Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Dietary Fiber Technologies In Sow Diets, Garrin Shipman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Various technologies and alternative ingredients are being developed to increase the nutrient value of fibrous feedstuffs, improve animal performance, and promote sustainable swine production. Fiber-degrading enzymes have been extensively studied in growing pigs, with few studies focused on gestating sows. When considering gestating sows have greater energy digestibility of fibrous feedstuffs than grower pigs, the efficacy of fiber-degrading enzymes needs to be determined for implementation in commercial sow diets. As fiber inclusion in gestation diets benefits sow performance, corn dried distiller grains with solubles (DDGS) are a candidate fiber source for gestation alternative energy ingredient. Functional fibers, such as yeast …

Effects Of Storage Regimes On Chemistry, Functional Properties, And Vitamin Profile Of Different Varieties Of Chickpea, Shirin Kazemzadeh Pournaki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chickpea (cicer arietinum) samples from five distinct varieties (crown, royal, orion, sierra, and frontier) were subjected to varying storage conditions to investigate the impact of temperature and relative humidity (rh) on their chemical, functional, physical properties, and vitamin b profile. over 360 days, samples were stored at two temperatures (21°c and 40°c) and three rh levels (40%, 55%, 65%), with collections made every 90 days. initial observations focused on key chemical properties including moisture, protein, fat, and total starch content. subsequently, protein and starch fractions were isolated for further analysis, employing techniques such as sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (sds-page) …

Effects Of Isoacids Supplementation In Lactating Cows’ Diet Varying In Forage Fiber Level On Performances, Feed Efficiency, And Milk Fatty Acids Profile, Sumon Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Soybean Meal Versus Distillers Co-Products As A Protein Supplement For Finishing Beef Cattle: Effects On Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, And Efficiency Of Dietary Net Energy Utilization, Cassidy R. Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two randomized complete block design experiments were conducted to: 1) examine the effects of soybean meal with or without additional soybean hulls in replacement of modified corn distillers grains plus (MDGS) solubles on growth performance efficiency of dietary net energy utilization and carcass traits responses in finishing beef steers, 2) determine if partial or complete replacement of dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) with solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM) in diets based upon high-moisture ensiled corn influences growth performance, efficiency of dietary net energy utilization, sera urea-N (SUN) concentrations, or carcass traits in finishing beef steers. Experiment 1 was a 118-d …

Estimating South Dakota’S Capacity To Meet K-12 School Meal Fruit And Vegetable Requirements With State-Grown Produce, Bridgette Bienias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Quantify South Dakota (SD)’s capacity to procure locally-sourced fruit and vegetables (FVs) for K-12 school meals.
Methods: Secondary analysis of 2017 SD agricultural census and school meal data. Yields were converted to edible cups of FVs using school meal guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Student enrollment and meal redemptions were used to estimate the number of FV cups needed.
Results: Estimated SD FV production met minimum total K-12 cup requirements, except for total fruit (66%) and dark green vegetables (80%). Legumes supplied 77% of the total cups of vegetables produced in 2017, whereas dark green vegetables …

Increasing Soy Products Inclusion In Swine Diets To Improve Growth Performance, Health, And Pork Quality, Ashir Foreman Atoo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite its excellent nutritional profile, soybean meal (SBM) is limited in nursery pig diets due to its anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), which young pigs tolerate poorly. In the first study, strategies to mitigate these effects included supplementation with enzymes, alone or with acidifiers. A total of 240 weaned pigs (5.9 ± 0.8 kg average body weight [BW]) were assigned in randomized complete block design to five dietary treatments: low, medium, or high SBM diets, high SBM with multienzyme, and high SBM with multienzyme plus acidifier. Diets were fed in three phases: phase 1 (0–1 weeks), phase 2 (1–3 weeks), and phase …

Translocations Of North American Bison Across Large Climatic Gradients: Impacts On Thermoregulation, Body Size, And Helmintic Infection, Hayden Wolfe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every year, one-eighth of all North American bison (Bison bison) are translocated, often across large climatic gradients. Over the last 16 years bison have been translocated from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota to establish six herds across the United States central grasslands in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kansas. Influence of climatic gradients on herd-level thermoregulation, body size, and helmintic infection were evaluated. Overall, 1174 thermal images and 1050 fecal samples were collected between 2021 and 2023. Physiological heat flux was used to measure thermoregulation, asymptotic body mass (ABM) was used for body size, and helminth genera abundance …

Beef Hot Carcass Weight Influences Proteolysis, Clay J. Carlson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to determine the influence of beef hot carcass weight on proteolysis to better understand early postmortem proteolysis. Beef tenderness formation is influenced by various factors, such as temperature decline and proteolysis. Limited focus has been given to the effects of carcass weight on proteolysis. This study aimed to investigate the influence of increased beef hot carcass weight (HCW) on proteolysis of four muscles (serratus ventralis, longissimus thoracis, longissimus lumborum, and semitendinosus) during early postmortem aging times. Beef steers (n =12) were harvested and categorized into two weight groups: lightweight (LW; HCW = 349 ± …

2,3,4 Trihydroxybenzoic Acid, A Plant Secondary Metabolite Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth, Mina Akter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nature offers many sources such as fruits, beverage crops, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, dark chocolate, and wine, that are rich in hydroxybenzoic acids (HBAs). They are a prominent phenolic acids with excellent biochemical and antioxidant properties. Due to the vast dietary health benefits of HBAs such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, immunoregulatory, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, antidiabetic, anticancer properties and cardioprotective capabilities, they are attracting the attention of physicians and researchers alike to understand their mechanisms of action. It is anticipated that the understanding of the role of HBAs for their greater use in diet/supplements is beneficial to reverse common illnesses such as inflammation, …

Chemical Modification Of Bacterial Exopolysaccharides: Antioxidant Properties And Health Potentials, Irshad Ahmad Shah, Digambar Kavitake, Swati Tiwari, Palanisamy Bruntha Devi, G. Bhanuprakash Reddy, Krishna Kumar Jaiswal, Amit K. Jaiswal, Prathapkumar Halady Shetty

Articles

In recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in the utilization of microbial exopolysaccharides (EPS) because of the added advantage of their renewable, biocompatible, and biodegradable nature in addition to intended applications. The endowed properties of bacterial EPS make them valuable candidates for a wide array of industrial applications. Modification of native EPS is known to enhance various physico-chemical and functional properties. Various modifications such as physical, chemical, biological, and enzymatic modifications were practiced improving the bioactivity of EPS. This paper comprehensively aims to review the most recent chemical modification techniques employed to modify the physico-chemical and functional changes …

“Everyone Else Gets To Have The American Dream:” How Social Security Disability Policy Shapes Disability Identity, Katie Savin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the United States welfare state, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is the primary institution that shapes the disability experience through its disability benefit programs. This study used qualitative methods to explore 33 disabled adult beneficiaries’ experience with SSI/SSDI policy administration and the impact on their sense of worth, self-concept, and identity. Critical Disability Studies and a constructivist grounded theory approach drove data analysis. What emerged from the data was a negative disability identity experience referred to as the Social Security model of disability. Capitalist ideals that assign morality to formal work meant that disabled participants faced exclusion and stigma …

Using Focus Groups To Explore Older Black Men's Perception Of Dietary Interventions., Ashley R Shaw, Eric D Vidoni, Mickeal N Key, Brandon A Yates, Roland Thorpe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Older Black men are underrepresented in research despite being disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors related to AD compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Although dietary interventions have shown promise to reduce modifiable CV risk factors related to AD, Black Americans have lower adherence likely due to lack of cultural considerations. Using a noninterventional convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, this study examined the cultural contexts that inform perceptions of dietary interventions among older Midwestern Black men. All participants completed an online demographic and dietary habit survey prior to focus group discussions. Two focus group discussion sessions were conducted …

Association Of Cancer Diagnosis With Disability Status Among Older Survivors Of Colorectal Cancer: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study, Shiming Zhang, Lin-Na Chou, Michael D Swartz, Hemalkumar B Mehta, James S Goodwin, Yong-Fang Kuo, Sharon Hermes Giordano, Carole A Tucker, Karen M Basen-Engquist, Elizabeth J Lyons, Brian Downer, Susan K Peterson, Tru Cao, Maria C Swartz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Older cancer survivors likely experience physical function limitations due to cancer and its treatments, leading to disability and early mortality. Existing studies have focused on factors associated with surgical complications and mortality risk rather than factors associated with the development of poor disability status (DS), a proxy measure of poor performance status, in cancer survivors. We aimed to identify factors associated with the development of poor DS among older survivors of colorectal cancer (CRC) and compare poor DS rates to an age-sex-matched, non-cancer cohort.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized administrative data from the Texas Cancer Registry Medicare-linked database. …

Factors Associated With Infant Sex And Preterm Birth Status For Selected Birth Defects From The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997–2011, Eva M Williford, Wei Yang, Meredith M Howley, Chen Ma, Ronnie T Collins, Kari A Weber, Dominique Heinke, Julie M Petersen, A J Agopian, Natalie P Archer, Andrew F Olshan, Lindsay A Williams, Marilyn L Browne, Gary M Shaw

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Birth defects and preterm birth co-occur, with some overlapping risk factors. Many birth defects and preterm births tend to have a male preponderance. We explored potential risk factors impacting sex and preterm (< 37 weeks of gestation) birth differences among infants with selected birth defects delivered from 1997 to 2011 using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS).

Methods: The NBDPS was a large multisite, population-based case-control study. Using random forests, we identified important predictors of male preterm, female preterm, and male term, each compared with female term births for each birth defect. Using logistic regression, we estimated odds ratios for associations between important predictors and sex-preterm birth status by birth defect.

Results: We examined 11,379 infants with nine specific birth defects. The top …

Traditional Chinese Medicine And The Argument For Future Application In The United States, Kylie Nicole Frohlich

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Zooming In On A Snapshot Of Care: Adapting The Index Of Care For Historical And Modern Individuals In The Terry Collection, Felicia Robyn Sparozic

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This dissertation adapts the Index of Care (IOC), traditionally focused on prehistoric contexts, to historical (1840-1950) and modern (post-1950) individuals from the Smithsonian’s Terry Collection, to account for those individuals with extensive records. By introducing sister methodologies for both historical and modern contexts, this research bridges the methodological gap in care analysis, enhancing the original IOC with contextual environmental variables and, for modern individuals, DNA analysis.

The study utilizes a selected cohort from the Terry Collection, emphasizing the investigation of caregiving practices across different sexes and ancestral backgrounds. Contrary to initial hypotheses predicting sex-based differences in care provision, findings show …

Uncontrolled Burn: The Worker Well-Being Of Wildland Firefighters, Luke Santore

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The available evidence indicates that wildland firefighters (WLFFs) are experiencing a well-being crisis. This study aims to assess predictors of both worker well-being and social and emotional loneliness among WLFFs.

Methods: An adapted version of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Worker Well-Being Questionnaire, along with the De Jong Gierveld Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (De Jong Gierveld & Van Tilburg, 2010) was distributed between May and October of 2023. Nine ordinary least square linear regression models were estimated to test the impact of demographic and employment variables on well-being in the sample of 95 …

Foodway Comparions And Patterns Of Consumer Behavior: The Use Of Orphan And Salvage Archaeological Collections From Historic Missoula, Montana, Emily Thea Meick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The goal of this project is to better understand and test theories about consumer behavior and meat consumption through faunal remains using orphaned and salvaged historic archaeological collections from three sites across Missoula, Montana, from the 1860s through the 1920s. Previous research underscored the need for properly defined units of analysis that represent what was being purchased and consumed. Using a consumer behavior framework and meat quality index, as indicated by price and meat yield, foodways comparisons between a Euromerican household that maintained renters, occupants of a Chinese store, Joss House, and residential dwellings within Missoula’s Red-Light District, and enlisted …

A Sport Coach's Role In Motivating Athletes, Tarek Farouk

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Athlete motivation, sport psychology, and coaching are intricately connected through the purpose of increasing athletic performance, persistence, and overall success. As mentors, sport coaches play an integral role in affecting an athlete’s motivation by tending to their psychological needs to perform optimally. This paper explores how coaches can leverage visualization, verbal encouragement, mental imagery, and goal setting as ways to enhance athlete motivation and improve performance. By integrating these techniques, coaches can create a supportive and motivating environment that fosters both physical and psychological development in athletes. The paper also examines the principles of sport psychology, emphasizing the importance of …

Genomic And Phenotypic Insights Into The Mechanisms Of Adaptation In High-Elevation Deer Mice, Keely R. Corder

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The study of adaptation to extreme environments offers a lens to explore the fundamental processes of evolution. Organisms living in challenging conditions, such as high elevation, must evolve a suite of physiological and genetic adaptations to survive and thrive. However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying such adaptations and the processes driving their evolution remains incomplete. This dissertation aims to expand our knowledge of adaptive evolution in extreme environments by integrating genomic, phenotypic, and demographic data in the North American deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), a model system for high-altitude adaptation. The dissertation addresses three main gaps in knowledge: (1) the …

Repatriation And A Biological Profile Of Indigenous Remains Of West Texas, Haley P. Rebardi

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was created in response to the injustice, mishandling, looting, and trafficking of Native American remains and cultural artifacts. However, even with the latest amendment in December of 2023, there are still gray areas in the context and language. Notably, an issue with NAGPRA is the act only includes institutions and organizations that receive and are supported by Federal funding. Consequently, the act does not cover private collections. The main concern in these contexts is the lack of communication, awareness, and/or permission with and from descendant tribes or potential descendants when it …

Meeting Students Where They Are: A Full Picture View Of Student Basic Needs In Montana, Kyra D. Merchen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper addresses the increasing challenges faced by colleges and universities in supporting students who are struggling with food insecurity, housing instability, and mental health issues. These basic needs, which are critical to student success, have been exacerbated in recent years, prompting institutions to reassess their role in supporting student well-being beyond academic requirements. Specifically, the paper explores how the Montana University System (MUS), a network of public higher education institutions, is addressing these issues and what further outreach is needed to support students holistically. The study seeks to answer the question: "How are colleges in Montana addressing student basic …

Where And When The Antelope Play: Drivers Of Pronghorn Distribution And Demography Across Space And Through Time, Molly Cutler Mcdevitt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this dissertation, I aim to (i) advance the understanding of pronghorn ecology and population responses to environmental variability, and (ii) test analytical tools linking environmental habitat factors to demographic processes. In doing so, I answer the following questions: How should we expect pronghorn demographic rates to vary from year to year? How do environmental conditions influence pronghorn survival? How do long-term impacts from environmental conditions directly affect pronghorn demographic trends like survival or abundance? Do environmental conditions influence pronghorn density and distribution in the same way? If not, how do they differ? Finally, in an increasingly changing landscape, what …

A Better Way To Make Protein, James Gillette Bosco

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Producing recombinant proteins stands as a cornerstone in both biotechnology and pharmaceutical research, supporting the creation of therapeutics, vaccines, and enzymes used in various industries. Bacterial systems for expression, especially Escherichia coli, are preferred due to their rapid growth rates, ease of genetic manipulation, and scalability. However, generating proteins under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards introduces substantial challenges, such as issues with scalability, toxicity, protein misfolding, and strict regulatory demands. This section delivers an in-depth review of these obstacles and current methods developed to address them. An extensive exploration is conducted into induction techniques, including auto-induction and isopropyl-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) …

An Examination Of The Relation Between Memory Self-Efficacy And Working Memory Within The Cognitive Reserve Framework, Genna Marie Mashinchi Ma

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dementia has been found to negatively affect multiple aspects of cognitive functioning. Despite an increasing prevalence of cognitive decline, many aging adults do not experience reduced cognitive functioning. The reason as to why some experience cognitive decline and others do not is still unclear. One leading theory thought to explain this phenomenon is the cognitive reserve theory (CR), which proposes that certain lifestyle factors (e.g., educational attainment, occupational attainment, and leisure activity participation) prolong one’s cognitive functioning and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Memory self-efficacy (MSE), defined as one’s beliefs in their memory ability, was found to be positively …

Temperature Driven Variability In Bull Kelp (Nereocystis Luetkeana) Early Life Stages: A Comparative Study Of California Populations, Marzia Fattori

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study investigated the effects of elevated temperatures on the reproductive and developmental stages of Nereocystis luetkeana, a crucial brown macroalgae found along the western coast of North America. My objectives were to 1) evaluate the impact of increasing temperature on the abundance of gametophytes from various sites, 2) determine the length of gametophytes that were affected by temperature on day 10 of culture, 3) assess the presence or absence of oocytes, sporophytes (young vs. multicellular), and abnormal cells, to understand the reproductive and stress responses to higher temperatures, and 4) determine if there is variation among early developmental …

A Comparative Study Of Venezuelan Immigrants’ Pre- And Post-Migration Concerns For Their Children In The United States And Colombia, Aigerim Alpysbekova, Pablo Montero-Zamora, Mary H Soares, Carolina Scaramutti, Sumeyra Sahbaz, Maria Duque, Tara Bautista, Maria Fernanda Garcia, Christopher P Salas-Wright, Mildred M Maldonado-Molina, Melissa M Bates, Augusto Pérez-Gómez, Juliana Mejía Trujillo, Eric C Brown, Seth J Schwartz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Research suggests that forced migration may lead to cultural stress and psychological distress. However, little is known about immigrant parents' pre- and post-migration concerns for their children's welfare. The present study examined the concerns of Venezuelan parents who migrated to the United States versus those who migrated to Colombia, and whether post-migration concerns were related to cultural stressors, mental health, and cultural identity. A sample of 609 Venezuelan immigrants completed surveys and responded to an open-ended prompt asking about pre- and post-migration concerns for children's welfare. Lack of safety was the most common pre-migration concern for Venezuelans in the U.S., …

Joint Problem-Solving Orientation, Mutual Value Recognition, And Performance In Fluid Teamwork Environments, Michaela Kerrissey, Zhanna Novikov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Joint problem-solving orientation (JPS) has been identified as a factor that promotes performance in fluid teamwork, but research on this factor remains nascent. This study pushes the frontier of understanding about JPS in fluid teamwork environments by applying the concept to within-organization work and exploring its relationships with performance, mutual value recognition (MVR), and expertise variety (EV).

METHODS: This is a longitudinal, survey-based field study within a large United States healthcare organization

RESULTS: Our results affirm a moderated mediation model wherein JPS enhances performance, both directly and through MVR; EV serves as a moderator in the JPS-MVR relationship. JPS …

Evaluation Of The Diagnostic Performance Of Nucleocapsid Antigen For Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection, Doaa Fathy Ahmed, Amal Ahmed Mohamed, Manar S. Fouda, Sara A. Mekkawy, Randa Ibrahim Ahmed, Omar Mohamoud Azzam, Doaa Ghaith, Ahmed El-Kasses, Mostafa Omran

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) was identified as the aetiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The SARS-COV-2 genome encodes four structural proteins include spike (S) protein, envelope (E) protein, membrane (M) protein, and nucleocapsid (N) protein. nucleocapsid protein is one of the predominantly expressed structural proteins and has been confirmed as an ideal target for early diagnostic detection in SARS-COV-2 infection. In the current study, the diagnostic performance of Nucleocapsid antigen in severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 infected individuals is evaluated in Egypt. Patients and Methods: All human individuals’ samples (n= 106) were collected from El …

Emotional Eating, Nutritional Knowledge, And Socioeconomic Status As Predictors Of Body Mass Index, Tifani Buss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is an ill-health condition that can lead to other ill-health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Obesity is also a condition that does not discriminate regarding age, gender, or race/ethnicity. In light of obesity’s status as a global epidemic, efforts for prevention and intervention treatments are needed to improve individuals’ health and quality of life. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine emotional eating, nutritional knowledge, and socioeconomic status, as predictors of body mass index (BMI). These factors were examined through the lens of general strain …