Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Adoption Of Auto-Steer By Row-Crop Farmers In Mississippi, Patrick Jason Poindexter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to identify socio-economic factors which may influence the adoption of auto-steer technologies by row crop farmers in Mississippi. The variables of geographic location, size of farm, age of the farmer, and educational level of the farmer were analyzed using a binary logistic regression analysis to determine if those variables could be used as predictors in the farmer’s adoption of auto-steer. Analysis revealed that the size of the farm and the age of the farmer are both statistically significant predictors of the probability of a farmer adopting auto-steer in the state of Mississippi. Geographic location …

Evaluation Of Herbicide Tolerance And Interference Potential Among Weedy Rice Germplasm, Swati Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

Weedy red rice is conspecific weed of rice, identified as a threat to global rice production. As weedy rice is more tolerant to stresses than cultivated rice and has wide genetic and morphological variation we hypothesized that weedy rice has high herbicide tolerance and weed suppressive potential. Herbicide tolerance and weed suppressive potential of 54 weedy rice accessions were evaluated and the traits were associated with molecular markers. Accessions B2, B20 and S11 showed high tolerance to glyphosate and B49, B51 and S59 had high tolerance to flumioxazin. All the accessions were controlled 100% with 1311g a.i/ha (1.5x) rate of …

Allomaternal Care By Conspecifics Impacts Activity Budgets Of Colobus Guereza Mothers, Dominique L. Raboin

Theses and Dissertations

In primate societies, caring for infants involves nursing, protection, provisioning, and carrying - all energetically taxing states for mothers. The cost of holding and carrying clinging infants often constrains mothers from moving and traveling, potentially reducing their food and energy intake. Alternatively, when an infant is physically separated from their mother they are at risk of predation from birds of prey or other large mammals. This requires a high level of vigilance from mothers, often further deterring them from acquiring the food and energy that they need. Allomaternal care (AMC) is hypothesized to provide mothers with a way to safely …

An Investigation Of Vocal Learning Propensity In Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata), Tatsuya Hayashi

Theses and Dissertations

The investigator attempted to predict the vocal learning propensity from either family pedigree or early vocal babbling (subsong). Pedigree trees suggest the possibility that vocal learning ability may depend on family. We failed to predict vocal learning propensity from subsong, but suggested that subsong may influence vocal learning outcome.

Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory-2 Restructured Form (Mmpi-2-Rf) Personality Characteristics Of Parents Evaluated For Child Neglect, Emily Burch

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Assessment-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) profiles of parents who underwent psychological evaluation subsequent to substantiated claims by the Florida Department of Children and Families of child neglect. A second purpose was to assess profile differences between this sample and a sample of parents with substantiated claims of child physical abuse, with a particular focus on evaluating comparative levels of internalizing factors, externalizing factors, and defensiveness. Samples were also compared in regards to their levels of substance usage, as this was shown in prior literature to be a salient psychosocial factor …

Parent Reported Executive Functioning Does Not Predict Memory Dysfunction In Pediatric Epilepsy And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Nicole J. Norheim

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Epilepsy and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) children are vulnerable to executive functioning and memory difficulties. The interaction between EF and memory is important to consider as EF impairments may put children at risk for experiencing memory difficulties which can impact their academic performance and quality of life. However, the evidence for the impact of EF on memory is very limited with only two studies to date focusing on this association (Rzezak et al., 2012; Sepeta et al., 2017). This was the first study to research the impact of executive dysfunction on memory in the pediatric epilepsy and ADHD population. Method: …

Methods And Metrics To Measure And Predict The Social Impact Of Engineered Products, Phillip Douglas Stevenson

Theses and Dissertations

More than ever before, engineers are creating products for developing countries. One of the purposes of these products is to improve the consumer's quality of life. Currently, there is no established method of measuring the social impact of these types of products. As a result, engineers have used their own metrics to assess their product's impact, if at all. Some of the common metrics used include products sold and revenue, which measure the financial success of a product without recognizing the social successes or failures it might have. In this thesis I introduce a potential metric, the Product Impact Metric …

Student Leaders' Involvement And The Impact On Their Eating Habits, Carly Jill Samuels

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the eating habits of undergraduate student leaders at Rowan University. This study also sought to find a connection between the involvement of student leaders and its effect on the food intake for student leaders. The Student Athletes and Involvement Theory instrument helped to quantify student leader involvement. This survey was distributed to undergraduate student leaders at the Student Government Association senate meetings.

The conclusions revealed in the study include involvement patterns being consistent with previous research, more nutritional education needed for undergraduate student leaders, more research needed to determine the relationships of …

The Old Versus The New Equestrian Circus: Demonstrating And Promoting Equine Welfare, Veronica Painter

Theses and Dissertations

Circus is an art form that was originally considered as a humanitarian art, promoting equine welfare by shedding a new light on the horse and human relationship. During a time where horses were used for war, work, and transportation; fancy riding and liberty stood as the framework for a new togetherness between man and beast. The animal activist revolution centered on exotic animals in circus, yet the effects of these demanding pressures caused a major blow to the equestrian circus. This comparative study examines possible improvements to the industry in order to keep this art alive. Keeping up with eclectic …

Attitudes And Acceptability Of The Stepped-Care Model Of Depression Treatment In Primary Care Patients And Providers, Krista L. Herbert

Theses and Dissertations

Primary care has become the first and only point of contact for a majority of individuals experiencing depressive symptoms. One alternative model of care that has been adopted in international primary care settings as an alternative to standard care is the stepped-care model. Emerging evidence suggests that the stepped-care model is at least as effective as standard care for depression; however, little is known about attitudes of patients and providers regarding this model, especially within the US. The current study utilized a cross-sectional survey to inquire about general attitudes towards the stepped-care model, the individual steps, and the treatments offered …

Does Dietary Behavior Mediate The Association Between Hedonic Hunger And Bmi In Overweight/Obese Adolescents?, Kirandeep Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Heightened reward associated with palatable food, a construct referred to as hedonic reward, can promote excessive energy intake among adults. However, no known studies have examined the influence of hedonic reward on adolescents' eating behavior and weight status. The present study examined whether there was an association between hedonic hunger and weight status in overweight/obese adolescents and whether dietary behavior (caloric consumption) mediated this association. Baseline measures of body mass index, hedonic food reward, and dietary intake were collected from one hundred overweight and obese adolescents. Data were analyzed using mixture modeling. Mediation at varying levels of hedonic hunger was …

Genetic Basis For Elevated Rheumatic Heart Disease Susceptibility In Samoa, John Bowen Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Rheumatic heart disease is an inflammatory heart disease that affects millions of people around the world. Especially high rates of the disease can be found in Oceania, including the island nation of Samoa. Genetic studies of immune response genes have provided insight into a possible genetic link to increased susceptibility to rheumatic heart disease, including the genes that code for the toll-like receptor (TLR) protein family. One of the functions of TLR proteins is to recognize the presence of bacteria via identification of bacterial flagella. My evaluation of a Samoan family identified a variant in the TLR-5 gene that would …

The Ability Of Novel Phage To Infect Virulent Bacillus Anthracis Isolates, Hyrum Smith Shumway

Theses and Dissertations

Bacillus anthracis is a soil dwelling microbe with pronounced pathogenic potential. Historically, anthrax has infected livestock and man. In the modern-age, anthrax is a bioterrorism concern with major incidents every decade. While the threat of large scale attacks is currently viewed as unlikely, the threat is consistent and constant. Current methods to defend against such an attack focus on antibiotics and containment of public panic. Antibiotic resistance, while not currently an issue for anthrax, could easily become so with genetically engineered weaponized strains created by rogue states or independent actors. This project evolved from collaborations between the Grose lab and …

Cognitive, Emotional, And Contextual Factors Related To Delusional Ideation, Sharanjit D. Pujji

Theses and Dissertations

Our beliefs profoundly influence how we interact and understand the experiences we have and the world around us. However, some individuals may develop 'false' beliefs (i.e., delusions) that are not grounded in consensual reality that may create adversities for the individual or others. Although various theories have been developed relating to the formation and maintenance of delusions, explaining their origins, meanings, and precise influence is a difficult task due to the highly individualistic nature of beliefs. The current study examined a number of likely candidate processes suspected of contributing to the formation and maintenance of delusional ideation in a sub-clinical …

When Does Less Equal More? Assessing The Mechanisms Driving Compensatory Mortality And The Hydra Effect, Joseph T. Neale

Theses and Dissertations

Many populations across taxa are regulated by negative density-dependence, wherein increased population sizes lead to decreased birth rates and/or increased mortality. By releasing such populations from some level of these density-dependent effects, extrinsic mortality can lead to counter-intuitive results, such as no change in population size (compensation), or an increase in population size (overcompensation). These results have been documented experimentally, but there currently exists a dearth of empirical studies exploring the mechanisms behind the phenomenon. We tested the relationship between extrinsic mortality level and (over)compensation in four mosquito species – Aedes aegypti, A. albopictus, A. triseriatus, and Culex pipiens – …

Smelling Weakness: Mechanical Damage Influences The Volatile Emissions Of Prunus Bark, Matthew Hetherington

Theses and Dissertations

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from plants often mediate interactions with constituents of the broader ecosystem. In this study I examined the extent to which VOCs emitted from the bark of Prunus species change after mechanical wounding, and thereby influence the behavior of Sesiid peach pests. This research represents the first application of solid-phase microextraction to the characterization of Prunus bark volatiles and the first investigation of bark emissions as mediators of Sesiid behavior in three decades. I document significant decreases in benzaldehyde emission coinciding with increases in benzyl cyanide, p-cymene, linalool, and camphene after wounding in both Prunus species …

Optimization Of Oat Amylase During Sprouting To Enhance Sugar Production, Erin Elizabeth Hiatt

Theses and Dissertations

New food innovation is largely based on consumer demand, and currently many consumers demand healthy foods with clean label ingredient statements and plant-based origins. Sprouted grain products meet these qualifications and thus are growing in popularity. Sweetened products have been made from oats by adding exogenous amylase enzymes to hydrolyze starch into sugars. The purpose of this study was to create a clean label oat sweetener using endogenous enzymes. First, amylase activity under various sprouting conditions was determined for 4 hulless and 10 in-hull oat varieties. Paul (hulless variety) and Horsepower (in-hull variety) had the highest amylase activity after sprouting …

Lean Six Sigma's Impact On Firm Innovation Performance, Austin Michael Strong

Theses and Dissertations

Following Toyota's dramatic rise to prominence within the automotive industry in the late 1980's, firms around the globe have widely sought to adopt Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a means of reducing costs, improving quality, and gaining an overall competitive advantage. While the operational benefits of LSS are largely undisputed, there are criticisms of the movement with regards to its effect on firm innovation capability. Prior academic studies investigating the relationship between LSS and innovation are largely conceptual in nature, rely heavily on qualitative data, and display a high degree of variability in results. The objective of this work was …

Corporate Social Responsibility In The Egyptian Banking Sector: A Study On Effectiveness And Profitability, Yasmin Youssef

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate Social Responsibility is a booming concept worldwide and all corporates are shifting towards undertaking some Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Banks play a major role in the Corporate Social Responsibility sector, as they are the base of any loan for any corporate, hence, they have the control of the Corporate Social Responsibility activities of a firm. Banks do Corporate Social Responsibility activities within different disciplines. This study analyzes the effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility activities, along with the relation between the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities and its profitability. Intensive interviews were conducted with Corporate Social Responsibility representatives/managers at the …

The In-Betweens Of Lifeworlds: Double Clicks Of Becoming-Entrepreneurial, Ahmed Amin

Theses and Dissertations

In this project, I de-naturalize dynamics of the establishment of social entrepreneurship as a political project that has on the underside of it after-modern passions and desires with an affinity to the European Renaissance and the West as, according to Michel-Rolph Trouillot, “a project not a place, a multi-layered enterprise in transparent universality” (Trouillot, 1991: 32). I purse de-naturalization through de-scription. I de-scribe and trace relationships and inter-actions that are made and re-made in the name of social entrepreneurship. In those very inter-actions, entrepreneurial bodies are re-assembled. According to Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari (1987), “we know nothing about a …

The Effect Of Adding Radiotherapy To The Administrated Chemotherapy On Infants' Gut Microbiome, Nourhan Elsahly

Theses and Dissertations

The gut microbiota has been described as the forgotten organ owing to its important roles in the human body, that includes but not limited to: digestion, immunity, homeostasis and response to some drugs such as, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Its role has been also described in reflection to radiotherapy and associated gastrointestinal injuries, where dysbiosis and its associated side effects could be the driving force for dose determination or the complete suspension of the treatment plan. Linking the gut microbiota alterations to different cancer treatment protocols is not easy, especially in humans. However, enormous effort was exerted to understand this complex …

Cyber-Feminism And Facebook: A Comparative Study Of Arab Women's Organization Activity In Tunisia, Lebanon, And Egypt, Amira Abdlgalil

Theses and Dissertations

“[The Internet] encourages each of us to communicate and connect—not only with women who seem like us, but with those who are unfamiliar. And, in the process of opening our eyes, minds, and hearts to new horizons, we can help shape a future of understanding, acceptance, and peace” (Queen Rania of Jordan, 2007) (Wheeler, 2008). Displaying women’s current access to social media platforms such as Facebook, the study employs a comparative study on a number of Women’s Rights organizations in diverse Arab countries from the Middle East and North Africa (Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia) by identifying, monitoring and focusing on …

Biotic Filtering In Endophytic Fungal Communities, Kevin Daniel Ricks

Theses and Dissertations

Plants can be colonized by complex communities of endophytic fungi. This thesis presents two studies, both of which investigate biotic filtering in endophytic fungal communities. Chapter 1. Endophytic fungi can be acquired horizontally via propagules produced in the environment such as in plant litters of various species. Given that litters from different plant species harbor distinct endophytic fungal communities and that endophytic fungi may be dispersal-limited, the structure of the endophytic fungal community of a given plant may be determined by proximity to particular inoculum sources. Community assembly may also be affected by biotic filtering by the plant. Therefore, a …

Communication For Development. Towards Effective Communication, Mona Ali Soliman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand and identify the success factors of Communication for Development endeavors. By understanding the past efforts and studying the current methodologies used in the different phases of campaigns this study aims to conceptualize the most effective ways to generate Communication for Development products. Through the examination of foreign and local case studies in this research paper, it is anticipated to have a clear conceptualization of what makes some development campaigns succeed, in terms of message design and outreach rather than others. Meanwhile, through the expert interviews, this study aims to understand the process …

The Role Of Online And Social Media In Combating Sexual Harassment In Egypt, Mariam Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

Violence against women - particularly sexual harassment is a widespread problem faced by women around the world. In Egypt, research shows that a large number of women have been harassed at least once in their lifetime. The Egyptian Government, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have been working for several years on interventions and activities to combat sexual harassment. With the widespread use of online and social media in Egypt, this new media became a better and easily accessible form of conveying combating sexual harassment messages. This study, thus, aims to identify ways through which online and social media could be …

Do Maternal Psychosocial Factors Predict Adolescent Weight?, Sandra Jody Marks

Theses and Dissertations

Do Maternal Psychosocial Factors Predict Adolescent Weight? Sandra Jody MarksDepartment of Exercise Sciences, BYUMaster of SciencePurpose: This study investigated the possible relationship between maternal psychosocial factors, mainly maternal stress and maternal depression, and adolescent weight status. Also, this study examined the predictive effect of these maternal psychosocial factors on adolescent weight loss during a health education intervention as well as the months following the health education. Methods: Study design was a longitudinal pretest posttest with a health education intervention. We assessed 40 adolescents and their mothers on four occasions over a 1-year period. At each occasion, the Stress Index for …

Characterizing The Spatial Variation Of Crop Water Productivity For Variable-Rate Irrigation Management, Jeffrey David Svedin

Theses and Dissertations

Irrigated agriculture is the primary consumer of limited worldwide freshwater resources. Drought, growing world populations, and environmental demands compete with irrigation for freshwater resources"”threatening sustainable global food, fuel, and fiber production. This escalating global crisis demands that agriculture produce more food using less water. Traditional irrigation management has used technology to apply uniform irrigation rates across landscapes"”ignoring natural environmental variation. This provides inherent inefficiencies of over- or under- irrigation within individual fields. Variable-rate irrigation (VRI) is modern technology that employs global positioning systems and geographic information systems to match irrigation to spatially variable crop water demands within a field. Although …

Anaerobic Digestion Of Organic Waste: A Kitchen Waste Case Study, Charles Sendaaza

Theses and Dissertations

Rapid population growth, urbanization, improved living standards and a shift in the consumption patterns have accordingly escalated the intensity of waste generation. The 2012 World Bank report on solid waste estimated the annual municipal solid waste generation at 1.3 billion tons per year with a projection of over a 40% increase in the annual generation rate by 2025 and a 300% increase by 2100 worldwide. Nearly half of the generated municipal solid waste is organic, including food wastes. About 30% of the food produced annually is wasted at different stages along the food supply chain before human consumption. Kitchens serving …

Plane Of Energy Nutrition On Blood Metabolites, Milk Production And Lamb Growth In Friesian Sheep, Rebekah Paige Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Small ruminant species are utilized for their diverse products including meat, dairy products, and wool. Effective and humane management are essential to maintain high production rates and comfortable animals. To attain this objective, managers needs to have an extensive knowledge of husbandry techniques, understanding of physiological processes, and familiarity with nutritional requirements. We examined the effects of varying feed components on two different ruminal species. In Chapter 1, we conducted a study to evaluate"¯the effects"¯of a low metabolizable energy (LME) and high metabolizable energy (HME) diet on twenty-two Friesian/Lacuane"¯cross ewes and lamb nutritional status."¯Effects on milk production during early lactation …

Evaluation Of Pigments From A Purple Variety Of Atriplex Hortensis L. For Use In Food Applications, Eva Graciela Vila Roa

Theses and Dissertations

Atriplex hortensis L., also known as orach, is a leafy vegetable from the Amaranthaceae family, which has historically been consumed as a potherb, like spinach. The brightly colored leaves are a source of high quality protein, but may also be of interest as a potential source of natural food pigments. An aqueous extraction was obtained from the freshly harvested leaves of the'Triple Purple' variety of A. hortensis. The extract was spray-dried into a powder, and individual pigments were analyzed using HPLC and LC-MS. The powder was also included as a color additive in a typical stabilizer/sweetener preparation and mixed into …