Life Sciences Commons^™

Energy And Water Assessment And Plausibility Of Reuse Of Spent Caustic Solution In A Midwest Fluid Milk Processing Plant, Carly Rain Adams

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Food Energy and Water Nexus (FEW Nexus) is the inseparable connection linking these resources. The concept of the FEW Nexus within the food industry addresses the connection of water and energy as key members of food production. The steady increase in population and the increase in food demand are directly related, therefore, the need for water and energy. Immediately taking on this critical challenge will lead to tangible impacts on the water and energy crisis facing the food system. To reduce the distance between process productivity and resource efficiency it must first be determined, within food processing, where water …

Studies On The Physicochemical Characterization Of Flours And Protein Hydrolysates From Common Beans, Hollman Andres Motta Romero

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pulses represent a rich source of nutrition and have several potential health benefits such as the reduction of the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes. Beans from the species Phaseolus vulgaris and Cicer arietinum are important crops raised in some regions of the United States, including Western Nebraska. Nevertheless, the traditional preparation procedures involved in the cooking of these beans are tedious and time-consuming, thus leading to the underutilization of these resources. Therefore, the present work focused on evaluating alternative utilizations of these beans in order to improve their economic value.

One alternative to improve the consumption of …

Use Of Uv Treated Milk Powder To Increase Vaccine Efficacy In The Elderly, Sara Schaefer, Kasper Arthur Hettinga, James Cullor, J. Bruce German, University Of Nebraska - Lincoln

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Aging populations experience a decline in adaptive immune system function also known as immunosenesence. Protein nutrition has been shown to stimulate and strengthen the immune system, and such approaches are needed for this growing segment of the population. A controlled, randomized, double blind pilot study was conducted to compare two different protein sources (soy and dairy) as nutritional supplementation to enhance vaccine response. Our objective was to examine the immune stimulating effects of dairy protein subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) radiation treatment process instead of pasteurization. Participants were 21 healthy individuals over 60 years of age who consumed 6 g …

Computational Modeling And Functional Characterization Of A Ggchi: A Class Iii Chitinase From Corms Of Gladiolus Grandiflorus, Maria Rafiq, Ashiq Hussain, Kausar Hussain Shah, Qamar Saeed, Muhammad Umair Sial, Zahid Ali, Friedrich Buck, Richard E. Goodman, Binish Khaliq, Uzma Ishaq, Mirza Ahsen Baig, Aisha Munawar, Seema Mahmood, Ahmed Akrem

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The present study describes the predicted model and functional characterization of an endochitinase (30 kDa) from corms of Gladiolus grandiflorus. ESI-QTOF-MS generated peptide showed 96% sequence homology with family 18, Class III acidic endochitinase of Gladiolus gandavensis. Purified G. grandiflorus chitinase (GgChi) hydrolyzed 4-methylumbelliferyl b-DN, N0,N00-triacetylchitotriose substrate showing specific endochitinase activity. Since no structural details of GgChi were available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), a homology model was predicted using the coordinate information of Crocus vernus chitinase (PDB ID: 3SIM). Ramachandran plot indicated 84.5% in most favored region, 14.8% in additional and 0.6% in generously allowed region while no …

Purification And Characterization Of Naturally Occurring Post-Translationally Cleaved Ara H 6, An Allergen That Contributes Substantially To The Allergenic Potency Of Peanut, Govardus A. H. De Jong, Shyamali Jayasena, Phil Johnson, Justin Marsh, Danijela Apostolovic, Marianne Van Hage, Julie Nordlee, Joe Baumert, Steve L. Taylor, Camille Roucairol, Harmen De Jongh, Stef J. Koppelman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The 2S albumin Ara h 6 is one of the most important peanut allergens. A post-translationally cleaved Ara h 6 (pAra h 6) was purified from Virginia type peanuts, and the cleavage site was mapped using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Compared to intact Ara h 6, pAra h 6 lacks a 5-amino acid stretch, resembling amino acids 43−47 (UniProt accession number Q647G9) in the nonstructured loop. Consequently, pAra h 6 consists of two chains: an N-terminal chain of approximately 5 kDa and a C-terminal chain of approximately 9 kDa, held together by disulfide bonds. Intermediate post-translationally cleaved products, in which this …

Mind The Gaps: How Can Food Safety Gaps Be Addressed In Developing Nations?, Jessie L. Vipham, Byron D. Chaves, Valentina Trinetta

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

As global food systems integrate, to meet the demands of a growing global population, safe and healthy agriculture value-chains will be essential to maintaining public health worldwide. In many ways, the current global food production landscape is made up of “mice and men.” Meaning that the food sector within and across most countries includes both large-scale corporate agriculture production and varying degrees of small-scale agriculture production; the variation being the interpretation of small scale, which is highly dependent upon the country. This structure presents challenges for the creation of effective food safety systems in many countries, and can contribute to …

Health And Nutrition, Sydney Williams, Lauren Larson

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

The goal of this club was to inform and build upon the knowledge about health and nutrition of 4th and 5th graders. We did different activities to engage the children in a fun way of learning about health and nutrition so that it wouldn't feel like an extension of school.

A Risk-Based Approach To Evaluate The Impact Of Interventions At Reducing The Risk Of Foodborne Illness Associated With Wheat-Based Products, Luis Sabillon

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pathogens are emerging on previously unrecognized food vehicles, such as wheat flour, which is a widely consumed commodity. Despite its low water activity, wheat-based ingredients and products have been implicated in several foodborne outbreaks over the last few years, resulting not only in the recall of food products but also in consumer illnesses. As a raw agricultural commodity, wheat is exposed to naturally occurring microbiological contamination that may compromise the overall safety of flour and other derived products. To address the increased concern regarding the safety of wheat-based foods, the objectives of the present research study were designed to develop …

Experimental Evaluation Of The Importance Of Colonization History In Early-Life Gut Microbiota Assembly, Inés Martínez, Maria X. Maldonado-Gomez, João Carlos Gomes-Neto, Hatem Kittana, Hua Ding, Robert J. Schmaltz, Payal Joglekar, Roberto Jiménez Cardona, Nathan L Marsteller, Steven W. Kembel, Andrew K. Benson, Daniel A. Peterson, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Jens C. Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The factors that govern assembly of the gut microbiota are insufficiently understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that inter-individual microbiota variation can arise solely from differences in the order and timing by which the gut is colonized early in life. Experiments in which mice were inoculated in sequence either with two complex seed communities or a cocktail of four bacterial strains and a seed community revealed that colonization order influenced both the outcome of community assembly and the ecological success of individual colonizers. Historical contingency and priority effects also occurred in Rag1^-/- mice, suggesting that the adaptive immune system …

Ability Of Phenolics In Isolation, Components Present In Supina Turf Grass To Remediate Candida Albicans (A72 And Sc5314) Adhesion And Biofilm Formation, Fatima Alessa

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Candida albicans inhabits the gastrointestinal tract dormant commensal member but can become an opportunistic pathogen when the host microflora or immune system is compromised. Adhesion to a biological or synthetic surface, followed by a morphological change from the yeast to hyphae phenotype. Biofilm formation is becoming a common occurrence on types of medical devices. Because C. albicans resistant to commonly available anti-fungal drugs is increasing, innovative treatments are critically needed. Phenolic compounds are promising anti-fungal synergists. Supina grass was used as the complex matrix as it is abundant and highly sustainable source of phytochemicals even though grass cuttings are typically …

Thermal Inactivation Kinetics Of Salmonella Enterica And Enterococcus Faecium In Ground Black Pepper, Sabrina Vasquez

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Food safety concerns of low-a_wfoods have boosted, given the increased number of foodborne illnesses related to these products. Black pepper, among other spices, has been implicated in several outbreaks and recalls in recent years.Salmonella entericahas been identified as the causing agent of outbreaks of contaminated spices. Therefore, increased efforts should be conducted to ensure food safety of spices, including black pepper. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) demands all food processing facilities to conduct proper validations of the decontamination technologies applied to food products. Complete thermal process validations require a deep understanding of the thermal inactivation kinetics …

Implementation Of Iso/Iec Practices In Small And Academic Laboratories, Eric Layne Oliver

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Food Manufacturers are facing challenging times due to regulations such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requiring them to provide evidence they are producing safe foods. Food testing laboratories aid in the mitigation of food safety issues providing evidence that a manufacturers food safety system is acceptable. To perform these activities laboratories are required to adhere to certain standards such as ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. However, implementation of ISO/IEC 17025 practices is challenging, especially for small and academic laboratories, due to lack of available guidance. A long-term goal of the University …

The Msdin Family In Amanitin-Producing Mushrooms And Evolution Of The Prolyl Oligopeptidase Genes, Hong Luo, Qing Cai, Yungjiao Luli, Xuan Li, Rohita Sinha, Heather E. Hallen-Adams, Zhu L. Yang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The biosynthetic pathway for amanitins and related cyclic peptides in deadly Amanita (Amanitace ae) mushrooms represents the first known ribosomal cyclic peptide pathway in the Fungi. Amanitins are found outside of the genus in distantly related agarics Galerina (Strophariaceae) and Lepiota (Agaricaceae). A long-standing question in the field persists: why is this pathway present in these phylogenetically disjunct agarics? Two deadly mushrooms, A. pallidorosea and A. subjunquillea, were deep sequenced, and sequences of biosynthetic genes encoding MSDINs (cyclic peptide presursor) and prolyl oligopeptidases (POPA and POPB) were obtained. The two Amanita species yielded 20 and 18 MSDINs, respectively. In addition, …

Dietary Patterns And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer Subtypes Classified By Fusobacterium Nucleatum In Tumor Tissue, Raaj S. Mehta, Reiko Nishihara, Yin Cao, Mingyang Song, Kosuke Mima, Zhi Rong Qian, Jonathan A. Nowak, Keisuke Kosumi, Tsuyoshi Hamada, Yohei Masugi, Susan Bullman, David A. Drew, Aleksandar D. Kostic, Teresa T. Fung, Wendy S. Garrett, Curtis Huttenhower, Kana Wu, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, Xuehong Zhang, Walter C. Willett, Edward L. Giovannucci, Charles S. Fuchs, Andrew T. Chan, Shuji Ogino

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Importance—Fusobacterium nucleatum appears to play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis through suppression of host immune response to tumor. Evidence also suggests that diet influences intestinal F. nucleatum. However, the role of F. nucleatum in mediating the relationship between diet and the risk of colorectal cancer is unknown.

Objective—To test the hypothesis that the associations of prudent diets (rich in whole grains and dietary fiber) and Western diets (rich in red and processed meat, refined grains, and desserts) with colorectal cancer risk may differ according to the presence of F. nucleatum in tumor tissue.

Design—Prospective cohort study.

Setting—The Nurses’ Health Study …

Stability Of The Human Faecal Microbiome In A Cohort Of Adult Men, Raaj S. Mehta, David A. Drew, Jason Lloyd-Price, Ayshwarya Subramaian, Paul Lochhead, Amit D. Joshi, Kerry L. Ivey, Hamed Khalili, Gordon T. Brown, Casey Dulong, Mingyang Song, Long H. Nguyen, Himel Mallick, Eric B. Rimm, Jacques Izard, Curtis Huttenhower, Andrew T. Chan, Galeb S. Abu-Ali

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Characterizing the stability of the gut microbiome is important to exploit it as a therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker. We metagenomically and metatranscriptomically sequenced the faecal microbiomes of 308 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants provided four stool samples—one pair collected 24–72 h apart and a second pair ~6 months later. Within-person taxonomic and functional variation was consistently lower than between-person variation over time. In contrast, metatranscriptomic profiles were comparably variable within and between subjects due to higher within-subject longitudinal variation. Metagenomic instability accounted for ~74% of corresponding metatranscriptomic instability. The rest was probably attributable to sources such …

Colonization Of Breastfed Infants By Bifidobacterium Longum Subsp. Infantis Evc001 Reduces Virulence Gene Abundance, Giorgio Casaburi, Steven A. Frese

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The infant gut microbiome is rapidly colonized by bacteria from the environment after birth, and this gut ecosystem can facilitate expansion of potential pathogens. Human milk shapes the infant gut microbiome and has evolved to foster the growth of specific bacteria. Breastfed infants fed the coevolved infant gut symbiont Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis EVC001 had significant modifications to their gut metagenome, including a decreased number of virulence factor genes.

Effect Of Processing On In-Vitro Protein Digestibility And Other Nutritional Aspects Of Nebraska Crops, Paridhi Gulati

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Among plant based agricultural products, Nebraska ranks first nationwide in the production of Great Northern beans (GNB), second in proso millet production, and eighth in production of winter wheat. The present research was focused on the effect of processing on nutritive components and in vitroprotein digestibility of these crops with the aim of promoting their human consumption. Proso millet based extrudates had physical properties similar to commonly extruded rice but had lower expansion than corn. GNB extrudates had limited expansion and high bulk density mostly due to high fiber and protein content. Extrusion significantly reduced the anti-nutritional components in …

Effect Of Gallic And Ferulic Acids On Oxidative Phosphorylation On Candida Albicans (A72 And Sc5314) During The Yeast-To-Hyphae Transition, Rehab Aldahash

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Candida albicans is a dormant commensal in the mucosa of healthy individuals but can become an opportunistic pathogen when the host microflora is compromised. It has been reported as the most common cause of fungal infection among hospitalized U.S. patients, with elevated mortality rate. Candida species have been reported as resistant to antifungal drugs that increase the application of novel strategies to treat this infection. Among the natural compounds that have most gained attention as potential agents against fungi are phenolic compounds against fungi. C. albicans has the ability to switch phenotype from yeast-to-hyphae cells, with hyphae being the most …

Using 3d Models And Virtual Reality To Foster Learning Of Carcass Anatomy, Renae Sieck

UCARE Research Products

In meat science and carcass anatomy, an often-debated topic is the methodology educators should follow for effective and efficient learning of carcass anatomy among students. Many traditional learning environments utilize monolithic methods for teaching anatomy that fail to engage students or pedagogically enhance their cognitive development to the fullest potential. Access is also limited because of the need for specialized facilities’ and equipment. We are interested in understanding and measuring the success of learning tools such as Virtual Reality (VR) and 3D Visualization in student learning. Our study’s results would be useful to indicate if student attitudes and student performance …

Education Institutions Creation Of Partnerships, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This issue is embracing the creation of partnerships with establishments worldwide for the provisions of life embodiments to graduates. At moment, there may be lack of friendship or partnership with establishments to create incentives for newly graduates of so many colleges and universities (Hirsh & Weber, 1999). Partnership with external companies will surely bring enormous grants to the colleges and universities and it will also encourage friendly establishments to provide incentives and perks to colleges, universities and alumni. It may be concluded that the advantages of creating rapport with external congruences is the comraderies and also compromises that will be …

The Use Of Grape By-Products As A Nutrient Rich Cattle Feed, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this article you will learn about how to use the grape stems, skins and pulp that are generated by the wine industry. Ruminant animals such as cattle can digest this inexpensive yet nutrient rich material. The complete process from wine press to cattle feed is covered in this article. The historical background of using grape by-products and methods to preserve this food source is also presented.

Breeding For Resistance In California Strawberry To Verticillium Dahliae, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Since 1930 the University of California, Davis, has been developing strawberry cultivars that are adapted to the agricultural industry and regional farms. Developing cultivars that require fewer inputs are of significant economic importance in agronomy. Developing a crop resistant to a disease is beneficial for horticulturists since less labor and chemicals are needed for a high yield.⁶

In commercial strawberry cultivars, complete resistance to V. dahlia is extremely rare. The majority of Californian strawberry cultivars are highly susceptible to it.² Over the last 18 years of plant breeding for strawberry cultivars with a high degree of resistance and …

Metatranscriptome Of Human Faecal Microbial Communities In A Cohort Of Adult Men, Galeb S. Abu-Ali, Raaj S. Mehta, Jason Lloyd-Price, Himel Mallick, Tobyn Branck, Kerry L. Ivey, David A. Drew, Casey Dulong, Eric Rimm, Jacques Izard, Andrew T. Chan, Curtis Huttenhower

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The gut microbiome is intimately related to human health, but it is not yet known which functional activities are driven by specific microorganisms' ecological configurations or transcription. We report a large-scale investigation of 372 human faecal metatranscriptomes and 929 metagenomes from a subset of 308 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. We identified a metatranscriptomic 'core' universally transcribed over time and across participants, often by different microorganisms. In contrast to the housekeeping functions enriched in this core, a 'variable' metatranscriptome included specialized pathways that were differentially expressed both across participants and among microorganisms. Finally, longitudinal metagenomic profiles allowed ecological …

Modification Of Wheat Gluten For Improvement Of Binding Capacity With Keratin In Hair, Shukun Wang, Danyang Meng, Sisi Wang, Zhong Zhang, Ruijin Yang, Wei Zhao

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

In this study, enzymatic hydrolysis and cationization with epoxypropyldodecyldimethylammonium chloride of wheat protein, an economic protein complex containing great amount of disulfide bonds, were conducted to improve properties such as solubility and disassociation behaviour for recovery of damaged hair when used in shampoo. The optimal conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis were pH 8.2, 55°C with Alcalase for 60min. After the selected hydrolysis, the degree of hydrolysis, nitrogen solubility index, foaming capacity index, foam stability index, emulsifying activity index and emulsion stability index of hydrolysate with 58.71% of shortchain peptides (less than 1000 Da) were 8.81%, 39.07%, 225%, 56.67%, 9.62m² g …

Microstructural Changes To Proso Millet Protein Bodies Upon Cooking And Digestion, Paridhi Gulati, You Zhou, Christian Elowsky, Devin J. Rose

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Cooking results in a drastic decline in digestibility of proso millet proteins, panicins. Scanning electron and confocal microscopy were used to observe morphological changes in proso millet protein bodies upon cooking and digestion that could be associated with the loss in digestibility. Spherical protein bodies (1–2.5 mm) were observed in proso millet flour and extracted protein. Cooking did not result in any noticeable change in the size or shape of the protein bodies. However, upon digestion with pepsin the poor digestibility of cooked proso millet protein was clearly evident from the differences in microstructure of the protein bodies: large cavities …

Shared Mechanisms Among Probiotic Taxa: Implications For General Probiotic Claims, Mary Ellen Sanders, Andrew K. Benson, Sarah Lebeer, Daniel J. Merenstein, Todd R. Klaenhammer

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Strain-specificity of probiotic effects has been a cornerstone principle of probiotic science for decades. Certainly, some important mechanisms are present in only a few probiotic strains. But scientific advances now reveal commonalities among members of certain taxonomic groups of probiotic microbes. Some clinical benefits likely derive from these shared mechanisms, suggesting that sub-species-specific, speciesspecific or genus-specific probiotic effects exist. Human trials are necessary to confirm specific health benefits. However, a strain that has not been tested in human efficacy trials may meet the minimum definition of the term ‘probiotic’ if it is a member of a well-studied probiotic species expressing …

Short Term Dynamics Of The Sputum Microbiome Among Copd Patients, Rohita Sinha, Lisa A. Weissenburger-Moser, Jennifer L. Clarke, Lynette M. Smith, Art J. Heires, Debra J. Romberger, Tricia Levan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by incompletely reversible airflow obstruction. The complexity of the lung microbial community in COPD patients has been highlighted in recent years. Evidence suggests that transplantation, medications, age, and disease severity influence microbial community membership. However, the dynamics of the lung microbiome in stable COPD patients remain poorly understood. In this study, we completed a longitudinal 16S ribosomal RNA survey of the lung microbiome on replicate sputum samples collected from 4 former smokers with COPD (Stage 2) within a 2-day time period. Samples from each individual over the two-day period were …

Characterization Of Food Structures And Functionalities, Xingxun Liu, Ying Yang, Changmou Xu, Jiajia Rao

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Some functional properties such as texture and nutrition are the most important attributes used by consumers to assess food qualities, which have been used for in nearly all kinds of food products, from beverage, yoghurt, and ice cream to bread and noodles. Nowadays, there is a desire tomake foods healthier and at the same time not diminish sensory quality. This requires an understanding of key elements of food structure associated with texture and nutritional perception. In terms of taste perception, texture is perceived during oral processing of food.

Probiotic Bifidobacterium Strains And Galactooligosaccharides Improve Intestinal Barrier Function In Obese Adults But Show No Synergism When Used Together As Synbiotics, Janina A. Krumbeck, Heather E. Rasmussen, Robert W. Hutkins, Jennifer L. Clarke, Krista Shawron, Ali Keshavarzian, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: One way to improve both the ecological performance and functionality of probiotic bacteria is by combining them with a prebiotic in the form of a synbiotic. However, the degree to which such synbiotic formulations improve probiotic strain functionality in humans has not been tested systematically. Our goal was to use a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm clinical trial in obese humans to compare the ecological and physiological impact of the prebiotic galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and the probiotic strains Bifidobacterium adolescentis IVS-1 (autochthonous and selected via in vivo selection) and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 (commercial probiotic allochthonous to the human gut) when used …

The Human Brainome: Network Analysis Identifies Hspa2 As A Novel Alzheimer’S Disease Target, Vladislav A. Petyuk, Rui Chang, Manuel Ramirez-Restrepo, Noam D. Beckmann, Marc Y. R. Henrion, Paul D. Piehowski, Kuixi Zhu, Sven Wang, Jennifer L. Clarke, Matthew J. Huentelman, Fang Xie, Victor Andreev, Anzhelika Engel, Toumy Guettoche, Loida Navarro, Philip De Jager, Julie A. Schneider, Christopher M. Morris, Ian G. Mckeith, Robert H. Perry, Simon Lovestone, Randall L. Woltjer, Thomas G. Beach, Lucia I. Sue, Geidy E. Serrano, Andrew P. Lieberman, Roger L. Albin, Isidre Ferrer, Deborah C. Mash, Christine M. Hulette, John F. Ervin, Eric M. Reiman, John A. Hardy, David A. Bennett, Eric Schadt, Richard D. Smith, Amanda J. Myers

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Our hypothesis is that changes in gene and protein expression are crucial to the development of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Previously we examined how DNA alleles control downstream expression of RNA transcripts and how those relationships are changed in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. We have now examined how proteins are incorporated into networks in two separate series and evaluated our outputs in two different cell lines. Our pipeline included the following steps: (i) predicting expression quantitative trait loci; (ii) determining differential expression; (iii) analysing networks of transcript and peptide relationships; and (iv) validating effects in two separate cell lines. We performed all …