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I estimated yield, population metrics, production costs, and evaluated consumer acceptability and nutritive content of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii, P. zonangulus) harvested from moist-soil wetlands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) during springs 2009-2011. I also compared nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads exported from moist-soil wetlands and nearest agriculture fields in the MAV during winters 2010-2012. Daily yield of crayfish from moist-soil wetlands was 2.4 kg (wet) ha-1 (SE = 0.50; 95% CI = 1.3-3.4). When graded by size, yield of large crayfish (> 30 g) from wetlands dominated by P. clarkii was four times greater (P < 0.05) than yield of large crayfish from wetlands dominated by P. zonangulus. Crayfish harvesting costs (2013 US dollars [$]) ranged from $405.69 ha-1 to $917.88 ha-1 and breakeven selling prices ranged from $3.74 kg-1 to $8.49 kg-1. Consumer acceptability, proximate composition, and total fatty acid content of P. clarkii did not differ (0.73 > P > 0.11) between crayfish harvested from moist-soil wetlands and rice-crayfish culture fields in Louisiana. Although selling prices likely will not compete with prices for crayfish harvested from Louisiana rice fields ($2.75 kg-1; 2012 US$), harvesting crayfish from moist-soil wetlands may enhance recreational opportunities while increasing awareness of ecosystem benefits of these wetlands. Although concentrations (mg L-1) of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in runoff from moist-soil wetlands and adjoining croplands did not differ (P = 0.95), concentrations of total and particulate phosphorus, nitrate-nitrogen, and total suspended solids were 42, 52, 86, and 89% lower (P < 0.03) in runoff from moist-soil wetlands. However, the load (kg ha-1) of SRP from moist-soil wetlands was six times (P = 0.08) greater than load from croplands. Estimated loading rate of total phosphorus from moistsoil wetlands (2.36 kg ha-1 year-1) was greater than the rate reported by regulatory agencies in Mississippi (1 kg ha-1 year-1), but field replication is needed to verify these results. Nearly 80% of the total loads exported from moist-soil wetlands occurred during < 30% runoff events. Retention of runoff from storm events may reduce phosphorus loss from moist-soil wetlands while not interfering with conservation objectives.

Research was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary amino acid (AA) density (Deficient (D), Low (L), High (H), and Excessive (E)) on broiler breast and thigh meat quality. As expected, the feed conversion improved (P<0.05) as AA density increased. No differences (P>0.05) existed among treatments with regard to final pH, cooking loss, shear force, brine absorption proximate analysis, and average consumer acceptability of breast meat. The D AA diet yielded meat with less (P<0.05) moisture, less protein (P<0.05) and more fat (P<0.05) than all other treatments. Increasing AA density in the diet led to increased (P<0.05) concentrations of linoleic and linolenic acid in the thigh meat from the H and E treatments, thus making it more susceptible to oxidation (P<0.05) in comparison to the D and L treatments. Overall, data revealed that all four AA diets yielded high-quality breast and thigh meat with minimal product differences.

Given increasing cultural diversity, behavioral health professionals and researchers are paying greater attention to the need for cultural competence. Behavioral health treatment research has included predominantly individuals of European ancestry; research on parenting practices/interventions has been no exception. African-American parents are particularly underrepresented, raising questions of cross-cultural applicability and acceptability. Acceptability of interventions is crucial, predicting engagement in, adherence with, and premature withdrawal from treatment. In this study, acceptability of rewards, a frequently used intervention for changing children’s behavior, was examined among African-American parents. Children’s characteristics (gender, behavior problem type), culturally-linked variables (authoritarian parenting, promotion and prevention focus, Afrocentric worldview), and parenting beliefs (behavioral attributions, irrational parenting beliefs) were examined as predictors of reward acceptability. African-American parents (n=79) of children aged 4-12 read four vignettes (two with girls and two with boys) describing children’s behaviors (externalizing and internalizing symptoms). Parents rated the acceptability of rewards to improve the behavior. Authoritarian parenting and prevention focus were hypothesized to be negatively associated with reward acceptability. Acceptability was expected to be lower for externalizing males and additional variables were investigated as moderators and co-variates. Exploratory analyses examined differences between mothers and fathers and between low and high Afrocentric worldview. The main hypothesis was unsupported. Authoritarian parenting and prevention focus did not contribute to a model predicting acceptability, and gender differences were not found. Behavior type was associated with acceptability opposite the expected direction, with higher acceptability for externalizing symptoms. Acceptability on a general-attitude measure was predicted by efficacy expectations, internal behavioral attributions, and Afrocentric worldview. However, on a measure specific to the vignettes, few variables predicted acceptability; ratings were lower than on the general-attitude measure. This may suggest that parents viewed rewards as acceptable in circumstances different from those depicted in the vignettes. Individuals endorsing high Afrocentric worldviews had higher reward acceptability, were more likely to be older, were less driven by prevention goals, had lower authoritarian parenting styles, and had less rigid and more rational parenting beliefs. Fathers and mothers did not differ. Results underscored the importance of inquiring about specific situations rather than general attitudes in assessing intervention acceptability.

Mothers of ADHD children were surveyed using an on-line methodology. Respondents (n = 93) were largely well-educated and Caucasian. Their children had been diagnosed for an average of 2.7 years. Maternal attributions for their child's ADHD symptoms were examined for relationships with treatment acceptability and satisfaction with behavior modification, medication, and combined treatments. Results showed that mothers tended to view their child's symptoms as being uncontrollable, changeable, and situational. Also, mothers rated medication-based treatment options as more acceptable than behavior modification alone. Medication was rated as satisfactory by a majority of participants and as more satisfactory than behavior modification. No relationship existed between maternal attributions and treatment acceptability. Higher satisfaction with academic skills interventions was associated with lower maternal attributions of behavior stability. The opposite was true for satisfaction with medication. Overall, parents were optimistic about the future of their children’s symptoms and reported satisfaction with all treatment options.

The objective of this study was to develop soy concept foods with potential marketability in the food industry for health conscious consumers. Fourteen commercial soy protein isolate samples were obtained from various processors. The flavor profiles of the soy protein isolates were evaluated by five expert panelists. The three soy protein isolate samples with the most acceptable flavor profiles were utilized for further analysis and the development of soy concept foods including cranberry nut soy pudding, two bean soy dip and a soy based meal replacer. Based on consumer acceptability studies, it appears that two bean soy dip may have the most potential for success in the food industry. Although, no differences (P>0.05) existed in acceptability among soy protein products in any of the soy concept foods, ISP may have the most potential for utilization in the development of new products since numerical values were slightly higher when this soy protein was incorporated into the various concept foods.

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The possibility of using a commercially available structural analysis program to predict the response of a floor system due to walking excitation as given in AISC Design Guide 11, Floor Vibrations Due to Human Activity (Murray, et al., 1997) was explored. This research included ideal floors that did not have measured values as well as several case study floors that do have measured values for the fundamental frequency. First, multiple model set-ups and loading protocols are applied to the ideal floors and the results compared to results from the Design Guide procedure. A recommendation of the best combination of a model set-up and loading protocol that best matches the Design Guide procedure results is made. Then, case study floors are modeled with the recommended model set-up and loading protocol, and the results compared to the results from the Design Guide procedure and to measured fundamental frequencies. The peak accelerations are also compared to subjective evaluations as to the acceptability of the system. Next, multiple systems were analyzed using five different modeling techniques, including the Design Guide Method, an alteration of the Design Guide Method, the Rayleigh Method, the Analytical Method, and the structural analysis program method, in an attempt to determine the source of discrepancies between the structural analysis program method and the Design Guide method. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the structural analysis program procedure as well as possible sources of differences. In general, the structural analysis program procedure reliably predicts the fundamental frequency of a floor system, but does not predict the Design Guide peak acceleration under dynamic loading. The difference in the effective mass of a system between the two methods is a source of discrepancy. / Master of Science