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Effect Of Fat And Fiber On Methane Production And Energy Utilization In Lactating Dairy Cows, Olivia Rose Drehmel

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to rising concerns of greenhouse gases and that ruminants are the largest livestock methane producers, an emphasis has been put on developing methane mitigation strategies to reduce methane emissions in ruminants. Other than reducing methane, maximizing the energy utilization of cattle is also important for producer’s overall productivity and profitability.

In the first experiment, fat or cellulose was added to fiber isolated from dried distiller’s grains and solubles. Isolated NDF residue from an in vitro setting was fermented 1) alone (control); 2) with feed grade corn oil at 20%; or 3) with cellulose powder microcrystalline at 20% using the …

Advancing Chemical Characterization Of Feedstuffs Commonly Included In Dairy Cow Rations, Ellan I. Dufour

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Chemical composition of feedstuffs commonly included in dairy cow rations is variable within a feed type, which raises a potential for nutrient inadequacies for an animal. There are multiple methods to characterize and determine chemical composition including in vitro and in situ methods, as well as refining processing procedures to produce a consistent feed product. Feed component digestibilities can also be evaluated using similar methods.

Research reported in Chapter 2 focuses on characterizing chemical composition and determining the digestibility of fiber and protein fractions of corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) originating from seven different production sites across Michigan, …

Utilizing Modular Labs In Human Anatomy And Physiology: Lessons Learned From A First Time Experience, Jennifer Zitzner

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Anatomy and physiology laboratory experiences build upon concepts that are presented in the lecture part of the course. Our anatomy and physiology laboratory class meets weekly for approximately three hours and includes a compilation of activities that are to be completed during the laboratory period. While exercises are built off of topics presented in lecture and predominantly hands-on in nature, many students were not taking advantage of the self-directed learning experiences, especially those employing anatomical models. Some students were content to simply take photographs of models with their cell phones and complete only the graded portions of the laboratory assignment …

Spatiotemporal Regulation Of Nervous System Development In The Annelid Capitella Teleta, Abhinav Sur, Craig R. Magie, Elaine C. Seaver, Néva P. Meyer

Biology

Background: How nervous systems evolved remains an unresolved question. Previous studies in vertebrates and arthropods revealed that homologous genes regulate important neurogenic processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the mechanisms through which such homologs regulate neurogenesis across different bilaterian clades are variable, making inferences about nervous system evolution difficult. A better understanding of neurogenesis in the third major bilaterian clade, Spiralia, would greatly contribute to our ability to deduce the ancestral mechanism of neurogenesis. Results: Using whole-mount in situ hybridization, we examined spatiotemporal gene expression for homologs of soxB, musashi, prospero, achaete-scute, neurogenin, and neuroD in embryos and …

Assessment Of Risk Of Dengue And Yellow Fever Virus Transmission In Three Major Kenyan Cities Based On Stegomyia Indices, Sheila B. Agha, David P. Tchouassi, Armanda D.S. Bastos, Rosemary Sang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Dengue (DEN) and yellow fever (YF) are re-emerging in East Africa, with contributing drivers to this trend being unplanned urbanization and increasingly adaptable anthropophilic Aedes (Stegomyia) vectors. Entomological risk assessment of these diseases remains scarce for much of East Africa and Kenya even in the dengue fever-prone urban coastal areas. Focusing on major cities of Kenya, we compared DEN and YF risk in Kilifi County (DEN-outbreak-prone), and Kisumu and Nairobi Counties (no documented DEN outbreaks). We surveyed water-holding containers for mosquito immature (larvae/pupae) indoors and outdoors from selected houses during the long rains, short rains and dry seasons (100 houses/season) …

Vector Competence Of Populations Of Aedes Aegypti From Three Distinct Cities In Kenya For Chikungunya Virus, Sheila B. Agha, Edith Chepkorir, Francis Mulwa, Caroline Tigoi, Samwel Arum, Milehna M. Guarido, Peris Ambala, Betty Chelangat, Joel Lutomiah, David P. Tchouassi, Michael J. Turell, Rosemary Sang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: In April, 2004, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) re-emerged in Kenya and eventually spread to the islands in the Indian Ocean basin, South-East Asia, and the Americas. The virus, which is often associated with high levels of viremia in humans, is mostly transmitted by the urban vector, Aedes aegypti. The expansion of CHIKV presents a public health challenge both locally and internationally. In this study, we investigated the ability of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from three distinct cities in Kenya; Mombasa (outbreak prone), Kisumu, and Nairobi (no documented outbreak) to transmit CHIKV. Methodology/Principal findings: Aedes aegypti mosquito populations were exposed to different …

The Structural And Functional Properties Of A Double Mutant Of Human Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (Hfgf-1), Arwa Mohammed Alghanmi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF-1), a member of the FGF superfamily, is a potent mitogen and heparin-binding protein involved in a broad spectrum of biological processes, including angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and wound healing. Design of hFGF-1 with an increased thermal stability and an enhanced cell proliferation activity is highly desired for wound healing applications. Herein, we have designed the variant of FGF-1 by substituting two important amino residues in the heparin-binding pocket. The variant was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and was successfully purified to homogeneity using an affinity chromatographic procedure. Far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis showed that the …

Nanowired Human Cardiac Spheroids For Cardiac Regenerative Medicine, Yu Tan

All Dissertations

3D scaffold-free spherical micro-tissue (spheroids) holds great potential in tissue engineering as building blocks to fabricate the functional tissues or organs in vitro. To date, agarose based hydrogel molds have been extensively used to facilitate fusion process of tissue spheroids. As a molding material, agarose typically requires low temperature plates for gelation and/or heated dispenser units. Here, we developed an alginate-based, direct 3D mold-printing technology: 3D printing micro-droplets of alginate solution into biocompatible, bio-inert alginate hydrogel molds for the fabrication of scaffold-free tissue engineering constructs. Specifically, we developed a 3D printing technology to deposit micro-droplets of alginate solution on calcium …

Sustainable Solar Energy Development In Thailand, Kitiluk Thanomboonchai

All Dissertations

Energy independence and energy security have become important topics for Thailand. Thailand depends on natural gas as the primary fuel for electricity generation while Thailand’s Ministry of Energy projected the depletion of available natural gas by 2032. As such, the Thai government established The Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), which set a goal of producing approximately 20% of electricity by 2036 from renewable sources; 6,000 MW of which would come from solar power.

This thesis aims to provide guidance on policy and solar siting issues that will aid Thailand in achieving their solar energy goals. There are four objectives of …

Fast Tracking Of Single Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles With High Spatial Resolution, Teeranan Nongnual

All Dissertations

Highly fluorescent and photostable conjugated polymer nanoparticles that freely diffuse in glycerol/water mixtures were individually tracked at an acquisition rate up to 1 kHz. The average bright fluorescence emission of about 15000 photons per particle per millisecond exposure time (~500 photons detected by sCMOS camera) yields a theoretical localization uncertainty of 10 nm per frame along lateral plane. Axial positional trajectories for 3D particle tracking were determined by defocused imaging, which evaluates the width of fluorescence spot at different displaced focal planes, yielding an axial resolution of 20 nm. The diffusion coefficient of nanoparticles in solution was measured by using …

Radioanalytical Methods For Characterization Of The Surface Modification Of Nanoparticles, Kathleen Davis

All Dissertations

The use of iron oxide nanoparticles for a variety of applications has grown over the past few decades. Manipulation of surface chemistry of these materials is critical to customizing the properties of the particles for desired applications. Ligand exchange is a common and versatile tool for surface modification. There are many factors which affect ligand exchange including ligand chain length, number of binding groups, binding group chemistry, and particle aging and oxidation. Furthermore, ligand exchange may not always occur to completion. Therefore, it is important to characterize the surface of the particles to determine the extent of exchange. Current techniques …

A Mixed Cation And Anion Exchange Resin System For The Simultaneous Removal Of N-Nitrosodimethylamine And Trihalomethanes Precursors From Water, Wilson Beita Sandi

All Dissertations

Drinking water utilities are relying more than ever on water sources impacted by wastewater effluents. Disinfection of these waters during water treatment may lead to the formation of several disinfection by-products, including the probable human carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and the regulated trihalomethanes (THMs). The main objectives of this dissertation work were to investigate i) the potential of ion exchange resins to remove simultaneously both NDMA and THMs, ii) the factors (i.e., pH and competing ions) that may influence the capability of ion exchange resins, and iii) the effect of bromide on the formation of NDMA. Two ion exchange resins were …

Acetate Metabolism: The Physiological Role Of Adp-Forming Acetyl-Coa Synthetase And Acetate Kinase In Entamoeba Histolytica, Thanh Dang

All Dissertations

Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that causes amoebic colitis and liver abscess in approximately 90 million people each year, resulting in 50,000-100,000 fatalities. Even though Entamoeba poses a significant public health problem worldwide, research dedicated to understanding the biology of this unique protozoan has been limited. This amitochondriate parasite lacks many essential biosynthesis pathways including the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. As a result, substrate level phosphorylation plays a necessary role in ATP production. Unlike the standard glycolytic pathway, E. histolytica glycolysis requires pyrophosphate (PPi) by replacing ATP - dependent phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase with PPi - …

Real-Time Observation Of Dynamic Sarcomeric Addition In An In Vivo-Like Cardiomyocyte Culture Model, Zhonghai Wang

All Dissertations

Cardiac hypertrophy is the enlargement of individual cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) in both size and mass, which is achieved by addition of sarcomeres, the basic contractile unit. Cardiomyocytes elongate by adding sarcomeres in series and thicken by adding sarcomeres in parallel. Though it is generally accepted that sarcomeric addition can be initiated by increased mechanical loading, the sarcomeric addition process under various mechanical overloads on molecular level remains largely unknown. Previous research on sarcomeric addition largely rely on animal models of induced cardiac hypertrophy; those experiments provide little direct evidence for sarcomeric addition process as a response to increased mechanical …

Survival, Recovery, And Inactivation Of Human Norovirus Surrogates, Feline Calicivirus And Murine Norovirus, On Carpets, David Buckley

All Dissertations

Worldwide, enteric viruses are the main cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Among these viruses, human noroviruses (HuNoV) are leading cause of AGE and account for ca. 20% of all diarrheal cases, a top-five cause of death worldwide. In humans, these viruses spread via person-to-person contact, food, water, and/or the environment. Person-to-person contact is the most common mode of HuNoV transmission. Yet, environmental transmission has been linked to several outbreaks and prolonged others. HuNoV survival and inactivation on hard environmental surfaces have been extensively studied. However, nonlaunderable soft surfaces, such as carpet, have received little attention despite epidemiological evidence suggesting their …

Superfine Powdered Activated Carbon (S-Pac) Coupled With Microfiltration For The Removal Of Trace Organics In Drinking Water Treatment, Erin Partlan

All Dissertations

Anthropogenic contaminants - such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products - are an area of emerging concern in the treatment of drinking water. An integrated activated carbon membrane coating consisting of superfine powdered activated carbon (S-PAC) with particle size near or below one micrometer was explored to enhance removal of trace synthetic organic contaminants (SOCs) from water. S-PAC was chosen for its fast adsorption rates relative to conventionally sized PAC and atrazine was chosen as a model SOC. S-PAC and microfiltration membranes have a symbiotic relationship; membrane filtration separates S-PAC from water, while S-PAC adds capacity for a membrane process …

Latent Data Modeling With Biostatistical Applications, Yan Liu

All Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three projects that make use of latent variable modeling techniques. One of the focuses of this dissertation research has been in the area of spatial and spatio-temporal modeling. The specific topics and motivating problems in this study have been fully supported and motivated by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). In particular, the CAPC has developed a rather extensive database, which houses several common dog disease data sets collected throughout the conterminous United States. This data exists at a county level and was collected monthly over a span of 5 consecutive years, and exhibits strong spatial …

Elucidating The Cellular Physiology Associated With The Herbicide (Glyphosate) Resistance And Tolerance In Agricultural Weeds Using Metabolomics Approach, Amith Sadananda Maroli

All Dissertations

Current management practices overemphasizes on herbicides to manage weeds in crop production systems. However, indiscriminate use of herbicides to manage weeds has resulted in the development of resistance in several weed biotypes. Over-application on glyphosate to manage weeds in cropping system that uses RoundUp® Readyâ„¢ trait has resulted in the dominance of glyphosate resistant weeds across cropping systems. Glyphosate resistance is an important, economically unviable and rapidly escalating problem across agricultural production systems. To combat herbicide resistance, current recommendations advocate for changes in chemical and cultural practices of weed control, including rotation of herbicide regimen with herbicides with alternate modes …

Intersectionality And Credibility In Child Sexual Assault Trials, Amber J. Powell, Heather R. Hlavka, Sameena A. Mulla

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Children remain largely absent from sociolegal scholarship on sexual violence. Taking an intersectional approach to the analysis of attorneys’ strategies during child sexual assault trials, this article argues that legal narratives draw on existing gender, racial, and age stereotypes to present legally compelling evidence of credibility. This work builds on Crenshaw’s focus on women of color, emphasizing the role of structures of power and inequality in constituting the conditions of children’s experiences of adjudication. Using ethnographic observations of courtroom jury trials, transcripts, and court records, three narrative themes of child credibility emerged: invisible wounds, rebellious adolescents, and dysfunctional families. Findings …

Laypeople Serving Their Neighbors : Is It Ministry?, Brenda H. May

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Traveling Wave Solutions For Wave Equations With Exponential Nonlinearities, S. C. Mancas, H. C. Rosu, M. Perez-Maldonado

Publications

We use a simple method which leads to the quadrature involved in obtaining the traveling wave solutions of wave equations with one and two exponential nonlinearities. When the constant term in the integrand is zero, implicit solutions in terms of hypergeometric functions are obtained while when that term is nonzero we give all the basic traveling wave solutions based on a detailed study of the corresponding elliptic equations of several well-known particular cases with important applications in physics.

An Analysis Of Environmental Quality And Entrepreneurial Activity In Illinois, Dakota Levi Jones

Research Papers

AN ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH PAPER OF

DAKOTA JONES, for the Master of Science degree in AGRIBUSINESS ECONOMICS, presented on JULY 5, 2017 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

TITLE: AN ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IN ILLINOIS

MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. C. Matthew Rendleman

Entrepreneurial activity and environmental quality are two of the biggest topics today when it comes to starting a business and meetings government regulations. Environmental quality is important for entrepreneurs to consider as they look for opportunities to make a profit. Entrepreneurship can have a negative impact on environmental quality if it is not taken into …

Interpreting Thonet: The Conservation Treatment And Analysis Of A Gebrüder Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair, Paige Schmidt

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A Gebrüder Thonet bentwood rocking chair owned by a private client was treated and analyzed. A custom mold was built in order to reconstruct the chair’s missing backsplat, which was created out of bendable plywood and beech veneer. Araldite AV 1252 epoxy putty was used to fill major losses and unoriginal tack holes. In addition to inpainting fills and replacement componenets, large areas of stripped and sanded finish were compensated with dewaxed shellac and acrylic emulsion paints. The wood was determined to be beech (Fagus) via wood identification using polarized light microscopy (PLM). Cross sections of the finish were examined …

Business Retention Report: Portsmouth, Nh 2017, Extension Community & Economic Development

UNH Cooperative Extension

The Business Retention program promotes a thriving economy by helping communities identify the challenges and barriers to the survival and growth of local businesses. Community leaders and volunteers survey businesses and use the data to identify and implement strategies. This report details a Business Retention assessment in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 2017.

When To Wed? A Closer Examination Of The Association Between Age Of Marriage And Marital Quality, Kaylee Shron Corbridge

Theses and Dissertations

With the rising age of marriage and previous research failing to address a more detailed look at more descriptive measures of satisfaction, the current study examined the association between age of first marriage and marital stability, satisfaction, sexual satisfaction and frequency, effective communication, conflict, and problem areas. Results from a sample of 470 participants who completed the RELATE Questionnaire indicated that across the board, those who married from ages 20-24 had better marital outcomes than those who delayed marriage until their thirties and beyond. These results fit a possible theory of explanation that when it comes to age of marriage, …

Physiological Effects Of Pathogen And Herbivore Risks Encountered By Quaking Aspen, Anson Clark Call

Theses and Dissertations

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is the most widely distributed tree in North America (Lindroth and St Clair 2013), and a keystone species in our western montane forests (Worrall et al. 2015). Aspen has become a model organism for studies of genetics and physiology in woody plants (Bradshaw et al. 2000, Taylor 2002). Aspen is also economicallyimportant (Worrall et al. 2015) – wood is harvested for various uses, its scenic beauty helps sustain the tourism economy in many areas, and it has recently been studied as a possible source of biofuel (Sannigrahi et al. 2010). Aspen is also a …

Relationship Between Pectoralis Minor Length, Subacromial Space, And Pain In Swimmers And Overhead Athletes, Erika Jaci Richards

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction (Context): The purpose of this study was to measure and correlate pectoralis minor length (PML) and acromiohumeral distance (AHD) in male and female collegiate swimmers, overhead athletes, and a control group. Methods: Participants underwent assessment of pain related to impingement syndrome with special tests (painful arc, external rotation resistance, empty can, and Neer's impingement test), as well as range of motion, measurement of PML, and measurement of subacromial space via ultrasound. Design: Cross-sectional, correlational study. Setting: University modalities laboratory. Participants: 60 healthy subjects (20 swimmers, 20 overhead athletes, 20 controls, age = 21.5 ± 2.4 years; height = 178.7 …

A Laboratory-Scale Study On The Production Of High-Value Products From Broiler Litter Involving Solid-State Anaerobic Digestion And Mushroom Cultivation, Joe Barrett Carter Iii

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a need to investigate alternate uses and treatments of broiler litter that lessen environmental impacts and decrease costs associated with its disposal. Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which organic material is converted to a renewable fuel source. However, the substrate for anaerobic digestion often requires some form or pretreatment. Certain types of fungus have been investigated as a pretreatment for anaerobic digestion, one of which is Pleurotis ostreatus or the oyster mushroom, which also produces an edible fruiting body. Thus, this study was performed to investigate the use of broiler litter for oyster mushroom cultivation and …

Application Of X-Ray Imaging As A Technique For Fissure Detection In Rough Rice Kernels, Zephania R. Odek

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fissured rice kernels break during milling, leading to head rice yield (HRY) reductions. Conventional fissure detection instruments cannot be used to observe fissures in rough rice kernels, the form in which rice in normally dried and stored. X-rays can penetrate hulls allowing visualization of the internal structure of a rough rice kernel. This study evaluated the capability of X-ray imaging to adequately detect fissures in rough rice and established a correlation between HRY and the fissured kernel percentage (FKP) in a rough rice sample. Fifteen long-grain rice cultivars, harvested in Arkansas in 2015 and 2016 were dried using heated air …

Structural Characterization Of Bacterial Collagenases, Ryan Bauer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Clostridium histolyticum secretes collagenases ColG and ColH to cause extensive tissue destruction during myonecrosis. The collagenases are multi-domain enzymes consisting of a N-terminal collagenase module, s1, polycystic kidney disease (PKD)-like domains (s2 in ColG; s2a and s2b in ColH) and collagen-binding domains (CBD) (s3a and s3b in ColG; s3 in ColH). The individual CBD and PKD-like domains chelate calcium to modulate stability and domain rearrangement. Though used by bacteria to break down collagen in the extracellular matrix during infection, therapeutic use of the enzyme to break down excess connective tissue has been approved by the FDA. Meanwhile, the use of …