Digital Commons Network^™

Demographic Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Multiple Value-Added Practices By Oklahoma Cow-Calf Producers, Brian R. Williams, Kellie Curry Raper, Eric A. Devuyst, Derrell Peel, C. P. Murphy, Chris Richards, Damona Doye

Journal of Extension

Value-added programs are continually promoted by Extension personnel as avenues for improving cow-calf profitability, but producer adoption of value-added practices lags in spite of research that validates the value of these practices. Identifying producer characteristics that increase the likelihood of value-added practice adoption is critical to developing successful outreach efforts. Results from a survey of Oklahoma beef producers on value-added practice adoption indicate that multiple demographic variables influence a producer's likelihood of practice adoption. For Extension specialists, results can help in targeting likely adopters and developing methods to overcome barriers to adoption by producers less likely to adopt.

Measuring The Impact Of Termite Prevention Curricula In Hawaii Public Schools In An Area-Wide Extension Program, Makena Mason, Maria Aihara-Sasaki, J Kenneth Grace

Journal of Extension

The efficacy of Educate to Eradicate, a K-12 service-learning science curricula developed as part of a statewide, community-based Extension effort for termite prevention, was evaluated. The curricula use termite biology and control as the basis for science education and have been implemented in over 350 Hawaii public school classrooms with more than 12,530 students from 2001 to present. Student surveys and work samples were used to measure changes in student knowledge, behavior, and engagement. Use of school curricula in Extension programs reaches a large public audience and encourages long-term continuation of community pest prevention efforts.

4-H Science Inquiry Video Series, Jeremy W. Green, Lynette Black, Patrick Willis

Journal of Extension

Studies support science inquiry as a positive method and approach for 4-H professionals and volunteers to use for teaching science-based practices to youth. The development of a science inquiry video series has yielded positive results as it relates to youth development education and science. The video series highlights how to conduct science-rich activities for classroom-based education and afterschool programs and through 4-H club settings. With access to the videos as a training tool to teach the science inquiry process, 4-H professionals and volunteers have greater potential to provide meaningful, intentional, and impactful learning opportunities in science for youth participants.

Biodegradation Of Cresols Using Pseudomonas Putida Immobilized In Poly Vinyl Alcohol (Pva) Gel, Riham Mohamed Sorkatti Abu Bakr

Theses

The characteristics and viability of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a support material for biomass immobilization and utilization for the biodegradation of cresols have been evaluated. PVA gel pellets were prepared by repeated freezing-thawing method using different PVA compositions. The porous structures of the PVA pellets were examined using a Compound Microscope and SEM and revealed that the matrix structure and pore size distribution were affected by PVA composition. Mechanical properties of the PVA gel were also characterized to evaluate the PVA integrity as a matrix for immobilizing microbial cells and found to be dependent on the PVA mass composition. The …

The Effects Of Anthropogenic Noise On The Foraging Efficiency Of A Gleaning Bat And The Activity Levels Of A Natural Bat Assemblage, Jessie Patrice Bunkley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic noise is prevalent across many landscapes, posing a threat of disturbance to countless human and wildlife populations. Studies have revealed that a variety of organisms are negatively affected by an increasingly loud soundscape, including auditory predators such as bats. Bats that exhibit a gleaning hunting strategy passively listen for low frequency, prey-produced sounds. Anthropogenic noise often falls within the same spectral range as important prey cues, potentially masking these signals. I investigated the effects of two sources of anthropogenic noise, traffic and gas compressor station noise, on the foraging efficiency of the North American gleaning bat Antrozous pallidus in …

Always A Bridesmaid Never A Bride: Examining The Deinstitutionalization Of Marriage And The Modern Day Spinster, Kasha Nicole Glynn

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the deinstitutionalization of marriage and the stigmatization of women who remain single past the expectant marital age. The goal of this research was to investigate the social identities of women who remain single past the age of twenty-five, and to gain an understanding of how gender-based stereotypes influence their lives by examining their personal experiences. In an effort to better understand the stigmatization of today’s single woman, a qualitative method using focus groups was adopted for this study.

Twenty-five participants were selected using a purposive, inclusion/exclusion sampling technique. Three focus groups consisting of six participants each and …

Punishing Our Own Rascals: Great Britain, The United States, And The Right To Search During The Era Of Slave Trade Suppression, Mark T. Haggard

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between the United States and Great Britain during the era of slave trade suppression in the nineteenth century. Two ideals of international relations came into conflict when Great Britain’s humanitarian drive to rid the world of the international slave trade ran headlong into the United States’ claims to sovereignty under the Law of Nations. Under international maritime law a ship is the sovereign territory of the nation under whose flag it sails; the forcible boarding of a ship is tantamount to an invasion of the country itself. Britain sought to circumvent this rule in the …

Distribution Of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) In Upper-Columbia River Sub-Basins From Environmental Dna Analysis, Matthew Benjamin Laramie

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Determining accurate species distribution is crucial to conservation and management strategies for imperiled species, but challenging for small populations that are approaching extinction or being reestablished. We evaluated the efficacy of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis for improving detection and thus known distribution of Chinook salmon in the Methow and Okanogan Sub-basins of the Upper-Columbia River, Washington, USA. We developed an assay to target a 90 base pair sequence of Chinook DNA and used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify the amount of Chinook eDNA in 1-L water samples collected at 48 sites in the sub-basins. We collected samples once …

Beaver Reintroduction Correlates With Spotted Frog Population Restoration And Terrestrial Movement Patterns Of Newly Metamorphosed Columbia Spotted Frogs In The Owyhee Uplands Of Southwestern Idaho, Hallie Anne Lingo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines topics relevant to Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) in the Owyhee Uplands of southwestern Idaho. First, I present a detailed discussion of both the ecology and conservation status of spotted frogs. Concerns about declining spotted frog numbers in the southern portions of the species’ range were first expressed in the early 1990’s. In response, several studies on the behavior and ecology of spotted frog have been conducted by Boise State University. In addition, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game monitors the status of spotted frogs in the Owyhees using an occupancy model developed and implemented in …

Reading And Listening To Music Increase Resting Energy Expenditure During Indirect Calorimetry In Healthy Adults , Blaire Snell

Theses and Dissertations

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has developed an evidence analysis library (EAL) for Nutrition and Dietetics professionals. The EAL is updated by members through workgroups consisting of experts in their fields, most often in response to unanswered questions. One such question is: what kinds of activities can be done during the rest period of an indirect calorimetry test in a healthy population? The objective of our study was to determine if listening to self-selected relaxing music or reading on an electronic device or a magazine effects resting energy expenditure (REE) as measured by an indirect calorimetry test in a …

What Is Meant By Argumentative Competence? An Integrative Review Of Methods Of Analysis And Assessment In Education, Chrysi Rapanta, Merce Garcia-Mila, Sandra Gilabert

All Works

The need to enhance argument skills through education has become increasingly evident during the past 20 years. This need has resulted in an ongoing discussion that focuses on students' and teachers' argumentation and its support. However, apart from the extended competence-based discourse, no clear and homogeneous definition exists for argumentative competence and its constituent skills. To respond to this deficiency, we conducted an integrative literature review focusing on the methods of argument analysis and assessment that have been proposed thus far in the field of education. Specifically, we constructed an interpretative framework to organize the information contained in 97 reviewed …

Comparative Direct Democracy: A Study Of Institutions And Individuals, Donald D. Mirjanian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Do institutions matter? This dissertation examines the role of institutions in the context of comparative direct democracy. Through an institutionalist framework, this study considers how the context in which the mechanism of direct democracy is first introduced has an impact on later usage, and how individuals operate when constrained by those very institutions. In particular, I examine the cases of Italy, France, Uruguay, and Venezuela and find that the inclusion of direct democracy mechanisms (most commonly, the referendum device) is more likely to occur when previously excluded "out-groups" participate in constitutional formation. In addition, I find that institutional design is …

Abundance And Size Of Sand Crabs, Lepidopa Benedicti (Decapoda: Albuneidae), In Southern Texas, Jessica H. Murph, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Albuneid sand crabs are found in sandy beaches around the world, but little is known about the basic biology of any species in the family. We sampled sand crabs, Lepidopa benedicti, for 2 years at South Padre Island, Texas, at two locations: one developed site near the town, where recreational use is high and one undeveloped site away from the town, where recreational use is lower. We hypothesized that sand crabs would be less abundant and smaller at the developed site than at the undeveloped one. Densities were highest in summer and lowest in winter but did not differ between …

The Partial Characterization Of The 142r Protein Of Tanapox Virus, Krystal N. Seibert

Dissertations

Due to the complex nature of cancer, a variety of strategies are being employed to treat patients. Among these are oncolytic viruses that conditionally replicate in tumor cells with specific cellular landscapes. Several viruses including Herpesviruses, Adenoviruses, and Poxviruses, predominantly vaccinia virus (VV), have been explored for their oncolytic potential. Most of these viruses can productively infect a variety of cell types and it is one goal to create conditionally lethal viruses that can only replicate in tumor cells. Due to the prevalence of p53 inactivating mutations in cancers viruses that are restricted to p53 null cells are desirable and …

Red-Headed Woodpecker Habitat Selection And Breeding Ecology On Fort Drum Military Installation, New York, Jacob L. Berl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) populations have declined range-wide over the past 40 years, although the causal mechanisms implicated in the observed declines remain poorly understood. Population decline has been most severe at the periphery of their range, particularly in the northeastern United States, coinciding with a region where there is little information regarding red-headed woodpecker habitat use or demography. A detailed knowledge of habitat requirements and population dynamics is prerequisite for the effective conservation and management of imperiled wildlife populations, and this knowledge gap likely precludes informed management decisions for red-headed woodpeckers in the northeastern portion of their range. In …

Acupuncture For Sleep Disturbances In Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Heather C. King Phd

Dissertations

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has emerged as a significant problem among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans. Disturbed sleep is one of the most frequently reported symptoms among OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD. PTSD itself is impairing, but the burden of this disorder is likely heightened when accompanied by sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances have been associated with a 75-90% increased risk of co-morbid conditions, increased levels of depression and anxiety, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, reduced psychomotor performance, diminished work productivity, and decreased quality of life. These consequences of disturbed sleep emphasize the critical need for additional evidence based therapies …

Improving Opportunities For Small Flock Egg Production And Proper Evaluation Of Glucanase For Commercial Poultry, Angela Elsie Lamp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Consumers of pastured hen eggs have justified paying an associated premium price because they perceive animal welfare, sustainability, and nutrition are enhanced compared to conventionally produced eggs. The objective of Study 1 (Chapter 2) was to implement practical management strategies to increase eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA) composition of eggs (Experiment 1) and to determine if the same diet formulation would produce an enhanced EPA and DHA egg composition and effect hen health when pasture access and hen breed varied (Experiment 2). For Experiment 1, four dietary treatments were utilized: 1) Basal, 2) Basal + 0.5% Sardine …

Grazing Impacts On Sediment Production And Runoff From Single And Mixed Species Grazing, Brittany Parks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With growing human populations, we need to produce more food. Food production requires growing crops and raising livestock with existing and suitable land resources, potentially causing nutrient (phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)) pollution. For purposes of this study, the runoff potential for the mixed and single species grassland grazing will be examined. Mixed species grazing refers to cattle and sheep grazing concurrently in the same area; while single species grazing refers to cattle grazing alone. Understanding the environmental effects of mixed grazing as compared to a single species grazing systems will help to improve farming and agricultural practices that increase …

Emotion Regulation And Cardiovascular Response To Emotion Provocation: Reappraisal Versus Suppression, Casey E. Cavanagh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emotion regulation is a process through which individuals alter the subjective, behavioral and physiological responses to emotional experiences. Within the emotion regulation model, reappraisal and suppression are two strategies that have been studied extensively. However, this research has largely ignored the effects of individual differences in emotion regulation when examining reappraisal and suppression. The purpose of this study was to examine individual differences in reappraisal and suppression (e.g., one's preferred emotion regulation strategy) as well as examining the effects of instructional use of reappraisal and suppression. In the present study, participants, classified as habitual reappraisers and habitual suppressors, engaged in …

Microbial Genome Evolution Due To Multifaceted Symbiosis Within The Tsetse Fly (Diptera: Glossinidae), Anna Kathleen Snyder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microbes are capable of rapid genetic modification, enabling the habitation of a wide field of niches, including forming interdependent associations with macroscopic hosts. While ancient multipartite mutualisms have been shown to involve metabolic complementation, little is known concerning the early genomic adaptations leading towards co-residence within a novel host. The overall objective of this research is to gain insight on genome evolution resulting from symbiosis, particularly by examining bacteria with varying levels of host dependency and times of establishment. The tsetse fly (Diptera: Glossinidae) serves as a relatively simple model system to investigate evolutionary aspects of symbiosis, while also maintaining …

Stressors And Coping Behaviors Of Female Peer Leaders Participating In College Club Sports, Leigh A. Bryant

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Peer leadership positions on collegiate club sport teams can be valuable opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, maintain healthy habits, create friendships, and foster organizational and personal connections across the university setting. Nevertheless, involvement in club sports can create stress over and above the many stressors that college students may encounter during their undergraduate experience. This study focused on exploring female leaders' perceived stressors inside and outside of the sport setting, and the ways in which they coped with them. Participants ( N = 7) were interviewed based on nominations from their respective teammates. Interviews were conducted using a …

Molecular And Biochemical Mechanisms Of Pathogenesis In The Maize Foliar Pathogen Cercospora Zeae-Maydis, Winfred-Peck Dorleku

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

GLS is a serious foliar disease of maize, a major staple crop grown commercially in the USA for both human and animal feed production, and increasingly, for ethanol production. The disease is caused by two Cercospora species, C. zeae-maydis and C. zeina, both of which infect maize in the USA and in other parts of the world, with yield losses potentially greater than 50%, depending on local conditions. In culture, C. zeae-maydis produces a phytotoxic, host non-specific perylenequinone, cercosporin, and abscisic acid (ABA), for which there is no known pathological or physiological function in the fungus. Experimental evidence indicates …

Staphylococcus Aureus Sara Regulates Inflammation And Colonization During Central Nervous System Biofilm Formation, Jessica N. Snowden, Matthew K. Beaver, Karen Beenken, Alexander R. Horswill, Tammy L. Kielian

Journal Articles: Pediatrics

Infection is a frequent and serious complication following the treatment of hydrocephalus with CSF shunts, with limited therapeutic options because of biofilm formation along the catheter surface. Here we evaluated the possibility that the sarA regulatory locus engenders S. aureus more resistant to immune recognition in the central nervous system (CNS) based on its reported ability to regulate biofilm formation. We utilized our established model of CNS catheter-associated infection, similar to CSF shunt infections seen in humans, to compare the kinetics of bacterial titers, cytokine production and inflammatory cell influx elicited by wild type S. aureus versus an isogenic sarA …

A Novel Mechanism Of Enhanced Susceptibility To Bacterial Pneumonia In Influenza-Infected Hosts, Hazem Elsayed Ghoneim

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Viruses such as influenza suppress host immune function by a variety of methods. This may result in a significant morbidity through several pathways, including facilitation of secondary bacterial pneumonia from pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Lungresident alveolar macrophages (AMs) act as the first line of innate cellular immunity against respiratory bacterial pathogens, including pneumococcus. Therefore, they represent an attractive target for study Before investigating the impact of influenza infection on resident AMs, we first characterized different subsets of lung-resident macrophages in naïve mice using a novel in vivo labeling approach in conjunction with multicolor flow cytometric analysis and confocal microscopic …

Attenuation Of Parenteral Nutritionassociated Liver Disease By Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Emma Monique Tillman

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Erg11-Mediated Azole Resistance In Candida Albicans, Stephanie Ann Flowers

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Although many medically important Candida species are commensal to the gut or colonizers of the skin, these organisms have the propensity to cause disease in the event of a waning immune system. Clinical manifestations of infections with Candida species can range from superficial mucosal infections to deep organ involvement usually resulting from haematogenous spread of infection. Despite significant progress made in the management of patients with fungal infections, the emergence of antifungal resistant clinical isolates creates significant problem in regards to antifungal prophylaxis and empirical treatment strategies. Antifungal resistance is associated with high mortality rates and hefty medical costs. The …

Regulation Of Secretory Phospholipase A2 By Thyroid Hormone, Pragya Sharma

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Rationale: Low grade inflammation has been correlated with elevated risk of hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis. Secretory phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2g2a) enhances the progression of several chronic inflammatory diseases including arthritis and atherosclerosis. The potential linkage of hypothyroidism with inflammation led us to examine the modulation of sPLA2 expression by thyroid hormone (T3) in liver.

Objective: Most of the studies of phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2g2a) have been conducted with macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells with regard to atherosclerosis. The liver is one of the major contributors to the total pool of extracellular PLA2g2a. The aim of the present …

Development And Characterization Of A Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (Rvsv) For The Treatment Of Glioblastoma, Erika A. Dillard

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Over the past 30 years, little has changed in the treatment modalities and prognosis of patients suffering from Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and by far the most devastating adult primary malignant brain tumor. Conventional therapies provide only a marginal increase in survival of GBM patients, post-diagnosis. Therefore, more novel means of treating GBM are needed to increase long-term survival and quality of life for those affected. Replication competent oncolytic viruses (OVs) have recently emerged as a possible option for treatment of high-grade gliomas. Particularly, recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV), an enveloped, negative strand RNA virus, has shown …

Distribution And Abundance Of Anopheles Spp. In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, Norma Hermelinda Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study investigated the relationship between Anopheles abundance, collection sites and environmental variables in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, South Texas. In addition, species composition in the Lower Rio Grande Valley was determined in 2011. A total of 6772 female mosquitoes were identified to six genera and 27 species. The most prevalent genera collected were Culex (53.9%), Ochlerotatus (25.6%) and Aedes (13.6%). Anopheles mosquitoes were collected using resting boxes during summer 2012 at multiple locations along the Lower Rio Grande Valley. ArcGIS was used to identify land cover characteristics and nearest water sources at mosquito collection sites. Estero Llano Grande …

Finding No One, Sarah Owen

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Finding No one is a Non-Fiction creative writing piece written around one young woman’s desire to overcome obstacles in order to prove she is the complete opposite of her enemies: strong, determined, and brave. The main character shares her story of surviving childhood abuse, how she used Anorexia to cope with the aftermath, and what it took to become someone with a desire to fight for a future. The writer has taken the readers directly into vivid scenes of abuse and the innermost thoughts of self-loathing, refusing to hide any secrets. Finding No One explicitly shares details of therapy and …