Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Characterization Of Biological Properties Of Fodder Value Of Dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale Web., M Falkowski, I Kukulka, S Kozlowski

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In recent years the quantities of dandelion appearing on newly established grasslands has increased quite significantly. In such conditions it can no longer be treated as a meadow herb whose fodder value, according to European literature, equals half of that of valuable fodder plants. Becoming a weed, dan­delion has been the object of investigations on ways of elimina­ting it from the sward by means of herbicides (Schlotter et al., 1988). At the same time, experiments are under way on biologi­cal properties of dandelion with the aim to explain the causes of its expansion. It was found that there is an …

Location Of Polyphenols In Leaves Of Serciea Lespedeza, C O'H Mosjidis, C M. Peterson, J A. Mosjidis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Preliminary studies in sericea lespedeza, a nonbloating for­age legume, indicated that its palatability and digestibility were reduced by high levels of phenolics (Clarke el al., 1939). Another study suggested that younger parts of the shoots are more palatable than older leaves and stems (Donnelly el al., 1971). Nevertheless, younger leaves have been reported to con­tain higher levels of phenolics (Burns, 1966). Polyphenols have been thought to play a role as growth regulators and in protection against insects and diseases. Also they seem to be associated with lignification (Salatino el al., 1988). The present study was performed to determine whether his­tological …

Effect Of Endophytic Fungus Infection, Water Stress And Genotype On K, Ca And Mg Concentration Of Fescue, S R. Wilkinson, D P. Belesky, W C. Stringer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Replacement of endophyte infected tall fescue with endo­phyte free tall fescue is recommended to avoid tall fescue toxi­cosis. Fribourg et al. (1988) suggest that the endophyte may enhance tolerance of tall fescue to environmental stresses, including drought. This controlled environment study was undertaken to determine the effect of water stress on the K, Ca and Mg concentration of four genotypic selections of tall fescue with and without fungal endophytes. This paper emphasizes water stress and endophyte effects. The growth characteristics are reported elsewhere (Belesky et al. 1989).

Effect Of Fertilizers On Cutting On Time On Chemical Composition Of Sward From Permanent Meadow, A Golob, Zdenka Berloznik, M Leskosek, Vekoslava Stibilj

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ecological problems and surpluses of milk and meat have given rise to less intensive systems of grassland utilisation. One of such system is utilisation of air nitrogen via legume sym­biosis with nitrogen fixing bacteria. In Slovenia, where conditions for legume growth are more favourable than in NW Europe, natural meadows fertilized with P and K only give reasonable yields - on average around 7 t DM per ha (Leskosek, 1981). Most legumes suffer after fre­quent defoliation so such meadows should be defoliated only 2- 3 times during the growing season. Under less frequent cutting regime nutritive value of forage is …

The Effect Of N And K Fertilizers On The No3 Content Of Different Grass Species And Mixtures, A Szodfridt, J Varga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The major quantity of the annual grassland vegetation comes from the first cut in Hungary because of the continental climate of the country. Next to the energy content of grasses it is important to have informations about the amount of some possible toxic components such as nitrate. The critical NO3- value is considered to be 0.25-0.31 % in DM (Andreev, 1981), NO3 content higher than 0.6 % in DM is toxic (Kemp et al., 1977). Ebert et al. (1977) showed that 120 kg/ha N given for the 1st cut did not raise NO3 content higher than the critical value. K …

Determination Of Condensed Tannins In Tropical Legume Forages, L Telek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effect of condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) in ruminant nutrition is complex and needs further interdiscipli­nary reinvestigations with improved analytical methods. With the « cell rupture » theory of legume pasture bloat (Howarth et al., 1978), the role of condensed tannins seems to be secondary; they are acting as protein precipitants (Goplen et al., 1980) and inhibiting microbiological proliferation in cell­ular spaces (Howarth et al., 1982). Their assumed interference with digesting enzymes in vivo is doubtful (Mole and Water­man, 1985). On the importance of condensed tannins in nutrition, several reviews were published (McLeod, 1974; Tempel, 1982; Kumar and Singh, 1984 and …

Screening Sericea Lespedeza Germplasm For Tannin Concentration In The Leaves And Herbage Palatability, J C. Petersen, J A. Mosjidis, N S. Hill

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Several million hectares in the subtropical world are currently used as grazing land for beef and dairy cattle, how­ever, in many cases animal production is very low. To improve animal nutrition, cultivated legume species can be introduced. Sericea lespedeza has potential and could be utilized in the acid soils of the· subtropics. Generally, sericea is low in palatability and nutritive value because its leaves contain tannins, which have long been associ­ated with low intake and reduced digestibility. Tannins are responsible for an astringent or bitter taste caused by the pre­cipitation of salivary glycoprotein (Goldstein and Swain, 1963). Chopping or macerating …

The Effect Of Selenium Fertilizer On The Selenium Status Of Sheep Grazing Annual Pasture In South-Western Australia, B R. Whelan, D W. Peter, N J. Barrow, D J. Buscall, V C. Cox

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

White muscle disease was first reported in grazing livestock in Western Australia by Gardiner (1961). Sheep affected by the disease could be divided into two categories : young suckling lambs in winter and early spring, and weaners and hoggets in summer (Gardiner et al., 1962). Subsequent investigations showed that, while there were few clinical symptoms of sel­enium deficiency, there were probably many sheep suffering from ill-thrift. This sub-clinical deficiency caused reduced liveweight gains, reduced wool production and lowered ewe fertility. It was most noticeable in areas of greater than 600 mm of annual rainfall on the lighter sandy soils with …

Synthesis Of Cell Wall Components In Maize Internodes, J H. Cherney, J J. Volenec, G A. Brown

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cell wall structure affects intake and digestibility of forages by rummants. Before microbial degradation of cell walls can be understood, it will be necessary to have a better understanding of cell wall formation. Internodes of grasses elongate in a_cropetal succession, with two internodes usually elongating s1multaneously. Elongating internodes consist of three regions : 1) a zone of cell division, 2) a zone of cell elongation, and 3) a zone of secondary cell wall deposition. This tissue provides an excellent system for studying cell wall changes in rapidly developing tissues. Our objectives were to : 1) examine changes in cell wall …

Natural And Artificial Drying Effects On Condensed Tannins Of Sericea Lespedeza, T H. University Of Georgia, W R. Windham, J J. Evans, C S. Hoveland

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont-Cours.) G. Don.] is well adapted to acid soils and low fertility but has generally been considered a low-quality forage due to high levels of tannin and indigestible fiber. Tannin levels increase during midsummer (Windham et al. 1988). The most com­monly used assay for tannin in sericea is the vanillin-HCl pro­cedure (Burns, 1963) on oven-dried samples. Oven-drying has been reported to cause increased polymerization or oxidative changes in tannins (Goldstein and Swain, 1963). Fresh-frozen sericea contained higher amounts of extract­able tannin than field-dried forage and fiber digestibility of high-tannin sericea by sheep was much lower …

Volume 11 Full Text, Bjur Staff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Unremarkable To Remarkable Ai Agent: Exploring Boundaries Of Agent Intervention For Adults With And Without Cognitive Impairment, Mai Lee Chang, Samantha Reig, Alicia (Hyun Jin) Lee, Anna Huang, Hugo Simão, Nara Han, Neeta M. Khanuja, Abdullah Ubed Mohammad Ali, Rebekah Martinez, John Zimmerman, Jodi Forlizzi, Aaron Steinfeld

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the population of older adults increases, there is a growing need for support for them to age in place. This is exacerbated by the growing number of individuals struggling with cognitive decline and shrinking number of youth who provide care for them. Artificially intelligent agents could provide cognitive support to older adults experiencing memory problems, and they could help informal caregivers with coordination tasks. To better understand this possible future, we conducted a speed dating with storyboards study to reveal invisible social boundaries that might keep older adults and their caregivers from accepting and using agents. We found that …

Typical Electron-Withdrawing Groups Are Ortho, Meta-Directors Rather Than Meta-Directors In Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution, Paul R. Rablen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

Electron-withdrawing groups are traditionally considered meta-directing in aromatic substitution reactions. However, when the pre-existing substituent is a π-acceptor, both experiment and calculation indicate that substantial amounts of ortho as well as meta substitution occur, with very little para reactivity. A simple perturbative MO argument rationalizes this finding. It is therefore suggested that these substituents are best understood as ortho, meta-directors, with a preference for meta, just as electron-donating groups are considered ortho, para-directors, with a preference for para.

Assessing The Effect Of Covid-19 On Air Quality For Five Texas Metro Areas Using Daily Air Quality Index Values, Rahul Sahajpal

Theses and Dissertations

Air pollution is one of the biggest health hazards known to humans. The quality of the air that we breath is mainly determined by the level of six major air pollutants, Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Particulate Matter 10 (PM 10), Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5), Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and Ozone (O₃). The main source of these air pollutants are fossil fuels (Oil, Coal and Natural gas). Their levels in the air are reported using an Air Quality Index (AQI). Higher AQI values indicate bad air quality and vice versa. In this study …

Dynamic Approaches To Missing Data In Healthcare: Evaluating Ensemble Models, Feature Selection, And Meta-Features, Dylan Dominguez Sulca

Theses and Dissertations

Missing data is pervasive in healthcare, where incomplete observations commonly arise from patient dropout, sensor failures, or privacy constraints. This research presents an investigation into handling such data, focusing on (1) Missingness-Aware Dynamic Ensemble Weighting (MDEW), (2) feature selection under varying missing rates, (3) autoencoder-based imputation (ODAE), and (4) a meta-feature analysis guiding pipeline selection. We evaluate our experiments on four diverse datasets, Cleveland Heart Disease, Diabetic Retinopathy, Breast Cancer Wisconsin, EEG Eye State. Our research shows that MDEW adaptively selects imputer classifier pipelines, outperforming single model and uniform averaging baselines at moderate to high missingness 10% to 50%. Filter …

Unpaired Virtual Histological Staining Of Tissue From Autofluorescence Using Regularized Cycle-Consistent Adversarial Networks, Zhesi Wen

Theses and Dissertations

We present a regularized CycleGAN with a Dense Residual U-Net to virtually stain autofluorescence images of tissue into H&E-like images. Our method outperforms standard architectures, reduces artifacts, and achieves superior FID scores, enabling efficient, label-free, and accurate digital pathology for unpaired datasets using multi-channel fluorescence inputs.

Intuiting Interaction: Meta-Reasoning And Meta-Learning As Foundations For Intelligent User Interfaces, Jeffrey Hsu

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents MARCO—a cognitive framework for Intelligent User Interfaces that uses meta-reasoning for context-aware adaptation across diverse tasks. It integrates multiple reasoning modules coordinated by a Meta-Cognitive Unit that selects strategies based on evolving demands. Evaluations show MARCO outperforms baselines in reasoning accuracy and computational efficiency.

Extended Tev Halos May Commonly Exist Around Middle-Aged Pulsars, A. Albert, R. Alfaro, C. Alvarez, J. C. Arteaga-Velázquez, D. Avila Rojas, H. A. Ayala Solares, R. Babu, E. Belmont-Moreno, A. Bernal, K. S. Caballero-Mora, T. Capistrán, A. Carramiñana, S. Casanova, U. Cotti, J. Cotzomi, S. Coutiño De León, E. De La Fuente, C. De León, D. Depaoli, P. Desiati, N. Di Lalla, R. Diaz Hernandez, B. L. Dingus, M. A. Duvernois, J. C. Diaz-Velez, K. Engel, C. Espinoza, K. L. Fan, K. Fang, N. Fraija, J. A. Garcia-Gonzalez, F. Garfias, H. Goksu, M. M. Gonzalez, J. A. Goodman, S. Groetsch, J. P. Harding, S. Hernandez-Cadena, I. Herzog, D. Huang, F. Hueyotl-Zahuantitla, A. Iriarte, S. Kaufmann, D. Kieda, J. Lee, H. Leon Vargas, J. T. Linnemann, A. L. Longinotti, G. Luis-Raya, K. Malone, O. Martinez, J. Martines-Castro, J. A. Matthews, P. Miranda-Romagnoli, J. A. Morales-Soto, E. Moreno, M. Mostafa, L. Nellen, M. U. Nisa, N. Omodei, Y. Perez Araujo, E. G. Perez-Perez, C. D. Rho, D. Rosa-Gonzalez, E. Ruiz-Velasco, H. Salazar, D. Salazar-Gallegos, A. Sandoval, M. Schneider, J. Serna-Franco, Y. Son, R. W. Springer, O. Tibolla, K. Tollefson, I. Torres, R. Tores-Escobedo, R. Turner, F. Urena-Mena, E. Varela, L. Villasenor, Xiaojie Wang, E. Wilcox, H. Wu, H. Zhou

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Extended gamma-ray emission around isolated pulsars at TeV energies, also known as TeV halos, have been found around a handful of middle-aged pulsars. The halos are significantly more extended than their pulsar wind nebulae but much smaller than the particle diffusion length in the interstellar medium. The origin of TeV halos is unknown. Interpretations invoke either local effects related to the environment of a pulsar or generic particle transport behaviors. The latter scenario predicts that TeV halos would be a universal phenomenon for all pulsars. We searched for extended gamma-ray emission around 36 isolated middle-aged pulsars identified by radio and …

Harnessing Neurodiversity And Artificial Intelligence In Education To Bridge The Cybersecurity Workforce Gap, George Antoniou

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

This perspective paper examines how neurodiversity and artificial intelligence (AI) can jointly address the critical workforce shortage in cybersecurity. Drawing on peer-reviewed research, industry reports, and case studies, it explores how neurodivergent individuals—such as those with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and dyslexia—possess strengths in pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and attention to detail that align with cybersecurity demands. AI-based educational tools, including adaptive tutoring systems, scenario-based simulations, and real-time analytics, can personalize learning for neurodiverse students, enhancing engagement and skill mastery. The paper discusses how these targeted interventions not only accelerate knowledge retention and practical competence but also foster greater inclusion …

Entanglement-Enhanced Metrology With Superconducting Circuits, Xingrui Song

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Circuit quantum electrodynamics provides a unique platform for investigating fundamental physics and practical quantum applications. In this thesis, I introduce the superconducting circuit platform from a foundational perspective. Drawing inspiration from quantum electrodynamics and utilizing the analog of closed time-like curves, this work achieves quantum enhancement over classical strategies. Specifically, I investigate agnostic phase estimation protocol and the associated approaches that leverage quantum entanglement to optimally estimate an unknown rotation angle without requiring prior knowledge of the rotation axis. This work not only demonstrates a proof of concept for a type of entanglement-assisted metrology but also highlights intriguing quantum effects. …

Optimizing Small Ai Models For Biomedical Tasks Through Efficient Knowledge Transfer From Large Domain Models, Girish Sundaram

Theses and Dissertations

The PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) framework is a widely adopted methodology for structuring clinical research questions and extracting relevant information from unstructured medical texts. However, traditional approaches for PICO classification demand computationally expensive domain-specific language models, such as BioBERT and ClinicalBERT, which require extensive training and large annotated datasets. This dissertation introduces Distilled Rapid Embedding Transfer (DRET), a novel knowledge transfer method designed to enable resource-constrained domain adaptation. DRET aims to efficiently transfer biomedical domain knowledge from large, specialized models to a compact, general-purpose model, DistilBERT, thereby enhancing its ability to perform domain-specific tasks without access to the original …

Studies In Algebraic Cycles: Hodge Theory Of Degenerations, Regulators, And Cluster Varieties, Ricardo Jaime Acuna

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation brings together results in Hodge theory and the theory of cluster varieties. The second chapter, based on a paper written in collaboration with Devin Akman and Matt Kerr, uses admissible normal functions to establish the first finiteness result for zero-dimensional components of the Hodge locus. The third chapter, based on joint work with Matt Kerr, shows that weak polar- ized relations constrain possible adjacencies of mixed Hodge structures across boundary strata in geometric compactifications. The fourth chapter gives a geometric construction of a 6-dimensional cluster variety with a disconnected mutation graph, as discovered by Yan Zhou. These three …

Contribution Of Various Factors On The Rate Of Traffic Accidents In The Us, Martin Mnatsakanyan

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Background:

Until 2020, the number of traffic accidents has been steadily decreasing. After 2020, the number started increasing until 2022, then started s lowly decreasing again. Most drivers aren’t fully aware of the reason behind all of these accidents.

Designing Ai-Driven Dining: A Ux Approach To Enhancing The Self-Service Experience, Kaylin Joung, Yuki Hayashi, Dailuaine Esguerra

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Artificial intelligence has transformed many industries, yet its integration into self-dining experiences is still emerging. This research explores how AI can enhance self-dining by introducing technology like interactive kiosks and robot servers to improve efficiency, personalization, and customer convenience. By addressing current gaps, we aim to create a more seamless and engaging dining experience.

Marine Heat Waves Effects On Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem Functioning, Skyler Peterson, S. Schneider, C.L. Webb, A. Leighton

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Severe heat waves may cause long-term changes in marine ecosystems and are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency. Here we use surveys from six localities across a six-year interval (2013-2019) to investigate the effects of heat waves on the functional diversity of rocky intertidal ecosystems (Vancouver Island, Canada).

Functional diversity, the number and types of functions performed by organisms, influences ecosystem stability and health. To assess changes in functional diversity we used analyses of biological traits. Biological traits are measurable properties of organisms that describe their morphology, physiology, and behavior. We quantitatively assessed changes in functional diversity in response …

The Demise Of Fossil Cycad National Monument As A Consequence Of Paleontological Resource Mismanagement, Nathaniel Valentine, Vincent Santucci, Justin Tweet, Aubrey Bond

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Figure 1), Fossil Cycad National Monument boasted well-preserved specimens of cycadeoid fossils from the Cretaceous and concentrations of these fossil plants were greatest at the site’s location (Santucci and Hughes, 1998). I studied historical records to estimate the number of fossils removed by paleontologists at the site between 1890-1957.

Community Stakeholders’ Perceptions On Growing A Nonprofit Donor Base Through In-Kind Donations, Brittany A. Heine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Northern Virginia alone, over 90,000 people are food insecure. The USDA has reported strong correlations between food insecurity and negative health outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine community stakeholders’ perceptions on engaging in strategic partnerships with Organization X using in-kind donations as a strategy to decrease the organization’s expenditures and grow its donor base. 14 community stakeholders were chosen through purposive sampling and participated in semi structured interviews. Using the conceptual framework of the unified theory of revenue generation for nonprofits, interview questions were developed to determine the variables that impact a stakeholder’s decision …

Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: A Case Study Of Faculty Teaching Methodologies At A Private University, Ellen Ramsey, George Antoniou, Matteo Peroni, Karima Lanfranco, Brent Muckridge, Raouf Ghattas, Philip L. Fazio, Wendy Wallberg, Saidi Porta, Mary Smith, Gary Solomon, Kristen Migliano, David G. Wolf

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

This research study examined the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education from the perspective of the faculty of a private university. It inquired into the impact of AI on pedagogical methods, administrative procedures, and ethical values. Qualitative case study methodology and in-depth semi-structured interviews were designed and conducted with faculty from four academic departments. Responses related to impressions, challenges, and opportunities for AI integration were gathered. The study findings from qualitative and quantitative data analysis indicated that AI is perceived to help improve educational outcomes with student-personalized learning pathways through streamlined administrative processes. The study revealed that participating …

Table Of Contents And Front Matter, Bjur Staff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Mathematics-Ai Based Phylogenetic Analysis Of Influenza Virus Mutation Data, Emilee Walden

Mathematical Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The influenza virus is one of the most common viral infections each year and can mutate rapidly. Viral mutations pose significant threats to public health by increasing infectivity and strengthening vaccine resistance. To track these evolving patterns, agencies like the CDC annually evaluate thousands of virus strains to understand viral mutagenesis and evolution in depth. Therefore, a computational method for analyzing high-dimensional, noisy virus data could aid in the rapid identification of antigens essential for an effective influenza vaccine for the upcoming season. Through the integration of genomic analysis, clustering, and dimensionality reduction methods, this study specifically aims to develop …