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2022

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Evaluating Restoration Outcomes: Red Spruce Reforestation In The West Virginia Highlands, Benjamin Rhodes Jan 2022

Evaluating Restoration Outcomes: Red Spruce Reforestation In The West Virginia Highlands, Benjamin Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Red spruce (Picea rubens) is the keystone species of the red spruce-northern hardwood forest, a unique high-elevation plant community that supports hundreds of animal species in the Central Appalachians. These forests were devastated by the Industrial Logging Era of the late 1800s and early 1900s, and they remain in a degraded and fragmented state. Current restoration efforts include red spruce plantings on old field sites and reclaimed coal mines. This project seeks to aid those efforts by evaluating restoration outcomes for vegetation and soils along a ten-year chronosequence. Specifically, the study aims to determine whether restoration site soils …

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Spatial Ecology Of Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Canadensis Nelsoni) Cows In Southeastern Kentucky, Nathan Dennis Hooven Jan 2022

Spatial Ecology Of Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Canadensis Nelsoni) Cows In Southeastern Kentucky, Nathan Dennis Hooven

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

The elk (Cervus canadensis) was extirpated from its range in eastern North America by the end of the 1800s, prompting several U.S. states and Canadian provinces to begin translocation programs with the goal of reestablishing elk populations. While eastern elk managers have relied on information from western herds to guide population and habitat management, there is a need for region-specific research on the spatial ecology and habitat associations of translocated elk given the stark differences in landscape, climate, predator communities, and harvest regimes across the continent. While the Kentucky elk reintroduction is one of the best documented programs …

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The Response Of Beef Cattle To Disturbances From Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs), Gabriel Abdulai Jan 2022

The Response Of Beef Cattle To Disturbances From Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs), Gabriel Abdulai

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly becoming common in animal agriculture. However, research regarding the impact of UAV disturbance on animal wellbeing is lacking or limited. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of UAV flights on beef cattle by measuring cattle heart and movement rate when introduced to single or multiple UAV flights. A total of 16 -18 crossbred beef heifers were introduced to different flights patterns at between 5 and 9 m above ground level (AGL) at approximately 1 to 2 m/s horizontal velocity for 4 weeks with flights repeated 3 days per week. Results …

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Lignin Valorization Via Reductive Depolymerization Using Promoted Nickel Catalysts And Sub- And Supercritical Methanol, Julia Parker Jan 2022

Lignin Valorization Via Reductive Depolymerization Using Promoted Nickel Catalysts And Sub- And Supercritical Methanol, Julia Parker

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

While lignin has been regarded as the most promising renewable feedstock for the sustainable manufacture of aromatic compounds, lignin valorization is necessary to improve the economic viability of biorefineries. Reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF), which combines delignification and lignin depolymerization into a single stage while maintaining the structure and integrity of the cellulose component, has evolved as an effective method for processing biomass. The ability of Cu and Fe to promote the performance of a 20% Ni/alumina catalyst when converting native lignin to alkylphenols by RCF in sub- and supercritical methanol was tested. The effectiveness of lignin extraction as measured by …

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Sediment Nitrogen Dynamics In Backwater Wetland Confluences Of A Regulated River, Gina Degraves Jan 2022

Sediment Nitrogen Dynamics In Backwater Wetland Confluences Of A Regulated River, Gina Degraves

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

As harmful algal blooms in regulated river systems have increased in the past decade, the importance of understanding sediment nutrients has also increased. Research linking nutrient processes and fine sediment dynamics to harmful algal blooms in confluence wetlands along regulated rivers has recently become apparent. However, the relationship between sediment nutrient dynamics in confluence wetlands has been understudied. Utilization of sediment fingerprinting, high-frequency water quality monitoring, and tracer unmixing mass-balance modeling, was able to suggest sediment N mineralization in Appalachia confluence riparian wetland was not a dominate source of nitrate downstream. Further measures of supplementary tracers and additional sediment sources …

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Classifying And Mapping Aquatic Vegetation In Heterogeneous Stream Ecosystems Using Visible And Multispectral Uav Imagery, Rozalia Agioutanti Jan 2022

Classifying And Mapping Aquatic Vegetation In Heterogeneous Stream Ecosystems Using Visible And Multispectral Uav Imagery, Rozalia Agioutanti

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The need for assessment and management of aquatic vegetation in stream ecosystems is recognized given the importance in impacting water quality, hydrodynamics, and aquatic biota. However, existing approaches to monitor are laborious and its currently not feasible to track spatial and temporal differences at broad scales. The objective of this study was therefore to map and classify aquatic vegetation of a shallow stream with heterogenous mixtures of emergent and submerged aquatic vegetation. Data was collected in the Camden Creek watershed within the Inner Bluegrass Region of central Kentucky. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was employed and both visible …

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Exploration Of Lignin-Based Superabsorbent Polymers (Hydrogels) For Soil Water Management And As A Carrier For Delivering Rhizobium Spp., Toby Adjuik Jan 2022

Exploration Of Lignin-Based Superabsorbent Polymers (Hydrogels) For Soil Water Management And As A Carrier For Delivering Rhizobium Spp., Toby Adjuik

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Superabsorbent polymers (hydrogels) as soil amendments may improve soil hydraulic properties and act as carrier materials beneficial to soil microorganisms. Researchers have mostly explored synthetic hydrogels which may not be environmentally sustainable. This dissertation focused on the development and application of lignin-based hydrogels as sustainable soil amendments. This dissertation also explores the development of pedotransfer transfer functions (PTFs) for predicting saturated hydraulic conductivity using statistical and machine learning methods with a publicly available large data set. A lignin-based hydrogel was synthesized, and its impact on soil water retention was determined in silt loam and loamy fine sand soils. Hydrogel treatment …

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Effects Of Physiological Stage And Diet On Drosophila Suzukii Olfaction, Aerianna Shindindowi Littler Jan 2022

Effects Of Physiological Stage And Diet On Drosophila Suzukii Olfaction, Aerianna Shindindowi Littler

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Massive economic damage by spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, results from their unique egg laying behavior. Gravid SWD flies employ a complex suite of behaviors to find fruit with the optimum firmness and chemistry. We tested for SWD attraction to various fruits and found overripe raspberries to be most attractive to gravid flies which was unexpected since they oviposit in ripe fruit. We next tested the same choice assay in a T-maze and found that the results were comparable. We also found discrete odor profiles among the ripening stages. When testing for sugars and CO2 concentrations from field-collections, overripe …

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Net Effects Of Wild And Managed Birds In Agroecosystems, Karina Garcia Jan 2022

Net Effects Of Wild And Managed Birds In Agroecosystems, Karina Garcia

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Agricultural intensification and expansion have reduced biodiversity in agroecosystems, jeopardizing the ecosystem services that nature provides to humans in these landscapes including wildlife-mediated pest control. Among these purveyors of ecosystem services are birds, who can provide services to agroecosystems by consuming arthropod pests. Yet some bird species also act as pests by consuming crops. Herein, I use molecular diet analysis through high-throughput sequencing on DNA extracted from bird fecal samples to examine birds’ diet and classify bird species as consumers of major strawberry pests (Lygus spp.). Additionally, I use targeted PCR approaches to determine which bird species consumed strawberries. …

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Midgut Metamorphosis In The Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Najla Mohammed Albishi Jan 2022

Midgut Metamorphosis In The Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Najla Mohammed Albishi

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Remodeling of larval tissues including the midgut is essential for the completion of metamorphosis in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). The midgut structure and function have been extensively studied in adult Ae. aegypti, because adult females need to blood feed to reproduce, and the alimentary canal is the first barrier that encounters pathogens ingested through the blood meal. The midgut of Ae. aegypti undergoes remodeling during the larval-pupal metamorphosis. The degeneration of larval cells and the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells to form pupal-adult midgut are the major events that take place during metamorphosis. …

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Rna Interference For Emerald Ash Borer Suppression: Ecotoxicological Assessment And Delivery Methods, Flavia Pampolini Jan 2022

Rna Interference For Emerald Ash Borer Suppression: Ecotoxicological Assessment And Delivery Methods, Flavia Pampolini

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a highly invasive phloem-feeding insect native to Asia. It has killed millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) since its accidental introduction into North America, causing profound economic and ecological impacts. RNA interference (RNAi) or double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated gene silencing is an emerging biotechnology that is developing as an innovative tool for pest management. Exogenous dsRNA triggers the RNAi pathway, silences genes, and disrupts protein function, causing insect mortality. RNAi has proven effective in reducing target gene expression and causing mortality in EAB; however, two aspects stand as barriers …

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Gene Silencing Provides Insights Into Bark Beetle Biology And Creates Potential For Broad Scale Forest Protection, Beth R. Kyre Jan 2022

Gene Silencing Provides Insights Into Bark Beetle Biology And Creates Potential For Broad Scale Forest Protection, Beth R. Kyre

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Dendroctonus bark beetles are among the most economically and ecologically significant forest pests in North America and play a critical role in the overall health of conifer forest ecosystems. Dendroctonus bark beetles influence ecosystem benefits and biodiversity and drive forest succession, and adversely affect timber production, forest management, and recreation. As temperatures surge and climatic fluctuations become more extreme, catastrophic bark beetle outbreaks are increasing in frequency, escalating pressures on highly vulnerable conifer forests already compromised by heat and drought. Eruptive outbreaks of Dendroctonus beetles are largely unhindered by traditional silvicultural management; these practices further disrupt forest ecosystem services, including …

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A Functional Genomics Approach To Overwintering Mechanisms In Insects, Emily Allison Wheeler Nadeau Jan 2022

A Functional Genomics Approach To Overwintering Mechanisms In Insects, Emily Allison Wheeler Nadeau

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Insects living in temperate and polar environments have developed numerous adaptations to increase survival at low temperatures. A majority of insects are freeze-intolerant and die from internal ice formation, but some are freeze-tolerant and can survive ice formation in extracellular spaces. Both categories of insects prepare for winter with a combination of seasonal and rapid acclimation responses, which differ both in time course and in underlying mechanisms. In this dissertation, I examine adaptations for winter survival in several insect species with a specific focus on molecular mechanisms. To better understand the underpinning mechanisms of these adaptations, I leverage functional genomics …

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The Influence Of Sociopolitical Factors On Adolescents’ And Youths’ Development, Banafsheh Aghayeeabianeh Jan 2022

The Influence Of Sociopolitical Factors On Adolescents’ And Youths’ Development, Banafsheh Aghayeeabianeh

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Youths and adolescents are one of the major perpetrators of antisocial and deviant behaviors, which have deleterious consequences for both the perpetrators and society. Although there is extensive literature on youth and adolescent antisocial behavior, some correlates of youth antisociality are not known yet. As such, the present study is devoted to understanding the micro- and macro-level predictors of youth and adolescents’ antisociality in three contexts. Three empirical studies applying bioecological systems theory and analyzing data from the International Dating Violence database using Mixed Effects Models were conducted to investigate the ecology of the development of antisocial behaviors among youth. …

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Associations Of Sexual Satisfaction, Relationship Quality, And Cognitive Functioning Within Intimate Relationships In Older Adulthood, Allison G. Smith Jan 2022

Associations Of Sexual Satisfaction, Relationship Quality, And Cognitive Functioning Within Intimate Relationships In Older Adulthood, Allison G. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The roles of sexual satisfaction, relationship quality, and cognitive functioning within older adults (N = 538) intimate relationships are assessed at two timepoints over an 11-year timeframe. Longitudinal data from 63 older adults are assessed through a path modeling approach to examine how sexual satisfaction and relationship quality change throughout older adulthood. Cross-sectional data for 538 older adults are utilized to examine the association between cognitive health and sexual satisfaction/relationship quality. Qualitative data from 125 older adults are utilized to understand how older adults describe their intimate relationships. Results from path models demonstrate that one’s degree of sexual satisfaction …

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#Askrenal: Use Of An Automated Twitter Account To Crowdsource Nephrology Queries, Jade M. Teakell, Alicja Rosolowska, Swapnil Hiremath, Matthew A. Sparks, Edgar V. Lerma, Joel M. Topf, Nikhil A. Shah Jan 2022

#Askrenal: Use Of An Automated Twitter Account To Crowdsource Nephrology Queries, Jade M. Teakell, Alicja Rosolowska, Swapnil Hiremath, Matthew A. Sparks, Edgar V. Lerma, Joel M. Topf, Nikhil A. Shah

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Social media platforms are used in contemporary crowdsourcing, and Twitter is apt for reaching a large number of people with a common interest. Users, especially those with a small follower count may find it challenging to reach a large audience. #AskRenal was developed as a Twitter crowdsourcing tool to help users get answers to nephrology questions. We hypothesized that the #AskRenal hashtag could be used by anyone to receive helpful and timely responses to simple or complex nephrology questions posed on the social media platform. Methods: A Twitter account @AskRenal, and an online Twitter bot that automatically retweeted any …

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Writing Arguments In Stem, Jason Peters, Jennifer Bates, Erin Martin-Elston, Sadie Johann, Rebekah Maples, Anne Regan, Morgan White Jan 2022

Writing Arguments In Stem, Jason Peters, Jennifer Bates, Erin Martin-Elston, Sadie Johann, Rebekah Maples, Anne Regan, Morgan White

OER Course Materials

A team of faculty at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, curated the contents to support instructors teaching first-year courses in critical thinking and communication.

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Alice In The Land Of Artificial Intelligence: Some Practical Ways To Help Survive “Abstract Idea” Challenges Under Section 101, Charlene Thrower Jan 2022

Alice In The Land Of Artificial Intelligence: Some Practical Ways To Help Survive “Abstract Idea” Challenges Under Section 101, Charlene Thrower

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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Product Liability Applied To Automated Decisions, Ian A. Wardell Jan 2022

Product Liability Applied To Automated Decisions, Ian A. Wardell

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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Pharmacy Benefit Managers: What Are The Real Costs Behind-The-Counter?, Gabrielle Landes Jan 2022

Pharmacy Benefit Managers: What Are The Real Costs Behind-The-Counter?, Gabrielle Landes

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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How New Jersey Can Mitigate Climate Change On Its Coasts Through Nuisance-Based Restrictions On Development, Jennifer Garster Jan 2022

How New Jersey Can Mitigate Climate Change On Its Coasts Through Nuisance-Based Restrictions On Development, Jennifer Garster

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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Ai & Arms Control: The Cold War Continued, Robert Sobon Jan 2022

Ai & Arms Control: The Cold War Continued, Robert Sobon

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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The Art Of Inheritance: Comparing The Upc And Upa To Determine Which Act Suits Embryo Inheritance Rights Best., Morgan G. Valeo Jan 2022

The Art Of Inheritance: Comparing The Upc And Upa To Determine Which Act Suits Embryo Inheritance Rights Best., Morgan G. Valeo

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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A New Era Of Family Planning: The Legal Concern With Frozen Embryo Disposition, Nathania E. Lim Jan 2022

A New Era Of Family Planning: The Legal Concern With Frozen Embryo Disposition, Nathania E. Lim

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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The Olympics And Cannabis, Nicholas Coughlin Jan 2022

The Olympics And Cannabis, Nicholas Coughlin

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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The Deceiving Pocket-Sized Device That Has Fueled A New Age Of Tobacco Smokers, Jilsime Beciri Jan 2022

The Deceiving Pocket-Sized Device That Has Fueled A New Age Of Tobacco Smokers, Jilsime Beciri

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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Reclassifying Cannabis As A Schedule Iii Drug, Rj Prifitera Jan 2022

Reclassifying Cannabis As A Schedule Iii Drug, Rj Prifitera

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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Removing Cms Constraints And Going Beyond The Ncd Approach A Broader Set Of Congressional Legislative Action And Policy Reforms To Address Increase In Prescription Drug Spending And Improve Medicare Beneficiary Access To New Drugs, Akil I. Dharamsi Jan 2022

Removing Cms Constraints And Going Beyond The Ncd Approach A Broader Set Of Congressional Legislative Action And Policy Reforms To Address Increase In Prescription Drug Spending And Improve Medicare Beneficiary Access To New Drugs, Akil I. Dharamsi

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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When Farmacies Replace Pharmacies: Regulating The “Food-As-Medicine” Movement, Elizabeth Sharpe Jan 2022

When Farmacies Replace Pharmacies: Regulating The “Food-As-Medicine” Movement, Elizabeth Sharpe

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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Overregulating Cannabis And Underregulating Prescription Opioids: Is A Compelling Opioid Crisis Remediation Strategy Getting Lost In The Weeds?, Jared Blau-Kursman Esq. Jan 2022

Overregulating Cannabis And Underregulating Prescription Opioids: Is A Compelling Opioid Crisis Remediation Strategy Getting Lost In The Weeds?, Jared Blau-Kursman Esq.

Student Works

No abstract provided.

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