Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Established Perennial Clover Living Mulch And Soil Management Effects On Weed Suppression, Soil Health, And Broccolini Production For The Northern Great Plains, Connor Ruen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vegetable cropping systems have long been reliant on the use of tillage to prepare favorable seedbeds and manage weed pressure. Tillage degrades soil structure, decreases water infiltration and leads to compaction. Due to recent droughts across the central United Stated, it is important for water conservation to improve infiltration and avoid run off and erosion. Changes in weather patterns not only influence drought conditions but bring heat waves that have made early and late planted cool season crops in the brassica family prone bolting, leading to unmarketable produce and economic losses for farmers. This 2023 and 2024 study was designed …

The Formation And Degradation Of Carboxysomes During Heterocyst Development In Filamentous Cyanobacteria, Maxwell Anton Jakubiak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Photosynthetic carbon (CO2) fixation and solar-powered nitrogen (N2) fixation are foundational biochemical processes that introduce essential elements into the biosphere. While atmospheric dinitrogen gas (N2) is unusable to most organisms, diazotrophs utilize the nitrogenase enzyme to reduce N2 to ammonia. Because all known nitrogenases are highly susceptible to irreversible oxygen inactivation, N2 fixation is generally incompatible with oxygenic photosynthesis. However, several cyanobacteria are both photosynthetic and diazotrophic, balancing these opposing metabolisms by temporally or spatially separating the respective enzymes. Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 is a model multicellular cyanobacterium that grows in filaments of photosynthetic vegetative cells, which respond to nitrogen …

Ovarian Response, Endocrine Environment, And Pregnancy-Associated Glycoproteins In Beef Cows Using The 7 & 7 Synchronization Protocol, Hunter Haberman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Review aims to provide an overview of the bovine estrous cycle and pregnancy establishment, beginning with follicular development, luteolysis, maternal recognition of pregnancy and early embryonic development. Manipulating the estrus cycle with synchronization protocols is a critical aspect of the beef industry and has greatly improved the efficiency of artificial insemination. This review will evaluate various strategies to synchronize estrus from the very basic to more advanced synchronization protocols. There are many factors that affect the success of the protocol, and many studies have been done to evaluate the estrus cycle to reach the highest level of success from …

Determining The Pubertal Age Of Female Subadults Within The New Mexico Decedent Image Database, Jessica Destiny Parenti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence marks a critical period of social and biological transition, characterized by the onset of puberty—a pivotal milestone indicating sexual maturity. Shapland and Lewis (2013, 2014) proposed a method for tracking pubertal stages within the skeleton, encompassing observations of various skeletal developments such as the mandibular canine, hamate bone, distal radius, phalanges, and cervical vertebrae 3-5. This study analyzes the pubertal stages in 26 subadult females, aged eight to 20, from the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. By integrating the extensive background information provided by the New Mexico Decedent Image Database, this study explores the factors influencing the onset of …

Multiscale Modeling Of Infectious Diseases: Identifiability Framework For Parameter Estimation And Model Validation, Ambegoda Liyanage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding and controlling the spread of infectious diseases requires integrative mathematical models that connect biological processes across multiple scales, from individual-level transmission dynamics to population-level epidemic behavior. In this work, we develop and analyze multiscale mathematical models to investigate the transmission of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, with a strong focus on structural and practical identifiability to ensure model reliability.

We begin by investigating the transmission dynamics of the Usutu virus (USUV), an emerging mosquito-borne virus of growing concern in Europe and Africa. Understanding the epidemiology of such pathogens requires a systems-level approach that captures biological processes across multiple scales, …

The Implications Of The Menstrual Cycle On Upper Extremity Function And Injury Risk, Kaitlyn Ashley Armstrong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the leading cause of time lost from work in the healthcare industry (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). Women account for 75 percent of the total employment in hospitals (BLS, 2022). It is important to identify key risk factors that may be contributing to the high rates of injury in this sector. Females bring a variety of unique factors into account, and understanding these factors could be critical for improving individual health and the burden placed on the system due to absenteeism resulting from injury. The cyclical hormonal fluctuations that occur over a menstrual cycle …

Exploring Aging And Bone Health In Normal Weight Obesity And The Prevalence Of Unhealthy Lean Phenotypes, Pouria Sefidmooye Azar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a complex chronic condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of body fat. While numerous studies have highlighted the risks of adverse complications associated with obesity, limited research has explored the relationship of body composition phenotypes, more specifically normal weight obesity with aging, and bone health. Also, the prevalence of unhealthy lean phenotypes in adults in the U.S. is not clear. A secondary-data analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002 were performed to further examine the relationship between body composition phenotypes—normal weight lean (NWL), overweight/obesity with normal body fat percentage (OBL), normal weight obesity (NWO), …

An Examination Of Community Formation Through The Lens Of Transvestia Magazine, Amanda Elaine Shinn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transvestia magazine was important for the creation of the modern transvestite community. This project shows how the editor of the magazine defined her readership and how the stories, letters to the editor, and advertisements published within the magazine helped to develop this sense of community within the readership. The contents of the magazine were tabulated into spreadsheets and counted along with relevant data, including word counts, what issues the items appeared in, where they appeared inside the magazine, etc. The first five years of the magazine were compared with the last five years, showing how it changed editors, length, frequency, …

Chemical Composition And Cardiorespiratory Health Effects Of Fine Particulate Matter (Pm2.5) From Ambient Sources And Gunshot Residue: Investigating The Role Of Rage-Driven Inflammation And Oxidative Stress, Samuel Cole Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 30 million people in the U.S. use firearms for recreation or occupation annually. The discharge of firearms releases a complex chemical mixture into the breathing zone of the individual. Historically the primary concern of this exposure was the inhalation of lead (Pb), however gunshot residue (GSR) is composed of inorganic and organic components that are understudied in regards to airborne concentrations and health relevance. In addition to chemical composition, GSR released into the air is composed of various size particles from unburnt propellent and projectile fractionation. A size fraction of major health concern is particulate matter less than 2.5 …

Leveraging The Zebrafish Model For The Study Of Human Health Impacts Of Particulate Matter Exposure: Exploring Biological Effects Of Fuel Source Emissions, Autism Spectrum Disorder-Like Behaviors, And Molecular-Level Reproductive Impacts, Shayla Victoria

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Particulate matter (PM) is the solid and liquid portion of air pollution that can be found at various size fractions, including PM2.5, which is 2.5 μm or smaller in aerodynamic diameter. PM is a complex mixture, containing a wide variety of chemical constituents, including inorganic compounds (heavy metals), organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and pesticides, that have been individually linked to human health impacts. These include cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, but due to its small size and chemical composition, PM has the ability enter into systemic circulation and cause dysregulation of other physiological processes, such as neurodevelopment and reproduction, which …

Temporal Variation In Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity Along The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Jacqueline Pavlovsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microbial extracellular enzymes play critical roles in the degradation of organic matter and mineralization of nutrients in marine systems, yet few studies have examined how enzyme activity varies over short-and long-term timescales in nearshore coastal environments. In this study, I assessed day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month variation in the activity of three hydrolases (phosphatase, β-glucosidase, N-acetylglucosaminidase) in seawater and sand at five beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In addition, the activity of two oxidases (phenol oxidase, peroxidase) was assayed in sand, and environmental factors determined at each site. Seawater enzyme activity showed more variation over time than between beaches and …

Study Of The Ultrasonic Properties Of A Tissue-Mimicking Phantom Of Human Brain, Utsab Acharya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Preparing tissue-mimicking phantoms for brain ultrasound studies presents unique challenges due to the need to replicate the complex acoustic properties of cerebral tissue. Human brain tissue exhibits a speed of sound typically between 1520 and 1540 m/s, an attenuation coefficient ranging from 0.58 to 2.42 dB/cm in the 1–3 MHz frequency range, and a notably low backscatter coefficient between –94 and –82 dB/(cm・sr). Accurately reproducing these parameters simultaneously in a synthetic phantom is difficult because of the naturally low scattering properties of brain tissue and the interdependence of ultrasonic attenuation and scattering mechanisms. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has emerged as a …

Comparative Analysis Of Out-Of-Pocket Expenditures On Authorized Generics And Independent Generics Among Medicare Beneficiaries, Arman Arabshomali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Authorized generics (AGs) are essentially brand-name drugs without the brand name on their labeling. AGs are often marketed as cost-saving alternatives to brand-name drugs; however, their impact on patient out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures compared to independent generics (IGs) remains understudied, especially within Medicare. This study investigates the OOP costs of AGs versus IGs among Medicare beneficiaries with Part D coverage.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the 5% national sample of Medicare Part D claims data from 2012 to 2020, linked with the FDA’s NDC Directory data to specify Authorized Generics, Independent Generics, and Brands. The study compared OOP …

Don't Let Them In: Our Vampire Stories In The French Quarter, Sela Ricketts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of vampires in New Orleans. The reason I have chosen to include the word “Our” in the title is because we created the stories that I am studying. We created, perpetuated, changed, and eventually monetized them. Throughout this paper I discuss how the vampire came to New Orleans and how that same vampire shows up in New Orleans folklore. Then I discuss how the vampire made the jump from urban legend to pop culture. In doing that it gained “humanity”. They were still monstrous, but it was enough humanity to acquire regional identity, a southern …

The Effects Of Validating And Invalidating Responses On Self-Reported Levels Of Anxiety, Leila Sachner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given that validation and invalidation have been linked to internal factors contributing to anxiety disorders, it is important to further explore how validation and invalidation are associated with experiences of anxiety. The current study was designed to assess the association between validation/invalidation and anxiety among college students. Significant omnibus regression models emerged revealing that perceived invalidation accounted for 25.7% of the variance in self-reports of physiological anxiety symptoms and 27.6% of the variance in self-reports of generalized anxiety symptoms. A series of mixed-factorial ANOVAs revealed no main effect of experimental condition on emotional responses (anxiety, anger, arousal, valence), indicating that …

Large Sample Theory For Some New Copula-Based Models, Sahifa Siddiqua

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores continuous-state stationary reversible Markov chains generated by a new family of absolutely continuous symmetric copulas that have square-integrable densities. We examine and define parameter estimation techniques for the Markov chains generated by the new family of copulas and different marginals. Furthermore, we provide the joint limiting distributions and confidence intervals/regions of these estimators. We also look into the parameter estimation and it’s limiting distributions for bivariate independent data generated by the new family of copula and various marginal distributions. A simulation study using R is proposed to support our findings.

Comparative Effectiveness Of Biologic Or Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs In Terms Of Opioid Tapering And Discontinuation Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Shadi Bazzazzadehgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Pain is the most common patient-reported outcome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), frequently managed with long-term opioid therapy (LTOT), despite limited evidence supporting its efficacy and safety. Given the inflammatory nature of RA pain, biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) may relief pain and facilitate opioid withdrawal. This study compared rates of any opioid tapering, rapid opioid tapering, and opioid discontinuation among Medicare beneficiaries with RA who initiated b/tsDMARDs, including tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi bDMARDs), non-TNFi bDMARDs, or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi).

Methods: A new-user cohort study design was implemented using 5% Medicare (2012-2020). Beneficiaries with RA, …

Quantification Of Auxin-Cytokinin Response During Primary Root And Lateral Root Development In Common Bean, Gurdeep Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Roots support water and nutrient uptake, anchorage, and soil interactions through continuous growth at the primary root tip (PRT). In common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), new cells are produced in an open root apical meristem and subsequently elongate in the elongation zone, and together these processes drive root tip progression through the soil. Lateral roots (LRs) arise in the differentiation zone, where pairs of pericycle founder cells dedifferentiate, divide asymmetrically, and form lateral root primordia (LRP) that pass through defined developmental stages before emergence. Auxin and cytokinin (CK) are central regulators of both primary root growth and LR development, yet their …

Programming Carcass Composition Through Gestational Nutrition, Sydni Elise Borders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of maternal nutrient restriction during mid-gestation on the performance of the dam, feeding performance, carcass composition, and genetic expression in the offspring. Cows (n = 46) were randomly assigned to one of two treatments based on global nutrient intake: 1) fed to achieve and/or maintain a BCS of 5 or 6 (Positive Energy Status [PES]; n = 24) or 2) fed to lose one BCS during 99 days of mid-gestation (Negative Energy Status [NES]; n = 22). Cows in NES had greater decreases (P < 0.05) in body fat stores and muscle mass, elevated NEFA concentrations, and displayed decreased (P < 0.05) DMI, HP, and GHG emissions. There were no differences in milk components or volume produced between treatments (P > 0.05). There were no differences in …

Study Of The Mechanism And Physiological Impact Of Transcriptional Regulation Of Pilin-Encoding Pila Gene In Caulobacter Crescentus, Anurag Rijal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus with a unique dimorphic lifestyle is a model organism for studying prokaryotic development. An important cellular structure is the hair-like appendage called pilus, made up of monomeric subunits called pilins. The pilus helps C. crescentus in surface sensing and attachment, leading to cellular differentiation. Despite these advantages, the C. crescentus cell expresses the pilus filament on its surface for a very short period in its life cycle, during the motile swarmer stage. This study examined the precisely-timed transcriptional regulation of the pilin-encoding gene pilA, and uncovered the impact it has on bacterial survival.

CtrA, a global …

An Integrated Wetland Condition Index And Environmental Metric Framework For The Prairie Pothole Region, Mercedes L. Batalla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The USDA-NRCS Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) assists landowners with protecting, restoring, and enhancing wetlands. Evaluating wetland conservation efforts is crucial for informing future management decisions. However, assessment frameworks vary across regions and among stakeholders. The Prairie Pothole Region is an ecologically unique landscape characterized by its abundance of wetlands that provide important ecosystem services. To evaluate wetlands enrolled in ACEP, I sampled forty-five semi-permanent wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region from July – August 2023 and 2024. I selected and sampled twenty-six wetlands enrolled in ACEP. Nineteen additional wetlands not enrolled in ACEP were also sampled; these included nine …

Impact Of Minimally Processed Red Meat On Biomarkers Of Cognitive Decline, Saba Vaezi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of High-Moisture Ear Corn As A Roughage Source In Finishing Diets Fed To Beef Steers, Riley J. Leeson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feedlot performance, rumination activity, and carcass characteristics of high moisture ear corn (HMEC) as a roughage source in finishing diets fed to beef steers. Backgrounded steers (n = 191; initial shrunk weight [4% BW] = 449 kg  23.9 kg) were assigned randomly to 1 of 24 pens (8 steers/pen) with pens randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments (6 pens/treatment): control diet with hay fed at 10% roughage equivalency (RE; HAY10), or HMEC at either 14% (EAR14), 10% (EAR10), or 6% (EAR6) RE. High-moisture ear corn was assumed to …

Impact Of Natural Feed Additives And Monensin Sodium On Growth Performance In Feedlot Cattle, Thiago Lauro Maia Ribeiro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to investigate how phytogenic feed additives and a pulse feeding monensin sodium strategy would affect growth performance in the receiving and finishing feedlot phases. Three randomized complete block design feedlot experiments and one pooled analysis were conducted to determine the effects of the feed additives and management strategies used in newly weaned and finishing beef cattle. The objective of these experiments were 1) determine if a blend of capsicum oleoresin, clove essential oil, and garlic essential oil (CCG) influences cattle performance, sera metabolites or health outcomes during the feedlot receiving phase; 2) determine if …

In The Footsteps Of Moose: Using Non-Invasive Techniques To Identify Cause-Specific Calf Mortalities And Evaluate Moose (Alces Alces) Movements Pertaining To Mineral Lick Locations On Ancestral Lands Of The Grand Portage Ojibwe, Anna B. Weesies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following a sharp moose (Alces alces; mooz, Anishinaabemowin, Ojibwe language) population decline in northeastern Minnesota during the early 2000s, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa initiated a long-term moose collaring effort to assess survival and mortality causes. Moose are a culturally important species to the Band, with annual subsistence hunts held on the Reservation and adjacent 1854 Ceded Territory. Continued research guides culturally appropriate management decisions aimed at bolstering calf and adult survival, helping to preserve this moose in Minnesota today and for subsequent generations. Chapter 1 identifies cause-specific calf mortality rates in this multi-predator system using minimally …

Computation-Efficient Deep Learning Models For Computer Vision And Multimodal Vision-Language Tasks Via Network Pruning, Abir Mohammad Hadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid evolution of deep neural networks over the past decade, the demand for efficient, generalizable, and task-adaptable models, especially in computer vision, has increased significantly. To address the computational and deployment challenges posed by overparameterized models, the research community has extensively explored model compression techniques such as pruning, quantization, and distillation. These approaches aim to enhance model efficiency without compromising performance, particularly when adapting to domain-specific tasks under limited resources. This dissertation investigates several underexplored yet critical aspects of task-aware deep learning model compression, spanning both convolutional and vision-language architectures. In the early part of this work, we …

Finishing Location And Forage Diversity Influences Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality Attributes, Terroir, And Color Stability Of Grass-Finished Bison Bulls, Garrett Tyler Weldy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this thesis is to determine the influence of finishing location and forage diversity on carcass characteristics, meat quality, terroir, and color stability of grass-finished bison bulls. The specific objectives were 1) Determine the effect of finishing location on carcass characteristics, meat quality attributes, and terroir of grass-finished bison bulls, 2) Investigate the effect of forage diversity on the carcass characteristics, meat quality attributes, and terroir of grass-finished bison bulls, and 3) Determine the effect of finishing location on the meat color stability of grass-finished bison bulls. Overall, results indicate that finishing location influenced carcass characteristics, objective …

The Influence Of Bottom-Up And Top-Down Effects On The Density And Distribution Of Common Leopards In The Eastern Himalayas, Karma Choki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) are widely distributed across Asia, yet their conservation is overshadowed by the conservation status of other flagship predators like tigers (Panthera tigris), in the Eastern Himalayas. Despite their ability to coexist with other large carnivores, leopard populations are shaped by intricate ecological interactions and increasing human pressures. This thesis investigates the abundance and density, habitat use, and drivers of persistence of leopards across Bhutan to inform multi-species carnivore conservation planning. My first chapter provides an overview of the ecological roles of large carnivores and how they persist on the landscape. I review the mechanisms that facilitate …

Characterizing A Free-Roaming Cat Population To Predict Predation Of Threatened Species In An Island Ecosystem, Sarah Gheida

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Comparative Evaluation Of Fungal Strains For The Bioprocessing Of Soybean Hulls Using Cheese Whey As Fermentation Medium, Ruchita Bhattarai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globally, soybean is the most widely cultivated oilseed crops, and serve as the primary source of cooking oil, contributing to around 50% of global oilseed production. During the industrial processing of soybean oil, a significant amount of soybean hull (SH) is produced, which makes up about 8% of the grain yield, resulting in approximately 18–20 million tons of hulls, one of the largest by-products in the soybean industry. The hulls have limited commercial value and are primarily used as fiber additives in dairy cattle feed, but a large portion is still discarded as agricultural waste. Similarly, cheese whey (CW), a …