Digital Commons Network^™

Farmer Perceptions Of Sustainable Agriculture Practices And Drought Risk Reduction In Nebraska, Usa, Cody L. Knutson, Tonya Haigh, Michael J. Hayes, Melissa Widhalm, J. Nothwehr, M. Kleinschmidt, L. Graf

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Social factors, such as farming methods, have an impact on farm vulnerability to drought, but have received little research or policy attention. Some researchers and advocates have argued that sustainable agriculture systems are less vulnerable to climate risk than conventional systems because sustainable agriculture requires producers to have skills promoting adaptability. In this paper, we investigate producers’ perceptions on the use of sustainable agriculture in reducing drought risk, and what they believe would help them better adapt to drought. We surveyed and interviewed farmer members of two sustainable agriculture organizations in Nebraska, USA, during a multi-year drought period from 1999 …

Use Of Crop Models For Drought Analysis, Raymond P. Motha

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Crop models can play a role in this agricultural management decision making process to cope with drought and other natural disasters. Crop simulation models are designed to imitate the behavior of a plant system. These models separate yield prospects into components due to changing weather trends, genetic improvements, and improved technology. Simulation modeling is increasingly being applied in research, teaching, farm and resource management, policy analysis, and production forecasts. Crop simulation models can be used to simulate the drought-reduced crop yields, but a number of issues limit operational applications.

Agricultural Drought: Usda Perspectives, Raymond P. Motha

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Drought has had a significant impact on American agriculture. The Dust Bowl years of the 1930s came as the nation suffered from severe economic depression, causing devastating socioeconomic impacts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established agencies and programs to help American farmers cope with drought and its far-reaching impacts. In order make program decisions during drought emergencies, USDA actively utilized available drought monitoring tools that were at its disposal. The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) was used for more than 30 years as a drought indicator beginning in the 1960s. The U.S. Drought Monitor, a much-improved composite index, was …

Essential Elements Of National Drought Policy: Moving Toward Creating Drought Policy Guidelines, Donald A. Wilhite

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The development and implementation of a drought policy is intended to alter a nation’s approach to drought management. A national drought policy should establish a clear set of principles or operating guidelines to govern the management of drought and its impacts. The policy should be consistent and equitable for all regions, population groups, and economic sectors and consistent with the goals of sustainable development. The overriding principle of drought policy should be an emphasis on risk management through the application of preparedness and mitigation measures. The policy must reflect regional differences in drought characteristics, vulnerability, and impacts. The goal of …

2011-2012 Louisiana Tech University Catalog, Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech University Catalogs

The Louisiana Tech University Catalog includes announcements and course descriptions for courses offered at Louisiana Tech University for the academic year of 2011-2012.

How Loss Of Neurofibromin In Oligodendrocytes Affects The Brain, Debra A. Mayes, Tilat A. Rizvi, Nathan T. Kolasinski, S. Miller, Nancy Ratner

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Neurofibromatosis type 1 patients are predisposed to central nervous system (CNS) phenotypes including enlarged brains, delayed acquisition of motor skills, brain tumors, and cognitive deficits. Imaging and pathologic analysis suggest that changes in white matter myelination may underlie both the enlargement of white matter tracts that contributes to megancephaly, and/or hyper-intense signals visualized on MRI. To study the role(s) of Nf1 and HRasin oligodendrocytes, we examined the optic nerve and corpus callosum,myelinated fiber tracts.We studiedNf1heterozygous mice,tamoxifen-induced Nf1 loss in mature oligodendrocytes (Plp-CreERT), and a new transgenic model in which the CNPase promoter drives expression of HRasG12V. Activated HRas and loss …

Assessment And Management Of Adult Obesity In A Primary Care Practice, Sherry M. Adkins

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to describe primary care physician adherence to National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults (1998) and to explore patient characteristics associated with physician assessment and management behaviors. Patient characteristics included age, sex, race, BMI, associated disease risk, and Medicaid coverage.

Methods: A chart abstraction of 99 randomly selected adult patients with at least one visit to a particular primary care practice during a 12-month period was completed. Patients were not pregnant during the year of review, and had a …

Blood-Speak: Ward Churchill And The Racialization Of American Indian Identity, Casey R. Kelly

Scholarship and Professional Work - Communication

After publishing a controversial essay on 9/11, Professor Ward Churchill's scholarship and personal identity were subjected to a hostile public investigation. Evidence that Churchill had invented his American Indian identity created vehemence among many professors and tribal leaders who dismissed Churchill because he was not a “real Indian.” This essay examines the discourses of racial authenticity employed to distance Churchill from tribal communities and American Indian scholarship. Responses to Churchill's academic and ethnic self-identification have retrenched a racialized definition of tribal identity defined by a narrow concept of blood. Employing what I term blood-speak, Churchill's opponents harness a biological concept …

A Model Of Chinook Salmon Population Dynamics Incorporating Size-Selective Exploitation And Inheritance Of Polygenic Correlated Traits, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Ryan M. Nielson, Jeffrey J. Hard

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Concern regarding the potential for selective fisheries to degrade desirable characteristics of exploited fish populations is growing worldwide. Although the occurrence of fishery-induced evolution in a wild population has not been irrefutably documented, considerable theoretical and empirical evidence for that possibility exists. Environmental conditions influence survival and growth in many species and may mask comparatively subtle trends induced by selective exploitation, especially given the evolutionarily short time series of data available from many fisheries. Modeling may be the most efficient investigative tool under such conditions. Motivated by public concern that large-mesh gillnet fisheries may be altering Chinook salmon in western …

Mckee Library Annual Report 2010-2011, Southern Adventist University

Annual Reports

The 2010-2011 Annual Report includes statistics on library usage, updates on the digitization process, events at the library, and updates on new staff members.

Graduate Medical Education 2010 Annual Report, Children's Mercy Hospital

GME Annual Reports

Annual report of the Children's Mercy Hospital Graduate Medical Education department, including pediatric residency, internal medicine/pediatrics residency, fellowship programs, medical students, continuing medical education, and library services.

Offshore Wind Energy Development In Michigan’S Great Lakes: Current Law And Proposed Legislation, Katherine Brady-Medley, Nick Schroeck

Law Faculty Research Publications

Michigan has over 38,000 square miles of state owned Great Lakes bottomlands. However, due to current limits with wind turbine technology, wind farms are restricted to areas on the Great Lakes where the water is less than 30 meters deep. For wind energy to be practicable, wind farms must be close to existing transmission facilities, so that energy generated from the turbines can be distributed to consumers. Construction of a wind energy facility requires heavy machinery and a wind farm site needs a transmission station nearby and underground lines for transmission of power.

For terrestrial wind farms, a developer typically …

Governance: Structuring Our Future, Peter J. Hammer

Law Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Acute Synaptic Activity Causes Differential Mirna Expression In The Drosophila Melanogaster Larval Central Nervous System, Robert Ian Sand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this thesis was to determine if spaced synaptic stimulation induced the differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the Drosophila melanogaster central nervous system (CNS). Prior to attaining this goal, we needed to identify and validate a spaced stimulation paradigm that could induce the formation of new synaptic growth at a model synapse, the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Both Channelrhodopsin- and high potassium-based stimulation paradigms adapted from (Ataman, et al. 2008) were tested. Once validation of these paradigms was complete, we sought to characterize the miRNA expression profile of the larval CNS by miRNA array. Following attainment …

Colorado's Large Snow Events' Impact On Tree Ring Growth And Dillon Reservoir, Katrina Leona Marzetta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Meteorological observations from 1894 through 2010 suggest that 17 historically large snow events occurred in the mountains of Colorado within Denver's water supply region. Of these 16 events, 14 can be identified in precipitation sensitive tree ring records as positive climatic pointer years. If these storms were to occur today, they would have the potential to fill reservoirs in Denver Water's supply system, even after years of sustained drought. These "drought busters" have the potential to refill Dillon Reservoir by increasing average yearly inflow up to 146% of the previous year's inflow. Such drought busters can help Denver recover from …

Hybrid Sensing And Adaptive Control For Direct Brain Actuation Of Artificial Limbs, Christopher Aasted

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing a non-invasive direct brain control of artificial limbs is both challenging and desirable. Such a sensory and control system, if successful, will have a profound impact on the disabled. In this dissertation, we present the design and development of a non-invasive, hybrid sensory system, which uses near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity with simultaneous electromyography (EMG) to provide feedback data in a healthy limb. Through the combination of these sensory techniques, we have successfully trained a control system capable of mapping brain activity onto muscle actuation. The design of a control algorithm capable of automatic …

Altered Calcium Handling In Cerebellar Purkinje Neurons With The Malignant Hyperthermia Mutation, Ryr1-Y522s/+, George C. Talbott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the etiology of malignant hyperthermia and central core disease, mouse models have recently been generated and characterized (Chelu et al., 2006). These RyRY522S/+ knock-in mutant mice provide an excellent tool to investigate calcium dysregulation, its pathological consequences, and potential therapeutic approaches. Skeletal muscle harboring this mutation exhibits calcium leak from internal stores and an increased sensitivity to activation by caffeine, voltage, and temperature (Durham et al., 2008). Although alterations in RyR1 channel function and resultant changes in cellular function have been characterized in skeletal muscle, the effects of MH mutations in RyR1 on central nervous system function have …

Cyborg Rhetoric And Revelation Of Self: Identity, Writing, And The Instantiation Of The Cyborg In Digital Texts, Thomas Keywon Cho

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis examines three "digital texts" and explores the ways writing, technology, and narratives embedded in popular culture reveal cyborg language.

Contributions Of Wellness On Student Achievement And Behavioral Engagement, Eric Michael Vreeman

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role that wellness plays in relation to previously identified variables that have been predictive of students who dropout. These variables include student engagement constructs such as academic achievement and behavioral tendencies in school. The study included 563 public school students in grade seven through nine.

A Burkean Analysis Of Anti-Immigration Websites: Recurring Scapegoating Rhetorical Moves, Aldo Quiroz Lewis

Theses Digitization Project

There are numerous websites emphasizing the idea that immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants from Latin American countries, are to blame for the decline of the United States. What allows these sites to be so persuasive is that they created a united U.S. front by erasing the differences between different groups, thereby construcing a united "American" identity. At the same time, in opposition to this identity, the sites created an 'illegal' that groups Hispanics. This author argues that attempts to discuss immigration have more to do with enacting a scapegoat that may be blamed for America's ills.

Creative Achievement, Feedback, And Regulation Of Motivation For Creative Behaviors, Ryan Edward Holt

Theses Digitization Project

This study will explore the effects of self-regulation and the tendency to commit to or refrain from creative projects. The relationship between one's feelings of creative achievement and motivation to pursue creative activities will also be investigated. A total of 274 students of California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) were recruited from lower division and upper division psychology courses. Participants rated 12 questions regarding their creative identity on a 4 point scale.

Empirical Analysis Of School Plant Planning As A Determinant Of Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance, K.O. Muraina, Kayode Ijaduola, Joshua Oni

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The school could be viewed as an organized environment where educational curricular are interpreted. It is a formal structured organization which serves as a transitional stage in life between family and the society (Olabode, 2002; Musa, 2004; Tabir, 2004). Conversely, the school plant according to Nwokafor and others (2001), is the totality of all things that make up a school system. It involves the physical and material facilities in form of buildings, school site and the environment that embody the school.

Emerging Characteristics Of Education Deans’ Collaborative Leadership, Dee Hopkin, Virginia Johnson, Sandra Damico, Shelley Wepner

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Ever increasing opportunities-and demands-for partnerships between P-12 and higher education have created the impetus for deans of education to become collaborative leaders. Deans serve a critical institutional role in charting the direction of a school or college (Rosser, Johnsrud, & Heck, 2003), and there is ample research on the general roles and responsibilities and leadership behaviors of education deans that focus on the biographical, structural, and contextual factors affecting their work (e.g., Bowen, 1995; Bright & Richards, 2001; Bruess, McClean, & Sun, 2003; Clifford & Guthrie, 1988; Gardner, 1992; Gmelch, 2002; Gmelch, Wolverton, Hopkins, Merz, & Anderson, 1999; Howey & …

Cottonwood Management Plan/Programmatic Environmental Assessment Proposed Implementation Of A Cottonwood Management Plan Along Six Priority Segments Of The Missouri River

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposes to preserve existing stands and reestablish new stands of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides) at selected public/government lands along the Missouri River in accordance with the Cottonwood Management Plan (CMP). The Proposed Action is the implementation of the CMP. The goal of the plan is to be a living document that preserves, creates, or restores cottonwood habitats along the Missouri River and meets the requirements of the USFWS 2003 Amended Biological Opinion (BiOp) concerning the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The principal immediate focus of the CMP includes measures in …

2010/11 Research, Development, And Activities, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Electrical and Computer Engineering Newsletter

• Center for Advanced Smart Sensors and Structures (CASSS)
• Vehicular Ad Hoc Network Augmenting GPS Systems
• In-Flight Discreet Wireless Communication System
• Dual-Use Ground Vehicle Condition-Based Maintenance
• Neurobiology Engineering Laboratory
• CEAS Students Win Stryker Challenge!
• Earth Today iPhone Application for JPL’s Earth Sciences Directorate

The Lli Chronicle Volume 2 Number 9, Nova Southeastern University

Lifelong Learning Institute Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Computer Games On Mathematics Learning In Elementary School, Sarah Michelle Lakamp

Theses Digitization Project

This study examined the use of mathematics computer games on math achievement as assessed by teachers, tests taken by students and students' attitudes. Students who played recreational games at home and used the computer game at school improved more on the math achievement measure compared to students who only played at home, who only played at school, and who played at neither home nor school, indicating that recreational game playing can prime children to gain more benefits from educational software.

Foster Parent Perspective On Infant And Young Child Multiple Placement, Ana Luisa Guardado, Shannon Marie Owens

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to explore foster parents' perspectives' on factors contributing to multiple placements of young children with a special emphasis on infants ages 0-1 year. This study hopes to identify systemic problems within child welfare services that hinder permanency and to provide useful information to determine if current services and interventions are effective in meeting the agency's responsibility of providing safe and permanent homes for foster children.

Access Denied: The Rhetorical Construction Of Undocumented Students In Postsecondary Education, Yanira Estrada Figueroa

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis analyzes rhetorically the 1982 Supreme Court case Plyer v. Doe, sections of the Welfare Reform Act and the Illegal Immigratiom Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, and the 2011 version of the proposed Development, Relief and Education for Minors (Dream Act) in order to trace the underlying beliefs and assumptions that justify refusing undocumented students support for and thus access to postsecondary institutions.

Recognizing Samoan Students' Cultural Capital In Schools, Sane Aletoni Mataitusi

Theses Digitization Project

This research focused on Samoan parents' and students' perceptions of student success. This research confronts some of the barriers encountered by minority parents and students within the public education system. Recent research on Samoan students identified the struggle many encounter living as a minority group within the dominant societies of Australia, New Zealand and the United States. This study documented multiple pathways toward success that Samoan parents and students within these countries have identified.