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Broken Systems Under Repair: Weaving Ethics of Care and Human Flourishing Into the Work and Lives of Essential Workers
Get PDFThis empirical paper will report on an innovative participatory action research project, based on Freire cultural circles to raise awareness and provoke moral deliberation about the precarity of essential work and its detrimental impacts on the lives of essential workers
Impact of Sod Growers’ Grow-in Strategies on the Performance of Zoysiagrass Sod
Get PDFCultural practices such as mowing heights or nutrient application at sod growers’ farms can affect zoysiagrass sod performance postharvest and laying. A study conducted with \u27Meyer\u27, \u27Innovation\u27, and DALZ 1808 involved varying nitrogen levels and mowing heights. The sod, sprigged in June 2021 at the Olathe Horticultural Research and Extension Center (OHREC), was harvested in the summer of 2023 and laid at OHREC and Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center (RFTRC), Manhattan, Kansas. Results showed that aerification before sodding reduced the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and quality of DALZ 1808 but not Meyer and Innovation. RFTRC has a Chase silty clay loam with a pH of 7.1 while OHREC has an Oska-Martin silty clay loam with a pH of 6.0. Meyer developed an extended root length than Innovation and 1808 in Manhattan, after nine days of sodding and a lower mowing height at grow-in increased the root numbers in Olathe. After a drought period, Meyer was significantly stressed in Olathe compared to Innovation and DALZ 1808. Overall, aerification may adversely affect some zoysiagrass genotypes and growers’ practices may impact the rooting and turf quality of the sod
Evaluating Corn Yield Response to Nitrogen According to Soil Parameters in Midwest American Farmland
Get PDFNitrogen (N) availability is one of the most common factors limiting corn yields. Corn N requirements are determined mainly by seasonal conditions and soil characteristics. An inaccurate N fertilization program could compromise the economic and environmental sustainability of the activity. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of soil characteristics (clay, sand, water content, pH water, and organic matter) on corn’s yield response to N fertilization in the midwestern USA. A published data set was analyzed, containing 49 experiments (year-site combinations) related to corn N fertilization and soil characteristics in eight midwestern American states. The soil variables were analyzed to classify the experiments into two clusters. An econometric spatial model was fitted to explore the corn yield response to nitrogen in each cluster. Grain yield response to N total amount differed between clusters. Moreover, yield estimated values presented were significant for yield potential to 0 N lb/a, Cluster 1= ~149 bu/a and Cluster 2= ~165 bu/a, and maximum yield, ~289 bu/a and ~275 bu/a for Cluster 1 and Cluster 2, respectively. The overall response in yield to a unit of N (lb/a) was ~1 bu/a to Cluster 1 and ~0.85 bu/a to Cluster 2. These findings could lead to further analysis to be carried out considering larger soil parameters in wider environmental conditions
Effects of Dual-Purpose Cover Crop and Occasional Tillage on Dryland Crop Productivity, Profitability, and Soil Properties
Get PDFGrazing or haying dual-purpose cover crops (CCs) could provide an economic benefit to offset potential lost revenue when grain crop yields are decreased after CCs in dry years. However, there is concern that removing CC biomass could limit the beneficial effects of CCs for soil health and that root-limiting soil compaction may occur with grazing on no-till (NT) fields. Occasional tillage (OT) can be used to mitigate soil compaction caused from grazing CCs. The objectives of this study were to determine dual-purpose CC management and occasional tillage (OT) effects on plant-available water (PAW), crop yields, net returns, and soil properties in an NT dryland cropping system. This study was initiated in 2015 near Brownell, KS, with CCs grown in place of fallow and either hayed, grazed, or left standing. Half of each plot was tilled with a sweep plow once every three years ahead of wheat planting while the other half remained NT. Experimental design was a split-split-plot randomized complete block with four replications with all phases of the rotation present every year. Results showed that CC biomass averaged 2,800 lb/a. Grazing removed 40% of the available forage while haying removed 70%. Profile PAW at wheat planting was greater with fallow than with CCs but unaffected by tillage. Average wheat yield was unaffected by fallow management or tillage. Net returns were in the order of grazed CCs \u3e hayed CCs \u3e fallow = standing CCs but were unaffected by tillage on average. Fallow management had no effect on soil bulk density, which was slightly less with OT than NT. Bulk soil and particulate organic carbon were unaffected by fallow management or tillage. However, the mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates was greater with CCs than with fallow but unaffected by tillage. Wind-erodible fraction was unaffected by fallow management but increased with OT compared to NT. These results suggest that dual-purpose CCs can provide forage for livestock, increase soil aggregate stability, maintain average crop yields, and increase net returns in NT systems. If OT is necessary to correct root-limiting soil compaction, PAW, crop yields, net returns, and soil properties are generally unaffected compared to long-term NT
Zooming Towards Rapid Qualitative Research for Implementation Science
Get PDFOptimal implementation research and practice often relies on rapidly performing, analyzing, and interpreting qualitative work such as interviews. Performing interviews in person and with traditional approaches to transcription can present substantial burdens, including logistics of in-person meetings, and the cost and time of both conducting and transcribing interviews. Recent advances in language processing technology coupled with technocultural shifts largely due to the COVID pandemic have decreased barriers to rapidly conducting qualitative implementation science work. In this viewpoint, we describe how using Zoom™ for videoconferencing with Otter.ai automated transcription allowed for rapid qualitative work in a qualitative implementation science study, and how this combination of technologies could facilitate further rapid qualitative work in the future
Receipt of a Yearly Routine Checkup and Beliefs about the Importance of a Personal Primary Care Provider among Rural Patients
Get PDFAnnual well visit appointments with personal primary care providers (PCP) are critical for improving population health. However, barriers to healthcare access can hinder routine and preventive screenings and treatment. This study examined the financial, geospatial, and attitudinal barriers to routine PCP visits among rural-residing patients. Data were collected from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers who lived in a rural ZIP code. A logistic regression model was fitted to assess barriers and facilitators associated with receipt of a routine checkup within the past year. The primary predictor of interest was the belief that a personal PCP can improve access to primary and preventive care and therefore improve health (alpha=0.9015). The model also adjusted for age, sex, insurance status, distance to primary care, and typical wait time for a primary care appointment. All analyses were conducted in Stata 17 SE. Increased belief that a personal PCP can improve access to primary and preventive care and therefore improve health was associated with increased likelihood of receiving an annual routine checkup (AOR=1.21, p=0.003). Patients who were insured (AOR=5.16, p=0.003) were significantly more likely to receive an annual routine checkup, while those who travelled farther distances to see a primary care provider were less likely to receive an annual routine checkup (AOR=0.69; p=0.027). Findings suggest that financial, geospatial, and attitudinal barriers may hinder annual routine checkups with PCP. Addressing all three of these potential barriers can have a positive impact on population health by increasing access and utilization of primary care within rural populations
Feminist Pedagogy in Adult Learning Settings: A Literature Review of Articles in Adult Learning 1989-2022
Get PDFAdopting an integrated literature review approach, this study analyzes how feminist pedagogy is manifested in articles in Adult Learning between 1989 and 2022
Instructional Perspectives of Christian Educators in the Black Church
Get PDFKey to the education of Blacks in the church is Christian educators. Their instructional perspectives are imbued with spiritual groundings and faith that impact their pedagogy and adult learners
Evaluating the Impact of a University Pharmacy Vending Machine Program
Get PDFThis study assesses the impact and potential enhancements of a Pharmacy Vending Machine (PhVM) program implemented at Purdue University since January 2021. Aimed at addressing the accessibility gap for essential healthcare items, particularly sexual and reproductive health products, and over-the-counter medications, the program has expanded from two to eight PhVMs on campus. A web-based survey was completed by a random University sample (n=469) to evaluate the program\u27s efficacy and identify avenues for improvement. Survey responses and sales data from January 2021 to April 2023 were analyzed. Findings demonstrate a positive reception of the PhVMs, highlighting a preference for increased accessibility to sexual and reproductive healthcare items. Word-of-mouth remains a key source of awareness for vending machines, suggesting the significance of targeted marketing strategies and information dissemination within on-campus groups. Sales data trends underscore the necessity for ongoing assessment to optimize student access to PhVMs. This study is a comprehensive evaluation, emphasizing the importance of continual refinement in healthcare vending initiatives to cater effectively to campus community needs
Weather Information for Garden City, 2023
Get PDFSummary of 2023 weather for research conducted at the research locations included in the 2024 Western Kansas Agricultural Research report