Digital Commons Network^™

Editorial: Amaranthus: Naturally Stress-Resistant Resources For Improved Agriculture And Human Health, Volume Ii, Matthew W. Blair, Chance Riggins, Ana Paulina Barba De La Rosa

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Rolling Submissions

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Mother-Daughter Bonding, Natalia G. Toreeva

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Blossoming, Barbara Garrison

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Fish Food Critics, Joe Conroy

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

The Financial Implications Of Specialization, Diversification, Or Alternative Enterprises On Small Farms: Evidence From Tennessee, Aditya R. Khanal, Renu Ojha

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

In response to survival challenges, small farms in the United States undertake decisions to minimize downside risk or maximize gross revenue. Using primary survey data of small farms in Tennessee, we examined farmers’ strategic decisions on specialization or other forms of diversification and estimated the impacts of these decisions on farm financial performance. We found that farmer’s age, farmland holdings, use of a smartphone in farm-related activities, and off-farm work significantly influenced these strategic decisions. Our multinomial endogenous switching regression estimates suggested that small farms could attain significantly higher performance, around 45% higher gross farm income and a 30% higher …

W&L Law Library Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 1 (Dec. 2023), The Law Library At Washington And Lee University School Of Law

W&L Law Library Newsletter

W&L Law Library Newsletter, Volume 3, Issue 1 (December 2023).

Using Remote Sensing To Determine Riparian Resilience In Beaver Dammed Versus Un-Dammed Corridors Following Whiplash Weather, Sophie Charlotte Valérie Aubry

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Beaver complexes slow and store water allowing for riparian growth which in turn fosters biodiversity, retains carbon, and enhances resistance to fires and drought. Given the benefits associated with beaver complexes and the potential they have for climate mitigation, California hopes to reintroduce beavers and restore their habitat throughout the state. However, the impact of high peak flow events on beaver complexes and their adjacent riparian corridors is less understood and requires more documentation at various spatial scales. To better understand the potential beavers may have as climate change mitigators it is important to understand beaver complex resiliency following a …

Reimagining Large River Management Using The Resist–Accept–Direct (Rad) Framework In The Upper Mississippi River, Nicole K. Ward, Abigail J. Lynch, Erik A. Beever, Joshua Booker, Kristen L. Bouska, Holly Embke, Jeffrey N. Houser, John F. Kocik, Joshua Kocik, David J. Lawrence, Mary Grace Lemon, Doug Limpinsel, Madeline R. Magee, Bryan M. Maitland, Owen Mckenna, Andrew Meier, John M. Morton, Jeffrey D. Muehlbauer, Robert Newman, Devon C. Oliver, Heidi M. Rantala, Greg G. Sass, Aaron Shultz, Laura M. Thompson, Jennifer L. Wilkening

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Background: Large-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework may enhance large-river management by promoting coordinated and deliberate responses to social-ecological trajectories of change. The RAD framework identifies the full decision space of potential management approaches, wherein managers may resist change to maintain historical conditions, accept change toward different conditions, or direct change to a specified future with novel conditions. In the Upper Mississippi …

Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Radiometric Calibration: A Comparison Of Autoexposure And Fixed‐Exposure Images, G. Cody Bagnall, John Alex Thomasson, Chenghai Yang, Tianyi Wang, Xiongzhe Han, Chao Sima, Anjin Chang

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Remote sensing with uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasingly being used in agriculture to provide data on the physical characteristics of plants under field conditions. Data accuracy is critical for decision making with a high degree of confidence. In this work, we compared two multispectral camera calibration methods for image data collected with a UAV: (1) an autoexposure method that relies on a single calibration panel and a post hoc calibration, and (2) a fixed-exposure system that uses three in-field gray calibration panels using the empirical line calibration method. Both methods were compared to reflectance data from (a) four ground …

Increasing Racial Diversity In The North American Plant Phenotyping Network Through Conference Participation Support, David Lebauer, Alexander Bucksch, Jennifer Clarke, Jesse Potts, Sonali Roy

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

A key goal of the North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN) annual conference is to cultivate a new generation of scientists from diverse backgrounds. As part of their effort to diversify the plant phenomics research community, NAPPN acquired funding to cover all attendance costs for participants from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) for the 2022 annual meeting. Seven award recipients represented the first attendees from HBCUs in the conference's 6-year history. In this commentary, we report on the impact of the conference awards, including lessons learned, and the future of the award.

College Major Area And Career Commitment: Rethinking Steam In Educational- Vocational Guidance, James Hutson, Sara Bagley, Colleen Biri

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: The exigency for higher education to exhibit outcomes aligning with career competencies has intensified, driven by external pressures favoring job-specific training. Amidst shifting career tendencies of Generations Y and Z and the advent of artificial intelligence-led automation, the valuation of different college majors has come under scrutiny. This study aims to dissect the prevailing assumptions and explore the satisfaction and career commitment levels among individuals with career-focused degrees.

Methods: Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study delves into the relationships among areas of study, career commitment, self-esteem, and self-efficacy among alumni from a private Midwestern liberal arts college. Instruments …

Effects Of Sewage Sludge Treatments On Plant Nutrients, Heavy Metals And Tall Fescue(Festuca Arundinacea Schreb.), Ali̇ Riza Ongun, Mahmut Tepeci̇k, Hüseyi̇n Hüsnü Kayikçioğlu, Sezai̇ Deli̇bacak, Tanay Bi̇ri̇şçi̇, Erden Aktaş, Ayşe Kalayci Önaç, Gökhan Balik

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of anaerobically stabilized sewage sludge (SS) converted into 90% dryness granules at different doses of control, 3% SS, 6% SS, and 9% SS on elemental composition of Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and physicochemical properties of soil. Color measurements were made with the CIE L* a* b* method unit; the highest color (4.10) and the highest coating score (5.7) were calculated for the 6% SS treatment. The highest biomass (9.11 g) was obtained from the 3% SS and the lowest (7.67 g) from the 9% SS dose. Plant height measurements were listed as follows: …

The Effects Of Different Seeding Rates On Nitrogen Acquisition In Pea–Wheat Intercropping, Aybegün Ton, Erik Steen Jensen

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Intercropping may improve the use of environmental resources in low-input agricultural systems compared to sole crops and it is possible that risk may be reduced in intercropping, leading to more stable yields and weed control. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of seeding rate of a normal leafed cultivar and a semileafless pea cultivar (Pisum sativum L.) grown as sole crops, cultivar mixture, and in double and triple intercrops with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on competitive dynamics, yield and use of nitrogen sources from soil, and symbiotic N2 fixation. A randomized complete blocks experiment …

Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation And Cover Crop On Soil Carbon Dynamics And Microbial Communities In A Mediterranean Lemon Orchard., Anna Rodriguez-Paiatsyka

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Plant-associated fungi such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have the potential to sequester carbon (C), improve soil aggregation, and promote plant health. Due to multiple benefits of AMF to plant and soil health, AMF has gained much attention leading to a rapidly expanding market in mycorrhizal bio-stimulants intended to improve crop yield, root development, and soil health in horticultural crops, including citrus. However, there is limited information on how to inoculate a mature citrus orchard, and how inoculation of a mature orchard with AMF affects C sequestration. In this study, we planted a cover crop inoculated with AMF in a …

Soil Burn Severity And Environmental Covariate Effects On Soil Health Two Years Postfire In The Sierra Nevada, Julie A. Lewis

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Wildfires have been steadily increasing in both size and severity in recent decades. This global trend is most evident in California, especially the North Coast and Sierra Nevada. Although these trends are rising, there is little known about the effects of these wildfires on forest soils. Soil is the 2nd largest C sink on the planet, and the largest terrestrial bank. Without understanding the implication of rising wildfire severities on these soils, we cannot understand how to help protect this resource in the future. Due to the rapid increase in wildfire size and intensity, there is little known about the …

Perceptions Of Stress In Community Clinic Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jomeka Smith

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the largest healthcare crises that has affected the entire healthcare industry. Community health nurses in the front-line roles are greatly threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic that has decimated healthcare systems. The well-being of nurses is vital to perform their full potential of adequate patient care. Increased demands and pandemic related stressors can increase the risk of mental health problems. Nurses work in a variety of healthcare settings, however, the expectations, the fear of the unknown, and changes in demands have largely contributed to the unprecedented stressors that accompany nurses in clinical settings. Stress among …

Development, Validation, And Testing Of A Novel Ergonomic Backpack, Lyndsey Kate Bouve

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Backpacks (BP) are one of the most common means for carrying loads but the loading mechanics that result from carrying heavy loads can have implications across the body. It has been suggested that loads in a BP should not excess 10-15% of the user’s body weight (BW) but that is not always feasible. The loads in a BP are transferred to the body via the shoulder strap which induce a shear and compressive force which act externally on the spine and transfer loads through it to the lumbar. Additionally, the weight of the bag induces an external moment that further …

The Providence College Opera Workshop Presents Dido & Aeneas Playbill, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Music

Ryan Concert Hall, Smith Center for the Arts

Dideo & Aeneas, an opera by Henry Purcell

Friday, December 1, 2023, 7pm

Sunday, December 3, 2023, 3pm

Instrumental Director & Harpsichordist - Catherine Gordon

Stage Director - John Garrity

Vocal Director - Elizabeth Heath

Choreographer - Wendy Oliver

Production & Costume Designer - David Costa Cabral

Choral Director - Krishan Oberoi

Rehearsal Accompanist - Michael Kregler

Stage Manager - Alexander Lamoureux

Load-in Crew - Anthony Joseph, Alexander Lamoureux, Anthony Maldonado

Performers: Dido - Victoria Leblanc ‘24; Aeneas - Dominic DaSilva ‘24; Belinda - Liliana Massa …

2023 December, Cleveland State University College Of Law

2020s

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Utilization In Pediatric And Neonate Population Within A Community Health System., Hannah Davis Pharm D Candidate, Robert D. Beckett Pharmd, Bcps, Heather Nichols Pharm D, Bcpps, Norm Fenn Bcps, Bcpps

Parkview Pharmacy Department

This project evaluated appropriateness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) use in pediatric and neonatal patients within a community health system based on current evidence. Presented at 2023 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting

Every Relu-Based Neural Network Can Be Described By A System Of Takagi-Sugeno Fuzzy Rules: A Theorem, Barnabas Bede, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

While modern deep-learning neural networks are very successful, sometimes they make mistakes, and since their results are "black boxes" -- no explanation is provided -- it is difficult to determine which recommendations are erroneous. It is therefore desirable to make the resulting computations explainable, i.e., to describe their results by using commonsense rules. In this paper, we use "fuzzy" techniques -- techniques developed by Lotfi Zadeh to deal with commonsense rules formulated by using imprecise ("fuzzy") words from natural language -- to show that such a rule-based representation is always possible. Our result does not yet provide the desired explainability, …

Smooth Non-Additive Integrals And Measures And Their Potential Applications, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In this paper, we explain why non-additive integrals and measures are needed, how non-additive integrals and measures are related, how to use them in decision making, and how they can help in fundamental physics. These four topics are covered, correspondingly, in Sections 2-5 of this paper.

Why Sigmoid Transformation Helps Incorporate Logic Into Deep Learning: A Theoretical Explanation, Chitta Baral, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Traditional neural networks start from the data, they cannot easily handle prior knowledge -- this is one of the reasons why they often take very long to train. It is desirable to incorporate prior knowledge into deep learning. For the case when this knowledge consists of propositional statements, a successful way to incorporate this knowledge was proposed in a recent paper by van Krieken et al. That paper uses the fact that a neural network does not directly return a truth value, it returns a real value -- in effect, the degree of confidence in the corresponding statement -- from …

Fifty-One Years Later: A Case Study On Title Ix Implementation Practices Of The Ncaa, Reece Jason Wisler

Experience Industry Management

Since the implementation of Title IX, the law has increased opportunities for female participation in intercollegiate athletics and changed the perception of women's sports. The purpose of this study was to examine the practices that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) implemented to support Title IX. The methodology of the case study was to create research questions and an instrument that was utilized to guide the researcher when collecting data. The findings of the study concluded that the governmental structure of the NCAA lacks the necessary power to implement policies that support Title IX, but the committees within the organization …

Paraphrasing Of Hedged Statements By Thai And Non-Thai Efl Medical Science Graduate Learners, Worawanna Petchkij

PASAA

Studies examining how EFL learners paraphrase hedges in scientific statements are still rare even though how learners use hedges in academic writing has been extensively investigated. This study compared paraphrasing strategies that Thai (TH) and non-Thai (NTH) EFL medical science graduate students used to paraphrase given hedges appearing in hedged scientific statements and the types of hedges occurring in their paraphrased versions after a lesson on paraphrasing and lessons on both paraphrasing and hedging. The results from pretests and posttests administered after the initial paraphrasing lesson and after two lessons combining paraphrasing and hedging, respectively, showed that both TH and …

The Use Of Task-Based And Game-Based Learning In English Learning At Small Primary Schools In Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, Sasithida Saraiwang, Kanoknate Worawong

PASAA

This study aimed to determine the effects of a teaching model combining Task-Based Learning (TBL) and Game-Based Learning (GBL), called the Orientation Performance Presentation Analysis Application (OPPAA) model, developed by the researchers, on primary students’ English proficiency and to explore teachers’ and students’ opinions of the model. The research employed a one-group pre-test post-test design with seven English teachers and 69 Grade 6 students chosen by means of cluster random sampling and simple random sampling. The instruments used included the OPPAA model, an English proficiency test, an opinion questionnaire, and interview questions. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviation, paired …

Developing Students’ Oral Interaction Competence Using Conversation Analytic Tools, Lemma Kassaye Sileshi

PASAA

The purpose of this study was to explore the development of students’ engagement in oral interactions using conversation analysis (CA, hereafter) tools. A qualitative design of a CA approach was used to understand the role of conversation analysis. Here, CA was used both as a data gathering tool and an analysis technique. Oral tasks were provided to 15 participants of the study prior to the intervention. The participants were taught conversational features using CAbased treatment to develop their knowledge and skills regarding oral interactions in English for four consecutive months. Their oral productions were recorded and analyzed using a CA …

Effects Of Structure, Salience, And Working Memory On L2 Processing Of English Past Participles By L1 Thai Learners, Supakit Thiamtawan, Nattama Pongpairoj

PASAA

This study examined the effects of working memory (WM), structure, and salience on the processing of English relative clauses (RCs) and participial reduced relative clauses (PRRCs) by L1 Thai learners. Salience in this research is the phonological alterations required for irregular verbs to inflect into the past participial form. The study included two types of irregulars with different salience levels. Seventy advanced L1 Thai learners took a reading span task and a self-paced reading task to assess their WM level and processing of past participial forms. The hypotheses proposed that WM, structure, and salience would influence online processing (reading times) …

Measuring Efl Students’ Oral Proficiency Improvement Using Teachers’ Judgment: The Effects Of Two Types Of Classroom Instruction, Dony Marzuki

PASAA

This study investigated the effects of two types of classroom instructions on EFL learners’ oral proficiency by implementing teachers’ judgment. Two intact classes of EFL university students studied a compulsory subject of their department under two different types of classroom instruction. The first group of students was trained with explicit oral strategy training instruction, which taught them to learn and practice strategies to improve their speech fluency. The second group was instructed to practice the task twice as much as the first group using implicit task-based instruction. The audio recording of both groups’ oral task performance in the pre-test and …