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Considerations with using unmanned aircraft systems in turfgrass
Full text linkIn recent years, small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and advancements in remote sensing technology have provided alternative and more affordable means for monitoring crop health and stress than ground-based (hand-held or vehicle-mounted) or other aerial-based platforms (manned aircraft or satellites). However, few scientific studies have evaluated the application of sUAS in turfgrass systems. The use of sUAS in monitoring turfgrass requires an understanding of basic remote sensing principles; identifying the target of interest and the various sUAS platforms and sensors that provide the necessary resolution and frequencies to measure and monitor that target; calibration of sensors in the field; and data processing considerations. Those topics are discussed, followed by reviews of recent turfgrass field studies conducted to predict and manage drought stress and pest outbreaks, and improve phenotyping capabilities in turfgrass breeding programs. The use of sUAS remote sensing in turfgrass offers unique possibilities and challenges, which are addressed herein
X-ray Inspection Model Validation with Physical Dosimetry
No full textA non-functional printed circuit board assembly was developed using ULTIboard and a simple computational transport model was created for use with the Monte Carlo software MCNP. EBT3 film radiography was used to compare with Monte Carlo simulation to validate the board representation. The computational transport model was then revised to include connection pins, solder balls, highly attenuating internal structures, and copper trace distribution. Results from the revised model were compared to the EBT3 films to observe improvements to dose profiles. It was found that this method was useful in verifying the placement of components, as the dose profiles were observed to follow the same trends. The experiment was then repeated using XRQA2 films to achieve the same level of contrast with 1% the dose of EBT3 films. It was found that high contrast may be achieved using these films to identify major issues with the model geometry, at a cost of dose profile accuracy. A second validation method was applied to the model using 37 CaF2 thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). TLD measurements were compared with the simplified and complex transport models to identify the features that have the greatest impact on simulation accuracy. The TLD calibration to CaF2 was found to be accurate within 5.6%, while calibration to dose in Si was found to be accurate within 4.7%. It was observed that the accurate representation of solder balls and proper modeling of highly attenuating internal structures had the greatest impact on simulation accuracy
Diagnostic Testing for Kansas Wheat Viruses
Full text linkThe wheat streak mosaic virus complex consists of three viruses that are visually indistinguishable and often present together. These viruses are Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), and High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV). Together, these viruses cause millions of bushels of yield loss to farmers every year and are of great interest to plant breeders. To determine which pathogens are present in infected plant tissue, samples were taken and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This research will investigate regional virus makeup and compare results of RT-PCR and ELISA based diagnostics. Sixty-three samples were collected from various cultivars and multiple locations in Kansas and tested with ELISA. Eighteen samples tested positive for WSMV, two samples tested positive for TriMV, and one sample tested positive for HPWMoV. To compare the results to a more sensitive diagnostic assay, RT-PCR was performed and compared to ELISA results. Of the positive ELISA samples, four samples were false positives, and two samples were false negatives. This shows that ELISA has an 80.6% accuracy rate at correctly identifying wheat viruses compared to RT-PCR. Additionally, increases in TriMV infection were detected in Joe, Hamilton, and Dallas; wheat varieties with resistance to WSMV.
Evaluation of Fusarium Head Blight and Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus Incidences and Severity Among Winter Wheat Association Mapping Population
No full textFusarium head blight (FHB) and Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYD) are diseases in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) that caused an estimated $2.7 billion in damage and 0.65 bushels/acre in yield loss in a three-year period, respectively. Disease-resistant lines are the most efficient way to combat disease pressure. Disease resistances are quantitative in nature and many genes have not been well characterized. In addition, several minor effect QTLs identified in wheat make it difficult to design effective markers for resistance to FHB and BYD. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify genetic markers in genomic regions associated with resistance phenotypes. To do this, a panel of 270 different winter wheat lines from across the wheat-growing regions in the United States were scored for disease incidence and severity in the Kansas State University FHB nursery. The causative agent for FHB was introduced via corn spawn and the BYD was presented via natural infection by aphids. These wheat lines were also sequenced using exome capture, providing 450,000 high-quality SNPs for genome-wide association study (GWAS). We observed phenotypic variation in the field, suggesting an association study can be done. There were 30 significant (p<0.00001) SNPs for BYD resistance/susceptibility and 9 significant (p<0.0001) SNPS for FHB resistance/susceptibility. We identified 26 lines representing 10.4% of the total lines carrying the major Fhb1 resistance gene with lower area under the disease progressive curve (AUDPC) compared to the lines with no Fhb1 gene. Our results suggest that high-quality markers for both diseases may be designed. In the future, we hope to test these SNPs by developing KASP assays for these QTLs and validate the SNPs as gene markers in our trial population.
Design of emulsion-based adjuvants for animal vaccines
Full text linkDoctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Chemical EngineeringJohn R. SchlupJishu N. ShiVaccination is one of the most essential steps in controlling and preventing economically important infectious diseases in livestock. Vaccines need to be effective at producing a high level of immune responses that protect the animal from future encounters with infectious agents. Additional requirements for veterinary vaccines include safety, inexpensive components, and feasibility for large-scale production. These factors make emulsions attractive vaccine adjuvants. The use of emulsions as adjuvants (substances that help to amplify the immune responses to the antigen) has been explored for decades. However, emulsions are commonly produced with expensive and energy-demanding devices which impact the price of the adjuvant, therefore, affecting the price of the vaccines.
This study examined low-energy emulsification methods to meet the requirements for a simple and low-cost vaccine manufacture that avoided utilizing complicated equipment. Spontaneous emulsification (SE) and phase inversion composition (PIC) was explored to formulate stable emulsions with nanometer droplet sizes. The study on the impact of oil composition on the formation of emulsions produced by SE revealed that addition of medium-chain triglycerides into the oil phase is beneficial for droplet size reduction and stability of emulsions. Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to develop mathematical relationships between formulation variables and droplet size, polydispersity, zeta potential, and stability of emulsions formulated via SE. The BBD allowed the study of a simultaneous effect of multiple variables and formulate emulsions with certain physical characteristics, an effect that suggested that there was a more effective approach in designing complex systems like emulsions.
New adjuvants containing mixtures of oils and surfactants were developed to produce emulsions with nanoscale droplet diameters and multiple water-in-oil-in-water structures via the
PIC approach. The strong antibody responses and the absence of injection site side effects were observed in animals that received emulsion vaccines with experimental adjuvants.
Additionally, inexpensive food-grade saponin extract was examined for stabilizing and increasing immunostimulatory activity of oil-in-water emulsion-based adjuvants. The adjuvants demonstrated high immune responses in pigs after co-administration with a subunit protein antigen
Screening for WSMV Tolerance in Wild Wheat Relatives
Full text linkWheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV) is a serious viral pathogen causing significant crop yield loss in wheat growing regions across the globe. In the United States, Its impacts are most heavily felt in the Great Plains, causing significant economic repercussions. While WSMV is primarily vectored by the wheat curl mite, this vector is difficult to control due to its size, resistance to pesticides, rapid reproduction, and feeding effects on host plants. Alongside efforts made to control the vector, our research attempts to circumvent this challenge in a search for genetic resistance and tolerance in wild wheat to combat the disease. In this study, a large panel of Aegilops tauschii accessions were grown in controlled environment growth chambers, then mechanically sap inoculated with WSMV and symptom severity was measured at different points post-inoculation. Viral titers were measured from systemic leaves in inoculated plants via real-time quantitative PCR. Based on the viral concentration and symptom severity, several tolerant and susceptible lines have been identified and selected for the genome wide association study (GWAS). Further analysis will be performed comparing the miRNA profiles of selected tolerant and susceptible lines to better understand their genetic regulation differences. These results could lead to the development of WSMV tolerant commercially used varieties. This research can help prevent high yield loss, securing reliable production of the United State’s top cereal food grain production.
Environmental & architectural phenomenology. Vol. 34, issue 1
No full textThis issue is a memoriam for humanistic geographer Yi-Fu Tuan, who died in August 2022. The issue includes tributes by philosopher Ingrid Leman Stefanovic and geographers Edward Relph, Stanley Brunn, and Xu Huang. We include excerpts from four of Tuan’s many articles, chapters, and books.
This winter/spring issue also includes one book review and three essays:
Cognitive scientist Andrea Hiott reviews psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist’s 2009 The Master and His Emissary.
Zoologist Stephen Wood considers the phenomenon of noticing the natural world and the question of how this directed awareness unfolds.
Anthropologist Jenny Quillien provides a first-person ethnography of her recent residence in Alaska.
Religious-studies scholar Harry Oldmeadow discusses the sacredness of deserts, a theme that complements his earlier EAP essay on the holiness of mountains.
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Understanding the Impact of an LSAMP Scholar Program
No full textIn 2020, [a predominately white, midwestern, land grant institution] started a Scholar program as part of their Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) grant. The goal of this LSAMP grant is to increase the persistence, retention, and graduation rates of underrepresented minority (URM) students. The Scholar program is being piloted at this institution; but if successful, the program may become a model for other institutions within the alliance to implement. The goal of the Scholar program is for students to become more knowledgeable about themselves and what they need to succeed in their academic and personal success. Program description The Scholar program was developed using the theoretical framework of Kamphoff and colleagues’ Empowerment and motivation model (2007). Adapted from this model, the components of the Scholar program focus on four key areas - learning engagement, commitment to learning, awareness of self-management, and self-confidence with campus resources. Specifically, students are required to participate in an online course with modules focused on academic development, interface with campus resources attend scholar chats, and attend academic coaching sessions. Upon completion of the required activities, participants are provided with a stipend. Participants were asked to complete a self-assessment on the abovementioned four areas at the beginning of the Scholar program (pre-test) and after the completion of the program (post-test). Research Question This paper examines whether participants’ pre-test and post-test ratings differ in the following four areas: learning engagement, commitment to learning, awareness of self-management, and self-confidence with campus resources. We hypothesized that the Scholar program makes a difference in participants’ ratings on the pre-test and post-test in all four areas. Recruitment and Participants All current LSAMP recipients were invited to participate in the Scholar program. An email was sent out to eligible students to encourage participation. The invitation email noted a stipend would be provided upon active participation in program activities. Interested students were directed to complete a short application which included open-ended questions related to their cultural background, short- and long-term educational goals and activities in which they are committed. Measures The pre- and post- test questionnaire was developed by modifying from two existing instruments, Michigan State University Student Assets Survey (Livsey, 2003) and the NACADA Academic Advising Survey (2016). The instrument measures the four key areas: learning engagement (9 items), commitment to learning (6 items), awareness of self-management, and self-confidence with campus resources (2 items). Instrument details will be provided in the paper. Results All analyses were conducted using SPSS v27. Data was examined and cleaned first. 57 participants completed both pre-test and post-test and their data were utilized for the following analyses. Dependent samples t-tests were conducted to examine whether participants’ ratings in the pre-test and post-test differ in the four key areas. The preliminary results showed statistically significant increases in participants’ awareness of campus resources (t = 5.759, p < .001) and in knowing how to access campus resources (t = 5.80, p < .001). The final results will be provided in the paper
Development of Kirkwood-Buff derived force field for phospholipids
Full text linkMaster of ScienceDepartment of ChemistryP. E. SmithRecently, we have developed an improved force field for the simulation of peptides and proteins. To develop accurate models for lipids, we present force field parameters for the study of 8 glycerophospho lipids in water. The force field parameters for the polar groups of lipids (head groups, glycerol, ester functionalities) were developed to reproduce the experimental Kirkwood-Buff (KB) integrals for small molecule analogs and their mixtures with water. This is not possible for the hydrocarbon tails or the lipids. Consequently, a more traditional approach was used to ensure that a variety of common properties of lipid membranes were reasonably reproduced. The electron density profiles, the area and volume per lipid, the lipid lateral diffusion rates, and the hydrocarbon chain order parameters, were investigated and compared with experimental data where available
Growing For The Next Generation 2023 Annual Report
No full textThis publication is an annual report of the services provided and a summary of the 2023 Kansas Forest Service's operating year