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Analysis Of Two Maize Mutations That Arose After Exposure To Radiation From A Plutonium-Beryllium Source And Developing Molecular Markers For Antimorph Aei1-5180, An Alternative To Aei To Increase Amylose Content In Maize Endosperm, Prameela Awale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis consists of two independent projects dealing with two different aspects of maize. The first project is about the maize reproduction, where we try to uncover the candidate genes of two mutations that affect pollen viability and successful fertilization. The second project is about maize endosperm starch, where we developed molecular markers to characterize a mutant allele that knocks a major starch branching enzyme in maize.

Analysis of two maize mutations that arose after exposure to radiation from a plutonium-beryllium source
Maize is a monoecious and diclinous plant. Sexual reproduction takes place by the fusion of haploid male and …

Soil Physical And Hydrological Properties, And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under Integrated Crop-Livestock Agroecosystems, Navdeep Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cover crops (CCs) and grazing play a critical role in successful implementation of the integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) because they can have a direct impact on soils and greenhouse gas emissions. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the short-term impacts of CCs [grass dominated cover crops (GdC) and legume dominated cover crops (LdC)] and grazed CCs and corn (Zea mays L.) residue under oat (Avena sativa L.)–CC–corn rotation on soil physical and hydrological properties; (ii) quantify the architecture of soil pores using X-ray computed tomography (CT) for soils managed under long-term ICLS, native grazed pasture and corn-soybean …

Cover Crop Nutrient Cycling On Western South Dakota Croplands, Justin Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cover crops (CC) are widely gaining attention and implementation by producers. Much of this is due to the positive influence that CCs can have. Increases in crop yield, biological diversity, water infiltration, and nutrient cycling have been observed as well as reductions in wind and water erosion. The semiarid climate of western South Dakota presents a challenge in the use of CCs with the limited rainfall received. Little research has been done in this area on the effects of CCs on cropland. Three studies were performed to evaluate CCs on nutrient cycling, forage production and crop yield. First, is an …

Characterization And Effects Of Systemic And Ovarian Gnrh In Beef Cattle, Jerica J. J. Rich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies evaluating single and multiple GnRH injections at time of CIDR removal/prostaglandin injection using the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR protocol have reported decreased interval to estrus and increased expression of estrus, or increased conception rates, respectively. Thus, the objective of experiment 1 (Chapter 3) was to compare the effects of supplementing GnRH at prostaglandin injection on expression of estrus and conception rates in beef cows and heifers synchronized with different protocols. The objective was conducted in two parts, in study 1, Beef cows (n = 161) and heifers (n = 1803) from 16 herds over three years were synchronized …

Educational Interventions For Women And Their Support Persons On Breastfeeding Outcomes, Alexandra Cordell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

n the United States breastfeeding duration and exclusivity rates are not at ideal levels, therefore there is a need to examine existing interventions. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of education and support interventions during the third trimester, immediate postpartum, and the first six months of life on breastfeeding duration and exclusivity from six weeks to six months. Inclusion criteria were (a) randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials, (b) pregnant and/or postpartum women, (c) lactation education and support interventions, (d) measurement of breastfeeding outcomes from six weeks to six months, and (e) published between …

Tailoring The Grain Boundaries Of Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells By Molecular Engineering, Khalid Emshadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the attraction of fabricating highly efficient tandem solar cells, wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells have attracted substantial interest in recent years. However, polycrystalline perovskite thin-films show the existence of trap states at grain boundaries, which diminish the optoelectronic properties of the perovskite and thus remains a challenge. This research demonstrates a one-step solution-processing of the [MA_0.9Cs_0.1Pb(I_0.6Br_0.4)3] wide-bandgap perovskite using Phenylhydrazine Iodide with amino groups to successfully passivate the trap density within grain boundaries and increase the perovskite grain size. The reinforced morphology and grain boundaries treatment considerably enhanced the photovoltaic performance …

College Student Engagement On Campus: Attending Collegiate Sports Events, Nur Islamiah Mohamad Fuad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While attending collegiate sports events is part of the college experience, especially in the United States, there is a decline in students’ attendance at collegiate sports events shown in the past years. The purpose of this study is to (1) investigate college students' experience in attending collegiate sports events, (2) identify college students’ motivations and constraints in attending collegiate sports events, and (3) recognize possible strategies to improve collegiate sports events attendance and engagement on college campuses. A qualitative research approach, focus group, was used to facilitate discussion and interaction with a group of students sharing their experiences and perspectives …

Enhanced Beta (Β) Glucan Beverages – Evaluation Of Satiety, Nutrition, And Shelf Stability, Beatrice Serwaa Manu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oats and barley are unique cereals owing to their nutritional and health benefits. Soluble dietary fiber components, especially β-glucan found in both grains, have been associated with the reduction of cholesterol, normalization of blood sugar levels and suppression of hunger. These nutritional and therapeutic attributes are ideal for production of novel and more diversified food products from these cereals. β-glucan, however, imparts high viscosity in food systems particularly in high moisture foods, thus impairing their sensory characteristics. Reduced viscosity oat-barley beverages, using partial enzyme and acid hydrolysis, may fill a void in the market segment and yet serve as effective …

Developing And Evaluating Novel Methods To Estimate Bread Baking Quality Of Winter And Spring Wheat Cultivars, Bipin Rajpurohit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bread loaf volume is a significant economic factor in the baking industry. Numerous flour and dough quality tests exist in estimating the functional traits of wheat. However, none of these tests accurately or fully predict bread loaf volume. The ultimate reliable method to determine the baking potential of wheat flours is a standard baking experiment which is time-consuming and effort-intensive. Therefore, there is a need to develop empirical methods to predict the baking potential of wheat flours that use small sample sizes and yet, are economical to implement in large throughput wheat breeding programs. A Vacuum Dough Expansion System (VDES) …

Antidiabetic Activity Of Cissus Rotundifolia Plant Growing In Saudi Arabia, Saad Ali Alshehri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production or action. A world-wide increase in the diabetes rate is projected to reach pandemic levels over the next 10-20 years. Current data shows that high numbers of the population in Saudi Arabia suffer from diabetes and prediabetes. Non-traditional treatments of diabetes from medicinal plants has shown potential antidiabetic activity. A considerable percentage of the population still prefer or use medicinal plants as a treatment or supplement to traditional medicine. Cissus rotundifolia (family Vitaceae) is a known plant in southwestern Saudi …

Effect Of Soy Lecithin Concentration On Formulating Dairy Emulsions Through Ultrasound Treatment, Collette Kernyuy Nyuydze

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ability of high intensity ultrasound to produce stable emulsions without the addition of surfactant was evaluated in a dairy-based formulation. The formulation consisted of protein (4.33 ± 0.05%, whey protein concentrates (WPC80), carbohydrates (21.52 ± 0.75%, sucrose and maltodextrin), oil (2.90 ± 0.05%, soybean oil), and surfactant (0-.05%). Pre-emulsions formulated with either 0, 0.025, and 0.05% of soy lecithin were treated for 5 min at an acoustic intensity of either 42.58 ± 2.98, 56.83 ± 3.01, or 70.48 ± 2.97 W cm^-2. The stability of the emulsions was evaluated through particle size, dynamic rheology, gel electrophoresis, and …

Enhanced Charge Carrier Dynamics And Defects Passivation In Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cell Using A Novel Organic Halide Salt, Md Ashuqur Rahman Laskar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last few years, active research works on hybrid perovskite solar cells (HPSCs) have been going on throughout the world as a part of clean energy revolution. HPSCs have already proved their potentiality as future solar technology through their promising photovoltaic performances and ability for low temperature based solution processing. Nevertheless, still there are remaining challenges of better charge carrier dynamics and defects minimization in HPSCs. Overcoming these challenges are very important to achieve high power conversion efficiency (PCE) practically. Aiming this, a novel organic halide salt called Phenylhydrazinium Iodide (PHAI) is introduced as additive with CH₃NH …

Factors Influencing Adoption And Adoption Intensity Of Precision Agriculture Technologies In South Dakota, Md Mahi Uddin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Precision agriculture can play an important role in preserving the environment and improving the economic conditions of agricultural producers. This thesis analyzes the determinants of adoption and adoption intensity of precision agriculture technologies in South Dakota. This analysis uses survey data collected from 199 farms distributed over 28 different counties in South Dakota, accounting for approximately 500,000 acres of tillable agricultural land, to (1) discover the factors impacting precision technology adoption; (2) compare and contrast several characteristics among adopters and non-adopters; and (3) develop probit, count, and negative binomial models to determine the significance of explanatory variables impacting precision technology …

Implementing And Assessing The Use Of A New Strategy For Training Chemistry Graduate Teaching Assistants, Amanda Hyett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) largely contribute to undergraduate education but are often underprepared for their role as educators. Most graduate students attend graduate school to perform research and are then asked to teach for the first time without sufficient pedagogy training. To assist in increasing the GTAs pedagogical knowledge, a scenario-based activity series was developed and implemented for first- and second-year GTAs. Developing scenario-based scenarios from actual laboratory events provided GTAs with the opportunity to practice prior to engaging in the laboratory classroom. The Teaching Assistant Intervention Activities (TAIAs) included topics such as interpersonal skills and behaviors, group process, working …

Valorization Studies On Ice-Cream Wastewater And Whey Permeate, Maryam Enteshari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ever growing demand for dairy products in many countries has led to advancements in the manufacture of such products. Nowadays, revolutionary trends for high-protein dairy foods and drinks products have brought about new challenges from processing requirements and manufacturing aspects. Using different membrane processing has enabled dairy manufacturers to produce different fraction of milk proteins such as micellar caseins, ultra-filtered (UF) milk proteins, whey proteins concentrate (WPC), and micellar casein concentrate (MCC) to meet the nutritional needs with variety of milk product options. However, the installation of new processing lines and establishing further manufacturing steps requires more consumption of water …

The Impact Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Ruptures On Subchondral Bone Density In Collegiate Populations, Zach Harbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and reconstruction would lead to any significant changes in subchondral bone at the proximal tibia within 1 to 5 years post-surgical repair. Fifteen individuals (3 male, 12 female), aged 18 to 29 years old, who had sustained an ACL rupture and subsequent repair within the last 5 years were recruited for this study. An age and sexmatched control was recruited to match each participant. Subchondral volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) of the proximal tibia was measured using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Additionally, jump force and …

Utilizing Rhizospheric And Bacterial Endophytes For Use As Potential Bio-Fertilizers For Sustainable Agricultural Production, Vincent Peta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brassica carinata crop production offers an exciting alternative approach to the energy crisis when looking at novel ways to power our motor vehicles. Bacterial endophytes, while residing in host-plant tissues, offer a wide array of plant growth promotion benefits such as nitrogen fixation to impart nitrogen (N) nutrition, phosphate (P) solubilization to make soil-bound phosphate more mobile in soil for plant uptake, can suppress pathogenic microbes such as fungus and produce plant growth hormones to offset stress incurred by the plant. Previous literature has shown that there is large interest in studying endophytes from economically important crops such as wheat, …

The Status Of Dakota Skipper (Hesperia Dacotae Skinner) In Eastern South Dakota And The Effects Of Land Management, Kendal Annette Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hesperia dacotae (Skinner, 1911) (Insecta: Lepidoptera), also known as Dakota skipper, is a northern Great Plains species of butterfly associated with tall or mixed grass prairies. Its range once extended from southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, to Iowa and Illinois. Now H. dacotae is only found in small isolated pockets in southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The species is often observed on alkaline prairies with poor soil not desirable for cultivation. Thus, many of the historical H. dacotae are used for pasturing cattle or as hay prairie. The loss of habitat …

The Relationship Between Developmental Opportunities, Burnout, And Turnover Intentions: An Exploration Of Potential Moderating Effects, Derek Gravholt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model, potential moderating effects of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) needs were investigated for the relationships between developmental opportunities and both turnover intentions and burnout in a sample of healthcare employees. SDT needs include the need for competence, the need for relatedness, and the need for autonomy, which are all theorized to be important pieces of optimal psychological functioning. Results indicated that developmental opportunities were negatively related to both turnover intentions and burnout, and these effects were moderated by the employee’s sense of relatedness, such that those with low relatedness appreciated even more reduction …

Epitope Mapping And Mechanisms Of Action Of Human Influenza Antibodies Derived From Transchromosomic Cattle, Rongyuan Gao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Influenza remains a global health risk and challenge. Currently, NA inhibitors are extensively used to treat influenza, but their efficacy is compromised by the emergence of drug resistant variants. Antibodies targeting influenza A virus surface glycoproteins are critical components of influenza therapeutic agents and may provide alternative strategies to the existing countermeasures. This study characterized both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies produced from the transchromosomic (Tc) cattle platform. A polyclonal antibody, designated SAB-100, was generated from Tc cattle after immunized with H1N1,H3N2, and influenza B virus. The peptide-based Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay shows that the polyclonal antibody recognizes three distinct epitopes, one …

Quantitative Imaging Of Cell-Level Auxin Cytokinin Outputs In Soybean And Model Plants, Paul Gaillard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Auxin and cytokinin are major plant hormones that orchestrate plant development. These hormones are involved in cell division and differentiation and their spatio‐temporal balance controls organ initiation and maturation. Even though independent transcriptional responses to these hormones have been characterized, their concomitant outputs have not been described. We developed methodology to determine auxin-cytokinin relative output (ACRO) ratios at cellular resolution. Hormone-specific fluorescent markers that localize to the nucleus were used to report transcriptional outputs of auxin and cytokinin. Multiphoton microscopy and image data processing were used to quantify their relative ratio at cellular level in three-dimensional tissue volumes. This strategy …

Epidemiological Investigations Of Bighorn Sheep Respiratory Disease And Implications For Management, Brandi L. Felts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infectious respiratory disease has long been identified as the cause of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) historical declines and extirpations, and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi) is the primary pathogen inducing disease and mortality. Population-level effects of pneumonia events range from mild to extirpation. Variable individual response to pathogen exposure emerges from dynamic interactions between competing evolutionary processes within the host and pathogen. Understanding impacts of this evolutionary warfare is essential to assessing long-term impacts of pathogen invasion and developing appropriate countermeasures to protect population health. Freeranging populations are faced with spillover infections from domestic sheep and goats as well as …

Applications Of Hydrodynamic Cavitation In Dairy Manufacturing: Process Development And Standardization, Jae Young Sim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The phenomenon of hydrodynamic cavitation involves the formation, growth, and subsequent collapse of bubbles when a given liquid experienced a reduction of pressure below its vapor pressure. The presence of cavitation limits the performance and the safe operation of many machinery and pumps. However, innovation in the design of the hydrodynamic cavitation devices has offered promising applications in the food and dairy industry. Upon collapse of the cavities, the fluid experiences significant mechanical effects (shear and turbulence) as well as instantaneously elevation of the fluid temperature. All these effects can be put to work for mixing, dispersion, particle size reduction, …

Development Of Cellulose Acetate-Based Scaffold For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications, Ruhit Sinha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cellulose Acetate (CA) based biomaterials are being used as substrates for bone ingrowth applications due to their nontoxic and nonirritant nature coupled with optimum morphology and stiffness. Electrospinning with additives and/or post-treatment has emerged as a viable protocol to further improve mechanical properties of CA and expand its utility. Herein, we highlight the role of potassium chloride (KCl) in association with airdrying to enhance the elastic modulus and tensile strengths of CA fibers. Salt aggregation in between fibers is observed through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), however, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis signifies the interactions between K+ ions and acetyl groups. The …

Use Of Unmanned Aerial System (Uas) For High Throughput Evaluation Of Forage Yield In Oat Breeding Nurseries, Prakriti Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current strategies for phenotyping (for traits like biomass) numerous breeding lines under field conditions demand significant investment in both time and labor. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can be used to collect vegetation indexes (VI) with high throughput and could provide an efficient way to predict forage yield in breeding nurseries with accuracy. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the use of VIs derived from UAV collected images for estimating crop biomass. For this study, forage trials consisting of 35 oat genotypes were carried out at three locations in 2018 and four locations in 2019. Unmanned aerial vehicles …

Scavenger Hunt: The Search For Sulfur Mustard-Neutralizing Compound In 2-Chloroethyl Ethyl Sulfide (Cees) Treated Human Keratinocyte (Hacat) Epithelial Cells, Tanner Diemer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sulfur mustard is a highly toxic and dangerous vesicant that has been utilized as a chemical warfare agent (CWA) since World War I. Despite its extensive history, an effective antidote to sulfur mustard exposure still does not exist. With detectable levels of unreacted sulfur mustard lasting days after initial contact, a window of opportunity exists to administer a “scavenger” to affected individual immediately and in the days following exposure in hopes of reducing harm by neutralizing unreacted sulfur mustard. For this strategy to be effectively implemented, it is essential to identify a candidate compound with excellent affinity towards sulfur mustard …

Small Rnas: Big Roles In White Mold Infecting Crop Plants, Achal Neupane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In eukaryotes, small RNAs (sRNAs) are key regulators of RNA silencing which is also known as RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi is an essential mechanism known in plants, animals and fungi that regulates various biological activities, including defense against foreign nucleic acids and viruses. Fungal pathogens, such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, severely limit crop production in all parts of the world. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum cause white mold infection, affecting all dicotyledonous plants including many economically important field crops, vegetables, and floriculture. There does not exist known host resistance, and only limited chemical control can be achieved. Given the growing cost and environmental impacts …

Biomass And Morphological Development Of Miscanthus Compared With Native Grass In South Dakota, Ehsan J. Al Ainizi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about Miscanthus for bioenergy in the northern Great Plains. This study compared 10-year-old stands of Miscanthus x giganteus to switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata Link) for biomass on marginal cropland in eastern South Dakota. This study was conducted during 2017 and 2018 at Brookings, SD. Day of year (DOY), species, and N fertility were evaluated for effects on biomass yield and related components (tillers m-2, plant height, and weed biomass). All three variables had significant effects on biomass yield, tiller m-2, and tiller height in both years. N rate had no effect on …

Energy Efficiency And Alternative Energy Generation In Existing Buildings On A College Campus, Sameer Keshavan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Universities and colleges are looking for ways to be sustainable and save energy costs on their campuses. In terms of raw dollars, “America’s colleges and universities spend almost $7 billion a year in energy and utilities”. Campus buildings consume more than 80% of the energy utilized by the universities and it is often used in the form of electricity for lighting, ventilation, air-conditioning, and natural gas for heating. By reducing energy use, it will translate into cost savings that could be utilized towards student programs, facility improvements, and other university initiatives. This can be achieved by energy conservation efforts and …

Surface And Structure Engineering For Next Generation Lithium Metal Batteries, Ke Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lithium (Li) metal has been considered as one of the most promising anode materials to replace conventional graphite for Li-ion battery due to its high theoretical capacity (3860 mAh g-1) and low electrochemical potential (-3.04 V vs standard hydrogen electrode). However, it still faces some problems such as unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), uncontrolled Li dendrites growth, and infinite volume change during battery charging/discharging. To develop a stable and low-cost Li metal anode for next-generation Li metal battery, in this dissertation, we have made efforts to understand and solve these problems in two aspects, by introducing an artificial SEI and …