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Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, September 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- Meet our Energy Efficiency Extraordinaire
--- Where’re having a party! Will you be there?
--- Textile Brewing Company joins the Platinum Green Brewery Certification Family
--- Iowa DNR composting rules now open for public comment
--- Free Assistance Available
--- Industry News

Noteworthy Practices For Performing Mpo Administrative Functions, Jeff Kramer, Tia Boyd, Taylor Dinehart

Transportation Planning, Policy, and Processes (TP3) Final Reports

Federal and state laws, regulations, and guidance provide metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) with rules and information for managing aspects of MPO administrative tasks. However, they do not state the exact manner in which those tasks can be achieved. Additionally, there is limited specific research and guidance related to MPO noteworthy practices in MPO administrative functions that would help MPOs in Florida save time and money by streamlining and improving the efficiency of a wide variety of administrative tasks and functions. These tasks fall into several broad categories, including progress reporting and …

The Duty Of Police To Intervene: An Argument For Limits, John E. B. Myers

Hofstra Law Review

Police have a duty to intervene to stop fellow officers from using excessive force. Most commentators favor expanding this duty. This Article pushes back and argues the duty to intervene should be cabined.

"Ai" (Artificial Intelligence) Evidence: Rather Than Struggling To Decide Whether To Classify A Methodology As "Ai" And Relying On A Generalization About Ai Evidence, The Court Should Inquire Whether The Expert's Methodology Possesses A Specific Characteristic That Is Problematic In An Evidentiary Sense, Edward J. Imwinkelried

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Article Xx And The Competition Problem: How The Justice Department Could Revive The Labor Movement By Suing The Afl-Cio, Alexander Macdonald

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Distribution Of Block Grant Funding: Considerations For Rural Communities, Kate E. Beatty, Casey P. Balio, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael B. Meit, Stephanie M. Mathis

ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

A Rural Lens On Federal Block Grant Distribution, Casey P. Balio, Stephanie M. Mathis, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael Meit, Kate E. Beatty

ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Common Limitations In Rural-Related Studies In The Peer-Reviewed Literature, Stephanie M. Mathis, Olivia A. Sullivan, Margaret M. Francisco, Nicole Galler, Kate E. Beatty, Michael B. Meit, Chyanne Morrison, Christiana Keinath

ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

A Mixed-Methods Approach To Describe Typologies And Fiber Consumption Patterns Of Hispanic/Latino Adults Grouped Using Cluster Analysis, Nicholas Clarke

Master's Theses and Capstones

AbstractBackground: Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States experience disproportionate rates of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases yet remain underrepresented in obesity research. Traditional “one-size-fits-all” nutrition interventions have demonstrated limited effectiveness in this population, largely due to substantial heterogeneity in cultural, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors that influence dietary patterns. Objectives: The overarching goal of this project was to further characterize previously identified subgroups within the Hispanic/Latino population to provide a foundation for future tailored interventions that address the specific needs and preferences of these subpopulations. Specific aims were to: 1. Describe cluster typologies using a virtual nominal group technique (vNGT) with …

Wildlife Connectivity And Its Relationship With Vehicle Collision Hotspots Across New Hampshire, Clara Dawson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Chp. 1: Road networks fragment wildlife habitat and impede wildlife connectivity, which leads to elevated wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) risk and increased danger to humans and wildlife. Habitat connectivity has been linked to WVC hotspot location and intensity, but this relationship likely depends on landscape context and road characteristics, which may be nonlinear due to varying habitat availability. Our objective was to evaluate factors affecting WVC location and intensity across New Hampshire, USA, with a focus on habitat connectivity. We assessed the relationship between WVCs and five connectivity models using generalized additive models and compared connectivity effects to road and land …

Toxin-Producing Cyanobacteria In Green Manure Microbiomes, Alyssa Nicole Daigle

Master's Theses and Capstones

The increasing reliance on inefficient synthetic fertilizers, which readily leach from soils and contribute to downstream pollution, underscores the urgent need for more sustainable nutrient sources, such as green manures (GMs). Floating aquatic plants like duckweeds are particularly promising candidates due to their natural abundance, rapid growth rates, and ability to efficiently uptake nutrients. However, the presence of toxin-producing cyanobacteria in duckweed microbiomes raises concerns about the potential for toxin accumulation, like microcystins (MCs), both in the GM biomass and in the edible crops to which it is applied. To evaluate the suitability and safety of duckweed-based GMs, we conducted …

Reducing Early-Age Concrete Cracking In Bridge Decks And Curbs Through Mix Design, Gabriel Geiersbach Guertin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Bridge curbs are an integral part of a bridge’s deck. However, an abnormal rate of early-age cracking has been noted by many state agencies, including New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NH DOT), on bridge decks and curbs across each state. A literature review was conducted to discover and develop actionable remediation techniques. Within this review, several different remediation techniques were found that could reduce early-age cracking. The subset of this field focusing on mix design remediations was chosen due to the broad applicability and replicability of the approach. When considering mix design, Internally Cured Concrete (ICC) was found to provide …

Increasing The Knowledge Base Of A Novel Fruit Crop, Actinidia Arguta, To Promote Adoption In The Northeastern United States, Zoe Rose Robinson

Master's Theses and Capstones

The unique attributes of kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta (Siebold et Zucc.) Planch ex. Miq) make it a promising high-value fruit crop for the Northeastern United States, although not widely grown in the region. As discussed in Chapter 1, it is likely that some of the barriers to kiwiberry diffusion in the Northeast include basic research gaps (e.g. crop physiology, management, and enterprise analysis), and a lack of farmer-to-farmer communication channels. To address some of these barriers, this thesis reports the results of a Northeast commercial kiwiberry growers survey to provide a portrait of current regional kiwiberry production, and experiments to determine …

The Role Of Liver Macrophages In Viral Liver Pathogenesis, Alexis Brantly, Kyle Yeakle, Michael J. Bouchard, Peter J. Gaskill, Michael R. Nonnemacher

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Liver macrophages play important roles in the pathophysiology of liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, liver macrophages are a heterogenous population and have differing roles in maintenance of liver function and response in disease. In a healthy liver, macrophages play a critical role in antigen processing, maintaining tolerance to the high levels of gut-derived bacterial products, and regulating inflammation through cytokine response. However, macrophages also play a critical role in liver pathology, specifically in the context of viral infection. The liver is targeted by multiple viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus, which dysregulate macrophage …

Unplanned Hospitalization Among Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients By Diabetes Status: A Population-Based Study, Amy L. Shaver, Krupa Gandhi, Scott W. Keith, Nikita Nikita, Christopher C. Yang, Felix J. Kim, Hushan Yang, William K. Kelly, Stephen J. Freedland, Grace Lu-Yao

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Older adults with advanced prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus are underrepresented in trials of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors. This study examined changes in unplanned hospitalization rates in patients receiving androgen receptor pathway inhibitors by type 2 diabetes mellitus status and assessed if unplanned hospitalization varies according to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors.

METHODS: This population-based study of advanced prostate cancer patients aged older than 66 years used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data. Prepost androgen receptor pathway inhibitor initiation changes and androgen receptor pathway inhibitor differences in unplanned hospitalization rates were estimated by adjusted incidence rate ratio with …

Balancing Acts: Student Rights, Parental Authority, And State Interests In Modern Sex Education, Linda S. Anderson

Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review

The article explores the complex interplay between parental rights, state authority, and student interests in the context of sex education in American public schools. It highlights the ongoing tension between abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education approaches, emphasizing the need for a student-centric framework that balances the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders. The current legal landscape is examined through historical development, seminal court decisions, and recent legislative trends. Empirical evidence is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education in promoting public health and supporting adolescents' development. The article advocates for a framework that incorporates student autonomy, age-appropriate content, …

Legislating Loss: Bereavement And State Level Statutes Across The 50 United States, Julio Montanez

Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review

Bereavement is an effectively inescapable experience. As such, many interventions (e.g., counseling) exist to support adaptation to life without a loved one. There are also legal interventions—such as laws—that carve out space, time, and resources for dealing with bereavement. Using an approach that blends three methodological techniques (i.e., evidence synthesis, policy surveillance, and grounded theory method), the current study explores the characteristics of bereavement statutes across the United States. Several thematic categories were constructed through exhaustive engagement with the qualitative statutory data: Health (e.g., Hospice), Responding (i.e., First Responding and Final Responding), Work Leave, Education, Observance/Commemoration, Government, and Miscellaneous. The …

Racing To The Courthouse: The Demise Of Race-Conscious, Private Sector Dei In The Wake Of Fearless Fund And Awakening Of Trump-Era Executive Action, Ava Rose Anacreonte

Hofstra Law Review

This article examines the current challenges and legal controversies surrounding race-conscious Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the private sector, focusing on the 2024 Eleventh Circuit ruling in* American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund Management, LLC*(“Fearless Fund”) and the impact of Trump-era executive orders targeting DEI programs. It distinguishes DEI from affirmative action, outlines the evolving legal landscape involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1870, and analyzes how recent judicial decisions and executive actions have emboldened litigation against DEI efforts, often framed as “reverse discrimination.” The …

Minor League Baseball Players' Ascendance From "Seasonal Apprentices" To Full-Time Baseball Players, Garrett Q. Mcguinness

Hofstra Law Review

This article focuses on the historic ratification and ongoing challenges of the first Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players, signed in 2023, over fifty years after Major League Baseball (MLB) players first secured a CBA. It outlines the long-standing disparities between MiLB and MLB players, including delayed unionization, inadequate salaries, poor housing, limited health benefits, and restricted player mobility under the reserve clause. The article highlights key events leading to the CBA, such as the Senne lawsuit addressing wage violations and the controversial Save America’s Pastime Act, which exempted MiLB players from minimum wage laws. While …

A Co-Design Approach To Integrating Gender Into The Cacao Value Chain In Davao City, Philippines, Mia Barbara Aranas, Aileen Lapitan, Mitchiko Lopez, Nico Jayson Anastacio, Canesio Predo, Mara Faylon, Emmanuel Flores, Claire Estelle Cruz, Anjelyn Joy Enong

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The specific needs and challenges of women and their contributions are often not integrated when developing interventions and policies targeted to improve agricultural value chains. Therefore, this study developed a codesign approach to creating solutions to improve gender relations in agri-food value chains. Specifically, it focused on the cacao value chain in Davao City, which is located in the southern Philippines. Co-design is a highly participatory approach in which solutions are designed with, and not just for, the people who have lived experiences of the problems being addressed. The approach emphasizes understanding gender-related barriers and opportunities to inform government interventions …

Urgent Issues And Prospects In Guilty Plea Research And Practice, Allison D. Redlich, Lydia Becker, Lucian E. Dervan, Michael P. Donnelly, Annabelle Frazier, Meredith Gallen, Oren Gazal-Ayal, Rebecca K. Helm, Brian D. Johnson

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Criminal legal systems around the world rely heavily on defendants foregoing their right to trial and pleading guilty. However, legal scholars, social scientists, and practitioners have identified and empirically examined numerous problems with pleas, such as the high potential for coercion, innocent defendants falsely pleading guilty, and undue incentives in exchange for accepting plea offer. In this article, leading guilty plea experts (practitioners and researchers) were asked to identify what they considered to be the most urgent questions surrounding pleas. Across nine commentaries, three primary themes emerged. First were calls for increased transparency in pleas, specific to rules of discovery …

Crispr-Cas9 Gene Editing In Tomato: Development And Characterization Under Stress, Jun Guo

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Transcription factor (TF) families played essential roles in plant responses to abiotic stress, contributing significantly to stress tolerance and adaptation. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) TF family included 161 members in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Previous proteomic analysis identified TF bHLH148 (Solyc01g058670) as being upregulated under aluminum (Al) stress, suggesting a potential role in Al tolerance. To investigate this, CRISPR-Cas9 was used to generate SlbHLH148 knockout mutants in the ‘Black Vernissage’ tomato cultivar. Two homozygous T2 lines, Slbhlh148-1 and Slbhlh148-2, were confirmed to contain frameshift mutations that resulted in truncated proteins lacking the bHLH_AtIBH1_like domain, as shown by protein modeling. Phenotypic evaluation …

Evaluating Early Successional Habitat Selection By Herpetofauna And Pygmy Rattlesnakes In Tennessee, Carlin Frost

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Coupled with climate change, global biodiversity declines are exacerbated by increasing anthropogenic pressures and ecosystem destruction. Amphibians and reptiles are particularly vulnerable due to their specific and narrow habitat requirements. In Tennessee, the Western Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius streckeri) is classified as Threatened and is primarily associated with floodplains adjacent to early successional habitats (ESH) in the western Interior Plateau ecoregion. These ESH support unique flora and fauna but have declined in recent decades, largely due to urban encroachment and disturbance suppression. Studying snakes is challenging because of their limited activity periods, small home ranges, and low detectability from cryptic …

Enhancing Network Security: Dynamical Intrusion Detection Systems Leveraging Zero Trust Architecture, Ekramul Haque

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discussed two original methodologies for proposing security frameworks incorporating machine learning (ML) and Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles to manage advanced persistent threats faced by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Network intrusion detection systems (IDS). The first methodology examined the use of RF signals and deep learning to identify and classify UAVs. The RF signal characteristics used in the method for detecting UAVs improved the ability to determine RF drone protocols. Although the models led to promising findings, their lack of ability to generalize to new drone types identified the need to improve both the data set and …

Ang Dalumat Ng Gunaw: Mito, Metonimiya, At Pagkabagay, John Carlo S. Gloria

Filipino Faculty Publications

“Asolarse la tierra anegrandose” o “magunaw ang lupa dahil sa pagbaha.” Ganito binibigyang-kahulugan ng Vocabulario de la lengua tagala ang salitang “gunaw.” Nagiging indikatibo ito, sa isang banda, ng kaugnayan ng penomenon sa iba pang mga sakunang likha ng kalikasan at maging ng tao. Pagsasalikop ng mga pangyayari sa lupa ang tinuturan ng salita kaya’t posibleng mapaglimian ang konsepto ng winawaring katapusan sa pamamagitan ng pilolohikal na pagsipat sa iba’t ibang diksiyonaryo at pagkakawing nito sa ipinasisilay na ekolohiya ng mga salita gaya ng unos, bagyo, sigwa, delubyo, deliryo, atbp. Bukod sa pag-uugnay ng mga salita, tinatangka ng pag-aaral na …

“Invention” As Mark Of Different Philippine Decolonial Stream, Niccolo Angelo R. Vitug

English Faculty Publications

I would like to explore the possibility that Filipinization, a movement aligned with decolonization, might have more streams and cannot simply be appropriated by a particular political orientation. I will begin my exploration by looking at a textbook titled Invention. Put together by Philippines-based American Jesuit priest, Joseph A. Galdon, Invention was based on the experimental work of fellow American Jesuit Joseph A. Landy, and distinctively featured work by Filipino students. This fact is interesting because of its context: the experimental work which was the basis of Invention was burned during the heated days of the Filipinization of the Jesuit-run …

Dissecting The Function Of The Dnmt2-Homolog (Dnma) In Dictyostelium Discoideum, Zaza Gelashvili, Denis Larochelle, Jacqueline Dresch, Maddison A. Hincher, Javier F. Tabima, Robert A. Drewell

Biology

Methylation of cytosine residues in nucleic acids plays a critical role in a range of biological activities in eukaryotes, including regulation of transcription, organization of chromatin structure, modulation of translation, cellular differentiation, and development. While much of the scientific focus in this field was centered on DNA methylation over the past few decades, it has also become clear that methylation of RNA is a crucial modification. A group of homologous DNMT2 methyltransferase enzymes in different model organisms are now known to catalyze the transfer of a methyl group to the cytosine at position 38 in tRNAAspGUC molecules. The important biological …

Hybrid Forecasting Of University Electricity Demand Using Time Series And Deep Learning, Minsoo Baek, Youngguk Seo

Faculty Articles

University buildings are energy-intensive and operate on complex schedules, making electricity demand forecasting particularly challenging. This study develops and evaluates monthly forecasting models for a public university campus in Georgia using six years of data (January 2019–December 2024) that integrate weather variables and academic calendar indicators. Three modeling approaches are compared: Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA), SARIMA with exogenous variables (SARIMAX), and a hybrid SARIMAX–Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model. Feature selection methods, correlation analysis, Granger causality, Random Forest importance, Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression, were applied to optimize input relevance. The …

Procedures For Rangeland Condition Assessment In The Pilbara And Southern Rangelands 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

This report defines the procedures used in 2025 by DPIRD to complete rangeland condition assessment (RCA) in the Pilbara and southern rangelands region which has predominantly shrub-based pastures. For the rest of the pastoral estate, DPIRD uses the Procedures for RCA in the Kimberley which has grass pastures.

RCA is the process DPIRD uses to make systematic, station-level assessment of rangeland. Rangeland condition considers both the condition of pastures (defined in the ‘Pasture condition guides for the Pilbara’ and ‘Pasture condition guides for the southern rangelands including the Gascoyne, Murchison and Goldfields-Nullarbor’) and soils as determined by erosion, using the …

Procedures For Rangeland Condition Assessment In The Kimberley 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

This report defines the procedures used in 2025 by DPIRD to complete rangeland condition assessment (RCA) in the Kimberley region which has grass-based pastures. For the rest of the pastoral estate, DPIRD uses the Procedures for RCA in the Pilbara and southern rangelands which have predominantly shrub pastures.

RCA is the process DPIRD uses to make systematic, station-level assessment of rangeland. Rangeland condition considers both the condition of pastures (as defined in the 'Pasture condition guide for the Kimberley') and soils as determined by erosion, using the erosion assessment method on pastoral lands in Western Australia. The methods have evolved …