Digital Commons Network^™

Zoysiagrass Tolerance To Selective Herbicides For The Removal Of Bermudagrass And The Distribution Of The Annual Bluegrass Weevil (Listronotus Maculicollis) In Kentucky, Kenneth D. Clayton

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) may be a problematic weed within zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) swards across its entire range. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of the herbicide safener metcamifen + trifloxysulfuron-sodium, in conjunction with fluazifop-P-butyl, at removing bermudagrass from zoysiagrass and how varying levels of treatment affected bermudagrass control and zoysiagrass tolerance. Field studies tested rates of metcamifen + trifloxysulfuron-sodium applied with fluazifop-P-butyl compared to treatments of fluazifop alone and fenoxaprop with triclopyr. All treatments controlled bermudagrass, and treatments with the herbicide safener remained under the 20% injury threshold for zoysiagrass for ≤ to 15 days compared …

Fusarium Head Blight Resistance Genes Impact Agronomic Performance, Flavor, Milling, And Baking Traits In Soft Red Winter Wheat, Joyce Morris

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is an economically devastating disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) causing low yields and poor quality. FHB, caused by Fusarium graminearum, disrupts the grain filling phase and results in bleached spikes and shriveled seeds. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by the fungal pathogen when it infects the plant; DON is harmful when consumed by humans and causes feed rejection in livestock. Using FHB resistant varieties and timely applications of fungicides is the optimum strategy for management of this disease. However, there has been little research focusing on the impact of FHB resistance genes …

Advancing Root Trait Measurements For A Deeper Understanding Of Soil Biogeochemistry, Brian Rinehart

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Climate change is disrupting (agro)ecosystems, with the potential for significant losses in crop productivity and ecosystem resilience due to changes in water and biogeochemical cycling. These disruptions can also release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the degradation of soil organic matter. Plant roots have emerged as a potential tool for mitigating these effects, given their roles in plant function and in driving soil biogeochemistry. While this interest is growing, our ability to implement root trait selection is limited due to constraints on characterizing roots and limited clarity on the effects of traits on plant and ecosystem function. My …

Influence Of Industrial Hemp On Soil Health Parameters In A Kentucky Cropping System, Jack T. Eaker

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Industrial hemp (fiber, floral, and grain: Cannabis sativa L.) legalization has prompted research into its incorporation into agronomic rotations and impacts on agroecosystem services such as nutrient dynamics. This study quantified the effects of integrating grain and fiber hemp on soil health, hypothesizing hemp would positively impact soil health due to its taproot, reported C benefits, and nutrient requirements. Conducted in Kentucky at two locations, a completely randomized block design included six crop rotation treatments, with soil cores collected at initiation (2020) and post three growing seasons (2023). Soil parameters analyzed included particulate organic matter, short-term CO2 mineralization, water-extractable organic …

Giving Props To Soil Property Predictive Models: Utilizing Mir To Predict Soil Health Properties, Diala M. Abboud

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Soil health is critical to sustaining life on Earth, influencing plant growth, agricultural productivity, water quality, and overall ecosystem sustainability. In response to climate change and intensifying land use, the need to improve our understanding of soil health has become increasingly urgent. The application of mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy coupled with statistical modeling has emerged as a promising, cost-effective approach to predict soil health parameters, offering a quicker alternative to traditional wet chemistry analyses. MIR methods have been successfully applied to predict various soil health properties, such as bulk density (BD), cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), electrical conductivity (EC), …

Revolutionizing Grapevine Breeding Programs: A Mobile Genome Editing System For Perennial Crops, Bridget Bolt

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) faces unprecedented challenges from climate change, with up to 90% of current growing regions potentially becoming unsuitable for production within decades. Traditional breeding approaches require 25-30 years for variety development, creating a time constraint incompatible with the pace of environmental change. This research establishes the approach for a novel mobile RNA-based gene editing platform that addresses longstanding bottlenecks in grapevine improvement while preserving cultivar identity and reducing breeding timelines.

This research developed a three-component system for transgene-free gene editing in grapevine. First, a mobile CRISPR/Cas9 system was established using Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformation and the cut-and-dip …

Exploring The Role Of Living Roots In Soil Organic Matter Dynamics, Sharmin Akther

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Roots play a central role in soil organic matter (SOM) formation, yet the contributions of living roots compared with root- and shoot-derived litter remain incompletely understood across systems and management contexts. This thesis combines a global meta-analysis with a two-year field experiment to evaluate how continuous living root activity shapes soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. The meta-analysis synthesized 21 studies (57 observations) comparing cropping systems with enhanced living root continuity to systems with fallow periods or annual-only rotations. Perennial and continuous cropping systems increased annual C inputs and SOC stocks relative to controls, but their SOC sequestration efficiency declined because …

Evaluating The Predictive Values Of Attachment Security And Perfectionism On Psychological Well-Being, Lindsay Cleary

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Attachment security impacts social competence and the development of one’s sense of self. It has also been implicated in the development of psychological conditions, including depression, personality disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Perfectionism has distinct characteristics that also influence how people relate to others and understand themselves. Research suggests that perfectionism negatively affects a person’s psychological well-being, often leading to mental health concerns such as anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Despite the introduction of the perfectionism social disconnection model (PSDM), few studies have attempted to understand the direct relationship between attachment security, perfectionism, and psychological well-being. It was hypothesized …

Harnessing Big Heterogeneous Data To Evaluate The Potential Impact Of Hiv Responses Among Key Populations In Sub-Saharan Africa: Protocol For The Boloka Data Repository Initiative, Refilwe Nancy Phaswana Mafuya, Edith Phalane, Amrita Rao, Kalai Willis, Katherine Rucinski, K. Alida Voet, Amal Abdulrahman, Claris Siyamayambo, Betty Sebati, Mohlago Seloka, Musa Jaiteh, Lerato Lucia Olifant, Katharine Journeay, Haley Sisel, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Neset Hikmet, Prashant Duhoon, Francois Wolmarans, Yegnanew A. Shiferaw, Lifutso Motsieloa, Mashudu Rampilo, Stefan Baral

Faculty Publications

Background: In South Africa, there is no centralized HIV surveillance system where key populations (KPs) data, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, female sex workers, transgender persons, people who use drugs, and incarcerated persons, are stored in South Africa despite being on higher risk of HIV acquisition and transmission than the general population. Data on KPs are being collected on a smaller scale by numerous stakeholders and managed in silos. There exists an opportunity to harness a variety of data, such as empirical, contextual, observational, and programmatic data, for evaluating the potential impact of HIV …

Longitudinal Assessments Of Viral Rebound Among People With Hiv In South Carolina: A Population-Based Cohort Study, Jiayang Xiao, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Yunqing Ma, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Routinely monitoring viral rebound (VR) is important in the life course of people with HIV (PWH). This study examined risk factors for time to the first VR, the number of VRs and their association with VR history in men who have sex with men (MSM). It includes 8176 adult PWH diagnosed from January 2005 to December 2018, followed until July 2021. We used the Cox model for time to the first VR, the Poisson model for a number of VRs, and logistic regression for VR history in MSM. Younger individuals (50–59 years vs 18–29 years, aHR: 0.43, 95% CI: [0.34, …

Maternal Vulnerability Index And Severe Maternal Morbidity, Nansi S. Boghossian, Joshua Radack, Molly Passarella, Ciaran S. Phibbs, Lucy T. Greenberg, Jeffrey S. Buzas, George R. Saade, Jeannette Rogowski, Scott A. Lorch

Faculty Publications

Importance: Few studies have investigated the association of composite measures of neighborhood social determinants of health with severe maternal morbidity (SMM), and no research has examined this association for indices tailored to maternal health. Objective: To examine the association of scores in the Maternal Vulnerability Index (MVI), a tool developed to measure maternal risk of adverse health outcomes, with SMM. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective, population-based cohort study was conducted in 5 states (2008-2020 for Michigan, Oregon, and South Carolina; 2008-2018 for Pennsylvania; and 2008-2012 for California) among individuals delivering a fetal death or a live birth between 22 …

Caregiving Burdens Of Task Time And Task Difficulty Among Paid And Unpaid Caregivers Of Persons Living With Dementia, Matthew Lee Smith, Jodi L. Southerland, Malinee Neelamegam, Gang Han, Shinduk Lee, Chung Lin Kew, Juanita Dawne R. Bacsu, Elyse Couch, Steffi M. Kim, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Ayse Malatyali, Lucas Wilson, Zahra Rahemi, Jeremy Holloway, Marcia G. Ory

Faculty Publications

Background: Demands of caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) are often influenced by the context of their caregiving situation. This study examines common and unique factors associated with caregiving burden in terms of task time and task difficulty among paid and unpaid caregivers of PLWD. Methods: Cross-sectional baseline survey data were analyzed from 107 paid and unpaid caregivers of PLWD participating in a larger NIH-funded study assessing the feasibility of using a novel in-situ sensor system. Oberst Caregiving Burden Scale constructs of task time and task difficulty served as dependent variables. Two least squares regression models were fitted, controlling …

Investing In The Development Of The Next Generation Of Mch Leaders, Karen A. Mcdonnell, Jamal Percy, Lisa Anders, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Alice R. Richman, Julianna Deardorff, Monica S. Ruiz, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Kelli Russell, Audrey Snyder, Cassondra Marshall

Faculty Publications

The public health landscape is constantly evolving to address the strengths and needs of the community. Training for the public health workforce is leading the way, establishing an ecosystem approach that integrates individuals within social, political, and environmental contexts to promote health equity within a framework of social justice. One area of public health that is innovatively preparing the next generation of leaders is maternal and child health (MCH). In the United States, key indicators of health disparities within MCH remain stagnant, highlighting the need for training programs that develop future MCH professionals from diverse backgrounds. These professionals will deliver …

Overture: Journal Of International Affairs

Overture: Journal of International Affairs

Full issue of Overture: Journal of International Affairs vol. 5. Editor-in-Chief: Sydney Pascal '26. Sponsored by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs.

Letters From The Professors

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

#Obsessed Get Ready With Me: A Day In The Life With Ocd, Jordan Herrera

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Scientific Kenyon: Neuroscience Edition (Full Issue)

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Can I Actually Write This? Neuroscience Of Self-Doubt And Anxiety, Issachar Lopez

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Dissociative Amnesia: Why Our Brains Make Us Forget, Ruby Hutchins

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Through Rose-Colored Lenses: How Color Perception Shapes Our Daily Lives, Ronan Daly

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Pain, Pain, Go Away!, Jolien Kusi

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

You're A Legacy! Understanding Intergenerational Trauma And Epigenetics, Kiersten Hoffmann

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

A Jiggle To Help The Wiggle, Juliette Lowe

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Forget The All-Nighter: How Sleep Boosts Memory Consolidation, Paula Sorić

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Kenyon College Neuroscience Department Faculty And Staff

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Probiotics To Reduce Diet Induced Dysbiosis And Inflammation In Myelodysplastic Syndromes Susceptible Mice, Tejaswee Bolloju

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Human gut microbiota is helpful in digestion by helping in breaking complex carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fibers and many other physiological functions. The Western diet which is high in fat and carbo hydrate percentage alters gut microbiota and leads to growth of pathogenic bacteria and altered gut flora referred to as dysbiosis, which in turn cause gut inflammation and increased permeability of gut and it causes translocation of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) which causes low grade systemic inflammation. Disturbance in gut microbiota correlated with metabolic conditions like obesity and leads to progression of hematologic diseases like Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS). Myelodysplastic syndromes are …

Associations Between County-Level E-Cigarette-Inclusive Tobacco 21 Law Population Coverage And E-Cigarette Use Behaviors Among United States Adolescents In Monitoring The Future, James H. Buszkiewicz, Catherine A. Vander Woude, Yanmei Xie, Steven Cook, Bukola Usidame Peters, Megan E. Patrick, Michael R. Elliott, James F. Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Nancy L. Fleischer

Faculty Publications

Background and aims: In the United States (US), Tobacco 21 (T21) laws set the minimum legal sale age for all tobacco products to 21 years. This study aimed to examine whether e-cigarette-inclusive T21 laws were associated with e-cigarette use behaviors and related disparities among US adolescents. Design: We used nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional Monitoring the Future data to compare self-reported current e-cigarette use (2014–2022) and first e-cigarette initiation (2015–2022) among adolescents in counties with 100% ('full') versus < 100% ('partial or no') e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage using modified Poisson regression, examining differences by sex, race and ethnicity, parental educational attainment and college educational expectations through interactions. Setting: United States. Participants: 8th, 10th and 12th graders. Measurements: County-level e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage was determined using Tobacco 21 Population Coverage Database and US Census Bureau population data. Current e-cigarette …

Healthcare Providers’ Perspective On Hiv Testing And Hypothetical Mhealth-Connected Linkage To Care Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm) In South Carolina, Tony Brown, Prince Nii Ossah Addo, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Xiaoming Li, Oluwafemi Adeagbo

Faculty Publications

Background: HIV continues to be an important public health concern in South Carolina (SC). However, an examination of providers’ willingness to use mHealth technologies to address ongoing barriers to HIV care and prevention strategies, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) is currently lacking in SC. We therefore explored HIV care providers’ perceptions of HIV testing and treatment uptake among MSM, and providers’ willingness to use mHealth technology to address barriers to HIV testing and treatment in SC. Methods: Between August and December 2021, we conducted semistructured virtual interviews with 10 HIV care providers recruited purposively based on …

Sars-Cov-2 Detection And Persistence In A Remote Amazonian Settlement, Glauco M. Silva, Roberto C. Ilacqua, Franciely G. Gonçalves, Carla M. Santana, Felipe T. Jordão, Paula R. Prist, Melissa S. Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Andreia F. Brilhante, Marcia A. Sperança, Gabriel Z. Laporta

Faculty Publications

Background: COVID-19 continues to pose a major global health challenge. Despite its geographic distance from Brazil’s major urban centers, Acre state has experienced notable outbreaks. This study assessed the detection and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in the rural settlement of Santa Luzia, located in the remote municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre state, Brazil. Methods: In July 2022, a cross-sectional survey was conducted at 40 sites from an ongoing environmental study, selected by deforestation patterns and proximity to health posts. Saliva samples were collected from residents aged 5–90 years, followed by nucleic acid extraction and multiplex RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Results: …