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2025

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Exploring The Growth Dynamics Of Streptococcus Mutans In Diverse Environmental Conditions, Vanessa Escudero Dec 2025

Exploring The Growth Dynamics Of Streptococcus Mutans In Diverse Environmental Conditions, Vanessa Escudero

Theses and Dissertations

Dental caries, a prevalent oral health issue, is primarily associated with the growth of Streptococcus mutans, a Gram-positive bacterium that grows under various oral environments. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different beverages and mechanical cleaning on the growth of S. mutans, which plays a crucial role in tooth decay. Using a nano-spectrophotometer we analyzed bacterial growth by constructing growth curves under different conditions, including exposure to cranberry juice, Hawaiian juice, and mechanical brushing.

The study was designed to mimic real-world oral conditions by testing S. mutans in four distinct environments. First, we established …


Stocking Density Effects On Growth Performance Of Glass Eels (Anguilla Bicolor Pacifica) In Outdoor Tank Conditions, Frolan A. Aya Dec 2025

Stocking Density Effects On Growth Performance Of Glass Eels (Anguilla Bicolor Pacifica) In Outdoor Tank Conditions, Frolan A. Aya

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Optimizing stocking density is necessary to maximize the production efficiency of farmed fish. This study examined the effect of stocking density on the growth performance of the Pacific shortfin eel Anguilla bicolor pacifica reared in outdoor tank conditions. Glass eels (0.72 ± 0.03 g mean body weight [BW]) were stocked at 50 and 100 individuals m−2 in 6 4-m2 outdoor tanks with a flow-through system set up in triplicate. Eels were individually measured for total length and BW, followed by blood sampling at the end of the 286-d trial. Glass eels stocked at a density of 50 m …


Review Of Dr. Adelina A. Barrion’S Contributions To Basic Studies On The Asian Corn Borer And A Tribute To An Outstanding Entomologist, Ireneo L. Lit Jr., Merdelyn T. Caasi-Lit, John David C. Cortez, Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo Dec 2025

Review Of Dr. Adelina A. Barrion’S Contributions To Basic Studies On The Asian Corn Borer And A Tribute To An Outstanding Entomologist, Ireneo L. Lit Jr., Merdelyn T. Caasi-Lit, John David C. Cortez, Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The previous works of the late Dr. Adelina A. Barrion, a distinguished Filipino insect geneticist, on the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee), were retrieved. The works were reviewed and highlighted in relation to the recently funded project entitled “Basic studies on the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee),” funded by the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines in collaboration with various players in the corn seed industry. The unpublished papers of Dr. Barrion from the 1981 PCARR project entitled “Breeding for Corn Borer Resistance” were important milestones in basic studies on the ACB. Several studies conducted by her team …


Basic Studies On The Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia Furnacalis (Guenée), Are Crucial For Insect Resistance Management For Bt Corn In The Philippines, Merdelyn T. Caasi-Lit, Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo Dec 2025

Basic Studies On The Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia Furnacalis (Guenée), Are Crucial For Insect Resistance Management For Bt Corn In The Philippines, Merdelyn T. Caasi-Lit, Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The Philippines is considered to be “at the forefront of biotech research and commercialization in Southeast Asia and a model for science-based and thorough regulatory policy in the region” (ISAAA 2016). This is evident in the country's pioneering adoption of Bt corn technology in Asia and in the effective handling and implementation of rules and regulations on biosafety and the application of transgenic crops through the regulatory function of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) under the Department of Agriculture.


Temporal Decline And Spatial Heterogeneity Of Cry1ab Susceptibility In Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia Furnacalis (Guenée), Populations In The Philippines: A Review And Synthesis Of Monitoring Data (2015–2024) [Review Article], Edwin P. Alcantara Dec 2025

Temporal Decline And Spatial Heterogeneity Of Cry1ab Susceptibility In Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia Furnacalis (Guenée), Populations In The Philippines: A Review And Synthesis Of Monitoring Data (2015–2024) [Review Article], Edwin P. Alcantara

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Transgenic corn expressing the insecticidal Cry1Ab protein has been widely utilized in the Philippines to control the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Continuous, long-term monitoring is critical to detect shifts in baseline susceptibility and mitigate the risk of field-evolved resistance. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal dynamics of ACB susceptibility to Cry1Ab over nine years (2015–2024). Bioassay data were collected from 12 geographically distinct field populations across the Philippines, alongside a susceptible laboratory reference strain (UPLB). To account for spatial hierarchy and temporal variance, data were analyzed using a Bayesian hierarchical multilevel model with a logit link. Baseline assessments …


Cattlefever: An Automated Cattle Fever Estimation System, Trong Thang Pham, Ethan Coffman, Beth Kegley, Jeremy G. Powell, Jiangchao Zhao, Ngan Le Dec 2025

Cattlefever: An Automated Cattle Fever Estimation System, Trong Thang Pham, Ethan Coffman, Beth Kegley, Jeremy G. Powell, Jiangchao Zhao, Ngan Le

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Farmers face the critical challenge of monitoring cattle well-being for both ethical and economic success, relying on signals like body temperature and facial expressions to assess their animals' health. However, these indicators have traditionally relied on human observation with manual measurement, which is time-consuming and subjective. Despite this clear need, no automated system currently exists for monitoring cattle body temperature, and available datasets remain limited in scope. To address these challenges, we make two key contributions: (i) We introduce CattleFace-RGBT, a novel RGB-Thermal (RGB-T) Cattle Facial Landmark dataset consisting of 2,300 paired RGB and thermal images (4,600 images in total), …


Advancing The Virus Diagnostic Toolkit: Development Of Accurate And Reliable Artificial Virus-Mimicking Positive Controls And Crispr-Based Detection, Habeeb Yinka Atanda Dec 2025

Advancing The Virus Diagnostic Toolkit: Development Of Accurate And Reliable Artificial Virus-Mimicking Positive Controls And Crispr-Based Detection, Habeeb Yinka Atanda

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accurate and reliable detection of plant viruses is critical for protecting berries and other economically important crops. Yet diagnostic programs face persistent challenges with positive control availability, biosafety concerns, and specificity limitations. This thesis advances the diagnostic toolkit for berry viruses through three complementary innovations that address fundamental gaps in current detection methodologies. First, this research developed and validated virus-mimicking artificial positive controls (ViMAPCs) for diverse viruses affecting berry crops for endpoint PCR applications. ViMAPCs incorporate size differentiation, which enables immediate visual gel band discrimination between control and natural infection signals. Amplification efficiency analysis demonstrated close correspondence with true-positive controls …


Integrated Pest Management Adoption, Pesticide Handling And Knowledge Gaps Among Cotton Farmers In Tanzania: Implications For Human And Environmental Health, Sospeter Jibunge Charles Dec 2025

Integrated Pest Management Adoption, Pesticide Handling And Knowledge Gaps Among Cotton Farmers In Tanzania: Implications For Human And Environmental Health, Sospeter Jibunge Charles

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The global demand for cotton has risen significantly due to its extensive use in the textile and manufacturing industries, making it one of the most valuable cash crops worldwide. However, this growing demand for cotton production is severely threatened by the currently emerging pests which are intensified by the occurring of climate change and variability. As a result, many smallholder farmers have increasingly turned to chemical pesticides use to control the pests and maintain cotton production. But, while pesticides are effective in controlling pests and improving yields, their improper use and mismanagement pose serious risks to human health and the …


Global Estimates Of Seagrass Blue Carbon Stocks In Biomass And Net Primary Production, Enric Gomis, Simone Strydom, Nicole R. Foster, Diana Montemayor, Miguel A. Mateo, Eduard Serrano, Karina Inostroza, Roisin Mccallum, Anna Lafratta, Chanelle L. Webster, Caitlyn L. O’Dea, Nicole E. Said, Natasha Dunham, Rachele Bernasconi, Axel Werner, Federico Vitelli, Viena Puigcorbé, Alexandra D’Cruz, Cristian Salinas, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Glenn A. Hyndes, Paul S. Lavery, Albert Pessarodona, Carlose M. Duarte, Oscar Serrano Dec 2025

Global Estimates Of Seagrass Blue Carbon Stocks In Biomass And Net Primary Production, Enric Gomis, Simone Strydom, Nicole R. Foster, Diana Montemayor, Miguel A. Mateo, Eduard Serrano, Karina Inostroza, Roisin Mccallum, Anna Lafratta, Chanelle L. Webster, Caitlyn L. O’Dea, Nicole E. Said, Natasha Dunham, Rachele Bernasconi, Axel Werner, Federico Vitelli, Viena Puigcorbé, Alexandra D’Cruz, Cristian Salinas, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Glenn A. Hyndes, Paul S. Lavery, Albert Pessarodona, Carlose M. Duarte, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows play a key role in the global carbon cycle through storing carbon in their biomass and soils. However, the lack of global assessments of carbon stocks in seagrass biomass and net primary production (NPP) limits our understanding of their role in the carbon cycle. Here, we provide global estimates of biomass carbon stocks and NPP encompassing seagrasses with different life-history strategies, across bioregions and 66 countries. Seagrass meadows show up to 800-fold differences in biomass across different life-history strategies and bioregions (mean ± SE; 1551 ± 40 kg C ha−1), whereas seagrass NPP (5833 ± 557 …


Discovery Of Insecticidal Cyclotides From The African Plants Allexis Batangae And Allexis Obanensis, Negin Khatibi, Olivier Ndogo Eteme, Conan K. Wang, Edward K. Gilding, Ernestine Nkwengoua Zondegoumba, Michelle L. Colgrave, Yen Hua Huang, David J. Craik Dec 2025

Discovery Of Insecticidal Cyclotides From The African Plants Allexis Batangae And Allexis Obanensis, Negin Khatibi, Olivier Ndogo Eteme, Conan K. Wang, Edward K. Gilding, Ernestine Nkwengoua Zondegoumba, Michelle L. Colgrave, Yen Hua Huang, David J. Craik

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cyclotides are plant-derived cyclic peptides recognized for their crucial role in host defense against insects and fungal pathogens. They are characterized by an ultra-stable head-to-tail cyclic backbone and a cystine knot formed by three conserved disulfide bonds, and are considered to be a promising group of molecules for a diverse array of agricultural and pharmaceutical applications. Cyclotides have been identified in five major plant families, with the Violaceae being a particularly rich source. Although cyclotides are ubiquitous in the Violaceae, many genera within this family remain unexplored. In the current study, the presence of cyclotides in Allexis batangae and Allexis …


Therapeutic Potential And Enhanced Bioactivity Of Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit: Exploring Bioactive Compounds And Nano-Additive Synergies, Mst Sumya Yeasmin, Shamima Abdul Rahman, Waheedah Abdul Hakeem, Tarek Abedin, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam Dec 2025

Therapeutic Potential And Enhanced Bioactivity Of Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit: Exploring Bioactive Compounds And Nano-Additive Synergies, Mst Sumya Yeasmin, Shamima Abdul Rahman, Waheedah Abdul Hakeem, Tarek Abedin, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The present investigation deals with the phytochemical, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and Anti-constipation activities of Ficus carica (FC) fruit. The phytochemical analysis of FC fruit has revealed a rich array of bioactive compounds, highlighting the fruit's complex and diverse natural chemistry together with some secondary metabolites that contribute to its high antioxidant activity which was evident from 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and Ferric reducing power (FRAP) assays. Fruit extracts of FC demonstrated anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer, U2OS osteosarcoma, HepG2 liver cancer, and Huh7it liver cancer cell lines. The anti-inflammatory activity of FC fruit is attributed to steroids …


Lstm Network-Based Scheme For Automatic Characterization Of Power Quality Disturbances, Akram Elmitwally, Mohamed Nader Dec 2025

Lstm Network-Based Scheme For Automatic Characterization Of Power Quality Disturbances, Akram Elmitwally, Mohamed Nader

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Recognition of power quality (PQ) troubles is a critical task in the electrical power industry. Most previous works solve the classification problem using separate feature extraction phase and classification phase. Each phase has its own techniques, and consumes a computation time. This study proposes to utilize the long short-term memory (LSTM) network as a deep learning model to classify the PQ events in one shot. The LSTM network uses its particular processing to classify a PQ event signal directly by reading its time-sequence data. Then, a dedicated post-classification algorithm (PCA) extracts start time, end time, duration, amplitude, and total harmonic …


Investigating Nutrient Management & The Impacts Of Nitrogen On Blackberries Across Arkansas And The Southeast, Amanda Michelle Lay-Walters Dec 2025

Investigating Nutrient Management & The Impacts Of Nitrogen On Blackberries Across Arkansas And The Southeast, Amanda Michelle Lay-Walters

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus) research on nutrient needs, monitoring practices, and dynamics in the United States has primarily been conducted on cultivars popularly grown in the Pacific Northwest. Thus, regional research is required to understand the needs of blackberry cultivars grown in the southeastern U.S., with southeastern U.S. production practices. In 2022 and 2023, 12 cultivars of blackberry, across seven states, were leaf tissue sampled across multiple phenological stages for nutrient analysis. In Clarksville, AR from 2022 to 2024, six rates of N were applied to established ‘Ouachita’ blackberry plants. During the trial, plant yield, post-harvest fruit quality, fruit …


Investigating Pyrethroid Insecticide Resistance In The Alfalfa Pest Insects Hypera Postica (Alfalfa Weevil) And Lygus Spp. (Lygus Bugs) In Utah Alfalfa Fields, Rosalie Sepesy Dec 2025

Investigating Pyrethroid Insecticide Resistance In The Alfalfa Pest Insects Hypera Postica (Alfalfa Weevil) And Lygus Spp. (Lygus Bugs) In Utah Alfalfa Fields, Rosalie Sepesy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Chemical insecticides are commonly used to manage the damage to crops caused by agricultural pest insects. Reliance on insecticides for pest management has resulted in insecticide resistance in many insect species worldwide. Alfalfa weevils (Hypera postica) and lygus bugs (species within the genus, Lygus), are major pests to alfalfa hay and seed respectively and cause significant economic damage. The goal of this dissertation was screen Utah alfalfa fields for resistant alfalfa weevil and lygus bug populations, investigate genetic mutations that can influence resistance in alfalfa weevils, and establish which species of lygus bugs are present in Utah …


Anti-Inflammatory Effects In Apio Tuber, Jeehye Seo, Oluwatobi Amusat, Yu-Yun Wang, Annegret Jannasch, Sun-Ok Lee Dec 2025

Anti-Inflammatory Effects In Apio Tuber, Jeehye Seo, Oluwatobi Amusat, Yu-Yun Wang, Annegret Jannasch, Sun-Ok Lee

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Inflammation is a crucial component of the body’s defense system but can lead to chronic diseases when uncontrolled. Diets rich in anti-inflammatory compounds are recognized as an effective strategy for mitigating chronic inflammation. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of Apio (Arracacia xanthorrhiza), an underutilized Andean tuber. The goal of this study was to explore the health-promoting properties of Apio tuber, which could expand its commercial value to support local farmers and contribute to more sustainable agricultural practices.

Phenolic compounds were extracted from white (WAT) and yellow Apio tuber (YAT), and Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity …


Patch Mow Grazing: Investigating The Effects Of Mowing On Forage Nutritive Value, The Biomass–Nutritive Value Relationship, And Herbivore Selection, Trace R. Stauble Dec 2025

Patch Mow Grazing: Investigating The Effects Of Mowing On Forage Nutritive Value, The Biomass–Nutritive Value Relationship, And Herbivore Selection, Trace R. Stauble

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Herbivore foraging behavior plays a critical role in shaping grassland structural heterogeneity, with selection often driven by forage biomass and nutritive value. Currently, it is thought that herbivores primarily select areas that are greater in nutritive value, and low in biomass. More specifically, disturbances like fire and grazing have been thoroughly studied showing that recently burned and grazed areas are not only higher in nutritive value but disproportionately selected by herbivores in comparison to undisturbed areas. However, most studies address only narrow ranges of defoliation, comparing intensely defoliated sites (< 10 cm) to those that are either not defoliated or have experienced a much longer time since defoliation, thereby decreasing grazing pressure as biomass increases. However, one of the most widely used methods of defoliation in grasslands, mowing, hasn’t been thoroughly studied for its effects on nutritive value, and how it impacts herbivore selection. Our study aimed to (1) evaluate how mowing treatments—i.e., short (5 cm), medium (18 cm), and tall (>30 cm, unmown)—affect nutritive value and herbivore selection, (2) assess …


Cover Crop Influence On Arthropod Biodiversity And Soil–Water Dynamics In A Semi-Arid Maize–Soybean Sequence Of The Nebraska High Plains, Carlos Eduardo De Oliveira Martins Dec 2025

Cover Crop Influence On Arthropod Biodiversity And Soil–Water Dynamics In A Semi-Arid Maize–Soybean Sequence Of The Nebraska High Plains, Carlos Eduardo De Oliveira Martins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the expansion of cover crop (CC) use in semi-arid regions, producers in the Nebraska High Plains are increasingly interested in understanding how CCs influence both beneficial arthropods and soil-water within maize-soybean (Zea mays L., Glycine max [L.] Merr.) rotations. Integrating CCs in these systems can enhance soil water availability and beneficial insect activity, but potential trade-offs include higher early-season water use by CCs and the risk of increasing potential pest populations. This thesis addresses these questions through two complementary studies conducted under field conditions near Brule, Nebraska. The first study evaluated the effects of a multi-species CC mixture …


Neural Rrp6 Depletion Drives Circrna Accumulation And Motor Impairment In Drosophila Melanogaster Neurons, Joseph Serio Dec 2025

Neural Rrp6 Depletion Drives Circrna Accumulation And Motor Impairment In Drosophila Melanogaster Neurons, Joseph Serio

Honors Theses

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of ubiquitous eukaryotic RNAs created by back splicing. These noncoding RNAs can modulate gene expression and are implicated in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. To limit the contribution of circRNAs to aging and pathobiology, it is essential to understand how turnover of these molecules is regulated, as it is not clear which enzymes are chiefly responsible for degrading circRNAs in neurons. This study evaluates the roles of ribonucleases potentially involved in neural circRNA turnover using the model fly Drosophila melanogaster. A mifepristone-activated GAL4/UAS GeneSwitch expressed RNAi transgenes and inactivated the ribonucleases. Flies were evaluated on …


Predictive Modeling Of Listeria Monocytogenes Growth In Ready-To-Eat Meat Products, Manjari Singh Dec 2025

Predictive Modeling Of Listeria Monocytogenes Growth In Ready-To-Eat Meat Products, Manjari Singh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes remains a significant food safety concern in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products due to its persistence under refrigerated and stressed conditions. Predictive models play a vital role in risk assessment and food safety management; broth models are highly conservation & results in overprocessing. This thesis focuses on developing and validating meat-specific predictive models for Listeria monocytogenes growth and lag for RTE beef, pork, and poultry products. Matrix-specific secondary models were built to predict the maximum specific growth rate (μmax) of Listeria monocytogenes under varying environmental conditions, including temperature, pH, water activity, salt, organic acids, and nitrites. Growth …


Establishment Of Native Warm-Season Forages Using Organic Practices, Kolten Ray Wright Dec 2025

Establishment Of Native Warm-Season Forages Using Organic Practices, Kolten Ray Wright

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Grassland agriculture is seen as a particularly sustainable form of agriculture. Many opportunities are known to use organic production methods or incorporate native warm-season grasses (NWSG) to accomplish both production goals and environmental or social outcomes. Environmental concerns have led some practitioners to question the use of organic methods to establish NWSG. As limited work has been accomplished in the northern bermudagrass belt, this project sought to compare organic establishment strategies for common NWSG species. A field trial conducted at the USDA ARS Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center in Booneville, AR found that NWSG establishment success in the …


Effect Of Peracetic Acid Dip Frequency On The Quality And Functional Properties Of Non-Marinated And Marinated Broiler Tenderloins, Joaquin Jose Esquivel Vergara Dec 2025

Effect Of Peracetic Acid Dip Frequency On The Quality And Functional Properties Of Non-Marinated And Marinated Broiler Tenderloins, Joaquin Jose Esquivel Vergara

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The poultry industry continues to balance the need for effective antimicrobial interventions with the preservation of meat quality. Among the most widely used antimicrobial agents, peracetic acid (PAA) has proven effective for reducing foodborne pathogens in poultry products. However, excessive or repeated exposure to PAA can influence meat functionality by altering protein structure, color, and water-holding capacity. Therefore, the broad objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of PAA dip frequency and post-treatment marination timing on the physicochemical and functional quality of broiler tenderloins (Pectoralis minor), in order to provide processing insights that optimize both microbial safety and …


Using Color And Fluorescent Spectrometry As A New Rapid Cleaning Verification Method In Poultry Processing Plants, Clark Griscom Dec 2025

Using Color And Fluorescent Spectrometry As A New Rapid Cleaning Verification Method In Poultry Processing Plants, Clark Griscom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The poultry industry is expected to be growing at 3% in the total global market with the U.S. being the largest producer of poultry meat. Poultry processing plants are expected to produce 140 birds per minute with the potential of up to 175 birds per minute to meet the market demand. With the growing market and need for faster production, maintaining food safety needs to be a priority to ensure the safety of consumers. Over 9.9 million foodborne illness cases are reported each year in the United States. A change in food safety is needed, and one area lacking is …


Next-Generation Salmonella Inactivated Vaccine Platforms And Phytobiotic-Modulated Immune Responses In Poultry, Santiago Uribe Diaz Dec 2025

Next-Generation Salmonella Inactivated Vaccine Platforms And Phytobiotic-Modulated Immune Responses In Poultry, Santiago Uribe Diaz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Here, a comprehensive understanding of immune responses triggered by either a multimeric CD40 receptor-agonistic DNA aptamer-based or mannosylated chitosan-based Salmonella Enteritidis inactivated vaccine platforms, along with phytobiotic supplementation as an immune modulatory strategy in response to Salmonella lipopolysaccharides, is presented. This dissertation supports the development of next-generation Salmonella vaccine platforms that simultaneously stimulate both protective cell-mediated and humoral immune responses, while indicating the potential immunomodulatory effects of phytobiotics supplementation to reduce the immunological impact of Salmonella lipopolysaccharides in chickens. The first chapter describes that both vaccine platforms administered in broiler chickens initiated local inflammatory responses, recruiting heterophils and macrophages from …


Micro-Greens, Not Micro-Yellows: Evaluating Dehydration-Based Preservation Techniques For Reducing Foodborne Pathogens And Quality Preservation On Microgreens, Travis S. Sananikone Dec 2025

Micro-Greens, Not Micro-Yellows: Evaluating Dehydration-Based Preservation Techniques For Reducing Foodborne Pathogens And Quality Preservation On Microgreens, Travis S. Sananikone

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microgreens are increasingly popular among consumers due to their high nutritional value. However, their limited shelf-life remains a significant challenge. To extend their usability, small-scale growers increasingly apply home preservation methods like warm air drying or freeze-drying. However, the effects of these methods on common foodborne pathogens are not well understood. Radish and alfalfa microgreens were inoculated with cocktails of Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes 4b (ca. 8.0 log CFU/g). Treatments included dehydration in a commercial dehydrator, freeze-drying (-20°C, 24 h), and convective drying in an oven (60°C for 4 h), and convective drying in an oven …


The Cost Effectiveness Of A Free Summer Day Camp Voucher Program To Prevent Summer Weight Gain Among Children From Disadvantaged Households, Brian K. Chen, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd, Sarah Burkart, Christopher D. Pfledderer, Elizabeth Adams, Robert Glenn Weaver Med, Phd, Bridget Armstrong Ph.D., Keith Brazendale, Xuanxuan Zhu, Alexander Mclain Dec 2025

The Cost Effectiveness Of A Free Summer Day Camp Voucher Program To Prevent Summer Weight Gain Among Children From Disadvantaged Households, Brian K. Chen, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd, Sarah Burkart, Christopher D. Pfledderer, Elizabeth Adams, Robert Glenn Weaver Med, Phd, Bridget Armstrong Ph.D., Keith Brazendale, Xuanxuan Zhu, Alexander Mclain

Faculty Publications

Introduction

Summer day camps can mitigate summer weight gain by providing a structured daily environment that promotes healthy behaviors, but summer day camps are often cost prohibitive to families with low income. This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of providing free summer day camps to disadvantaged children to prevent summer weight gain.

Methods

A total of 422 children from a low-income school district in South Carolina were recruited and randomly assigned to receive 8–10 weeks of free summer day camps or to experience summer as usual in 2021–2023. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated by dividing summer day camp cost …


Age, Growth, Diet And Reproduction Of African Pompano (Alectis Ciliaris), Clinton J. Moran, Jonathan Tucker, Callie H. Crawford Dec 2025

Age, Growth, Diet And Reproduction Of African Pompano (Alectis Ciliaris), Clinton J. Moran, Jonathan Tucker, Callie H. Crawford

Biology

Understanding the life history traits of ecologically and economically important fish species is critical for effective management. This study provides the first detailed analysis of age, growth, diet and reproductive characteristics of African pompano (Alectis ciliaris) from the southeastern United States, expanding upon prior work from the Western Arabian Gulf. A total of 54 specimens were collected off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina when they were available during the 2024 fishing season (May–October). Age was determined via otolith sectioning, and growth was modelled using the von Bertalanffy growth function (L∞ = 96.61 cm, K = 0.689, t0 = …


Fisheries Research Report No. 363 : South-West Freshwater Angling: Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch For 2024/25, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Eva Lai Dec 2025

Fisheries Research Report No. 363 : South-West Freshwater Angling: Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch For 2024/25, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Eva Lai

Fisheries Research Reports

South-West Freshwater Angling (SWFA) in Western Australia is a licensed fishery primarily targeting the Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which are stocked in selected dams and rivers, as well as the introduced Redfin Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and the native Freshwater Cobbler (Tandanus bostocki). Since 2000/01, annual phone-recall surveys have been undertaken using the SWFA licence database as the sampling frame. This monitoring provides information to understand the fishery and support future management decisions. For the first time, data are reported by basin for different waterbody types (public dams, rivers) as well as for specific key fishing …


Visualizing The Fretboard: Arpeggiated Patterns, Muscle Memory, And Neurocognitive Strategies For The 5-String Electric Bass, Matthew Alexander Woisin Dec 2025

Visualizing The Fretboard: Arpeggiated Patterns, Muscle Memory, And Neurocognitive Strategies For The 5-String Electric Bass, Matthew Alexander Woisin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proficient navigation of the 5-string electric bass requires a comprehensive mastery of various techniques and a solid understanding of music theory. This includes a detailed grasp of arpeggios, chord extensions, and the development of deeply ingrained muscle memory for precise execution. This thesis introduces a structured methodology that refines existing fretboard visualization techniques and applies a unique manner of fretboard mapping, offering a more precise framework for comprehending and unlocking the full range of the instrument. By drawing insights from music theory, music education, cognitive science, neuroscience, and technology this approach is achieved by synthesizing research on visual pattern recognition, …


Forage Preference In Two Geographically Co-Occurring Fungus Gardening Ants: A Dietary Dna Approach, Matthew Richards-Perhatch V, Elizabeth Boshers, Matthew Greenwold, Jon N. Seal Dec 2025

Forage Preference In Two Geographically Co-Occurring Fungus Gardening Ants: A Dietary Dna Approach, Matthew Richards-Perhatch V, Elizabeth Boshers, Matthew Greenwold, Jon N. Seal

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Traditional methods of forage identification are impractical with non-leafcutting fungus gardening ants, making diet-related ecological and life history questions difficult to study. To address this limitation, we utilized dietary DNA metabarcoding on excavated ant fungus gardens to generate forage diversity metrics for the two co-occurring species Trachymyrmex septentrionalis and Mycetomoellerius turrifex. Ten fungus garden samples from each species were collected from a 60x70 m plot in East Texas. Each of the colonies we sampled was paired with a colony from the other species within 3 m of it. Plant forage diversity was assessed with chloroplast trnL primers, and insect frass …


Assessing Crop Rotation Productivity, Soil Health, And Fertility, And Economic Performance, To Enhance Semi-Arid High Plains Cropping Systems Sustainability, Ezequiel Maria Villamil Dec 2025

Assessing Crop Rotation Productivity, Soil Health, And Fertility, And Economic Performance, To Enhance Semi-Arid High Plains Cropping Systems Sustainability, Ezequiel Maria Villamil

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Sustainable crop production in the semi-arid High Plains of Nebraska faces challenges from limited precipitation, high interannual variability, and economic risk. This dissertation investigates the long-term productivity, water use, soil health, and economic sustainability of dryland crop rotations, with emphasis on the role of pulses as alternatives to fallow.

Chapter 1 analyzes nearly three decades (1995–2023) of on-farm data from the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory (Sidney, Nebraska) to compare seven crop rotations, including wheat, corn, millet, sunflower, and field peas. Results showed that wheat–corn–fallow (W–C–F) consistently outperformed traditional wheat–fallow (W–F) and more intensified four-year rotations, providing the highest grain yields, …