Digital Commons Network^™

Gopher Tortoises In The Anthropocene: Investigating The Effects Of Fire, Temperature, And Competition On An Ecosystem Engineer, Weston Curtis Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Gopher tortoises are ecosystem engineers whose burrows provide habitat to >350 species. Prescribed fire is used to manage tortoise habitat, but fire timing is mostly restricted to the vegetative dormant season. Restricted fire timing in combination with white-tailed deer competition may negatively affect tortoises. To address these concerns, we quantified these species’ dietary overlap and conducted a field experiment to examine impacts of fire phenology on plants and animals. Although tortoises and deer consumed ~75% of the same plants, their diets were statistically dissimilar. Fire altered plant community composition and increased foliar crude protein and phosphorus while decreasing calcium. Deer …

Identifying And Mitigating Heat Stress Of Grazing Dairy Cattle Using Shade And Sprinklers, Carly Becker

Theses and Dissertations

Animal welfare, reproduction, and milk production can be negatively affected when dairy cattle experience heat stress. Dairy cows in southern latitudes spend nearly 4 to 6 months in a state of heat stress. Animal health professionals and dairy producers use changes in physiological responses and behavioral patterns of cows as a tool for identifying poor health and welfare in periods of heat stress. The objectives of this study were to monitor the effects of heat stress on grazing dairy cows provided with shade or sprinklers by comparing various physiological indices of heat stress, and to, design and utilize a heat …

In Vivo Evaluation Of Riboflavin And Bacillus Subtilis On Growth Performance And Intestinal Health Of Male Broilers Challenged With Coccidiosis, Sabin Poudel

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of supplementation of riboflavin along with Bacillus subtilis was investigated on growth performance and intestinal health of broilers under coccidial challenge. Treatments are 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, which includes 3 levels of riboflavin (0.75, 6.6 (recommended), and 20 ppm), with or without Bacillus subtilis, and with or without coccidial challenge. Coccidial challenge impaired the intestinal morphology and reduced body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), and feed intake and increased FCR between d 14-28. However, the cocci impact on birds was reduced along with age, as the effects on internal organs was reduced, which allowed …

Innate And Adaptive Immune Responses Of Channel Catfish To Edwardsiella Ictaluri Wild Type And Live Attenuated Vaccine Candidates, Ozgur Erdogan

Theses and Dissertations

Edwardsiella ictaluri causes enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC), a devastating disease in the channel catfish industry. Our research group has developed several E. ictaluri live attenuated vaccine (LAV) candidates (EiΔevpB, EiΔevpBΔfur, EiΔevpBΔhfq, EiΔevpBΔfurΔhfq), which were able to stimulate an immune response in vaccinated channel catfish and reduce ESC. However, innate, and adaptive immune responses in the lymphoid tissues of channel catfish to these LAVs are not known well. The overall goal of the project is to determine the role of adaptive and innate immune responses in catfish after vaccination with LAVs. Analysis of innate and adaptive immune-related gene expressions showed …

Response Of Male White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) To Human Activity On The Landscape, Colby Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Human activity affects white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) movement and habitat selection during all times of the year, but knowledge is limited regarding how human risk affects white-tailed deer during the summer and winter. During spring and summer, variation in patch selection varied. Natural vegetation was selected for early in the year, with anthropogenic forages being important for deer use during the summer. During the winter, deer responded to different levels of risk. As hunter risk increased on the landscape, deer altered selection of the landscape. Deer avoided areas that were heavily used by hunters, using areas containing less hunter risk. …

Exploring The Role Of Host Species And Abiotic Factors On Epiphytic Bacterial Communities In Prickly Pear Cactus, Taylor Didesch

Theses and Dissertations

The microorganisms that live in and on a host (the microbiome) influence host phenotype, health, and behavior in plants and animals. However, the effects of the host and environment on the composition of microbiome communities are unclear. This is especially true in arid and semi-arid environments such as deserts that filter many microorganisms. This study investigated variation in phyllosphere microbiotal bacterial assemblages of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia) across differing spatial scales, ecoregions, and taxa throughout Texas at two timepoints. I expected bacterial assemblages to differ significantly among Texas ecoregions and among species. Results support significant influences on bacterial assemblage composition …

A Genetic Assessment Of The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme’S Success, And Prognosis For The Species’ Future Conservation, Mallory Mckinney

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, we used ostensibly neutral microsatellite markers to study genetic variance and heterozygosity of endangered Cyclura lewisi during captive management in the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme. We assessed the variation present in the founding population and how genetic diversity changed throughout the past 20 years of management. We also studied how heterozygosity may correlate with fitness through morphometric measures and success of recruitment after release into the wild. While we found a reduction in effective population size, standardized heterozygosity, and fixation indices did not significantly change from the founders to later generations. We found no evidence for inbreeding …

Allelopathy In Weedy Rice As A Genetic Resource For Developing Competitive Rice Varieties, Brooklyn Christine Schumaker

Theses and Dissertations

Weedy rice is of the same species as cultivated rice, Oryza, and is a common rice weed exhibiting allopathic characteristics. Incorporation of allelopathic traits from weedy rice into cultivated rice may have a positive impact on rice yield. The overall objective of this study was to characterize weedy rice accessions based on the allelopathic potential to suppress barnyardgrass. These accessions, once discovered, may be used in identifying phenotypic traits and genes associated with their weed suppressive trait. Ten weedy rice accessions, and five rice cultivars (Rex, CL163,Rondo, PI312777, PI338046) were screened using a stair-step technique. The allelopathic potential was calculated …

Integration Of Virtual Learning In College Geology Education, Youngwoo Cho

Theses and Dissertations

The geology learning environments in college generally fall into three categories: learning based on lectures, field excursions, and laboratory activities. Engaging students in these environments and developing their interest, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving ability have always been challenging in college geology education. This research developed virtual learning methodology and integrated it into traditional geology education to achieve active learning in order to engage students in the learning process. Virtual geology learning tools (VGLTs), high-resolution virtual representation of geologic objects and/or the realistic virtual 3D environment embedded with real-world terrains and animated photorealistic game objects, are the outcome of the …

Integrin-Linked Kinases Are Components Of A Cell Wall Integrity Signaling Pathway Required For Innate Immune Responses, Gizem Dimlioglu

Theses and Dissertations

Signaling networks have a crucial role in every aspect of plant communication with the environment. There is significant interest in identifying signal transduction pathways governing CW homeostasis in interactions with pathogens and symbionts. In previous work, our lab has demonstrated that the RAF-like Integrin-Linked Kinase 1 (ILK1) is a negative regulator of FLS2 (Flagellin Sensing2)-mediated signaling, required for defense against a low-virulence P. syringae T3SS-mutant, and modulating cellular ion homeostasis through functional interactions with Ca2+ sensor CML9 and HAK5 K+ transporter (Brauer et al., 2016). In this work we revealed that ILK1 homologs, ILK4 and ILK5, are required for plant …

Introgression Of Qtl 2.04 And 5.03 Into Maize Commercial Inbreds And Agronomic Evaluation For Preharvest Aflatoxin Accumulation In Their Near Isogenic Lines And Testcrosses, Venkata Mannam

Theses and Dissertations

Maize, Zea mays L., is the largest cereal grain crop grown in United States. Its yield and grain quality are adversely impacted by diseases every year. Aspergillus ear rot, caused by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, received little interest until its carcinogenic secondary metabolites, aflatoxins, were discovered. The objectives of this study were to introgress the quantitative trait loci (QTL) 2.04 from Mp313E and 5.03 from Mp715 into two commercial inbred lines, MonF and MonM; and evaluate their near isogenic lines (NILs) and testcrosses for preharvest aflatoxin accumulation and secondary agronomic traits. Marker assisted selection to create NILs and the testcross …

Post-Harvest Reduction Of Salmonella In Pork Trimming, Dishnu Sajeev

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the current study was to determine the efficacy of 3% acetic acid in reducing Salmonella in pork trimming and the effects of such treatment on meat quality. For 15-s dipping and 5-log CFU/pork cube inoculation, only 0.2- to 0.3-log reduction was observed (P ≤ 0.026). Acetic acid worked best at 75 s and 50°C, providing 1.4-log reduction (P < 0.001), damaging Salmonella cell membranes. When an inoculated pork cube was placed at the geometrical center of 2.3-kg pork trimming, dipping at 50°C for 75 s only reduced Salmonella by 0.2 log (P = 0.040). Although dipping slightly increased lightness (P < 0.001) and decreased redness (P ≤ 0.008) on the meat surface, no inside color change was detected (P = 0.120). Neither lipid oxidation (TBARS, P = 0.644), protein solubility (P = 0.187), nor water-holding capacity (P = 0.076) were affected by treatments.

Quantifying Animal Movement: Using A Power-Law To Model The Relationship Between First Passage Time And Scale, Zoë Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

In a heterogenous environment, an animal will increase its search effort in areas where resources are abundant. This behavior can be detected in a path by a decrease in speed, an increase in tortuosity, or both. First passage time, the amount of time required for an animal to traverse a circle of a given radius, or buffer, is a common metric for quantifying spatial and temporal changes along a path. Historical methodology involving first passage time limits the utility of this metric. Here we instead follow the methodology put forth by Street et al. (2018) and use a power-law model …

Evaluation Of Synergistic Opportunities Among Exogenous Enzymes For Optimal Broiler Performance, Courtney Ennis

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, feed enzyme supplementation into commercial broiler diets is a routine practice due to hydrolysis of antinutrients, such as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and phytate (IP6); ultimately leading to optimized broiler production. As a result, the market has grown rapidly, and a multitude of feed enzymesare commercially available. Complete removal of antinutrients has not been achieved and research has primarily focused on the use of singular enzyme inclusion. Due to biochemical differences among enzyme characteristics, there may be potential for synergistic action to remove antinutrients and further maximize broiler performance. Therefore, the overall objective of this dissertation was to investigate enzyme …

Evolution Of Fed Cattle Carcass Value, Madeline Poss

Theses and Dissertations

Fed cattle carcass characteristics on the live animal (lean and fat deposition) evolve over time directly impacting weight, quality and yield grades. Given buyer valuation is ultimately based on these characteristics’, fed cattle output value evolve as well. Fed beef is a time dependent process where input costs accrue over time. Previous dynamic profit optimization simulations for live animal transactions outperformed marketing based on a carcass end-point target from live animal evaluations. However, the profit model assumed constant live cash price and did not account for the evolution of the underlying carcass value over time. The model developed in this …

Exploring The Vaginal Microbiome In Relation To Pregnancy Status And Reproductive Performance In Brangus Heifers, Riley Messman

Theses and Dissertations

Most research evaluating the effects of the reproductive tract microbiota on reproductive performance has been done in humans, thus far. In bovids, reproductive microbiota research is not as advanced, with preliminary conclusions, not supported by contamination checks or repeatability. Our studies concluded that endogenous reproductive hormones, days of gestation, and pregnancy status does not change the overall vaginal microbiota composition. Although, the overall composition did not change there were species level differences. These differences could have implications in reproductive performance and fertility in heifers. Heifers that undergo nutrient restriction have similar vaginal microbiota to adequately fed heifers with no species …

Facilitating The Emergence Of Convergent Intraverbals With Children With Asd Using Various Sequences Of Prerequisite Skills Training, Alexander Clarke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the emergence of convergent intraverbals through prerequisite skills training identified by Sundberg and Sundberg (2011) and assessed by DeSouza and colleagues (2019). Further, the study explored the emergence of convergent intraverbals amongst individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through several variations of prerequisite skills training and to determine if fewer than all four prerequisite skills could facilitate the emergence of convergent intraverbals. Two children, ages 13 to 15 years old, participated in the study, which took place at a university-based school psychology services clinic in the Southeastern United States. Results suggest the …

Improved Monitoring And Decision-Making To Manage Atypical Aeromonas Hydrophila In Catfish Aquaculture Ponds, Bradley Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Commercial catfish production is an inveterate industry within the southeastern United States. Bacterial disease is a significant detriment to global aquaculture, including the United States catfish industry. Among them, an atypical strain of the bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila has plagued the industry since the late 2000s. Atypical A. hydrophila (aAh) outbreaks are largely acute, resulting in catastrophic losses. The disease ecology, prevalence, and genetic distribution are poorly understood. Atypical Aeromonas hydrophila displays a rapid onset with few warning signs of the impending disease, making it difficult for early detection. At present there are two recognized haplotypes of aAh. This project aimed …

Documenting West And Central African Dung Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) Community Structures And Their Vulnerability To Climate Change, Christie A. Sukhdeo

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Guineo-Congolian (GC) region of West and Central Africa contains high levels of species richness (SR) and endemism. Within the GC region, the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL) is an important biodiversity hotspot in part due to montane habitats that constitute important ‘sky islands’ refugia during warm periods of the Pleistocene glacial cycles. However, little is known about the diversity of many taxa in the GC region, especially for insects. The main goals of this dissertation are to: 1) document dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) species diversity across the GC region and assess the potential impacts of future climate change on species …

Interactive Point Based Method For Soft Tissue Deformation In Surgical Simulation, Junliang Shan, Weixin Si, Xiaomeng Li, Wang Qiong, Yanjun Peng, Zhiyong Yuan, Pingan Wang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Although recent years have witnessed great improvement in the research of biomechanical simulation with user interactions for surgical simulation, it still suffers from many challenges such as computational model of soft tissue undergoing large deformation, collision detection, volume conservation, etc. A simple and efficient framework was proposed to meet these challenges. To well reproduce the mechanical response of organs, point based method was used to model the elastic solids undergoing large deformations. In addition, position based dynamics was adopted to model the objects collision, friction and volume conservation, which considerably improved the real-time performance and stability of complex interactions …

Human Action Recognition Method Based On Key Frames, Xiangbin Shi, Shuanpeng Liu, Deyuan Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: More and more researchers have begun to study the human action recognition based on depth information and skeleton information since the Kinect has been released. A method of human action recognition based on the skeleton feature of key frames is proposed in order to improve the accuracy and timeliness of the human action recognition, and reduce the computational complexity. The clustered data was obtained by using K-means clustering algorithm, and then the key frames were extracted by using the clustered data. Two features for human action recognition were extracted, one is the feature of the position of human joint, …

Functional Morphology Of Gliding Flight I. Modeling Reveals Distinct Performance Landscapes Based On Soaring Strategies, Lindsay D. Waldrop, Yanyan He, Tyson L. Hedrick, Jonathan Rader

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The physics of flight influences the morphology of bird wings through natural selection on flight performance. The connection between wing morphology and performance is unclear due to the complex relationships between various parameters of flight. In order to better understand this connection, we present a holistic analysis of gliding flight that preserves complex relationships between parameters. We use a computational model of gliding flight, along with analysis by uncertainty quantification, to 1) create performance landscapes of gliding based on output metrics (maximum lift-to-drag ratio, minimum gliding angle, minimum sinking speed, lift coefficient at minimum sinking speed); and 2) predict what …

Identification Of Residues Essential For Hsv Icp8 Mediated Annealing Of Ssdna, Jaliyah Ashante Peterson

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Approach To Review Of In Vitro Methods In Brain Tumour Research (Satori-Btr): Development Of A Preliminary Checklist For Evaluating Quality And Human Relevance, Mike Bracher, Gj Pilkington, C. Oliver Hanemann, K Pilkington

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Nitrous Oxide Emissions From Dairy Pasture Systems In New Zealand, Jiafa Luo, S. B. Lindsey, Sterwart F. Ledgard, W. Sun, M. Kear

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

"Fictive Analogues": The Fantasy Forms Of The New Inklings, Martha C. Sammons

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

Reviews a number of contemporary works of science fiction and fantasy in the tradition of Lewis and Tolkien. Analyzes their characteristics using definitions of SF and fantasy from both authors’ essays and letters, and finds that these are excellent forms for conveying moral lessons. Each book is summarized and reviewed.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Vol.48 N.03 August 6th 2020, Voice Media Ventures

Black Voice News

No abstract provided.

Association Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Sirt1 And Sirt2 Loci And Growth In Tibetan Sheep, Lin-Sheng Gui, Sayed Haidar Abbas Raza, Li Zhou, Matthew Garcia, Ayman Hassan Abd El-Aziz, Dawei Wei, Shengzhen Hou, Jianlei Jia, Zhiyou Wang

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Silent information regulator 1 and 2 (SIRT1, 2) were NAD+-dependent histone or non-histone deacetylase, which emerged as key metabolic sensors in several tissues of mammals. In the present study, the search for polymorphisms within the ovine SIRT1 and SIRT2 loci as well as association analyses between SNPs and growth-related traits were performed in Tibetan sheep. To determine the expression pattern of SIRT1 and SIRT2 genes in Tibetan sheep, the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis revealed that those two genes were widely expressed in diverse tissues. Expression of SIRT1 was less in abomasum of lamb, whereas it …

The Problem Of Loving Pets With Behavior Issues, Harold Herzog

Herzog - Companion Animal Issues

A study of households dealing with pets with problem behaviors found that owners tended to fall into one of four themes for dealing with the problem animal. These were the challenges posed by caring for the animals, the emotional ups and downs (mostly downs) of dealing with the behavior, the strategies used to cope with the behavior and problems in understanding what was happening and in finding support to help deal with the issue.

New Monasticism And The Transformation Of American Evangelicalism, Rhys Williams

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.