Night-Time Warming And Prey Availability Interact To Influence Physiology In Prairie Lizards (Sceloporus Consobrinus), Allison R. Litmer, Morgan K. Pelley, Steven J. Beaupre

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Among ectotherms, temperature and food availability are drivers of individual and population characteristics. Increasing night-time temperatures due to climate change can increase energetic demands, potentially amplified or mitigated by prey consumption. Few studies examine night-time temperatures specifically, and consequences of co-occurring changes in the abiotic and biotic environment. Thus, we examined interactions between warming night-time temperatures and prey availability (as a proxy of foraging time and effectiveness), and how they affect food consumption, digestive passage time, metabolizable energy intake (MEI), assimilated energy, and fecal and urate production in a model organism, prairie lizards (Sceloporus consobrinus). Three temperature treatments (current conditions, …

Effect Of Amino Acid Derivatives And Polyphenol Supplementation On Skeletal Muscle Growth In-Vitro And In-Vivo, Gabriella C. Iheanacho

All Theses

Background

Satellite cells (SCs) are myogenic precursor cells that play a crucial role in muscle growth, and their activity can be influenced by nutrient supplementation. Muscle growth can also be stimulated using growth-promoting hormones; however, there are no approved growth hormones for use in sheep in the United States (Qaid & Abdoun, 2022). This limitation highlights a need to identify alternative compounds that would serve as nutrient supplements to enhance muscle growth and thereby improve meat production. Amino acid derivatives such as guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), along with the polyphenol quercetin, are naturally derived compounds that have shown …

Ecological And Social Resilience In Wildfire-Prone Communities, Melissa Burnett

All Theses

Climate projections suggest extreme weather variability, introducing extremely wet years, followed by years with extreme drought. These weather conditions are creating fire weather conducive to increasing wildfires across the southeast over the next century, which can have extreme ecological consequences. The Appalachian Mountains historically had some of the highest fire frequencies in North America but have been subjected to decades of fire suppression and prevention policies, resulting in an environment subject to more high-severity wildfires. The fall of 2016 was one of the driest seasons on record in this region and resulted in intense and destructive fires in the southeastern …

Polyphenols For The Mitigation Of Vascular Calcification; In Vitro And In Vivo Studies, Abdullah Altuhami

All Theses

Globally, cardiovascular diseases, in most cases associated with calcification, are the main cause of death. However, currently, the only effective cure is to undergo surgery to augment or receive a healthy donor heart, which could be very difficult due to the long waiting list and the associated risks. The possibility of body rejection of the foreign organs is attributed to immunoreaction or the risk of infection, since the donor must be on immunosuppressant drugs that lower the body's immunity and facilitate the body's acceptance of the new organ as one of its own. Taking that into consideration, using tissue-engineered vascular …

Assessing Grafted Triploid Watermelon And Yellow Nutsedge Growth In Saline Agroecosystems, Joseph F. Bazzle

All Theses

In an effort to better understand how saltwater intrusion events will impact watermelon growers a field trial was conducted to study how saline irrigation water will impact weed growth and seedless watermelon productivity at a joint Clemson University and USDA ARS facility. Weed management has always been a hurdle in vegetable crop production systems, requiring extensive labor even in a conventional setup. For organic growers, often the only economical approach is a combination of mechanical weed control techniques, including plastic mulches, tarps, and hand weeding. For watermelon growers, plastic mulch remains the most effective form of organic weed control available. …

Determining The Impact Of Surface Roughness On Disinfection Efficacy Of Commercial Products Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa And Staphylococcus Aureus Wet Surface Biofilms, Kayley Stallings

All Theses

Biofilms are resistant to many stressors including disinfectant treatments. Disinfection may be further complicated by biofilms formed on damaged surfaces, as the damaged parts provide bacteria a better place to attach and grow. To better understand the risks, a new method to standardize surface scratching, to emulate worn surfaces via surface roughness changes was developed. These surfaces were used to grow biofilms with an adapted standardized EPA method to determine disinfection efficacy differences on scratched and non-scratched high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and stainless steel (SS) coupons treated with commercial disinfectants [hypochlorite (CL)-based, hydrogen peroxide (HP)-based, and quaternary ammonium (QA)-based]. Post-80 grit …

Cultivation Of Botryococcus Braunii For The Production Of Hydrocarbons Suitable For Fuel Use, Bryan C. Carroll

All Theses

Energy security, rural poverty, and climate change are pressing issues of our time. Biofuels provide a solution to these issues, with a focus on sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, due to compatibility with aircraft infrastructure and energy density. This research aims to review and produce knowledge about a specific microalga, Botryococcus braunii, for its potential for SAF. First a literature review on the process was conducted followed by an experimental study on the impact of aqueous media and inorganic carbon its growth and hydrocarbon content. The literature review found the process consists of cultivation followed by lipid extraction or hydrothermal …

Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) Movement And Habitat Selection In The Edisto River, South Carolina, Jacob Hill

All Theses

Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) are a commercially and recreationally important fish native to the Atlantic Coast of the United States. They possess a diversity of life history strategies, with northern populations tending to be anadromous and southern populations being primarily river residents. In general, southern populations are less studied, posing challenges for effective management. Between 2019 and 2024, we tagged 37 Striped Bass with acoustic telemetry transmitters in order to study seasonal migration patterns and summer habitat selection. We estimated migration probability for both the spring and fall Striped Bass migrations using data from an array of passive …

Restoring A Longleaf Pine Savanna In The Wiregrass Gap: Community Responses To Post-Harvest Slash Manipulation, Eva Purcell

All Theses

Now reduced to just a fraction of their historical range, Longleaf pine savannas in the southeastern United States are home to a wide array of species, some of which are threatened or endemic. These characteristics have inspired widespread restoration initiatives in recent decades, accompanied by an expanding literature on how management techniques affect restoration outcomes. However, research is lacking in a unique region of longleaf pine’s range, where the dominant fire-carrying grasses are different: the Wiregrass Gap. This study investigated the effects of three different slash manipulation treatments on restoration outcomes of a Wiregrass Gap longleaf pine savanna. Specifically, we …

Invited Review: Effects Of Management On Performance Of Stocker Cattle And Subsequent Feedlot Performance: A Review Within Applied Animal Science, M.A. Snider, M.S. Gadberry, J.D. Rivera

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to summarize relevant research from the journal Applied Animal Science (formerly known as The Professional Animal Scientist) between 1995 and 2024, that explores management practices and concepts as they relate to stocker calf performance and subsequent feedlot performance. A secondary objective of this review is to describe research trends and identify knowledge and research gaps within existing literature. Sources: Sources for this article included peer-reviewed scientific literature obtained from the journal Applied Animal Science, formerly known as The Professional Animal Scientist. Literature used in this review included original research, short communications, technical notes, …

In Vitro Assessment Of The Antihistomonal Activity Of Methyl Jasmonate And Jasmonic Acid, Mckayla B. Williams

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Histomonas meleagridis is a protozoan parasite and the causative agent of histomonosis in gallinaceous birds. There are currently no approved prevention or treatment options available for histomonosis control in the United States. Mortality in affected turkey flocks can exceed 80% which highlights the urgent need for research investigating novel strategies to mitigate histomonosis in the field. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antihistomonal and antibacterial effects of of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and jasmonic acid (JA), two plant-derived compounds, in a xenic culture of H. meleagridis. Assays were conducted using cultured H. meleagridis (PHL strain) treated …

Hyperspectral Indicators And Characterization Of Glyphosate-Induced Stress In Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium Album L.), Mario Soto, Aurelie M. Poncet, Nilda Roma-Burgos, O. Wesley France, Juan C. Velasquez, Amanda J. Ashworth, Kristofor R. Brye, Cengiz Koparan

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hyperspectral sensors are increasingly used to develop optimized vegetation indices (VIs) that capture plant spectral response to specific stressors. The project goal was to develop quantitative metrics for characterization of weed response to herbicide application. This work applied hyperspectral sensing to describe and predict the spectral response of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L., CHEAL) to glyphosate application. Thirteen treatments, including one glyphosate rate used alone or in combination with eleven adjuvants plus one non- treated control, were applied to CHEAL seedlings cultivated in a greenhouse. Visible injury ratings and non- imaging hyperspectral data were collected 14 days after treatment application. …

The Role Of Cleavage And Polyadenylation Spcific Factor 6 (Cpsf6) In Hematopoiesis, Fengxi Ye

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 6 (Cpsf6) translocation is frequently reported in APLL, which is Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)-like acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other types of blood diseases associated with abnormal hematopoiesis. CPSF6 is a subunit of the Cleavage Factor I mammalian (CFIm) complex, which regulates post-transcriptional alternative polyadenylation (APA) of pre-mRNAs. Previous research indicated that Cpsf6 plays an essential role in alternative polyadenylation, development, and tumorigenesis. However, the role of Cpsf6 in hematopoiesis is unknown. Given its roles in APA, development and cancer, we hypothesize that Cpsf6 plays a critical role in hematopoiesis and that its …

Coastal Transition Zone Development Effects On Salt Marsh Ecology, Amanda Mei Pysher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The coastal transition zone (CTZ) is a regional gradient linking terrestrial and marine systems, comprising of the terrestrial upland, the marsh-upland ecotone, and estuarine salt marshes. Along all US coastlines, including the South Carolina (SC) coast from Little River to Georgetown, increases in anthropogenic development of terrestrial uplands have altered the historically established vegetation, and various physical, chemical, biological, and geological gradients. Despite the CTZ's ecological importance, the trickle-down effects of terrestrial upland development on associated high marsh habitats remain understudied. Data were collected from developed (DEV) and undeveloped (UND) shorelines across three SC estuarine inlets. Multilevel modeling (MLM) was …

Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sand tigers Carcharias taurus are mackerel sharks with a disjunct global distribution in tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic, sand tigers migrate along the coast of the eastern United States from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and occupy structurally complex benthic habitats. The long-term, underwater camera installation, SharkCam, at Frying Pan Tower, off Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, sits atop an expanse of hard bottom reef frequented by sand tigers. The citizen-science platform Spot A Shark USA (SAS USA) uses images of sand tigers to identify and track individuals. This study utilized image encounters from SAS USA …

A Multi-Isotope Investigation Of Mammoth Diet, Habitat, And Movement Patterns In The Central Great Plains, U.S.A., Jacob Mccloskey

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Great Plains in Nebraska consisted of wooded parklands and grasslands, whereas spruce (Picea) forests, parklands, and steppe grasslands dominated east of the Missouri River. I analyzed bulk carbon (δ¹³C), oxygen (δ¹⁸O), and strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) isotopes from tooth enamel in isolated mammoth (Mammuthus) molars to compare diet and movement patterns in two late Pleistocene assemblages: one in Nebraska (n = 24), and one in western Iowa and Missouri (n = 17). Furthermore, I identified a morphometric subset of molars as …

Evaluation Of Performance Characteristics And Groundwater Contamination Risks Associated With On-Farm Swine Carcass Disposal Via Composting And Shallow Burial With Carbon, Gustavo Castro Garcia

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation evaluates the performance of three on-farm swine carcass disposal methods: whole carcass composting (WCC), ground carcass composting (GCC), and shallow burial with carbon (SBC), focusing on biosecurity factors and groundwater contamination risks. Foreign animal diseases (FADs), such as African swine fever and classical swine fever, pose severe economic and animal well-being risks if introduced to the United States. With confirmation of an FAD, swine movement will be halted, creating an urgent need for practical, biosecure, and environmentally responsible on-farm disposal strategies for swine carcasses. Nebraska, as a leading swine-producing state, exemplifies the vulnerability of high-density livestock regions to …

Educating The New Generation Of Food Scientists Through Innovative Learning Experiences, Karen Andrea Nieto Flores

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Food science provides an opportunity to engage high school students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by connecting classroom concepts to real-world applications. Despite the field’s relevance to public health, food safety, sustainability, and innovation, food science remains largely absent from high school curricula, and few students recognize it as a viable STEM pathway. This research addressed this gap by evaluating immersive summer camp experiences and teacher-focused curriculum review as strategies to increase food science awareness and interest among students and educators. A literature review traced the historical development and current landscape of K–12 food science education, identifying barriers …

Egg White Hydrolysate In Hypertension: A Mechanistic Investigation Of Gut Microbiota Dependent And Independent Pathways, Emerson David Nolasco

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide in which hypertension is a risk factor. Present pharmacological interventions require long-term adherence to the therapy and are often associated with undesirable side effects. Moreover, treatments have overlooked the role of the microbiome in the development of hypertension. Egg white hydrolysate (EWH) has exhibited antihypertensive properties with potential to be used as a natural alternative for the prevention and management of hypertension. However, EWH peptide’s effect on the gut microbiome remains yet to be elucidated. Studies have described that a portion of the ingested protein can remain undigested as …

Functional Genomics Of Phosphatidylcholine Biosynthesis In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Amanda Marie Maliva

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) is a prominent structural building block of cell and organelle membranes in animal, plant, and fungal cells and some bacteria. Due to its abundant nature in the plasma membrane and intracellular organelle membranes in eukaryotes, the biosynthesis of PtdCho must remain regulated to preserve the correct membrane lipid composition. Dysregulations in PtdCho metabolism can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, cell death, and the development of diseases including cancer, atherosclerosis, and hepatic diseases. Knowledge of PtdCho has remained limited to the genes involved in its three biosynthetic pathways (Kennedy (K), methylation (M), and acyltransferase (A)), despite the growing realization of …

Aptamer Selection And Development Of Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Sensors For Neuropeptide Y, Evelyn Adela Carreto Guevara

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this thesis, we report the results of four aptamers obtained from an aptamer selection process called the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) with affinity to Neuropeptide Y (NPY). NPY is a highly abundant peptide transmitter with widespread distribution throughout the body which affects various physiological functions. These functions include energy homeostasis, appetite regulation, stress response, and anxiety regulation. Dynamic monitoring of NPY levels is crucial for better understanding behaviors in individuals with neurological disorders associated with NPY. Aptamers are synthetic oligonucleotides obtained through SELEX which have a binding affinity to a target of interest when in …

Breaking Confirmatory Spells By Implementing Research- Integrated Cures, J. A.C. Vriezen

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Differences in economic and social growth and academic equity, experi ences, and opportunities have left an achievement gap in STEM for underprivileged students. Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have attempted to answer these inequalities by leveling the playing field or by offering course-based research opportunities with minimal requirements for background knowledge. When we ask novel questions, more students get the experience of performing research, which lowers thresholds to pursue research and increases participation. Although the learning outcomes have been largely positive, there is a concern that many CUREs are still too scaffolded. In contrast, I propose to develop exploratory, hypothesis-driven …

Local Adaptation In The Pinus Palustris Ground Layer, Jason Paul Joines

All Dissertations

Population survival or extirpation may be dependent on adaptation to local environmental conditions. I hypothesized that populations of species with large ranges would be locally adapted because of the variety of environments that different populations experience, that spatial patterns of local adaptation would correspond to patterns of endemism because processes driving local adaptation may also lead to speciation, and that the extent of local adaptation would be stronger in species with little gene flow among populations than in those with extensive gene flow because of the relative strength of selection necessary to overcome gene flow. I tested these hypotheses using …

B.R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2024, J. Hardke, X. Sha, N. Bateman

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Research reports contained in the publication may represent preliminary or only a single year of results; therefore, these results should not be read as a basis for long-term recommendations.

Several research reports in this publication will appear in other University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between disciplines and our effort to inform Arkansas rice producers of all the research being conducted with funds from the rice check-off program. This publication also contains research funded by industry, federal, and state agencies.

Use of products …

Elucidating The Mechanisms Underlying A Functional Plant-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Using Omics Approaches, Jasmine Gill

All Dissertations

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate biotrophs forming symbiotic association with plants. The plant-AMF symbiosis has gained much attention due to its ability to improve plant nutrient uptake, especially phosphorus, which is often inadequately available to plants due to its limited mobility and complex formation in many soils. Phosphorus (P) is a crucial nutrient for plants, and most phosphate fertilizers are derived from phosphate rock, a finite natural resource. Thus, optimizing P uptake is vital for sustaining crop yields and addressing the needs of a growing global population. Plant-AMF symbioses are significant in this context, as AMF can acquire P …

Breeding Biofortified Protein Rich Organic Pulses For Better Human Health, Sonia Salaria

All Dissertations

Pulse crops are dry grains of legumes, the second most consumed plant crops in the world after cereals. These crops are one of the primary sources of plant-based protein and contain high concentrations of pre-biotic carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Recognizing the health benefits of pulses intake, their demands as sustainable food and changes in people’s diet preferences for plant-based protein have increased awareness for pulses consumption. With this scenario, improving the nutritional profile of pulse crops for rich nutrition has been an opportunity for breeders to explore and tailor the available germplasm to develop nutrient dense pulses. Furthermore, the genomic …

Alternative Therapeutics For Human Breast Cancer: Nutraceutical Underpinnings, In Vitro Metabolomic Profiling, Treatment Efficacy, And Contextual Ethical Implications, Aubrey A. Mattingly

All Dissertations

Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, yet therapeutic equity is still lacking. Standard treatments including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and long-term hormone therapy. These approaches are often accompanied by significant side effects. While newer methods such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies have emerged, chemotherapy protocols and incorporation have remained largely unchanged in the past decades. In this context, nutraceuticals represent an alternative or adjuvant to therapy worthy of exploration. The reviewed literature highlights the anti-carcinogenic activity in selected nutraceuticals, marjoram, thyme and persimmon, considering their phytochemical constituents and secondary metabolites. Metabolomic profiling using the Biolog Phenotype Mammalian …

Soil Health On Utah's Farms And Ranches, Jenae Dean

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The term soil health has gained popularity in agriculture due to prolonged droughts, rising food costs, and the growing public concern for sustainable and organic practices. Soil health practices can offer solutions to all of these pressures. This thesis provides Utah's farmers and ranchers with quantifiable data on implementing soil health practices in Utah's unique climate. It presents the first two years of on-farm trial results on yield and quality after implementing various soil health practices on five categories of crops: corn, mixed hay, alfalfa, produce, and dryland grain. Over a two-year period, none of the soil health practices resulted …

Group I Introns As Catalytic Rna Models To Investigate The Origin Of Life And To Explore The Drivers Of Evolution In The Rna World, Gianluca Peri

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The RNA World is the theory that life on Earth originated as RNA molecules able to both carry genetic information and catalyze enzymatic activities, without the need of DNA nor proteins. Abundant evidence supports that RNA preceded the emergence of DNA and proteins, the most notable being that both DNA replication and protein synthesis require RNA components. It has been hypothesized that the RNA World originated as a self-replicating RNA system. Furthermore, since the activity of modern-day catalytic RNA (ribozymes) can be affected by reaction conditions (e.g. Mg^2+ cofactor concentrations), it is hypothesized that evolution in the RNA World may …

Identification Of Anti-Inflammatory Pathways Induced By Enterotoxin B Subunits For Use As Therapeutics In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hannah Juel Hedelius

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio cholerae’s AB5 enterotoxin, cholera toxin (CT), has a homopentameric, non-toxic B subunit (CTB). CTB is a well-known vaccine adjuvant used for its ability to create a strong immune response, however more recent studies have shown its ability to also behave in an anti-inflammatory manner, performing as a protective agent in a variety of different inflammatory diseases. Escherichia coli (E. coli) produces a heat-labile AB5 enterotoxin (LT) that is very homologous to CT, with its B subunit (LTB) being used in a similar manner as a vaccine adjuvant. There have been many studies comparing LTB to CTB due …