Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of A Novel Corn Fermented Protein Ingredient, Probiotics, And Postbiotics On Nursery Pig Growth Performance And Gut Health, Juan F. Castillo Zuniga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weaning is a necessary step in pig production. After weaning, pigs are subjected to various nutritional, psychological, and environmental stresses. The weaning period is an important period for the intestinal development of the pig. During this time, digestion, immunity, metabolism, and various other aspects of the pig change rapidly. Therefore, providing high-quality feed ingredients is crucial to encourage the newly weaned pig to start consuming solid feed. Two independent studies were conducted to determine if the inclusion of: 1) corn fermented protein (CFP) or 2) probiotics or postbiotics impact nursery pigs' growth performance and gut health. The first experiment utilized …

The Effect Of Social Determinants Of Health On End-Stage Kidney Disease Mortality Across Diverse Adult Populations: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Prince Agyapong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the influence of social determinants of health (SDOH) on End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) mortality among diverse racial populations. Given the high morbidity and mortality associated with ESKD, understanding the impact of various SDOH factors across different racial groups is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify studies reporting on the relationship between SDOH and ESKD mortality using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) format. Citations were collated in EndNote 21 and screened in Covidence by two independent reviewers, with inter-rater …

The Relationship Between Soil Test Phosphorus And Soil Biology - A Natural Management Of Soil Phosphorus Through Conservation Practices, Clarence Frederick Winter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) management is an ongoing challenge in modern agriculture. Due to the importance of P in agriculture, P fertilizer additions are made throughout the U.S. to avoid nutrient-depleted soil. However, the application of P is problematic, as an excess of P in an agricultural system elevates the risk of environmental degradation, and current synthetic P sources are a fleeting resource. Additionally, a majority of P found in agricultural soils are insoluble, in the form of secondary and primary P minerals, making this large pool of P unavailable to plants. Fortunately, soil fungi organisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) …

Identification And Characterization Of Three Novel Rumen Bacterial Species In Sheep Fed A Concentrate Diet, Reid Frederick Anema

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sheep production in the United States is a popular venture for both small farmers and large enterprise owners, as there is a market for end products such as wool and meat. One major factor of raising sheep is nutrition as an adequate diet will allow an animal to reach its full genetic potential for growth. With that in mind, the composition of the diet must be formulated to benefit the animal. Ruminants have the ability to use a variety of plants that are often inedible for humans to create products that humans can consume. These varying feedstuffs, whether they include …

Anemia In Highly Prolific Sows: Implications On Piglet Outcomes, Farrowing Complications, And Longevity Considerations, Katlyn A. Mcclellan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development And Characterization Of Transparent Soil Using Biodegradable Polysaccharides, Said Badshah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ecophysiology Of Bradyrhizobium Diazoefficiens Usda 110, Armaan Kaur Sandhu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With increasing demand for soybean, maximizing plant yield is important yiel is dependent on nitrogen availability, but nitrogen fertilizers can meet the plant's needs but have severe environmental impacts. An economically and environmentally sustainable approach is to enhance nitrogen availability through Biological Nitrogen Fixation by symbiotic rhizobia, Bradyrhizobium, an efficient nitrogen fixer for soybean. This symbiosis begins with attachment of rhizobia to legume roots. Root and rhizobia surface properties play a significant role in this attachment. Another major factor affecting root colonization is bacterial competition ability. There is a lack of knowledge on the role of bacterial surface properties, competition …

An Investigation Of Bidder Behaviour In Wic Infant Formula Rebate Auctions, Ashma Pandey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the competitive bidding dynamics for infant formula rebate contracts within the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). I begin by focusing on the differences between winning and losing bids. The study employs multiple regression to predict rebate bids submitted by major manufacturers when they win a contract. I next conduct a paired t-test for each manufacturer – revealing statistically significant differences between predicted bids (based on the parameters from the winning model) and actual bids when a manufacturer did not win. This suggests that each manufacturer bids significantly lower rebates (higher net …

The Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach With Contingency Management: Examining The Effectiveness Of Relapse Prevention Program For Adolescents, Gwendolyn Bullard

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the efficacy of the adolescent community reinforcement approach with and without contingency management to improve the lives of adolescents with substance use disorder in relapse prevention programs. Adolescents with substance use disorder do not have access to effective continuing care and relapse prevention in rural towns in the state of Georgia. There is no ongoing care for adolescents with substance use disorder that incorporates a comprehensive treatment plan that includes community reinforcement approaches along with contingency management.

Relying on a multi-element research design, the researcher investigated the interaction between the adolescent community reinforcement …

Parent Participation In Student Academics And Behaviors At An Urban Early Learning Center Utilizing The Two-Generation Approach To Education, Angela E. Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in the study was students living in low-income areas, below the poverty level, were vulnerable to experiencing less academic and behavioral success in school. The purpose was to understand how the experiences of parents engaged in a twogeneration approach impacted the success of students living in poverty. The early education and care of young children, especially those of low socioeconomic status, was essential for child development. Children who attended these programs were more likely to develop the necessary skills to become lifelong learners. When children attended early childhood education programs, it helped prepare them cognitively and socially prior …

Advancing Human Rights And The Rule Of Law In Haiti, Kate E. Bloch, Ariel Chéry, Marie Gerda Dorcy, Roxane Edmond Dimanche, Yvon Janvier, Maxo Mezilas, Benjamin Trouille

Faculty Scholarship

The rule of law in Haiti is precarious. The ESCDROJ law school clinic in the town of Jérémie champions indigent individuals whose human rights are under siege during their prolonged and unconstitutional pre-trial connement in prison. To our knowledge, it is the only operating in-house law school clinic in Ha1iti. Despite myriad obstacles, during its initial pre-pandemic period of op- eration in 2018-2019, the inaugural clinic team represented clients in 43 cases brought to trial and succeeded in garnering the release of 25 of those individuals. That is a trial release success rate of over 58%. Subsequently, however, the ad- …

Regulatory Landscapes: Transcriptome And Microrna Regulated Senescence And Dormancy In Grapevines And Gene Regulatory Networks In Nitrogen-Fixing Soybean Nodules, Ramandeep Kaur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grapevine and soybean are two economically important crops, each with unique yet equally crucial physiological processes that profoundly influence their growth and productivity. Grapevine (Vitis sp.), a temperate fruit crop, employs dormancy to withstand winter challenges and can grow in various regions worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in dormancy in Vitis species, is crucial for improving grapevine selection for resilience in northern temperate regions. Dormancy induction is modulated by decreasing photoperiods in some Vitis species, enhancing their ability to prepare for winter stress conditions. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of response to photoperiod will provide potential markers for selecting genotypes …

Assessing Allied Health Student Professional Behaviors: A Scoping Review [Search Strategies], Kate West, Marnie Imhoff, Danielle Westmark, Nancy Krusen

Search Strategies: Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library

No abstract provided.

The Physiological And Performance Consequences Of The Australian Special Forces Selection Course, Angela Uphill

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Special Forces (SF) soldiers are the most elite element of military forces, who have undergone rigorous training in order to prepare them for a wide array of specialised missions. In Australia, entry into the SF is determined through the highly competitive SF Selection Course (SF-SC), which is a gruelling program involving extreme physical demands, psychological stress, and restricted access to sleep and nutrition. The stressors involved in arduous military training events such as the SF-SC can result in significant losses of fat mass and lean mass, disruption to hormonal homeostasis, and significant decreases in neuromuscular capacity, which can potentially increase …

Anti-Patents, Roy Baharad, Stuart Minor Benjamin, Ehud Gutte

Faculty Scholarship

Conventional wisdom has long perceived the patent and tort systems as separate legal entities, each tasked with a starkly different mission. Patent law rewards novel ideas; tort law deters harmful conduct. Against this backdrop, this Essay uncovers the opposing effects of patent and tort law on innovation, introducing the "injurer-innovator problem." Patent law incentivizes injurers --often uniquely positioned to make technological breakthroughs--by allowing them to profit from licensing their inventions to competitors. Yet tort law, by imposing liability for failures to invest in care, forces injurers to incur the cost of implementing their own innovations. When the cost of self-implementation …

2023-2024 Charter Schools Office Annual Report, Grand Valley State University

Annual Reports (GVSU Charter Schools Office)

No abstract provided.

The Application Of Protease In Aquaculture: Prospects For Enhancing The Aquafeed Industry, Shiyou Chen, Sahya Maulu, Jie Wang, Xiaoze Xie, Xiaofang Liang, Hao Wang, Junjun Wang, Min Xue

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Low-fishmeal and protein-saving diets are two prominent nutritional strategies utilized to address challenges related to the scarcity and sustainability of protein sources in aquaculture. However, these diets have been associated with adverse effects on the growth performance, feed utilization, and disease resistance of aquatic animals. To mitigate these challenges, exogenous protease has been applied to enhance the quality of diets with lower protein contents or fishmeal alternatives, thereby improving the bioavailability of nutritional ingredients. Additionally, protease preparations were also used to enzymatically hydrolyze fishmeal alternatives, thus enhancing their nutritional utilization. The present review aims to consolidate recent research progress on …

An Overview Of The Brazilian Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): The Most Species-Rich Beetle Family In Brazil, Adelita M. Linzmeier, Luciano De A. Moura, Cibele S. Ribeiro-Costa, Daiara Manfio, Federico Agrain, Maria L. Chamorro, Geoffrey Morse, Renato Regalin, Lukáš Sekerka

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

The leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) are one of the most species-rich family of herbivorous beetles with about 45,000 species worldwide. Based on the contributions of chrysomelidologists to the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna - CTFB, the family comprises 6,079 species in 562 genera of which 951 species are endemic to Brazil, standing out as the most diverse, representing 4.8% of the Brazilian fauna and 17.1% of the beetle species. Chrysomelidae has twelve subfamilies with nine reported to Brazil: Galerucinae, the richest with 1,916 species in 202 genera, followed by Cassidinae, Eumolpinae, Cryptocephalinae, Chrysomelinae, Bruchinae, Criocerinae, Lamprosomatinae and Sagrinae - this …

Shifting The Focus From Species To Individuals In Invasion Biology: Individual Differences In Jumping Behaviour, Aaron Jessop, Miguel Barbosa, Michael Morrissey

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Dispersal is critical to population persistence, colonization and connectivity which are all critical components of invasive success. While individual propensity to disperse varies within populations, the underlying mechanisms promoting individual dispersal remain unclear. Collectively, dispersal is influenced by the environment and individual phenotype. Here we investigated individual dispersal propensity in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and related individual variation in dispersal behaviour to phenotype and social/environmental conditions. Namely, we addressed the effect of sex ratio (social/environmental factor) on the tendency for individuals to disperse across physical barriers via jumping behaviour. Jumping is vital for the dispersal of many aquatic species …

Essential Omega‐3 Fatty Acids Are Depleted In Sea Ice And Pelagic Algae Of The Central Arctic Ocean, Katrin Schmidt, Martin Graeve, Clara J.M. Hoppe, S Torres‐Valdes, Nahid Welteke, Laura M. Whitmore, Philipp Anhaus, Angus Atkinson, Simon T. Belt, Tina Brenneis, Robert G. Campbell, Giulia Castellani, Louise A. Copeman, Hauke Flores, Allison A. Fong, Nicole Hildebrandt, Doreen Kohlbach, Jens M. Nielsen, Christopher C. Parrish, C Rad‐Menéndez, Sebastian D. Rokitta, Sandra Tippenhauer, Yanpei Zhuang

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Microalgae are the main source of the omega‐3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), essential for the healthy development of most marine and terrestrial fauna including humans. Inverse correlations of algal EPA and DHA proportions (% of total fatty acids) with temperature have led to suggestions of a warming‐induced decline in the global production of these biomolecules and an enhanced importance of high latitude organisms for their provision. The cold Arctic Ocean is a potential hotspot of EPA and DHA production, but consequences of global warming are unknown. Here, we combine a full‐seasonal EPA and DHA dataset …

Editorial: Bacteriocins And Other Ribosomally Synthesised And Post-Translationally Modified Peptides (Ripps) As Modulators Of The Microbiome, Harsh Mathur, Des Field, Caitriona Guinane, Maire Begley, Mathew Upton, Hilario C. Mantovani, Paul D. Cotter

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Suitability Of 210pbex, 137cs And 239+240pu As Soil Erosion Tracers In Western Kenya, Sophia M. Dowell, Olivier S. Humphrey, Charles J.B. Gowing, Thomas S. Barlow, Simon R. Chenery, Job Isaboke, William H. Blake, Odipo Osano, Michael J. Watts

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Land degradation resulting from soil erosion is a global concern, with the greatest risk in developing countries where food and land resources can be limited. The use of fallout radionuclides (FRNs) is a proven method for determining short and medium-term rates of soil erosion, to help improve our understanding of soil erosion processes. There has been limited use of these methods in tropical Africa due to the analytical challenges associated with 137Cs, where inventories are an order of magnitude lower than in the Europe. This research aimed to demonstrate the usability of 239+240Pu as a soil erosion tracer in western …

Lessons Learned: Facilitating A Health And Wellness Intervention For Frontline Child Welfare Workers During Covid-19, Kara Haughtigan, Austin Griffiths, Kim Link, Oliver Beer, Lindsey Powell

School of Health Professions

Child maltreatment is one of the nation’s most significant public health concerns. The estimated annual economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States is more than $292 billion (Peterson et al., 2018). In 2021, approximately four million referrals were made to child protective service agencies alleging the maltreatment of more than seven million children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2023). The primary mechanism for evaluating these referrals is the frontline child welfare workforce. Frontline child welfare workers (FCWWs) engage families and make decisions about the safety of children that directly impact children’s futures (Edwards & Wildeman, …

Associations Between Fatigue Impact And Physical And Neurobehavioural Factors: An Exploration In People With Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, L Connolly, S Chatfield, J Freeman, A Salter, Mp Amato, G Brichetto, J Chataway, Nd Chiaravalloti, G Cutter, J Deluca, U Dalgas, R Farrell, P Feys, M Filippi, M Inglese, C Meza, Nb Moore, Rw Motl, Ma Rocca, Bm Sandroff, A Feinstein

School of Health Professions

Background: Fatigue is common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Understanding the relationship between fatigue, physical and neurobehavioural factors is important to inform future research and practice. Few studies explore this explicitly in people with progressive MS (pwPMS). Objective: To explore relationships between self-reported fatigue, physical and neurobehavioural measures in a large, international progressive MS sample of cognitively impaired people recruited to the CogEx trial. Methods: Baseline assessments of fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale; MFIS), aerobic capacity (VO _2peak), time in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; accelerometery over seven-days), walking performance (6-minute walk test; 6MWT), self-reported walking difficulty (MS Walking …

Drug-Resistant Epilepsy And Ketogenic Diet Therapy – A Qualitative Study Of Families’ Experiences, Jennifer H. Carroll, Tracey Parkin, J. Helen Cross, Mary Hickson, Emma Williams, Val Aldridge, Avril Collinson

School of Health Professions

Background: A diagnosis of drug-resistant epilepsy is life changing for a family. Ketogenic diet therapy (KDT) can offer hope when other treatments have failed. However, it often requires a significant change in daily routine and dietary habits. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore families’ experiences of epilepsy and KDT. Methods: Parents of a child aged ≤18 years with epilepsy, currently or recently treated with KDT, were recruited from the UK and internationally via UK Ketogenic Diet (KD) centres, charities, and social media. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, anonymised, coded using Nvivo (V12), and inductive thematic analysis undertaken. …

Navigating The Complexity Of Applying Nutrition Evidence To Individualised Care: Summary Of An Academy Of Nutrition Sciences Position Paper, Judith Buttriss, Mary Hickson, Kevin Whelan, Christine Williams

School of Health Professions

Diet is key to the maintenance of health and crucial in the prevention and management of many diseases. Modified nutrient intake may become essential to prevent deficiency, optimise development and health or manage symptoms and disease progression. Adding to the complexity, disease and its treatment can also affect taste, appetite and ability to access and prepare foods. Coupled with this, individual requirements for energy, macronutrients and micronutrients are influenced by factors such as life stage (age, growth, pregnancy, etc.) and health status, which can affect the processes of consuming, digesting, absorbing, metabolising or excreting nutrients. First and foremost, dietary advice …

Guide To The Alan Bersin Papers, Alan Douglas Bersin

Special Collections

The Alan Bersin papers consist of records collected by Bersin during his tenure as the Superintendent of San Diego City Schools and the Secretary of Education for the State of California. The vast majority of the records are in the form of correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, reports, and newspaper articles. These records delve into the workings of Bersin's office, planning behind such programs as the Blueprint for Student Success, the Institute for Learning, Special Education, and Charter Schools. Correspondence, news articles, and court cases document reaction to those programs from the public, labor unions, and the San Diego Board of …

Investigation Of The Ecological Interactions And Host Specificity Of Verticillium Nonalfalfae, A Proposed Biological Control Agent Against The Invasive Tree-Of-Heaven (Ailanthus Altissima), Kristen H. Pierce

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a highly invasive tree species with a cosmopolitan distribution, including an expansive range in North America. In the U.S., tree-of-heaven has established populations in more than 40 states and is considered among the most notorious of invasive plant species. The discovery of Verticillium nonalfalfae and V. dahliae causing acute wilt and mortality of Ailanthus in the mid-Atlantic in the 2000s has resulted in numerous studies evaluating the utility of these fungi as potential biocontrol agents. Recent efforts to commercialize V. nonalfalfae have raised additional questions about its widespread use and factors influencing long-term efficacy. …

Implementation Of A Diabetes Mellitus Self-Management Program, Rebecca Johnston

DNP Projects

Type 2 diabetes is prevalent nationwide, increasing the risk of various complications including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations. The literature review highlights a potential correlation between inadequate education and a lack of control of glucose in individuals diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to improve knowledge of Diabetes Type 2 self-management, in turn improving the outcomes of patients who were newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and patients who had a Hemoglobin A1c >7%, as well as management of weight in these patients. …

The Need For More Inclusive Deliberation On Ethics And Governance In Agricultural And Food Biotechnology, Catherine Kendig, Theresa Selfa, Paul B. Thompson, Raymond Anthony, Wenda Bauchspies, Gwendolyn Blue, Ashmita Das, Rebecca Harrison, Chris Henke, Shan Jin, Jennifer Kuzma, Forbes Lipschitz, Kurt Lichter, Morgan Ruelle, Timothy Silberg, Bruno Takahashi

Sustainability and Social Justice

An inclusive and socially legitimate governance structure is absent to address concerns over new agricultural biotechnologies. Establishing an agricultural bioethics commission devoted to inclusive deliberation on ethics and governance in agricultural and food biotechnology is urgent. Highlighting the social and ethical dimensions of current agricultural bioengineering disputes in the food system, we discuss how a nationally recognized policy forum could improve decision-making and increase public understanding of the issues. We clarify ways the concepts that are used to categorize food and frame governance of food affect consumer choices, and how dissemination of information and the mode of dissemination can contribute …