brazil. Natural grasslands are very rich in terms of number of species, reaching up to more than 3,000 vascular …

Soil Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria Of The Okavango Floodplains, Botswana, Tabo Mubyana-John, Lawrence Tarupiwa, Wellington R. L. Masamba, Susan Ringrose

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Phosphorus although abundant is among the most limiting macro plant nutrients in some soils. Deficiencies are often seen as purpling of leaves due to unavailability of PO₄ in soil solution. In soil solution PO₄ solubility is pH dependent; at pH < 6, it is often bound to Fe or Al, while at pH > 7 it forms insoluble complexes with Ca, Mg, K or Na making it unavailable to plants (Brady 2002). Soil organic P requires mineralisation then solubilisation by the enzyme phosphatase before being available. Botswana soils due to the low rainfall (< 450 mm/yr) are characterised by high pH and salt pans scattered all over the semi-arid and arid landscape. Cultivation of most of these soils often results in P deficient crops (Leuschner and Manthe 1996). However, in grassland areas of the Okavango, very few grasses show P deficiency. Studies from other areas indicate that some grasses habour PO₄ solubilizing bacteria in their rhizosphere that help them in their P sequencing quest (Duponnois et al. …

Humic Products–Potential Or Presumption For Agriculture. Do Humic Products Have A Place In Australian Grazing Enterprises?, Kim L. Billingham

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Australian soils are inherently low in organic matter. Agricultural practices have compounded this problem. As farmers look for more sustainable farming methods a commercial niche has opened for a range of alternative products including the humic products. More than 200 humic products are manufactured and sold by Australian companies (Billingham 2012). Many more can be purchased via overseas websites.

The term ‘humic products’ denotes a range of materials derived from lignites (brown coals), peats, lignins, composts and other organic wastes. Most are manufactured by alkali and acid extraction of the source material. Humic products are usually sold as soil amendments …

Efficient Use Of Phosphorus In Temperate Grassland Systems, Richard J. Simpson, Alan E. Richardson, Shirley N. Nichols, James R. Crush

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Phosphorus (P) fertilisers are important for high production in many grassland systems. However, there are increasing environmental, economic and strategic issues associated with using P, which is a non-renewable and “effectively finite” global resource. We review the P balance of temperate pastures to identify the factors that contribute to inefficient P use and discuss ways to improve P use efficiency. The most immediate gains can be made by ensuring that pastures are not over-fertilised. Plants with low critical P requirements, particularly as a result of better root foraging, will be important. Root traits such as fine roots (root diameter), branching, …

Using Forages To Conserve Water In Semi-Arid Irrigated Cropping Systems, Rick Kellison, V. G. Allen, C. P. Brown, D. L. Doerfert, P. N. Johnson, S. J. Maas, C. P. West

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Texas High Plains are part of the largest, contiguously irrigated cropland in the USA, and draws water from the Ogallala aquifer. High crop prices, increased demand for maize for ethanol production, and severe drought have increased water depletion rates. Research has shown that integrating forages and grazing cattle into the cotton-dominant cropping system can reduce overall water use (Allen et al. 2012) while still offering farmers positive net returns (Johnson et al. 2013). Integrating forages with row crops also reduces needs for nitrogen (N) fertilizer, rebuilds soil organic matter (Acosta-Martinez et al. 2010), and reduces fossil energy …