Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Works (MU)
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[Collection created December 2019]
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Item Generative AI Alcohol and Breast Cancer Dataset (v1 - 20251107)(2025) Bautista, John Robert; 0000-0002-4892-9543Text and screen capture of generative AI health information about alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk.Item Memoir of a Missouri River Rat(2025) Krause, William J."There are times when I sit quietly and reflect on the past, and the memories come back like an old black-and-white film--grainy, simple, yet vivid. I've often been asked what it was like growing up in America during the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. My brothers, children and grandchildren have posed questions about my childhood, curious about what life was like in an era so different from today. It feels important--urgent even--to share these stories, not just as a record, but as a window into a world that has nearly vanished. Thus, over the past few years, I jotted down a few memories to share." -- page 6Item Life and the Universe : What if …?(University of Missouri, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2018) Ruzhitskaya, Lanika; Montfrooij, WouterScientists observe nature and try to make sense of what they see. Complex phenomena are reduced to manifestations of simpler truths until they arrive at a fundamental understanding of how things work, move and interact. And then what? Can these simpler truths be simplified further? Where did these truths come from? What if they were a little different: Would we still be here to ponder them? Pondering these imponderables has led to the realization that there must be more to the universe than meets the eye: God(s) or more than just our universe. Anything else would not make sense, and sense is what human beings would like to see in the word around them, a reason or explanation for our universe. This book is a journey through the world of physics and cosmology, and an exploration of our role in this universe. We will address questions such as: What if the force of gravity were a little stronger? What if there were more of fewer atoms in our universe? What if Newton and not Einstein had been right? Would we still be here? Can the universe exist without us to observe it? Can chance explain the world around us, as well as us? The purpose of this book is to phrase these questions and pursue the consequences of potential answers through rigorous scientific reasoning; in the process we will learn how the very small and the very large are interconnected, and even how we can affect events that happened six billion years ago. -- Preface.Item Organic agriculture in the Mid-South : building an ecosystem of support(2025) Hendrickson, Mary; Srivastava, Garima; Redhage, David; Clark, KerryMissouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Kentucky had 622 organic farms with $210.4 million in organic sales in 2022, despite being in a region with weathered soils, hot and humid weather that can encourage pests and diseases, and limited market opportunities for both organic commodities and direct-market organic farmers. Despite these challenges, organic farmers in the region are adapting and innovating production and marketing practices, finding new ways to thrive. Based on interviews with 48 operators from 40 organic farms in the region, we found that farmers were motivated to farm organically because of access to premium markets and environmental and human health concerns. Farmers faced biophysical challenges such as soil fertility, weed management, predators and weather, but these were considered manageable. More pressing challenges were expressed around accessing markets on both the input and output side, maintaining certification, and having a supportive policy atmosphere. Farmers identified a number of opportunities for organic agriculture in the region, such as stacking enterprises on farms, and value-adding organic products, but also noted ample opportunity for new business growth around providing inputs, or developing wholesale markets and new grain markets. One of the most interesting stories that emerged is the growth of the organic egg industry in this region, and how it catalyzes new business opportunities. Organic egg-layer farms require organic feed mills which provide a market for organic grain producers. The organic litter coming from these farms can then be utilized as organic fertilizer. To move organic production forward, an ecosystem of support for organic farms in the region should be strengthened. This requires building human capital through training or encouraging collaborations; helping farmers and other businesses with accessing and expanding market access; building out a supportive policy environment; providing training and capacity to help these businesses better access financing; and strengthening community support for organic systems. Extension and other agricultural educators can play a unique role in providing educational programs, materials and technical assistance to organic farmers and community members, while also facilitating connections between and among organic farmers, service providers, and lenders, that can support successful organic production across the Mid-South.