Digital Commons Network^™

Genetic Control Of Sweetness, Acidity, And Seediness In Blackberry, Carly Elizabeth Godwin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The global blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson) industry has experienced rapid growth during the past 15 years. Even so, many industry stakeholders report complaints from consumers and grocers stating blackberries are often too tart, too seedy, or not sweet enough for their liking. The development of molecular markers for high sweetness, low acidity, and reduced seediness would allow breeding programs to expeditiously make selection and crossing decisions in the early stages of the breeding pipeline. The objective of this study was to use a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) to identify marker-trait associations, locate quantitative trait loci (QTL), and find …

Crispr Gene Editing Drivers, Barriers And Prospects: A Comparative Study Among Plant Scientists Globally, Adriaan Johannes De Lange

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of CRISPR gene editing into food crops has potential to contribute to food security and sustainable food production globally. To date, most scientific studies have focused on consumer perception of CRISPR gene edited foods or the potential benefits and risks of the CRISPR technology and none have focused on the perceptions of plant scientists concerning CRISPR gene editing. This study aimed to explore the investments, functions, barriers, benefits for specific crops and beneficiaries of CRISPR gene editing according to plant scientists, by distributing an online survey in which 1,040 plant scientists active across six continents and in both …

Grown With Love, Julia Hames, Special Collections, Fleet Library

9th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2023

Entry for the 9th Annual Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest. Opening Reception Thursday, March 02, 2023, Fleet Library, Main Reading Room. Juror: Andre Lee Bassuet.

Exploring Unpredictability In Augusta Read Thomas' Six Piano Etudes And Traces, Gianne Ge Zhu

Dissertations, 2020-current

Augusta Read Thomas (1964-) composes in many genres. Her music is often filled with subtle nuances of articulation and color, and contains many intentional "surprises." Thomas achieves these sound effects by applying three compositional principles: by providing a score with detailed instructions and additional information that result in the feeling of "spontaneity"; by using her "organic" language to transform the connections to the past or to living composers; and by considering all musical elements as one "gestalt" to form her music.

Six Piano Etudes (1996-2005) and Traces (2006) are filled with "surprises," in which the listener can discover elements of …

Frontline Job Redesign Louisiana - Implementation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The Implementation Team

The QIC-WD worked with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Child Welfare Division (CWD) to establish an Implementation Team to lead the development and implementation of their intervention. The Implementation Team included the Site Implementation Manager (SIM); the project Training and Coaching Specialist; the Data Coordinator; representatives from Human Resources (HR), Civil Service and the Department’s training unit; representatives from the intervention parishes (from administrators to frontline workers); and three members of the QIC-WD (representing expertise in workforce, implementation, and evaluation). Members were selected for their leadership abilities, knowledge, experience, and their willingness …

An Alternative Class Of Ratio-Regression-Type Estimator Under Two-Phase Sampling Scheme, Muhammad Isah, Zakari Yahaya, Audu Ahmed

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

In this study, a new exponential ratio-regression estimator is developed using an auxiliary variable for estimating the finite population mean under a two-phase sampling system. The Bias and Mean Square Error (MSE) of the proposed estimator are derived and compared with some of the estimators in extant literature. Thus, the conditions under which the proposed estimator is better than some existing estimators are provided. Empirically, using four real datasets and simulation study, the proposed estimator performs better than the classical ratio, classical regression, exponential ratio, and exponential regression cum ratio estimator when compared using the criteria of bias, mean square …

Insurgency, Political Risk, And Foreign Direct Investment Inflows In Nigeria: A Sectorial Analysis, Danjuma Iyaji

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines, among others, the effect of terrorism, political violence, corruption, and religious tension on FDI inflows to the banking, construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and telecommunication sectors in Nigeria. Thus, empirical models were estimated using the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) technique. The study spans from 2008Q1 to 2017Q4. Findings show that terrorism adversely affects FDI inflow to telecommunication sector, while corruption positively impacts on the oil and gas sector. Thus, this study among other things, recommends the intensification of effort in the war against terrorism and strengthening of relevant anti-graft agencies to adequately fight corruption in …

Monetary Policy Transmission And Bank Interest Rates In Nigeria, Eleam Victor E., Ekwom Chinyelu G., Ariolu Chibueze C., Umebali Chukwubuzo J., Balogun Adewale T.

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The paper examines the adjustment of retail and money market interest rates to changes in discount corridor of the monetary policy in Nigeria. A vector error correction model was adopted for this study, using monthly data from 2007:06 to 2019:12. We further accounted for structural breaks in the dataset to improve its policy reliability. The adjustment parameters were found to be significant but with slow speed of adjustment. This finding provides evidence of the weakness of the discount corridor in monetary policy transmission in Nigeria. Furthermore, the results showed no asymmetric adjustment of retail rates to long run equilibria. Lastly, …

Inflations And Its Uncertainty In Some Ecowas Member States: Transfer Entropy Approach, Otoakhia Eric I.

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines the information flow between inflation and inflation uncertainty (IU) and intrastate inflationary trend among some ECOWAS member states. IU is measured using GARCH models and stochastic volatility model (SV). Transfer entropy was adopted to quantify the extent of information flow. The result showed information flow exists from inflation to the GARCH measure of IU. On the reverse flow from inflation uncertainty to inflation, there is no information flow except for Burkina Faso and Gambia which have asymmetric bidirectional flow between inflation and IU. Adopting SV measure for IU, there are no support for causality from inflation to …

Relationship Between Real Exchange Rate And Consumption In Nigeria: A Nonlinear Approach, Babangida Jamilu S., Sanusi Aliyu R., Yusuf Isah M.

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study analyses the relationship between real exchange rate and domestic consumption in Nigeria using the Smooth Transition Autoregressive (STAR) model from 1981Q1 to 2019Q4. Findings show that domestic consumption determines the regime shift in real exchange rate, suggesting a nonlinear linkage with clearly distinct regimes. The lagged exchange rate is shown to have a significant linear effect on the current exchange rate. On the other hand, current foreign consumption is positive but has no significant impact on the exchange rate in the linear part of the model. In the nonlinear part of the model, evidence of a significant negative …

Millennials' Strategic Decision Making Through The Lens Of Corporate Social Responsibility And Financial Management, Mark Reavis, Kuldeep Singh, Jack Tucci

Faculty Publications - The LeMoyne Smith School of Business

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the touchstone for millennials when looking at the means for making their world a better place. Higher education’s focus on CSR has allowed millennials to focus their decision-making using a CSR/stakeholder approach to financial management decisions. Millennials’ support for a CSR/stakeholder approach has grown as they have been completing college. The CSR/stakeholder approach has increased partly due to social awareness created by curricula that highlights areas of social and environmental inequality. This CSR/stakeholder approach has recently emerged as a bona fide strategic management option globally. This paper extends CSR research by evaluating millennial financial decisions …

Biofilm Viscoelasticity And Nutrient Source Location Control Biofilm Growth Rate, Migration Rate, And Morphology In Shear Flow, Hoa Nguyen, Abraham Ybarra, H. Başağaoğlu, Orrin Shindell

Mathematics Faculty Research

We present a numerical model to simulate the growth and deformation of a viscoelastic biofilm in shear flow under different nutrient conditions. The mechanical interaction between the biofilm and the fluid is computed using the Immersed Boundary Method with viscoelastic parameters determined a priori from measurements reported in the literature. Biofilm growth occurs at the biofilm-fluid interface by a stochastic rule that depends on the local nutrient concentration. We compare the growth, migration, and morphology of viscoelastic biofilms with a common relaxation time of 18 min over the range of elastic moduli 10–1000 Pa in different nearby nutrient source configurations. …

Systematic Manipulation Of The Publication Process: Flowcharts And Infographics [English], Jigisha Patel, Simone Ragavooloo, Cat Chatfield

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Includes definition of systematic manipulation of the publication process, suspicious submission patterns, suspicious patterns in the content of manuscripts/articles, suspicious patterns around peer review, how to investigate and prevent further publication manipulation, information on the COPE Publishers' Forum, tables and flow charts with recommended actions, and a list of further reading.

Relative Success Of Native Plants In Curb Cut Rain Gardens, Ana Singh, Rachel Warners, Jonathan Walt, Patrick Jonker, David P. Warners

Faculty and Professional Research

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of The Appropriate Response To Norm Violation In 57 Societies, Kimmo Erikkson, Pontus Strimling, Et Al., Andree Hartanto, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Norm enforcement may be important for resolving conflicts and promoting cooperation. However, little is known about how preferred responses to norm violations vary across cultures and across domains. In a preregistered study of 57 countries (using convenience samples of 22,863 students and non-students), we measured perceptions of the appropriateness of various responses to a violation of a cooperative norm and to atypical social behaviors. Our findings highlight both cultural universals and cultural variation. We find a universal negative relation between appropriateness ratings of norm violations and appropriateness ratings of responses in the form of confrontation, social ostracism and gossip. Moreover, …

Does Bedtime Music Listening Improve Subjective Sleep Quality And Next-Morning Well-Being In Young Adults? A Randomized Cross-Over Trial, Nadyana M. Majeed, Verity Y. Q. Lua, Jun Sen Chong, Zoey Lew, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Previous research has found that young adults exhibit patterns of poor sleep and that poor sleep is associated with a host of negative psychological consequences. One potential intervention to improve sleep quality is listening to music at bedtime. Although there exist previous works investigating the efficacy of listening to music as a form of sleep aid, these works have been hindered by statistically weak designs, a lack of systematic investigation of critical characteristics of music that may affect its efficacy, and limited generalizability. In light of the limitations in the existing literature, a 15-day randomized cross-over trial was carried out …

The Parthenon, December 1, 2021, Xena Bunton, Isabella Robinson, Madison Perdue, Abby Hanlon, Catherine Blankenship, Zach Hiser, Tyler Spence, Carter Truman, Tyler Kennett, Abby Ayes, Noah Hickman

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Skeletonization And Motion Monitoring System For The Security Efficiency Of The United States Airports, Haoruo Fu

Theses and Dissertations

The screening processes at airports, including passengers and baggage, have changed dramatically in the past twenty years. The goal of the X-ray scanning is to enhance airport screening by preventing passengers from carrying weapons and contraband. X-ray is more effective compared to traditional pat-down. The X-ray shoots beams through passengers and their baggage, which provides an inner view to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners. Issues and concerns of the use of X-ray have also been raised, as some passengers complained about possible health issues due to the body exposure of radioactive waves; other experts pointed out possible human factor …

Regulating Mobility Limitations In The Franchise Relationship As Dependency In The Joint Employment Doctrine, Andrew Elmore

Faculty Scholarship

Franchisors often impose exhaustive operational standards on franchisees, and enforce those standards by restricting the mobility of their franchisees and their franchisees' employees. But courts often ignore mobility limits when applying joint employer doctrine. This Article argues that courts and agencies should be more likely to find, and presume, that franchisors and their franchisees are joint employers under federal and state employment law based on proof that a franchisor restricts the mobility of franchisees or their employees. In so doing, this Article traces how the Chicago School's efficiency arguments in favor of relaxing antitrust law enforcement of vertical restraints developed …

Us Consumers' Perceptions Of Raw And Cooked Broken Rice, Matthew G. Richardson, Philip Glen Crandall, Han-Seok Seo, Corliss A. O'Bryan

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rice supplies about 20% of the calories to the world’s consumers. Milling removes the outer husk and bran, breaking about 20% of the rice kernels during the milling process that equates to almost 100,000,000 tons of rice annually. Broken rice is discounted in price by almost half or relegated to non-human consumption. This study seeks to understand why this large percentage of rice production is discounted for human consumption. Consumers who routinely consume rice evaluated raw and cooked rice with 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% levels of brokens. Sensory analysis indicated the appearance of raw rice with high levels …

Autonomous Feature Detection For Capture Path Planning For Rendezvous And Docking With Non-Cooperative Spacecraft, Trupti Mahendrakar

Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing risk of collisions with space debris and the growing interest in on-orbit servicing, the ability to autonomously capture non-cooperative, tumbling target objects remains an unresolved challenge. This thesis provides an autonomous and artificial intelligence solution to either inspect, avoid, or perform on-orbit spacecraft servicing of an uncooperative resident space object (RSO). The solution is built on the fundamentals of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), which is used to classify the four most targeted features of a spacecraft essential for docking and collision avoidance during rendezvous, such as solar panels, antennas, spacecraft bodies, and thrusters. The solution was then …

Thermoelectric-Based Cooling Systems For Building Application: A Sustainable Solution, Seyedehmohadeseh Seyednezhad

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, buildings account for a large share of the annual energy consumption, nearly 40%. Fossil fuels including coal, oil, and natural gas account for the main source of electric power generation and constitute the largest portion of the building energy consumption. Such a high level of fossil fuel consumption is a multifaceted challenge as demand for energy grows, and natural resources become scarce and expensive, while the climatic effects of massive energy use will be clearly felt by all. As a necessary component for occupants’ thermal comfort, cooling and air conditioning systems are among the largest energy …

The Role Of Nutrient Supplementation In The Management Of Chronic Pain In Fibromyalgia: A Narrative Review, Hannah Haddad, Nikita Reddy Mallepalli, John Emerson Scheinuk, Pranav Bhargava, Elyse M. Cornett, Ivan Urits, Alan D. Kaye

Student Publications

Introduction: The multifaceted clinical presentation of fibromyalgia (FM) supports the modern understanding of the disorder as a more global condition than one simply affecting pain sensation. The main pharmacologic therapies used clinically include anti-epileptics and anti-depressants. Conservative treatment options include exercise, myofascial release, psychotherapy, and nutrient supplementation.

Methods: Narrative review.

Results: Nutrient supplementation is a broadly investigated treatment modality as numerous deficiencies have been linked to FM. Additionally, a proposed link between gut microbiome patterns and chronic pain syndromes has led to studies investigating probiotics as a possible treatment. Despite positive results, much of the current evidence regarding this topic …

Latinos In Massachusetts: Chelsea, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Chelsea is home to an estimated 26,794 Latinos according to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. They represent two-thirds (67%) of the city’s population. Only Lawrence, which is 81% Latino, has a larger share of its population Latino than Chelsea does. Whites are the next largest ethno-racial group with 21% of the population. Blacks and Asians each make up less than 5% of city’s population. The Latino share in Chelsea is also larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Lawrence, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Lawrence, Massachusetts is a city of 79,942 residents, of whom 64,463 or 81% are Latino according to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. While Boston has a larger Latino population, Lawrence has the largest share of Latino residents of any city or town in Massachusetts. The second largest group in the city is Non-Latino Whites, who make up 15% of the population. Blacks and Asians account for 2% each, while the “other” group makes up 1% of the city’s population. The Latino share in Lawrence is significantly larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Lowell, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Lowell is a city of 111,306 residents, who include 20,132 Latinos, or 18% of the city’s population. (Across the state, Latino residents make up only 11% of the population.) Lowell has a larger non-Latino White (49%) and Asian (23%) populations, while Blacks and “other” groups compose 7% and 3%, respectively.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Lynn, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

As the largest city in Essex County, Lynn’s population in the 2015-2019 American Community Survey is 93,743. The city is home to an estimated 40,095 Latinos, who are the largest ethno-racial group and make up 43% of the city’s population. Whites are the second largest population (36%), while the city has smaller Black (11%), Asian (7%), and Other (3%) populations.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Springfield, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Springfield, the third largest city in Massachusetts, has 69,301 Latinos according to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. They represent 45% of the city's population. Whites are the second largest ethno-racial group (31%), while Blacks (19%) and Asians (3%) are the other ethno-racial group with a sizable presence. The Latino share in Springfield is also larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Worcester, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Worcester, the second largest city in Massachusetts, is home to an estimated 40,510 Latinos, who make up 22% of the city’s population. Whites constitute the largest ethno-racial group (55%), while Blacks (12%) and Asians (7%) are the other ethno-racial group in the city. The Latino share in Worcester is larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Exploring Integration Between Athletic Trainers And Strength And Conditioning Coaches Among The Ncaa Division I Southern Conference Institutions, Yoshihiro Kojima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the interdepartmental integration between athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches in relation to relationship, communication, collaboration, and education. Forty participants from the NCAA Division I Southern Conference, twenty-eight athletic trainers and twelve strength and conditioning coaches, completed an electronic survey during a two-week period. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive and thematic coding analyses. The results suggested participated athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches were interactive and collaborative. Open-ended responses identified key concepts when athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches communicated and collaborated. A high interaction and collaboration model …