Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Can conservation biocontrol of wheat stem sawfly be improved? Contributions of supplemental nutrition to longevity, egg load, and egg volume of Bracon cephi and B. lissogaster(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2022) Cavallini, Laissa; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David K. Weaver; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Wheat stem sawfly (WSS), Cephus cinctus, is a major pest of wheat, causing losses that exceed $350 million annually across the Northern Great Plains. Two native parasitoids, Bracon cephi and B. lissogaster, suppress C. cinctus populations in wheat fields, where the immatures feed on and kill C. cinctus larvae. The success of natural enemies is linked to access to supplemental food in the field, which increases their life span and benefits their reproductive parameters. To assess the benefits that supplemental nutrition might have on B. cephi and B. lissogaster, we reared adult females on carbohydrate-rich diets combined with and without amino acids, with water and water plus amino acids as controls. We also conducted greenhouse experiments with the non-native, warm-season cover crop cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, as an extrafloral nectar source for parasitoids. Cages containing individual females were placed on living plants enclosing either cowpea inflorescence stalk extrafloral nectar (IS-EFN) or the leaf stipel extrafloral nectar (LS-EFN), with a supply of water as the negative control and buckwheat nectar as the positive control. In both lab and greenhouse experiments, females were observed daily to assess longevity, while egg load and volume were assessed 2, 5, and 10 days after placement. Results show that both species increased longevity when provided carbohydrate-rich food. B. cephi enhanced egg load and volume with carbohydrate-rich diets, and the addition of amino acids tending to benefit these parameters. Results show that IS-EFN increases longevity in both parasitoids. B. lissogaster kept constant egg load and volume, while B. cephi increased reproductive parameters with IS-EFN. These native braconid parasitoids are unfamiliar with non- native cowpea plants. Hence, we tested their attraction to cowpea volatiles, where positive responses were observed. Our results show that supplemental nutrition greatly benefits B. cephi and B. lissogaster females, with cowpea IS-EFN improving their longevity and reproductive parameters. Therefore, we suggest that cowpea has potential to be considered as a food supplement crop in conservation biocontrol programs to reduce WSS populations.Item Heifer reproduction strategies: molecular insights into early embryonic development and viability(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2022) Manuel, Eden Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sarah R. McCoskiCurrent heifer development strategies aim to produce the most fertile female possible. However, in western states heifers commonly transition from high to relatively low nutritional planes following breeding. The effects of maternal nutritive status on the embryonic system are not defined, though this transition is likely contributing to the high rates of early embryonic mortality observed in these animals. This study aimed to decipher the impact of maternal nutrition on day 14 conceptuses collected from beef heifers maintained on ?100% or 70% NRC nutrient requirements. Conceptus RNA was isolated and sequenced to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The DEG set included 771 annotated and 132 novel genes. The biological processes representing the most significant differential expression between conceptuses collected from Low- vs- High groups were hormone metabolic processes (Padj = 0.015), inner ear development (Padj = 0.015), inner ear morphogenesis (Padj = 0.015), hematopoietic progenitor cell differentiation (Padj = 0.015), and tissue morphogenesis (Padj = 0.018). KEGG analysis identified the biological pathways most affected between Low- and High-derived conceptuses. Analysis revealed viral fusion proteins, oocyte meiosis, mineral absorption, and sphingolipid metabolism were significantly affected. Interestingly, the pathways representing the highest number of DEGs were peptidases and inhibitors (n = 22 DEGs), MAPK signaling pathway (n = 17 DEGs), and viral fusion proteins (n = 17). Deeper analysis of the KEGG pathway and gene ontology results linked many of the DEGs to processes related to the cellular differentiation, formation, and function of extraembryonic tissues. While more advanced embryonic patterning and fetal development presented as areas of concern in the literature search, at this time they are not likely factors contributing with the most weight to the high rates of embryonic mortality observed in beef cattle. A majority of the DEGs were related to pathways that control early cell specification events that are necessary for the formation of the trophectoderm and the yolk sac. Data indicates that a decreased plane of maternal nutrition affects the expression of genes associated with critical embryonic events, and likely contributes to increased rates of embryonic mortality by altering the function of extraembryonic tissues.Item Maternal injectable mineral during early gestation impacts placental function and calf performance(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2022) Ogg, Makayla Anne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sarah R. McCoskiLimited research has evaluated the effects of maternal mineral supplementation during early gestation on placental function and progeny growth. For this study, Angus and SimAngus cows (n = 52) were bred via artificial insemination. At day (d) 60 of gestation, cows were assigned to one of two treatment groups; an injectable group (INJ, n = 26) receiving a single subcutaneous mineral injection and a control group (CON; n = 26). A subset of cows (CON n = 10; INJ n = 6) were selected for liver biopsy at d60 and 209 + or - 1 of gestation. At d139.5 + or - 0.5 and 209 + or - 1 of gestation, uterine artery measurements were collected using Color Doppler ultrasonography. Placentas, liver tissue, and blood samples were collected from the first 11 cows from the subset group that calved (n = 11; CON, n = 5; INJ, n = 6). Analysis revealed a TRT*d interaction at d139.5 + or - 0.5 for circulating Co concentrations which were greater in INJ (P = 0.05) compared to CON cows. Circulating Zn concentrations tended to be decreased at d209 + or - 1 (P = 0.06) in INJ cows compared to the CON cows. Circulating Cu tended to be increased (P-value = 0.09) and Mn was decreased (P = 0.04) in INJ cows throughout the study. A TRT*d interaction was observed at d139.5 + or - 0.5 for non-gravid uterine artery area, diameter, and circumference to be increased in the INJ cows (P = 0.004, 0.006, and 0.006, respectively). Additionally, pulsatility index of the gravid uterine artery tended to be increased (P = 0.09) in the INJ cows. Hepatic Fe concentrations were decreased in the INJ cows (P = 0.01) at d209 + or - 1. Blood and liver samples were collected from calves (CON n = 24; INJ n = 26). INJ calves had greater liver Se concentrations (P = 0.001), lower Fe concentrations (P=0.04), and tended to have increased liver concentrations of Zn (P = 0.09) and Mn (P = 0.08) compared to CON calves. Finally, INJ calves tended to have elevated levels of serum Se (P = 0.09) compared to CON calves. These results suggest that injectable mineral administration during early gestation altered placental function and calf performance.Item Optimizing preoperative nutrition using enhanced recovery from surgery (ERAS) guidelines to improve clinical outcomes for patients undergoing total joint replacement(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2022) Deshner-Miller, Kertrina Rae; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Denise RiveraSurgical site infection (SSI) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is one of the most frequently encountered hospital-acquired conditions. Consequently, as the largest population of people in the United States known as the 'baby boomers' continue to age, the need for TJA to treat arthritis is projected to grow exponentially as is the incidence of SSI. Evidence-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidelines have been shown to decrease the prevalence of postoperative complications, hospital length of stay, improve the patient's return to normal function, and quality of life. ERAS guidelines recommend screening for risk of malnutrition with referral to a registered dietician and consumption of a preoperative oral carbohydrate (POC) the night before and the day of surgery. Current research does not directly link the use of POC to decreased occurrence of SSI. It is hypothesized that implementing nutritional screening and POC will be associated with a decreased occurrence of postoperative SSI. The primary goal of this project is to build a consistent preoperative nutritional optimization program utilizing ERAS guidelines in the pre-anesthesia clinic (PAC) for patients aged 50-70 and scheduled for elective TJA.Item How do they feel about cooking? The status of cooking and food skills among young adults(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Gaston, Marcy Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: J. Mitchell VaterlausWith negative perceptions and many cited barriers to cooking, along with the advances in technology promoting convenience foods, young adults may be entering adulthood without the basic cooking skills (CS) and food skills (FS) needed to stave off increases in obesity and chronic disease. Most of the previous research regarding the decline of CS and the perceptions of cooking have relied on quantitative designs. With few qualitative studies available, this study expands quantitative studies beyond a focus of older generations and shifts the focus to experiences within young adulthood. A historical overview of Home Economics in the United States and the state of Montana provided context for the current situation of declining cooking skills among several generations in America. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to understand the shared experience of a phenomenon, that of the loss of CS and FS among young adults in the United States (Creswell & Poth, 2018). A total of 93 surveys from food and nutrition professionals (i.e., Registered Dietitian Nutritionists [RDN] and Family and Consumer Sciences [FCS] teachers) and 270 surveys (and 9 interviews) with young adults (ages 18-25) were completed. Young adults understood the health and nutritional benefits of CS and FS as they entered adulthood. They elaborated on the challenges related to cooking such as time, tight financial resources, and the lack of CS and FS. Food and nutrition professionals provided insight into challenges to teaching CS, such as lack of time and funding. Participants, collectively, shared that a hands-on approach to teaching CS and FS while utilizing social media would be the best strategy to address this issue. Understanding the historical roots of CS decline aligned with the contemporary experiences shared by participants, this research indicates that young adults want to learn CS and FS that are relevant to their own lives as they enter adulthood. By utilizing practical teaching solutions and concentrating on the foundational CS, young adults can have a better understanding of food and nutrition, and this may be an approach to address the nutrition-related health issues facing the United States.Item Salt limited intake: impacts of salt level and form of supplement on intake, nutrient digestion, and variability of supplement intake in beef cattle(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2021) White, Hayley Christina; Co-chairs, Graduate Committee: Megan Van Emon and Timothy DelCurto (co-chair); M. L. Van Emon, H. M. DelCurto-Wyffels, S. A. Wyffels and T. DelCurto were co-authors of the article, 'Impacts of form of salt-limited supplement on supplement intake behavior and performance with yearling heifers grazing dryland pastures' submitted to the journal 'Journal of feed science & technology' which is contained within this thesis.; M. L. Van Emon, H. M. DelCurto-Wyffels, S. A. Wyffels and T. DelCurto were co-authors of the article, 'Impacts of increasing levels of salt on intake, digestion, and rumen fermentation with beef cattle consuming low-quality forages' submitted to the journal 'Journal of animal science' which is contained within this thesis.For centuries, salt has been used as a cost effective intake-limiter of supplements for ruminants. Beef cattle production in the western United States relies on self-fed, salt-limited supplement to offset seasonal nutrient deficiencies which, in turn, may improve performance and increase forage intake. However, research has found high variation in individual supplement intake among animals and across days. If cattle are over consuming high-salt diets, this may result in negative impacts on animal performance and additional cost for the producer. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of form of supplement on supplement intake behavior, body weight, and body condition change and the impacts of supplemental salt levels on forage intake, water intake, dry matter digestibility, and rumen fermentation of yearling heifers consuming low quality forages. During a two-year summer grazing trial, individual supplement intake, time spent at the feeder, and frequency of visits was measured. It was found that supplementation and form of supplement did not influence heifer weight gain or intake CV (P = 0.26), but heifers in the pelleted treatment consumed more supplement (grams/kg BW), and at a faster rate compared to heifers fed the loose supplement form (P < 0.01). In study 2, six ruminally cannulated heifers were assigned to treatments to determine the effect of salt levels on digestibility and rumen parameters. Salt treatments consisted of: 1) control, no salt (CON), 2) 0.05% of BW salt (LOW), and 3) 0.1% of BW salt (HIGH). Forage and water intake, digestibility, and rumen parameters were measured. Supplemental salt tended to decrease forage intake (grams/kg BW; P = 0.06) and tended to increase DM fill (P = 0.07). Both water intake and liquid fill increased with increasing level of salt (P < 0.01). Ruminal pH and ammonia levels decreased with increasing salt (P < 0.01) while acetate concentration increased (P < 0.01). Digestibility was not influenced by salt levels (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that pelleting salt-limited supplements has a masking effect on the intake regulation of salt. Additionally, increasing levels of salt modifies rumen fermentation and digestion suggesting lower efficiency of intake and use with high-salt diets.Item The impacts of supplementing rumen degradable or undegradable protein to heifers and cows on supplement intake behavior, performance, reproduction, and nutrient digestion(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2021) Manoukian, Marley Kathryn; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Megan Van Emon; J.A. Kluth, S.A. Wyffels, T. DelCurto, C. Sanford, T.W. Geary, A. Scheaffer and M.L. Van Emon were co-authors of the article, 'Impacts of rumen degradable or rumen undegradable protein supplement on supplement intake behavior, performance, and reproductive parameters with yearling heifers and cows grazing dryland pastures' submitted to the journal 'Journal of animal science' which is contained within this thesis.; J.A. Kluth, S.A. Wyffels, T. DelCurto, A. Scheaffer and M.L. Van Emon were co-authors of the article, 'Impacts of rumen degradable or rumen undegradable protein supplement with or without salt on nutrient digestion and VFA concentrations' submitted to the journal 'Journal of animal science' which is contained within this thesis.Low-quality forages, often low in protein, are a common feed resource for beef cattle in Montana and the western United States. A supplement intake study, as well as a digestion study were performed to observe the effects of rumen degradable protein (RDP) and rumen undegradable protein (RUP) on supplement intake behavior, performance, reproductive parameters, nutrient digestion, and rumen kinetics. Yearling heifers were used in a completely randomized design and two- and three-year old cows were used in a randomized complete block design for an 84-d supplement intake study. Treatments were: 1) pressed supplement block containing RUP (RUP), and 2) pressed supplement block containing RDP (RDP). Heifer and cow supplement intake displayed (P < 0.01) a treatment x period interaction. Cow intake rate and coefficient of variation displayed (P < 0.01) a treatment x period interaction. The RUP heifers consumed supplement faster (P < 0.01) than RDP heifers. The RDP cows had greater (P < 0.01) average daily gains than RUP cows. The RUP cows had greater final pregnancy rates than RDP cows (P = 0.04). In conclusion, protein type impacted intake behavior in cows and heifers, and RDP cows had ADG, but protein type did not negatively impact final performance or pregnancy success. Eight two-year old and eight three-year old rumen fistulated cows were used in a 2 x 2 factorial design for a 22-d digestion study. Animals were fed an ad libitum low-quality diet. Supplements included either RDP or RUP and were self-fed (SF) salt-limited pressed blocks or hand-fed (HF) the same loose ingredients without salt resulting in 4 dietary treatments: 1) RUP-SF, 2) RUP-HF, 3) RDP-SF, and 4) RDP-HF. There was a delivery x protein type interaction (P ? 0.04) for both NDF digestibility and water intake. There was an effect (P = 0.02) of protein type on fluid flow rate. Ruminal ammonia displayed (P < 0.01) a delivery x protein type x hour interaction. Valerate ruminal concentrations were greater in RDP supplemented animals compared to RUP supplemented animals (P = 0.04). In conclusion, self-fed supplements containing RDP may enhance the use of low-quality forages.Item The influence of an iron deficient diet on the murine gut microbiome(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Coe, Genevieve Lea; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jennifer DuBoisIron is an essential nutrient for mammals 1. It is involved in multiple redox reactions that are essential for the survival of most organisms 2. There are two main types of iron that are absorbed from the diet: inorganic iron and heme 3. Dietary iron ingested by mammals is mostly absorbed in the small intestine; however, it is unclear whether the gut microbiome is involved in iron homeostasis or whether iron in the diet influences the microbiome. The goal of this project is to characterize the change in microbial composition in response to iron deficiency and iron repletion in conventional mice and define a baseline model for future studies involving the more complex human gut microbiome.Item Controlled sprouting in wheat increases quality and consumer acceptibility of whole wheat bread(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Bummer Johnston, Rachel Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michael J. Giroux and Carmen Byker (co-chair); John M. Martin, Carmen Byker-Shanks, Sean Finnie and Michael J. Giroux were co-authors of the article, 'Controlled sprouting in wheat increases quality and consumer acceptability of whole wheat bread' submitted to the journal 'Cereal chemistry' which is contained within this thesis.Intentional sprouting of grain to modify grain products nutritional composition and flavor has been in practice for thousands of years. However, few studies have tested the impact of controlled sprouting on wheat flour functionality and flavor. In this study, grain of nine hard red spring (HRS) wheat (Triticum aestivum L) cultivars was sprouted with the goal of attaining a falling number (FN) value of 200 from a starting FN of 350 seconds. Paired samples of sprouted and sound HRS grain were then assayed for nutritional composition, functionality in bread baking, and in bread taste tests. Sprouting reduced grain hardness and test weight while increasing grain color brightness, yellowness, and redness. Whole sprouted grain flour had twice the alpha amylase activity and a large decrease in flour swelling power relative to sound grain flour. Sprouted flour also contained increased free amino acids and monosaccharides while having decreased sugar alcohol content. Total dietary fiber trended down in the sprouted grain flour while starch content remained unchanged. Whole grain flour color parameters were relatively unaltered by sprouting. Sprouting reduced dough mix times while increasing loaf volume. Sensory panel evaluations demonstrated that testers preferred bread prepared from sprouted grain flour to bread prepared from sound grain while also finding that sprouted grain bread tasted less bitter and grainy while also being perceived as sweeter and moister. The results demonstrate that controlled sprouting of wheat grain could be used to increase whole grain flour functionality in bread baking and consumer acceptability of whole grain foods.Item Childcare as a protective factor for childhood obesity(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2020) Carnahan, Brittany Anne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Susan RaphChildhood obesity is a major public health crisis. Obese children are at risk for developing chronic diseases and are more likely to become obese adults. Despite efforts to decrease the number of obese children, the rate has more than tripled since the 1980s. Since childhood obesity is multifactorial, any person involved in caring for a child outside of the home can have an impact on the child's life helping to minimize risk factors, such as poor nutrition, which is known to contribute to obesity. Purpose: The purpose of the project was to 1) assess ECE providers' understanding of national childhood nutrition guidelines in relation to whether or not they participate in the STARS to Quality program or the CACFP; 2) create and provide childhood nutrition education to ECE providers with the objective to reinforce or increase knowledge on childhood nutrition and the important role of the ECE provider to deliver sound nutrition; and 3) to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of the education tool in increasing ECE provider knowledge of national childhood nutrition guidelines. Methods: Licensed ECE programs in the State of Montana completed a demographic survey, pre-test, educational video viewing, and posttest regarding childhood nutrition recommendation guidelines. The project was developed using the National Dietary Guidelines for all Americans and the Child and Adult Care Food Program recommendations for reimbursable meals. Pre and posttest scores were compared and analyzed. Evaluation: Overall, there was an 11.5% improvement in correct answers from the pretest to the posttest indicating that viewing of the educational tool was successful in increasing knowledge. Discussion: The use of a guideline based educational tool for ECE programs has the potential to increase caregiver knowledge regarding childhood nutrition recommendations and contribute to prevention efforts concerning childhood obesity.