Digital Commons Network^™

Growth Parameters Of 'Golden Delicious' Apple Trees (Malus X Domestica Borkh), Biying Shi

Open Access Theses

High yield and high quality of tree fruit result from appropriate orchard design and management practices. This requires an accurate knowledge of vegetative growth, branching, and flowering processes of fruit trees. Tree development knowledge is the fundamental information necessary to build functional-structural tree models, which have various applications in agriculture. To build such models, information is needed on the distributions of growth parameters, not merely means as are often reported. The objective of this study was to quantitatively analyze shoot development and examine the correlations between fruit quality and light distribution in apple trees. This study was conducted in 2014, …

Potential Of Ozone Technology For German Cockroach (Bblattella Germanica (L.)) Management, Yanlin Tian

Open Access Theses

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica (L.)) are important urban pests that adversely impact human health. Previous studies indicated that ozone technology (ozone gas) can be used as a management tool to control insect pests in grain storage facilities, stored foods and some finished products. The goal of my study was to broaden the applicability of ozone from traditional stored grain pests to B. germanica. The first part of my study determined the concentration-time (CT) relationship of ozone required to achieve 100% mortality in various life stages (adults, nymphs and eggs) ofB. germanica. Results showed that eggs were the most ozone-tolerant …

Attitudes Toward A Cancer Coalition: Implications For Coalition Health Communication, Chervin Lam Shih Kian

Open Access Theses

A cancer coalition is a communication hub for cancer patients that may help address cancer by promoting health and mitigating health issues. Attitudes toward a cancer coalition may be important in determining whether or not patients participate or utilize a coalition. However, little is known about the attitudes of cancer patients toward a cancer coalition, its services, and toward participation. This study addresses this gap by investigating these attitudes. The results encourage the development of a cancer coalition in states that do not yet have a coalition. Effective coalition health communication was found to be a pivotal service that cancer …

The Bone-Protective Effect And Mechanism Of Soluble Corn Fiber, Steven A. Jakeman

Open Access Theses

Postmenopausal women are at greatest risk among healthy individuals of developing osteoporosis and associated fractures. Nondigestible, fermentable dietary carbohydrates have been shown to improve calcium absorption in adolescents and bone-strength parameters in the rat model. Of particular interest is soluble corn fiber (SCF), which improved rat bone strength the most in a survey of novel fibers, and improved calcium absorption by up to 13% in teen girls. Hypotheses about the mechanism behind this effect revolve around the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the large intestine during fermentation. The purpose of this work was to determine if SCF would …

Male And Female Interaction In Apple: Pollen Tube Growth, Fruit Set, Fruit Quality, And Return Bloom, Khalil Rahman Jahed

Open Access Theses

In apple, adequate and appropriate pollination and fertilization is required for fruit set, fruit quality and subsequent fruit growth. Pollen source, pollen-style interaction and compatibility, and ample pollen tube growth are potentially highly influential factors on the fertilization and fruit setting process. Pollinizer is considered to be one of the influential factors and has a remarkable impact on fertilization. However, basic information on the level of pollinizer compatibility and its contribution to yield is lacking for many commercial apple cultivars. Hence, we conducted these experiments to compare pollinizers in terms of pollen tube growth, fruit set, fruit quality and return …

Associations Between Tooth Loss And Ischemic Heart Disease And Stroke In A National Cohort, Tiina Jaagosild

Open Access Theses

The association between oral health and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been under vigorous investigation during the last decades. Consensus documents have stated the independent relationship between periodontal disease and subsequent tooth loss and CVD. Associations between tooth loss and chronic coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke have not been evaluated separately in a single nationwide cohort. This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2012 and was conducted to evaluate the association between the number of teeth lost due to caries or periodontal disease and the prevalence of CVD. The final cohort …

Characterization Of Hessian Fly From Israel, Alisha J Johnson

Open Access Dissertations

Mayetiola destructor Say, the Hessian fly, is a gall midge and a member of the Dipteran family Cecidomyiidae. It is a common pest of wheat found throughout all of the major wheat growing areas of the world and poses a serious economic threat to the United States (US), particularly in the Southeast winter wheat region. Damage to wheat is done solely by feeding first and second in-star larvae. Hessian fly (Hf) infestations result in a loss in grain yield by the stunting and/or killing of seedling wheat plants in the winter and by causing breakage at the nodes of the …

Genetic Analysis Of Nitrogen Remobilization And Kernel Compositon In Zea Mays L. And Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench, Raymond S Lindsey

Open Access Dissertations

Genetic Analysis of Nitrogen Remobilization and Kernel Composition in Zea Mays L. and Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench. Major Professor: Mitchell Tuinstra. Modern maize (Zea mays L.) production relies heavily on nitrogen fertilization for high productivity. Over-application of nitrogen fertilizers in cropping systems can have detrimental economic and environmental effects. For this reason, improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) is a major goal of breeders and producers. Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency (NUtE) is one component of NUE, and the most important component under N-limited conditions. In this study we examined the genetic controls of the timing and preferential canopy position of leaf N …

Investigation Of Dried Distillers Grains With Solubles (Ddgs) Susceptibility To Red Flour Beetle (Tribolium Castaneum (Herbst)) Infestation, Mahsa Fardisi

Open Access Dissertations

Protecting livestock feed from insect infestation is a common challenge that feed facility managers and farmers have to deal with. It becomes an issue of importance because insect infestation degrades feed quality and quantity. Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) is added to livestock feed because of its high protein content. As DDGS usage in animal feed increases, understanding the susceptibility of DDGS, when mixed with livestock feed, to insect infestation is necessary for safe feed storage. This research addressed four questions. The first looked at the susceptibility of DDGS, when stored as a raw ingredient, to Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) …

The Pathological Role Of Acrolein In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis And Multiple Sclerosis, Melissa A. Tully

Open Access Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating neuropathy that affects nearly 2.5 million people worldwide. Despite substantial efforts, few treatments are currently available largely due to limited knowledge of pathogenic mechanisms underlying the disease. The immune-inflammatory nature of the pathology has prompted investigation of the role of oxidative stress in disease development and progression; however targeting reactive oxygen species for neutralization has had marginal success therapeutically, suggesting that an alternate oxidative stress-related target would prove beneficial. Recently, our lab has implicated acrolein, a highly reactive aldehyde that is both a byproduct and catalyst of lipid peroxidation, as a potential therapeutic …

The Role Of Entomology In Environmental And Science Education: Comparing Outreach Methods For Their Impact On Student And Teacher Content Knowledge And Motivation, Faith J. Weeks

Open Access Dissertations

Outreach programming can be an important way for local students and teachers to be exposed to new fields while enhancing classroom learning. University-based outreach programs are offered throughout the country, including most entomology departments as few individuals learn about insects in school and these programs can be excellent sources of entomological education, as well as models to teach environmental and science education. Each department utilizes different instructional delivery methods for teaching about insects, which may impact the way in which students and teachers understand the insect concepts presented. To determine the impact of using entomology to enhance science and environmental …

Propionate Induces Gluconeogenesis In Dairy Cattle Through Direct Activation Of The Bovine Cytosolic Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase Gene Promoter, Qian Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK, GTP; EC4.1.1.32) catalyzes the conversion of oxaloacetate (OAA) to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), a critical reaction for gluconeogenesis. The two isoforms of PCK, namely cytosolic PCK (PCK1), and the mitochondrial PCK (PCK2) are abundantly expressed in liver and kidney. Increased PCK1 activity and mRNA expression in liver is observed as feed intake recovers during early lactation in dairy cows, a condition linked to increased ruminal propionate production. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that propionate regulates its own metabolism in liver of dairy cattle through regulation of the PCK1 gene. The objectives of this dissertation were to determine: …

A Three Constituent Mixture Theory Model Of Cutaneous And Subcutaneous Tissue In The Context Of Neonatal Pressure Ulcer Etiology And Prevention, Anne Dye Zakrajsek

Open Access Dissertations

Localized ischemia, impaired interstitial fluid flow, and sustained mechanical loading of cells have all been hypothesized as mechanisms of pressure ulcer (PrU) etiology. Time-varying loading has experimentally been shown to increase fluid flow in human skin in vivo. Towards the design of prophylactic protocols and treatment modalities for PrU management there is a need for an analytical model to investigate the local fluid flow characteristics of skin tissue under time-varying loading. In this study, a triphasic mixture theory model with constituents of extracellular matrix, interstitial fluid, and blood was calibrated and validated and used to investigate stress and fluid velocity …

International Water And Food Security Development: Performance Evaluation And Assessment Of Research Needs At Multiple Scales, Caitlin Anne Grady

Open Access Dissertations

Water and food security remain the top development challenges of the decade, and perhaps the century. Since the Millennium Development Goals were established in 2000, billions of people have obtained access to more food, better nutrition, improved water, and basic sanitation facilities worldwide. This progress has been accomplished through the dedication of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, country-level governments, private corporations, and individuals at international, regional, and local scales. Truly tremendous strides have been made in water and food provisioning for humans worldwide. These past two decades have also seen the largest population growth on record, the highest rates of childhood …

Public Understanding Of Chemistry Research In Print News, Michael D. Hands

Open Access Dissertations

Despite numerous calls for improving scientific literacy, many American adults show a lack of understanding of experiments, scientific study, and scientific inquiry. News media is one important avenue for science learning, but previous research investigating health and/or environmental science news has shown that it is inconsistent in the presentation of scientific research limitations, potentially impacting reader understanding. In the first phase of this dissertation, seventeen news articles reporting on a single chemistry research article, along with associated press releases and research articles, were analyzed using move analysis to determine the structure of each type of text. It was found that …

Food Security In The Free State Province: Meaning Making As Democratic Agency, Jacqueline Del Valle Hanoman Ambrosio

Open Access Dissertations

People's stories are powerful means of explaining their realities, for their narratives reveal what meanings they make of the situations they are living, how they face these situations and what strategies they formulate to overcome them. Their meaning making is one of the most powerful tools of their agency, and this is what this study reveals. In it, I tell the stories of people in the Free State Province, South Africa, who face food insecurity within abundance, and their critical consciousness and agency as they struggle to survive in their democracy. Poverty is a rawness...Poverty is struggle... Poverty is shame...these …

Bias In Disguise: The Constitutional Problems Of Arkansas’S Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act, John M. A. Dipippa

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Library Newsletter Volume 11, Issue 1, Sacred Heart University

Library Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Meeting The Transition Needs Of Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth Through Culturally Based Services, Barbara J. Friesen, Terry L. Cross, Pauline Jivanjee, Ashley Thirstrup, Abby Bandurraga, L. Kris Gowen, Jen Rountree

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

This article reports findings from three qualitative studies exploring supports for positive transitions of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth to adulthood. Community-based participatory methods were employed through a research partnership involving a culturally based community agency, the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), the National Indian Child Welfare Association, and Portland State University. Studies utilized a Relational Worldview (RWV) framework, where well-being is understood as a balance among the domains of mind, body, spirit, and context. Collectively, findings demonstrate that NAYA employs culturally grounded interventions to overcome the traumatic histories and current oppressive conditions affecting low-income urban AI/AN youth …

The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act: The Latest Obstacle In The Path To Receiving Complementary And Alternative Health Care?, Chelsea Stanley

Indiana Law Journal

Part I of this Note outlines a variety of medical techniques that are considered to be complementary and alternative practices, and it presents evidence of CAM’s growing influence in the United States. Part I also provides a concise summary of some of the most important features of the ACA. Part II analyzes the potential impact of the ACA on CAM. Part II focuses first on those provisions of the ACA that are believed to be supportive of CAM; however, Part II then proposes potential counterarguments ignored or overlooked by those who believe that the ACA will favorably impact CAM. Part …

Pharmdigest Volume 1, Issue 2, Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine, School Of Pharmacy

PharmDigest

This issue of the Pharmacy Student Council newsletter includes the following articles:

• PCOM PGY1 at Gwinnett Medical
• Getting the Residency
• Counsel On!
• The Daily Dose: Leadership
• AMCP visits the West Coast
• Introducing the New Council

Effects Of Poverty On Children’S Education, Jasmin Valdez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Poverty has been affecting children in elementary school for many generations. It affects their lives by decreasing their chances at a better life outside of poverty through their education. Through research, I found that children living in poverty do not do as well in school than those living with a higher income. Poverty affects them through their family, social, psychological, and health aspects

Drougthscape, Spring 2015, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Contents

Director’s column.

South Plains ranch workshops 3

First quarter drought summary

First quarter impacts summary

Gary’s favorite pond, D1-4

NDMC’s Haigh leads U2U pubs

SW Montana watersheds convene

Wind River monitors drought

Morocco’s new drought index

Northeast Brazil drought monitoring

EU’s drought initiative

U.S. Drought Monitor Forum

How Colorado tourism coped in 2012

A Descriptive Analysis Of Gastric Cancer In Alaska, Fabrice Evengue

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Gastric cancer or stomach cancer represents a major public health problem in the contiguous United States and in Alaska. Stomach cancer is the fourth most common malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths throughout the world. A retrospective study of gastric cancer cases from 1996 to 2011 was undertaken and data were extracted from the Alaska Cancer Registry where cases are consistently recorded and centralized. Data were analyzed using the National Cancer Institute’s SEER* Stat statistical software (version 8.1.5). The goal of the project was to provide a detailed epidemiologic descriptive analysis of gastric cancer to better …

The Limits Of Federal Disability Law: State Educational Voucher Programs, Wendy Hensel

Faculty Publications By Year

The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating the state of Wisconsin with respect to its administration of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP), which provides low-income students with public money to attend private schools. Faced with complaints of disability discrimination by private schools accepting voucher students, DOJ has ordered Wisconsin to oversee and police these schools to ensure compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which applies to states and their agencies, and § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which applies to recipients of federal funding. Although conditioning its directive on the state's coverage under these …

Constructing Health Together: Validating Knowledge In The Implementation Of Community Health Initiatives, Allison L. Wolf

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2015

In the field of public health, peer-reviewed publications using randomized control trials are held in the highest regard. Unfortunately, for many members of the general public, peer-reviewed publications don't offer practical solutions to their community’s public health concerns. Additionally, when the two communities come together, conflict can arise from unequal perceptions of their own values, goals, and resources. Through the implementation and promotion of community-based participatory research (CBPR), academics and community members can produce public health outcomes that simultaneously benefit scholarly goals and practical applications when their knowledge bases are validated. The conflicts between academics and communities center around perceived …

Identification Of Perilipin 5 Interaction Partners, Emily E. Burton

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Perilipin 5 is one of the more recently discovered in the PAT protein family. Several studies on this protein have shown that it resides in multiple intracellular locations such as the endoplasmic reticulum, the cytosol, the mitochondria, and most interestingly on lipid droplets. These lipid droplets have proven not to be just clumps of fat, but to be very complex intracellular organelles, with a core of lipids surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer coated by specific proteins, one of those being perilipin 5. Some proteomic studies have revealed these lipid droplets to be involved in intracellular trafficking, signaling, cytoskeletal organization and …

Local Food Innovation In A World Of Wicked Problems: The Pitfalls And The Potential, Danielle L. Lake, Lisa Sisson, Lara Jaskiewicz

Faculty Peer Reviewed Articles

Food-oriented markets, such as food innovation districts (FIDs), have been touted as potential methods to address complex societal issues involving the environment, poverty, and health. On this front the Grand Rapids Downtown Market (DTM) was created in 2013, envisioned as a vibrant public space for local food, entrepreneurship, community health, and jobs. An innovative, collective response to the interconnected and urgent problems of poverty, access, health, diet, and environment, the DTM can serve as a case study through which the value and necessity of a wicked problems framework become apparent. Wicked problems literature demonstrates that collaborative and iterative processes are …

Characteristics And Fruit And Vegetable Intake Of Low-Income Ymca Veggie Van Participants In Grand Rapids And Muskegon, Mi, Sarah Craven

Honors Projects

Background: Increased access to affordable produce may increase fruit and vegetable serving intake. The objective of this study was to characterize the individuals utilizing the Veggie Van in low-income areas of Grand Rapids and Muskegon, MI including food security status and fruit and vegetable servings.

Methods: The participants were residents in Muskegon and Grand Rapids, MI purchasing food from the low-income sites of the YMCA Veggie Van. Demographics, food security, participation in food assistance programs, and income of the participants was collected. Fruit and vegetable servings were measured with three 24-hour recalls. Anthropometric measures (height, weight, and waist circumference) were …

Context-Driven Automatic Subgraph Creation For Literature-Based Discovery, Delroy H. Cameron, Ramakanth Kavuluru, Thomas Rindflesch, Amit P. Sheth, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Olivier Bodenreider

Kno.e.sis Publications

Background: Literature-based discovery (LBD) is characterized by uncovering hidden associations in non-interacting scientific literature. Prior approaches to LBD include use of: 1) domain expertise and structured background knowledge to manually filter and explore the literature, 2) distributional statistics and graph-theoretic measures to rank interesting connections and 3) heuristics to help eliminate spurious connections. However, manual approaches to LBD are not scalable and purely distributional approaches may not be sufficient to obtain insights into the meaning of poorly understood associations. While several graph-based approaches have the potential to elucidate associations, their effectiveness has not been fully demonstrated. A considerable degree of …