Digital Commons Network^™

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2016, Paul Beck, Jason Apple, Shane Gadberry, Beth Kegley, Charles Rosenkrans Jr.

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

On-Farm Maize Storage Systems And Rodent Postharvest Losses In Six Maize Growing Agro-Ecological Zones Of Kenya, Kukom Edoh Ognakossan, Hippolyte D. Affognon, Christopher M. Mutungi, Daniel N. Sila, Soul Kifouly G. Midingoyi, Willis O. Owino

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Rodents are one of the major postharvest pests that affect food security by impacting on both food availability and safety. However, knowledge of the impact of rodents in on-farm maize storage systems in Kenya is limited. A survey was conducted in 2014 to assess magnitudes of postharvest losses in on-farm maize storage systems in Kenya, and the contribution of rodents to the losses. A total of 630 farmers spread across six maize growing agro-ecological zones (AEZs) were interviewed. Insects, rodents and moulds were the main storage problems reported by farmers. Storage losses were highest in the moist transitional and moist …

Exploring Factors That Shape Small-Scale Farmers’ Opinions On The Adoption Of Eco-Friendly Nets For Vegetable Production, F. Vidogbéna, A. Adégbidi, R. Tossou, F. Assogba-Komlan, T. Martin, M. Ngouajio, S. Simon, L. Parrot, S. T. Garnett, K. K. Zander

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

If agro-ecological systems are to realize their potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional agricultural systems, innovation diffusion needs to be enhanced. We conducted surveys among 214 small-scale vegetable farmers in Benin, a food-deficit country in West Africa, on how they perceived the different attributes of eco-friendly nets (EFNs). The nets act as physical barriers against insects in vegetable production and so reduce pesticide use. Understanding farmer perceptions about new technologies helps reveal farmers’ propensity to adopt them. Intensity of attitude was measured on a Likert scale, and an ordered probit model was used to determine which characteristics of nets were …

Minding Ps And Qs: The Political And Policy Questions Framing Health Care Spending, William M. Sage

Faculty Scholarship

Tracing the evolution of political conversations about health care spending and their relationship to the formation of policy is a valuable exercise. Health care spending is about science and ethics, markets and government, freedom and community. By the late 1980s the unique upward trajectory of post-Medicare U.S. health care spending had been established, recessions and tax cuts were eroding federal and state budgets, and efforts to harness market forces to serve policy goals were accelerating. From the initial writings on “managed competition,” through the failed Clinton health reform effort in the early 1990s, to the passage of the Affordable Care …

Exploiting The Principal Parametric Resonance Of An Rlc" Circuit For Vibratory Energy Harvesting", Nicholas B. Caldwell

All Theses

The use of ambient energy sources to independently power small electronic devices, a process commonly known as energy harvesting, has recently become a focus of research due to advances in low-power electronic applications. A particular class of energy harvesting devices, known as vibratory energy harvesters (VEHs), utilizes low-level vibrations present in numerous natural and man-made environments to generate electrical energy for electronic devices.

This work investigates the use of a new technique to harvest energy from ambient vibrations by parametrically exciting a resonance condition of the electric current in a nonlinear oscillating circuit. To accomplish this parametric resonance phenomenon, we …

Creating A Christ-Centered Climate For Educational Excellence: Philosophical, Instructional, Relational, Assessment And Counseling Dimensions, Elvin Gabriel, Carole Woolford-Hunt, Esther M. Hooley

Faculty Publications

Interest is peaking among educators in North America, and around the world, on issues relating to school climate. A primary reason for this strong interest is research confirmation that school climate may have a positive or negative effect on educational processes. A Christ-Centered school climate provides the best opportunities for stakeholders to work collaboratively to achieve four primary educational outcomes. These are: (1) creating and sustaining bias free learning environments where relationships are nurtured by love, respect, tolerance, and kindness; (2) establishing faith-based instructional and service learning programs which cater to the needs of students; and (3) utilizing quality assessment …

The Decay Of Disease Association With Declining Linkage Disequilibrium: A Fine Mapping Theorem, Mehdi Maadooliat, Naveen K. Bansal, Jibal Upadhya, Manzur R. Farazi, Xiang Li, Max M. He, Scott J. Hebbring, Zhan Ye, Steven J. Schrodi

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Several important and fundamental aspects of disease genetics models have yet to be described. One such property is the relationship of disease association statistics at a marker site closely linked to a disease causing site. A complete description of this two-locus system is of particular importance to experimental efforts to fine map association signals for complex diseases. Here, we present a simple relationship between disease association statistics and the decline of linkage disequilibrium from a causal site. Specifically, the ratio of Chi-square disease association statistics at a marker site and causal site is equivalent to the standard measure of pairwise …

An Analysis Of Bluetooth Low Energy In The Context Of Intermittently Powered Devices, Steven Lain Hearndon

All Theses

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has become a prominent low-power wireless solution for portable, battery-powered devices, potentially allowing them to run for several years, even off of a simple coin cell. But batteries must still be replaced. The emergence of batteryless devices is gaining momentum due to their ability to run for decades with no maintenance. The design of BLE relies on exact timing, which usually means a constant power source. The question, then, is how well will BLE function when used in batteryless sensors that run on harvested energy and therefore lose power frequently. In this paper, I evaluate the …

The Coronary Circulation In An In Vitro Multi-Scale Model Of The Stage 1 Norwood Procedure, Lauren Elizabeth Carter

All Theses

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a congenital heart disease where the left ventricle and ascending aorta are underdeveloped. The first of three palliative surgeries for this malformation is the Norwood procedure. In this surgery, an opening is made between the left and right atrium so that all blood can flow into the right ventricle (RV). A reconstructed aorta is anastomosed (connected) to the RV so that the RV can pump oxygenated blood to the body (the systemic circulation). To divert part of the systemic blood flow to the pulmonary circulation, the modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt (mBTS) is connected from the …

Human Factors Considerations In Designing Home-Based Video Telemedicine Systems For The Geriatric Population, Shraddhaa Narasimha

All Theses

Telemedicine is the process of providing healthcare services when large distances separate the patient and the doctor, with the use of communication technology. Telemedicine serves as a substitute to in-person hospital visits and in large, reduces the need to travel and wait in line to visit the doctor. It is predicted to help the geriatric population in managing their healthcare requirements. In order for telemedicine to effectively help the older population, it is essential to understand their needs and issues in telemedicine systems. A study with 40 participants was conducted to understand the usability issues of telemedicine systems with the …

Investigating Employee Engagement Through A Self-Determination Theory Framework, Crystal S. Wiedemann

All Theses

Over the last decade, the concept of employee engagement has attractedsubstantial attention in both research settings and organizational applications (Christian,Garza, & Slaughter, 2011). Research has shown employee engagement to be related toseveral positive organizational outcomes, including employee production, employeeretention, customer satisfaction and company profit (Harter, Schmidt, & Hayes, 2002;Hewitt Associates LLC, 2005). While there has been a recent surge of academic interestin employee engagement, there remains much to be learned about its antecedents. Thisstudy investigates employee engagement within the more established motivationalframework of Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000) asproposed by Meyer and Gagne (2008) to …

Development Of A Tissue-Mimicking Brain Phantom For Neurosurgical Pre-Operative Planning And Training, Miriam Navarro Lozoya

All Theses

Direct physical intervention in the treatment of patients in the area of neurosurgery represents a high risk which can be minimized with the employment of 3D physical models. These models provide a thorough physical display in 3D with detailed information related to the morphology of internal structures and their spatial location with surrounding structures. The aim of this study was to develop a brain substitute material based on gelatin that simulates the mechanical properties of brain tissue. Tissue mimicking materials were developed by matching the mechanical properties of porcine brain tissue under compressive loading at strain rates typical of surgical …

Uptake Of Actinides And Nuclear Fission Products In Graminaceous And Nongraminaceous Plants, Stephanie Lynn Ely

All Theses

Radionuclides exist within the environment naturally and also from release during nuclear power and weapons production. The ability of plants to uptake radionuclides may prove beneficial for exploitation in the field of phytoremediation and as a biomonitor within the field of nuclear forensics. The fact that plants have the ability to take up radionuclides as an unintended metabolic process is well known, however, the mechanisms through which uptake occur present large gaps within the current research. Therefore, gaining further knowledge regarding overall plant radionuclide uptake and specific mechanisms may prove as an invaluable tool to enhance phytoremediation and nuclear forensic …

Mapping Natural Gestural Inputs To Traditional Touchscreen Interface Designs, Katherina Jurewicz

All Theses

Gestures are a natural means of every day human-human communication, andwith the introduction of gestural input technology, there is an opportunity to investigatethe application of gestures as a means of communicating with computers and otherdevices. The primary benefit of gestural input technology is that it facilitates a touchlessinteraction, so the ideal market demand for this technology is an environment wheretouch needs to be minimized. The perfect example of an environment that discouragestouch are sterile environments, such as operating rooms. Healthcare-associated infectionsare a great burden to the healthcare system, and gestural input technology can decreasethe number of surfaces, computers, and other …

Neighborhood Environment And Self-Rated Health In Mainland China, Japan And South Korea, Jing Liu

All Theses

Neighborhood environments are considered crucial factors in affecting self-ratedhealth. Previous empirical research has documented a positive association between self ratings of neighborhood environments and health status. Although this relationship has been studied extensively in western countries, the relationship between neighborhoodratings and health status in East Asian countries has received far less attention by researchers. Using data from the East Asian Social Survey 2010, this thesis examines the relationship between self-rated health and the three main types of neighborhood environment (built, physical, and social) in Mainland China, Japan, and South Korea. This study also compares the neighborhood effects on self-rated health …

The Cellular And Molecular Characterization Of Essential Hypertension Using Innovative Pathology Models, Joshua T. Rodriguez

All Theses

Essential hypertension, characterized by elevated blood pressure levels, is a primary risk factor for other cardiovascular diseases. There has been a drastic rise in the amount of people who have essential hypertension; trends predict that 1.56 billion people worldwide will be living with essential hypertension by 2025. Anti-hypertensive drugs lower elevated blood pressure levels, but do not eliminate the disease itself or reverse the structural damage to arteries. This study aims to elucidate hypertension-induced endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction using a blood vessel tissue engineering approach as a pathology model. In order to characterize EC dysfunction, the FlexCell® system was used …

Tannic Acid Crosslinked Collagen Type I For Prevention Of Local Her2-Positive Breast Cancer Recurrence, Lauren Gayle Jordan

All Theses

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, affecting about 12 percent of women nationally (Ma and Jemal, 2013). The American Cancer Society estimates that 246,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2016 (American Cancer Society, 2016 b). Breast cancer accounts for almost 30% of new cancer diagnoses and is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths among women in developed countries. In addition, breast cancer is becoming a worldwide problem with incidence and mortality rates increasing steadily over the past 20 years in developing countries …

Field Method For Gross Alpha- And Beta- Emitting Radionuclide Detection In Environmental Aqueous Solutions, Longchau D. Hoang

All Theses

A new field method was developed for the gross detection of alpha and beta radionuclides in water. The new field, method consists of a 0.5 L water sample concentrated with an Actinide Resin (Eichrom Technologies, Inc.), followed by MnO2 co-precipitation, and detection on an Thermo Eberline E600 detection system utilizing a phoswich (ZnS:Ag) plastic scintillator mounted on a modified SPA-1A Probe (Thermo Eberline, LLC.) The field method was evaluated against a modified EPA method consisting of the iSolo® Alpha/Beta Counting System which utilized a passivated implanted planar silicon (PIPS) detector. The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) for the field method is …

Sensor Based Nitrogen Management For Corn Production In Coastal Plain Soils, Nicholas G. Rogers

All Theses

The first objective of this project was to develop, refine, and employ sensor-based algorithms to determine the mid-season nitrogen requirements for the production of irrigated corn in Coastal Plain soils. The second objective of this project was to develop an “on-the-go” variable rate nitrogen application system. One (1) production field at Clemson’s Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, SC was used in the development and refinement of the sensor-based algorithm. This field was equipped with overhead irrigation, and was used in both the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons. The crop was not under scheduled irrigation, the overhead (lateral) irrigation …

Cell Source Optimization For Cardiac Tissue Engineering, Joshua Biggs

All Theses

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death associated with cardiovascular disease affecting approximately 735,000 Americans each year. The resulting damage caused by MI initiates a pathological progression towards congestive heart failure. Donor shortages rule out transplantation as a viable treatment option and coronary revascularization does not solve the issue of regenerating the infarct scar. Stem cell therapies, however, show great potential, but have been largely unsuccessful at regenerating diseased myocardium. This study aims to differentiate human adipose derived stem cells (hADSCs) by methods of co-culture and chemical induction to produce functional cardiomyocytes, as well as by …

Evaluating The Impact Of Emergency Department Facility Design On Healthcare Workers' Perception Of Safety, Mary A. Hobbs

All Theses

Facility design has been identified as a factor resulting in improved patient safety and quality care regarding patient movement, patient visibility, and standardized caregiving (Reiling et al., 2004). Despite research indicating violence towards healthcare workers (HCWs) can be improved through facility design changes (Catlette, 2005; Gates, 2004), there is very little literature examining the relationship between hospital design characteristics and the perception of HCW’s safety (Peek-Asa et al., 2007). The objective of this research is to understand the impact of emergency department (ED) facility design on the HCW’s perception of patient safety, their own safety, and workplace efficiency (i.e., their …

A Replication And Extension Of The Peers® For Young Adults Social Skills Intervention: Examining Effects On Social Skills And Social Anxiety In Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alana J. Mcvey, Bridget Dolan, Kirsten S. Willar, Sheryl Pleiss, Jeffrey S. Karst, Christina L. Casnar, Christina Caiozzo, Elisabeth M. Vogt, Nakia S. Gordon, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Young adults with ASD experience difficulties with social skills, empathy, loneliness, and social anxiety. One intervention, PEERS® for Young Adults, shows promise in addressing these challenges. The present study replicated and extended the original study by recruiting a larger sample (N = 56), employing a gold standard ASD assessment tool, and examining changes in social anxiety utilizing a randomized controlled trial design. Results indicated improvements in social responsiveness (SSIS-RS SS, p = .006 and CPB, p = .005; SRS, p = .004), PEERS® knowledge (TYASSK, p = .001), empathy (EQ, p = .044), direct interactions (QSQ-YA, p = …

Predicting Aggression In Late Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study, Christina Caiozzo, Jessica Houston, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study sought to prospectively predict aggression in the romantic relationships of 1180 college students from the United States (807 females; 373 males) over the course of two months with a set of intrapersonal risk and protective factors, including personality characteristics that rarely have been examined in this population. After accounting for prior dating aggression, perpetration of verbal aggression was predicted uniquely by aggressive attitudes, emotion regulation, and for females, narcissism. Perpetration of physical aggression was predicted by aggressive attitudes, but only at low levels of emotion regulation, and the interaction of callous-unemotional traits, emotion regulation, and gender: males with …

Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Misaki Abe, Alexander Ellison, Brandon Hicks, Echo Wooden

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Undergraduate Projects

No abstract provided.

Working For Veggies: A Workshare Program At The Grand Valley State University Sustainable Agriculture Project, Robin Gessner, Cassie Pataro, Maggie Tisdale, Hayley Thiele

Liberal Studies Undergraduate Research

Grand Valley State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Project – often abbreviated to the SAP – grows a wide variety of produce while teaching students about environmental and social issues surrounding food. However, the GVSU student body is generally unaware of the SAP’s purpose or existence. In addition, the food being grown at the SAP does not always end up in the hands of students, while at the same time many students have difficulties affording healthy foods. We sought to find a solution to all of these problems. Through multiple brainstorming processes and consultations with various stakeholders, we were able to create …

Summary Reversals In The Roberts Court, Edward A. Hartnett

Cardozo Law Review

The article examines the use of summary reversals by the Roberts Court, arguing that these decisions—where the Court reverses lower court rulings without full briefing or oral argument—serve important administrative functions and address specific types of errors, despite longstanding criticism. The author identifies patterns in the areas of law and types of errors targeted by these reversals, concluding that the practice persists due to its utility in maintaining judicial hierarchy and efficiency, even as critics question its propriety.

John Roberts And Constitutional Law, Brianne J. Gorod

Cardozo Law Review

The article examines Chief Justice John Roberts's judicial approach during his first decade on the Supreme Court, highlighting his generally conservative jurisprudence while noting instances where institutional concerns about the Court's legitimacy led him to prioritize law over ideology. Roberts's record reflects a tension between his conservative ideological convictions and his commitment to the Court's institutional reputation.

The Plain Language Court, David A. Strauss

Cardozo Law Review

The Roberts Court, under Chief Justice John Roberts, has demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to the plain language approach in statutory interpretation. This approach emphasizes interpreting statutes based on their literal text, often without considering legislative history or broader statutory purposes. The Court's decision in Milner v. Department of the Navy exemplifies this trend, where the Court adhered to the plain language of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) despite significant policy concerns. This approach has become more unanimous among the justices, reflecting a shift from earlier Courts that were more divided on this method.

The Roberts Court And The New Textualism, Anton Metlitsky

Cardozo Law Review

The article explores the Roberts Court's approach to statutory interpretation, focusing on its adherence to the "new textualism," a methodology emphasizing the plain meaning of statutory text. While recent cases like King v. Burwell, Bond v. United States, and Yates v. United States appear to prioritize statutory purpose over textual meaning, the Court's reasoning reinforces its commitment to textualism by framing decisions within textualist methodology, even when outcomes seem to depart from strict textual interpretation.

Where Techs Rush In, Courts Should Fear To Tread: How Courts Should Respond To The Changing Economics Of Today, Melanie Defiore

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.