Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Rearing Conditions On The Microbiological Quality Of Retail Poultry Meat, Bridgshe Hardy

Masters Theses

Poultry and poultry products are a leading source of foodborne pathogens and illnesses. The rearing conditions of poultry can be an influential factor on the presence of foodborne pathogens including Campylobacter and Salmonella because some types of rearing practices have increased risks in terms of biosecurity. However, there is a gap in knowledge of food safety in raw chicken products and no studies have reported the microbiological quality of turkeys produced under different rearing environments. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare conventionally and organically-reared whole chicken and turkey carcasses purchased from three retail outlets in Knoxville, TN. …

Adipose Tissue's Potential Role As A Reproductive Or Lactation Endocrine Gland, Megan Gray Macdougal

Masters Theses

While adipose tissue secretes hormones related to nutrition and metabolism, a few studies have provided evidence suggesting a direct reproductive role from adipose-derived products. The goal of this study was to determine if adipose tissue serves as a reproductive or lactation endocrine gland. Adipose tissue was associated with the reproductive tract of mature female cows in two locations, mesosalpinx and mesometrium (tissues supporting the oviduct and uterus, respectively), in varying amounts. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction on a non-descript pool of cows, LHβ, CGA, PRL, FST, and LEP transcripts were demonstrated to be present in mesosalpinx, subcutaneous, visceral, and peri-renal …

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation: Evaluation Of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (Asd) For Warm-Season Vegetable Production In Tennessee, David Grant Mccarty

Masters Theses

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a non-chemical, pre-plant soil treatment recently developed for control of pests such as soilborne plant pathogens, plant-parasitic nematodes, and weeds in specialty crop systems. Soil treatment by ASD includes incorporating a labile carbon (C) source, tarping with plastic, and irrigation of the topsoil to saturation to facilitate the development of strongly anaerobic soil conditions driven by soil microbes. Processes occurring during the anaerobic decomposition of the added C source have been reported control plant pests. The goal of this project was to evaluate and adapt the ASD procedure to environmental conditions and production systems in …

Role Of Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (Hmb) In Leucine Stimulation Of Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Fatty Acid Oxidation, Renee Ashley Stancliffe

Masters Theses

Mitochondrial dysfunction and the resulting oxidative stress is widely recognized as a contributing factor to the development of numerous pathophysiologies including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sarcopenia, liver disease, dementia, amongst others. Mitochondrial dysfunction results in a reduced mitochondrial number and oxidative capacity, causing an increase in free radical production and consequently oxidative stress. As such, the characterization of compounds that can upregulate mitochondrial biogenesis and function could provide the foundation for the development of therapeutic nutraceuticals that promote mitochondrial health, and consequently reduce oxidative stress. Leucine is well recognized to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and we have recently demonstrated that …

Geographic Variation In The Lower Temperature Tolerance In The Invasive Brown Anole, Anolis Sagrei And The Native Green Anole, Anolis Carolinensis (Sauria: Polychrotidae), Laura Carolina Maria Rubio

Masters Theses

Invasive species are considered to be the second greatest threat to native biodiversity and several factors have been identified as contributing to the success of introduced species, including their initial genetic variation and the ability of populations to adapt to a new environment. Temperature has a significant impact on reptilian ecology and distribution since they ordinarily rely on external heat sources for the maintenance of body temperatures suitable for normal activity. Body temperature affects performance in these organisms given its importance for all aspects of behavior, locomotion, courtship and rates of feeding and growth. Critical thermal tolerances can, therefore, give …

The Impacts Of Surface Mining Restoration Efforts On Soil Dwelling Nematode Communities In The Appalachian Region, Haley Shae Smith

Masters Theses

Traditional restoration of post mining sites in the southeastern U.S. utilizes methods that discourage above and below-ground succession of native floral and faunal communities. Recent advances in mining restoration techniques proposed by the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) have improved above-ground plant succession and growth rates in reclaimed sites by developing the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), a process that discourages substrate compaction and encourages native plant succession. The below-ground component of these reclaimed areas remains undescribed, however. Below-ground invertebrate communities in mining restoration sites have been largely ignored, despite their potential importance to the long-term recovery of these profoundly disturbed …

Exploring Anaerobic Reductive Dechlorination At Low Ph Environments, Yi Yang

Masters Theses

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs), such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), are ubiquitously pollutants in aquifer sediments and groundwater due to their heavy usage in industry and inappropriate disposal in the last century. Among about 1300 NPL (National Priorities List) sites, PCE and TCE are the two most frequently detected hazardous contaminants.

Engineered bioremediation, including biostimulation and bioaugmentation, is a promising technology to clean those PCE and/or TCE contaminated sites. However, in many contaminated groundwater systems and hazardous waste sites, pH can be lower than 5 to 6. And release of HCl (strong acid) from anaerobic reductive dechlorination may lower …

The Effects Of Leucine On Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Cell Cycle In A-375 Melanoma Cells, Tia Marie Filhiol

Masters Theses

Most cancer cells undergo the Warburg effect, a shift from oxidative to glycolytic metabolism accompanied by suppression of p53. We have demonstrated leucine stimulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and p53 expression in both muscle and fat cells. Accordingly, we now sought to determine if leucine stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and exit from cell cycle in A-375 melanoma cells. Because these cells use glucose as their primary substrate, cells were grown under both standard (11.1 mM) and reduced (5.5 mM) glucose conditions. Increasing glucose reduced mitochondrial mass 50-60%, and accelerated cell proliferation by ~20%. Leucine (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 …

Fatty Acid Synthase 1 In Candida Albicans Virulence And The In Vitro Effects Of Fluconazole, Tetracycline In Combinatorial Therapy, Marissa Mandy Rodrigues

Masters Theses

Candida albicans, the causative agent of superficial and invasive mycoses, is a significant fungal pathogen associated with high mortality rates and considerable health-related costs. The most effective class of antifungals used for the treatment of candidiasis includes polyenes, echinocandins and azoles. However with the emergence of resistant strains, new antifungals are warranted for the effective treatment of candidiasis. Genes involved in biosynthetic enzymatic pathways that regulate metabolic processes are important for the survival of pathogenic fungi and can thus be exploited for the development of better antifungals. Fatty acid synthase 1, which is involved in the de novo biosynthesis of …

Compatibility Of Essential Oils With The Biocontrol Fungus, Beauveria Bassiana, Wanjing Liu

Masters Theses

The tomato seedling damping-off pathogens Rhizoctonia and Pythium have the potential to cause severe loss in the greenhouse and field. Both seed application of Beauveria bassiana and soil amendment with bioactive monarda herbages are sustainable approaches that can play a role in suppressing damping-off of tomato seedlings. The objectives of this research were to determine the compatibility of essential oils and B. bassiana, and to determine the impact of the two when used together as a seed treatment in greenhouse experiments.

Different concentrations of five essential oils that were active against damping-off pathogens (cymene, carvacrol, thymol, borneol, and geraniol) …

The Relationship Between Coping, Stress, And Breastfeeding Outcomes, Angela Nicole Sberna

Masters Theses

Background: Breastfeeding is the optimal form of nutrition for infants in their first year of life. While the benefits of breastfeeding are numerous, national rates remain below professional recommendations. Multiple barriers to breastfeeding have been identified, including various sociodemographic, psychosocial, and biomedical and health-carerelated barriers. Maternal stress may be another barrier, as it has been previously associated with breastfeeding outcomes. Coping strategies are used to manage the demands of a stressful environment and can be categorized as problem- or emotion-focused. Emotion regulation emerged from the coping literature, but describes a unique set of techniques that affect the emotion-generating process. Social …

Locating The Variability Of Soil Water Holding Capacity And Understanding Its Effects On Deficit Irrigation And Cotton Lint Yield, Heath Adam Duncan

Masters Theses

Precision irrigation equipment such as variable-rate center pivots is readily available to Tennessee growers and producers; however, little research exists describing its application to cotton grown in Tennessee. In order to optimize the use of variable-rate irrigation equipment and water resources, two experiments were performed to determine (1) whether or not ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements can be used to delineate variable-rate irrigation zones and (2) examine the response of cotton lint yield to varying rates and duration of irrigation.

GPR and EC measurements were recorded, validated using soil cores, and used to identify the subsurface variability …

Modeling Interventions In The Owned Cat Population In Knox County, Tn, Evan Pierce Lancaster

Masters Theses

The rapid growth of cat populations in many communities across the United States has resulted in overpopulation and an increase in euthanasia procedures. To combat these challenges, communities have instituted spay/neuter programs as a preventative strategy. In particular, Knox County, Tennessee, has developed and implemented a program, called the Spay Shuttle, which offers free spays and neuters for owned cats throughout the county.

We develop a discrete time, age-structured model of owned female cats in Knox County to investigate the effects of implementing extra spaying intervention strategies to the population over the course of 5 years. We determine that a …

Kids Can Bike! A Parks And Recreation Program To Promote Youth Cycling, Jessica Lynn Chandler

Masters Theses

Physical inactivity is a major concern, and is believed to contribute to the high prevalence of childhood obesity in U.S. schoolchildren. To address this problem, the Knoxville Area Coalition on Childhood Obesity launched a ‘Kids Can BIKE!’ program in 2012. The bicycling program is seven weeks long and is designed to increase physical activity, teach safe cycling skills, and explore Knoxville parks and greenways while having fun. The program targeted children in grades 4 and 5 who were already enrolled in an afterschool or summer program. Once a week, the children were transported to a location where they could safely …

Classification Accuracy Of The Wrist-Worn Genea Accelerometer During Structured Activity Bouts: A Cross-Validation Study, Whitney Allegra Welch

Masters Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the left wrist cutpoints of Esliger et al., for the triaxial GENEA accelerometer, are accurate for predicting intensity categories during 14 different activities including; treadmill-based, home and office, and sport activities. Methods: 130 adults wore a GENEA accelerometer on their left wrist while performing various lifestyle activities. The Oxycon Mobile Portable Metabolic Unit was used to measure oxygen uptake during each activity. Statistical analysis used Spearman’s rank correlations to determine the relationship between measured and estimated intensity classifications. Cross tabulation tables were constructed to describe under or over …

Applicability Of Pigment Compounds For Reducing Light Stress In Bentgrass, Gregory Keith Bartley

Masters Theses

Chlorinated copper phthalocyanine (Signature) and pulverized cells of Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorella) were evaluated in a controlled environment for their ability to act as photoprotectants under supraoptimal levels of ultraviolet (UV) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) when applied to plant leaves. Plant pigment changes were documented using High Performance Liquid Chromatography following 1 week of exposure to supraoptimal light in two separate experiments incorporating UV (106.6 μmol m-2 s-1) and PAR (760.6 μmol m-2 s-1) over a 12h photoperiod. Supraoptimal levels of UV and PAR light were found to cause significant reductions in Agrostis palustris chlorophyll and carotenoid leaf pigment levels. …

Avian Habitat Response To Grazing, Haying, And Biofuels Production In Native Warm-Season Forages In The Mid-South, Jessie Lee Birckhead

Masters Theses

Declines in grassland birds have been attributed to loss of habitat, habitat degradation, and changes in land management. In the Mid-South, pasture and hayfield management has focused on maintaining dense stands of non-native forages that do not provide suitable vegetative structure for grassland birds or northern bobwhite. Native warm-season grasses have been promoted for livestock forage and biofuels feedstock. However, little information exists on how these practices affect habitat for grassland songbirds or northern bobwhite in the Mid-South. We conducted a study of two cattle grazing treatments, two hay harvest treatments and a biofuels harvest treatment on vegetative structure for …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Ultrasound-Derived Carcass Characteristics And Production Traits In Angus Cattle, William Michael Mayfield

Masters Theses

Profitability in the beef industry is a crucial aspect of management schemes. The overall aim of this study was to determine if carcass ultrasonography in replacement heifers could explain variation in traits such as reproduction, a major factor in beef cattle efficiency and profitability. During a 10-year period, data were obtained from 906 yearling heifers through the use of carcass ultrasonography. The measurements collected included adjusted values for ribeye area (REA), percent intramuscular fat (%IMF), rib fat (RF), and rump fat. A retrospective analysis was performed on data collected and variables were separated into the extreme high and low 25% …

Factors Influencing Precision Farming Technology Adoption Over Time In Southern U.S. Cotton Production, Pattarawan Watcharaanantapong

Masters Theses

This study analyzed factors of farm and farmer characteristics that influenced the timing of PF technology adoption using Trivariate Tobit models for three PF technologies. Data from the Cotton Incorporated Southern Precision Farming (PF) Survey conducted in February and March of 2009 for the 2008 crop year were analyzed for PF adoption by Southern U.S. Cotton Producers. The number of years a cotton farmer had used yield monitoring (YMR), remote sensing (RMS) and grid soil sampling (GSS) were the dependent variables and farm and farmer characteristics were the independent variables.

Results of Trivariate Tobit model for YMR suggested that younger …

Effects Of A Bacteriological Filter On Vo2max Measured By A Computerized Metabolic System, Christopher William Bach

Masters Theses

Purpose: To determine the effects of a purple bacteriological filter (PF) on the measured maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) during a maximal treadmill test as well as its effect on the expiratory flow measurements during a pulmonary function test. Methods: Male (n=7) and female (n=7) runners (18-35 years old) completed two continuous graded exercise tests (GXTs) followed by pulmonary function tests (PFT); one with a purple filter (PF) and one with no filter (NF). The GXT consisted of running at a constant speed on a treadmill while gradually increasing the grade until volitional exhaustion was reached. Following each of …

Mating System Biology Of The Florida Native Plant: Illicium Parviflorum, Nicholas Earl Buckley

Masters Theses

Self-incompatibility is thought to have played a profound role in the evolution of the angiosperms. However, there is little evidence of self-incompatibility systems in early diverging lineages of flowering plants. Illicium parviflorum, one such early-divergent angiosperm, is an evergreen perennial species endemic to central Florida, particularly within the Ocala National Forest. Although locally abundant, I. parviflorum is currently listed as endangered at the state level due to being under constant threat of habitat disturbance and over-harvesting. Notably, this species had been described as self-incompatible due to its low seed-set. However, low seed set may also be a result of …

Angiotensinogen Gene Silencing Reduces Lipid Accumulation And Inflammation In Cultured 3t3-L1 Adipocytes, Wenting Xin Carroll

Masters Theses

Obesity is characterized by metabolic complications which are related to several life-threatening diseases. Dysregulated inflammatory adipokines secretion from adipose tissue is believed as the major contributor to obesity-associated local and systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and other metabolic dysfunctions.

Numerous studies in our lab and others pointed to the role of local adipose tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathogenesis of obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. We hypothesized that adipocytes-derived angiotensinogen (Agt) played a critical role in adipogenesis and/or lipogenesis as well as adipose inflammation. To test, we established 3T3-L1 preadipocytes stably transfected with Agt-shRNA or scrambled sequence (Sc-shRNA). Transfected preadipocytes …

Design And Synthesis Of Boronic Acid-Based Sensors For Microarray Analysis And Fret-Detection To Study Carbohydrates, Yilin Wang

Masters Theses

Carbohydrates play significant roles in various biological and pathological processes such as cancer metastasis and inflammation. They participate in various signaling pathways and are able to bind to a litany of biological receptors such as proteins and viruses. Biologists have known for decades that the structure of glycans changes with the onset of cancer and inflammation. Due to these important activities, carbohydrate sensing has long been a focus of research. One example of such a carbohydrate sensor is boronic acid-based sensors. Boronic acid-based sensors are of particular interest due to their selectivity for 1,2- or 1,3-diols. A variety of techniques …

Designing Protein Expression And Purification Systems For Recombinant Z Alpha1-Antitrypsin Using The Methylotrophic Yeast, Pichia Pastoris, Monique Jenaie Lemieux

Masters Theses

It is well established that improper protein folding often leads to the formation of aggregates whose consequences are cellular impairment and cell death. One example of this is the aggregation of the mutant Z Alpha1-Antitrypsin protein, which results in blocking of its secretion due to inclusion body formation. This can contribute not only to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but also to hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current treatments are principally limited to intravenous Alpha1-Antitrypsin therapy and organ transplantation. In the scientific community though, it is widely thought that more effective forms of treatments lie within the polymerization …

Investigation Of Phytophthora Species: Phytophthora Colocasiae On Taro And Phytophthora Recovered From Streams In Eastern Tennessee, Sandesh Kumar Shrestha

Masters Theses

Oomycetes, also known as water molds, are morphologically similar to fungi. Unlike fungi, they are diploid and more closely related to plants. Several oomycetes are pathogenic to plants as well as aquatic animals. Members of the genus Phytophthora are a threat to many economically important crops and natural forest systems. The research presented in this thesis addresses intraspecific and interspecific variation in natural populations of Phytophthora. Chapter two summarizes genetic diversity and population structure for Phytophthora colocasiae attacking taro in Hawaii, Vietnam and Hainan Island, China based on novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Phytophthora colocasiae causes Taro Leaf Blight, …

Characterization Of The Che4 Signal Transduction Pathway In Taxis Behaviors Of Azospirillum Brasilense, Dhivya Kumar

Masters Theses

Azospirillum brasilense is a gram negative, soil diazotroph that colonizes the roots of agronomically important crops. Studies have shown that swimming motility is an important trait for its survival and colonization of plant roots by these bacteria. Taxis responses, such as chemotaxis and aerotaxis, depend on the ability of the organism to bias its movements in the presence of gradients. The recently sequenced genome of A. brasilense has been shown to possess four chemotaxis operons, but the dominant pathway that modulates swimming behavior by affecting swimming bias in this organism is unknown. Characterization of one of the chemotaxis operons, Che1, …

Heritability And Genetic Gain Of Seed Protein, Oil, And Yield Among Ril Of Soybean, Benjamin T. Wiggins

Masters Theses

Soybean is a remarkable crop that is used in many aspects of our everyday lives. The seed protein is used primarily for livestock feed, though it is becoming more available as a meat substitute for human consumption. Soybean oil is used in many products such as plastics, foods, and industrial products. Seed yield is the major trait that is selected for in a breeding program. A population of 239 F₄ derived RIL from the cross of USG 5601T × U99-310255 was used to calculate heritability estimates by parent offspring regression and on an entry mean basis. This population was …

The Epidemiology Of Puccinia Emaculata (Rust) In Switchgrass And Evaluation Of The Mycoparasite Sphaerellopsis Filum As A Potential Biological Control Organism For Switchgrass Rust., Jonathan Allen Black

Masters Theses

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season, perennial grass, whose native range includes the entire United States and north into Canada, excluding areas along the pacific coast. Recently, symptoms and signs of rust disease (Puccinia emaculata) have been observed on agronomic switchgrass, which include chlorosis of leaf tissue, necrosis, lodging, and plant death.

To evaluate disease progress of switchgrass rust, in four fields, individual leaves of twenty-five switchgrass plants were rated once per week for fifteen weeks over two growing seasons for disease severity. Rust was first observed on Julian day 166 and 152 in 2010 and …

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus Virginianus) Population Ecology On Reclaimed Mined Lands, Evan Philip Tanner

Masters Theses

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) has experienced range-wide population declines for the past half century. The primary cause has been large-scale habitat loss and fragmentation. Through auspices of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), large tracts of early successional vegetation have been created throughout much of the bobwhite’s range that may be managed to increase usable space. Peabody WMA is a reclaimed coal mine in Western Kentucky where bobwhite have been present in the past. To better understand the dynamics of this population and how habitat on Peabody WMA influences these dynamics, my two …

The Mother-Infant Dyad Study: A Grounded Theory Inquiry Into The Day-To-Day Experiences, Between First-Time Mothers And Their Infants, That Influence Feeding Practices, Jennifer Jean Helvey

Masters Theses

Background: Inappropriate infant-feeding practices linked to excessive, rapid, early weight gain, are potentially powerful intervention points for reducing risk of later obesity. Understanding how and why these behaviors begin is currently the topic of much research. Because breastfeeding has been found to be somewhat protective against early rapid gain, and because low-income, Southeastern U.S. populations are significantly less likely to initiate and maintain breastfeeding, it is critical to focus efforts in these populations. Grounded theory methodology provides the optimal theoretical underpinnings for exploring development of these practices.

Research Objective: The objective was to explore, using grounded theory methodology, the set …