Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of Deer And Pronghorn Surveys In South Dakota, Kristopher W. Cudmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To properly manage white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and the American pronghorn antelope (Antilocapridae americana), wildlife managers must identify population perimeters, sample size, age and sex ratios of these three species. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate age and sex ratios and determine a minimum sample size for each study area for all deer species and pronghorn, in addition to deriving a methodology and population estimate for white-tailed deer in the Black Hills. Sample size needed for both species of deer and pronghorn ranged from 60-70 groups of does. Age ratios calculated from daylight …

The Fiscal Theory Of The Price Level In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Structural Break Analysis, Christian Tchamda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I provide empirical evidence of the fiscal theory of the price level (FTPL) using sub-Saharan African countries. While the traditional view of the inflation is driven and explained by the quantity theory of money, the FTPL argues that the government deficit has an impact on the price level. However, the empirical literature of the FTPL is not extensive. This paper adds to this literature in that it substantiates this theory. I determine using primary balance and liabilities data when available to classify a country as under either a monetary dominant regime (the traditional view) or under a …

Price Discovery And Volatility Spillover Effects: The Agricultural Etps And Their Underlying Commodities, Yu Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the price discovery and volatility spillover effects between agricultural ETPs and commodity underlying. We analyze historical prices of five most popular grain ETPs and their underlying commodities using VEC model and BEKK model. Price discovery is confirmed by bidirectional relationships between ETPs and underlying commodity in the long term, and the WEAT_ETP and CBOT Wheat Futures December Contracts. In addition, findings show unidirectional relationships between ETPs and underlying, mostly in the short term. In the process of price discovery, the information share of ETPs is much lower than that of underlying, with a potential downward trend. Volatility …

Effects Of Phase Feeding During Gestation On Gilt Performance, Offspring Quality And Robustness, Agatha Ampaire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A total of 51 gilts in 6 blocks were randomly assigned to one of 3 feeding regimens: Constant (Constant-f), 2.21 kg/d of a standard diet from breeding to d 112 of gestation (1.7 g Lys/kcal ME; 3276 kcal ME/kg); Bump feeding (Bump-f), the standard diet at 2.21 kg/d from breeding to d 89 and 2.61 kg/d from d 90 - 112; Phase feeding (Phase-f ), 2.21 kg/d from breeding to d 89 (1.5 g Lys/kcal ME; 3275 kcal ME/kg) and 2.61 kg/d from d 90 - 112 (2.1 g Lys/Kcal ME; 3290 Kcal ME/kg) over 2 reproductive cycles. Sows received …

Simulation Of Magnetically Confined Inductively Coupled Plasma, Sina Javadpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work, a new parallel coil design was presented to address the need for high density inductively coupled plasmas with enhanced properties and a more uniform and consistent distribution, suitable for large-area material processing. Fluid model simulations of 3D argon inductively coupled plasma (ICP) were performed in COMSOL for the proposed coil and a conventional single cylindrical coil with the same impedance to be used as reference, to compare and evaluate the performance of this new halftoroidal parallel coil design and study its effects on the main variables of the generated plasma. Through different comparisons of the simulations results, …

Understanding The Impacts Of Ammonia Fiber Expansion (Afex™) Pretreatment And Densification On Densified Products Quality And The Bioproducts Yield Through Enzymatic Hydrolysis And Fast Pyrolysis, Vijay Sundaram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lignocellulosic biomass poses significant challenges during handling, transportation, and storage due to its low bulk density. Densification involves conversion of the low bulk density biomass into a highly compacted product which helps in improving the handling, transporting, and storage obstacles associated with biomass logistics. Besides the logistical challenges, the recalcitrant nature of the lignocellulosic biomass makes it even more challenging during the enzymatic hydrolysis. The carbohydrate components, cellulose and hemicellulose are not readily accessible by the enzymes during the hydrolysis process due to the presence of lignin. Pretreatment is the process to convert the native recalcitrant biomass in the form, …

Factors Affecting Feedlots' Decisions On Cattle Marketing Options: A National Study, Charlotte Owusu-Smart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the economic implication of changing slaughter volume patterns across the cash and contract markets in the US cattle industry. Weekly time series data that spans from November 2002 to December 2015 was used in the analysis. Empirical evidence suggests that Mandatory Price Reporting (MPR) played an important role in changing slaughter volumes across the cash and contract markets. Additionally, price of feeder cattle, cattle quality characteristics (Choice-Select spread and the percentage of animals grading choice or better) among others influence feedlots’ decision to use a particular marketing arrangement.

Land Surface Phenologies And Seasonalities Using Cool Earthlight In Temperate And Tropical Croplands, Woubet Gashaw Alemu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today’s world of increasing food insecurity due to more frequent and extreme events (droughts, floods), a comprehensive understanding of global cropland dynamics is critically needed. Land surface parameters derived from the passive microwave Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer on EOS (AMSR-E) and AMSR2 data enable monitoring of cropland dynamics and they can complement visible to near infrared (VNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) data. Passive microwave data are less sensitive to atmospheric effects, cloud contamination, and solar illumination constraints resulting in finer temporal resolution suitable to track the temporal progression of cropland cover development compared to the VNIR data that has …

The Determinants Of Rural Outmigration In The United States: 2010-2014, Munia Sunjid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on both economic and noneconomic determinants of geographical migration out of rural areas in the United States. In line with existing studies on individual’s decision to migrate from rural to urban areas, our analysis compares expected returns in rural to those in urban areas. Using annual U.S. countylevel count data spanning the period from 2010 to 2014, Fixed Effect and Negative Binomial methods are used to evaluate the effects of both economic and noneconomic variables on geographical outmigration from rural to urban areas. Determining factors investigated include distance between place of origin and potential destination, median household …

Comprehensive Structural, Thermal And Toxicological Characterization Of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Alkylbenzenesulfonate Ionic Liquids, Hiranmayee Kandala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Synthesis and characterization of 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium alkylbenzenesulfonate ionic liquids for extraction of lignin from prairie cord grass have been studied. The ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium benzenesulfonate (EBS), 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium toluenesulfonate (ETS) and 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium xylenesulfonate (EXS) have been synthesized in this research. An extensive structural, physical, thermal and toxicological characterization has been performed to understand the behavior of these ionic liquids. The reaction yield for the synthesis of EBS, ETS, and EXS ionic liquids was determined to be 91.2 ± 1.5 %, 96.1 ± 0.7 %, 99.0 ± 0.5 % respectively. Spectral analysis using NMR and FTIR confirms the …

Account Service And Creative Personnel: Interpersonal Conflict And Dialectical Tensions In Advertising Agencies, Ashley Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Account service and creative personnel have oppositional perspectives and motivations that often lead to interpersonal conflicts while working together on client projects. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of interpersonal conflicts in advertising agencies. The researcher used relational dialectics theory as a lens for analyzing the dialectical (i.e., oppositional) tensions experienced by account service and creative personnel as well as the praxis patterns (i.e., techniques) used to manage those tensions. After conducting in-depth interviews with five account service and five creative personnel (N = 10) from full service advertising agencies in the Midwest, an analysis revealed …

Indexing Walleye Recruitment In Eastern South Dakota Natural Lakes, Todd M. Kaufman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because of the popularity of Walleyes and the need for recurrent supplemental stockings, substantial resources are allocated to their management in eastern South Dakota. For nearly 20 years, fall night electrofishing has been used to monitor age-0 Walleye population parameters, and index future year-class strength in select waters but with limited evaluation. Additionally, knowledge of recruitment patterns and factors that influence those patterns were of interest. Thus, the objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the utility of fall electrofishing age-0 Walleyes to index future year-class strength; 2) to explore whether measures of fall age-0 body size or condition …

Impacts Of Landscape Position And Nitrogen Fertilizer On Soils, Carbon And Nitrogen Leaching, And Greenhouse Gas Fluxes From Switchgrass Production In South Dakota, Liming Lai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) production for biofuels has potential economic values. It can also improve soil properties and perform better under marginal lands than the other major biomass crops. However, little is known about its potential ecological impacts assessed in terms of soils, water, and air quality in the northern Great Plains region of United States of America. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the impacts of nitrogen fertilization rate (N rate) and landscape position on soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), bulk density (ρb), and phosphorus (P) in switchgrass field; (ii) assess …

The Relationship Between Recollection, Knowledge Transfer, And Student Attitudes Towards Chemistry, Oluwatobi Omobonike Odeleye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Certain foundational concepts, including acid-base theory, chemical bonding and intermolecular forces (IMFs), appear throughout the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. The level of understanding of these foundational concepts influences the ability of students to recognize the relationships between sub-disciplines in chemistry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between student attitudes towards chemistry and their abilities to recollect and transfer knowledge of IMFs, a foundational concept, to their daily lives as well as to other classes. Data were collected using surveys, interviews and classroom observations, and analyzed using qualitative methods. The data show that while most students were able …

Intranasal Immunization Of Pigs With Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Like Particles Plus 2’, 3’ –Cgamp Vaccigrade™ Adjuvant Exacerbates Viremia After Virus Challenge, Alexandria Marie Van Noort

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an economically devastating virus that causes a persistent infection and spreads quickly. The virus causes abortions in sows and respiratory diseases in young piglets. Current PRRSV vaccines appear to provide limited cross-protection. A virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccine is made up of key PRRSV structural proteins, which could be cross protective among the different strains. We tested PRRSV VLPs as a vaccine candidate with a 2’, 3’-cGAMP VacciGradeTM adjuvant against pigs infected with PRRSV after intranasal immunization to evaluate the immune response and protective efficacy by the VLPs and adjuvant. The VLPs contain …

The Relationship Between Relative Strength Levels To Sprinting Performance In Collegiate 100-400m Sprinters, Philip Reuer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between relative maximal (1RM) strength (i.e. back squat and power clean) to sprinting performance in 60-400m collegiate sprinters. A secondary purpose was to determine the distribution of athletes within the theoretical relationship between relative squat strength and performance capabilities. Fifty-six (n = 56) male and sixty-four (n = 64) female collegiate track and field sprinters were observed from DI (n = 88) and DII schools (n = 32) that participated in a year round strength and conditioning program. Maximal strength was divided by body weight to calculate relative strength and …

Activated Carbon Preparation And Modification For Adsorption, Yuhe Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Butanol is considered a promising, infrastructure-compatible biofuel. Butanol has a higher energy content than ethanol and can be used in conventional gas engines without modifications. Unfortunately, the fermentation pathway for butanol production is restricted by its toxicity to the microbial strains used in the process. Butanol is toxic to the microbes, and this can slow fermentation rates and reduce butanol yields. Gas stripping technology can efficiently remove butanol from the fermentation broth as it is produced, thereby decreasing its inhibitory effects. Traditional butanol separation heavily depends on the energy intensive distillation method. One of the main issues in acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation …

Associations Between Child Weight Status And The Home Environment: An Analysis Of Parental Eating Policies, Emily Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Childhood obesity is a complex issue common in the U.S. today as it not only is associated with health-threatening comorbidities, but also increases a child’s likelihood of becoming overweight or obese during adulthood. Because of its complexity, several factors, including parents and the home environment, must be considered when assessing child weight status and also when aiming to prevent or treat childhood obesity.
Objective: To investigate specific food rules practiced within the home environment that are influencing child weight status and to identify if these rules contrast among children who are normal weight and those who are overweight/obese. Methods: …

Effectiveness Of A Shoulder Strengthening Intervention On The Incidence Rate Of Glenohumeral Joint Instability Injuries, Michael Aderman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Shoulder injuries are frequently sustained in American football due to the contact and collision aspect of the sport. Injuries to the shoulder account for about 10% to 20% of all musculoskeletal injuries that occur in football and the shoulder is the fourth most commonly injured joint behind the hand, knee and ankle. The effectiveness of the dynamic stabilizers of the glenohumeral joint is a factor that could affect the rate of injuries that occur at the joint. The CKCUEST has been shown to be an effective test for assessing the dynamic stability of the glenohumeral joint.
Objective: The purpose …

Development Of Microgrid Test Bed For Testing Energy Management System, Shaili Nepal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today the world population has reached 7.5 billion, and this number is expected to grow at the rate of 1.13% every year [1]. With this increase in population, the total demand for electricity has also increased. More people means the need for more power: electricity to power homes, schools, industries, hospitals, and so on. In today’s world, where most of the daily activities are dependent on electricity, demand for electricity, therefore, continues to rise. Currently, managing this growing need for electricity is one of the challenges the world is facing. In addition to this, approximately 1.2 billion people live in …

Surveillance Of Emerging Livestock Viruses, Faten A. Okda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accurate and rapid diagnostic tests are essential for the management and control of emerging infectious diseases. Therefore, the overall goals of studies presented in this dissertation were to provide improved diagnostic and surveillance capabilities for several emerging viral diseases impacting the livestock industry and to provide insight into appropriate control strategies. Recent, severe outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in Asia and North America highlighted the need for well-validated diagnostic tests for identification of PEDV infected animals and evaluation of their immune status. PEDV was first detected in the U.S. in May 2013 and another swine coronavirus, porcine deltacoronavirus …

Design, Synthesis And Biological Screening Of Novel Cucsinspired Estrone Analogues Towards Treatment Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Mater Hussen Mahnashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cucurbitacins (CUCS) are natural products with highly oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenes produced mostly by Cucurbitaceae family plant. They are known for their therapeutic efficiency with different biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and anti-cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Previous reports have shown the ability of CUCS to inhibit the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG-2) significantly. Structural activity relationship studies suggested the potential of the 23, 24 enone side chain of CUCS to bind to the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). Due to the limited quantities of CUCS upon isolation and the challenges …

Lignin Transformation And Characterization Of Pyrolytic Products, Eric Amo Boakye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lignocellulosic materials derived from plants have the ability to serve as feedstocks in place of depleting petroleum and coal for production of fuels and chemicals. Lignin forms about 30% of lignocellulosic material, and is the second most abundant non-fossil organic carbon source in the biosphere. However, it is often treated as waste or, in some instances, burned to supply energy. Developing an efficient and environmentally benign method to convert lignin to high value-added aromatic monomers (e.g., guaiacol, vanillin, acetovanillone, and eugenol) for synthesis of polymers is of interest. Mineral bases, such as NaOH and CsOH, or supported-metal catalysts (Pt, Ru, …

Design, Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Novel Estradiol-Triazole Analogs Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors In Colorectal Cancer, Faez Alotaibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal cancer is a life threatening and second cause of death from cancer in the United States. Several proteins (molecular targets) are highly expressed in Colorectal cancer (CRC). Among these molecular targets is Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs) which are overexpressed in cancer cells. Targeting and blocking the downstream signaling could lead to cease cell proliferation and division and hence control the spread of the disease. Molecular modeling is a powerful tool in drug discovery, which has been utilized to design many drug candidates that exhibit biological effect in many disease including cancer. Additionally, pharmacophores such as 1,2,3-triazole showed potency …

Diaporthe, Soybean Cyst Nematode, And Soybean Aphid: An Evaluation Of Potential Interactions Occurring Among Pests On Soybean In South Dakota, John Philip Posch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr., is an important crop grown in South Dakota, with an estimated production of $2.33 billion in 2015. However, soybean production in South Dakota is compromised by four pests, the fungal pathogens Diaporthe longicolla (Hobbs) Santos, Vrandecic, and Phillips and Diaporthe caulivora (Athow and Caldwell) Santos, Vrandecic, and Phillips, the soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines Ichinohe (SCN), and the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Additionally, these pest can co-occur in fields within South Dakota and the implications associated with interactions among these pests are unknown. We hypothesized that both Diaporthe species would interact with …

Funding Of Higher Education: Variations In State Funding, Impacts Of State Funding On Differential Tuition, And Variables Impacting Differential Tuition, Michael Holbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public higher education in the United States has seen many changes since the Morrill Act of 1862. Specifically, the funding of higher education has changed greatly over the last half century, from very low tuition and relatively high state subsidies to an increased reliance on tuition to fund higher education. While this funding change has been the national trend, the impact on specific states and universities has varied greatly. This study examines the funding variation between university peers, normalized using state general funds per resident student FTE, to analyze the variation of state funding between states as well as the …

Phytophthora Sojae Infecting Soybean: Pathotype Diversity, New Sources Of Resistance And Interaction With The Soybean Cyst Nematode, Rawnaq Nazneen Chowdhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phytophthora root and stem rot, caused by Phytophthora sojae Kaufmann and Gerdemann, is an important disease of soybean (Glycine max L.) in South Dakota. To gain a better understanding of the importance of P. sojae in South Dakota, specifically pathotype diversity, identification of new resistance sources and the interaction with the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, SCN), this research was undertaken with the following objectives - 1) to characterize the pathotype diversity of P. sojae causing Phytophthora root and stem rot on soybean in commercial fields in South Dakota; 2) to compare inoculation methods to evaluate for …

Outsourcing Our Memory 2.0: Using Walter Ong's Orality/Literacy Studies To Recognize Technologies Effects On Memory, Rishi Raj Bahl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the heart of media ecology is the principle that technology not only deeply influences society, but also controls most aspects of daily life. Additionally, media ecology investigates how media and communication processes profoundly affect human perception and understanding. The pervasive role that technology plays in modern life today has exacerbated the results of technology on human beings. Some of these outcomes are not desirable and may be a hindrance to the progress of our society. This dissertation takes particular interest in the multifaceted consequences that the overuse of technology imposes on our ability to fully utilize our memory.

In …

An Ethical Framework For Global Governance For Health Research, Kiarash Aramesh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Global Governance is the way by which various affairs of human social life at the global scale are governed in the absence of a global governance. This field is composed of complex networks of role players. Global Health Governance is a branch of Global Governance that governs the health-related affairs. An important branch of this huge complex of networks that has not been analyzed sufficiently in the scholarly literature yet is Global Governance for Health Research. Global health research, although it is a part of global health affairs, has its own features and conditions that bring about its specific issues …

A Cacrep-Informed Counselor Educator Developmental Model: Identifying Counselor Skills And Supports Needed For Neophyte Counselor Educators, Ryan Bowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of counseling has been undergoing radical change for the past 40 years as it changes with the demands of the population and as new problems arise with changes in societal needs. Groups such as the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs are working to create a program of counselor education that is singular and comprehensive to meet the needs of these changes. This mixed-methods study explored skills and supports that are needed to help counseling education students become effective future counselor educators. The researcher introduces a model of counselor educator development that will help to …