5917 research outputs found
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Nitrogen and Phosphorus Partitioning in Forage Sorghum
No full textThe declining availability of water from the Ogallala aquifer in the southern U.S. High Plains presents a significant challenge for agricultural production in the region. Despite this constraint, the demand for high-quality forages continues to grow, driven by the expanding livestock industries. Forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench] is a C4 crop, recognized for its resilience in semi-arid environmental conditions. It is a valuable feedstuff for livestock, and its ability to grow with significantly less moisture compared to more demanding crops makes it a more sustainable choice for producers in these environments.
This two-year study in the southern U.S. High Plains assessed nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake and partitioning in early- and medium-late maturing forage sorghums (AF7102 and ADV F8484IG, respectively), along with a medium-early grain sorghum standard (DKS37-07) at eight growth stages. While the year itself was not significant in N uptake, the significant year x hybrid interactions underscore the environmental and physiological influence on nutrient dynamics. Both 2023 and 2024 results suggest that both early and medium-late forage sorghum hybrids may cumulatively require higher N and P inputs than the early maturing grain sorghum. The results of this research suggest a need for adapted nutrient management approaches based on hybrid, maturity, and growth stage to maximize nutrient use efficiency, optimize yields, and minimize environmental impacts
Comparing Online and Paper Assessments for Standardized Assessments
No full textThis study examines the relative effectiveness of digital assessments in secondary education compared to conventional paper-based tests and state-mandated standardized examinations. The study aims to determine whether these diverse assessment modalities yield comparable output results, thus evaluating their relative and reliability in measuring student performance. The transformation of technology use has evolved the way in which education creates their formative and summative assessments. In recent years, studies are being conducted to ensure the integrity of switching to online assessments still creates efficient data pools. Multiple studies are evaluated to determine if online assessments and paper-pencil assessments are comparable in difficulty. In the literature review, studies had varying conclusions, but many reached the conclusion that online and paper-pencil assessments produce comparable results from students
“WANT TO TRADE JOBS?”: A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON RETENTION AND PRESERVICE PREPARATION OF HIGH SCHOOL AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS TEACHERS
No full textAgricultural mechanics courses are offered in many Texas high schools. As these classes increase in popularity and enrollment, the number of qualified agricultural mechanics teachers entering the profession is not keeping pace, resulting in a shortage of those teachers. This study was built around four research questions focused on two separate groups of agricultural mechanics teachers in Texas high schools. The purpose of the study was to identify motivational factors, challenges and limitations, entry-level skills needed, and support for agricultural mechanics teachers.
To achieve the purpose of this study, two separate groups of participants were targeted. A Delphi study was utilized to target a designated group of experienced agricultural mechanics teachers to answer four research questions. From the Delphi study, a survey was constructed and utilized with beginning agricultural mechanics teachers to gain their insight on the research questions. Both surveys were sent out using Qualtrics to record responses.
The experienced teachers who participated in the Delphi study generated a list of 50 items across the four research categories. The most significant findings from the survey were as follows: The biggest motivational factor identified was “It opens opportunities to students” (f = 84, IQR = 0). The biggest challenge associated with agricultural mechanics was “Time” (f = 78, IQR = 1). The entry-level skill needed by beginning agricultural mechanics teachers was “Willingness to learn” (f = 84, IQR = 0). For support, the biggest factor identified was “Money/Grants” (f = 84, IQR = 1)
THE IMPACT OF FAST-PACED SCREEN MEDIA ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING IN THE UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION
No full textYoung adults spend approximately five hours a day on social media. Pacing, a formal feature of media, has shown immediate, long-term negative effects on children’s executive functioning. However, given the substantial time this population is exposed to fast-paced media, surprisingly little is explored about its impact on executive functioning (EF), including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. EF is vital for academic success, problem-solving and planning, social functioning, interpersonal relations, well-being, and overall life outcomes. Given the significant negative impact of pacing on children’s EF, it is reasonable to ask if undergraduates are similarly impacted. Owing to this, participants were recruited from undergraduate classes from West Texas A&M University, where they watched 9 minute video clips depending on the slow and fast paced condition. The participants then were administered the EF tasks (Stroop, Backward Digit Span, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Task). Findings suggest that pacing does not affect EF, implying that there is a differential impact of pacing in young adults compared to children. This study is one of the firsts to suggest findings in the direction of effects of pacing and EF in the young adult population, allowing further research on these lines. Further directions must explore the role of personalized content and its effect on EF; and the impact of screen media and pacing on Hot EF measures
EVALUATING DIFFERENCE IN STEM IDENTITY IN FIRST ROBOTICS USING A SINGLE ITEM MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT
No full textThe aims of this study were to determine if participants in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) had STEM identities that were different based on gender and if STEM identities were different based on sub team participation. Using a single item measurement instrument, the STEM-PIO-1, the researcher collected data at a major FRC where data was disaggregated by gender categories and sub team participation. Analysis involved using descriptive statistics, the t-test, and the Kruskal-Wallis equality of populations rank test and the researcher was able to determine that participants identifying as female had equal STEM identities to those identifying as male, even if there are fewer of them participating. Additionally, while participants who saw themselves as part of sub teams that dealt directly with the robot had higher STEM identities than those that did not, post-hoc analysis showed that this was not true for those identifying as female. Further post-hoc analysis showed that participants identifying as female had the same STEM identity regardless of whether they only built the robot, only programmed the robot, or did both
Fluid-Structure Interaction Studies of a Compliant Wall in a Transonic Diffuser
No full textThe influence of a compliant wall section in a transonic diffuser is studied using computational fluid dynamics. Deformations along the bottom wall were imposed to study the response of the shock wave to wall deformation. A strong linear reaction to deformation into the flow field was observed, with the shock wave moving downstream with little change to the shock wave structure. Deformation away from the flow field excited a strong initial response with the shock moving upstream, and with increasing deformation, the response weakened as an expansion fan formed at the plate’s leading edge. Fluid-structure interaction simulations studying the effect of plate thickness showed deformation profiles similar to those observed in the flow field in the quasi-steady simulations. Oscillations were observed over a short period, dominated by the fluid domain, with modal frequency contributions from the compliant section. The modal frequency was then controlled implicitly by varying the length of the compliant section, and these modal frequencies were accurately reflected in the fluid domain. Controlling modal frequencies resulted in discovering four reoccurring frequencies in the fluid, seen both in the thickness and length simulations. These four frequencies were unaffected when multiple compliant regions were used. Multiple plates attenuated the exit pressure oscillations, but the fluid frequencies were still observed. These four frequencies originate from the fluid through interactions with the boundary layer movement caused by the deforming section, with one frequency being identified as the natural frequency of the tested geometry
Quality of Math Problems and their Impact on Student Behavior and Attitude Towards Math
No full textThis research investigates whether the quality of the assigned math problems makes an impact on student’s behavior and attitude towards mathematics. Eight undergraduate STEM students around the world were contacted through a social media platform: four were students with mathematical interest and four were mathematically adept. These students were also split into two groups of four (2 regular students and 2 mathematically adept in each group) where one group received the bad quality homework problems and the other received the good quality homework problems. After each participant submitted their homework, they were interviewed with questions and their responses were analyzed. Results clearly revealed that the quality of the assigned problems does make a significant difference: the bad quality problems negatively damage students’ mathematical self-efficacy, mathematical interest, performance, and mental health, while the good quality problems have some mixed pros and cons. Because of this, a suggested solution was provided in the discussion to fully support all students’ learning needs, as well as other additional suggestions for prospective teachers and researchers
THE POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR A NURSING SCHOOL
No full textThe purpose of this study was to gather insights from newly enrolled pre-nursing students at West Texas A&M University about marketing strategies used to recruit first year students. The study was used to identify the marketing strategies that students viewed as most influential and to determine which strategy was the most cost-effective in supporting the school’s marketing efforts. The target population of this study consisted of newly enrolled pre nursing students at West Texas A&M (N=223). The survey was administered via email receiving a response rate of 62.78%. The survey instrument was designed to determine which marketing strategies the students found were most influential in their decision to enroll in pre-nursing at West Texas A&M. The results of the survey and the cost of marketing strategies utilized over a one-year period from July 2023 to June 2024 were used to calculate the return on investment for the Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing at WTAMU. It was found that campus tours and school visits were the most influential strategies followed by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Instagram page, and email campaign. Campus tours and school visits also produced the highest return on investment. The results from this study can be used to determine which marketing strategies were effective and should be maintained, as well as the strategies that had a high investment but low return, allowing for budget cuts and ensuring the school’s resources are used more efficiently
Association of Salmonella Prevalence and Concentration in Subiliac Lymph Nodes Exhibiting the Dark-Firm-and-Dry Muscle Condition in Beef Carcasses and Survey of Salmonella Distribution in Bovine Body Systems
Full text linkThe objective of this study was to quantify the association of Salmonella prevalence and concentration in subiliac lymph nodes to beef carcasses exhibiting the dark-firm-dry (DFD) muscle condition. An observational case-control experimental design was utilized where dark-firm-dry carcasses were identified and paired to corresponding non-DFD carcasses within each harvest lot. Paired carcass samples were collected monthly over the course of a year (non-DFD, n = 240; DFD, n = 240). Subiliac lymph nodes were removed after carcass grading and sorting and assessed for Salmonella prevalence and enumeration using BAX® SalQuant®. Frequency data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Comparisons between treatments were tested at a significance of α = 0.05. Carcasses in the non-DFD group had greater (P = 0.05; 19.47%) Salmonella prevalence in SLN than DFD (13.73%) carcasses. However, Salmonella concentrations did not differ (P = 0.65) between non-DFD (0.69 log CFU/g) and DFD (0.78 Log10 CFU/g) carcasses. Salmonella outcomes were also evaluated by sex; no difference in frequency of Salmonella positive lymph nodes (P = 0.77) or concentration (P = 0.13) was detected between steers and heifers. Frequency of Salmonella positive lymph nodes differed (P < 0.01) across months of the year; September had the greatest prevalence (52.93%) whereas positive samples did not occur in February or March. Likewise, Salmonella concentrations peaked in September (1.65 log CFU/g). Salmonella concentrations were observed at their lowest in the months of February and May (0 log CFU/g). Salmonella positive lymph node prevalence also differed (P < 0.01) by feedyard; the greatest feedyard prevalence was 47.14%; 5 feedyards with positive lymph node samples did not have enumerable values; whereas 6 feedyards did not have a positive sample. Similarly, Salmonella concentration differed (P < 0.01) by feedyard, with the greatest concentration at 3.07 log CFU/g.
Our objective was to identify potential risks, assess contaminated areas, and quantify the Salmonella load present within bovine body systems. Fed beef cattle (n = 22) from various feedyards (n = 22) were sampled at multiple stages throughout the harvest and fabrication process (hide swab, rectal contents, blood, cheek meat, brisket swab pre-evisceration wash, brisket swab post-evisceration wash, ileum, kidney, liver, spleen, rib cage swab pre-final wash, rib cage swab post-final wash, subiliac and prescapular lymph nodes, and bone marrow). All samples were shipped to the USDA Livestock Issues
Research Unit in Lubbock, Texas where they were homogenized, spiral plated for enumeration, enriched, isolated, and PCR confirmed prior to antimicrobial resistance profiling via Sensititre. Results yielded a difference in tissue type when evaluating Salmonella prevalence (P = 0.01). Fecal samples produced a 63.6% Salmonella prevalence and a 54.5% prevalence for hide swabs. Of the 22 steers tested, 45.5% resulted in a positive Salmonella sample from the ileum, and 22.7% yielded Salmonella in subiliac lymph nodes. Samples taken from the spleen resulted in 18.2% prevalence, whereas samples from blood, liver, prescapular lymph nodes, and kidney each yielded a 4.5% prevalence. No positive samples were observed in cheek meat, brisket swab preevisceration wash, brisket swab post-evisceration wash, rib cage swab pre-final wash, rib cage swab post-final wash, bone marrow, or any environmental swabs taken from the abattoir. Salmonella mean concentrations were initially evaluated by tissue type based on positive and enumerable samples only (P = 0.14). Salmonella were greatest in SLN samples at 6.2 log CFU/g, followed by fecal samples at 3.0 log CFU/g. Samples collected from liver, kidney, and spleen had a mean concentration of 0.3 log CFU/g; blood and prescapular lymph nodes were positive for Salmonella but were not quantifiable. Salmonella mean concentrations were also evaluated by tissue type based on samples collected, positive and negative (P = 0.01). Salmonella were greatest in rectal contents at 1.9 log CFU/g, followed by ileum at 1.1 log CFU/g. Samples from the hide swab yielded 1.0 log CFU/g and kidney, liver, and SLN samples were 0.3 log CFU/g. Salmonella mean concentrations within the spleen yielded .04 log CFU/g. Blood and prescapular lymph nodes were positive for Salmonella, however they were not quantifiable. Antimicrobial resistance was tested across Salmonella isolates; no resistance was detected for amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, meropenem, nalidixic acid, sulfasalazine, or trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole. Isolates had resistance (1.3%) to ampicillin, tetracycline (3.1%), streptomycin (3.8%) and azithromycin (11.9%). Within positive isolates, 49.2% S. Anatum, 22.0% S. Cerro, 19.7% S. Montevideo, and 3% S. Muenchen was observed across various tissues. S. Give and S. I 4,[5],12:i: yielded 2% each across tissue types, whereas S. I 3,10:z4,z23:1,5, S. Hayindogo, and S. I 3,10:-:1,5 yielded 1% each across tissue types. Of the positive tissue samples, 20.4% resulted in 2 or more serotypes identified within the same tissue
Grade Inflation in Private/Independent High Schools: Teacher Perceptions and Experiences
Full text linkThis final composite explores the challenges of maintaining academic integrity and standards in private education amid increasing corporatization pressures. The first scholarly deliverable is a case study article titled "Leadership Dilemmas in Private Education: Balancing Financial and Academic Priorities," that examines how educational leaders navigate tensions between financial sustainability and academic standards through the experiences of a private school's administration. The case study analyzes how a business-minded leader's pressure to lower grading standards for wealthy donors' children creates ethical conflicts with academic staff. The second scholarly deliverable is an empirical article titled "Grade Inflation in Private/Independent High Schools: Teacher Perceptions and Experiences,” which investigated how private high school teachers across the United States perceive grade inflation and changing academic standards in an increasingly corporatized educational environment. Together, these works highlight the systemic challenges facing private education as institutions balance academic excellence with market pressures