Evaluation of perennial forage grown as bioenergy crops as a feedstuff for beef cattle

The enteric nervous system (ENS) consists of neurons and glia that control motility, secretions, and blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract. Using the zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model we aim to understand ENS development and how this process might go array in disorders such as Hirschsprung’s, in which children are born lacking neurons in portions of their gastrointestinal tract. The number of markers for enteric glia is relatively small and many of the current immunohistochemical approaches are confounded by the uncertainty of cross-reactivity patterns between species. In preliminary experiments using established glia markers, we obtained unexpected results identifying glia in mutants lacking the ENS, suggesting a lack of glia marker specificity, or the presence of an uncharacterized subpopulation of glia in our mutants. To distinguish between these possibilities, we have cloned other markers to examine glia populations in normal larvae and larvae with defects in ENS development

Effect of Calcium Hydroxide Treatment on Switch Grass

Fully mature switch grass responds favorably in terms of rumen digestibility to an alkali treatment of calcium hydroxide

Pollinator Communities at the ONU Biological Sanctuary Relative to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Many species of pollinators around the world have seen a population decline in recent years. Causes of these declines have been linked to several factors such as climate change, pesticide usage, and habitat loss. While previous Olivet Nazarene University research has analyzed the bee community at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and some of the savanna areas in Northeast Illinois surrounding Olivet, little is known about the new Swanberg Biological Sanctuary, owned by Olivet, or what butterflies are present in this region of Illinois. We utilized the 13 established transects throughout Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie as well as six new transects across Olivet’s Sanctuary to assess both the bee and butterfly communities present at both sites. Midewin was found to have 1.7-5 times higher species richness and 2.3-8.3 times higher abundances than the Sanctuary. It was also found that the species diversities for butterflies were fairly similar between the two sites. The diversity of bumble bees was actually higher at the Sanctuary than Midewin. However, data from other sites at the Sanctuary may provide a more complete understanding of what is needed for the best management of this land in the future. Regardless, this study provides a baseline for future assessments of pollinator composition at the Sanctuary as well as its management

Comparing Pollinator Communities: ONU’s Swanberg Sanctuary v. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Pollinators play a key role in both ecosystem diversity and agricultural productivity [1]. Declines for pollinators have been seen across the globe and have been linked to agriculture and urbanization [2]. Several species in Illinois have declined so severely, they are now endangered or of significant conservation concern [1]. Past ONU students have collected data on the bees in Northeast IL. However, there is no data for what species are at the Sanctuary. This study will provide baseline data for future studies and by comparing with Midewin, a mature restoration, we can gain an understanding of distinctiveness

Her Eyes

Her Eyes is an animated graduate thesis film that is 13 minutes and 25 seconds in length. Through the course of the film, the audience witnesses several years of the main character, Sam Peterson’s, daily life as he suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. As Sam continues to try and live his life unaffected by the disease, he comes to the realization that his sole dependent, Helen, his granddaughter, has changed roles from being under his care, to his sole caretaker. From this realization, Sam comes to the harsh decision to protect his granddaughter’s future, valuing the time in which he can remember her over the length of his lifespan

The Specter of nature

The Specter of Nature is a photographic series that examines the tenuous boundaries between culture and Nature. Through this thesis, I address how, within culture, Nature is defined, distorted, fantasized and then realized through various forms of representation. To this end, Nature historically serves as a backdrop in culturally constructed fantasies and storytelling, as well as historically playing a role in the development of a female identity. The Specter of Nature,examines these concerns through staged photographs of settings created from fabrics and cutouts of decorative papers. By cutting along the patterns embedded in materials such as wrapping papers, wallpapers, scrapbooking papers, and costume fabrics, then hanging the pieces in the studio and photographing them, I shift between two spaces; thus paralleling the shift between the real and unreal, between the conscious and unconscious. By constructing settings that merge fantasy and reality, I attempt to reconcile the complexity of a recognized history with a realized desire

Comparison of Untreated Mature Switchgrass and Cornstalks as Roughage in Beef Cattle Feedlot Diets

A feeding trial using 121 crossbred steers was conducted to evaluate the utilization of untreated mature switchgrass as a roughage source in feedlot diets. Steers were fed either cornstalks (STALK) or switchgrass (SWITCH) as roughage at 14.2% of diet DM. Performance and carcass characteristics were evaluated relative to roughage source. Cattle fed SWITCH had lesser marbling scores but backfat, HCW, KPH, ribeye area, and yield grade did not differ between treatments. Cattle fed SWITCH had lesser DMI than did STALK cattle but carcass-adjusted ADG and G:F did not differ between treatments. Untreated switchgrass may replace cornstalks at low inclusions in finishing diets, and digestibility of this low quality roughage may be improved through alkaline treatment

Quality of Milk from Lactating Dairy Cattle Fed Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles

Healthy mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows (n=24) were fed total mixed rations containing dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). The objective of this study was to examine the effect of feeding DDGS to lactating dairy cows on production parameters and flavor and oxidative stability of milk. Cows were assigned to two groups and fed one of three treatment diets (0% DDGS, 10% DDGS, 25% DDGS by dry matter (DM)) as a total mixed ration. Each group was fed all three of the diets after a wash-out period of 7 days. Milk yield was unaffected by both the 0% and 10% DDGS diets but decreased significantly when fed the 25% DDGS diet. Rumen volatile fatty acids were unaffected by treatment. Milk protein and solids-not-fat (SNF) increased with increasing inclusion of DDGS, but milk fat decreased concomitantly. Milk fatty acid composition was affected with milk fat from cows fed higher concentrations of DDGS producing milk with higher concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids. Milk oxidative stability was unaffected by dietary treatment, and milk flavor, as determined by a trained sensory panel, also was unaffected. The results of this study indicate that feeding of DDGS to lactating dairy cows, under controlled conditions, does not have negative effects on milk oxidative stability or flavor; however, feeding 25% DDGS did negatively impact milk production and changed milk fatty acid profile