Digital Commons Network^™

Age-Related Estimates Of Genetic Parameters For Growth And Ultrasonic M. Longissimus Thoracis Et Lumborum Muscle Traits In Eşme Lambs, İbrahi̇m Cemal, Orhan Karaca, Onur Yilmaz, Nezi̇h Ata

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The growth performance and ultrasonic M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle traits of 2397 Eşme lambs raised in the Eşme district of Uşak province, an important lamb production area in Western Anatolia, were evaluated at 3 months (n = 1690) and 5 months (n = 707) of age. The average age of the lambs at the time of the first measurement (at weaning) was 100.15 days, and 152.37 days at the second. At 3 months of age, the average live weight (LW) was 29.34 kg and the average daily gain (ADG) was 248.35 g/day. By month 5, the LW …

Housing System And Gender Effect On Carcass And Meat Quality Characteristics In Turkish Pekin Ducks, Hasan Önder, Uğur Şen, Mi̇ne Yilmaz, Si̇bel Bozkurt, Eli̇f Ci̇lavdaroğlu, Di̇lek Gökçek, Ahmet Uçar, Kadi̇r Erensoy, Burcu Kurnaz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Improving meat quality is one of the most important aims for scientists and breeders. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of housing system (indoor vs. free-range) and gender on carcass and meat quality traits in Pekin ducks. The animal material consisted of 20 male and 20 female birds in each housing system. Our results show cold carcass weights of 3174.10 ± 80.65 g and 2672.60 ± 59.63 g for male and female birds in the indoor housing system and 2821.10 ± 50.53 g and 2306.90 ± 43.32 g for male and female birds in the free-range housing system. The …

Effects Of Preslaughter Fasting On Ph And Bacterial Contamination In Akkaraman And Anatolian Merino Sheep, Sai̇m Boztepe, Özcan Şahi̇n, Talha Demi̇rci̇, Gi̇zem Coşkun, İbrahi̇m Ayteki̇n, İsmai̇l Keski̇n

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study investigates the effects of the preslaughter fasting on pH and bacterial contamination in Akkaraman and Anatolian Merino sheep. Included in the study were 10 Akkaraman and 10 Anatolian Merino sheep (n = 20) that were fasted for 24 h prior to slaughter, and a further 10 Akkaraman and 10 Anatolian Merino sheep (n = 20) that continued to be fed until slaughter as a control group. The total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) measured at 0 and 24 h in the fasting Akkaraman and Anatolian Merino sheep were 4.87/4.79 and 4.75/5.57 log CFU/g, respectively, and the corresponding Enterobacteriaceae …

The Effects Of Sodium Perborate Tetrahydrate On Digestibility And Nutrient Transporters In Rats, Büşra Özmen, Emre Şahi̇n, Muhammed Tokmak, Veysi̇ Kayri̇, Ramazan Özmen, Kazi̇m Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient involved in hormone activity, energy metabolism, antioxidant defense, bone development, wound healing, and immune function. The present study explores the effects of sodium perborate tetrahydrate (SPT) on nutrient digestibility and the modulation of specific nutrient transporters in the jejunum and ileum of rats. A total of 40 rats were divided into four equal groups: 1) control, 2) SPT 0.5 (0.5 mg B/kg body weight [BW]), 3) SPT 1 (1 mg B/kg BW), and 4) SPT 2 (2 mg B/kg BW), and were fed the respective diets for a period of 4 weeks. The digestibility …

Morphology And Histology Of The Developing Ovary In Malaysian Village Chicken (Gallus Gallus Domesticus) Chicks, Nur Athirah Lope Abdul Rashid, Mazlina Mazlan, Intan Shameha Abdul Razak, Rozaini Mohd Zohdi, Awang Hazmi Awang Junaidi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The Malaysian village chicken (MVC; Gallus gallus domesticus) is an indigenous breed derived from the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), exhibiting slower growth and reproductive rates. The MVC plays an important ecological role in local farming systems and represents a valuable genetic resource. However, detailed information on ovarian development in this breed remains limited. This study provides the first comprehensive morphological and histological characterization of the developing ovary in MVC chicks. A total of 20 chicks aged 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks (n = 5 per age group) were examined. These MVC chicks possessed a single functional left ovary positioned …

Growing Healthy Habits: Impacts Of A Youth Community Garden For Children In Rural Mississippi, Olivia G. Degravelle

Honors Theses

This study examines the implementation and outcomes of a Youth Garden Program conducted in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Funded by the Allstate Community Service Project Grant, the Youth Garden was constructed within the previously established Pontotoc Community Garden. The initiative comprised four weekly workshops designed for participants ranging from preschool to adolescence. Each session incorporated hands-on fruit and vegetable (FV) planting or harvesting, an educational lesson, and a complementary craft activity. Children’s FV consumption patterns, nutritional knowledge, and attitudes toward FV were assessed through pre- and post-program surveys. In addition, the photo-elicitation interview method invited participants to take digital photographs of garden …

Exploring Undergraduate Student’S Perceptions Of Agriculture, Cayden J. Barton

Honors Theses

Americans today, both young and old, face issues with agricultural knowledge regarding the food and fiber industry and production agriculture as a whole (Frick et al., 1995). In a society where consumers are separated from production agriculture, public interaction with agriculture is less prevalent and the importance of agriculture is undervalued. A person’s knowledge of agriculture, or agricultural literacy affects the way that they perceive agricultural commodities and the agricultural industry (Specht, McKim, & Rutherford, 2014). Without adequate knowledge of the agricultural industry consumers cannot make well informed decisions about food safety or processing methods. In addition to consumers, government …

Socially Constructing ‘Climate Change’ In Fishing Communities Of Sarangani, Philippines, Samantha Geraldine G. De Los Santos, Ma. Larissa Lelu P. Gata

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

The intensifying impacts of climate change have become more evident in recent years. While policies and programs have been implemented in the Philippines for decades, questions remain about how climate change is understood and experienced by fishing communities, the country’s poorest sector. By applying the Ecological-Symbolic Approach, this paper inquired into the fisherfolk’s social definition of climate change. A Qualitatively Driven Sequential Explanatory (QualDSE) mixed-methods design guided the study in developing an informed, substantiated, and context-based definition of climate change. This definition was also analyzed vis-a-vis the widely held definitions in national climate policy.

The terminology “climate change” remains unknown …

The Impact Of Sex Education On College Student’S Perceptions Of Sexual Taboos, Noel Gamon

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to explore how college students' differing levels of sex education are associated with their views about sexual behavior, particularly behaviors defined as taboo. In comparison to 25 years ago, adolescents are less likely to receive important sex education today; and are unlikely to receive valuable information until after their first sexual experience. Conventionally, the benefits of a sex education program are linked with its ability to lower STI rates, unplanned pregnancies, unwanted behavior, etc. Sexual taboos are sexual practices excluded from the hegemonic heterosexual monogamous relationship model. Presently, society acknowledges a wider range of …

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus Occidentalis) Groundings On A Four-Lane Divided Highway In South Texas: A Comparative Study Using Citizen Science, Bradley Evan Beer, Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, John H. Young Jr., Richard J. Kline

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The population of the once-endangered brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) has increased over the past several decades and is now considered fully recovered. However, in south Texas, the combined effects of weather patterns, transportation infrastructure, and brown pelican biology have led to road mortalities on State Highway 48 (SH 48) at the Carl “Joe” Gayman Bridge. To mitigate these mortalities, the Texas Department of Transportation modified traffic barriers on SH 48. We aimed to examine the effect of the barrier change and determine which weather variables influence brown pelican groundings on SH 48. Citizen scientists monitored sections of SH …

Dietary Manipulations Of The Undernourished Infant Microbiome, Cyrus Zhou

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Today, undernutrition affects approximately 150 million children worldwide. During the first two years of life, the healthy gut microbial community undergoes a series of predictable developmental transitions. These transitions are delayed in undernourished children resulting in microbiota “immaturity.” In a foundational study, immature gut microbial communities from undernourished children and normally developing communities from chronologically age-matched healthy children living in the same area were transplanted into groups of germ-free mice consuming the same diet – one representative of what consumed by the study population. Compared mice with a mature gut microbiome, mice with an immature gut microbiome had impaired weight …

False Halos: A Case Of Digoxin Poisoning, Usman Nazeer, Sarita Thanedar, Jacob Sanderson, Gongkai Liu, Hitesh Gidwani

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Secondary Contact Dynamics In White-Breasted Nuthatches (Sitta Carolinensis) Across The Pine Ridge Of Nebraska, Eugene A. Huryn

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Populations’ interactions in contact zones are important for understanding divergence dynamics of closely related taxa. Such interactions may vary from inter-population divergence being reinforced to secondary contact resulting in the creation of a hybrid swarm. The ecology of each lineage, and different factors like behavior and ecological niches, may impact the outcome of such contact. However, there is little current research on how habitat choice at local scales might reflect distinct populations, particularly in cryptic species. To study how niche dynamics affect diversification, we studied the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) complex in northwestern Nebraska. Two members of this …

The Efficacy Of Manganese Sulfate As A Negative Contrast Agent For Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography, Zainab Abdulla Mankhi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The current study aims to find an alternate oral contrast media for use in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) that satisfies the following criteria, the greatest imaging quality safety, no or few side effects, and low cost. The present study created an oral contrast agent sample (solution) by dissolving a one tablet of manganese sulfate supplement (taken daily dose) in 200 ml of distilled water. Thirty-three volunteers assessed the sample using MRCP examine pre and post contrast. By evaluating the signal intensity to compute contrast (C), signal to noise ratios (SNR), and contrast to noise ratio (CNR), the resulting MR images …

Evaluating Ai-Driven Sustainable Neuro-Urbanism Through A Human-Centered Framework: The Case Of Ras Elbar City, Egypt, Esraa Elazab, Ahmed Eltawil

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study applies and evaluates a previously developed human-centered framework for AI-driven sustainable neuro-urbanism through a case study of Ras Elbar City, Egypt. Building on earlier conceptual research that integrated artificial intelligence (AI), neuroscience-informed design, and sustainability principles, this paper seeks to test the framework’s practical relevance in the context of a developing coastal city. Using qualitative evaluation methods, including field observation and spatial assessment, the research examines twelve key urban design elements such as green spaces, mobility networks, lighting, and soundscapes. Each element is analyzed across three dimensions: neuro-urbanism goals, AI integration, and sustainability outcomes. The findings show that …

Feeding Strategies And Milking Behavior In Robotic Milking Systems, Katherine M. Kennedy, Elizabeth French, Porter D. Ricks, Emma K. Lundgreen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Adoption of automatic milking systems (AMS) in the US are expected to increase rapidly in the coming years driven primarily by a desire to improve labor efficiency and flexibility and decrease reliance on hired labor. As such, feeding and milking strategies to best optimize milk production and economic gains tailored to US dairy production systems are needed. Initially introduced as a method to encourage the cow to visit the AMS more frequently, offered feeds through the AMS provide an opportunity to individualize nutrient needs. Often, a pelleted concentrate is offered through the AMS due to its uniformity and customizable nature. …

Three-Dimensional Imaging Of Neuronal Activation Patterns In Chronic Neuropathic Pain And Opioid Pharmacology, Madeline Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Chronic neuropathic pain severely diminishes quality of life, yet the supraspinal neural circuits that sustain pain perception and mediate analgesic relief remain incompletely characterized. While peripheral and spinal pain pathways are well established, relatively few studies have mapped pain- or opioid-related neuronal activation across the entire brain. This dissertation employed activity-dependent genetic labeling (TRAP2/Ai9), whole-brain tissue clearing, light sheet microscopy, and graph-theoretic network analysis to characterize brain-wide activation patterns across chronic pain and analgesic conditions in mice.

In Chapter 1, we mapped supraspinal neuronal activation in a bilateral spared nerve injury model of chronic neuropathic pain. Although no individual region …

Maintaining And Axenizing Live Cyanobacterial Cultures For Bacterial Genome Sequencing, Yufei Wang, Louisa Acquah

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are an

increasing concern in western Kansas, yet the

bloom-forming species in this region remain

poorly characterized. In this study, we

established and maintained axenic

cyanobacterial cultures to support future

genomic and ecological investigations. By

ensuring low contamination levels and stable

growth conditions, this work provides a

foundation for downstream analyses of bloom-

forming cyanobacteria. It contributes to a better

understanding of freshwater ecosystem health

in western Kansas.

Continuous Light And Pinealectomy: Two Models Of Melatonin Deficiency Revealing Distinct Interactions With Vitamin D Deficiency On Blood Parameters, Rebaz Sedeeq Shekh, Ismail Mustafa Maulood

Polytechnic Journal

Modern lifestyles reduce sunlight exposure and increase artificial light at night, potentially promoting vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and melatonin (MEL) suppression. The two hormones regulate immunity, erythropoiesis, and platelet (PLT) indices, but their combined hematological effects are not well characterized. We investigated the independent and combined effects of VDD and MEL deficiency on leukocyte profiles, erythrocyte indices, and PLT parameters in albino rats using two 12-week models (n = 8/group): continuous light (CL)-induced MEL suppression (Control, CL, VDD, and CL + VDD) and pinealectomy (Px)-induced MEL deficiency (Sham. Px, VDD, Px + VDD). Complete blood counts (CBCs) and inflammation-related ratios …

An Occupation-Based Support Group For Underserved Adults Living With Lymphedema, Amivi Amega

Student Capstone Papers

Lymphedema is a chronic condition that can significantly impact physical function, psychosocial well-being, and participation in meaningful occupations. Although traditional management primarily focuses on physical symptom reduction, gaps remain in addressing long-term participation and quality of life, particularly among underserved populations. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop an occupation-based support group manual designed to support both the physical and psychosocial needs of adults living with lymphedema.

This project was informed by a needs assessment and expert feedback from Certified Lymphedema Therapists, enhancing clinical relevance and applicability. The manual integrates principles from the Model of Human Occupation and …

Mechanistic Insights Into E. Coli Recovery From Growth Arrest, Ahmed H. Hassan, Yuko Nakano, Howard Gamper, Isao Masuda, Ludmila Vesela, Matyas Pinkas, Sathya Narayanan Nagarajan, Jonathan Dworkin, Gregor Blaha, Ya-Ming Hou, Gabriel Demo

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Bacteria survive hostile conditions by shutting down protein synthesis, but how they restart growth remains poorly understood. Here, we use an E. coli ΔrimM strain, which exhibits a prolonged growth arrest, as a model to investigate how bacteria recover from this state and restore protein synthesis. RimM is a conserved ribosome maturation factor for the 3'-major (head) domain of the 16S rRNA within the bacterial 30S subunit. The loss of RimM causes a longer delay in recovery than other 30S maturation factors, including RbfA. Cryo-EM analysis of ΔrimM ribosomes suggests a delayed recruitment of ribosomal proteins to the 30S head …

Repetition, Rhythm, And Recovery: The Health Benefits Of Fiber Arts, Talia Longo

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

Rewiring The Neuron Jungle: Training Your Monkey Mind With Mindfulness, Shanudom Impat

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

What Do You Believe? Primal World Beliefs And Their Potential Applications, Savannah Hollen

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Next Gold Rush May Be In The Stars, Ned Markham

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

How Do Vaccines Work?, Natalie Small

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

Nicotine Without Smoke: What Oral Pouches Really Mean For Heal, Luke Surrusco

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

Will A Robot Be Your Next Dentist?, Garrett Mayover

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

Is Artifical Intelligence "Truly" Intelligent?, Camila Nicole Valdman

Osmosis Magazine

No abstract provided.

Assessing Walleye Recruitment Via Otc Marks And Temporal Sampling Changes In Smallmouth Bass Population Structure In Lake Mcconaughy, Nebraska, Robert D. Allison Iv

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Lake McConaughy is a socially and economically important reservoir managed to provide diverse, high-quality angling opportunities. Walleye are the most frequently targeted species, although Smallmouth Bass have increased in popularity in recent years due to improvements in abundance and size structure. Walleye have been stocked annually since 1989 to support the population and have been the focus of extensive research. In contrast, Smallmouth Bass have been present for over 80 years and are self-sustaining; however, their population has not been formally evaluated since introduction.

The first objective of this study was to develop an oxytetracycline (OTC) mark retention correction factor …