Digital Commons Network^™

Compost And Cover Crop Effects In Dryland Organic Wheat, Michael D. Deakin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Producers of dryland organic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the western USA struggle to maintain adequate soil fertility due to the high cost of organic fertilizers and concerns over moisture use of cover crops. Low soil fertility results in decreased wheat yield and quality, and increased year-to-year variability in yield and quality based on weather. This study was conducted to measure the effects of, and interactions between, cover crop mixes and a one-time compost application on soil health and winter wheat yield and quality. The study was located on three adjacent certified organic wheat farms near Snowville, UT, each …

Seeding Rate, Herbicide, And Irrigation Effects On Spring-Seeded Oat-Alfalfa Companion Crops, Carson D. Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Small grain companion crop seeding rate recommendations for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) establishment are dated and inconsistent, and how a small grain companion crop seeding rates should be adjusted at different moisture levels is unknown. A study was conducted to provide clarity about oat (Avena sativa L.) companion crop seeding rates that maximize weed suppression and forage yield and minimize the effect on alfalfa stand establishment. This experiment considered oat companion crop seeding rates at various irrigation levels. Companion crop treatments consisted of oats sown at 89, 45, 22, 10, and 0 (with and without herbicide) kg ha …

Trends In Cooperative Extension Calls From 2010 - 2019, Emily Elizabeth Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study are to assess the most frequently addressed topics that the public has for Family Consumer Sciences (FCS) related Extension professionals and to indicate whether the topics are changing over time, with a specific interest in changes to food safety and preservation inquiries. The CES office in one county in a western state has been collecting FCS data from the years 2010 to 2019. This data is about the FCS-specific phone calls received to the office. The data was then coded and put into an Excel spreadsheet. There were a total of 5,863 phone calls with …

Variability In Long Bone Processing: The Result Of Bone Resiliency Or Marrow Utility?, Jonathan P. Keith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In archaeology, the study of animal remains helps researchers understand what animals past hunters sought to prey upon and what decisions they made related to field butchery. Archaeological excavations in sites of the Northern Great Plains and the Snake River Plain have shown that a disproportional amount of bison limb bones occur relative to other bones in the body. Limb bones contain marrow, and to break these open ancient butchers would use hammer stones and rock anvils. Such processing behaviors often leave impact scars, and these often vary in frequency from one part of the skeleton to the next.

My …

Investigating Routes And Effects Of Pesticide Exposure On The Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia Lignaria), Andi M. Kopit

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With native pollinator species on the decline and the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) industry suffering, it is imperative that we understand the impacts of agricultural practices on pollinators. The blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria (Megachilidae), is an important alternative pollinator of commercial orchards. Osmia lignaria are solitary, cavity nesting bees with a wide distribution across North America. This species and other solitary, cavity nesting bees experience different routes of pesticide exposure than social pollinators, such as colony-dwelling bumble bees and honey bees. Chapter I focuses on routes of pesticide exposure experienced by cavity-nesting bees, incorporating the relative importance …

Two-Year Responses Of Heart Rate And Heart Rate Variability To First Occupational Lead Exposure, Yuling Yu, Lutgarde Thijs, Cai-Guo Yu, Wenyi Yang, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Dongmei Wei, Fangfei Wei, Tim S. Nawrot, Peter Verhamme, Harry Roels

School of Medicine Publications

Because of the falling lead exposure, the literature relating autonomous nervous function to blood lead (BL) has limited relevance. In the longitudinal Study for Promotion of Health in Recycling Lead (URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02243904), we recorded the 2-year responses of heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV; Cardiax, International Medical Equipment Developing, Budapest, Hungary), and median nerve conduction velocity (Brevio, NeuMed, West Trenton, NJ), a routine test in occupational medicine, to first lead exposure in 195 newly hired workers (91.3% men; mean age, 27.8 years). High- and low-frequency HRV power and orthostatic HRV responses were derived from 5-minute ECGs …

Health Equity, Federalism, And Cannabis Policy, Nicole Huberfeld

Faculty Scholarship

Cannabis policy is a story of complexity and dynamism laced with tension and inequity. Policy makers’ views are rapidly changing, reflected by many bills sitting before Congress. This Essay considers three of the major bills that have a more comprehensive approach to cannabis. These bills also take different approaches to the flipped federalism that could occur if the federal government were to suddenly decriminalize cannabis. The Essay next considers the state law landscape and compares it to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, drawing a comparison to learn health equity lessons from recent health reform efforts. Federal legislation is …

Identifying The Cardiovascular Effects Of Multiple Pollutants., Katlyn Elizabeth Mcgraw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death from environmental exposures. Although exposure to PM_2.5 is an established risk factor for CVD, the contribution of other hazardous pollutant exposure to CVD is less clear. Overall, this work aimed to examine the effect of pollutants with lesser documented effects on cardiovascular disease using a multi-pronged approach to exposure assessment. The three aims were to examine the relationship between county-level toxic chemical releases and CVD mortality in the contiguous United States between 2002 and 2012, to assess the relationship between individual-level VOC metabolites and vascular function, and to build multipollutant …

Establishing Agroforestry Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozark Region, Kara Lynn Powelson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Missouri Ozarks is located in the south-central part of Missouri, ranging from the very southwest corner of the state and east to St. Louis. This region is enriched with large dense populations of oak and hickory tree species, while also being occupied with prime forage pastures for livestock grazing. Missouri is ranked second in the nation for farming operations and hay production, while also third in the nation for beef cow number of head (MDA 2021). The objective of this study is to observe the establishment of two separate silvopasture systems: a planted walnut plantation and a converted silvopasture. …

Observing Changes In Vegetable Production Through Alternative Agricultural Practices, Austin Grey Livingston

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Locally, responsibly grown produce is becoming more popular as consumers are shifting to organic products or those obtained at a local farmer’s market. The importance of soil health through conservation practices is increasing as the negative effects of industrial production are apparent. The over-application of synthetic fertilizers, soil erosion from wind and water, and nutrient leaching in high vegetable production areas has initiated a need for the investigation of alternative management practices. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of tillage and cover crops in the production of green beans and okra. In 2019 and 2020, …

Factors Affecting Irrigation Water Use In Southwest Missouri And Soil Microbial Response To Irrigation And Crop Residue, Shirley M. Dobbs

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Sustainable use of water resources in Southwest Missouri requires a better understanding of factors that influence groundwater use by crop producers. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of weather patterns and edaphic factors on water used for agricultural irrigation. Groundwater withdrawal data from 14 high-use agricultural irrigation wells were monitored between 2009 and 2016 as part of the Southwest Missouri Irrigation Project. Stepwise and linear regression was used to assess the relationship of weather and edaphic factors in response to annual water use from each well. Precipitation volume, number of precipitation events, average maximum and minimum …

Saga Beyond The Gate: Chapter One, The Coming Of The Gate Ghost, Tristan B. Miller

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

“Saga Beyond the Gate: Chapter One, the Coming of the Gate Ghost” explores performance sculpture used as religious ritual. My work emphasizes ritual, creation myths, relics, physical manifestations of lived religion, and the power of narrative belief. One often turns to religion, science, or spirituality, to seek answers to questions about being a conscious entity, and one’s journey to the end. This saga uses scripts from all three of these schools of thought, placing the world of the Gate Ghost into tangible reality, as a play on a stage. Artefacts represent objects of power and mystery. Characters embody morality tales, …

Sodium Pyruvate Ameliorates Influenza A Virus Infection In Vitro And In Vivo, Jessica M. Reel

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Pyruvate is produced in duplicate at the end of glycolysis in addition to ATP and NADH. Pyruvate is the metabolite of choice in most cells, whether obtained exogenously or endogenously. Recently we found that the addition of pyruvate’s conjugate base, sodium pyruvate, to cell culture media dampened the immune response to influenza A virus (IAV) infection in cultured innate immune cells. Thus, I decided to investigate the mechanism and potential for treatment of IAV. In vitro using bone marrow derived macrophages that were infected with IAV we found that adding sodium pyruvate to the media decreased immune signaling pathways through …

Race And Policing: Some Thoughts And Suggestions For Reform, Solomon Oliver Jr.

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

Proposal For A High Tunnel At Delaney Community Farm, Michael Rh Pham

City and Regional Planning

This paper is a case study of an urban agriculture operation in Aurora, Colorado that focuses on providing refugees with food and work that contributes to a sense of community connectedness and pride. The paper is also a proposal for a high tunnel system that could extend the growing season of the farm and provide unique opportunities for urban farmers to learn about emerging resiliency based food production practices.

Color And Structural Modifications Of Alkaline Extracted Sunflower Protein Concentrates And Isolates Using L-Cysteine And Glutathione, Akira Ishii

Food Science (MS) Theses

Sunflower protein can be extracted at alkaline pH with sulfites or organic solvent de-phenolization of sunflower seed meals if greening is unwanted. This greening is promoted at alkaline pH when chlorogenic acid (CGA) oxidizes and reacts with free amine groups from amino acids, such as lysine. Thiol-containing dough conditioners: L-cysteine hydrochloride and reduced glutathione (GSH) were investigated as an alternative de-greening strategy to de-phenolization. Varying pH from 7 to 11 and concentration of 0.82 to 5.6 mM were randomly assigned by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to evaluate the combined and additive greening inhibition effect of thiol and extraction pH. The …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Trader Joe’S: Exploration From National And Omaha Metropolitan Perspectives, Natalie R. Bauermeister

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Trader Joe’s started in 1967 when founder Joe Coulombe became inspired to provide local Pasadena residents a refreshing grocery store experience. Aimed at the young college student crowd, his idea quickly grew into a chain of successful grocery stores. The concept was simple: private label products cut out the middleman to keep prices fair, and the floor space compacted to feel like a local market experience. With a nautical theme to match the casual and outgoing feel of the stores, customers have flocked to Trader Joe’s stores around the country for the “wow” experience only found within those walls. Fast …

Child Maltreatment And Neglect In The United Arab Emirates And Relationship With Low Self-Esteem And Symptoms Of Depression, Syed M. Shah, Gul Nowshad, Fatima Al Dhaheri, Mariam H. Al-Shamsi, Alfan M. Al-Ketbi, Alaa Galadari, Priyam Joshi, Heba Bendak, Michal Grivna, Danilo Arnone

Department of Family Medicine

Objectives: To our knowledge, this study is the first in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to investigate the prevalence of child maltreatment in relation to depressive symptoms and self-esteem.
Study design: Exposure to physical maltreatment, emotional abuse and neglect was evaluated in 518 adolescents (86% response rate) randomly selected from schools in Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure self-esteem and depressive symptoms by using multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Results: The mean age of study participants was 14.3 years. Emotional abuse was the most frequent form …

Assessing And Comparing Quality Of Life Scores In Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Diarrhea, Irritable Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Constipation, And Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Mixed, Hailey Rentz

Master's Theses

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that affects an estimated 1 in 10 people globally (Black & Ford, 2020). Since IBS is such a common GI disorder worldwide it is important to understand that impact it has on quality of life. This study assessed the differences in the effects of IBS on the quality of life in patients with each of the three types of IBS: IBS-D, IBS-C, and IBS-M. Potential respondents were recruited via social media using an online survey, which collected demographics and assessed the effects of IBS on quality of life. The survey …

Influential Factors For Dietary Intake: Expanding The Prototype Willingness Model In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shane A. Snyder

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Only 10-13% of individuals consume enough fruit and vegetables. Not only do fruit and vegetables help stave off chronic disease, but they also help maintain weight, and contain nutrients that reduce inflammation, infection, and cancer incidence by enhancing the immune system. The COVID-19 pandemic has also put a strain on individuals, disheveling dietary routines, promoting sedentary behavior, and provoking increased stress. This research tested the prototype willingness model to examine factors that could influence fruit and vegetable intake while considering the influence of COVID-19 and more stable personal descriptors (i.e., perceived threat and fear from not consuming enough fruits and …

Shprehitë E Të Ushqyerit Te Nxënsit E Shkollave Fillore Në Komunën E Gjilanit, Esra Spahiu

Theses and Dissertations

Ushqyerja është një nga faktorët kryesorë që ndikon në shëndetin e një individi, sidomos gjatë moshës shkollore, me qëllim që fëmija të rritet e zhvillohet mirë dhe të sigurojë shëndet dhe jetëgjatësi më të mirë. Studimet tregojnë se në Kosovë, ashtu si në botë, po shfaqet kërcënimi i mbipeshës dhe obezitetit (sidomos në moshën shkollore) të cilat shpesh pasohen me sëmundje të shumta kronike si në moshë të re edhe në moshë adulte. Qëllimi: Është që fëmijët të jenë sa më të shëndetshëm, më këtë punim jemi munduar që tu ofrojmë sado pak njohuri rreth ushqyerjes së shëndetshme të fëmijëve …

Ndikimi I Ndotjes Së Ajrit Në Ambientin Jetësor Në Republikën E Kosovës – Komuna E Prishtinës, Nazif Fazliu

Theses and Dissertations

Ambienti jetësor ka rëndësi shumë të madhe në jetën tonë, ku rrjedhimisht duhet të kushtohet shumë rëndësi kujdesit ndaj tij pasi që ambienti paraqet ajrin që ne thithim çdo ditë. Një ndër sfidat më të mëdha që është paraqitur në ditët e sotme, si rezultat i shumë veprimtarive të ndryshme dhe si pasojë e mos angazhimit të instrumenteve shtetërore është edhe sfida e ndotjes së ambientit jetësor në Kosovë. Kjo sfidë deri më tani, ka qëndruar në një farë mënyre e papërballueshme për institucionet tona duke pasur parasysh që kemi mungesë të theksuar të informacionit mbi ndotjen e ajrit, pasojat …

Përdorimi I Vitaminës D Në Regjionin E Ferizajit, Ermelinda Neziri

Theses and Dissertations

Njohurite për vitaminat janë një çështje që secili njeri duhet t’i ketë, dhe që çdo infermier duhet që të informojë pacientët dhe të tregojë një kujdes të veçantë. Objektivi i temës do të jetë zgjerimi i njohurive rreth rolit dhe rëndësisë së përdorimit të vitaminës D. Një vend të posaqëm do te kete shqyrtimi i mungesës dhe përdorimi jo adekuat të vitaminës D duke pasur për fokus pasojat të cilat rezultojnë në këto raste. Duke zgjeruar këto njohuri, synoj që të njejtat të përdoren nga infermieret në mënyrë që një numër i madh i keqformimeve si rezultat i deficeinces së …

Implementation Of Physical Activity In Us Elementary Schools: The Role Of Administrative Support, Financial Resources, And Champions, Blake Densley, Hannah G. Calvert, Peter Boedeker, Lindsey Turner

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The intentional integration of physical activity in elementary school classrooms—including brief instructional breaks for activity, or integration into lessons—can benefit children’s physical activity and education outcomes. Teachers are key implementation agents, but despite physical activity in the classroom being an evidence-informed practice, many teachers do not regularly implement it. The aim of this study was to obtain updated nationally representative prevalence estimates in United States public elementary schools, regarding four key outcomes: (1) school adoption of physically active lessons (PA lessons); (2) school adoption of physical-activity breaks (PA breaks); (3) penetration in the classroom, defined as ≥50% of teachers using …

Drought And Food Security In Kenya: Content Analysis Of The Nation And The Standard Newspapers 2018-2019, Mark Simiyu Namaswa

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

The study is motivated by repetitive cycles of drought and food security crises in Kenya where there seems to be no solution in dealing with cyclic but erratic weather patterns. The study focused on examining patterns of coverage and prominence of drought and food security stories in two major Kenyan newspapers, The Nation and The Standard and if these trends were event-driven or influenced by among other factors, politics or alters by humanitarian organizations or the scientific community. This study sought to explore media coverage of drought and food security in Kenya over the entire year 2018 and year 2019. …

Hunger Is A Racial Issue: Closing The Gap Through Strategic Planning In After School Programs, Hannah Pipher

Senior Capstone Papers

One particular social determinant of health: food insecurity, is gaining curiosity amongst researchers, social workers, and public health experts for its role in the bio-psycho-social health of children, specifically in low-income populations (LIP’s) and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The literature demonstrates that due to historical disenfranchisement and systemic oppression, BIPOC children are three times more likely to experience this phenomenon than those in White households. BIPOC children also experience chronic health conditions related to malnutrition or unhealthy eating, higher rates of psychological distress due to the social stigmatization of food insecurity, and predicted behaviors in the classroom …

Simulating The Feasibility Of Dual Use Switchgrass On Cow-Calf Operations, Michael P. Popp, Amanda J. Ashworth, Charles P. West

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Meeting biorefineries' demands for lignocellulosic biomass will require sourcing feedstock without affecting the food or animal-feed supply. A decision-aid model can assess the dual use of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) to maintain animal production while providing biomass. We simulated a mixed-farm operation with 156 ha of hay+pasture, 96 beef cows (Bos spp.), and poultry (Gallus gallus L.) production wherein the hay land was converted to switchgrass for dual use as biomass and forage. The cow-calf simulator tracked changes in forage and cattle production, economic returns, and net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Dual use of switchgrass consisted of …

Inclusion Of Olive Or Coconut Oil In A High-Fructose High-Fat Diet Increases Liver Injury In A Pig Model Of Pediatric Nafld, Kayla A. Dillard

Master's Theses

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents the major cause of pediatric chronic liver pathology in the United States. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of partial substitution of dietary lard by an isocaloric amount of olive or coconut oil on endpoints of NAFLD. Thirty-eight 15-d-old Iberian pigs housed in pens balanced for weight and sex were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 hypercaloric high-fructose high-fat (HFF) diets for 10 weeks: 1) lard (LAR; n=5 pens), 2) lard + olive oil (OLI, n=10), and 3) lard + coconut oil (COC; n=10). Additional pigs (BSL, n=4) were …

Effects Of Neonatal Ethanol Exposure In Normal And Dopamine Deficient Rats, Jessica Luz Razo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common developmental disorder characterized by impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. In rodents, neonatal 6-OHDA lesions is an established model of ADHD because it produces symptoms of hyperactivity and cognitive deficits that improve following psychostimulant treatment. Recently, early alcohol exposure in rodents has also been suggested as a model of ADHD due to the high prevalence of ADHD in children exposed prenatally to alcohol. However, children exposed to prenatal alcohol differ in symptoms from children with idiopathic ADHD, suggesting that ADHD caused by prenatal alcohol exposure may be a special subtype of ADHD or a …

Are School Lunches Contributing To The Obesity Epidemic Among Children?, Luis Chavez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Childhood obesity is a major public health issue in the United States (U.S.) and recent data have shown that the incidence and prevalence have been increasing over the past 20 years. Poor dietary habits are often attributed to these increasing rates. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides meals and snacks to over 30 million students. Therefore, determining whether an association exists between student participation in the NSLP, and their respective body mass index (BMI) is critical. Few studies have examined a family’s economic stability and the child’s race as potential moderating variables. This study aimed to investigate …