Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Detecting Bacterial Species From Ancient Human Skeletal Samples, Ariel Owens, Daisy Mcgrath, Tsai-Tien Tseng

Symposium of Student Scholars

Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) via morphological analysis is difficult and often inconsistent. With next-generation sequencing (NGS), ancient host microbiomes can be subjected to metagenomic analyses for the detection of TB in silico. Suitable bioinformatic workflows are needed for reliable ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis of causative agents. This study aims to enhance available bioinformatic screening methods to create more suitable bioinformatic processes and generate insights in relation to TB.

This research utilizes publicly available NGS data accessed through the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Initial quality control steps included adapter trimming with Trim …

Drought Levels In Nevada Counties, 2022, Julianna Jovillar, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet synthesizes data on drought levels within Nevada counties from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) in 2022. The information presented in this document focuses on the breakdown of the number of Nevada residents affected by the droughts within each county and the drought experience in each county.

An Exploratory Guide To The Work, Efficacy & Potential Of The Usda-Natural Resources Conservation Service In Vermont Through The Perspectives Of Nrcs Staff, Ellen L. Friedrich

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is the largest provider of conservation incentives payments in private agricultural working lands in the United States. This transdisciplinary and action orientated report is an exploratory guide to the work, efficacy, and potential of the USDA-NRCS in the Vermont context through the perspectives of NRCS staff. The report is built around themes identified from semi-structured interviews conducted with seven NRCS-Vermont staff members. Interviews explored a variety of different topics including natural resource & environmental concerns in Vermont, barriers to conservation and sustainable agriculture, the …

Caribbean Reef-Building Coral-Symbiodiniaceae Network: Identifying Symbioses Critical For System Stability In A Changing Climate, Shaman Patel

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Increasing global ocean temperatures and frequency of marine heatwaves pose dire consequences for coral reefs. High temperatures often lead to disruptions in coral symbiosis resulting in coral bleaching, increasing the mortality of corals. However, corals can potentially avoid bleaching peril by associating with thermally tolerant symbionts. Here we provide a tool for understanding symbiosis network stability of Caribbean reef-building corals. We created a network of Caribbean hermatypic corals and their associated Symbiodiniaceae phylotypes. A bleaching model was applied to this network to test for resilience and robustness (R50) to thermal stress. It was also layered with trait data for coral …

2022 - The Third Annual Fall Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Fall 2022 Symposium of Student Scholars, held on November 17, 2022. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Aquaculture Research Institute Newsletter, December 2, 2022, Aquaculture Research Institute

General University of Maine Publications

Eight Projects through The University of Maine and partners receive federal funding from NOAA Grant Awards. NOAA has allocated over 2.9 million dollars to UMaine and other partners for the Fiscal Year 2022 from three different NOAA grant programs: Sea Grant, Saltonstall-Kennedy, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Recipients include the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI), University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR), Maine Sea Grant, and Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center (MAIC) based at UMaine’s Darling Marine Center. ARI staff have received funding from all 3 grants. These projects will advance the environmental and economic …

Psychological Determinants Of Physical Activity And The Prediction Of Physical Activity Levels In African American Men, Alvin L. Morton Iii

Doctoral Dissertations

African American (AA) men experience disproportionally higher rates of non-communicable, chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes, and renal failure) than White men. Physical activity (PA) is known to reduce the progression of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and renal failure. National statistics illustrate that AA men are less likely to get sufficient levels of PA to obtain health benefits. Although many factors (e.g., biomedical, socio-cultural) influence participation in PA, the psychological factors at the individual level are essential to beginning and maintaining activity. Therefore, understanding the psychological determinants of PA in AA men and their associations with meeting national guidelines …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 23: The Jersey Devil, And Friends, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

For nearly three hundred years reports have surfaced of a purported cryptid form known as the ‘Jersey devil.’ In this work an interpretation of the goals of biogeography is given, and how this field can be related to such alleged phenomena, as well as to some of the ideas of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) that seem to find their origin in the writings of Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Implementing Food Insecurity Screening On A College Campus, Norma Martinez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Students attending universities have higher rates of food insecurity than U.S. households. Most college campuses do not routinely screen students for food insecurity, which can affect students’ health and school performance. Currently, the university health clinic does not screen students for food insecurity. Purpose. To screen all students who present to the university clinic for food insecurity and evaluate students with food insecurity for malnutrition. Evidence. Foreman et al. (2018) and Abu and Oldewage-Theron (2019) found that food insecurity was present at some of the largest Texas universities at rates higher than the national average. Project Objectives. To screen …

Sphenoidal Sinuses And Spherical Harmonics: Variation And Covariation Of The Most Morphologically Diverse And Least Understood Paranasal Sinus, Katharine Grace Josephine Ryan

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the shape variation of the human sphenoidal sinus is important to several areas of research. This includes clinical investigation (sinus pathology and safe endoscopic endonasal surgical practice) and paranasal sinus evolution (for which there is still no consensus). Yet, the sphenoidal sinus has high morphological variation, prohibiting its quantification through traditional geometric morphometric landmarking methods. The sphenoid body, and thus also the sinus contained within, is located directly at the developmental center of the basicranium in humans, where the three cranial fossae meet at the midline, and adjacent to the three synchondroses which are the sites of cranial base …

The Evergreen Challenges Of Healing: An Evaluation Of Urban Green Space In Harambee, Kacee Ochalek

Theses and Dissertations

Urban green space initiatives have emerged in low- and middle-income cities as a solution to disinvestment, the production of more positive public health metrics, and a tool of community engagement. While the production of urban greening provides ample room for applause, The City of Milwaukee’s Healing Spaces Initiative model regarding the ongoing construction of green space and the implementation of maintenance creates challenges that perpetuate racist capitalistic notions of the neoliberal project. This paper presents reports from participant observation, document analysis, and 17 qualitative interviews with representatives of the City of Milwaukee, community partners, garden leaders, and residents. The data …

Green On The Map - The Influence Of Conservation Easements On The Naturalness Of Landscapes In The United States, Nakisha Fouch

All Dissertations

Large protected areas have long been the cornerstone of conservation biology, however, in an era branded by the human dominance of ecosystems, regional landscape structure and function are often a consequence of accumulated land-use decisions that may or may not include a nod to conservation planning. With underrepresentation of habitats in publicly protected areas, attention has focused on the function of alternative land conservation mechanisms. Private conservation easements (CEs) have proliferated in the United States, yet assessing landscape-level function is confounded by holder and donor intent, national and regional policy, regional landscape contexts, varying extents, resolution, and temporal scale. Over …

Landings, Vol. 30, No. 12, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance, Melissa Waterman, Patrice Mccarron, Patrick Keliher

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to Maine's lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

For more information, please visit the Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) website.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 24. Wallace At 200: Potential Subjects For Student Theses, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The bicentennial of Alfred Russel Wallace’s birth in 2023 will likely produce a wide array of reviews of his life and work; here, we pause for a short look at some Wallace-related questions that might be adapted for student theses and dissertations. Some of the subjects treated fall in with established lines of research, while others are suggested by other Wallace interests or activities that have not been much explored.

Pilot Testing A Survey To Evaluate Horse Owner And Trainer Perceptions Of The Importance And Ideality Of Equine Hoof Balance, Katherine Gilmore

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Balance plays an integral role in the healthy equine hoof, yet there is a significant deficiency of research investigating horse owner and trainer knowledge of hoof balance. This study aimed to pilot test an online survey instrument evaluating horse owner and trainer perceptions of proper hoof care and balance. The survey instrument sought to collect demographic information of horse owners and trainers, determine horse owners’ and trainers’ abilities to identify ideally balanced equine forehooves, and assess horse owner and trainer knowledge of best hoof trimming and shoeing practices. Ninety-one horse owners and trainers with facilities that were within a 150-mile …

Investigating Quality Attributes And Wine Production Methods Of Arkansas-Grown Grapes, Amanda Fleming

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Grapevines (Vitis species) are grown worldwide to produce table grapes, juice grapes, dried grapes, and wine with the United States as one of the world’s largest wine and grape producers. Though not a large contributor to the U.S. grape and wine industry, Arkansas’ industry plays an important role in the state’s agritourism and economy. Most grapes grown in Arkansas’ warm climate include native species, such as muscadines (V. rotundifolia) and hybrids (crosses of Vitis species). Two important hybrid red wine grapes grown in Arkansas are Chambourcin, grown commercially for its positive viticulture and enological quality, and Enchantment, a newer cultivar …

Delineating Field Variation Using Apparent Electrical Conductivity In An Ozark Highlands Agroforestry System, Shane Reid Ylagan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Little to no work has been conducted assessing field variability using repeated electromagnetic induction (EMI) apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) surveys in agroforestry (AF) systems within regions similar to the Ozark Highlands. The objectives of this thesis were to identify i) spatiotemporal ECa variability; ii) ECa-derived soil management zones (SMZs); iii) correlations among EMI-ECa and in-situ, sentential-site soil properties; iv) whether fewer, EMI-ECa surveys could be conducted to capture similar ECa variance as mid-monthly EMI-ECa surveys; v) correlations between ECa and forage yield, tree growth, and terrain attributes based on plant (forage and tree) species, and fertility treatments, and ECa-derived SMZs, …

Are We Building Back Better?, Fabian M. Dayrit

Chemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Volume 10, Number 3, Donna J. Peterson, Scott Cummings

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Seabirds As Proxies For Past El Niño Events In Coastal Peru: An Archaeo-Ornithological Approach, Heather A. Landazuri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sets an initial foundation for an archaeo-ornithological approach to understanding past El Niño events on the coast of Peru and the use of avifaunal remains as proxies for ecological conditions. Although faunal remains from archaeological sites do not provide exact representations of past environmental conditions, and bird remains can be especially challenging environmental indicators, their presence does reflect decisions made by human occupants in response to environment. Additionally, zooarchaeological data offer a reflection of past animal availability and use, much of which is at least in part determined by environmental conditions. Here I examine the extent to which …

'Good Food’ And Food Sovereignty In The South Texas Borderlands: A Qualitative Investigation Of Alternative Retail Food Outlet Managers And Owners, Kanyanat Lertkhonsan

Theses and Dissertations

This case study describes how Alternative Retail Food Outlets (ARFOs) managers and owners in a county in South Texas near the U.S. – Mexico border I am calling Esperanza County, decide what food to eat and to sell. Data from qualitative interviews reveals that the South Texas socioeconomic – cultural context and informants’ economic constraints shaped two different conceptions of good food. At the same time, informants’ socioeconomic backgrounds and sources of good food reveals that the power to define good food – as organic, local, and seasonal – and those that can access it tend to be the educated …

Multilingualism And Memory: Investigating Possible Differences In The Abilities Of Monolingual And Multilingual College Students, Clara E. Barned

Honors Projects

This study investigated whether there is a difference in the memories of monolingual and multilingual undergraduate students using simple memorization tasks. There were 46 participants, 30 of which were monolingual (only knew one language) and 16 of which were multilingual (knew two or more languages). There was found to be no significant difference between the performance of the two groups, with the data generating a p-value of 0.557. This study further suggests related avenues of research and ways in which the study could be improved in the future.

Traditional And Virtual Hypertension Self-Management Health Education Program Delivered Through Cooperative Extension, Michelle Parisi, Ellie Lane, Cheryl J. Dye, Rhonda Matthews, Danielle Mcfall, Ethan Bain, Windsor W. Sherrill

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Fewer than 25% of individuals in the United States with hypertension have controlled blood pressure (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Hypertension Management Program (HMP) adopted the Health Coaches for Hypertension Control^© (HCHC^©) curriculum and adapted it for delivery by Extension agents. Eight lessons with intermittent health coaching calls were delivered. Pre/post-participation surveys determined changes in knowledge and self-reported weight, systolic (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The pandemic forced a shift in methodology from in-person to virtual delivery, and results were compared. In both traditional and virtual programs, significant differences were found in weight, knowledge …

Seeking Of Agriculture Information Through Mobile Phones By Rice Farmers In Ogoja Agricultural Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria, Friday O. Idiku, Ginini Francis Elemi, Ejeje Igwe Agube, Comfort Aya, Anthonia Egem Okem

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Seeking agriculture information is common among rice farmers in many parts of the world. The study was aimed at assessing the Seeking of Agriculture Information through Mobile Phone by Rice Farmers in Ogoja Agricultural Zone of Cross River State Nigeria The specific objectives of the study were to; identify the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, determine factors influencing the seeking of agriculture information through mobile phones by rice farmers, and to examine the constraints to use of mobile phones by rice farmers in Ogoja Agricultural Zone of Cross River State Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was adopted to select ninety …

Developing Novel Remote Camera Approaches To Assess And Monitor The Population Status Of Australian Sea Lions, Mathew Hourston, Daniela Waltrick, Stuart Blight, Ainslie Denham, Alex Hesp, Steve Taylor

Fisheries research reports

This project trialled the use of remote cameras to monitor the relative abundance of Australian sea lions (ASLs, Neophoca cinerea) at three Western Australian (WA) breeding colonies. The research was undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to assess whether the analysis of camera footage could be used to estimate ASL relative abundance, providing an alternative to the traditional “boots on the ground” approach (hereon in “BoG”) of visiting colonies to count animals. This report outlines the strengths and limitations of this novel approach rather than providing an update on the population status of ASLs. …

An Economic Impact And Investment Analysis Of Armillaria Root Rot In The United States Peach Industry, Gracie Herrin

All Theses

Peach production in the United States has decreased over the last decade due to increased disease prevalence. Armillaria root rot (ARR) is a lethal root fungus that affects many stone fruits, including peaches, often leading to rapid decline/death of trees and abandonment of orchards. This thesis is divided into four chapters which focus on answering four key questions that, to the best of my knowledge, have not been addressed in previous industry research.

The second chapter determines the magnitude of ARR disease prevalence in the United States and producers’ maximum willingness to pay (WTP) for a theoretical ARR-resistant rootstock. Results …

Anticipating The Impacts Of The Social, Political, And Biophysical Landscape On Long-Term Connectivity For Reintroduced Plains Bison, Jamie Ann Faselt

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Intense anthropogenic pressures on the natural environment have created the need for implementing strategies that promote or restore habitat connectivity. The ability for animals to move between habitat patches allows animals to find mates, access resources, and shift their range in response to the changing climate and ensures that ecological and evolutionary processes persist. Connectivity conservation typically focuses on biophysical barriers to animal movement, but for many species reintroductions, establishing and maintaining connectivity often requires overcoming both ecological and socio-political barriers. Despite the need to navigate complex socio-political landscapes to implement connectivity conservation plans, datasets depicting those conditions are rarely …

The Effects Of Mental Training On Acute Psychophysiological Stress Responses In Endurance Athletes, Shelanda Antonia Maria Kujala

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: In sports, pre-competition stress responses can influence performance. Mental skills training is a strategy used to successfully mitigate stress responses and positively impact performance. Psychological (e.g., anxiety) and physiological (e.g., cortisol) stress responses are not often measured in a single study, providing an incomplete picture of athlete experiences. When researchers have measured these constructs together, studies have excluded endurance athletes and ways to effectively buffer stress responses. Purpose: The current study had two aims. 1. How will athlete’s perceptions of stress and physiological markers of stress be related to each other? 2. How will athlete’s perceptions of stress and …

Oak Savanna Restoration And Climate Change Mitigation Through Silvopasture In Minnesota, James Siems

Environmental Studies Student Work

Reducing emissions of world food systems will be critical to combatting climate change. Silvopasture systems, which integrate managed forests with pastureland, have been shown to be a more sustainable alternative to traditional livestock production and have the ancillary benefit of diversifying the sources of income for farmers. Silvopasture may also have the capacity to serve as a mechanism for ecological restoration. This paper combines existing literature with an interview of a farmer who is engaging in silvopasture to evaluate the potential of silvopasture as means to restore Minnesota’s disappearing oak savanna ecosystem, while improving the sustainability of food production within …

Geology, Soils And Climate Of Western Australia's Wine Regions, Peter J. Tille, Angela Stuart-Street, Peter S. Gardiner

Bulletins 4000 -

This bulletin details what is special and unique about the geology, soil and climate of the south-west of Western Australia (WA), an area that encompasses the state’s 9 wine regions.

We have arranged the information into 2 parts:

• In Part 1, we broadly describe the special geological, soil and climate features of the south-west of WA to provide context for the wine regions.

• In Part 2, we describe the geology, soil and climate of the regions and subregions of the Geographical Indications (GI) scheme (administered by Wine Australia) for WA.

Through this work we have found that the wine regions …