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Research of Sandy Hook Elementary, the New and Improved
Get PDFSchool safety has been a part of the political discussion all over the world about both large scale (a country) and small (a city). According to US News, for the school year 2020-2021 alone, there were a total of 93 schools that had an active shooter that resulted with casualties (not including threats), and according to EdWeek, there have been 30 school shootings where there were injuries, including 28 people killed, just in the year 2022 so far. The fact that these numbers keep increasing from previous decades, and that the school year is just starting after having to combat a pandemic, people and families fear sending their kids to schools for more reasons than one.
That is why I am studying possible floor plans and materials that ideally prevent the event from happening, or if the tragic event occurs, then the possibility for reinforcements to arrive before there are injuries is greater. I plan on using AnyLogic to study the average foot traffic of secondary age students as well as to see how an emergency plays out. I will stimulate both one and multiple shooters, and the police department on scene right away and later. Once I have a floor plan that can help students stay safe, I will research materials that are thicker and stronger to prevent bullets going through.
Safety is always the number one concern to parents and school officials, that is why I believe that the floor plans and materials can be strategically chosen to provide more safety for students and staff
Understanding the Mode of Action of Essential Oil Nanoemulsions to Inhibit Fusarium Growth and Mycotoxin Production in Cereal
Get PDFDeoxynivalenol (DON) is a commonly occurred mycotoxin in cereal-based food, which is mainly produced by Fusarium spp. in the field. It is unfeasible to entirely avoid DON contamination in cereal grains with good agricultural practices. Therefore, it is of great importance to have a strategy for preventing DON contamination in our final food products. In recent years, utilization of plant extracts such as essential oils (EOs) as antifungal and mycotoxin inhibitory agents in foods have gained popularity. Depending on the EO type and chemical composition of EOs, the antifungal and mycotoxin inhibitory efficacies of different EOs might be varied. In addition, their antifungal mode of actions (MOA) against Fusarium spp. growth remains unknown. Therefore, the overall objectives of this project were to understand how different type of clove EOs (clove bud EO and clove leave EO), hop essential oil (HEO) impact their antifungal and mycotoxin inhibitory efficacies, and their corresponding antifungal MOA. Finally, HEO in nanoemulsion form was applied to evaluate their application during micro malting process using naturally Fusarium infected barley grains. Results denoted that physically stable 5 wt% EO in-water nanoemulsions with the mean particle sizes less than 170 nm can be built by blending either corn oil or medium chain triglyceride (MCT) with EOs. The largest percentage of chemical constituent in clove essential oils (CO) and HEO was eugenol (phenol type) and ?-myrcene (monoterpene type), respectively. In terms of their application as antifungal agents, CO had better antifungal and mycotoxin inhibitory efficacy against Fusarium graminearum growth and DON production in vitro as compared to HEO because of their high percentage of eugenol content. The major antifungal MOA of EO nanoemulsions included altering total lipid content in cell, chitin content in outer spore cell membrane, and damaging cytoplasmic membrane. In the application case study, results indicated that Fusarium biomass (Tri 5 DNA) and DON contents were reduced at each malting stage with the treatments of HEO nanoemulsion by malting Fusarium infected barley. This study provided the valuable information on utilization of EO nanoemulsions as natural antifungal agents during food processing
Genomic Characterization of Necrotrophic Effector Sensitivity Genes in Wheat
Get PDFThe necrotrophic fungal pathogens Parastagonospora nodorum and Pyrenophora tritici-repentis cause the diseases septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) and tan spot, respectively, reducing yield by decreasing the photosynthetic area of the plant. The pathogens produce necrotrophic effectors (NEs) that target host genes to induce cell death. The Tsc1-Ptr ToxC and Tsn1-Ptr ToxA interactions contribute to plant susceptibility to tan spot, while the Tsn1-SnToxA and Snn5-B1-SnTox5 interactions contribute to SNB susceptibility. The three main goals of this dissertation were to clone susceptibility genes Tsc1 and Snn5 and develop robust genetic markers for use in marker-assisted elimination of Tsn1. A genetic linkage map was developed delineating the Tsc1 region to 184 kb. Structural and gene content comparisons of the identified Tsc1 and Tsn1 regions in using the sequenced wheat genomes revealed gene content variation correlating with host phenotypes, reducing the Tsc1 candidate gene list to just two genes. Comparative sequence analysis in two generated mutant populations revealed the identity of Tsc1, which has protein kinase and leucine-rich repeat domains. The structural and gene content comparison of the sequenced genomes in the Tsn1 region identified two conserved haplotypes in accessions with presence/absence variation corresponding with ToxA sensitivity. Genetic markers flanking Tsn1 were designed in segments syntenic between Tsn1+ and Tsn1- accessions, allowing the codominant detection of Tsn1. The Tsn1 markers were validated on over 1,500 wheat accessions, demonstrating a near perfect ability to determine if an accession would be insensitive to ToxA. The application of these markers in wheat breeding programs can effectively reduce susceptibility to ToxA-producing pathogens. Snn5-B1 candidates were identified in the Chinese Spring genome and validated using random mutagenesis, targeted mutagenesis, and the Cadenza TILLING mutants. Snn5-B1 contains protein kinase and major sperm protein domains. Furthermore, a second SnTox5 sensitivity locus, designated Snn5-B2, was mapped to the short arm of chromosome 2B in durum wheat. The cloning of susceptibility genes Tsc1 and Snn5-B1 allows for the development of molecular markers based on causal polymorphisms and for gene-disruption though gene-editing methods for the selection or creation of nonfunctional alleles that cannot be targeted by NE to induce cell death and disease
Patch-burning Improves Forage Nutritive Value and Livestock Performance over Rotational and Continuous Grazing Strategies
Get PDFRangelands simultaneously support livestock production while maintaining ecosystem functionality. Patch-burning is a grazing management strategy with benefits for wildlife habitat and conservation. However, previous work pertaining to livestock has not examined potential benefits to livestock production. We assessed forage nutritive value, and cattle performance on patch-burning compared to continuous and rotational grazing. We also examined how prescribed fire alters forage mineral content through time since patch-burning. The recently burned patch had better forage nutritive value than patches with longer time since fire and no fire grazing methods, meeting the highest proportion of cow requirements. In 2017, a mild-drought year, cows performed better on patch-burned pastures. Without the mild-drought year, patch-burn cattle performance was similar to continuous, but better than rotational grazing. Mineral content varied seasonally, but was greater in recently burned patches than other patches. Our results indicate patch-burning can benefit livestock production while working to achieve rangeland conservation goals
Effect of Milling Parameters and Starter Cultures on Nutritional Attributes and In Vitro Fecal Fermentation of Sourdough Bread
Get PDFSourdoughs are complex biological systems characterized by a dynamic interaction among endogenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB), yeasts and substrates. The goal of this research was to evaluate the nutritional quality of sourdough bread made with stone-milled Hard Red Spring Wheat (HRS) flour and fine structural details of arabinoxylans extracted from stone-milled whole wheat flour and sourdough bread. Hard red spring wheat was ground into whole grain flour using a stone mill. Three different gap settings and two different rotation speed values were used to produce flour samples with six different treatments and those flour samples were used to make sourdough bread with two different starter cultures. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement. According to the results, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in moisture, protein, dietary fiber content, arabinoxylan content, total starch content, starch digestibility and protein digestibility between sourdough bread samples with rye and wheat starter cultures. Higher protein digestibility values were observed for the majority of sourdough samples with the rye starter culture compared to the sourdough with the wheat starter culture. The protein digestibility showed a strong negative correlation (r = -0.85) with the coarse particles and a positive correlation (r = 0.70) with the fine particle size fraction. The antioxidant capacity of polyphenols extracted from bread samples was negatively correlated with the coarse particle size fraction, while it is positively correlated with the fine particle size fraction of the flour. Processing whole grain flour into sourdough bread significantly reduced the phytic acid content and fructan content and improved the antioxidant activity. Structural details of water-extractable arabinoxylans extracted from flour and bread were significantly affected by the milling method and the starter culture used to make sourdough. The results of the in vitro fecal fermentation experiments revealed that starter culture significantly affected alpha diversity and donor had a substantial effect on the community structure. These results demonstrated that selected starter cultures and the raw material with the desired particle size can be used to improve the nutritional attributes of sourdough bread and the potential application in the baking industry
Longitudinal Examination of Sleep and Chrononutrition
Get PDFChrononutrition (i.e., circadian timing of food intake) offers promising opportunities to improve weight management strategies, but many fundamental aspects of chrononutrition are still unknown. While research to date has suggested that unhealthy chrononutrition behaviors are linked to weight gain, chrononutrition preferences are markedly understudied, and research has not yet determined whether chrononutrition preferences and behaviors are variable or stable over time in the natural environment. Potential mechanisms underlying chrononutrition?s impact on weight are still being explored. Recent evidence suggests that weight gain is the result of an imbalance of energy consumption and expenditure that is influenced by sleep duration. Though short sleep duration may undermine weight loss efforts, lead to increased preference for energy-dense foods, and even alter chrononutrition, chrononutrition?s role in energy balance has been less studied. The purpose of the present online study was therefore to examine chrononutrition, sleep duration, and body mass index (BMI) in the natural environment, over time, in a sample of healthy, non-shift working adults. Participants completed a series of measures online and self-reported their body weight and height three times, approximately every six months, for one year. This longitudinal study showed that chrononutrition preferences were largely stable over time, while chrononutrition behaviors were more variable over the study period. Results also showed that, contrary to our hypotheses, chrononutrition was not a significant predictor of later BMI, and chrononutrition did not mediate the relationship between sleep duration and later BMI. This study provided a novel examination of fundamental aspects of chrononutrition, knowledge of which may be vital for the development of obesity prevention and treatment strategies
Characterizing Late Blight Resistance of Parental Genotypes Used in the North Dakota State University Potato Breeding Program
Get PDFThe potato is an important food crop, and late blight is a potato disease costing growers millions of dollars. Utilizing cultivars with late blight resistance is the longest-term option to manage the disease. This two-part study identified genetic resistance to late blight present in North Dakota State University potato germplasm. More than 750 families were screened using a multiyear detached leaf assay. ND8277B-5, Dakota Trailblazer, EB8109-1, ND028856B-1Russ, and Stirling, were found to be the most successful parents. Additionally, 236 clones were evaluated for six late blight resistance (R) genes: R1, R2, R3, RB, Rpi-smira1, and Rpi-ber1. At least one R gene was found in 136 clones. The R1 gene was most prevalent. R1, R2, R3, and RB genes were present in ND14358AB-1, while three R genes were present in Etb 5-31-3 and J101-K6. These evaluations can guide breeding efforts for R gene stacking, developing a durable resistance to late blight
Farmers' Preference to Precision Agriculture Data Management: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Get PDFThere is no legal or regulatory framework that protects a farmer?s right to control the data generated from their use of precision agriculture. This may impede the adoption of new precision agricultural technologies. Using a choice experiment, we show that factors contributing to willingness to enroll in a data management contract include the discount received from a service provider, whether data ownership rights are retained, data privacy guarantees, and whether the data is transferred manually or automatically between systems
Creating Better Working Landscapes in Post-Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Lands: Promoting Butterfly and Floral Resource Populations Through Patch-Burn Grazing (PBG) and Over-Seeding
Get PDFDeclines in pollinator populations are a concern globally, and more information is needed to help conserve them. We studied how post-Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands could be managed as pollinator habitat. Our study occurred in Hettinger, ND from 2017-2021. We assessed the effects of patch-burn grazing on butterflies and floral resources. We also assessed the success of over-seeding to enhance flowering resources utilized by butterflies. We found that different butterfly species exhibited site selection based on time-since-fire, indicating that patch-burn grazing may be an effective grassland management method for creating diversity. We also found that grazer species (sheep or cattle) was influential on butterfly and vegetative communities. Our over-seeding efforts yielded low seedling establishment, but models indicated that drought and herbivory potentially influenced this. Overall, our results suggest that post-CRP working landscapes may benefit pollinators, but there are many challenges to create more forb-rich environments in these low diversity landscapes
Energetics of Interrupted Development in Megachile rotundata
Get PDFInsects in temperate regions may experience temperature fluctuations during springtime development which can lead to low temperature stress. Previous research has shown that short artificial fluctuations in temperature during interrupted development are advantageous when compared to static temperatures, but it is unclear why. One idea is it allows insects to repair chill injury and maintain cellular membrane potential. My goal was to understand what macromolecules are maintaining ion balance through measuring the respiratory quotient (RQ), trehalose, glycogen, simple sugars, and lipids using biochemical assays. The development of Megachile rotundata was stimulated for two weeks before interrupting with either fluctuating or static temperature regimes. RQ was measured repeatedly over two weeks and subsets of bees from each treatment were frozen at the same time points for biochemical analyses. The RQ varied over time and lipids and trehalose had the biggest differences between static and fluctuating temperatures as well as over time