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EVALUATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING PREGNANCY RATES OF EMBRYO TRANSFER IN DAIRY CATTLE
Full text linkThis study evaluated factors such as the parity of recipients, recipient breed, embryo grade, and semen type and their potential impact on embryo transfer success in dairy cows. Embryos were produced through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) by Trans Ova Genetics, Inc., located in Dumas, TX. Heifer sex-sorted semen, as well as conventional (non-sex-sorted semen) collected from a registered Charolais bull, was used in the fertilization process of Angus-type oocytes. Oocytes were aspirated from ovaries collected from a packing plant. A total of 253 embryos were transferred into recipient dairy females ranging from 2 (nulliparous) to 7 (multiparous) years of age. Four recipients were sold after the initial 253 transfers, and three died, leaving the total observable recipients at (n = 246). Of the 246 transfers, 131 consisted of the heifer sex-sorted semen mating while the other 115 were the conventional (non-sex-sorted semen) fertilization of the same packing plant Angus-type female mating. Either quality grade 1 or grade 2 frozen-thawed embryos were transferred into Holstein, Jersey, or Holstein/Jersey (HOJO) natural crossbred recipients on several different transfer dates based on recipients who showed signs of natural estrus. 107 recipients receiving embryos were considered “nulliparous,” and the remaining 139 were labeled “primiparous/multiparous.”
Statistical analysis included descriptive measures and the Pearson Chi-square test using R Studio. Overall pregnancy rates by breed are as follows: Holstein/Jersey crossbred (HOJO) recipients (35.9%), Jersey recipients (30.6%), and Holstein recipients (25.9%). The pregnancy rates between Holstein recipients and HOJO recipients were insignificant (P = 0.13). Pregnancy rates between Holsteins/Jerseys and Jerseys/HOJOs were also insignificant (P = 0.54 and P = 0.53), respectively. The parity of recipients (nulliparous vs. primiparous/multiparous) was also insignificant (P = 0.13). Sexed semen had a higher numerical conception rate compared to conventional (non-sexed semen), (31.3% and 29.6%, respectively). However, semen type was non-significant (P = 0.77) in this research project. In total, 214 grade 1 embryos were transferred and consisted of 65 pregnancies (30.4%), whereas only 32 grade 2 embryos were transferred, resulting in 10 pregnancies (31.3%). Again, the analysis determined there was a non-significant effect of the grade of an embryo on the conception rate (P= 0.92).
Following the analysis of Pearson Chi-square, a probit regression was run to estimate probability significance between breeds as well as parity of recipients. The coefficient estimates for “Jersey” and “HOJO” were run against the “Holstein” group as the reference. The coefficient estimate for “Jersey” was (0.1388) while the “HOJO” estimated coefficient was (0.2860). The “Holstein” group was dropped to provide a base and avoid multicollinearity issues. These coefficients suggest that compared to the Holstein group, the odds of achieving pregnancy were higher. Despite the increased probability, these values were not significantly different from the reference group (P= 0.544 and P= 0.129 respectively). A probit regression was also used to evaluate the likelihood of pregnancy between nulliparous recipients and primiparous/multiparous recipients. “Nulliparous” was run against the reference group “Primiparous/multiparous” and a coefficient of 0.2529 was reported. This suggests that nulliparous animals have a positive effect on the likelihood of pregnancy success compared to primiparous and multiparous animals in this regression model. Despite the increase in likelihood, this coefficient was non-significant in this study (P=.133).
Further research should be conducted to evaluate the effect of parity of recipient, embryo type, semen type, and breed of recipient dam on embryo transfer success in dairy cows
ELASTO-MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLID-LIQUID COMPOSITES
Full text linkSolid-liquid composites (SLCs) are a class of soft materials with soft solid matrix encapsulating liquid inclusions. These novel composite materials have a wide range of potential applications, including thermal management, biomedicine, soft-robotics, and flexible electronics. By manipulating the type and volume of the liquid inclusion, the properties of SLCs can be fine-tuned to suit specific requirements. In this work, a dilute SLC is developed using commercial grade silicone (Smoothon Ecoflex 00-30) as the solid phase and laboratory-grade Glycerin as the liquid inclusion. While Eco-flex 00-30 mimics the behavior of a certain class of human tissues, Glycerin was selected as it is non-toxic and immiscible with silicone. A novel fabrication technique was developed for the precise distribution of the liquid inclusion in the soft polymeric material. The elastic properties of the SLCs were then determined experimentally for various volume fractions of the inclusion phase. The experimental data was then used to characterize the linear-elastic and hyperelastic material properties. The fabricated SLCs are also shown to exhibit properties similar to biofidelic materials from literature
EFFECTS OF BETA-AGONIST TYPE AND TIMING OF EXPERIOR FEEDING ON CALCULATED CUMULATIVE AMMONIA GAS EMISSIONS, LIVE GROWTH PERFORMANCE, AND CARCASS OUTCOMES OF FEEDLOT STEERS
No full textLimited research has compared no beta-agonist, ractopamine and lubabegron supplementation in feedlot cattle. Our objective was to compare beta-agonist feeding strategies and evaluate Experior (EXP) with added days on feed (DOF) for live growth performance and carcass outcomes. Steers (n = 2,517; initial BW = 336 ± 23 kg) were allocated to 36 pens in a randomized, complete-block design and assigned to 1 of 6 treatments. Treatments were negative control (no beta-ligand; CON), Optaflexx (ractopamine hydrochloride, 300 mg/steer/d for 35 d; OPT), and Experior (lubabegron fumarate, 36 mg/steer/d for 56 d + 4 d removal; 0EXP) with all three treatments fed for 198 d. Remaining treatments were fed EXP for same duration as 0EXP, but total DOF were adjusted by -14 d (-14EXP), +14 d (+14EXP) and +28 d (+28EXP). Steers were implanted at initial processing with Component® TE-IS with Tylan and received Component TE-200 with Tylan 82 d prior to harvest. Statistical analyses were conducted using mixed models; treatment was the fixed effect, block was a random effect, means were separated with the Tukey-Kramer adjustment, and contrasts were calculated to test linear or quadratic effects of EXP across DOF. No treatment differences (P ≥ 0.71) were observed for daily dry matter intake. Calculated cumulative ammonia (NH3) gas emissions (CCAGE) expressed either as total NH3 emitted (g) or NH3 emitted per kg of
live or hot carcass weight reduced (P < 0.01) by 5.1 – 6.4%, 7.0 – 11.0%, and 8.5 – ii
13.6%, respectively for 0EXP, +14EXP and +28EXP compared to CON. Final body weight of OPT or 0EXP steers was similar to CON, however +14EXP tended (P = 0.06) to differ. Compared to CON, average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed of steers in OPT, 0EXP, +14EXP, and +28EXP treatments was similar (P ≥ 0.10). Carcass ADG of 0EXP steers was 6.6% greater (P < 0.01) than CON, which had similar ADG to OPT, +14EXP, and +28EXP steers. Carcass gain to feed of 0EXP steers was improved 4.9% compared to CON and was not different from OPT or +28EXP steers. Hot carcass weight of 0EXP, +14EXP, or +28EXP steers was 14 to 37 kg heavier (P < 0.01) than CON, which did not differ from OPT. Steers fed EXP had 0.9 to 2.5 percentage point increase (P < 0.01) in dressed yields. Ribeye area was 4.03 to 6.21 cm2 larger (P < 0.01) in steers fed EXP compared to CON, which did not differ from OPT. Marbling score was 31 to 39 points lower (P < 0.01) for -14EXP compared to CON and OPT, whereas 0EXP, +14EXP and +28EXP was similar to CON and OPT. Percentage intramuscular fat (IMF) was similar (P ≥ 0.44) for +14EXP, +28EXP, and OPT compared to CON, whereas 0EXP tended (P = 0.09) to decrease. Slice shear force values were 20.1% greater (P < 0.02) for +14EXP compared to CON, whereas 0EXP tended (P = 0.09) to be greater and +28EXP, -14EXP and OPT were similar (P ≥ 0.28) to CON. This study illustrates EXP decreased CCAGE and increased HCW with minimal quality changes when fed the last 56 d on feed
History of implementation of Nanotechnology in the novel air purifiers with a special reference in reduction of Pollen, Mold Spore and PM2.5 Indices
Full text linkPresently our Laboratory has been focusing on the issues of PM2.5 pollution. Particulate matter of 2.5 micron is a major issue in Global Air Pollution. WHO reports that a very high number of people die every year due to this particulate pollution. With is current scenario of air pollution we have targeted in developing an advanced level of air purifier to solve the problem of Indoor Air Quality or IAQ. Global economies are so tightly interconnected that companies, governments and industries will soon be forced to cooperate in ways we could not have imagined just a few years ago. Innovations in technology continue to have massive effects on business and society. We're now seeing emerging markets become hotbeds of innovation, especially in efforts to reach the growing middle class and low- income consumers around the globe. This report covers the information on how a Nanotechnology research product was developed and marketed in many countries. Collaboration between the corporate worlds with academia has been proved to be beneficial in scientific inventions. With the increased population growth and industrial expansions most of the cities are experiencing poor air quality. Global warming exerts substantial effect on flora and fauna all over the world. Increasing greenhouse gasses causing accelerated pollinosis and fungal spore production, two major aeroallergens for asthma and allergy symptoms. We are in the need of a much-advanced air purifier that works without filter and improve the air quality with a greater extent than the existing air purifiers in the market. We have been working in developing an efficient device to reduce the indoor aeroallergen to alleviate the symptoms of allergy and asthma. Collaboration between Dr. Ghosh's Aerobiology Lab at the West Texas A&M University and air purifier industries developed a nanotechnology called Advanced Hydrated Photocatalytic Oxidation (AHPCO) technology. This technology has been used for building novel filter-less air purifiers, cell phone sanitizers, food preservation equipment and electronic AFL masks for preventing COVID-10 and other airborne diseases.
Literature Review:
1. Estrada, G. Effect of Meteorological Factors on Aeroallergens of Texas Panhandle and a Comparative Account with Albuquerque, NM. MS Thesis, West Texas A&M University, 2014, 33.
2. Ghosh N., Patten, B.. Lewellen, G. T., Saadeh, C., Gaylor, M., Aeroallergen survey of the Texas Panhandle using a Burkard Volumetric Spore Trap. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2003b, 111(2), S91.
3. Ghosh, N., Camacho, R., Schniederjan, E., Saadeh, C., Gaylor, M. Correlation between the meteorological conditions with the aeroallergen concentration in the Texas Panhandle. Texas Journal of Microscopy. 2003a, 34(1), 12-13.
4. Ghosh, N., Saadeh, C., Gaylor, M. Quantification and characterizing the Aeroallergen by scanning and analyzing the tapes from the Burkard Spore-trap, Journal of Scanning Microscopies, 2006, 28(2), 127-128.
5. Ghosh, N., R. Camacho, C. Saadeh and M. Gaylor. (2004a). Assessment of pollen concentration in the atmosphere of the Texas Panhandle through the use of a Burkard Volumetric Spore Trap. Texas Journal of Microscopy. Vol. 35, No.1:22-27.
6. Ghosh, N., Rene Camacho, C. Saadeh, M. Gaylor and A. Chatterjee (2004b). Aeroallergens of the Texas Panhandle: Pollen and Spores and Allergic Rhinitis. Perspectives in Cytology and Genetics. Vol. XI, 2004:503-514.
7. Muilenberg, M. and Burge, H. "Aerobiology", Lewis Publishers: Boca Raton, Florida. 18-26 (1996).
8. N. Ghosh, G. Estrada, Veloz, M., Bouyi, D., Bennert, J. Bennert, J., Saadeh, C. and Revanna, C. (2017). Meteorological and clinical analysis of aeroallergen data: Increase in allergy and asthma cases in Texas Panhandle. ALLERGY AND ALLERGEN IMMUNOTHERAPY: New Mechanisms and Strategies (2017):101-124. Book Chapter, Apple, CRC Press, New YorkIndoor Air Quality (IAQ) has become a major concern for the public health. Global warming exerts substantial effect on flora and fauna. Increasing greenhouse gases cause accelerated pollinosis and fungal spore production, two major aeroallergens for asthma and allergies. We used a Burkard Spore Trap for aeroallergen sampling that provided us with the information regarding the onset, duration, and severity of the pollen season that clinicians use to guide allergen selection for skin testing and treatment. We also used pollen grains from different plant species of our locality for identifying and characterizing the pollen through Scanning Electron Microscopy. We examined the samples with an SEM (TM-1000) after gold coating and Critical Point Drying. We measured the pollen grains using the TM-1000-imaging software that revealed the micro-morphology with the size of colpi, sulci and the detailed microstructures. This information can aid data for classification and circumscription in Angiosperm taxonomy. For viewing the fluorescence in pollen, we used 2-3 drops of Fluorescein-based dyes with deionized water on the slides. The slides were mounted and observed under the microscope. During the last two decades, the use of SEM has greatly increased our knowledge of the microstructure of pollen. Mature pollen grains are stable in a vacuum: this allows quick preparation for SEM examination. The low level of technical expenditure required, in combination with the high structural diversity exhibited and the intuitive ability to understand the "three dimensional", often aesthetically appealing micro-structures visualized, has turned pollen studies into a favorite tool of many taxonomists. The daily weather was recorded including temperature, wind speed, precipitation, humidity, average soil temperatures. This allowed the estimation of the clinical significance of the various pollen types by combining data concerning in vivo allergenicity and terminal velocity as a means to judge the clinical significance. Presently our Laboratory has been focusing on the issues of PM2.5 pollution. Particulate matter of 2.5 micron is a major issue in Global Air Pollution. WHO reports that a very high number of people die every year due to this particulate pollution. With is current scenario of air pollution we have targeted in developing an advanced level of air purifier to solve the problem of Indoor Air Quality or IAQ. Global economies are so tightly interconnected that companies, governments and industries will soon be forced to cooperate in ways we could not have imagined just a few years ago. Innovations in technology continue to have massive effects on business and society. We're now seeing emerging markets become hotbeds of innovation, especially in efforts to reach the growing middle class and low- income consumers around the globe. This report covers the information on how a Nanotechnology research product was developed and marketed in many countries. Collaboration between the corporate worlds with academia has been proved to be beneficial in scientific inventions. With the increased population growth and industrial expansions most of the cities are experiencing poor air quality. Global warming exerts substantial effect on flora and fauna all over the world. Increasing greenhouse gasses causing accelerated pollinosis and fungal spore production, two major aeroallergens for asthma and allergy symptoms. We are in the need of a much-advanced air purifier that works without filter and improve the air quality with a greater extent than the existing air purifiers in the market. We have been working in developing an efficient device to reduce the indoor aeroallergen to alleviate the symptoms of allergy and asthma. Collaboration between Dr. Ghosh's Aerobiology Lab at the West Texas A&M University and air purifier industries developed a nanotechnology called Advanced Hydrated Photocatalytic Oxidation (AHPCO) technology. This technology has been used for building novel filter-less air purifiers, cell phone sanitizers, food preservation eq
Tuning the Crystallization Properties of Advanced Phase Change Materials
Full text linkPhase change materials have been used in various applications, including thermal storage of building materials and electronic cooling systems, industrial waste heat recovery[1-3], and heat exchangers for spacecraft [4] because of their high latent heat. PCMs are projected to have a $3.1 billion market by 2026[5]. Thus, the advanced PCMs developed in this study are expected to have a significant economic impact. PCMs are preferred in heat exchangers because of their greater heat storage density than traditional liquids' sensible heat limitations. Among the PCMs, paraffin waxes have gained attention due to their higher latent heat of fusion, low vapor pressure, inert nature, and thermal stability[3]. However, the main difficulty for paraffin waxes is their low thermal conductivityPetroleum-based paraffin waxes are versatile phase change materials (PCMs) with attractive benefits such as high latent heat, chemical inertness, low vapor pressure, and good thermal stability. Nevertheless, a significant drawback of paraffin waxes is low thermal conductivity, making heat storage and release slow. Nanomaterials with high thermal conductivity can be used as dopants in paraffin waxes. However, the PCMs must undergo many heating and cooling cycles (>1000) in a PCM-based energy storage system. The stability and dispersion characteristic of nanomaterials after several thermal cycles also change the phase transition properties of PCMs. Due to the repetitive thermal cycle, little fundamental understanding exists of phase change behavior. We propose to exploit the effect of thermal cycles on the phase transition behavior of carbon nanotube (CNT) doped commercial paraffin. In this study, we take two approaches: 1) a bulk phase measurement of the phase change behavior mechanism (dispersion of nanomaterial, heat of fusion, crystallinity, and weight loss) using SEM-EDS, DSC, XRD, and TGA, respectively, and 2) parallel a phase contrast microscopy methods to directly visualize the stochastic nature of the onset of crystallization and melting of microcapsules of CNT-doped paraffin
Musical Matrons: Women and the Early History of the Amarillo Symphony
Full text linkThere are essentially no publications on this particular topic. Books have been written about symphonies in the largest U.S. Cities such as New York and Chicago and regarding orchestras in several smaller American cities including Kansas City and Honolulu. Some research regarding women's music clubs has been published, but there is no existing scholarship regarding the role of women in American symphony life in the first half of the twentieth century. My goal is to present the Amarillo Symphony as a case study demonstrating the integral role women played in supporting American symphonic orchestras in the 20th century.
The data for this project has been collected from documents in the Amarillo Symphony archives, the Amarillo Public Library, and the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum. Documents include Amarillo Symphony Guild yearbooks, Amarillo Symphony programs, newspaper clippings from the local papers, and other documents.Founded in 1924, the Amarillo Symphony was first a pet project of the Amarillo Philharmonic Club, a vibrant and active group of women who regularly produced concerts and performed music at teas, luncheons, and other events locally. The first conductor of the Amarillo Philharmonic, as it was first called, was local piano teacher, Grace Hamilton, and the group's first performers were all women drawn from club membership. In fact, women have graced the stage as performers with the Amarillo Symphony since its very inception both as orchestra members and guest artists. Women composers, especially Texas Panhandle native Radie Britain, championed and were celebrated by the Amarillo Symphony. Women's activities with the Amarillo symphony did not stop there: the key benefactors of the institution over its one-hundred year long history were women. May Peterson Thompson, a metropolitan opera star who married Amarillo hotel businessman E.O. Thompson, was a key supporter of the institution in its early days, it was the women of the Amarillo Symphony Guild who rescued the institution from financial failing in the 1970s with a heroic fundraiser, and it was Sybil B. Harrington who established the endowment that gives the symphony relative financial peace of mind today. The Amarillo Symphony, unlike many other American symphonies, was formed and fueled by the work of women in the opening decades of the twentieth century. The organization was born out of a women's music club, women served as the organization's earliest performers, both in the orchestra and as guest artists, and key women were responsible for financially supporting the organization throughout its early history. The research presented in this poster charts this particularly rich facet of the history of the orchestra, which remains a bastion of culture on the High Plains. This poster introduces the integral role that women played in the establishment and early activities of the Amarillo Symphony. The poster highlights four categories of women who were involved in the Symphony from its earliest days including the clubwomen who founded the orchestra, as well as female performers, composers, and benefactors, and briefly summarizes their contributions and involvement with the Amarillo Symphony in its earliest days
A Principal's Perception on Instructional Coaching
No full textABSTRACT
This final composite explores the challenges that principals in public schools face. The first scholarly deliverable is a case study that can be used in college for candidates seeking a master's in education with a focus on being a principal. The case, “Cultures Colliding,” explores issues faced by a middle school principal that is associated with integrating new students from a low socioeconomic, low-performing campus into an upper-middle-class achieving campus. This case study illustrates the trials and tribulations that this principal faced from parents and staff not wanting the new students, to the students' struggle over whose school this is and who will run it. The final empirical article, “A Principals’ Perception on Instructional Coaching,” is a qualitative study that looks at elementary and secondary principals who have experienced various levels of instructional coaching. These principals speak of how the coaching relationship impacted student learning and teacher development on various campuses in a mid-sized Texas school district
Decoding the Wonders of Nanomachines
No full textUtilizing the conversion of chemical energy into kinetic energy or mechanical work is a fundamental mechanism employed by numerous molecular machines. Multiple studies indicate enhanced molecular diffusion during chemical reactions compared to diffusion in the absence of a reaction. Nevertheless, this observation remains controversial, with numerous other studies presenting counterarguments. One major scenario proposed to support the diffusion enhancement, is based on the increase of the temperature due to the heat release and therefore boost of translational diffusion.
Data collection methodology is computational modeling.Transducing chemical activity into motion serves as a pivotal element in the nanomachine mechanism. The enhanced molecular mobility has sparked controversy within the scientific community. Some studies indicate a substantial increase in mobility post-reaction, while others report no observable changes. In this investigation, we delve into the diffusion amplification following an exothermal reaction between two interacting species in an explicit solvent, employing extensive Langevin dynamics simulations. Our examination explores the impact of various parameters, including reactants' geometry and reaction energy. Our findings reveal no significant boost in the products of the exothermal reaction. However, when a polar solvent is introduced, a subtle increase in diffusion becomes apparent
INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE HARVEY ON SCHOOLS
No full textThis final composite explores the challenges school districts face in the aftermath of a major hurricane. The first scholarly deliverable is a case study article that could be used for teaching graduate students in educational leadership who are planning to become school district superintendents. The title of this article is “Nowhere to Go: When All Classrooms are Unusable After a Natural Disaster”. This case explores efforts to reopen schools after a hurricane leaves all school facilities uninhabitable. The final scholarly deliverable is an empirical article titled “Investigating the Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Student Achievement”. This empirical article focuses on how a major natural disaster and the resulting school disruption affects student achievement
The Teaching of Practice in Music Education
Full text linkThis thesis explores the integration of practice curriculum within music education to assist students in shaping healthy practice habits. Drawing from previous research in music and psychology, this paper demonstrates how a music educator can integrate the practice curriculum into their daily music rehearsals. The thesis proposes a comprehensive approach that encompasses both the physical and mental dimensions of practice. Through a combination of theoretical insights and practical strategies, teachers can equip students with the necessary tools to optimize their practice sessions.
Central to the argument is the idea of dual aspects of practice: physical and mental. Combining the mental and physical part of practice is a unique part of the curriculum because this incorporates the psychological side of practice as well as the physical side which is activities to help make practice more productive. The curriculum in my thesis allows the educator to incorporate the lessons into their own lesson plans.
After teaching the unit myself a survey was given to students who participated in the unit on practice. Data was collected from my students using three questions that offered valuable insights into the efficacy of the proposed teaching methods and the impact on their musical development
In conclusion, the implementation of a practice curriculum in music education has the potential to significantly enhance student learning outcomes. These projected outcomes of my research are in the hopes that students would stop viewing in-class rehearsal as practice and start to understand what a professional rehearsal is. A knowledge of practice will benefit the teacher and the student’s rehearsal time. In the end, the integration of this curriculum into music education can cultivate a generation of skilled musicians. Furthermore, my students will not only be skilled, but will have a solid understanding of healthy practice for their mind and for their body. The tools learned in my curriculum can be principals they apply in areas outside of music as well