Research Methods in Life Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Feed Additives And Toxic Elements On Swine Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Immune Function And Reproductive Performance, Richard A. Mudarra Hernández

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To evaluate the effects of peptide in combination of zinc oxide (Zno) or acidifiers (Exp 1), and gossypol (G) from cottonseed meal (CSM) ( Exp 2&3) on growth performance, complete blood cell counts (Exp 1, 2&3), nutrient digestibility (Exp 1), plasma gossypol (Exp 2&3) and semen quality (Exp 3), weaned pigs (Exp 1), growing gilts (Exp 2) and growing boars (Exp 3) were randomly allotted to dietary treatments. Treatments for Exp 1 during phase 1&2 were: (1) Positive Control (PC), formulated to meet NRC (2012) nutrient requirements; (2) Negative control (NC), fish meal was reduced to achieve -0.13% SID lysine; …

Evaluation Of Different Ensiling Methods On Storage And Feeding Value Of The Residual Material From Edamame Soybean Processing, Ellen Herring

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Use of organic waste material by ruminant animals from food processing operations potentially reduces costs and reduces environmental issues from disposal of these residues. Therefore, 2 experiments were conducted to evaluate the storage and feeding value of residual from edamame soybean processing for ruminant animals. Two types of waste streams, waste during harvest time and waste from processing stored material, were ensiled (on a laboratory scale) using various methods and effects on post-ensiling nutritive value were examined. Material from both waste streams were ensiled either without wilting or after wilting; each moisture level was ensiled with and without an inoculant. …

Effects Of Commercial Feed Additives On Growth Performance And Gut Microbiota Of Nursery Pigs, Xiaoyuan Wei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To secure animal welfare and maximum production, feed additives are often added to nursery pig diets to increase nutrition digestibility, enhance intestinal health, and prevent or mitigate disease, with the ultimate goal of improving growth performance. This thesis performed a longitudinal analysis using next-generation sequencing to investigate the dynamic changes of gut microbiota in weaned pigs fed commercial feed additives. Chapter II was used to evaluate the effects of organic acid mixture on growth performance and gut microbiota of weaning pigs. This study demonstrated that the inclusion of 0.035% (SBA0.035) or 0.070% (SBA0.070) sodium butyrate in a diet containing 0.5% …

Biogeography Of The Bovine Respiratory Microbiome And Its Relationship With Bovine Respiratory Disease, Jianmin Chai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most common and costly disease in the beef cattle industry, leading to high morbidity, mortality and huge economic loss. Despite the recent advances in vaccination and antimicrobial techniques, no significant health-improved outcomes have developed. Due to a deep investigation of the microbiome, respiratory microbiotas are known to have important roles for host health and disease. However, BRD specific pathogens have not yet been identified since they are found in both healthy and diseased animals. A systemic and comprehensive study of the biogeography of the bovine respiratory microbiome and its relationship with BRD is lacking …

Flowers Are Essential To Maintain High Beetle Diversity (Coleoptera) In A Neotropical Rainforest Canopy, Susan Kirmse, Caroline S. Chaboo

University of Nebraska State Museum: Staff and Affiliates, Publications

Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the megadiversity of angiosperms and insects. Flowers and their pollinators represent the most common terrestrial mutualistic interaction today and this is thought to have driven the evolution of angiosperms and their visitors. Within the framework of that interaction, this paper develops and tests two new hypotheses: 1) megadiversity of canopy beetles in tropical rainforests is largely based on flower resources, and 2) the majority of adult canopy beetles are adapted to visit flowers. To test hypothesis 1, the beetle fauna associated with 23 canopy tree species (13 families, 45 individuals) in a 1.4 …

Aspergillus Niger Decreases Bioavailability Of Arsenic(V) Via Biotransformation Of Manganese Oxide Into Biogenic Oxalate Minerals, Bence Farkas, Marek Kolenčík, Miroslav Hain, Edmund Dobročka, Gabriela Kratošová, Marek Bujdoš, Huan Feng, Yang Deng, Qian Yu, Ramakanth Illa, B. Ratna Sunil, Hyunjung Kim, Peter Matúš, Martin Urík

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The aim of this work was to evaluate the transformation of manganese oxide (hausmannite) by microscopic filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger and the effects of the transformation on mobility and bioavailability of arsenic. Our results showed that the A. niger strain CBS 140837 greatly affected the stability of hausmannite and induced its transformation into biogenic crystals of manganese oxalates—falottaite and lindbergite. The transformation was enabled by fungal acidolysis of hausmannite and subsequent release of manganese ions into the culture medium. While almost 45% of manganese was bioextracted, the arsenic content in manganese precipitates increased throughout the 25-day static cultivation of fungus. …

Tadpole Of The Amazonia Frog Edalorhina Perezi (Anura: Leptodactylidae) With Description Of Oral Internal And Chondrocranial Morphology, Filipe A.C Do Nascimento, Rafael O. De Sá, Paulo C. De A. Garcia

Biology Faculty Publications

The genus Edalorhina consists of two species of small forest-floor frogs inhabiting the Amazon basin. The tadpole of Edalorhina perezi, the most widely distributed species, was previously described based on a single and early stage (Gosner 25) individual. Herein, we provide a description of the tadpole in Gosner stages 35–36 including internal morphology data (i.e., buccopharyngeal cavity and larval skeleton) based on samples from two populations from Ecuador. Edalorhina shares a generalized morphology with most members of its closely related taxa; however, it is distinguished from the other species by having an almost terminal oral disc. The presence of …

The Best Predictions In Experimental Biology Are Critical And Persuasive, Douglas S. Fudge, Andy J. Turko

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

A powerful way to evaluate scientific explanations (hypotheses) is to test the predictions that they make. In this way, predictions serve as an important bridge between abstract hypotheses and concrete experiments. Experimental biologists, however, generally receive little guidance on how to generate quality predictions. Here, we identify two important components of good predictions – criticality and persuasiveness – which relate to the ability of a prediction (and the experiment it implies) to disprove a hypothesis or to convince a skeptic that the hypothesis has merit. Using a detailed example, we demonstrate how striving for predictions that are both critical and …

Introduction To Biomedical Research Cmb 240, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Biomedical Research (Temporary) Cmb 240x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Acute And Chronic Dosing Of A High-Affinity Rat/Mouse Chimeric Transferrin Receptor Antibody In Mice, Demi M. Castellanos, Jiahong Sun, Joshua Yang, Weijun Ou, Alexander C. Zambon, William M. Pardridge, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Non-invasive brain delivery of neurotherapeutics is challenging due to the blood-brain barrier. The revived interest in transferrin receptor antibodies (TfRMAbs) as brain drug-delivery vectors has revealed the effect of dosing regimen, valency, and affinity on brain uptake, TfR expression, and Fc-effector function side effects. These studies have primarily used monovalent TfRMAbs with a human constant region following acute intravenous dosing in mice. The effects of a high-affinity bivalent TfRMAb with a murine constant region, without a fusion partner, following extravascular dosing in mice are, however, not well characterized. Here we elucidate the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of a high-affinity bivalent …

Geology, Geochemistry And Petrotectonic Setting Of Idanre Granite Complex, Southwestern Nigeria, Akinola Oluwatoyin Olagoke

Student Works (2020-2029)

During Neoproterozoic, Nigeria like many other Pan-African countries witnessed extensive magmatic activities which resulted in emplacement of granite popularly referred to as Older Granite in Nigeria. The study area is characterized by a large population of this rock type than any other part of Nigeria, so these rocks are investigated in this research. Idanre is underlain by migmatite-gneiss, charnockite and granite. Migmatite form the country rock and are low-lying, charnockite was surrounded by granite, while the granite forms large inselbergs. Three textural types of granite occur in the area, they are coarse-grained granite (undifferentiated) (OGu), porphyritic granite (OGp) and the …

Foliar Application Of Low Concentrations Of Titanium Dioxide And Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles To The Common Sunflower Under Field Conditions, Marek Kolenčík, Dávid Ernst, Martin Urík, Ľuba Ďurišová, Marek Bujdoš, Martin Šebesta, Edmund Dobročka, Samuel Kšiňan, Ramakanth Illa, Qian Yu, Huan Feng, Ivan Černý, Veronika Holišová, Gabriela Kratošová

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Nano-fertilisers have only recently been introduced to intensify plant production, and there still remains inadequate scientific knowledge on their plant-related effects. This paper therefore compares the effects of two nano-fertilisers on common sunflower production under field conditions. The benefits arising from the foliar application of micronutrient-based zinc oxide fertiliser were compared with those from the titanium dioxide plant-growth enhancer. Both the zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were delivered by foliar application in nano-size at a concentration of 2.6 mg·L⁻¹. The foliar-applied nanoparticles (NPs) had good crystallinity and a mean size distribution under 30 nm. …

Preliminary Evidence Of The Role Of Medial Prefrontal Cortex In Self-Enhancement: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study, Birgitta Taylor-Lillquist, Vivek Kanpa, Maya Crawford, Mehdi El Filali, Julia Oakes, Alex Jonasz, Amanda Disney, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Humans employ a number of strategies to improve their position in their given social hierarchy. Overclaiming involves presenting oneself as having more knowledge than one actually possesses, and it is typically invoked to increase one’s social standing. If increased expectations to possess knowledge is a perceived social pressure, such expectations should increase bouts of overclaiming. As the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is sensitive to social pressure and disruption of the MPFC leads to decreases in overclaiming, we predicted that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to the MPFC would reduce overclaiming and the effects would be enhanced in the presence of …

Data For "Consistent Differences In A Virtual World Model Of Ape Societies", Bart J. Wilson, Sarah F. Brosnan, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Crickette M. Sanz

Business and Economics Faculty Data Sets

The zip file contains the data for the paper entitled "Consistent Differences in a Virtual World Model of Ape Societies" which appears in Scientific Reports.

Methods To Identify And Assess Suitability Of Reintroduction Sites For The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys Temminckii), Kameron C. Voves

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Reintroduction has been employed as a management strategy to combat population declines of the Alligator Snapping Turtle. The suitability of previous reintroduction sites was determined by researchers with years of experience in Alligator Snapping Turtle biology, following detection surveys and a visual habitat assessment. I developed methods that will facilitate the assessment of suitable release sites. First, I investigated the amount of effort needed to detect Alligator Snapping Turtles during surveys, then I compared methods to quantify submerged deadwood (a key habitat feature), and finally, I developed a standardized field survey and habitat suitability model that can be used to …

Longitudinal Clonal Lineage Dynamics And Functional Characterization Of Pancreatic Cancer Chemo-Resistance And Metastasization, Chieh-Yuan Li

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In recent years, technological advancements, such as next-generation sequencing and single-cell interrogation techniques, have enriched our understanding in tumor heterogeneity. By dissecting tumors and characterizing clonal lineages, we are better understanding the intricacies of tumor evolution. Tumors are represented by the presence of and dynamic interactions amongst clonal lineages. Each lineage and each cell contributes to tumor dynamics through intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms, and the variable responses of clones to perturbations in the environment, especially therapeutics, underlie disease progression and relapse. Thus, there exists a pressing need to understand the molecular mechanisms that determine the functional heterogeneity of tumor sub-clones …

Spectral Fingerprints Predict Functional Phenotypes Of A Native Shrub, Brecken Cherice Robb

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Landscapes are rapidly changing. To understand these changes and how they may influence coexisting herbivores, it is critical that we improve the ways in which we monitor changes in plant species, populations, and functional phenotypic traits over space and time. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is proving to be a valuable tool when it comes to this goal. NIRS is noninvasive and can provide high-resolution temporal information, including structural and chemical characteristics, on objects that are otherwise expansive, inaccessible, or imperceptible. We used the threatened sagebrush-steppe ecosystem, which spans over 43 million hectares of the Western United States, as a case …

Wild Mice With Different Social Network Sizes Vary In Brain Gene Expression, Patricia C. Lopes, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Appropriate social interactions influence animal fitness by impacting several processes, such as mating, territory defense, and offspring care. Many studies shedding light on the neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior have focused on nonapeptides (vasopressin, oxytocin, and homologues) and on sexual or parent-offspring interactions. Furthermore, animals have been studied under artificial laboratory conditions, where the consequences of behavioral responses may not be as critical as when expressed under natural environments, therefore obscuring certain physiological responses. We used automated recording of social interactions of wild house mice outside of the breeding season to detect individuals at both tails of a distribution …

Fusion Of Elastin Like Polypeptides To Rna Binding Motifs For Programmable Binding Of Nucleic Acids, Dominic Medina

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) with RNA binding capability have recently been found to play important roles in several cellular processes, including the formation of phase separated membraneless organelles to regulate gene expression. An important class of membraneless organelles is stress granules, which enable cells to survive periods of environmental stress by regulating gene expression in the cytoplasm. Cells use a variety of ribonucleoprotein granules, primarily comprised of RNA and chaperone protein components, and can regulate cellular metabolism by sequestering and processing regulatory components, such as messenger RNAs, within these phases separated ‘organelles’. To recapitulate this cellular behavior, the genetically engineered …

Evaluating Regional Agricultural Wastes As Substrates For The Mycelial Growth And Fruiting Body Yield Of Pleurotus Ostreatus, Daniel Rhiner

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Pleurotus ostreatus, commonly known as the oyster mushroom, is a widely cultivated culinary mushroom known for its ability to colonize a variety of lignocellulosic agricultural wastes. The ability of P. ostreatus to utilize these types of wastes as growth substrates suggests a potential for this organism to convert agricultural waste streams into locally productive and regenerative systems. Agriculture is a leading contributor to Georgia’s economy, but it also produces large amounts of plant-based agricultural wastes of little to no value. Repurposing these wastes into profitable culinary and medicinal mushrooms has become an increasingly appealing approach to mitigating these wastes. …

Respiratory Chain Activity And Protein Expression In Skeletal Muscles From High And Low Feed Efficient Swine Within The Same Genetic Line, Earsie L. Alcorn De Feliz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current as well as past studies have provided evidence for a connection between macroeconomic/agricultural and cellular/biochemical basis of feed efficiency (FE; gain:feed) in farm animal production. Our investigation of respiratory chain activity, mitochondrial protein oxidation and protein expression was an expansion to the subcellular/molecular level. In this study we investigated the entire complex (Cx) of the electron transport chain (ETC) for differences in Cx activities in mitochondria isolated from skeletal muscle in high (HFE) and low (LFE) feed efficient swine within the same genetic line. Review of literature provided information for the connection between feed efficiency, mitochondrial function, and muscle …

Mitochondrial Contributions To Disuse Atrophy: Let’S Talk About Sex, Megan Rosa-Caldwell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a hallmark of many pathologies and is associated with disease prognosis, quality of life, and mortality. Specifically, lack of contractile activity of the muscle can result in disuse-associated atrophy. Disuse-induced atrophy is a common phenomenon in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and significantly impacts patient prognosis and ability to transition of out of intensive care. However, effective therapeutics to mitigate disuse-associated atrophy do not exist, clearly demonstrating the scientific and clinical need to further understand mechanisms contributing to disuse atrophy. In particular, a significant portion of the scientific literature has utilized male models, yet there is …

Effects Of Supplementing Crystalline L-Valine And L-Isoleucine And A Novel Threonine Biomass In Reduced Crude Protein Diets Fed To Broilers, Derrell Trevor Lee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poultry nutritionists continue to identify methods to lower feed price without compromising broiler growth performance, processing yields, or animal well-being. A common approach is to reduce dietary crude protein (CP), the second most expensive component in a broiler diet. Subsequently, reducing CP will reduce the inclusion levels of intact protein sources (e.g., soybean meal [SBM]), which can be accomplished by supplementing individual amino acids (AA). This methodology not only reduces diet cost, pending if feed-grade AA are more economical, but can contribute to improving broiler health and environmental sustainability. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to evaluate individual feed-grade AA in …

Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles: Determination Of Metabolizable Energy Values Using Regression-Based Assays And Their Correlation With Chemical Composition, Kenia Mitre

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The inherent variability and lack of standardization of in vivo assays to determine the metabolizable energy (ME) of DDGS has led to inconsistent values and limited its potential to use in broiler diets. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to characterize the content of nitrogen-corrected ME (MEn) in 11 DDGS sources obtained from various ethanol plants using a regression-based broiler assay and to attempt to develop equations to predict MEn based on its chemical composition. In experiment 1, the objectives were to determine the influence of inclusion level and feed intake on the resulting ME and MEn values of a single …

Nutritional Strategies For Feeding Broiler Breeders On Hen And Progeny Performance, Antonio Beitia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the last 60 plus years, broiler breeders have been under an incredible amount of genetic pressure. This genetic pressure comes from the continually increasing consumer demand for poultry products. The objective of this dissertation is to understand the effects of different nutritional and management practices on broiler breeder’s performance. The first series of experiments investigate the impact of broilerization on hen and early progeny performance. Broilerization is a process only used by genetic companies. The results from these experiments showed the adverse effects of broilerization on chick quality and hen performance. Follow up trials were performed to determine the …

Effect Of The Prospect Of Transport On Captive Tiger Behavior And Fecal Cortisol In Naïve And Experienced Tigers, Callan Lichtenwalter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With close to 5,000 captive tigers in the United States, it is vital to ensure that these tigers are receiving adequate welfare whether they are in an accredited facility, or privately owned. The goal of this study was to assess whether captive tigers at a rescue facility with experience being transported outside of the facility would respond differently to the presentation of their transport vehicle than their naïve counterparts who had only been transported within the facility. The behavior of 5 naïve and 7 experienced tigers (n = 12) located at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas was …

The Effects Of Excess Dietary Sulfur Using Supplemental Sodium Sulfate On Beef Steer, Heifer, And Progeny Productive And Physiological Responses, Jamie Hawley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For studies 1 through 3, 20 steers of predominantly Angus breeding, were stratified by body weight (279 ± 13.2 kg), assigned randomly to 6 paddocks, and fed a low S ground corn and soybean meal supplement that did not contain any byproduct feeds (0.31% total dietary S; LS) or LS supplement with an additional 0.25% S provided from sodium sulfate (Na2SO4; 0.58% total dietary S; HS) for a 114-d growing phase. Steers were moved to feedlot (373 ± 0.2 kg), remained on prior dietary S treatments, and fed corn and soybean meal diets (0.19 and 0.42% total dietary S; LS …

The Trauma Of Head Injury

DePaul Magazine

Thanks to the vision and leadership of Vincent de Paul Professor of Biological Sciences Dorothy Kozlowski, who has teamed with scientists and researchers across the country, DePaul is playing an instrumental role in advancing our understanding of the speci­fic causes and e‑ffects of traumatic brain injury (TBI). In collaboration with colleagues at DePaul partner institution Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Kozlowski developed a novel animal model to study the connection between repeat concussions and long-term health problems. Some of the research includes looking at learning and memory on the cellular level for those with Alzheimer’s and TBI, and …

Targeting The Transferrin Receptor To Develop Erythropoietin For Alzheimer’S Disease, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States with approximately 5.8 million Americans currently living with AD. Due to the lack of a disease modifying treatment for AD and the aging baby boomer generation, this number is projected to grow to 13.8 million by 2050 (Gaugler et al., 2019). Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque accumulation, one of the major pathological hallmarks of AD, can begin > 20 years before clinical symptoms of AD. By the time AD is clinically diagnosed, neuronal loss and neuropathological lesions (Aβ plaques and tau tangles) have already occurred in many brain regions …