Digital Commons Network^™

Short-Cut Estimates For Annual Hog Cafo Production: Relationship Between Hog Cafo Inventory And The Annual Production, Nalitra Thaiprasert

Journal of Extension

The increasing numbers of hog CAFOs has become a pressing issue around the country, yet estimating the annual hog CAFO production can be a daunting task for local communities. Current accessible information about hog production levels is either complicated or not useful for most interested parties. This article aims to provide a straightforward calculation of annual hog production adjusted to the full-grown hog equivalent based on available inventory data. The calculation could then be applied to the state, county, or farm level, and results easily compared among same-level study areas.

Remove Personal Information For Review & Quicker Review Results!, Laura Hoelscher

Journal of Extension

"Remove Personal Information for Review & Quicker Review Results!" discusses the paramount importance of removing personal information from submission files, gives instructions for doing so, and announces that, starting in 2009, authors are going to be receiving review results electronically. "February Issue Heads Up" points to the redesign we're rolling out with the February 2009 issue. "Keyword Offer" repeats an offer I've made before. "December JOE" highlights, among other great articles, the Commentary on "Extension's Response to the Housing Crisis" and anticipates more submissions on ways you're responding to help our clients through the current financial crisis.

Living Well: National Extension Association Of Family And Consumer Sciences National Media Campaign, Jean Clarkson-Frisbie, Debra Bartman, Carolyn Gregov, Elizabeth Gregory

Journal of Extension

In 2000, a benchmark survey gathered information from the 18-44 age general urban population about where that group seeks Extension information and the level of the group's awareness of the Cooperative Extension Service. The information was used to develop a Family and Consumer Sciences media public relations campaign that allowed all FCS Extension agents in the U.S. to make a programming impact using the same logo, slogan, and items. The campaign has been heavily used by Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators to educate the public about Cooperative Extension. The results have application for all components of Cooperative Extension.

Extension's Response To The Housing Crisis, Pamela R. Turner

Journal of Extension

Extension needs to react quickly to the current housing crisis. Rising mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures negatively affect the families and communities where we work. Extension is well placed to meet the needs of individuals and families as they weather the economic downturn. We need to respond by providing information, resources, and programs on financial and stress management. Working with local partners, we can help families and stabilize the communities we serve.

Partnering With Local Employers To Meet Housing Needs, Karen Tinsley, Brenda Cude, Thomas Rodgers, Anne Sweaney

Journal of Extension

Low- and moderate-wage earners in Georgia have difficulty finding quality, affordable housing. This article describes one way to help the workforce improve their housing situation. Working with an employer to survey a representative sample of their new employees, University of Georgia Housing and Demographics Research Center researchers collected primary data regarding housing needs and preferences. The survey methodology and logistics are described in detail, and a descriptive summary of the data is included. Survey findings reveal valuable information about housing capacity and desire, and can be used to plan effective, educational programs designed to help workers obtain housing.

Influencing Consumer Awareness Through The Missouri Chestnut Roast

Journal of Extension

Results are presented from a longitudinal study conducted during the Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival in 2003, 2004, and 2006 assessing participants' familiarity with and essential knowledge about chestnuts. Familiarity with chestnuts increased over time. Compared to first-time visitors, repeat visitors revealed an increase in frequency of consumption, familiarity with roasting chestnuts, and an increase in knowledge. The likelihood people would buy chestnuts more often and eat them roasted or in recipes also increased. Results demonstrate the positive impact of the event on participants' knowledge of, familiarity with, and interest in chestnuts. Thus, Extension professionals can use community festivals as an …

Using Local Farmer's Markets To Promote Extension Programming, Mary E. Burrows

Journal of Extension

A booth at the farmers' market was set up in Bozeman, Montana during 2007 to promote Extension activities at Montana State University. This was a highly effective, low time-input and cost-effective method of promoting Extension activities to an audience that is often not aware of the resources available from Extension programs. It is recommended that other states use this as a model for promoting Extension programming in their communities.

Cooperative Effort Leads To The Development Of Tools To Assist Pork Producers In Evaluating Structural Soundness Of Replacement Gilts, Kenneth Stalder, Dale Miller, Colin Johnson, Mark Boggess

Journal of Extension

The objective of the project described here was to develop and deliver new visual tools to assist pork producers to evaluate the structural and reproductive soundness of replacement gilts within their sow herds. The development and distribution of the posters demonstrates how Extension, industry commodity groups, industry partners, and business media can work together to deliver the tools needed to have a positive economic impact at the farm level. Ideas like these are needed to meet the increasingly complex educational needs of modern agricultural industries like the U.S. pork industry.

Using Risk Management Tools And Training To Protect Youth And Adults In Overnight Settings, Janet E. Fox, Lanette Hebert, Mark Tassin, Charles Hebert

Journal of Extension

Providing a safe environment for youth is an essential element for effective youth development programs. This article describes the Louisiana 4-H Youth Development Program's efforts in attaining this essential element through the Overnight Chaperone Program. Derived from a mixed-model, 33-item survey, results indicate that 98% of program participants gained information on how to create a positive environment for youth. Of those, only 31% indicated that they had received any related training previously. Multi-faceted approaches that include screening and training are critical to providing safe environments for youth as well as increasing satisfaction among volunteers.

Pond Appeal Series: Teaching Community Stakeholders To Manage Pestiferous Aquatic Midge Emergences From Storm Water Retention Ponds, Kenneth T. Gioeli, R Leroy Creswell, Jeffrey P. Gellermann, Edward A. Skvarch

Journal of Extension

Saint Lucie West (Florida) residents living adjacent to storm water retention ponds complained about the emergence of large swarms of pestiferous aquatic midges. Pond Appeal is a program developed by the Saint Lucie County Cooperative Extension to educate residents about pond best management practices that would result in a reduction in midge emergences. One hundred and fifty people participated in the program. All participants indicated they increased their understanding of pond management techniques and adopted practice changes that enabled them to better manage these ponds. This resulted in a reduction in pestiferous aquatic midges and improved quality of life.

Do Workshops Work For Building Evaluation Capacity Among Cooperative Extension Service Faculty?, Kathleen D. Kelsey

Journal of Extension

A case study used survey design (pre-test, satisfaction, and post-test) to determine if a 1-day workshop affected participants' skills and self-efficacy in regard to conducting evaluation and if workshop participants applied evaluation skills afterwards. Findings indicate that the workshop was effective in building self-efficacy; however, it did not sustain evaluation practice. Formal training may be necessary to develop skills such as logic modeling, data collection and analysis, and reporting findings to solidify evaluation competencies among participants. It is recommended that Extension faculty engage in continuing education in program evaluation as part of a career development ladder to build evaluation capacity.

Using Focus Groups To Evaluate Youth Development Program Direction, David J. White, Mary E. Arnold, Marilyn Lesmeister

Journal of Extension

Focus groups are an efficient and effective assessment tool for youth development practitioners with limited time and resources. This article examines the practical use and limitations of focus groups to assess a county 4-H program's response to a changing demographic profile. A complete description of the process is followed by a report of results and implications for program direction.

Team Approach To Pesticide Applicator Training, Testing, And Recertification In Four Central Florida Counties, Richard Tyson, Celeste White, Jennifer Welshans, Juanita Popenoe

Journal of Extension

A regional team approach to pesticide training and certification improves clientele opportunities to comply with regulations and requires less time per agent to implement the program. Agents in central Florida identified pesticide licenses with high public demand and developed education opportunities for this group. Program success was measured by comparing exam results from clients taking exams immediately after pesticide training with the results from clients who took the exams without training. Attendees realized a 21% increase in passing percentage. Agents can stretch limited resources and expand quality programs by reaching across county lines in a regional team approach.

Financial Simulations For Young Adults: Making The "Real World" Real, Barbara O’Neill

Journal of Extension

Simulations are a useful tool for teaching personal finance concepts. Keys to a successful simulation experience are easy to replicate materials, realistic scenarios, clear instructions for participants, and a thorough debriefing where students discuss their experiences and what they learned. Simulations provide an opportunity for students to appreciate the economic impact of a post-secondary education and to practice financial management skills such as check writing and budgeting. In addition, they are interactive, which makes learning fun. This article provides Extension educators with brief summaries of a "toolkit" of 11 simulation products that teach personal finance concepts to young adults.

Auto-Responders: An E-Mail List Productivity Tool, Dave Palmer

Journal of Extension

Shrinking budgets and growing demands require Extension to become as efficient and effective as possible. An auto-responder is an online service built to automate much of the effort required to maintain and use an e-mail list. Auto-responders have many features and benefits that could help Extension reduce staff time and become more efficient.

How To Make A Multidisciplinary Ipm Guide For Growers Using Adobe Pagemaker® Templates, Denise Thomas, Jennifer Gillett

Journal of Extension

Constructing a multidisciplinary IPM guide can be overwhelming. This article provides the backbone for developing a guide using a publication produced at the University of Florida as a model. A crucial step in creating these guides is to build a network of qualified professionals who can contribute to the writing. By providing authors with instructions and templates for their section, the guide can be more consistent. Examples of these instructions and Adobe PageMaker® templates are available for free on the UF/IFAS IPM Florida Web site. Disseminating of the final product is critical, and we found that Web delivery was very …

Midwest Grape Production Guide, Maurus Brown

Journal of Extension

The Midwest Grape Production Guide (OSU Extension Bulletin 919) is a joint publication with The Ohio State University and Purdue University and a comprehensive guide on commercial grape production. There are 155 text pages in the bulletin, with 121 color pictures, 22 diagrams, and 18 tables. Sales of this publication have reached a total of more than 2,300 copies in 32 states, with the highest number of copies being sold in Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, New York, and South Dakota. This bulletin would make an excellent resource guide for Midwest grape growers and Extension educators.

Impact Of Afghan Refugees On The Infectious Disease Profile Of Pakistan: Beyond Economy, Ali Jawaid, Abdul Mueed Zafar, Syed Faisal Mahmood

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Self-Medicative Behavior Of Sheep Experiencing Gastrointestinal Nematode Infections And The Postingestive Effects Of Tannin, Larry D. Lisonbee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Diet selection and self-medication are fundamental to the survival of all species. The abilities to choose healthy foods in response to past consequences are basic elements of evolution. This study explores self-medication regarding tannins both as a medication and as a dietary challenge. In the first study, sheep with natural parasite infections were offered a low quality supplement containing a dose of tannins considered to be therapeutic (medicine), while the control infected lambs received the same supplement without tannins (placebo). This study included a group of parasite-free lambs. The parasitized lambs ate more of the tannin containing supplement than non-parasitized …

Hydrological Characterization Of A Riparian Vegetation Zone Using High Resolution Multi-Spectral Airborne Imagery, Osama Zaki Akasheh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Middle Rio Grande River (MRGR) is the main source of fresh water for the state of New Mexico. Located in an arid area with scarce local water resources, this has led to extensive diversions of river water to supply the high demand from municipalities and irrigated agricultural activities. The extensive water diversions over the last few decades have affected the composition of the native riparian vegetation by decreasing the area of cottonwood and coyote willow and increasing the spread of invasive species such as Tamarisk and Russian Olives, harmful to the river system, due to their high transpiration rates, …

Ecotypic Variation In Elymus Elymoides Subspecies Brevifolius Race C In The Northern Intermountain West, Matthew C. Parsons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Little information is available on the extent of local adaptation for many native grass species. This is the case for squirreltail (Elymus section Sitanion), despite this group's prevalence and importance in rangeland restoration efforts. I evaluated 32 populations of E. elymoides ssp. brevifolius race C, a phylogenetic subdivision of bottlebrush squirreltail (E. elymoides) centered in the northern Intermountain West, for phenotypic variables and neutral genetic markers to measure their association with geographical origin. Phenotypic traits were measured in common field and greenhouse environments, and genetic diversity was assessed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism. Three factors were extracted from the phenotypic …

Understanding Unfolding Change And The Value Of Strategic Unification In Recent Usu Information Technology Functional Realignment, Eric S. Hawley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This is a qualitative case study of the 2005-2008 Utah State University Information Technology reorganization from the perspective of key change advocates. The study identified and documented the unfolding change process involved in the reorganization in terms of dissatisfaction, executive changes, internal executive strategic planning, implementation and initial impacts, and continuous "in situ" strategic planning. The study also answered a set of supporting concluding questions indicating increased value to the institution in areas of customer service and confidence, organization, financial resources, planning and policy, security, and increased/improved services and service functions.

A Study Of Utah Teachers' Developmentally Appropriate Beliefs And Practices As Related To Perceptions Of Kindergarteners' Successful School Entry, Mary Mceuen Darnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was an exploration of 450 Utah kindergarten teachers' perceptions of problems children face at the time of kindergarten entry, as well as an examination of the teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices. Consistent with previous research, teachers' beliefs were found to be more developmentally appropriate than their reported practices. This study also investigated the relationship between both teacher and classroom/school demographics and teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices. Further, the relationship between teachers' perceptions of children's transition to kindergarten and beliefs, practices, teacher demographics, and classroom/school demographics was studied.

Study findings indicated that teachers perceive 20% of kindergarten …

An Assessment Of The Perceived Value Of Teacher Portfolios In The Early Years Enhancement (Eye) Program By Primary And Secondary Teachers In Utah's Schools, Teresa J. Denison

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the teacher portfolio as an evaluation of professional development in Utah's new teacher licensing--the Early Year's Enhancement (EYE) program. This study explored teacher perceptions of the value of the portfolio. Results of the study identified the perceived value of teacher portfolios related to: (a) accuracy as an evaluation tool, (b) usefulness with respect to teacher professional growth, (c) feasibility with regard to teacher time, and (d) appropriateness related to the effect of portfolios on teaching practices. It also identified the relationship of the teacher's perceived value and the required …

Agroforestry Practice Adoption Among Solomon Island Women On The Island Of Malaita, Etta K. Sechrest

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The goal of agricultural training is the adoption and diffusion of introduced agriculture techniques. New subsistence agricultural techniques have been introduced mainly to the male population in many developing countries, even though most subsistence farmers are women. Therefore, an understanding of how new subsistence agricultural techniques can be introduced and adopted by women would be important to achieve. This study focuses on women's adoption of agricultural techniques. It takes place on the island of Malaita, in the Solomon Islands. The study looks at the adoption of agroforestry and several other subsistence techniques that were introduced under a joint program by …

A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Effects Of Wildlife Water Developments In The Western United States, Randy T. Larsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Free water can be a limiting factor to wildlife in arid regions of the world. In the western United States, management agencies have installed numerous, expensive wildlife water developments (e.g. catchments, guzzlers, wells) to: 1) increase the distribution or density of target species, 2) influence animal movements, and 3) mitigate for the loss of available free water. Despite over 50 years as an active management practice, water developments have become controversial for several species. We lack an integrated understanding of the ways free water influences animal populations. In particular, we have not meshed understanding of evolutionary adaptations that reduce the …

Mechanisms Of Nutrition Bar Hardening: Effect Of Hydrolyzed Whey Protein And Carbohydrate Source, Shaun P. Adams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The influence of increasing hydrolyzed protein content on the microstructure and hardness of high protein nutrition bars was investigated to determine the mechanism of hardening during storage. Bars with various hydrolyzed protein levels were manufactured using differing ratios of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100% (wt. /wt.) of partially hydrolyzed whey protein isolate (HWPI) to an intact (non-hydrolyzed) whey protein isolate (WPI) which made up approximately 38% of the total bar composition. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) (42%) and vegetable shortening (20%) constituted the rest of the ingredients. Accelerated aging was performed by storing bars at 32 ^oC for 36 …

Longitudinal And Reciprocal Effects Of Ethnic Identity And Experiences Of Discrimination On Psychosocial Adjustment Of Navajo (Diné) Adolescents, Matthew D. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the relationships among ethnic identity, cultural identity, experiences of discrimination, their interactions, and their effects on various psychosocial outcomes (self-esteem, depression, sense of school membership, social functioning, substance abuse, substance related problems, delinquent behaviors, and grade point average [GPA]). Data were collected twice over a 2-year period.

Change across time was observed in male adolescents' experiences of discrimination. Affirmation and belonging to Navajo culture was the strongest protective predictor at Time 1, but at Time 2 less consistent patterns of association emerged. Also at Time 2, experiences of discrimination emerged as a powerful negative predictor of psychosocial …

Essays On Investment Fluctuation And Market Volatility, Chaoqun Lai

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation includes two different groups of objects in macroeconomics and financial economics. In macroeconomics, the aggregate investment fluctuation and its relation to an individual firm's behavior have been extensively studied for the past three decades. Most studies on the interdependence behavior of firms' investment focus on the key issue of separating a firm's reaction to others' behavior from reaction to common shocks. However, few researchers have addressed the issue of isolating this endogenous effect from a statistical and econometrical approach. The first essay starts with a comprehensive review of the investment fluctuation and firms' interdependence behavior, followed by an …

Henry Viii: Supremacy, Religion, And The Anabaptists, Joel Martin Gillaspie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 1534, the English Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy. This effectively stripped all of the authority the Pope held in England and gave it to Henry VIII. Also because of the Act of Supremacy Henry VIII gained a new title: Supreme Head of the Church of England. However, there was a problem. The Act of Supremacy only vaguely defined the new powers that had been given to the King. Consequently, what exactly his new powers were and their limits had to be established. The other issue that had to be dealt with was the establishment of the canons of …