Digital Commons Network^™

The Association Between The Comprehensiveness And Strength Of Written Physical Activity Wellness Policies And The Observed School Physical Activity Environment, Maggie Kringen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine if there is a relationship between physical education/activity wellness policy comprehensiveness and strength and the observed physical activity (PA) environment.
Methods: The Wellness School Assessment Tool 2.0 (WellSAT 2.0) was used to evaluate the quality of written wellness policies. The School Physical Activity and Nutrition Environment Tool (SPAN-ET) was used to evaluate the school environment. Pairwise correlations and one-way ANOVAs were used to determine if written wellness policy quality affects the school PA environment. Data are presented as mean ± SD and significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results: One significant relationship was found between WellSAT …

Interaction Of Streptomyces Closely Associated With Bacillus In Nitrogen-Limiting Conditions, Aminya Baniya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biological Nitrogen Fixation is the process of conversion of atmospheric dinitrogen into ammonia which is performed by symbiotic as well as free-living diazotrophic bacteria. A previous project to isolate free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria from a natural prairie yielded Streptomyces which grew on nitrogen free medium. Genome sequencing of three isolates revealed the presence of a second 16S rRNA gene sequence aligning with Bacillus, however repeated streaking only yielded Streptomyces colonies. The aim of this research was to characterize the interaction of three Streptomyces isolates that grow under nitrogen-free conditions, and appeared to be associated with Bacillus. The separation of Bacillus …

Biodegradable Cellulose Films As Alternatives To Plastics, Cecilia Wambui Wanjuu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plastics are versatile and have desirable packaging characteristics such as flexibility, durability, and affordability. The production of plastics has increased over the years resulting in concerns about their single-usage and disposal. Since plastics are nonbiodegradable, they have been associated with detrimental health impacts due to the leaching chemicals from the landfills and their accumulation in the natural and marine environment. Cellulose obtained from agricultural residues is a viable substitute because of its low density, biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, and a strong and stiff structure. However, the extraction of cellulose has been less exploited because of its insolubility in water and …

Development Of Methods To Improve Lactose Recovery From Permeate And Drying Characteristics Of Greek Acid Whey, Venkateswarlu Sunkesula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growth of higher protein dairy products and ingredients such as cheese, Greek yogurt, whey protein concentrates, and milk protein concentrates is limited by the amount of co-product generated and the ability to process them into value added ingredients. Finding value for all the co-products will help dairy industry to meet the growing demand for dairy protein products and ingredients. Commercial scale evaluation of new technologies for improving lactose crystallization and drying ability of Greek yogurt acid whey will help dairy industry to better utilize different dairy co-products. Commercially, lactose is manufactured from concentrated permeate by cooling and separating α-lactose monohydrate …

Assessing The Relationship Between Principal Priorities, Written Wellness Policies, And School Wellness Policy Implementation, Courtney Trapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between principal priorities, written wellness policies, and school wellness policy implementation. Methods: Principal priorities of nutrition and physical activity, written wellness policy quality and degree of policy implementation were assessed in 95 schools from eight states using the principal priorities questionnaire, the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) version 2.0, and the Wellness School Assessment Tool for Implementation (WellSAT-I), respectively. Data is analyzed using Stata Statistical Software: Release 15. All data is presented as means ± standard error Statistical significant was set at p≤0.05.
Results: There was not a significant …

Evaluating The Effects Of Yeast Cell Wall Component, Phytochemical Oil, And Vitamin E On Sow Antioxidant Status And Growth Performance Of Dam And Offspring, Lily P. Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Times of high metabolic activity in gestation and lactation, as well as periods of stress at weaning, can lead to greater incidences of oxidative stress in the dam and offspring during the suckling and post-weaning period. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between prooxidant molecules and the antioxidant defense system that can negatively impact growth and/or reproductive performance. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a yeast cell wall component (Citristim, ADM Nutrition, Quincy, IL), peppermint oil, and ɣ-tocopherol in gestation and lactation diets to alleviate the impact of oxidative stress on maternal reproductive and offspring growth …

The Impact Of Subsurface Physical Characteristics On The Effectiveness Of Subsurface Drainage In The Northern Great Plains, Mehmet Emin Budak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

World-wide, salinity and sodicity problems are increasing in coastal, irrigated and dryland agricultural systems. Traditional reclamation techniques for saline sodic soils include improving soil drainage by installing subsurface drainage, leaching with high quality water, and applying a source of calcium. However, due to differences in the soil parent material these traditional approach treatments were ineffective in removing sodium and other salts out of the soil profile of South Dakota. Understanding how the surface and subsurface soil characteristics and management interact to affect the sustainability of these systems is the first step in remediation. Each region and soil have a slightly …

Investigating Links Between Soil Microbial Structure And Function In Three Major Plant Communities Across Temporal Scales Of Arctic Alaska, Kaj Lynoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arctic microbial systems continue to get attention today as our understanding regarding their structure and function in a changing system is paramount to C feedbacks with warming and changes in precipitation. Plant communities and microbial community processes across the Arctic landscape are central to understanding tundra ecosystem processes because environmental conditions and plant community structure drive microbial cycling of soil organic matter. Here, we want to understand how soil microbial respiration, mineralization, biomass, and community composition are linked to three Alaskan tundra plant communities, namely Shrub, Tussock, and Sedge tundra and the seasonal variability in this system. A total of …

Characterization Of Bison Finishing And Harvest Systems: Effects On Carcass And Meat Quality Characteristics, Jessica Janssen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this thesis project were to 1) characterize the influence of finishing system (grain-finished vs. grass-finished) on carcass characteristics, meat quality, the nutritional composition, and consumer preference for bison meat 2) evaluate the effectiveness of beef camera grading technology on grain- and grass-finished bison carcass characteristics, and 3) characterize the influence harvest systems (on-ranch vs. commercial facilities) on animal stress response, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and consumer preference of bison heifers. For objectives 1 and 2: Grain- (n=108) and grass- (n=93) finished bison heifers were slaughtered at 28 mo of age, at approximately 20 h postmortem, carcass measurements …

Modification Of Plant Proteins And Their Potential Application As Fish Meal Replacements In Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss Feeds, Miran Jaza Hama Salh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soybean meals (SBM) and its by-products are the most common plant feedstuffs that are used in feeds for a variety of fish species of fish over the last three decades due to high protein levels and good amino acid profile, in comparison with other plant protein sources. In the last two decades the production of soybean was around zero metric tons (Index, 2020). Barley is another plant protein that has been tested in some species diets. While barley is used in many areas such as brewing industry, animal feeding, human consumption, it is mainly used for animal feeding in Kurdistan. …

Description Of Mental Health Responses On An Electronic Ppe At A Ncaa Division I Institution: A Pilot Study, Megan Blomberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to improve the effectiveness of mental health screening forms that are used during the preparticipation physical exam, or PPE, process and to help start a discuss about the need for further mental health resources. This study aimed to look at the prevalence of mental illness being reported at a Division I Institution and whether we are receiving consistent answers across various forms. We pulled the data from all 750 student-athletes that competed during the 2017-18 academic year at South Dakota State University (SDSU) and looked specifically at their answers on the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and …

Impact Of Coaching By Extension Professionals On Rural Wellness Coalition Success, Taylor Willhite

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To quantitatively assess coaches perceived confidence in coaching rural wellness coalitions and to qualitatively determine barriers and facilitators to success in coaching rural wellness coalitions.
Design: A mixed methods design was utilized with quantitative (scorecard) and qualitative (key informant interviews) methodologies.
Setting: Six rural South Dakota wellness coalitions.
Participants: Extension wellness coalition coaches (n=7), one previous and six current.
Intervention: A component of the broader SDSU Extension 1416 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) intervention.
Analysis: STATA was utilized for the quantitative scorecard data by running paired ttests. NVivo was utilized in the …

Impact Of Altering Lys : Energy Ratio During Gestation On Sow Productivity, Piglet Robustness, And Piglet Post-Wean Growth Performance, Tiffany C. Bruhn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Across 4 breeding groups, 63 primiparous and multiparous females were blocked by parity, balanced by weight, then randomly assigned to one of 3 gestation feeding regimens: Control (CON), 1.50 g SID Lys/Mcal ME from d2-110 of gestation; Phase Feeding 1 (PF1), 1.50 g SID Lys/Mcal ME from d2-89 and 2.11 g SID Lys/Mcal ME from d 90-110 of gestation; Phase Feeding 2 (PF2), 1.25, 1.07, and 0.88g SID Lys/Mcal ME from d2-89 for gilts, parity 1, and parity 2+, respectively and 2.11 g SID Lys/Mcal ME from d90-110 of gestation over 2 reproductive cycles. During lactation, all sows received a …

Effects Of Particle Size Of Distillers Dried Grains And Increased Levels Of Flour Enrichment - A Study Of Nutritional Composition, Rheology, And Quality Of Fiber And Protein Enriched Bread, Patra Nwamaka Akaya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Predicting Farinograph Stability Of Wheat Flour With Mixograph And Glutomatic Tests, Brooke Shumate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; HRSW) flour is typically used to produce wheat-based foods where dough strength is a key quality component. Maintaining acceptable levels of dough strength is an important goal in the development of new HRSW cultivars. In a commercial setting, dough strength is often measured as Farinograph stability, though due to various resource constraints, stability is often predicted in breeding programs via other methods like the Mixograph. The objective of this research was to combine Glutomatic with Mixograph data to determine whether Farinograph stability predictions might be improved over the use of Mixograph data …

Exploring The Properties Of Chitin For Promoting Tissue Engineering And Repair, M. Jahir Raihan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Early Adolescent Social Isolation, Hope, And Well-Being During A Pandemic, Alicen Hauck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social isolation is often divided into two subcategories of objective and subjective. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in objective social isolation in the form of social distancing and fewer social events. Research delineating the relationship between social isolation and adolescent well-being utilize measures of subjective social isolation. Whereas, measures of objective social isolation are more commonly used with geriatric populations. Therefore, there is a lack of information specific to the impact of objective social isolation on adolescent well-being, particularly during a pandemic. The effects of social isolation due to COVID-19 will not be short lived. Deciphering the …

Higher Temperatures Have Contrasting Effects On Different Components Of Forage Quality For Caribou In Northern Alaska, Heidi Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rising temperatures in the Arctic may affect vegetation, which in turn can affect herbivores, such as caribou, that rely on these plants for forage. Several plant traits contribute to forage quality, including digestibility, nitrogen content, and antiherbivory secondary compounds, but the effect of temperature on these traits individually and combined is unclear. I conducted a three-component study on the effect of higher temperatures on the forage quality of graminoids, deciduous shrubs, and evergreen dwarf shrubs on the North Slope of Alaska. The components included: 1) short and long-term experimental warming, 2) natural temperature variation between south and north-facing slopes, and …

Physiological Responses To Feeding A Yeast Culture Supplement To Transition Dairy Cows, Nathaly Ana Carpinelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transition period is the dynamic stage in the lactation cycle, where the most metabolic changes can occur. The use of nutritional strategies, such as yeast culture, can help cows during the transition from pregnancy to early lactation, improving health and decreasing the incidence of metabolic disorders. The first objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of a commercial yeast culture product (YC; Cellerate Culture Classic HD, Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ) on performance, blood biomarkers, and rumen fermentation and bacterial population in dairy cows during the transition period through 50 days in milk (DIM). Overall, the results …

Developing Microbial Based Process To Produce High Value Natural Antimicrobial (Glyceollin) In Soybeans And Pullulan From Sucrose, Andrea Zavadil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glyceollin is a secondary metabolite produced under stress conditions by soybean to act as a plant defender to pathogen attack. The antimicrobial nature of glyceollin makes it a promising natural alternative to antibiotics if incorporated into livestock feed. However, production of glyceollin is highly variable, dependent on soybean variety, and fungal elicitor used as inoculum. Our study compares two fungal spore elicitors, Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus sojae on soybeans of diverse maturity level, and fungal susceptibility to determine highest glyceollin titer. Spore inoculation with T. reesei elicited highest glyceollin titers of 2.42±0.20 mg/g at 120 h, while A. sojae elicited …

Crop Rotations And Cover Crops Influences On Soil Biochemical Properties, Root Characteristics And Economic Performance, Hanxiao Feng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introducing cover crops (CC) and increasing crop diversity in agricultural systems are beneficial in improving the soil health and crop production. However, limited research has been conducted that focuses the influence of CC and crop rotation on soil ecosystem, root growth and development, crop production, and economic returns. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the impacts of CC management on soil enzyme activities and soil microbial community structure changes, (ii) evaluate the crop rotation management on crop root growth and development, nutrient storage in crop grain and biomass, and crop yield, and (iii) investigate the crop rotation …

Single Droplet Drying Technology For The Optimization Of The Dairy Ingredients With Best Quality And Functionality, Hiral Narendrabhai Vora

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a result of their extended shelf-life, dried dairy ingredients constitute a significant category produced for global markets. During the development of dairy ingredients, several drying trials are typically conducted to determine optimum drying conditions. The results of these trials can be critical in determining optimum dryer design. However, these trials can be expensive and time-consuming. An alternative that has recently been developed using a new technique called single droplet drying (SDD). The SDD technique involves a single droplet suspended on the tip of a glass filament, where changes in droplet diameter, mass, and temperature are measured during drying. SDD …

Associations Between Sleep And In-Race Gastrointestinal Symptoms: An Observational Study Of Running And Triathlon Race Competitors, Patrick Benjamin Wilson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: It remains unstudied whether poor sleep is involved in the etiology of gastrointestinal (GI) problems in athletes.

METHODS: Eighty-seven running and triathlon/duathlon race (>60 minutes) participants completed questionnaires to quantify the Sleep Problems Index-(SPI)-I and sleep parameters from the night before races. For GI symptoms, participants reported the severity (0-10 scale) of four upper and three lower symptoms during races. Spearman's correlations examined whether sleep measures were associated with in-race GI symptoms. Partial correlations were calculated to control for age, resting GI symptoms, and anxiety.

RESULTS: SPI-I scores correlated with in-race upper GI symptoms (rho=0.26, p=0.013). Controlling for …

Honorslink, Issue 2020.1, University Of Dayton

HonorsLINK Newsletter

News and notes from the University of Dayton Honors Program. Articles include "Honors Program Celebrates 40 Years," and alumni reflections.

Real Food Challenge And Climate Impact Assessment: A Food System Analysis At Santa Clara University, 2018-19, Emma Mccurry, Paige Whittaker

Sustainable Food Systems Fellowship

Two undergraduate students at Santa Clara University were hired to work as Food Systems Fellows from April to October, 2019. This position was co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainability and the Auxiliary Services division. The goal of this work was to explore the Santa Clara University food system’s impact on the environment from both an ecological and a social perspective and identify opportunities for improvement.

The Fellows utilized standards and core values from The Real Food Challenge, a national non-profit dedicated to leveraging the power of colleges and universities to increase equity and sustainability in food systems. The Real Food …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Racial And Ethnic Differences In Cost Of Care Conversations Among Older Adults, Kyaien Oquinn Conner, Jaqueline Wiltshire, Edlin Colato Garcia, Barbara Langland-Orban, Erica Anderson, Iraida Carrion, Amber Goodman, Ashley Goodman

Sociology Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: The rapidly growing racially diverse, aging population in the United States is presenting unique challenges for our social, economic, and healthcare systems. Rising health care costs, increased patient cost-sharing, and limited financial resources make this generation of older Americans susceptible to large medical bills or debt which disproportionally impacts older racial/ethnic minorities. Cost-of-care (CoC) conversations between patients and doctors is one recommended approach to containing health care costs and alleviating patients’ financial burden of care.

Methods: The current study used focus group methodology to qualitatively explore the contextual factors that influence CoC conversations in a diverse sample of older …

Impact Of Excess Weight Gain On Risk Of Postpartum Infection In Class Iii Obesity, Courtney J. Mitchell, Lamani Adkins, Ann Tucker, Haywood Brown, Anne Siegel, Sarah Dotter-Katz

Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess the impact of gestational weight gain >20 pounds (more than Institute of Medicine [IOM] recommendations) on postpartum infectious morbidity in women with class III obesity.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort of term, nonanomalous singleton pregnancies with body mass index ≥40 at a single institution from 2013 to 2017. Pregnancies with multiple gestation, late entry to care, and missing weight gain data are excluded. Primary outcome is a composite of postpartum infection (endometritis, urinary tract, respiratory, and wound infection). Secondary outcomes include components of composite, wound complication, readmission, and blood transfusion. Bivariate statistics compared demographics, pregnancy complications, …

Resolvin E1 Derived From Eicosapentaenoic Acid Prevents Hyperinsulinemia And Hyperglycemia In A Host Genetic Manner, Anandita Pal, Abrar E. Al-Shaer, William Guesdon, Maria J. Torres, Michael Armstrong, Kevin Quinn, Traci Davis, Nichole Reisdorph, P. Darrell Neufer, Espen E. Spangenburg, Ian Carroll, Richard P. Bazinet, Ganesh V. Halade, Joan Clària, Saame Raza Shaikh

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has garnered attention after the success of the REDUCE-IT trial, which contradicted previous conclusions on EPA for cardiovascular disease risk. Here we first investigated EPA's preventative role on hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. EPA ethyl esters prevented obesity-induced glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperglycemia in C57BL/6J mice. Supporting NHANES analyses showed that fasting glucose levels of obese adults were inversely related to EPA intake. We next investigated how EPA improved murine hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. EPA overturned the obesity-driven decrement in the concentration …

Dig Social Media Manager Guidebook: Style Guide, Julia Jenak, Bryn Pellowe

Miller Center Fellowship

DIG does not currently have an established Social Media Style Guide. A style guide establishes consistent brand messaging across all public communication channels and allows DIG to communicate more consistently and effectively with its current and target audiences. This consistent brand messaging will build loyalty and trust, both of which are important in growing DIG’s donor base and establishing strong partnerships. The style guide will also serve to guide Social Media Managers in crafting captions for posts on social media.

Decimated Little Brown Bats Show Potential For Adaptive Change, Giorgia G. Auteri, L. L. Knowles

KIP Articles

The degree to which species can rapidly adapt is key to survival in the face of climatic and other anthropogenic changes. For little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), whose populations have experienced declines of over 90% because of the introduced fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), survival of the species may ultimately depend upon its capacity for adaptive change. Here, we present evidence of selectively driven change (adaptation), despite dramatic nonadaptive genomic shifts (genetic drift) associated with population declines. We compared the genetic makeups of wild survivors versus non-survivors of WNS, and found significant shifts in allele frequencies of genes …