Browsing by Author "Siebecker, Matthew G. (TTU)"
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Item A porous ceramic particle with or without a preservative blend did not impair apparent digestibility of macro-and micro-nutrients of postweaned pigs(2022) Davis, Emily M. (TTU); Liang, Yu (TTU); Wallace, Kayla P.; Zimmerman, Amanda J. (TTU); Siebecker, Matthew G. (TTU); Broadway, Paul Rand; Carroll, Jeffrey A.; Ballou, Michael A. (TTU)The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplementing a commercial porous ceramic clay particle, with or without a blend of preservatives, on the performance and nutrient digestibility of weanling pigs. Fifteen weanling pigs of the Yorkshire, Landrace, and Duroc breeds were blocked by breed and randomly assigned to one of three treatments (n = 5): (1) Control, non-medicated diet with no additional feed additives (CON); (2) PowerGuard, basal diet with 0.25% of the DM consisting of a ceramic particle mixed into the pelleted feed (PG; MB Nutritional Sciences, Lubbock, TX, 79403); or (3) Power Guard + a blend of preservatives, basal diet with 0.3% of the DM consisting of the ceramic clay and preservatives mixed into the pelleted feed (PG-D). The facility was temperature controlled with an average temperature of 28.5 °C. Pigs were offered ad libitum access to feed and water and were housed individually in elevated crates. Body weights were collected upon enrollment on day 0 and at the end of the observation period on day 18. On day 15, a 72-h total feed and fecal collection period began. Feed and fecal samples were analyzed for DM, CP, Ash, OM, ADF, NDF, zinc, copper, thiamin (vitamin B1), and retinol (vitamin A). Liver samples were collected immediately after harvest and frozen for later mineral analysis. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed in SAS with dietary group as the main effect and block as the random effect (SAS 9.4, Cary, NC). There were no treatment differences in performance measures including final BW, ADG, or G:F (P ? 0.701). There were no treatment differences in diet nutrient digestibility for DM, CP, Ash, OM, ADF, or NDF (P ? 0.312). Additionally, there were no treatment effects on zinc, copper, or retinol digestibility (P ?. 298); however, thiamin inclusion rate was increased for the PG-D treatment, thus leading to an increased digestibility for thiamin (P = 0.018) in the PG-D treatment. There were no treatment differences in hepatic mineral concentrations (P ? 0.532); however, there was a tendency for pigs fed PG-D to have increased hepatic concentrations of lead and mercury when compared with both PG and CON pigs (P ? 0.066). In summary, supplementation of a commercial ceramic particle with or without a blend of preservatives to weaned pigs did not affect performance or apparent nutrient digestibility.Item Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease of Non-Traditional Origin in Central America: An Approach Based on Medical Geology(2023) Valdés-Rodríguez, Benedicto; Montero-Campos, Virginia; Siebecker, Matthew G. (TTU)Chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt) in Central America, also known as Mesoamerican Nephropathy (MeN), is of particular concern in agricultural populations. The member states of the Central American Integration System (SICA) determined in 2013 that there was an imperative need to address the situation in a comprehensive manner and defined policies for the intervention of the disease. A situation that currently worries health authorities is that cases are on the rise—without distinguishing or implementing effective actions to achieve a decrease in disease prevalence. The incidence of heat and strenuous activities on renal health is undeniable; however, labeling these variables as the only responsible causes for MeN has not catalyzed the implementation of health measures to lead to a preventive approach to solve the epidemic or to achieve a decrease in the number of new cases. This review addresses the role nephrotoxic metals present in the environment, mainly in soils and water, may have as part of a scenario of exposure to environmental toxins in which environmental, occupational, geographic and population variables interact. An integral approach was used to encompass the multicausality that is attributed to MeN and based on the multidisciplinary concept of the re-emerging discipline called medical geology.Item Formation of Cd precipitates on Γ-Al2O3: Implications for Cd sequestration in the environment(2019) Sun, Qian; Liu, Cun; Cui, Peixin; Fan, Tingting; Zhu, Mengqiang; Alves, Marcelo Eduardo; Siebecker, Matthew G. (TTU); Sparks, Donald L.; Wu, Tongliang; Li, Wei; Zhou, Dongmei; Wang, YujunApart from surface complexation, precipitation of minerals also plays an important role in reducing the mobility and transport of heavy metals in the environment. In this study, Cd(II) sorption species on surfaces of γ-Al2O3 at pH 7.5 were characterized using multiple techniques. Results show that in addition to adsorption complexes, Cd hydroxide phases (Cd(OH)2 precipitates and Cdx(OH)y polynuclear complexes) were formed at the initial stages of Cd(II) sorption and gradually transformed to CdCO3 with time. In addition, Cd(II) formed Cd[sbnd]Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) on γ-Al2O3 under various conditions, independent of temperature and Cd loadings. The formation of Cd hydroxide phases and Cd[sbnd]Al LDH could be ascribed to surface-induced precipitation because the bulk solution was undersaturated with respect to hydroxides. Cd[sbnd]Al LDH formation on the Al-bearing mineral here is rather surprising because typically this occurs with elements of ionic radii similar to that of Al3+; this formation is unknown for metals such as Cd(II) with a much larger ionic radius. The thermodynamic feasibility of Cd[sbnd]Al LDH formation was further confirmed by laboratory synthesis of Cd[sbnd]Al LDH and density function theory (DFT) calculations. These results suggest that Cd precipitation on Al-bearing minerals can be an important mechanism for Cd immobilization in the natural environment. Additionally, the finding of Cd[sbnd]Al LDH formation on Al-bearing minerals and the thermodynamic stability of Cd[sbnd]Al LDH provides new insights into the remediation of Cd-polluted soils and aquatic systems.Item Greenhouse Cultivation of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Standard Soilless Media Amended with Biochar and Compost(2023) Venkataramani, Sujatha (TTU); Kafle, Arjun (TTU); Singh, Manpreet (TTU); Singh, Sukhbir (TTU); Simpson, Catherine (TTU); Siebecker, Matthew G. (TTU)Peat is one of the most commonly used substrates in soilless cultivation. However, peat mining produces a negative carbon footprint, which raises the need for alternative sustainable substrate media. To address this, we studied the impact of peat replacement with a combination of various biochars and cotton burr compost on the growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and nutrient concentration of media, plant leaf, and fruit in greenhouse conditions. Two experiments were conducted from Nov 2020 through Jan 2021 (Trial 1) and from Feb to Apr 2021 (Trial 2). The treatments were control (peat, vermiculite, and perlite at 2:1:1) and in the control peat was either fully replaced (hardwood biochar+ compost, softwood biochar+compost, and hemp biochar+compost) or partially replaced up to 50% (v/v) (hardwood biochar+compost, softwood biochar+compost, and hemp biochar+ compost). The control media was more acidic with lowest electrical conductivity than the other treatments. The leaf chlorophyll content and the photosynthetic assimilation rate varied among the treatments in both trials. The final dry shoot biomass was lowest in peatdominated control treatment suggesting biochar-compost in the substrate media contributed in increased dry biomass of the cucumber plant. The total number of fruits per plant and total yield per plant was significantly increased in all the treatments with the highest in hardwood biochar+compost, compared with the control. The nutrient concentration of media, leaf, and fruit indicates that biochar-compost enhances the nutritional status of the media, which supplies essential nutrients to the plant leaf and fruit while growing in different substrate compositions. Our results suggest that the replacement of peat with full or partial proportions of biochar-compost can produce similar and, in some cases, even better growth, yield, and physiology in potted cucumber than in the unamended control treatment.Item iDVS: interactive 2D and 3D visualizations of proximal sensor data for rapid characterization of soil profiles(2023) Pham, Vung; Jordan, Cynthia M. (TTU); Siebecker, Matthew G. (TTU); Weindorf, David C.; Dang, Tommy (TTU)Knowledge of the soil’s physical and chemical properties in field-scale geographical areas is crucial for farmers and policymakers for agronomic productivity and environmental quality assessment. Proximal sensors can successfully model soil properties for these purposes and offer a way to rapidly acquire data from soil profiles. However, existing data analysis approaches are ill-suited to explore this type of multivariate proximal sensor data over large land areas and in a sizeable three-dimensional volume. Therefore, this work proposes a multifaceted approach with seamless integration of a star pattern for soil sample collection, data acquisition using proximal sensor devices, and an interactive data visualization solution for processing, analyzing, and reporting analysis results. This solution is the result of an interdis- ciplinary project in which data visualizers worked closely with soil scientists and agronomists to develop a tool called iDVS for rapid characterizations of soil profiles over larger geographical areas using proximal sensor technologies.Item Systematic Study of Legacy Phosphorus (P) Desorption Mechanisms in High-P Agricultural Soils(2022) Szerlag, Kathryn Daria; Elavarthi, Monica; Siebecker, Matthew G. (TTU); Gu, Chunhao; McCrone, Conner; Sparks, Donald LewisRepeated manure additions containing phosphorus (P) in excess of crop needs have led to many agricultural soils with high levels of soil P (i.e., legacy P), particularly in the Delmarva region (USA). Due to the potential for P release, it is important to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of P desorption and solubilization. Agricultural soils with high legacy P were collected from the Delmarva Peninsula, and soil P pools were determined using a suite of wet chemical and spectroscopic techniques, including a modified Hedley sequential extraction and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Five different desorption solutions were used to investigate P removal efficiency to assess release mechanisms. The results indicate that sulfate can have a stronger competition for P desorption than silicate, especially in the ditch sample with 21% labile P and 44% P adsorbed to iron and aluminum (via Hedley extraction). Additionally, linear combination fitting results of the ditch sample indicate 10.5% organic P and 73.9% P associated with iron and aluminum. This is an important finding because sulfate is a prevalent ion in sea water, and many agricultural soils with high legacy P in the Delmarva coastal area are threatened by sea level rise and inundation.