Digital Commons Network^™

Bio-Ecological Studies Of Amaranth's Lepidopteran Defoliators And Development Of Ipm Technologies For Their Management, Komi Agbodzavu Mawufe

All PhD Dissertations

One of the most important and largely consumed African Indigenous Vegetables (AIV) is amaranth. It is known to have a high nutritional value, agronomical assets and economic attributes. Amaranth production is however constrained by numerous biotic factors such as insect pests, occurring as a complex of species among which lepidopteran defoliators are found to be the most destructive. Investigations on their bio-ecological and control options were conducted. Field experiments were conducted from September 2015 to June 2017 in two agro-ecology zones (mid and high altitudes) in Kenya using two species of amaranth (Amaranthus dubius L. and Amaranthus cruentus L.). Results …

Assessment Of The Diversity And Roles Of Bacterial Symbionts In Fruit Fly Development And Response To Biological Control, Joseph Gichui

All PhD Dissertations

Tephritid fruit flies are among the most destructive pest species of fruits and vegetables in many regions of the world. Apart from high losses in yield, tephritid fruit fly pests pose great socioeconomic and ecological challenges as well as demand effective measures to curb infestation which can be costly. Among currently used management options are the use of chemical insecticides, behavioral, genetic, cultural and biological approaches. However, no single method or combination of control strategies as used in integrated pest management programmes may be infallible to various constraints. It is therefore necessary to broaden the scope of plausible methods of …

Diversity And Shifts Of The Bacterial Community Associated With Baikal Sponge Mass Mortalities, Sergei Belikov, Natalia Belkova, Tatiana Butina, Lubov Chernogor, Alexandra Martynova-Van Kley, Armen Nalian, Colin Rorex, Igor Khanaev, Olga Maikova, Sergey Feranchuk

Faculty Publications

The disease of freshwater sponges was first discovered in 2011, when pink samples were found in the Central Basin of Lake Baikal. Subsequently, the visible signs of the disease have changed, and now sponges appear with various symptoms of damage to the body, such as discoloration, tissue necrosis, the formation of brown patches and dirty-purple biofilms on some branches. These signs of the disease are accompanied by the mass death of sponges. We identified differences in microbiomes by sequencing 16S rRNA genes and found changes in the consortium of microorganisms of freshwater Baikal sponges. We found that the observed imbalance …

The History And Influence Of The National Association Of Counsel For Children - An Alternate Perspective, Martin Guggenheim

Children's Legal Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Opposing Viewpoints: In Favor Of United States Ratification Of The Convention On The Rights Of The Child, Carly Helman

Children's Legal Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Around The World: A Look At Nepal's Unconditional Child Grant Program And How Universal Cash Grants Can Provide Social Protection For Children Around The World, Kaleigh Barrett

Children's Legal Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Education Connection: A Need For Improved School Lunches, Cemeen Khodavandi

Children's Legal Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Two Essays On Input Substitution And Optimal Decision Making In Crop And Livestock Production Systems, John T. Allison Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The thesis presented consists of two essays that analyze input substitution and decision making in crop and livestock production systems. The first essay consists of a whole-farm analysis that sought to optimize feed mixes and enterprise combinations for an organic dairy operation in the Southeastern United States. This was accomplished through mathematical programming where whole-farm net returns were maximized, and total feed costs were minimized simultaneously for four milk production level cases. Additionally, the sensitivity of the system and break-even milk price were explored. Results suggest substitutability in ration components where an increase in supplemental feeds is justified by additional …

John Makdisi On The Intercultural Origins Of The Common Law, Marc-Tizoc Gonzalez

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

In this Essay, I pay homage to John Makdisi on the occasion of his retirement. Since joining the St. Thomas Law faculty in 2011, I have esteemed him as one of the law school's senior Property Law professors, yet-truth be told-at times also felt intimidated by him for his deep knowledge of the subject, particularly present estates and future interests, coupled with his serious demeanor, penetrating gaze, and cogent arguments at faculty meetings. 4 Especially during tenuretrack faculty reviews of my teaching, I worried that my relative inexperience in teaching the subject might cause me to commit an embarrassing error. …

Perfluoroalkyl Substances Exposure And Cancer In Nhanes 2011-2016 U.S. Population, Michael Crowder

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent synthetic compounds that may have associated health risks.

Purpose: To explore the association between four common detectable serum PFASs perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and cancer risk in United States (U.S.) adults.

Methods: Data from 4,497 participants from the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Gender stratified adjusted logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine association between serum PFASs tertiles and risk of cancer.

Results: Median (IQR) PFASs were significantly higher in men compared to women, and among individual with …

Dichlorophenol Exposure And Chronic Kidney Disease, Karla James

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Purpose: To explore the relationship between the common pesticides, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP) with serum creatinine as a biomarker of kidney function. Methods: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013 to 2014 data (N = 2,063, 47% male and 53% female) was used to statistically analyze the relationship between either of two common pesticides 2,4-DCP or 2,5-DCP and serum creatinine levels. Gender stratified analysis was completed using multivariate adjusted linear regression. Variables adjusted were age, ethnicity and annual household income. Results: In both males and females exposure to 2,4-DCP did not elevate serum creatinine and regression results …

Forage News [2019-01], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Get NAFA's 2019 Alfalfa Variety Ratings
• Evaluation of the Efficacy of Various Herbicides for the Control of Broadleaf and Buckhorn Plantain in Alfalfa
• Save Hay by Reducing Feeding Waste
• Don't Miss "The Dollars and Sense of Grazing", Forages at KCA, January 18th in Owensboro
• Taking Stock
• Winter Meeting Rundown

Tree Presence And Species Identity Affect American Beaver Activity Along The Missouri River, Ashley M. Williams

Sustainable RIVER

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Insecticides On Amphibians, Lilian M. Heinzel

Sustainable RIVER

No abstract provided.

Ethnohistorical Relationships Among American Indian Tribes & The Missouri River, Stormi Schroder

Sustainable RIVER

No abstract provided.

New Life For Old Data: Compiling Global Diet Data Of Freshwater Fishes, Jacob Ridgway

Sustainable RIVER

No abstract provided.

The Positive Effects Of Education On African-American Students In Grades Three Through Eight In Alabama, Derrell Calloway

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research the effects of positive schools on African-American students in grades three through eight. There were a total of ten schools involved the research. All of the schools were located in the state of Alabama. There was a sample population of five schools and a randomly selected population of five schools. The sample population of schools were located in region six of Alabama. The randomly selected population of schools were located in three other regions of the state. School administrators and teachers were interviewed, and their interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed …

Uab Magazine - Summer 2019, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

UAB Magazine

No abstract provided.

Global Temporal Patterns In Plant Nutrient Resorption Plasticity, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Nicole Pietrasiak, Thomas Short

2019 Faculty Bibliography

Aim Leaf nutrient resorption is a key nutrient conservation trait, which also influences nutrient cycling rates and pools. Most global biogeochemical models assume that resorption is non‐varying at a temporal scale. However, this trait can differ substantially within populations among years. We assessed the commonality of attaining proficient resorption, the factors associated with proficient resorption, as well as the variability of this trait and the factors controlling trait variability.

Lt. Ethel Weed Through Her Letters: The Personal Reflections Of A Woman In The U.S. Occupation Of Japan, Malia Mcandrew

2019 Faculty Bibliography

Ethel Weed (1906-1975) was one of the few American women who devised and implemented U.S. foreign policy during the U.S. occupation of Japan from 1945-1952. As Chief Women's Information Officer she was in charge of all initiatives aimed at the "democratization" Japanese women. While previous works on Ethel Weed have examined her public persona, this article turns to her private thoughts by examining letters that Weed wrote home during her time in Japan. These letters show that Weed drew great inspiration from the Japanese women with whom she worked during the occupation. As this article contends that Weed was awed …

Experimental Evidence For Maternal Provisioning Of Alkaloid Defenses In A Dendrobatid Frog, Ralph Saporito, Matthew W. Russell, Corrine L. Richards-Zawacki, Matthew D. Dugas

2019 Faculty Bibliography

Dendrobatid frogs sequester alkaloid defenses from dietary arthropods. Here, we provide experimental evidence that mother strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio) provision alkaloids to tadpoles. Captive-raised females were fed the synthetic alkaloid decahydroquinoline (DHQ), which we subsequently quantified in their skin, eggs, and developing tadpoles. DHQ quantity was positively associated with tadpole mass/development, suggesting high sequestration rates by tadpoles. These data confirm that tadpoles obtain nutrition and alkaloids by feeding exclusively on maternally provisioned eggs.

A Case Of Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag - Why Trap-Neuter-Return Is Not An Ethical Solution For Stray Cat (Felis Catus) Management., Heather M. Crawford, Michael C. Calver, Patricia A. Fleming

Management - TNR

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, in which stray cats are captured, neutered and returned to the environment are advocated as a humane, ethical alternative to euthanasia. We review the TNR literature in light of current debate over whether or not there should be further TNR trials in Australia. We revisit the problems arising from stray cats living in association with human habitation and estimate how many stray cats would have to be processed through a scientifically-guided TNR program to avoid high euthanasia rates. We also identify10 ethical and welfare challenges that have to be addressed: we consider the quality of life for …

Good Practices For Animal Welfare In Agriculture Development, Janice Cox

UN SDGs

The 2030 Agenda envisages a development model “in which humanity lives in harmony with nature and … other living species are protected[i].” While the relationship between animal welfare, environmental well-being and human development is starting to be discussed and evidenced, there remains very little recognition of this relationship and the crucial role animal welfare plays in sustainable development for people and planet in UN discussions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper discusses this further, with specific reference to the development of good practice for animal welfare in agricultural development. However, it is recognized that there are also broader …

The Land Of Meat And Potatoes? Exploring Ireland’S Vegan And Vegetarian Foodscape, Corey Lee Wrenn

Dietary Choice and Foods of Animal Origin Collection

While it would not be accurate to suggest that Ireland is a hub of veganism or vegetarianism, too often it is written off as inherently unsympathetic to the ethics of plant-based eating and anti-speciesist politics. While it is true that Irish culture is historically tied to speciesism and its economy is especially dependent upon “meat” and dairy production, Ireland’s relationship with other animals is complex and sometimes forgiving. This essay seeks to bring shape to the Irish vegan ethic, one that can be traced along its history of animism, agrarianism, ascendency, adaptation, and activism. From its pagan roots to its …

Disease Prevention With A Plant-Based Lifestyle, Sabina V. Vyas

Dietary Choice and Foods of Animal Origin Collection

Animal experiments are commonly conducted to understand human diseases and responses to treatment. As decades of research indicate, the use of nonhuman animals (hereinafter referred to as animals) to translate the side effects, benefits, and impact of medications and treatments on the human body has been demonstrated to be ineffective; while billions of animals and humans have suffered (Shanks, Greek and Greek, 2009). Due to misleading safety and efficacy data from animal experiments, humans are often prescribed medications that may not be as effective or as safe as the patient, or even physician, may have been led to believe (Akhtar, …

Extrapolation Of Animal Research Data To Humans: An Analysis Of The Evidence, Rebecca Ram

Validation of Animal Experimentation Collection

The ethical arguments against animal experimentation remain ever-strong. In addition, the scientific case against the use of animals in research grows more compelling, with exponential progress in the development of alternative methods and new research technologies. The Dutch authorities recently announced an ambitious, but welcome, proposal to phase out “the use of laboratory animals in regulatory safety testing of chemicals, food ingredients, pesticides and (veterinary) medicines” by 2025, as well as “the use of laboratory animals for the release of biological products, such as vaccines” (Netherlands National Committee for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, NCad, 2016, p. …

Wasted Money In United States Biomedical And Agricultural Animal Research, Jim Keen

Biomedicine and Animal Models in Research Collection

Biomedical and agricultural animal research uses millions of experimental animals and dozens of animal species each year by choice, precedent, or regulatory mandate in basic and applied life science research and toxicity testing of drugs, chemicals, and consumer products. Animal research is a large component of the international us$270 billion government-subsidized, biomedical industrial ecosystem (Chakma et al., 2014). In the United States (us) and presumably elsewhere, about half of these funds support animal research and testing (Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2012). Each year at least 115 million experimental animals (mostly mice and likely a significant underestimate) are …

Animal Research For Alzheimer Disease: Failures Of Science And Ethics, John J. Pippin, Sarah E. Cavanaugh, Francesca Pistollato

Biomedicine and Animal Models in Research Collection

This chapter addresses the epidemiology and current understanding of AD as a scientific and societal challenge, reviews the uses and results of animal research in basic science and drug development, and discusses risk factors and funding. Important follow-up topics, including current and in-development, human-relevant approaches for replacement of the failed animal research paradigm, deserve comparable treatment and hence are not addressed here. The reader is referred to the list of recommended readings at the end of the chapter for further discussion of these topics.

Development Of Entomopathogenic Fungi As Biopesticides For The Management Of Cowpea Aphid, Aphis Craccivora Koch, Allan Ndua Mweke

All PhD Dissertations

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important African indigenous vegetable in the tropics where it is considered as a key source of nutrients and income for small-holder farmers.The crop is drought tolerant and does well in poor soils because of its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Cowpea is commonly used in soil fertility management and provides livestock fodder. However, the exploitation of the full potential of this crop is constrained by abiotic and biotic factors that lead to low yields in Africa. Among the biotic factor's cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch) is a major limiting factor in cowpea production …

Nitrogen Dynamics In Organic And Conventional Farming Systems In The Sub-Humid Highlands Of Central Kenya, Martha Wangu Musyoka

All PhD Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) deficit is one of the limiting factors to food security in most developing countries while the excessive use of N has resulted in environmental contamination. Timely N availability, at the right rate is crucial to improving crop yield and N use efficiency in farming systems. Therefore, understanding nitrogen dynamics under different farming systems is essential to improve N use and recovery efficiencies of crops and in addressing environmental impacts associated with increased use of inorganic and organic inputs. This study focused on N dynamics in conventional (Conv) and organic (Org) farming systems as practiced by small scale farmers …