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Today - December 2017/January 2018, Loma Linda University Health

TODAY

Inside this issue:

-- LLU Children’s Hospital receives national award for top quality
-- Robert Handysides, DDS, appointed sixth LLU School of Dentistry dean
-- Cranes positioned; steel delivered; construction on new hospital underway
-- Loma Linda University Health to host 7th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition in February 2018
-- Broadcast spotlights LLU Children’s Hospital’s outreach to children in need
-- Students from Westlake High School Visit, donate gifts to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital
-- Santas take over Children’s Hospital during dedicated holiday week
-- ‘Give to a Giver’ project brings holiday cheer to 55 missionary families serving …

News Of The Department Of Animal Science, Department Of Animal Science

Animal Science Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Interactivity Factors In Visualization-Based Exploratory Search, Ali Baigelenov

Open Access Theses

Two of the main components of visualizations are representation and interaction. Several researchers have noted that the interaction component has been receiving less attention than the visual (representation) component. It was also noted by several researchers that there is currently no well-developed theoretical base for interaction research in information visualization. A number of important contributions to this problem were made, resulting in different frameworks that aimed to deal with various aspects of interaction design, such as benefits, costs, and techniques, to name a few. Despite the contributions and findings, the interactivity factors of diversity, complementarity, and fitness are still relatively …

Effects Of Dry-Aging On Eating Quality, Physicochemical, And Microbiological Attributes Of Grass-Fed Beef Loins, Jordy Berger

Open Access Theses

The United States has the greatest number of cattle on feed and is the largest producer of beef in the world (Jones, 2017). As a major contributor to the American economy, it is vital for the beef industry to provide consumers with high quality products that meet their expectations in order to ensure continued meat purchase (Schroeder and Mark, 2000). To accomplish these objectives, an understanding of beef eating quality attributes and ongoing research to identify how and what factors contribute to these attributes is essential. Beef palatability is assessed by the evaluation of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor (Reicks et …

Formation And Removal Of Toxic Disinfection By-Products From Cross-Linked Polyethylene (Pex) Pipes In Building Premise Plumbing System, Gaopin Cao

Open Access Theses

Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipes are widely installed in the US, and the usage is increasing due to several advantages that PEX pipes have over other alternatives (e.g. copper) that are related to cost, flexibility, and environmental friendly. However, these pipes are well known to leach total organic carbon (TOC), and thus affect overall drinking water quality within premise plumbing systems. One area that has not been explored is the potential for such pipes to form disinfection by-products (DBPs) from these leached organics in the presence of chlorinated waters. This issue is of concern since DBPs are regulated within the water …

Investigating The Degradation Of Amorphous Vitamin C In Polymeric Model Systems, Yahya Ismail

Open Access Theses

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient and a chemically labile compound found in natural foods and added as an ingredient to food products. A challenge for delivering vitamin C in foods is the tendency for the vitamin to degrade, which leads not only to a loss of nutritional quality but also to browning. Recent work has shown that vitamin C is likely in the amorphous solid state in many dry and intermediate moisture foods. Amorphous forms of an ingredient are inherently unstable and tend to crystallize over time. The study of vitamin C degradation in model amorphous polymeric matrices is …

A Wearable Paper-Based Dermal Platform For Monitoring Perspiration, Vaibhav Jain

Open Access Theses

Consumer scale wearable devices have the potential to shift the healthcare paradigm from curative to preventive by allowing unobtrusive monitoring of important physiological parameters. Towards such a goal, this work presents a flexible and conformal, paper-based dermal platform (patch), for real time in-situ perspiration monitoring and quantification to aid in maintenance of hydration balance. Depending on the bio-metrics of the user and desired application, the wicking based platform having a spiral design with spokes/fingers of increasing length emanating from a central sweat collection region, can be customized in size and shape to sequentially trigger feedback (passive chemical color change on …

Investigating The Effect Of Controlled Relative Humidity Storage On Amylopectin Retrogradation In Amorphous Starch, Starch:Gluten, And Wheat Flour Models, Kathryn Johnson

Open Access Theses

The development of crystallinity caused by amylopectin retrogradation has been correlated to staling in baked goods. Different amylopectin crystal polymorphs have been found in starches from different botanical sources and in amylopectin crystallized in different conditions. The amount of water in each polymorph has been documented. However, the molecular mechanism involved in bread staling and the role and distribution of water during starch retrogradation are still debated. The objective of this study was to determine whether water is incorporated into or expelled from amylopectin as crystal structures form during retrogradation using moisture sorption techniques and model starch, starch:gluten, and wheat …

Evaluation Of Alkalis, Buffers, And Complementary Fiber Feeds To Increase Digestibility And Performance In Feedlot Steers Fed Corn Stover, Nicholas Allan Lancaster

Open Access Theses

The use of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) has been shown to limit fiber digestibility due to the inherent acidity of the feedstuff. Three studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of alkalis, buffers and complimentary fiber feeds on ruminal pH, fiber digestibility, and animal performance. The first study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of calcium hydroxide (StoverCal; Ca(OH)2) and/or roughage on diet digestibility, performance and carcass characteristics of steers fed 60% DDGS. The addition of StoverCal to low corn silage diets, or the addition of corn silage or corn stover to a 60% DDGS ration did not …

Restoration Of Hardwoods Through Conversion Of Non-Native Conifer Plantations, Jenny Lesko

Open Access Theses

Forest tree species such as American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh) and oaks (Quercus spp.) have been heavily impacted by forest changes in the eastern US during the past century. American chestnut, a once-important eastern US forest tree, was decimated by chestnut blight fungus. Blight-resistant chestnut hybrids have been developed, however, and so restoration is now conceivable. Regeneration of oak is poor in eastern forests due to disturbance regime changes including lack of fire, deer overabundance, and competition with faster-growing species. Concurrently, large areas of mature introduced pine (Pinus spp.) plantations exist in the Midwest Central Hardwood Forest following their …

Effects Of Dietary Pectin And Threonine Concentrations On The Growth Performance, Digestibility And Intestinal Morphology Of Broiler Chickens, Yu Shi

Open Access Theses

The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary threonine (Thr) concentration and dietary pectin and the interaction effects of dietary pectin and dietary Thr concentrations on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens from d 7 to 21 posthatch. Ten diets with five levels of dietary Thr concentration of 5.7, 7.6, 9.4, 11.3, 13.2 g/kg, representing 60, 80, 100, 120, 140%, respectively, of the Thr requirement suggested by Ross Nutrition Supplement (2009), and two levels of dietary pectin (0 and 7%) were fed to broiler chickens from d 7 to d 21 posthatch in a …

Inclusion Of Antibiotic Alternatives In Feedlot Cattle Diets: Impact On Health Status, Cattle Performance And Meat Quality, Josey Pukrop

Open Access Theses

Although antibiotics are effective at diminishing the incidence of both bovine respiratory disease and digestive disorders and can promote growth in feedlot cattle, public scrutiny and concerns about antibiotic resistance are driving the cattle industry away from their use in production. Natural antibiotic alternatives derived from plants, bacteria and yeasts are increasing in popularity for use in cattle feeding operations.

In this thesis, the effect of a yeast cell wall product on performance and health status of receiving steers was examined and the effect of supplementing an essential oils blend on finishing cattle performance, liver abscess incidence, carcass characteristics and …

An Empirical Analysis Of The Farm Bill And The Impact Of A Seat On The United States Senate Agriculture Committee, Shelby Ellen Swain

Open Access Theses

The purpose of this study is to do a thorough investigation of what influences farm program payments for a state by examining the United States farm bill and the impact of having a seat on the United States Senate Agriculture Committee. Specifically, this study explores the empirical aspects of the farm bill to determine the most influential factors in the creation of a farm bill, and investigates the impact a political position holds on farm program payments at the state level. This thesis can be used as a foundational understanding of the farm bill, as well as provide insight into …

Metabolic Engineering For Aromatic Amino Acids In Cyanobacteria, Jeremiah Vue

Open Access Theses

Phenylalanine and tryptophan are valuable chemicals in the beverage, pharmaceutical and animal feed industries. Currently, engineered heterotrophic microorganisms produce phenylalanine and tryptophan from carbon sources, such as sugars. As an alternative production strategy, we are investigating photosynthetic cyanobacteria to produce aromatic amino acids from CO2. We are combining directed and evolutionary approaches. Initially, we performed chemical mutagenesis on the cyanobacteria strains Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and selected colonies for resistance to tryptophan (Trp) or phenylalanine (Phe) analogs. The resistant colonies were subsequently screened for overproduction of the aromatic amino acids. The mutants resistant to phenylalanine …

Polyamines Regulate Chilling Response In Ripening Tomato Fruits By De Novo Transcription, Wan Mohn Reza Ikwan Bin Wan Hussin

Open Access Theses

Plants response to various abiotic stress, including chilling injury, by differentially regulating genes responsible for protection against these stresses. Polyamines (PAs); putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), are ubiquitous metabolite in all organisms and have been implicated in abiotic stresses in plants. Dr. Handa laboratory has previously developed high Spd/Spm tomato fruits genotypes by expressing yeast S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC). In present investigation, the role of Spd/Spm in chilling injury was evaluated by using two independent transgenic lines with high Spd/Spm (556 and 579) and isogenic parental Ohio 8245 (WT) genotypes. Fruits at onset of ripening (Breaker, BR) and fully …

Fish Consumption And Accessibility And The Implications For Household Nutrition And Food Security In Ghana And Tanzania, Akua Sakyiabea Akuffo

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation empirically investigates aquaculture adoption on food security, fish demand and fish accessibility in Ghana and Tanzania. There are three separate chapters, each discussing a specific issue relating to food security and fish consumption. Data for chapters two and three are from the round 6 of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS6) while chapter four uses the Household Budget Survey (HBS) for Tanzania.

The second chapter of this dissertation applies the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach in logit and probit frameworks to a cross section of 4,011 Ghanaian households, to analyze how fish farming is associated with household food …

Wheat-Hessian Fly Interactions: Fitness Costs And Phenotypic Characterizations, Verónica A. Campos Medina

Open Access Dissertations

The Hessian fly-wheat relationship and its genetic tractability offer us a good system to address different questions that can help to improve not only the strategies used to control this pest, but also our understanding of the insect-plant relationship. Thus, taking advantage of these features in this study I examined the fitness cost of the loss of function of a virulence gene and I made a phenotypic characterization of this insect-host relationship. First, this thesis has an introductory part, chapter one, presenting background information about the Hessian fly-wheat interaction. Chapter two explores an allele competition approach to detect fitness costs …

Effects Of Calcium Hydroxide Treated Corn Stover Inclusion As A Partial Forage Replacement In Diets For Lactating Dairy Cows, Brittany Casperson

Open Access Dissertations

There is a large quantity of harvestable corn stover available in the United States. Due to the high maturity at harvest and subsequent low digestibility, the use of corn stover as a livestock feedstuff is limited. Several treatment and processing strategies have been explored in order to increase yield of fermentable sugars and lessen the limitation of corn stover as a feedstuff. Alkaline pretreatment has been applied to enhance the digestibility of low quality feeds, improve the feeding value, and permit use in livestock rations. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that calcium hydroxide treatment would improve the feeding …

Effects Of Acute Aerobic Exercise On Whole Genome Nucleosome Maps, Transcriptomics And Acylcamitine Metabolomics In Skeletal Muscle Of Lean Vs Overweight/Obese Men, Prasad P. Devarshi

Open Access Dissertations

Skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction, evidenced by incomplete beta oxidation and accumulation of fatty acid intermediates in the form of long and medium chain acylcarnitines, may contribute to ectopic lipid deposition and insulin resistance during high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Anterograde and retrograde communication play a role in nucleo-mitochondrial crosstalk that determines skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations, specifically alterations in mitochondrial number and function in relation to obesity and insulin resistance. High fat diet (HFD) feeding affects the expression of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (NEMGs) nuclear receptor factor 1 (NRF-1), 2 (NRF-2) and peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) thereby, playing …

Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry For Metabolomics And Reaction Acceleration, Caitlin E. Falcone

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation discusses two interlocking topics: metabolomics by ambient ionization mass spectrometry and reaction acceleration. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry, a fast technique with minimal sample preparation, was used for rapid screening of metabolites. Leaf spray mass spectrometry was proven as a rapid molecular diagnostic tool for emerald ash borer infestation. Leaf spray mass spectrometry was performed on 23 different ash trees to determine that the mass spectra profiles of healthy and infested ash tree leaflets. The discriminator ions of healthy and EAB-infested ash trees were based on principal component analysis and the chemical identities of the discriminator ions were determined …

Thermal Perches As Cooling Devices For Reducing Heat Stress In Caged Laying Hens, Jiaying Hu

Open Access Dissertations

Heat stress (HS) is one of the most detrimental environmental stressors that affect poultry. Many egg companies are located in tropical and subtropical areas where HS is a year round problem. Global climate change is causing more hot days and frequent unexpected heat waves. Animal health and welfare status are greatly compromised under high ambient temperatures. In laying hens, HS negatively affects livability, egg production, shell quality, and the internal quality of eggs. Induced molting, used to rejuvenate flocks, is a common managerial practice that extends the productive life of egg laying flocks. Molting brings the flock into a second …

Hyperspectral Image Reconstruction From Rgb Data And Its Biomedical Applications, Tae Hoon Kim

Open Access Dissertations

Noninvasive label-free hyperspectral imaging of physiological changes in biological systems has been extensively used as invaluable tools in a variety of research areas, including medical and biological applications. However, conventional approach requires a critical, yet bulky, expensive, and slow optical component (i.e. a mechanical filter wheel, an imaging spectrograph, or a liquid crystal tunable filter) for capturing full spectral information. Therefore, this component limits development of compact, rapid, and cost-effective systems. In this respect, we propose to explore a possibility of spectrometerless (or spectrometer-free) hyperspectral imaging to map out detailed spatial distributions of biochemical absorption compounds or pigments, which are …

Exploring The Genomic Basis Of Traits Relevant To Evolution And Ecology Of Chestnuts (Castanea) Using High-Throughput Dna Sequencing And Bioinformatics., Nicholas R. Labonte

Open Access Dissertations

Introduced pests and pathogens have devastated forest ecosystems in the temperate zone; in eastern North America, introduced pests and pathogens have led to the elimination of most mature elms (Ulmus), ashes (Fraxinus), hemlocks (Tsuga) and chestnuts (Castanea) over large areas where these genera were formerly abundant and important for local ecosystems. The restoration of species affected by introduced pests and pathogens requires the development and propagation of trees that possess heritable resistance. High-throughput DNA sequencing and genomics provide opportunities for researchers to identify resistance gene candidates, screen germplasm, and develop markers for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs, with the goal …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy On The Student Learning Outcomes Of African American Male Students., Dennisha M. Murff

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of the impact of implementing culturally responsive pedagogical practices on the student learning outcomes of African-American male students. The secondary purpose was to identify teachers’ perceptions of the culturally responsive pedagogy strategies needed in the classroom to address the diverse needs of African-American male students. The case study approach allowed for additional insight into the potential impact of culturally responsive pedagogical practices on the student learning outcomes of African-American male students in the elementary school setting. Data were collected from a large, diverse elementary school in an urban school …

Effect Of Feed Additive Enzymes On Growth Performance And Immunological Response In Growing Pigs And Poultry, Emily R. Otto-Tice

Open Access Dissertations

As demand for oilseeds and grains increase for uses beyond livestock feeds, swine and poultry producers are continually challenged to source alternative feed ingredients or co-products that are traditionally fed to ruminant animals. Many of these alternative feed ingredients have characteristics, such as higher fiber content or inherent antinutritional factors, that may reduce the feeding value for swine and poultry. To help improve the nutrient availability as well as understanding the positive affect that feeding fiber can have on gut health, biotech companies have developed novel enzymes to help breakdown these complex carbohydrate structures to release additional energy or reduce …

Determining Variation In Virulence, Persistence, And Stress Tolerance Among Salmonella Enterica And Listeria Monocytogenes From Food And Food-Associated Environments, Andrea J. (Ray) Etter

Open Access Dissertations

The U.S. food industry employs multiple strategies to prevent foodborne illness including the use of antimicrobials, sanitizers, and heat to reduce or eliminate pathogens in food products. However, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica isolates have widely varying tolerance to common processing stresses. Additionally, both pathogens display considerable variation in virulence among serovars and strains. The goal of these studies was to characterize the range of virulence and persistence capabilities for L. monocytogenes and S. enterica isolates. To this end, we determined the prevalence of inlA mutations in L. monocytogenes collected from retail deli surfaces, and used PFGE to study the …

Associative Learning Of The Generalist Predator Podisus Maculiventris To Herbivore- Induced Plant Volatiles, Ulianova Vidal-Gómez

Open Access Dissertations

Following herbivore attack, plants produce volatile organic compounds (HIPVs for herbivore induced plant volatiles) that allow predators to find and consume herbivores. The generalist predator Podisus maculiventris likely uses HIPVs in its foraging decisions. I hypothesized that the behavioral responses of this predator to HIPVs are acquired via associative learning, as suggested by theoretical predictions linking natural enemy host range with odor preferences. To evaluate P. maculiventris learning capabilities across different levels of biological organization, I use the tri-trophic system consisting of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), hornworm caterpillars (Manduca sexta), and the predaceous stinkbug Podisus maculiventris to answer the following questions: …

From Crypt Depths To Carbon Dioxide Equivalents: Characterizing The Interactions Between Swine Nutrition, Health And The Environment, Caitlin Vonderohe

Open Access Dissertations

There are many ways to measure the relative success and sustainability of a swine production system. The most economically relevant measures are growth performance and feed conversion. However, other measures such as greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient excretion, health and degree of intestinal inflammation can also be significant reflections of the interaction between nutrition, genetics and environment. Three experiments were conducted to characterize how swine nutrition and management affect the environmental footprint of swine production. The objective of experiment 1 was to determine the effect of reducing dietary crude protein and supplementing synthetic amino acids on growth performance, greenhouse gas emissions …

Investigation Of Interaction Between Peptide And Lipid Bilayer By Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Ning Xiang

Open Access Dissertations

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) inactivate microbial cells through pore formation in cell membrane. Because of their different mode of action compared to antibiotics, AMPs can be effectively used to combat drug resistant bacteria in human health. AMPs can also be used to replace antibiotics in animal feed and immobilized on food packaging films. We developed a methodology based on mechanistic evaluation of peptide-lipid bilayer interaction to identify AMPs from soy protein. Production of AMPs from soy protein is an attractive, cost-saving alternative for commercial consideration, because soy protein is an abundant and common protein resource. This methodology is also applicable for …

A New Transduction Mechanism For Detecting Biological Radiation Damage Using Metabolic Response Of Yeast As A Surrogate Marker, Chang Keun Yoon

Open Access Dissertations

Radiation was a serendipitous discovery in the late 19th century and since then has been an effective tool utilized in many different fields such as energy, weaponry, medical diagnosis/treatment, food sterilization, and archaeological. As its demand increased in multiple areas, it became necessary to control it more precisely and cautiously, and so began the accelerated development of radiation detectors. Such radiation sensors (or dosimeters) have existed since the beginning of the 20th century in various forms. Most radiation dosimeters in use today are targeted for healthcare and industrial workers who work around high levels of radiation (e.g., hospital personnel and …