Digital Commons Network^™

Quantity And Quality Limit Detritivore Growth: Mechanisms Revealed By Ecological Stoichiometry And Co-Limitation Theory, Halvor M. Halvorson, Erik Sperfeld, Michelle A. Evans-White

Faculty Publications

Resource quantity and quality are fundamental bottom-up constraints on consumers. Best understood in autotroph-based systems, co-occurrence of these constraints may be common but remains poorly studied in detrital-based systems. Here, we used a laboratory growth experiment to test limitation of the detritivorous caddisfly larvae Pycnopsyche lepida across a concurrent gradient of oak litter quantity (food supply) and quality (phosphorus : carbon [P:C ratios]). Growth increased simultaneously with quantity and quality, indicating co-limitation across the resource gradients. We merged approaches of ecological stoichiometry and co-limitation theory, showing how co-limitation reflected shifts in C and P acquisition throughout homeostatic regulation. Increased growth …

Synthesis Of Magnetic Carbon Supported Manganese Catalysts For Phenol Oxidation By Activation Of Peroxymonosulfate, Yuxian Wang, Yongbing Xie, Chunmao Chen, Xiaoguang Duan, Hongqi Sun, Shaobin Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Magnetic core/shell nanospheres (MCS) were synthesized by a novel and facile one-step hydrothermal method. Supported manganese oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/C/Mn) were obtained from various methods (including redox, hydrothermal and impregnation) using MCS as the support material and potassium permanganate as the precursor of manganese oxide. The Mn/MCS catalysts were characterized by a variety of characterization techniques and the catalytic performances of Fe₃O₄/C/Mn nanoparticles were tested in activation of peroxymonosulfate to produce reactive radicals for phenol degradation in aqueous solutions. It was found that Fe₃O₄/C/Mn catalysts can be well dispersed …

Acute Effects Of The Training Mask On Short-Term Recovery During Rowing Intervals, Hayden W. Hess

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of the Training Mask 2.0 (TM) on performance (m), blood lactate, heart rate recovery (HRR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (Q̇), heart rate variability (HRV), and breath rate recovery (BRR) when used during short-term recovery. Methods: Seven trained males completed two interval training conditions (TM and Sham TM). Each condition consisted of five, 1-min, max effort rows with 3-min recoveries. The TM (or Sham TM) was worn during each 3-min recovery. A repeated measures 2x5 (condition x interval) ANOVA was used to determine significant main effects for condition or …

The Effects Of Pair-Programming In A High School Introductory Computer Science Class, Ken Manship

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The following describes my research into pair-programming in a high school introductory computer science class. Research exists that shows the benefits of pair-programming in industry and post-secondary education. For example, in industry, well respected programmers often prefer pair-programming to a more individual approach and often produce better solutions. Furthermore, in post-secondary education, students show higher academic achievement and rely less on staff and instructors when paired with another student. There is not much research that investigates pair-programming in high school.

From January 2017 to March 2017 I explored the effect of pair-programming on my Exploring Computer Science class at Ridgevue …

The Cost Of Roaming Free: Assessing The Effects Of Plant Secondary Metabolites On Diet Selection And Nutritional Condition In A Free-Ranging Generalist Herbivore, Daniel Patrick Melody

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Large vertebrate herbivores have a wide variety of browsing options available. However, most plants contain a suite of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) that can have toxic effects when ingested. Herbivores must therefore make dietary choices that minimize the potentially harmful effects of PSM ingestion and maximize the use of available nutrients and protein. During winter months, in northern latitudes, climatological factors restrict browsing options and many populations of herbivores must subsist primarily on forage that is relatively poor in nutritional quality and high in PSMs. Many species of herbivores have developed a suite of behavioral and physiological adaptations to cope …

Form, Function, And Relevance Of Contemporary Language Resource Centers, Paul L. Sebastian

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was conducted in order to better understand the interplay between form, function, and relevance regarding contemporary language resource centers (LRCs). Five language centers housed by four different institutions of higher education in the western region of the United States were examined. Two representatives from each of the five centers were interviewed either in-person or over the phone (N = 10). Data were collected in the form of semi-structured interviews, on-site visits, and research journal entries. The data were analyzed using a flexible combination of multi-level qualitative coding, descriptive statistics, and narrative analysis. This study confirms recent findings …

Effects Of Natural Nutritional Beverages On Anaerobic Exercise Performance, Clare Margaret Zamzow

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Dietary nitrate (NO₃-) can serve as a substrate for the important signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO). Recent studies suggest that NO₃- beet juice could be beneficial during anaerobic (i.e. short duration, high power) exercise, though this area has received much less attention than beet juice’s effects during aerobic exercise. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if acute dietary NO₃- supplementation, in the form of beet juice, could improve measures of anaerobic power in trained, healthy men during a primarily anaerobic bout of exercise. A secondary purpose was to investigate if …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Hybrid Geosynthetic Reinforcement System To Mitigate Differential Heave On Flexible Pavement Due To Expansive Subgrades, Mir Md. Tamim

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Transportation industries encounter substantial challenges with respect to ride quality and serviceability when they deal with expansive soils underneath roadway structures. These soils exhibit swell-shrink behavior with moisture variations, which cause surficial heaving on the pavement structure and cost billions of dollars for the maintenance of pavements. For the past four decades, a particular stretch of US-95 (Oregon line to Elephant Butte) exhibited recurrent swelling distresses due to the underlying expansive soils. Despite remedial measures that exhibited satisfactory results for most of the sections, recurrent damage still continued in few sections. Further research indicated that the problematic soils were located …

Development Of A Production Estimation Model For Tunnel Boring Machines (Tbms), Saeed Janbaz

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Advance rate (AR) estimation is a crucial factor at the conceptual phase of a tunneling project for preliminary estimation of tunnel boring machines' (TBMs') usage. The primary objective of this research is to develop order of magnitude performance charts for advance rate of TBMs that can be used using the limited information about the tunneling progress at the conceptual phase. The secondary objective of this dissertation is to evaluate factors that impact TBM progress in large diameter applications. Tunnel diameter and uniaxial compressive strength of ground are found to be some of the primary parameters for prediction of advance rate. …

Assessing The Current Efficiencies Of Farm Credit Of Western Arkansas, Hailey Paulsen

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Farm Credit is a unique banking structure, as it is a cooperative which pays patronage dividends to its members. As such, the rates for loans (nominal interest rates) that Farm Credit offers can be slightly higher than larger commercial banks because the patronage payment can offset some, all or more of interest rate difference, which results in an effective rate. Farm Credit, like other globally evolving industries, must continuously look for ways to differentiate themselves to compete for new customers and retain existing ones. Thus, this study sets out to survey the members of Western Farm Credit of Arkansas to …

Food Law & Policy: An Essential Part Of Today's Legal Academy, Emily M. Broad Leib, Baylen J. Linnekin

Journal of Food Law & Policy

This Article updates the authors’ seminal 2014 Wisconsin Law Review article, "Food Law & Policy: The Fertile Field’s Origins and First Decade," which was the first scholarly work to detail the fascinating origins and explosive growth of the legal field of Food Law & Policy. Using the same ten criteria the authors developed to measure the growth of Food Law & Policy for the 2014 article, this Article measures and details the field’s impressive growth since that time.

The Physicochemical Properties And Cellular Toxicity Of Variably Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, Catherine Binns Anders

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology has grown exponentially since its inception in the early 1970’s. Since then, bionanotechnological devices and treatment options have significantly improved disease treatments and patient outcomes; however, this rapid growth in consumer related products has also prompted concern. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnO), known for their inherent toxicity and prevalent global use in consumer products and medical applications, have received much of this attention. Significant research efforts have focused on both toxicity remediation through material property modification and the exploitation of these same factors to create potential cancer therapeutics. There is general agreement that the physicochemical properties of nZnO strongly contribute …

Front Matter, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Editors' Note, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Homenaje A Cubena, Sonja Stephenson Watson

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Remembering Dr. Laurence Prescott, Luisa Ossa

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Ashé - Diasporan Spirituality In Carlos Wilson's Los Nietos De Felicidad Dolores, Thomas Wayne Edison

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Entrevista Con Carlos Guillermo Wilson, Haakayoo Nobui Zoggyie

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Poniéndonos Al Día Con Gerardo Fulleda León, Darrelstan Ferguson

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

When The Devil Knocks: The Congo Tradition And The Politics Of Blackness In Twentieth-Century Panama By Renée Alexander Craft, Jerry Scruggs

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

José Martí, The United States, And Race By Anne Fountain, John Maddox

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Ad From The University Of Missouri Press, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Alara Announcement, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Optimized Mid-Infrared Thermal Emitters For Applications In Aircraft Countermeasures, Simón G. Lorenzo, Chenglong You, Christopher H. Granier, Georgios Veronis, Jonathan P. Dowling

Faculty Publications

We introduce an optimized aperiodic multilayer structure capable of broad angle and high temperature thermal emission over the 3 μm to 5 μm atmospheric transmission band. This aperiodic multilayer structure composed of alternating layers of silicon carbide and graphite on top of a tungsten substrate exhibits near maximal emittance in a 2 μm wavelength range centered in the mid-wavelength infrared band traditionally utilized for atmospheric transmission. We optimize the layer thicknesses using a hybrid optimization algorithm coupled to a transfer matrix code to maximize the power emitted in this mid-infrared range normal to the structure's surface. We investigate possible applications …

A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis To Synthesize The Influence Of Contexts Of Scaffolding Use On Cognitive Outcomes In Stem Education, Brian Robert Belland, Andrew Walker, Nam Ju Kim

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Computer-based scaffolding provides temporary support that enables students to participate in and become more proficient at complex skills like problem solving, argumentation, and evaluation. While meta-analyses have addressed between-subject differences on cognitive outcomes resulting from scaffolding, none has addressed within-subject gains. This leaves much quantitative scaffolding literature not covered by existing meta-analyses. To address this gap, this study used Bayesian network meta-analysis to synthesize within-subjects (pre–post) differences resulting from scaffolding in 56 studies. We generated the posterior distribution using 20,000 Markov Chain Monte Carlo samples. Scaffolding has a consistently strong effect across student populations, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) …

Live Long And Prosper: Plant–Soil Feedback, Lifespan, And Landscape Abundance Covary, Andrew Kulmatiski, Karen H. Beard, Jeanette M. Norton, Justin Heavilin, Leslie E. Forero, Josephine Grenzer

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Plant soil feedbacks (PSFs) are thought to be important to plant growth and species coexistence, but most support for these hypotheses is derived from short-term greenhouse experiments. Here we use a seven-year, common garden experiment to measure PSFs for seven native and six nonnative species common to the western United States. We use these long-term, field-based estimates to test correlations between PSF and plant landscape abundance, species origin, functional type, and lifespan. To assess potential PSF mechanisms, we also measured soil microbial community composition, root biomass, nitrogen cycling, bulk density, penetration resistance, and shear strength. Plant abundance on the landscape …

Isis Reimagined Using Isis Recruitment Techniques In A Peaceful Student Organization, Amanda Greer

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The Islamic State in al-Sham (ISIS) is one of the most successful recruiting terrorist organization in history. They target people who feel like outsiders and loners. Such groups of people include second generation immigrants and refugees. A student organization was created to help these populations feel included in the community and to spread awareness about the problem. A previous national campaign proved the idea effective now the question comes about how to make it a sustainable long-run buffer to ISIS recruitment. I propose the creation of a peaceful student organization based on the adaptation of ISIS recruitment techniques. The organizational …

A Customized Quantitative Pcr Microrna Panel Provides A Technically Robust Context For Studying Neurodegenerative Disease Biomarkers And Indicates A High Correlation Between Cerebrospinal Fluid And Choroid Plexus Microrna Expression, Wang-Xia Wang, David W. Fardo, Gregory A. Jicha, Peter T. Nelson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

MicroRNA (miRNA) expression varies in association with different tissue types and in diseases. Having been found in body fluids including blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), miRNAs constitute potential biomarkers. CSF miRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases; however, there is a lack of consensus about the best candidate miRNA biomarkers and there has been variability in results from different research centers, perhaps due to technical factors. Here, we sought to optimize technical parameters for CSF miRNA studies. We examined different RNA isolation methods and performed miRNA expression profiling with TaqMan® miRNA Arrays. More specifically, we developed a customized …

3d Nanomolding And Fluid Mixing In Micromixers With Micro-Patterned Microchannel Walls, Bahador Farshchian, Alborz Amirsadeghi, Junseo Choi, Daniel S. Park, Namwon Kim, Sunggook Park

Faculty Publications

Microfluidic devices where the microchannel walls were decorated with micro and nanostructures were fabricated using 3D nanomolding. Using 3D molded microfluidic devices with microchannel walls decorated with microscale gratings, the fluid mixing behavior was investigated through experiments and numerical simulation. The use of microscale gratings in the micromixer was predicated by the fact that large obstacles in a microchannel enhances the mixing performance. Slanted ratchet gratings on the channel walls resulted in a helical flow along the microchannel, thus increasing the interfacial area between fluids and cutting down the diffusion length. Increasing the number of walls decorated with continuous ratchet …