Digital Commons Network^™

Determinants Of Local And Migratory Movements Of Great Lakes Double-Crested Cormorants, Alban Guillaumet, Brian S, Dorr, Guiming Wang, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Richard B. Chipman, Heidi Scherr, Jeff Bowman, Kenneth F. Abraham, Terry J. Doyle, Elizabeth Cranker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We investigated how individual strategies combine with demographic and ecological factors to determine local and migratory movements in the double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). One hundred and forty-five cormorants were captured from 14 nesting colonies across the Great Lakes area and fitted with satellite transmitters. We first tested the hypotheses that sexual segregation, density-dependent effects, and the intensity of management operations influenced home range size during the breeding season. The influence of these factors appeared to be limited in part due to random variability in foraging and dispersal decisions at individual and colony levels. We also designed a statistical …

Clinical And Pathologic Responses Of American Crows (Corvus Brachyrhynchos) And Fish Crows (C Ossifragus) To Experimental West Nile Virus Infection, N. M. Nemeth, B. V. Thomsen, T. R. Spraker, J. M. Benson, A. M. Bosco-Lauth, P. T. Oesterle, J. M. Bright, J. P. Muth, T. W. Campbell, T. L. Gidlewski, R. A. Bowen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

West Nile virus (WNV)-associated disease has a range of clinical manifestations among avian taxa, the reasons for which are not known. Species susceptibility varies within the avian family Corvidae, with estimated mortality rates ranging from 50 to 100%. We examined and compared virologic, immunologic, pathologic, and clinical responses in 2 corvid species, the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the fish crow (C ossifragus), following experimental WNV inoculation. Unlike fish crows, which remained clinically normal throughout the study, American crows succumbed to WNV infection subsequent to dehydration, electrolyte and pH imbalances, and delayed or depressed humoral immune …

Interspecific Variation In Wildlife Hazards To Aircraft: Implications For Airport Wildlife Management, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant, Bradley F. Blackwell, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding the relative hazards of wildlife to aircraft is important for developing effective management programs. We used Federal Aviation Administration National Wildlife Strike Database records from 1990 to 2009 in the United States to rank the relative hazard of wildlife to aircraft. We summarized data for 77 species or species groups with ≥20 records where collisions occurred ≥500 ft (152 m) above ground level. We also assessed the effects of avian body mass, body density, and group size on relative hazard scores. The 3 most hazardous species or species groups were mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer ( …

Assessment Of Human-Coyote Conflicts: City And County Of Broomfield, Colorado, Stan Grant, Julie K. Young, Seth Riley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the summer of 2011, the Anthem Highlands neighborhood of the City and County of Broomfield (Broomfield), Colorado experienced multiple serious incidents between humans and coyotes. Broomfield has a detailed policy about coexisting with wildlife in general, and coyotes in particular, that includes extensive public education and outreach. Because of the serious nature of the incidents, the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, with assistance from USDA-Wildlife Services and in collaboration with Broomfield, engaged in coyote removal efforts. One coyote was lethally removed after the first incident, another was shot after the second incident, 8 coyotes were lethally removed (7 …

Effect Of Uv-A Irradiance On Lipid Accumulation In Nannochloropsis Oculata, Rathy Srinivas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The marine microalgae Nannochloropsis spp. are of both ecological and economic importance as they contribute to the base of the food chain of marine systems, and can accumulate a considerable amount of lipids. Their lipids can be grouped into two categories, storage lipids, which are mainly triglycerides (TGs), and structural lipids, which are composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are essential nutrients for both aquatic animals and humans, while TGs can be transesterified to produce biodiesel. Lipid formation in microalgae depends on several environmental factors and Nannochloropsis spp. have been shown to accumulate excess storage lipids under stressful conditions. …

With Malice Towards None: Six Stories And A Novella, Burke Nixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A fiction collection consisting of six short stories folloby a novella. The pieces attempt to be comic, but also--with debatable success--to be more than just comic. As the title suggests, one of the collection's thematic concerns is mercy and its absence. Most of the pieces are set in Texas; characters in the collection include a female student in an absurdly incompetent public high school, a parking cop, the best friend of a stand-up comedian, an Abilene man whose life goal is to be struck by lightning, and an unselfconscious grandfather character, who bookends the beginning and end of the collection. …

Challenging Balance Between Productivity And Environmental Quality: Tillage Impacts, D. C. Reicosky, T. J. Sauer, J. L. Hatfield

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The increasing pressure to provide food security, enhance environmental quality, and address societal problems creates challenges for agriculture and requires we consider how to change our current systems to become more sustainable. Wiebe (2003) stated, “Not only is the contemporary food system inherently unsustainable, increasingly it is damaging the environment.” There have been adverse eff ects in all parts of the world on soils, water, and biodiversity. Poor management of our agricultural systems has contributed to human-induced climate change, and, in turn, human-induced climate change threatens agricultural productivity. In many developed countries, access to quality food is taken for granted, …

Indices For Soil Management Decisions, Douglas L. Karlen, Brian J. Wienhold, Shujiang Kang, Ted M. Zobeck, Susan S. Andrews

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Global efforts to identify and develop soil quality indices that can accurately and efficiently quantify effects of soil and crop management began to emerge around the world during the latter portion of the 20th century. This occurred as people became more aware that soil is a unique, nonrenewable resource that nurtures and sustains human civilizations (McNeill and Winiwater, 2004). These efforts have been further encouraged by a growing awareness of the multiple ecosystem services that soil resources provide to sustain food security, environmental quality, ecological functions, and most recently feedstock production for biofuels (Doran et al., 1996; Bouma, 2005; Lal, …

The Use Of Cover Crops To Manage Soil, T. C. Kaspar, J. W. Singer

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Cover crops are used to manage soils for many different reasons and are known by many different names. Cover crops are literally “crops that cover the soil” and one of their first uses was to reduce soil erosion during fallow periods in annual cropping systems. Cover crops are also known as “green manures,” “catch crops,” or “living mulch.” Green manure cover crops are usually legumes that fix N and are grown to provide N to the following cash crop. Catch crops are cover crops that are grown during fallow periods in cropping systems to take up nutrients, especially N, that …

Nutrient Cycling In Soils: Sulfur, John L. Kovar, Cynthia A. Grant

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Sulfur is an essential element required for normal plant growth, a fact that has been recognized since 1860 (Alway, 1940). It is considered a secondary macronutrient, following the primary macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but is needed by plants at levels comparable to P. Sulfur deficiency will impair basic plant metabolic functions, thus reducing both crop yield and quality. Deficiencies and responses to S amendments have been reported in crops worldwide (Tisdale et al., 1986; McGrath and Zhao, 1995; Scherer, 2001), and are becoming more common (Haneklaus et al., 2008). The likelihood of a response is determined by the balance …

Agroforestry, Thomas J. Sauer, Guillermo Hernandez-Ramirez

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Humans have long exploited the climate-altering eff ects that trees provide through shade from a hot sun and shelter from strong winds (Hall et al., 1958). Behavior that initially produced greater physical comfort evolved into purposeful planting, selection, and tending to increase and expand the multiple benefits trees can provide including food, fiber, fuel, and medicinal products. Agroforestry systems (AFS) integrate woody perennial plants with agricultural crops or animal production on the same land area. A fundamental advantage of AFS is that the combination of trees with understory plants or animals has greater potential for production of food, forage, and …

Regulatory Considerations Surrounding The Deployment Of Bt-Expressing Cowpea In Africa Report Of The Deliberations Of An Expert Panel, Joseph E. Huesing, Jörg Romeis, Norman C. Ellstrand, Alan Raybould, Richard L. Hellmich, Jeffrey D. Wolt, Jeffrey D. Ehlers, L. Clémentine Dabiré-Binso, Christian A. Fatokun, Karen E. Hokanson, Mohammad F. Ishiyaku, Venu M. Margam, Nompumelelo Obokoh, Jacob D. Mignouna, Francis Nang'ayo, Jeremy T. Ouedraogo, Rémy S. Pasquet, Barry R. Pittendrigh, Barbara A. Schaal, Jeff Stein, Manuele Tamò, Larry L. Murdock

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata ssp unguiculata) is adapted to the drier agro-ecological zones of West Africa where it is a major source of dietary protein and widely used as a fodder crop. Improving the productivity of cowpea can enhance food availability and security in West Africa. Insect predation—predominately from the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata), flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti) and a complex of pod-sucking bugs (e.g., Clavigralla spp)—is a major yieldlimiting factor in West African cowpea production. Dramatic increases in yield are shown when M. vitrata is controlled with insecticides. However, availability, costs and safety …

Epigenetic Effects Of Benzo(A)Pyrene In Fundulus Heteroclitus And Danio Rerio, Xiefan Fang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that controls gene expression and is vulnerable to early life environmental toxicant exposures. Our goal was to use two fish models, Fundulus heteroclitus and Danio rerio (zebrafish), to study the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) effects on DNA methylation status and whether the alterations could contribute to BaP-mediated reproductive and developmental toxicities. Initially, we used Fundulus to study BaP effects on glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) expression throughout development. Fundulus embryos were exposed to waterborne BaP at nominally 10 or 100 μg/L and both GNMT mRNA expression and enzyme activity were measured. Quantitative PCR and whole mount …

Monitoring Soil Quality To Assess The Sustainability Of Harvesting Corn Stover, Douglas L. Karlen, Gary Varvel, Jane M.F. Johnson, John M. Baker, S. L. Osborne, Jeff M. Novak, Paul R. Adler, Gregg Rothermel, Stuart Birrell

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Harvesting feedstock for biofuel production must not degrade soil, water, or air resources. Our objective is to provide an overview of field research being conducted to quantify effects of harvesting corn (Zea mays L.) stover as a bioenergy feedstock. Coordi- nated field studies are being conducted near Ames, IA; St. Paul and Morris, MN; Mead, NE; University Park, PA; Florence, SC; and Brookings, SD., as part of the USDA-ARS Renewable Energy Assessment Project (REAP). A baseline soil quality assessment was made using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF). Corn grain and residue yield for two different stover harvest rates (~50% …

Mediation Of Host Immune Responses After Immunization Of Neonatal Calves With A Heat-Killed Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Vaccine, Judith R. Stabel, W.R. Waters, John Bannantine, Konstantin P. Lyashchenko

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

A major drawback of current whole-cell vaccines for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is the interference with diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis (TB) and paratuberculosis. The current study was designed to explore the effects of immunization with a heat-killed whole-cell vaccine (Mycopar) on diagnostic test performance and to characterize host immune responses to vaccination over a 12-month period. Neonatal dairy calves were assigned to treatment groups consisting of (i) controls, not vaccinated (n 􏰊 5), and (ii) vaccinates, vaccinated with Mycopar vaccine (n 􏰊 5). The results from this study demonstrated a rapid initiation of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-specific gamma interferon …

Induction Of B Cell Responses Upon Experimental Infection Of Neonatal Calves With Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis, Judith R. Stabel, John Bannantine, Shigetoshi Eda, Suelee Robbe-Austerman

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine if experimental infection of neonatal calves with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis would invoke changes in the percentages of total B cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell population and of subpopulations of B cells as determined by CD5, CD25, and CD45RO markers during a 12-month period. Experimental infection groups included control (noninfected), oral (infected with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis strain K-10), oral/DXM (pretreatment with dexamethasone before oral inoculation), i.p. (intraperitoneal inoculation), and oral/M (oral inoculation with mucosal scrapings from a cow with clinical disease) groups. Over the course of the study, the …

Past And Projected Future Changes In Snowpack And Soil Frost At The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, Usa, John L. Campbell, Scott V. Ollinger, Gerald N. Flerchinger, Haley Wicklein, Katharine Hayhoe, Amey S. Bailey

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Long-term data from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire show that air temperature has increased by about 1°C over the last half century. The warmer climate has caused significant declines in snow depth, snow water equivalent and snow cover duration. Paradoxically, it has been suggested that warmer air temperatures may result in colder soils and more soil frost, as warming leads to a reduction in snow cover insulating soils during winter. Hubbard Brook has one of the longest records of direct field measurements of soil frost in the United States. Historical records show no long-term trends in maximum …

Physiology And Endocrinology Symposium: Role Of The Oviduct In Maintaining Sustained Fertility In Hens, M. R. Bakst

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In poultry, sperm transferred by natural mating or AI into the distal end of the vagina immediately begin their ascent to the uterovaginal junction (UVJ) at the anterior end of the vagina. However, due to an intense selection process in the vagina, less than 1% of the sperm transferred actually reach the UVJ. Those sperm that do reach the UVJ enter numerous tubular invaginations of the surface epithelium of the vagina located in the UVJ mucosa, collectively referred to as the sperm-storage tubules (SST). Sperm residing in the SST lumen are capable of surviving up to several weeks while retaining …

26th Hohenheim Consensus Conference, September 11, 2010 Scientific Substantiation Of Health Claims: Evidence-Based Nutrition, Hans Konrad Biesalski, Peter J. Aggett, Robert Anton, Paul S. Bernstein, Jeffrey Blumberg, Robert P. Heaney, Jeya Henry, John M. Nolan, David P. Richardson, Ben Van Ommen, Renger F. Witkamp, Ger T. Rijkers, Iris Zöllner

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Objective: The objective was to define the term evidence based nutrition on the basis of expert discussions and scientific evidence.

Methods and procedures: The method used is the established Hohenheim Consensus Conference. The term “Hohenheim Consensus Conference” defines conferences dealing with nutrition-related topics. The major aim of the conference is to review the state of the art of a given topic with experts from different areas (basic science, clinicians, epidemiologists, etc.). Based on eight to 12 questions, the experts discuss short answers and try to come to a consensus. A scientifically based text is formulated that justifies the …

Response Of Tribolium Castaneum And Tribolium Confusum Adults To Vertical Black Shapes And Its Potential To Improve Trap Capture, Altair A. Semeao, James F. Campbell, R. Jeff Whitworth, Phillip E. Sloderbeck

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum can be monitored in food processing facilities using traps baited with pheromones and kairomones, but beetle response to traps might be enhanced by adding visual cues. Against a white background, T. castaneum adults were more likely to visit black pillars than white pillars when presented with a choice (e.g., 73% of beetles visited black and 17% visiting white pillar), and visits to black pillars increased with pillar height. When tested against a black background, beetles did not show a significant preference for either color pillar regardless of height. When comparing beetle’s captures in pheromone/kairomone baited …

Effect Of Maternal Restraint Stress During Gestation On Temporal Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroendocrine And Immune Responses Of Progeny, C.T. Collier, P.N. Williams, J.A. Carroll, T.H. Welsh Jr, J.C. Laurenz

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The impact of gestational dam restraint stress on progeny immune and neuroendocrine temporal hormone responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge was assessed. Maternal stress (5-min snout snare restraint stress during days 84 to 112 of gestation) increased (P < 0.05) the magnitude of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-6, epinephrine (E), norepinephrine, and serum amyloid A (SAA) production following LPS infusion in the offspring. Moreover, these effects appear to be dependent on gender for TNF-α, E, and cortisol production. However, maternal stress did not affect (P < 0.05) the normalization of proinflammatory cytokines or neuroendocrine hormones produced following LPS. Collectively, these results indicate that maternal stress impacts aspects of the proinflammatory cytokine and stress hormone response in their progeny following LPS dosing of the offspring. This response is potentially responsible in part for the resultant changes to SAA production. Because several of the changes observed here are dependent on pig gender, these results are also the first evidence that inherent epigenetic factors coupled with maternal stress impact the cumulative response to stress and LPS in young pigs.

Influence Of Ensiling Time And Inoculation On Alteration Of The Starch-Protein Matrix In High-Moisture Corn, P. C. Hoffman, N. M. Esser, R. D. Shaver, W. K. Coblentz, M. P. Scott, A. L. Bodnar, R. J. Schmidt, R. C. Charley

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The fates of hydrophobic zein proteins, which encapsulate corn starch to create vitreous endosperm, have not been investigated in high-moisture corn (HMC). To assess influences of ensiling time and inoculation on zein proteins in HMC, quadruplicate samples of 2 random corn hybrids (A and B), containing 25.7 and 29.3% moisture, were ground, inoculated with (I) or without 600,000 cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri 40788 (Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Milwaukee, WI), and ensiled for 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 d. Nutrient composition [crude protein (CP), starch, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber], fermentation (pH, lactate, and acetate), and protein degradation …

Changes In Mineral Concentrations And Phosphorus Profile During Dry-Grind Processing Of Corn Into Ethanol, Keshun Liu, Jianchun Han

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

For determining variation in mineral composition and phosphorus (P) profile among streams of dry-grind ethanol production, samples of ground corn, intermediate streams, and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) were obtained from three commercial plants. Most attributes (dry matter concentrations) increased significantly from corn to cooked slurry but fermentation caused most significant increase in all attributes. During centrifugation, more minerals went into thin stillage than wet grains, making minerals most concentrated in the former. Mineral increase in DDGS over corn was about 3 fold, except for Na, S, Ca, and Fe. The first three had much higher fold of increase, …

Evaluation Of Two Mutants Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis As Candidates For A Live Attenuated Vaccine For Johne’S Disease, Kun Taek Park, Andrew J. Allen, John P. Bannantine, Keun Seok Seo, Mary J. Hamilton, Gaber S. Abdellrazeq, Heba M. Rihan, Amanda Grimm, William C. Davis

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Control of Johne’s disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, has been difficult because of a lack of an effective vaccine. To address this problem we used targeted gene disruption to develop candidate mutants with impaired capacity to survive ex vivo and in vivo to test as a vaccine. We selected relA and pknG, genes known to be important virulence factors in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis, for initial studies. Deletion mutants were made in a wild type Map (K10) and its recombinant strain expressing the green fluorescent protein (K10-GFP). Comparison of survival in an ex vivo …

Improving Animal Welfare And Reducing Animal Use For Veterinary Vaccine Potency Testing: State Of The Science And Future Directions, William S. Stokes, Karen Brown, Jodie Kulpa-Eddy, Geetha Srinivas, Marlies Halder, Hans Draayer, Jeffrey Galvin, Ivo Claassen, Glen Gifford, Ralph Woodland, Vivian Doelling, Brett Jones

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Veterinary vaccines contribute to improved human and animal health and welfare by preventing diseases and deaths caused by a wide range of infectious agents. However, testing necessary to ensure vaccine effectiveness and safety can involve large numbers of animals and significant pain and distress. NICEATM and ICCVAM convened an international workshop to review the state of the science of human and veterinary vaccine potency and safety testing methods and to identify opportunities to advance new and improved methods that can further reduce, refine, and replace animal use. This workshop report is the fourth in a series of six, and addresses …

A Spatially Explicit Degree-Day Model Of Rift Valley Fever Transmission Risk In The Continental United States, Sarah K. Konrad, Scott N. Miller, Will K. Reeves

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

A spatially explicit degree-day model was used to evaluate the risk of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) transmission by mosquitoes to humans and livestock within five target states in the continental United States: California, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, and Texas. A geographic information system was used to model potential virus transmission based on a 12-day moving window assessment of the extrinsic incubation period theorized for RVFV in the United States. Risk of potential virus transmission in each state was spatially evaluated on a 10-km grid using average historical daily temperature data from 1994 to 2003. The highest levels of transmission …

How Might Stress Contribute To Increased Risk For Schizophrenia In Children With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome?, Elliott A. Beaton, Tony J. Simon

Psychology Faculty Publications

The most common human microdeletion occurs at chromosome 22q11.2. The associated syndrome (22q11.2DS) has a complex and variable phenotype with
a high risk of schizophrenia. While the role of stress in the etiopathology of schizophrenia has been under investigation for over 30 years (Walker et al. 2008), the stress–diathesis model has yet to be investigated in children with
22q11.2DS. Children with 22q11.2DS face serious medical, behavioral, and socioemotional challenges from infancy into adulthood. Chronic stress elevates glucocorticoids, decreases immunocompetence, negatively impacts brain
development and function, and is associated with psychiatric illness in adulthood. Drawing knowledge from the extant and well-developed …

Waiving Miranda, Vance E. Voyles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Waiving Miranda is a nonfiction collection that explores my career in law enforcement with a special emphasis on how the day-to-day association with others can lure a person into self-observation. The essays include my experiences as a road-patrol deputy, sex-crimes detective, and homicide detective in one of the largest county law enforcement agencies in the nation. Instead of the TV version of law enforcement— anecdotes of police chases and shoot outs—this thesis examines people on both sides of the yellow crimes scene tape as they face their own mortality and the gruesome truth of people’s unabashed cruelty towards one another. …

A Laudable Ambition Fired Her Soul Conduct Fiction Helps Define Republican Womanhood, Female Communities, And Women's Education In The Works Of Judith Sargent Murray, Hannah Webster Foster, And Susanna Haswell Rowson, Jessica Crystal Workman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the major works of Judith Sargent Murray, Hannah Webster Foster, and Susanna Haswell Rowson, three major writers of the 1790s whose writing responds to the ideologies of the early American Republic. I suggest that Murray, Foster, and Rowson write conduct fiction which responds to the changing attitudes toward women and education after the American Revolution. Using fiction, these authors comment on the republican woman, the need for women’s education, and the necessity for women to gather in communities for support. Despite the prevailing notion that reading too many novels would corrupt young women, Judith Sargent Murray’s novella, …

Stable Expression Of Tuberculosis Vaccine Antigen In Lettuce Chloroplasts, Priya Saikumar Lakshmi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is one of the leading reasons of death by an infectious bacterial pathogen. The development of TB vaccines has been recognized as a major public health priority by the World Health Organization. In this study, a potential candidate antigen, ESAT-6 (6 kDa early secretory antigenic target) was fused with cholera toxin B subunit (CTB). Transplastomic lettuce plants were generated expressing these fusion proteins. Site-specific transgene integration into the chloroplast genome was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis. In transplastomic leaves, expression levels of fusion protein (CTB-ESAT6) varied depending upon …