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Investigation Of Methods For Reducing Aflatoxin Contamination In Distillers Grains, Hu Shi

Open Access Dissertations

The overall goal of this project was to reduce the aflatoxin level in the final coproduct of ethanol bioprocessing--DDGS. This was pursued by examining the effects of reduction of aflatoxin in the incoming corn prior to bioprocessing, the degradation of aflatoxin in the intermediate products, namely DWG and CDS, during processing, and aflatoxin degradation in the DDGS. Segregation techniques (size screening and density sorting) and detoxification methods (conventional and microwave heating, food additives, and high voltage atmospheric cold plasma) were evaluated for their effectiveness in aflatoxin reduction.

Effectiveness of physical segregation of aflatoxin contaminated corn was investigated by size screening …

The Biology And Management Of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri S. Wats) In Indiana, Douglas J. Spaunhorst

Open Access Dissertations

Palmer amaranth is a pernicious summer annual weed that has evolved resistance to six herbicide sites of action in the U.S. and threatens agriculture production. In 2011, Palmer amaranth was identified in flood plains in two southern Indiana counties (Posey and Vanderburgh). Determining if Palmer amaranth can survive and reproduce in northern Indiana may provide insight if this weed will be problematic for northern row crop producers. The objectives of our research were to identify fields containing Palmer amaranth and determine the distribution of herbicide resistance traits in Indiana; determine the influence of tillage frequency and tillage intervals on Palmer …

Dynamic Holography In Semiconductors And Biomedical Optics, Hao Sun

Open Access Dissertations

Three-dimensional scanning and display are rapidly-advancing new technologies with important commercial drivers such as 3D printing and remote imaging for big data applications. Holography is a natural approach to recording and displaying three-dimensional information because it uses phase-sensitive interferometry to record interference patterns when a reference beam encounters coherent light arriving from an object. The 3D information is contained in the values of wave optics. Holography is a broad field that goes beyond recording and displaying. For instance, holographic optical elements, which take advantage of holographic imaging principles, perform the functions of lenses, gratings or mirrors. Holographic interferometry is also …

The Role Of Seed Attributes In Eastern Gray Squirrel Foraging, Mekala Sundaram

Open Access Dissertations

Seed attributes are important predictors of rodent foraging behaviors. I examined the role of seed attributes in eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) foraging behavior from an evolutionary, economic, ecological and biochemical perspective. From an evolutionary perspective (chapter 2), I found that squirrel foraging behaviors are influenced by a combination of phylogenetically conserved and evolutionarily labile seed traits, which supports a diffuse coevolutionary relationship between hardwood trees and squirrels and provides indirect evidence supporting the Janzen-Connell and handling time hypotheses. From an economic perspective (chapter 3), I found that eastern gray squirrels are homogenous with respect to their preferences for seed …

Improving And Elucidating Factors Regulating Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra L.) Clonal Propagation, Micah E. Stevens

Open Access Dissertations

Black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) is a fine hardwood tree species native to the central hardwood region of the United States. High-quality black walnut timber is highly desirable. Traded in both regional and global markets, it has been used for veneer, and the manufacture of high-end products such as cabinets, furniture, and gunstocks. As a result of its high economic value, black walnut has been commercially cultivated for many years, and breeding programs have generated superior timber genotypes with improved marketable traits. Once elite genotypes were developed, it was quickly recognized that black walnut was recalcitrant to clonal propagation …

Characterizing The Effects Of Repetitive Head Trauma In Female Soccer Athletes For Prevention Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Diana Otero Svaldi

Open Access Dissertations

As participation in women’s soccer continues to grow and the longevity of female athletes’ careers continues to increase, prevention of mTBI in women’s soccer has become a major concern for female athletes as the long-term risks associated with a history of mTBI are well documented. Among women’s sports, soccer exhibits the highest concussion rates, on par with those of men’s football at the collegiate level. Head impact monitoring technology has revealed that “concussive hits” occurring directly before symptomatic injury are not predictive of mTBI, suggesting that the cumulative effect of repetitive head impacts experienced by collision sport athletes should be …

Fracture Analysis In Biomimetic Bouligand Architectures, Nobphadon Suksanqpanya

Open Access Dissertations

The Bouligand structure, which is found in many biological materials, is a hierarchical architecture that features uniaxial fiber layers assembled periodically into a helicoidal pattern. Many studies have highlighted the high damage-resistant performance of Bouligand structures and its biomimetic materials. One of the outstanding species with the Bouligand structures is the smashing Mantis Shrimp, Odontodactylus Scyllarus, (or stomatopod) due to its capability of generating high speed, high acceleration blows using its raptorial appendage to defeat highly armored preys. The load-bearing part of this appendage, the dactyl club, contains an interior region, which is mainly characterized by the Bouligand structure. This …

Dynamic Regulation Of Dna Demethylation And Rna-Directed Dna Methylation In Arabidopsis, Kai Tang

Open Access Dissertations

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark present in many eukaryotes, and is involved in many crucial biological processes, such as gene imprinting, regulation of gene expression, and genome stability. Proper genomic DNA methylation patterns are achieved through the concerted action of DNA methylation and demethylation pathways. In the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, ROS1 (REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1) is one of the DNA demethylases and the key component in the demethylation pathway. Dysfunction of ROS1 leads to increase in DNA methylation level at thousands of genomic loci. However, the features of ROS1 targets are not well understood. In the …

Repurposing Non-Antimicrobial Drugs To Treat Multi-Drug Resistant Bacterial And Fungal Infections, Shankar Thangamani

Open Access Dissertations

Bacterial and fungal resistance to conventional antimicrobials is a burgeoning global health epidemic that necessitates urgent action. Even more alarming, the development of new antimicrobials to treat these multidrug-resistant pathogens has not kept pace with the rapid emergence of resistance to current antimicrobials. Antimicrobial drug development through the traditional de novo process is a risky venture given the significant financial and time investment required by researchers and limited success rate of translating these compounds to the clinical setting. This has led researchers to mine existing libraries of clinical molecules in order to repurpose old drugs for new applications (as antimicrobials). …

Examining The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On Small Businesses And Industries In Northwest Indiana, Onias Muza Taruwinga

Open Access Dissertations

This research examined the lived experiences of small businesses in Northwest Indiana with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The interviews were conducted over a period of six months with an attempt to answer the question, “What was the impact of the Affordable Care Act on small businesses and industries in Northwest Indiana?” Additional research questions were, “Did the Affordable Care Act extend coverage to the uninsured, include other medical services that were not covered before, and reduce cost sharing and what lessons can be learned from the implementation of the Affordable Care Act for future policy implementation?” 15 …

An Examination Of Geographic Patterns Of Soil Climate And Its Classification In The U.S. System Of Soil Taxonomy, Hans Edwin Winzeler

Open Access Dissertations

Soil climate, the record of temporal patterns of soil moisture and temperature, is an important component of the structure of U.S. Soil Taxonomy. The U.S. Soil Survey has used the Newhall Simulation Model (NSM) for estimating soil climate from atmospheric climate records at weather stations since the 1970s. The current soil climate map of the U.S. was published in 1994 by using NSM runs from selected weather stations along with knowledge-based hand-drawn mapping procedures. We developed a revised soil climate mapping methodology using the NSM and digital soil mapping techniques.

The new methodology is called Grid Element Newhall Simulation Model …

Preparative Mass Spectrometry Applications In Nanomaterials And Organic Synthesis, Michael Wleklinski

Open Access Dissertations

Preparative mass spectrometry was traditionally a vacuum based experiment where mass selected ion beams were deposited onto surfaces; however, recently ions have been manipulated in the open air to perform accelerated synthesis. The work of this dissertation focuses on the generation of charged ions from microdroplets and their use in organic synthesis and the preparation of atomically precise metal nanoclusters. First the mechanism for charging in the zero volt paper spray will be presented. This works builds a computational model based on the statistical fluctuation of positive and negative charges based on the theory of Dodd. It is found through …

The Relationship Between Protein And Phosphorus Digestion And Retention In Growing Pigs And Broiler Chickens, Pengcheng Xue

Open Access Dissertations

Xue, Pengcheng. Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2016. The Relationship between Protein and Phosphorus Digestion and Retention in Growing Pigs and Broiler Chickens. Major Professor: Dr. Layi Adeola. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between protein and P digestion and retention in growing pigs and broiler chickens. The methodology of determining the digestibility of AA and P and the effect of dietary N and P on the digestion and retention of these two nutrients were investigated.

An experiment was conducted in growing pigs to investigate the additivity of AID or SID of CP and AA in mixed …

The Effects Of Dietary Probiotic Inclusion On Skeletal Health Of Poultry And Its Possible Mechanisms, Feifei Yan

Open Access Dissertations

Probiotics are live microorganisms which may confer health benefits on the host when administered in appropriate amounts. Numerous studies have shown that probiotics improve bone health in humans and rodents with less information available on the skeletal health of avians given probiotics. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of probiotic supplementation on bone health of egg-laying and meat-type chickens. Dietary supplementation of a multi-species based probiotic reduced the percentage of shell-less eggs beginning at 4 wk following treatment and increased tibial and femoral bone mineral density in egg-laying hens at 7 wk post-treatment. Similarly, bone mineralization …

Mechanistic Insight Into The Role Of Dietary Fibers And Short Chain Fatty Acids In The Regulation Of Metabolism And Inflammation In The Pig, Hui Yan

Open Access Dissertations

Dietary fiber is a diverse mixture of polysaccharides exerting multiple functions as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Besides the influence on nutrient digestibility, dietary fiber affects growth performance and host metabolism via modulation of gut microbial community structure and production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA). A series of in vivo experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary fiber on pig growth performance and gut microbial community as well as host metabolism. In the first study, a comparison between soluble and insoluble fibers was conducted in terms of pig growth, gut microbial structure and SCFA production …

Sport-Specific Risk And Protective Factors For Low Back Pain In Olympic Class Sailors: An Epidemiologic Analytic Cohort Study, Shawn E. Hunt

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation determined the effect of known and theoretical risk factors for LBP in the Olympic class sailors utilizing a cohort design. A secondary goal was to determine if any factors related to sailors or sailing would provide a protective effect, lowering the risk of LBP. Sailors exposed to hiking (a sailing-specific activity) and non-hiking sailing classes were analyzed for the effect of hiking activity as a risk factor for LBP. Hiking exposure increases risk of LBP. Exposure to more than two hours of unloading the sailors’ boats and equipment prior to a regatta was a second unique risk factor …

Multi-Level Predictors Of Obesity And Diet In Multi-Ethnic Populations, Tali Elfassy

Open Access Dissertations

The obesity epidemic in the United States is a major public health issue. Poor socio-economic conditions such as poverty or living under financial stress may adversely influence health outcomes such as obesity, and often disproportionately impact ethnic minority populations. Further, individuals living in poverty are often exposed to environments that promote unhealthy diet and obesity. Such obesogenic environments are characterized by increased exposure to foods high in sodium and low in potassium which may also be independently associated with obesity. Yet these associations have not been adequately explored, especially among ethnic minority populations. The current dissertation seeks to explore: 1) …

Estimating Movement Rates Of Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tunas, Katsuwonus Pelamis, Thunnus Albacares, And T. Obesus, From Tagging Data, Michelle L. Sculley

Open Access Dissertations

Information gained from tagging programs can be incorporated into stock assessments to reduce uncertainty in the current stock status. A spatially explicit Bayesian was used to analyze historical Atlantic conventional tag data and showed that the tagging data available provide information on regional movements within the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, but due to fewer tag releases and returns in the Western Atlantic, basin-wide parameters are not estimable. Catch and effort data suggest that these movements are seasonal. A large scale tagging program is currently being implemented in the Atlantic by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). A …

A Multilevel Exploration Of The Role Of Student Health Centers In Addressing Campus Sexual Violence, Valerie A. Halstead

Open Access Dissertations

The prevalence of sexual violence (SV) within the college population is alarmingly high. Experiences of SV may lead to numerous negative academic, physical, and psychological consequences. Recent calls to action emphasize the importance that universities address this serious public health concern. The overall purpose of this dissertation is to explore the role of student health centers (SHCs) in addressing campus SV. This dissertation has three main aims: (1) to examine current research literature on SV in the college undergraduate student population with a specific focus on student disclosure and campus resources and services, (2) to describe SV practices of SHCs …

Impact Of Dance Complexity On Computer-Based And Movement-Based Cognitive Performance, Sean Nicolle

Open Access Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Exercise improves cognition, but the specific mechanisms underlying these changes are not clear. Two proposed mechanism are aerobic demand and cognitive demand inherent in varying degrees to specific exercise tasks. This study compared two kinds of dance that differed in instruction complexity and aerobic intensity, ballroom (BR) and aerobic dance (Aero). The primary aim of this study was to determine if the cognitive benefits of exercise are more responsive to the complexity or aerobic overload. METHODS: Fourteen subjects aged 40-80 were randomly assigned to 8 weeks of Aero or BR dance classes. Aero classes were designed to emphasize low …

Promoting Cd8+ Memory For Cancer Immunotherapy Using Aptamer-Targeted Sirna Therapeutics, Anugraha Rajagopalan

Open Access Dissertations

Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2012, there were 8.2 million cancer-related deaths worldwide, 14 million new cases and the number of new cancer cases is expected to rise to 22 million within the next two decades. Currently, Standard therapies for most cancers include surgical removal, radiotherapy using ionizing radiation or chemotherapy using drugs such as doxorubicin etc. Although these therapies help control the disease severity, they lack specificity and elicit significant side effects through their targeting of normal tissues. These off-target effects range from blood disorders, hair loss, diarrhea …

Family Functioning, Parenting Strategies, And Disordered Eating Among Hispanic Youth, Dina Ferranti

Open Access Dissertations

Disordered eating (DE) is a major public health concern related to both clinical eating disorders and obesity. DE encompasses various subclinical, yet maladaptive eating behaviors that include dieting, binge eating, and/or extreme weight control behaviors (i.e. self-induced vomiting, laxatives). Hispanic youth appear to be especially vulnerable to DE in comparison to other ethnic groups. However, to date there has been little research focused on Hispanic youth and DE, particularly those in middle childhood (8-11 years). The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model examining family level variables, parenting strategies for eating and physical activity (PEAS) and family …

In Vivo Calcium Imaging Study Of The Geniculate Ganglion And The Taste Transmission In The Periphery, An Wu

Open Access Dissertations

Taste information travels from the taste end organ, taste buds, to gustatory sensory neurons before integrating into central gustatory regions. In taste buds, receptor cells transduce sweet, bitter, or umami taste. Presynaptic cells directly transduce sour taste although they respond to multiple tastes as well via cell-cell communications. Salty taste is believed to be sensed by ENaC-expressing taste cells. Despite this consensus about coding in taste buds, whether information in gustatory sensory neurons is organized following the labeled-line theory or more complex coding mechanisms remains controversial. The geniculate ganglion is a major sensory ganglion of the gustatory system; it innervates …

Scg3 As A Novel Disease-Related Factor For Diabetic Retinopathy Therapy, Michelle Elizabeth Leblanc

Open Access Dissertations

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common diabetic vascular complications. Angiogenic factors, such as VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), play important roles in the pathogenesis of vision-threatening DR. A major breakthrough is the recent approval of anti-VEGF therapy for diabetic eye disease however, its limited therapeutic efficacy implicates the involvement of other angiogenic factors in the pathogenesis. Endothelial factors with preferential binding to the diseased vasculature may represent novel targets for alternative ligand-based therapies. In this thesis, I applied a new technology of “comparative ligandomics” to diabetic and healthy mice for the differential mapping of disease-related ligands. Secretogranin …

Large-Scale Computational Screening And Machine Learning Approaches To Drug Discovery, Bryce K. Allen

Open Access Dissertations

Biological information continues to grow exponentially fueled by massive data generation projects such as the Human Genome Project, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS). Unprecedented amounts and varieties of data (big data) have the potential to bring enormous scientific advances. Such data-driven research relies on advanced computational approaches for data integration and analysis. While bioinformatics encompasses many fields, the focus of my research has been to predict small molecule chemicals that interact with protein targets of interest and could, ultimately, become therapeutically useful drugs. Drug resistance in newly diagnosed tumors is often …

Antidepressant And Molecular Responses To Ketamine Linked To Its Inhibition Of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (Gsk3), Steven F. Grieco

Open Access Dissertations

Herein are described two novel outcomes, the up-regulation of 5HTR2C cluster miRNAs and IGF2, as a result of GSK3 inhibition by an antidepressant dose of ketamine that may contribute to the behavioral responses to ketamine.

Anthropogenic Pollution Effects On Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism, Gene Expression, And Genotypes Of Natural Fundulus Heteroclitus Populations, Xiao Du

Open Access Dissertations

Energy balance is a major concern for organisms developing stress tolerance, as combating pollutant toxicity is usually metabolically costly. Mitochondria, which are responsible for cellular energy production, are a potential target of pollutant toxicity. Thus, understanding mitochondrial energy metabolism will shed light on pollution adaptation. This research examines the oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) modulations due to chronic pollution exposure, how gene expression changes covary with OxPhos changes, and genotypic changes potentially underlying these phenotypic changes in response to pollution. Mitochondrial energy metabolism was investigated by quantifying hepatocyte OxPhos function in two independent, polluted F. heteroclitus populations from Elizabeth River, VA and …

Functional Analysis Of Human And Mouse Splenic B Cells, Justin Charles Boucher

Open Access Dissertations

T-cell independent (TI) antibodies may be critical in closing the gap between early innate and late adaptive immune responses against bacterial pathogens. In the mouse, innate marginal zone (MZ) B cells rapidly produce these antibodies. In humans, the characterization of a MZ B cell equivalent to that of mice is controversial because of phenotypic differences between the two species. Studies suggest that TLR activation upregulate BAFF receptors, TACI and BR3 in mouse splenic B. Upregulation of BAFF receptors is important because the ligands for these receptors, BAFF and APRIL, are critical in the regulation of humoral immune responses and immunoglobulin …

Identifying Genetic Risk Factors For Coronary Artery Angiographic Stenosis In A Genetically Diverse Population, Zhi Liu

Open Access Dissertations

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death world-wide. It is a multifactorial genetic disease with an estimated heritability of 40%. Many genetic studies had been performed on CAD, but they explained only 10% of the total heritability, partially due to most of these studies were performed on Europeans only. Admixed populations, such as Hispanics, were understudied, despite their higher risks of CAD than Europeans. To explain additional heritability of CAD, 2023 individuals were ascertained from the Miami Cardiovascular Registry catheterization labs, which were representative of the South Florida population – a mixture of Hispanics, Europeans, and African …

A Model For Emerging Infectious Disease/Disaster Preparedness Training For Nursing Students, Susana Barroso

Open Access Dissertations

Disasters can occur due to natural events or environmental accidents, or they can be purposeful and man-made. Regardless of how they occur, disasters place extraordinary stresses on society’s ability to deal with the catastrophic effects. Given the prevalence of disasters and infectious disease pandemics, there is an urgent need to improve education of healthcare providers. Because nurses comprise the largest percentage of healthcare providers and are early disaster responders, disaster preparedness is critical. Some studies have shown that an education gap exists between nursing school curricula and the expectations of nurses and nursing faculty with regard to disaster preparedness. While …