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Effects Of Spirulina And Nannochloropsis Supplementations On The Meat Quality And Sensory Properties Of Broiler Carcasses, Shreyash S. Patel

Master's Theses

Microalgae are a promising feed ingredient due to their high content of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, vitamins, pigments, and enzymes. This study evaluated the effects of algae as a dietary supplementation on the appearance, quality, and sensory attributes of broiler carcasses. In each of experiment I and II, a total of 54 Ross-708 broilers were randomly obtained from the pool of 270 broilers in the 18 floor pens of soybean-mealbased diets at 0, 2.5%, and 5% Spirulina (Experiment I) and Nannochloropsis (Experiment II) supplements in the Poultry Unit at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA). Broiler carcasses …

Art, Play, And Neuroplasticity: Advancing Dementia Care Through Art-Enriched Environments, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Dementia represents a global public health crisis, characterized not only by progressive memory loss but by a pervasive decline in cognitive flexibility, social functioning, and overall quality of life. Traditional therapeutic modalities, often limited to pharmacological management and cognitive training, have yielded only modest gains in symptom mitigation and patient well-being. Recent advances in neuroscience have illuminated the brain‘s capacity for neuroplasticity—its inherent ability to adapt, reorganize, and form new neural connections even in advanced age and the presence of neurodegenerative conditions. This emerging understanding invites a critical re-evaluation of dementia care strategies, highlighting the potential of non-pharmacological interventions to …

Enhancing Stability And Emissions In Metal Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals Through Mn2+ Doping, Thi Thu Trinh Phan, Thi Thuy Kieu Nguyen, Trung Kien Mac, Minh Tuan Trinh

Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Research

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) nanocrystals (NCs) offer great potential for high-efficiency optoelectronic devices; however, they suffer from structural softness and chemical instability. Doping MHP NCs can overcome this issue. In this work, we synthesize Mn-doped methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr₃) NCs using the ligand-assisted reprecipitation method and investigate their structural and optical stability. X-ray diffraction confirms Mn²⁺ substitution at Pb²⁺ sites and lattice contraction. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show a blue shift, significant PL quantum yield enhancement, reaching 72% at 17% Mn²⁺ doping, and a 34% increase compared to undoped samples, attributed to effective defect passivation and …

An Unusual Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus Buccinator) In Nebraska: Albinism Or Leucism?, Jacob C. Cooper, Peggy M. Huss, Eugene A. Huryn, Cody Mcgregor

Nebraska Bird Review

On 26 January 2025, we observed a large mixed flock of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) and Tundra Swans (C. columbianus) at Hansen Reservoir ca. 7 miles (11 km) NNW of North Platte along the east side of Nebraska Highway 97. The flock of 158 swans consisted of 4 “Whistling” Tundra Swans (C. c. columbianus), 153 typical Trumpeter Swans, and one individual that we were not immediately able to identify. Our unknown swan was in the company of a family group of Trumpeter Swans but immediately stood out due to its broad yellow base of …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Tri-State Meeting With Iowa Ornithologists' Union And South Dakota Ornithologists' Union, South Sioux City, Nebraska, May 16-18, 2025

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU Spring Meeting was held at the Salvation Army Western Plains Camp in South Sioux City, Nebraska, in conjunction with the IOU and SDOU, with approximately 180 attending. The organizers of the meeting included Chris Anderson and Mark Schmidtbauer from South Dakota, Tyler Harms and Kevin Murphy from Iowa, and Ruth Stearns, Joel Jorgenson, and Paul Pearson from Nebraska.

A scientific poster session featuring the work of 9 ornithological researchers from UN-Kearney, USD-Vermillion, and Hitchcock Nature Center was held Friday evening. Thanks to Dr. Jacob Cooper from UNK, Dr. David Swanson from USD, and the students who participated.

Field …

The Role Of Socioeconomic Status In Shaping Associations Between Sensory Association Cortex And Prefrontal Structure And Implications For Executive Function, Maya L. Rosen, Divyangana Rakesh, Rachel R. Romeo

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with widespread differences in structure of temporal, parietal, occipital, and frontal cortices. Development of sensory processing regions—in particular visual association cortex (VAC) and auditory association cortex (AAC)—may scaffold development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Experiences that correlate with SES like cognitive stimulation and language may influence VAC and AAC development, in turn allowing the PFC to resolve conflicts between similar stimuli. SES-related differences in these regions may partly explain differences in executive function (EF) skills. Here, we use structural equation modeling of longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study to test the …

Discovery Of Alcohol Dehydrogenase (Adh) As A Potential Vaccine Target From Mycolicibacterium Smegmatis Extracellular Vesicles Via Immunoproteomics, M. Jayaram, N. Othman, Khayriyyah Mohd Hanafiah, M. Azlan, N. Arifin

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the causative agent of tuberculosis, releases extracellular vesicles (EVs) that impair macrophage functions and circulate bacterial components to modulate the host immune response. While EVs are increasingly investigated as new vaccines and biomarkers, studying MTB EVs is challenging due to the slow growth rate and pathogenic properties of MTB. Mycolicibacterium smegmatis (MSMEG), a non-pathogenic surrogate with a faster growth rate, offers a safer and more convenient option for laboratory studies due to its similarities to MTB. In this study, we explore the antigenic properties of MSMEG EVs to assess their potential use in developing safer tuberculosis vaccine …

Nou Tri-State Meeting—South Sioux City [Spring 2025 Nou Meeting Species Tally]

Nebraska Bird Review

Bird species tally (185) for the Spring 2025 NOU Tri-State Meeting, South Sioux City (Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Tri-State Meeting with Iowa Ornithologists’ Union and South Dakota Ornithologists’ Union, South Sioux City, Nebraska, May 16–18, 2025)

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Abstracts Of Posters Presented At South Sioux City Nou Meeting

Nebraska Bird Review

A scientific poster session featuring the work of 9 ornithological researchers from UN-Kearney, USD-Vermillion and Hitchcock Nature Center was held Friday evening. Thanks to Dr. Jacob Cooper from UNK, Dr. David Swanson from USD, and the students who participated.

Wandering from the River: On- and Off-River Abundance of Interior Least Terns along the 59-Mile Reach of the Missouri National Recreational River. Zoe Donelan, Hannah Slattery, Kyle Jorgensen, and David L. Swanson, University of South Dakota, Department of Biology.

Preliminary Results of Raptor Migration Monitoring at Hitchcock Nature Center. Kellie Hayden, Jerry Toll, and Sandy Reinken, Hitchcock Nature Center, Pottawattamie Conservation, …

Spring Field Report, March–May 2025, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Perhaps the most important takeaway this spring is the continuing phenomenon of large numbers of species with early spring arrival dates. Although about half as many as 2024, there were 64 examples of either tied or new early arrival dates, most obviously of insectivores such as swifts, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, pipits, longspurs, and 10 warbler species. Among these, record or near-record early were Whip-poor-will, Black-necked Stilt, Marbled Godwit, Black Tern, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Purple Martin, Rock Wren, Gray Catbird in central, Spotted Towhee in north and west, and Hooded Warbler.

Following along logically perhaps with early arrival dates were a number …

The Nebraska Bird Review (June 2025) 93(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March–May 2025, by W. Ross Silcock

NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting in South Sioux City, May 16–18, 2025

Abstracts of posters presented at Spring 2025 NOU Meeting

Spring 2025 NOU Meeting Species Tally

An Unusual Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) in Nebraska: Albinism or Leucism? by Jacob C. Cooper, Peggy M. Huss, Eugene A. Huryn, and Cody McGregor

Subscription and Organization Information

When Trees Disappear: Understory Successional Implications Of Sudden Oak Death And High-Severity Wildfire In Big Sur, California, Sam J. Balthazard

Master's Theses

The rapidly emerging disease sudden oak death, caused by the non-native pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, is transforming coastal California forests by driving extensive mortality of tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) and increasing fire severity. As a novel disturbance, sudden oak death and its interaction with wildfire may catalyze unexpected shifts in successional trajectories and reconfigure forest understory communities. Furthermore, how tanoak influences the forest understory and how its decline might reshape understory dynamics remain poorly understood. We hypothesize that disease alone and the compounding disturbances of disease and wildfire alter successional dynamics, and that the potential functional extinction of N. …

Oviposition-Deterrent And Repellent Effects Of Synthetic Plant-Derived Compounds On The Pulse Beetle, Callosobruchus Chinensis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), Akki Suma, M Rajadurai, Ac Lokesh, Mb Anusha, S Krishna Kumar

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major stored pest of pulses (Fabaceae) in India. While effective control of this widespread and destructive insect pest is essential, continuous insecticide use poses environmental concerns, thereby necessitating alternative, eco-friendly control methods. This study evaluated the oviposition-deterrent effects of 7 synthetic compounds (linalool, guaiene, citral, estragole, 4-nonanone, alloaromadendrene, and citronellal) on C. chinensis. Linalool showed the strongest suppression of egg-laying at higher concentrations, with the lowest egg count at 500 ppm compared to the control, followed by citral, citronellal, and guaiene. Linalool was also effective in suppressing egg hatching at …

Antimicrobial Activity In Auxin-Induced Formation Of In Vitro Culture- Derived Aloe Vera Roots, Eufrocinio Marfori, Bernadette Rapiz

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Aloe vera is a perennial, succulent plant which has been used in folk medicine for wound-healing, as its roots have been reported to exhibit remarkable antimicrobial properties. However, collecting the roots is detrimental to plant growth and development. Hence, an alternative system of producing A. vera roots must be developed. Tissue culture is a potential tool to obtain A. vera root biomass, which can serve as raw materials for the large-scale production of antimicrobial compounds. In this study, individual shoots taken from the multiple shoot culture of A. vera were induced to form roots in MS medium supplemented with 1 …

A Review On The Cytogenetic Integrity Of Micropropagated Plants [Review Paper], Eliaza Alumbro Peniton Jr

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Cytogenetic stability is essential for the survival of micropropagated plants. While micropropagation allows rapid propagation of plants with desirable phenotypes, it may also produce genetic variations that are, at times, cytogenetically observable. Factors affecting these variations are not fully understood, and micropropagation protocols are optimized to produce genetically stable regenerants. The genetic stability of micropropagated plants is traditionally assessed by comparing the phenomorphological traits of the regenerants to the mother plant. However, genetic variation does not often result in obvious morphological changes. Therefore, molecular and cytogenetic markers are typically used to evaluate the genetic variations of regenerants. Moreover, analyzing plant …

Productivity Of Lowland Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) As Affected By The Integration Of Nutrio® Biofertilizer, Emil John Cabrera, Cathrene Amante, Virginia Padilla

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Recent developments in rice cultivation in the Philippines are integrating sustainable methods in production systems to boost productivity and safeguard environmental integrity. An example of this is the use of biofertilizers such as Nutrio^®, a microbial-based foliar fertilizer that promotes nitrogen fixation and the production of plant growth-promoting hormones. Nutrio^® has been tested for sugarcane and is being explored for rice cultivation applications to maximize its utilization and benefits. This study aimed to assess the effects of Nutrio^® biofertilizer on rice production in selected farms during the 2019 wet season and the 2020 dry season in …

Isolation And Enumeration Of Salmonella Enterica From Fresh Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L.) Leaves And Its Susceptibility To Different Washing Protocols, Meinard Talplacido, Angella Melissa Carlos, Bryan Rey Oliveros, Ida Dalmacio

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Lettuce is one of the most consumed fresh produce items in the country, but it also serves as a vehicle for human pathogens, posing a risk of foodborne illness. This study used conventional microbiological and molecular analyses to obtain the concentration and prevalence of Salmonella enterica in fresh Green Ice and Iceberg lettuce leaves from selected supermarkets in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The efficacy of different household washing procedures in reducing S. enterica on lettuce leaves was also investigated. Of the 19 composite Green Ice lettuce and 21 composite Iceberg lettuce samples tested, 5.26% and 4.76%, respectively, were contaminated with …

Sustainability Analysis Of Olive Production In Hatay Province, Turkey, Gülșen Keskin, Ahmet Duran Celik, Tugce Sarioglu

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Hatay Province, located in the Southern Mediterranean region of Turkey, contributes approximately 7% of the country’s olive production. This study assessed the sustainability of olive enterprises in the province by interviewing 100 producers across 5 districts. A total of 33 variables (10 economic, 14 social, 9 environmental) were identified and used to evaluate sustainability. Results showed that 76% of the enterprises were considered “fragile”, 14% were considered “good”, and 10% were considered “poor”, with the highest scores obtained for social sustainability (58%), and the lowest obtained for environmental sustainability (7%). Statistically significant relationships were also found between sustainability and the …

Effects Of Water Deficit Stress And Mycorrhiza, Azotobacter Chroococcum, And Azospirillum Lipoferum Biofertilizers On Yield And Morphological Traits Of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Cultivars, Mehdi Rashnou, Farshid Aref, Bahram Amiri, Masoud Rafiee, Mahdi Zare

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Crop production in various parts of Iran faces significant constraints due to insufficient water availability, which is a major challenge to agricultural productivity. To study the effects of water deficit stress on shoot and root growth characteristics and seed yield of different wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, an experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement and 3 replications. The main factor was irrigation treatments (full irrigation during the growing season [S1], water withholding after flowering [S2], and water withholding after grain filling at the milk stage [S3]). The secondary factors were wheat cultivars …

Growth And Survival Of Silver Therapon (Leiopotherapon Plumbeus [Kner, 1864]) Larvae Fed With Artemia Franciscana Enriched With Isolated Endogenous Probiotic Bacteria, John Carlo Unido, Precious Dee Tolentino, Christian Paul Dela Cruz, Carmela Jhoy Dy, Honey Grace Samonte

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and identify endogenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the gut of silver therapon (Leiopotherapon plumbeus) and to evaluate their potential as probiotics by enriching live food organisms, specifically brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana), and feeding them to L. plumbeus larvae. Three unknown bacterial isolates were screened and characterized as catalase-negative, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria that showed tolerance to pH and bile, growth at temperatures of 30 and 40 °C, and inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria in vitro. The selected isolate was then confirmed as Lactobacillus sp. through partial sequencing of its 16S …

Capfish Project Report : Summer Academy For The Pacific Islands, Kathleen Auld, Francis Neat, Raphaël Baumler

Reports

The CAPFISH Project was created in response to an identified need for capacity-building to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related matters - a complex problem affecting aquatic ecosystems, coastal communities, fishers and fish workers, and economic and national security. Over the last four years, the CAPFISH Project has provided training and educational materials on IUU fishing to developing country administrations around the world, most recently with a two-week regional Summer Academy for the Pacific Islands. This Academy ran for two weeks and included delegates from fisheries, labour, safety, maritime, foreign affairs, and enforcement administrations in the Pacific …

Parvalbumin Interneuron-Oligodendrocyte Interactions In The Infralimbic Cortex Promote Extracellular Plasticity Mechanisms After Safety Learning, Lucy Emma Denholtz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ability to differentiate between threat and safety cues is essential for adaptive behavior, yet this process is disrupted in psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where safety cues fail to downregulate fear expression. To better understand the neurobiological mechanisms of safety learning, I investigate how safety conditioning vs contextual fear conditioning modify behavioral and cellular mechanisms in the infralimbic (IL) region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) at several time points after learning. Through this work, I identify a novel mechanism whereby safety learning promotes learning dependent neuro-glial interactions that promote conditions for plasticity in the mPFC. …

Disturbance And Diversity: Lichens In Changing Landscapes, Laura Boggess

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Disturbance is a fundamental ecological force that shapes biodiversity, community composition, and ecosystem function. Human-driven disturbances—such as habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and air pollution—are increasing worldwide, altering ecosystems at unprecedented rates. While ecological research has illuminated many effects of disturbance, significant knowledge gaps remain for underappreciated but ecologically vital organisms, such as lichens. Lichens are obligate symbioses between at least one fungus and one alga or cyanobacterium. As such, they are sensitive bioindicators of environmental change, offering unique insights into ecosystem health due to their responses to stressors such as poor air quality, habitat fragmentation, and deforestation. Yet, their responses to …

Environmental Enrichment Reduces Cue-Induced Reinstatement Of Heroin-Seeking Following Prolonged Use And Reverses Region-Specific Heroin-Induced Neuroadaptations, Apoorva Vashisht

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Relapse remains the greatest barrier to long-term recovery and the consequential rising overdose-related mortality in heroin use disorder (HUD). Currently available behavioral and pharmacological interventions fail to extend their benefits beyond the duration of the treatment. Additionally, opioid agonist-based medications accompany harmful neurobiological risks and propensity to promote further drug-seeking post-treatment. We have shown that environmental enrichment (EE), as a therapeutic strategy applied after drug intravenous-self administration (IVSA), can effectively facilitate abstinence and reduce reinstatement of drug-seeking in animal models of drug abuse. Moreover, dopamine receptors like D1 and D3, and mu-opioid (MO) receptors are well known for their …

Understanding How Genetic Mutations Induce Oligodendrocyte Progenitors To Become Cancer Cells, Dennis Huang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Gliomas are the most devastating adult brain tumors characterized by poor survival rate and limited options for treatment. Previous studies have shown that they are very heterogeneous and can be further sub-classified based on their transcriptional signature and the presence of specific mutations. One such subtype, is the “proneural glioma”, which is characterized by the enrichment in oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) transcripts and mutations in genes encoding for the tumor suppressor P53 (Trp53) and for Platelet Derived Grow Factor (PDGF) signaling. Since OPCs are the most abundant proliferative population in the adult brain, in this …

Biophysical Analysis Of S100a12 And The Nucleosome Core Particle, Christopher Diforte Jr.

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Calcium signaling and chromatin remodeling are fundamental regulatory processes that control protein activity and gene expression, respectively. This thesis investigates the molecular mechanisms by which local ligand binding and structural perturbations propagate allosteric effects across larger protein systems, using two distinct yet mechanistically analogous models: the calcium binding protein S100A12 and the nucleosome core particle. These studies are unified by a shared emphasis on how physical forces govern biological function.

In the first part, we explore calcium mediated allostery in S100A12, focusing on the distinct roles of its two EF-hand calcium binding loops (EF-I and EF-II). Through a combination of …

Individual, Social, And Environmental Factors Associated With Patterns Of Parasitic Infection In Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus Imitator), Megan C. Henriquez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Parasites, and the infectious diseases they carry, are thought to have significantly impacted our evolutionary trajectory for millennia. Exploring how parasites are acquired and transmitted by their hosts in wild, natural populations is integral to understanding how similar processes may have shaped host-parasite co-evolutionary relationships over time. However, parasitological studies in humans and in non-human primates have produced inconsistent results, highlighting the dynamic, nuanced, and unique relationships individual parasites have with their hosts. These relationships are largely regulated by variation in factors at host, social, and environmental levels. Characteristics unique to the host (e.g., age and sex), factors pertaining to …

Structural Studies Towards The Mechanism Of Scanning And Initiator Trna Recruitment During Eukaryotic Translation Initiation, Da Cui

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The central dogma, proposed by Francis Crick in 1958, marks the direction of the flow of genetic information: from DNA to DNA (DNA replication), DNA to RNA (transcription), and RNA to protein (translation). Each of these is tightly regulated and important for cells and organisms to function correctly, grow, and reproduce.

In the eukaryotic system, the initiation stage of translation is the first, the rate-limiting, and the most regulated stage. It involves direct regulation of multiple eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs), scanning factors such as DHX29, and other factors such as Poly-A binding protein (PABP). It starts with the small subunit …

Baseline Predictors Of Responders To Auricular Point Acupressure In Chronic Low Back Pain, Nada Lukkahatai, Wanqi Chen, Jennifer Kawi, Hulin Wu, Claudia M Campbell, Johannes Thrul, Xinran Huang, Paul Christo, Constance M Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a major cause of disability, with varied patient responses to treatments. Auricular point acupressure (APA) has shown potential as a non-pharmacological intervention, but individual responses may differ significantly.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the predictability of baseline characteristics, including functional disability, symptom severity, and treatment expectancy, on clinically significant responses to APA in reducing pain and improving function.

Methods: A secondary analysis was performed using data from a randomized controlled trial with 263 cLBP patients. Participants were randomly assigned to targeted APA (T-APA), non-targeted APA (NT-APA), or to a control group. APA …