Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Temperature On The Efficacy Of Metarhizium Anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin In The Control Of Western Flower Thrips In French Beans, Maureen Nandwa Kuboka

All Master’s Theses

Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE69 is a highly virulent fungal pathogen against several thrips species such as western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), bean flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti), onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) and others infesting key vegetable crops in Africa. Recently the isolate has been commercialized for pest control under the trade name, Campaign ®. The efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungi is known to be influenced by the prevailing climatic conditions with temperature being a key climate driver. This study aimed to predict the efficacy of Campaign® for thrips control in different Agro ecological zones (AEZ) in Kenya. To achieve this, effects …

Socio-Economic Analysis Of Dairy Feed Technologies Promoted In The Kenyan Highlands, Gregory Ndwandwa Sikumba

All Master’s Theses

The cost of feed is one of the major constraints to dairy cattle production in sub-Saharan Africa. East Africa dairy development project is promoting several feed technologies for dairy cattle in order to reduce costs and increase milk production and profits. Research was conducted to identify factors that affect farmers' uptake of feed technologies, cost of feed and factors driving dairy milk yield through improved technologies and practices. There has however been no studies related to cost benefit analysis of dairy cattle feed or a measure of efficiency of dairy feed technologies in Kenyan highlands. In East Africa and the …

Against Notice Skepticism In Privacy (And Elsewhere), M. Ryan Calo

Articles

What follows is an exploration of innovative new ways to deliver privacy notice. Unlike traditional notice that relies upon text or symbols to convey information, emerging strategies of “visceral” notice leverage a consumer’s very experience of a product or service to warn or inform. A regulation might require that a cell phone camera make a shutter sound so people know their photo is being taken. Or a law could incentivize websites to be more formal (as opposed to casual) wherever they collect personal information, as formality tends to place people on greater guard about what they disclose. The thesis of …

Linking Obesity To Colorectal Cancer: Recent Insights Into Plausible Biological Mechanisms, Catherine Guffey

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has emerged as a leading environmental risk factor for the development of CRC. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have not yet been fully explained. Recent literature has focused on 1) inflammatory processes, 2) adipokines, and 3) estrogen. Obesity-enhanced inflammation is largely orchestrated by increases in adipose tissue macrophages leading to the secretion of TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and IL-6, all of which are linked to CRC. Adiponectin is decreased with obesity and has been reported to be negatively associated with CRC, while leptin, which is increased, is positively associated with the disease. Estrogen has been shown to influence CRC, although …

General Reproductive Properties In Pigs, İrfan Tur

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Pig breeding is usually undertaken for fat and meat production, but different sectors (cosmetics industry, pharmaceutical industry, medical sector, etc.) can also use pigs for alternate purposes. Pork is evaluated based on the status of an amended law regarding butchers' meat in Turkey. There have been 25 pig farms registered in Turkey since 7 July 2006 in the framework of compliance with the European Union. On average, a sow has 2.3 farrowings per year, producing 9.5 to 12.5 piglets per litter. It is important that high proportions of selected replacement gilts reach puberty at an early age in order to …

The Effect Of Selenized Yeast Supplementation On Some Performance Parameters In Sheep, Bogumila Pilarczyk, Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak, Zbigniew Dobrzanski, Malgorzata Szewczuk, Tomasz Stankiewicz, Dariusz Gaczarzewicz, Wlodzimierz Lachowski

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of serum selenium in coarse-haired Pomeranian sheep and to evaluate the effect of the oral supplementation of selenized yeast on selected performance parameters in such sheep. The sheep were divided into 2 groups, with 53 ewes forming the experimental group and 34 ewes forming the control group. The concentration of serum selenium in all 87 sheep from the 2 groups was analyzed. The sheep in the experimental group received selenized yeast for the 3 days before and 3 days after mating (1 g preparation/animal daily, with 1 g of preparation …

Susceptibility Of Prototheca Zopfii Strains Isolated From Cows With Mastitis To Chlorhexidine And Iodine, Henryk Krukowski, Andrzej Lisowski, Bozena Nowakowicz-Debek, Lukasz Wlazlo

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Bovine mastitis caused by Prototheca spp. can assume high significance because of economic losses and the potential risk to public health. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of chlorhexidine and iodine on Prototheca zopfii strains isolated from bovine milk. For this study, 15 Prototheca zopfii isolates previously obtained from cows with clinical and subclinical mastitis in Poland were used. The in vitro susceptibility tests to chlorhexidine and iodine of the strains of Prototheca zopfii for the determination of their minimal microbicidal concentrations (MMCs) were performed using the tube dilution method in Sabouraud dextrose broth and the …

Financial Losses From Foot Diseases In Cattle Farms In Kars Province, Pinar Demi̇r, Sadik Yayla, Özgür Aksoy, İsa Özaydin

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was performed via a survey conducted of a total of 112 cattle operations in Kars and the vicinity and included a total of 2317 head, of which 280 were determined to have foot problems. The financial loss incurred per operation was calculated in accordance with the data obtained. As a result, the prevalence of foot disease encountered in cattle in the region in 2010 was determined to be 12.08%, and although it varied depending on the severity of the foot diseases, the animals were healed in an average of 46.5 days. Live weights declined by an average of …

Economic Benefits Of Using Prebiotic And Probiotic Products As Supplements In Stimulation Feeds Administered To Bee Colonies, Silvia Patruica, Ioan Hutu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Spring stimulation feeding of honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera carpatica) is a very important technique for the encouragement of productive foraging. In addition to improving bee health by creating favorable conditions for the development of a beneficial intestinal bacterial flora, the use of prebiotic and probiotic supplements in the feed promotes good colony development, thus increasing the forager population. This paper presents the results for the economic benefit measured following use of supplements with acidifying substances (acetic and lactic acids) and probiotic products (Enterobiotics and Enterolactis Plus), as well as the synergism between them. A total of 110 bee colonies were …

Detection Of Fecal Coronavirus Antigen In Diarrheic Calves Of High- And Average-Producing Holstein Dairy Cows, Khalil Badiei, Mehrdad Pourjafar, Mohsen Ghane

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

From January to December 2009, 661 fecal samples from natural cases of diarrheic calves were taken by veterinary staff from the Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine of Shiraz Veterinary School and veterinary practitioners in Fars Province, Iran. The samples were taken from 267 diarrheic calves of high-producing dairy cows (HPDCs) and 394 diarrheic calves of average-producing Holstein dairy cows (APDCs). Fecal samples were collected and submitted for the laboratory diagnosis of coronavirus antigens. Herd selection was based on geographical location and density of cattle in the region. All herds had HPDC and APDC coronavirus-infected diarrheic calves in their population. …

Comparative Diagnostic Methods For Canine Ehrlichiosis, Chetan Parmar, Riddhi Pednekar, Anant Jayraw, Mukulesh Gatne

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The efficacy of blood and buffy coat smear examination, commercially available dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was evaluated in the diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis in 40 dogs exhibiting symptoms suggestive of the disease. The intracytoplasmic rickettsial organisms were seen in the smears of only 1 dog (2.5%) with an extremely low level of parasitemia. Nested PCR with 16S rRNA revealed characteristic 378 bp bands indicating positive reaction in 8 (20.0%) dogs and sera samples of 21 (52.5%) dogs revealed anti-Ehrlichia antibodies. The dog that revealed organisms in the blood also showed positive results with …

Pay-To-Play: The Impact Of Group Purchasing Organizations On Drug Shortages, Christian Deroo

American University Business Law Review

No abstract provided.

Examining The Interaction Of Neonatal Alcohol And Hypoxia In Vitro, Megan L. Carter

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Exposure to ethanol (ETOH) during fetal development results in a range of cognitive/behavioral deficits. There are differences in sensitivity to the effects of ETOH that could be explained by other factors, such as hypoxia. Similar mechanisms of damage underlie both ETOH, more specifically ETOH withdrawal, and hypoxia. Based on this overlap, it was hypothesized that sub threshold levels of these insults may interact to produce increased damage in sensitive brain regions. This study used a rodent organotypic hippocampal slice culture model to investigate the interaction of hypoxia and ETOH withdrawal and to determine possible developmental differences in the sensitivity to …

The Impact Of Acculturation And Labeling On African Americans' Stigmatization Of Mental Illness, Tahirah Abdullah

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Although African Americans endorse more stigma towards those with mental illnesses than European Americans and are quite susceptible to stigma’s detrimental effects on help-seeking for mental health problems, stigma has not been adequately studied for African Americans. Given that stigma is a key barrier to obtaining help for mental health problems, it is imperative that we gain a more nuanced understanding of stigma. This study used experimental design and vignettes to examine the influence of acculturation and labeling on African Americans’ stigmatization of depression, social phobia, alcohol dependence, and schizophrenia. Results indicated that schizophrenia was generally the most stigmatized disorder …

Ovarian Cancer Screening As A Teachable Moment For Health Behavior Change: Determining The Role Of Positive Affect And Self-Efficacy, Rachel F. Steffens

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In medical settings, a teachable moment (TM) has been described as an event which may lead to psychological changes prompting individuals to engage in health promoting behaviors. A cancer screening (CS) has been suggested as a potential TM because several types of positive health behavior change (HBC), ranging from dietary changes to smoking cessation, have been linked to CS. However, most research has examined the TM in CS settings using cross-sectional and prospective methodologies and has lacked a theory-driven model. Moreover, few intervention studies have attempted to capitalize on the potential TM in CS settings. In light of this, the …

The Law & The Future Of Gaming, Jeff Becker, Roxanne Christ, John Cabeca

SMU Science and Technology Law Review

No abstract provided.

Economics And/Of Science: The Meaning(S) Of Financial Bias And The Ideal Of Interest-Free Science In Law, David S. Caudill

SMU Science and Technology Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reasonable Efforts And Parent-Child Reunification, Raymond C. O'Brien

Scholarly Articles

Among the increasing number of federal statutes impacting family law two continue to impact child permanency and parental rights. First, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 mandates that state courts find that the state child welfare agency made reasonable efforts to reunite a dependent child with his or her parents prior to termination of parental rights. The child is dependent because a state court held that there was sufficient clear and convincing evidence to remove the child from the parents’ home. Often that evidence results from parental poverty, mental or physical disability, or the parents are undereducated …

Insects As Indicators Of Environmental Stress, De Anna Estella Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

In the face of climate change-related events and anthropogenic disturbances, understanding the impacts of these events on species richness, abundance and distribution is important for us to mitigate biodiversity loss and better predict consequences for the environment and for human life. Insects are excellent models for understanding the consequences of environmental stress due to the sensitivity of their development and behavior. The overall focus of my dissertation research is the investigation of fluctuating asymmetry and oviposition behavior as indicators of environmental stress. My research includes a meta-analysis of published literature, and empirical research that was part of a collaborative initiative …

Rewriting The Human: Death Anxiety And Posthuman Vision In Literature Since 1945, John Allen Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

ISS_para>The technology-driven years following the close of World War II provided a new lens through which the human subject could be rethought and, theoretically, improved: no longer did physical and mental shortcomings have to limit the capacity of the individual. The atomic bomb and Colossus computer, though destructive forces, pushed scientists and philosophers to consider new models of the human, including flesh/machine amalgamation and reinscription as downloadable, digital information. While these posthuman constructions promised to distance the human from its material shortcomings, especially its vulnerability to bodily decay and death, they encountered significant resistance in the twentieth century.

By …

Measuring Organizational Member Involvement In Physical Activity Coalitions Across The United States, Daniel Benjamin Bornstein

Theses and Dissertations

Physical inactivity has been labeled a global pandemic with enormous economic, social, environmental, and public health consequences. The vast majority of American adults and youth are insufficiently physically active. Increasing population-levels of physical activity (PA) requires broad social and environmental change. PA coalitions provide the structure through which such broad change can be achieved. An extensive literature on health-based coalitions suggests that coalition success is impacted by coalition members. Coalitions are generally comprised of member organizations. Little is known about the characteristics of PA coalitions and less is known about organizational member involvement in PA coalitions. The purpose of this …

Investigating Developmental Patterns Of Symptom And Impairment Change Among Youth With Adhd, Subthreshold Adhdand Youth Without Adhd, Lorie Love Geryk

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Despite a substantial prevalence of subthreshold Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and research indicating that many youth with this disorder have impaired functioning and negative outcomes, few studies have considered patterns of symptom and functioning change for youth with probable ADHD, subthreshold ADHD and youth without ADHD transitioning from childhood to adolescence. Additionally, we are not aware of any studies examining predictors of impairment severity among youth with subthreshold ADHD, and few studies have examined predictors of treatment utilization and patterns of symptom and functioning change based on medication status for youth with subthreshold ADHD compared to youth with ADHD. Methods. …

Modeling Ultrasonic Field Emanating From Scanning Acoustic Microscope For Reliable Characterization Of Pathogens (Biological Materials), Rowshan Ara Rima

Theses and Dissertations

Acoustic microscopy provides extraordinary advantages over state-of-the-art invasive imaging techniques to determine the mechanical properties of living colonies of pathogens and micro-organisms. It is possible to obtain the morphomechanical parameters of the pathogenic colonies e.g. variation of thickness, stiffness and the coefficients of attenuation, using scanning acoustic microscope (SAM). However, the process requires an expert with extensive understanding of SAM and ultrasonic signals which is very time consuming and expensive for complex form of analysis. Due to lack of a suitable computational tool, presently the ultrasonic wave scattering, reflection and transmission through the biological specimens cannot be properly visualized. Without …

The South Carolina Sanatorium: The Landscape Of Public Healthcare In The Segregated South, Amanda Noll

Theses and Dissertations

This site-specific study examines the development of the South Carolina Sanatorium, which operated as a state-funded tuberculosis treatment center between 1915 and 1953. Using the South Carolina Sanatorium as a case study, this thesis draws upon the history of the Progressive Era, medicine, and architecture to analyze the influence of segregation on public healthcare in the South. By looking at the development of individual buildings and the site as whole, the built environment of the South Carolina Sanatorium is used as a framework to assess the effects of segregation on tuberculosis treatment in South Carolina.

Perceptions Of Elementary School Principals: Turning High Poverty Elementary Schools In South Carolina Into High-Performing Elementary Schools, Katie Wall Barber

Theses and Dissertations

There is no question that economic deprivation has an adverse impact on student achievement. In the United States, the gaps in achievement among poor and advantaged students are substantial. Through multiple studies, the United States Department of Education (2006) indicated results that "clearly demonstrated that poverty adversely affected student achievement." Closing the achievement gap and achieving success for all students presents a challenge for schools, particularly those located in high-poverty areas (Brock & Groth, 2003). Current research illustrates that some schools, often referred to as high-performing, high-poverty schools, have led their low-income student populations to high levels of achievement, matching …

Determining The Differences In Hurricane Perception And Evacuation Behavior In The Elderly Of South Carolina, Gregg C. Bowser

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is becoming a "grayer" nation. U.S. Administration of Aging projections indicate that by 2030 nearly 20 percent of the national population will be aged 65 or older, with a significant portion of this growth occurring along the hurricane-prone Atlantic and Gulf coasts. This demographic shift creates new challenges for emergency management. Previous research shows that the elderly do not perceive risks and warnings the same way as other groups, and as a result may react differently to risk. Disproportionately high fatality rates for the elderly in recent disasters indicate that these differences are a key determinant of …

The Effect Of Cancer Cachexia Severity And Eccentric Muscle Contractions On Selected Myofiber Metabolic Properties In Mouse Skeletal Muscle, Joshua Earl Mangum

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome that induces skeletal muscle wasting and dysregulation of skeletal muscle metabolism. Alterations in area of myofibers and myofiber metabolic properties can significantly impact the function of skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cachexia severity and resistance exercise training on frequency and area of selected myofiber metabolic characteristics during cachexia-induced myofiber atrophy. Male ApcMin/+ (Min) mice were studied during the progression of cachexia (16-20 weeks of age) and stratified into groups based on the severity of cachexia. For the second study, male Min mice performed resistance exercise (RE) …

Bmi At Diagnosis And Its Association With Markers Of Hiv Disease Progression And Cardiovascular Disease Risk., Kelly Deshon Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) has transformed the state of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from acute to chronic. As a result, the long-term effect of HAART has caused weight gain among HIV-infected individuals, leading to an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity. Increased Body Mass Index (BMI) has been associated with adverse health outcomes in non-HIV and HIV populations, yet among HIV-infected individuals, a higher BMI at diagnosis offers a slower progression from HIV to AIDS. Pre-HAART, studies reported that obese HIV-infected individuals have higher increases in CD4 count over time. However post-HAART, some report that overweight HIV-infected individuals with …

An Investigation Into The Influence Of Dietary Saturated Fat And Quercetin Supplementation On Adiposity, Macrophage Behavior, Inflammation, And Non-Alcoholic Fatty-Liver Disease, Reilly Enos

Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this dissertation was to examine the degree to which manipulation of the saturated fat content of a high-fat diet influenced obesity-related outcomes as well as to see if the naturally-occurring flavonoid, quercetin, could attenuate the resulting obesity and related metabolic and inflammatory side effects. Specifically, these studies examined 1) the influential role of saturated fat on macrophage function, inflammation, and other obesity-related comorbidities, including non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease, and 2) the potential benefits of quercetin supplementation. Overall, results from these studies suggest that adiposity, macrophage behavior, inflammation, insulin resistance, and non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease progression can be greatly …

The Effects Of Rainfall-Runoff On Particulate Organic Carbon Cycling In Salt Marshes, Si Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Low tide rainfall-runoff processes have been proposed as a kind of coastal ocean "hot moment" capable of transporting disproportionately large amounts of material from the salt marsh surface to the water column. However, the resulting organic matter cycling has not been well characterized and the cumulative effects of recurring short-term low tide rainfall events are not known, especially in the context of outwelling. The purpose of this Ph.D. research is to quantitatively evaluate the effects of low tide rainfall on particulate organic carbon (POC) cycling in a South Carolina salt marsh.

This dissertation is comprised of four parts. First, a …