Technical State University Research Articles

PSLBII-23 Effects of alternative production systems on growth and circulating blood profiles in Berkshire grower pigs

Abstract In this study, we compared the growth performance and circulating blood profiles of Berkshire grower pigs maintained in two different alternative swine production systems, the dry-lot production system, and the hoop structure production system. This study was conducted during a 75-d period spanning from May to July at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Swine Facility in Greensboro, N.C. Protein expression profiles associated with growth (FGF-19, PDGF-BB, IGF-1), feed intake (CCK), stress (cortisol) and the ability to handle oxidative stress (T-AOC) were analyzed in blood plasma obtained from 24 Berkshire nursery/grower pigs. Berkshire pigs (n = 12) were managed in a 12.19 m x 18.28 m hoop structure with the end walls removed for ventilation and a straw deep bedding system. Twelve additional Berkshire nursery/grower pigs were managed in a 0.08-ha dry-lot. These animals were provided with a canopy for shade and a wallowing area for evaporative cooling. All animals were provided with ad libitum ration and water. Individual body weights (BW) and blood samples were collected at 25-d intervals throughout the 75-d trial, culminating in three different time points. Plasma was isolated from the blood samples and used for ELISA and colorimetric assays. The BioTek 800 TS absorbance reader and Gen5 Microplate Reader and Imager software (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA) were used to obtain and calculate the optical densities of the plasma samples, respectively. The data were analyzed using the two-way ANOVA feature of JMP 17.2.0 software (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC) with production system and growth period considered fixed variables, while either growth rate or protein concentration were considered as the response variable. There were four significant treatment effects observed (P < 0.05). Significantly greater concentrations of IGF-1, CCK, and T-AOC were detected in the plasma collected from Berkshire pigs managed in the dry-lot. Whereas those managed in the hoop structure production system had heavier BW. The results show that exposing pigs to higher temperatures can reduce feed intake and growth rates. However, this same stress elicits the release of hormones that promote growth, while enhancing the total antioxidant capacity in these animals. The results support the adoption of the hoop structure production system over the dry-lot production system when managing swine in regions that experience higher temperatures.

PSX-6 From Bright Leaf to Berkshires: an Alternative Swine Production Course and Outreach Program

Abstract The From Bright Leaf to Berkshires program is a two-year extension outreach initiative funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and facilitated by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (N.C. A&T) State University. The objective of the program is to train small, limited-resource farmers from across North Carolina in low-cost, alternative swine production systems, retaining ownership of their processed pork, adding value to their pork products, and the targeting of local niche markets. Small farmers in the region have been financially impacted by tobacco-related, healthcare, and social changes that have shifted both price and demand for North Carolina's top cash crop, tobacco. As opposed to tobacco, the demand for one of North Carolina's leading livestock commodities, pork, has remained strong. Therefore, training these farmers in low-cost swine production systems will allow them to diversify their operations, while producing high-end pork products that can be marketed at premium prices. Using the "farmer field school" extension approach, the training of the first cohort of participants took place between March and May of 2023 at the N.C. A&T Farm Pavilion and Swine Facility. The ages of the participants ranged from mid-twenties to mid-sixties. They were trained in employing both pasture-based and hoop structure swine production systems. The participants were also introduced to the digestive system, nutritional needs, reproductive and breeding systems, required disease surveillance, welfare considerations, and appropriate waste management of outdoor swine. The N.C. A&T Swine Specialist, Dr. Derrick J. Coble, served as the director of the program, providing the participants with some of the basic training in swine physiology and management systems. Additional experts were invited to train the cohort in other areas of swine and pork production. The North Carolina Pork Council Representative and former President of the National Pork Board, Jan Archer, facilitated a workshop in which the participants were trained in animal welfare and swine transport. The participants received Pork Quality Assurance and Transport Quality Assurance certifications from the National Pork Board for their participation in this workshop. The Technical Program Coordinator for N.C. Choices, Lee Menius, facilitated a workshop pertaining to the local food systems and niche markets for pasture-based pork in North Carolina. Dr. Stephanie Kulesza, a Nutrient Management and Animal Waste Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, facilitated a workshop in sustainability and the application of animal waste as fertilizer. The program concluded with small-scale, niche swine producers sharing their experiences in pork production. Upon graduation from the program, the participants receive their own hoop structure. Their swine operations will be monitored for three years to track their on-farm practices, participation in alternative swine production, and the economic impact of their operations to their communities.

P9: Teaching Health Disparities as Regards Cardiopulmonary Support Technologies for Underepresented/ Underserved Patients

Background: There is a growing interest in addressing health care disparities faced by underrepresented/ underserved (U/U) populations across all fields of medicine. To that end, my goal was to introduce to the undergraduate (UG) and graduate (G) bioengineering classes that I teach the challenges faced by U/U patients as regards state-of-the art cardiopulonary support technologies (CPST) for treatment of end-stage cardiac or pulmonary failure. Methods: At the University of Pittsburgh (UoP) I teach two separate UG artificial organs (AO) classes; one class focuses on cardiac assist devices and the other on pulmonary assist devices. I also teach the cardiac assist module for a G cardiovasuclar organ replacement class. Through a long-standing NSF-funded collaboration with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (Greensboro, NC), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), I also teach my AO classes to NCAT students. The NCAT courses are taught remotely (via ZOOM). For the past several years, the term projects for my UG and G artificial organs classes at UoP and NCAT have focused on i) investigating health inequities/ disparities in CPST as applied to U/U patients; and, ii) proposing innovative improvements to current CPST that benefit, particularly, U/U patients. Students are asked to address the following in their term papers and class PPT presentations: 1) current state-of-the art in CPST; 2) limitations of current CPST as applied to U/U patients; 3) unmet clinical needs for U/U patients; 4) the feasibility of the proposed innovative improvements from a product specification, regulatory and societal viewpoint. Results: Students identified numerous reference materials that highlight the inequities/ disparities that U/U patients face. The American Heart Association, the CDC and NHLBI all maintain detailed epidemiological information related to the term project topic. There also exists a plethora of peer-reviewed published articles in this regard; a few examples being, Frech et al, “Ventricular Assist Device Technology and Black-White Disparities on the Heart Transplant Wait List.” Progress in Transplantation 2021; 31(1): 80-87; Nyak et al, “Understanding the Complexity of Heart Failure Risk and Treatment in Black Patients.” Circulation Heart Failure 2020; 13: 301-314. Among the student term project topics were, “Improving VAD Technology for the African American Community;” “Blood Pressure Measurement and Management in Black Ventricular Assist Device Users;” “A Multi-Factor Approach to Improve African American Heart Health;” “Innovative Design for Cystic Fibrosis in Women of Color.” Conclusions: Student response to the term project assignment was positive. Meetings with the students demonstrated the students’ interest in the topic. The ultimate success of this assignment will be achieved, if these students are sensitive to the special needs of U/U patients and incorporate these needs in their design of biomedical devices.

Why We Must Teach Our Students about Race

Editorial| March 01 2023 Why We Must Teach Our Students about Race Joseph L. Graves, Jr. Joseph L. Graves, Jr. Joseph L. Graves Jr. Professor of Biological Sciences North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University gravesjl@ncat.edu Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar gravesjl@ncat.edu The American Biology Teacher (2023) 85 (3): 133. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2023.85.3.133 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Joseph L. Graves; Why We Must Teach Our Students about Race. The American Biology Teacher 1 March 2023; 85 (3): 133. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2023.85.3.133 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search Twenty years ago, I wrote a piece for the newsletter of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study explaining how important it was to teach high school students about human biological variation and conceptions of race. The issue of variation within species has been of interest to naturalists beginning in the eighteenth century. Unfortunately, when Linnaeus published the tenth edition of Systema Naturae in 1758, he included a description of human varieties ranked hierarchically, with Europeans at the top and Africans at the bottom, as influenced by the colonialism and racism of the time. Thus began the sad history of Europeans deploying pseudoscientific schemes to classify and rank human beings. Fortunately, using concepts from the neo-Darwinian synthesis of the twentieth century based on genetic variation and phylogenetic methods, we know that modern humans do not display biological races, but earlier views are frustratingly long-lasting. Despite our modern understanding of biological variation, race... You do not currently have access to this content.

Infusing the FCS-BOK in a CDFS Curriculum

The Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge (FCS-BOK) is positioned to address the myriad social changes that have an impact on children, youth, and 21 st century families. The FCS-BOK represents opportunities and challenges within our society, with the circular model demonstrating the synergy and interrelationships within the profession ("The FCS Body of Knowledge," 2010). The over-arching themes include: core concepts (basic human needs, community vitality, individual well-being, and family strengths), integrative elements (human ecosystems and life course development), and cross-cutting themes (capacity building, global interdependence, resource development and sustainability, appropriate use of technology, and wellness) (see Figure 1). <br/> The Family and Consumer Sciences Department at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N. C. A&T) systematically infuses the FCS-BOK within all areas of study (i.e., Child Development and Family Studies [CDFS], Consumer Sciences [CS], Fashion Merchandising and Design [FMD], and Food and Nutritional Sciences [FNS]. To promote and support students' comprehensive awareness and understanding of the FCS-BOK, the authors suggest a strategic integration into students' program area of study. Students must engage in systematic, diverse, and recurring applied experiences with children, families, and communities in their respective specialty area contexts from freshman through senior years. The current project builds upon previous work (Lee et al., 2015; Walker et al., 2015) with a more narrow, specific focus on one family and consumer sciences (FCS) program area: Child Development and Family Studies (CDFS). Whereas the previous project looked at all N. C. A&T FCS programs, CDFS, CS, FMD, and FNS, this paper aims to examine if the FCS-BOK is infused appropriately and reflected in the CDFS program.

Cover

Journal of Neuroscience ResearchVolume 100, Issue 8 p. i-i COVERFree Access Cover First published: 13 July 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.25095AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Minority serving institutions (MSIs) are in a unique position to contribute to the Neuroscience field by increasing the diversity in the workforce through trainees, but those institutions, trainees, and their faculty mentors are able to simultaneously propel the field forward in advances in cutting-edge neuroscience research. Enclosed are a few examples of neuroscience laboratories at MSIs from across the country who are engaged in neuroscience research, including North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Delaware State University, the University of Texas at El Paso, North Carolina Central University, University of North Texas, and Ponce Health Sciences University. In this neuronal depiction, the “dendritic” inputs from various categories of MSIs are diversifying the workforce and producing data that feeds into the field’s “axon”. (Special Note: MSIs also include Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Native American Indian Serving, Non-Tribal Institutions; and Predominately Black Institutions.) Volume100, Issue8Special Issue: Highlighting Neuroscience at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)August 2022Pages i-i RelatedInformation

The Cultivation, Growth, and Viability of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Quality Control Perspective

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are essential dairy starter cultures that are significantly employed for the manufacture of fermented dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. LAB predominantly produce lactic acid as a major end product of fermentation, and they synthesize important metabolites that impart the organoleptic characteristics of fermented food products. LAB are fastidious bacteria that thrive in many environments when adequate nutritional requirements are fulfilled. The demand for superior LAB dairy starter cultures for fermentation applications in the food and dairy industry, has resulted in the need to provide viable and active cultures for all bioprocessing operations. The development of a standard protocol for ensuring the viability and enhanced functionality of LAB cultures in the laboratory as well as dairy processing environments is thus very critical. In addressing concerns linked to resuscitating weak, stressed, and injured LAB culture cells, a protocol that vividly outlines salient steps to recover, enhance cell regeneration, and improve metabolic functionality of LAB strains is of the utmost importance. The maintenance of culture purity, functionality, and viability for LAB starter cultures is likewise critical. Therefore, adherence to a unique protocol guideline will result in the promotion of fermentation performance for many LAB strains dedicated to fermentation and biotechnology processes. As a result, the Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University has developed a standard protocol for the activation and quality control of selected LAB strains that has resulted in highly functional and viable LAB culture strains employed for fermentation research. The adaptation and recommendation of a protocol such as this for use in the dairy and food industry will help to ensure LAB viability and functionality for many applications.

The Cultivation, Growth, and Viability of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Quality Control Perspective.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are essential dairy starter cultures that are significantly employed for the manufacture of fermented dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. LAB predominantly produce lactic acid as a major end product of fermentation, and they synthesize important metabolites that impart the organoleptic characteristics of fermented food products. LAB are fastidious bacteria that thrive in many environments when adequate nutritional requirements are fulfilled. The demand for superior LAB dairy starter cultures for fermentation applications in the food and dairy industry, has resulted in the need to provide viable and active cultures for all bioprocessing operations. The development of a standard protocol for ensuring the viability and enhanced functionality of LAB cultures in the laboratory as well as dairy processing environments is thus very critical. In addressing concerns linked to resuscitating weak, stressed, and injured LAB culture cells, a protocol that vividly outlines salient steps to recover, enhance cell regeneration, and improve metabolic functionality of LAB strains is of the utmost importance. The maintenance of culture purity, functionality, and viability for LAB starter cultures is likewise critical. Therefore, adherence to a unique protocol guideline will result in the promotion of fermentation performance for many LAB strains dedicated to fermentation and biotechnology processes. As a result, the Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University has developed a standard protocol for the activation and quality control of selected LAB strains that has resulted in highly functional and viable LAB culture strains employed for fermentation research. The adaptation and recommendation of a protocol such as this for use in the dairy and food industrywill help to ensure LAB viability and functionality for many applications.

OCR had compliance concerns that university discriminated

Case name: Letter re: North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, No. 11‐20‐2024 (OCR 04/28/20).

OCR had compliance concerns that university discriminated

Case name: Letter re: North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, No. 11‐20‐2024 (OCR 04/28/20).

Increasing Diversity in the Field of Lactation: An Interview With the Directors of Pathway 2 IBCLC Programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In this issue's Lactation Newsmakers: Documenting our History, we are featuring two emerging leaders in the field of lactation. Rachel Davis and Janiya Williams are both International Board Certified Lactation Consultants and hold positions as directors for the only two Pathway 2 Lactation Consultant Training Programs in Historically Black Colleges / Universities. Rachel is Program Director for the Lactation Consultant Training Program at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, while Janiya directs the Human Lactation Training Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University an hour and a half away in Greensboro, North Carolina. While their backgrounds are quite different, both women care passionately about increasing diversity and equity in the field of lactation support, as well as normalizing nursing for Black and brown families transitioning into parenthood. In this interview they speak to relationships they have developed with their students, their students have developed with each other, and the strength of community created within and between their programs. They describe the difficulties their students encounter with institutional racism within the medical system, and the additional preparation they receive to navigate it. Both programs experience high volumes of applicants-almost 350 for the 12 positions at Johnson C. Smith University-demonstrating the significant need for this curriculum in Historically Black Universities/Colleges. The importance of this model in diversifying the field of lactation cannot be underestimated, and the outspoken women doing this work will be influencers in this field for years to come. (RD = Rachel Davis; JW = Janiya Williams; EC = Ellen Chetwynd).

Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Society (SERMEISS): Workshop on Islam and Law

Workshop on Islam and Law Michael T. Samuel (bio) The Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Society (SERMEISS) held its spring meeting on "Workshop on Islam and Law" at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, on March 6–8, 2020. The workshop represented a new innovative format for the organization's spring meeting. Unlike previous meetings, which included presentations on a wide range of topics related to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Islamic studies, this workshop focused exclusively on topics related to Islam and law—that is, the ways in which Islamic law, jurists, and legal institutions shape and are shaped by the normative reality of Islam and Islamic societies. It consisted of four panel sessions that analyzed practical and theoretical aspects of Islam and law. The workshop began on the morning of Saturday, March 7th with a panel session on Islam and Law in Historical Perspective. Mansour Salsabili, a fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, opened the session with a paper on "Religiosity and Violence: Shiite Ulamas' Contending Responses to the Secular Educational Modernization and the 1906 Constitutional Revolution." According to Salsabili, a comparative analysis of mid-nineteenth century fatwas issued by conservative and proreform Shiite ulama signifies a "unique episode" in the history of Iran. Comparing the positions of two prominent ayatollahs during the period of the Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911), he argued that Aḵūnd Mollā Moḥammad-Kāẓem Ḵorāsānī (1839–1911) and Shaikh Fażl-Allāh Nuri (1843–1909) vehemently disagreed about what could constitute a legitimate use of force, a disagreement that had "vast sociopolitical implications" in [End Page 152] Iran. Salsabili demonstrated that these conflicting views stemmed from "the competition between conservative and reformist clergies" over supporters and followers in Iranian society. The second panelist, Alexander Thurston, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, gave a talk on "Fiqh Polemics and Power in Early Postcolonial Mauritania." Through an examination of a polemical book published in the mid-1960s by the former mufti of Mauritania, Buddah al-Busayri (1920–2009), entitled Asna al-Masalik fi Anna Man 'Amila bi-l-Rajih Ma Kharaja 'an Madhhab al-Imam Malik (The Brightest of Paths: He Who Works with the Preponderant Evidence Has Not Left the School of Imam Malik) which advocated for a "correct way to perform the ritual prayer (salah)," Thurston argued that the book was a "proxy for much wider struggles over power and politics … between reformist activists, traditionalist scholars, and modernist state functionaries," who sought to define the nature of law in the emerging Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Next was a presentation on "Islamic Family Law in Post-Reformist Iran: Progressions and Regressions" by Samaneh Oladi Ghadikolaei, assistant professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. This paper highlighted that, contrary to popular perception, female activists have been able to influence the legislative process of family law during the period that followed the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After analyzing the changes that were implemented by the regime in the legal age of marriage and the rules of guardianship (wāli), Oladi Ghadikolaei asserted that female activists "propagat[ed] [a] culture of egalitarianism that merg[ed] social science with religious science that was neither unjust nor male-centered." The second panel session which highlighted Islam and Law in Theory and Practice began with a paper on "Maqasid al-Shariah: A Muslim Perspective on Human Rights" by Faroukh Hakeem, associate professor, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC. As Hakeem described, Maqasid al-Shariah (goals and objectives of Islamic law) is the Islamic legal doctrine that is concerned with protecting human rights, which includes all aspects of daily life and the preservation of faith. Hakeem stated that although "words such as Haqq/Huquq are often translated as rights, its implications are not the same when compared to the Western idea of rights. Under the Islamic conception, Haqq (rights) also imply obligations, and more specifically the distribution of the bonds of indebtedness that exist between sentient human beings in society." This system of rights and obligations, he continued, "is highly organized and developed." Moreover, Hakeem asserted that human rights as they are recognized...

Governance and Innovations in Local Food System Development: A Bottom-Up Approach in North Carolina

Governance is a collaborative and systemic approach to governing that fosters innovation and inclusiveness of a broad combination of actors, processes, and instruments (Jordan, Wurzel, & Zito, 2005). It draws from the energy, expertise, and resources of the collaborative to employ more sustainable, bottom-up policy solutions. The growth in popularity of local foods and community-based food systems as a pushback to the globalization of our food industry has given rise to a network of coalitions, institutions, and actors in North Carolina that are engaging in local food system development and governance to create a place-based local food economy in the state. The case reviews the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), a trans­disciplinary, interinstitutional collaboration between the state’s two land-grant institutions, (North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University), and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, as an active and prominent stakeholder in the process of local food system governance. The Farm to Fork Initiative, now over 10 years in operation, is reviewed to provide both insight into and reflection of a bottom-up approach to creating a local food economy through governance, innovation, and the implementation of community-based food system initiatives.

"Taking Away the Occasion for Violence": The Quaker Peace Testimony and Law Enforcement in the Justice and Policy Studies Department at Guilford College


 
 
 The mid-sized southern city of Greensboro, North Carolina has not been spared from the crisis in policing gripping the United States. The city has a history of racial conflict and violence involving the police, most notably the 1979 Massacre where five anti-Klan protestors were killed by Neo-Nazi and Klan members. It is also the site of renowned movements for social justice; in 1961, four North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University freshmen sparked the Sit-In movement, and in 2005, the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the United States, which addressed the Massacre, took place in Greensboro. Through partnerships with activists, police, and other community members, the Justice and Policy Studies Department (JPS) at Guilford College works to strengthen police-community relations in Greensboro. The Quaker peace testimony, which calls for “taking away the occasion for violence,” inspires and guides these efforts. This article explores the ways that JPS and its community partners prepare students to take away the occasion for violence in policing and the criminal justice system. Guilford’s president, two JPS professors, a Deputy Chief of the Greensboro Police Department and a community organizer with the Beloved Community Center share their insights regarding this critical topic.
 
 

Setting and infrastructure at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) is an important intellectual and cultural center, and it contributes significantly to improving the quality of life globally. Campus setting and infrastructure provide basic information of the university’s consideration towards green environment. Type of higher education institution, climate, campus site, campus setting, campus area, campus ground floor of buildings, campus buildings area, parking area, campus smart buildings, ground cover, drainage systems for reducing soil erosion and runoff, number of students including online students, number of academic faculty and staff and university budget for sustainability have made N.C. A&T attractive and the university of choice globally for 11,177 students in 2017. The University has one campus site and one university research and training site. Academic buildings occupy about 39% of main campus area. Buildings account for 40% of the energy and 72% of the electricity used in the United States. Buildings also account for 16% of United States water consumption, 40% of all material flows and produce up to 40% of waste in landfills depending on the region. N. C. A&T is committed to providing more spaces for greenery and safeguarding the environment, as well as developing of sustainable energy solutions.

An Oasis of Knowledge: the Early History of Gateway University Research Park

In this paper, we chronicle the early history of the development of the Gateway University Research Park at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. We document the institutional efforts of faculty, administrators, and public leaders who moved the Gateway idea from seed to harvest to provide guideposts for other institutions to possibly follow that are contemplating establishing a research park. Our summary emphasizes the concept of cooperation not only because it is a cornerstone of the successful development of Gateway, but also because it might be a key element to which others relate.

Effect of Hops (Humulus Lupulus) Supplementation on Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens

Approaches in Poultry, Dairy & Veterinary Sciences Effect of Hops (Humulus Lupulus) Supplementation on Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens Fasina YO* and Akinola OO Department of Animal Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, USA *Corresponding author: Fasina YO, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Department of Animal Sciences, Greensboro, NC 27411 USA Submission: October 25, 2017; Published: November 13, 2017 DOI: 10.31031/APDV.2017.01.000518 ISSN : 2576-9162Volume1 Issue4

713 Sensory characteristics of Berkshire crossbreds sired by heritage breeds

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory characteristics of Berkshire crossbreds sired by heritage breeds. The experiments were conducted at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University farm located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Berkshire sows were artificially inseminated with semen from Berkshire (BB) and Hereford (HB) boars. Piglets were farrowed outdoors and were housed in a deep-bedded hoop structure after weaning at 4 weeks of age. The boars were not castrated, and the piglets were given standard NRC feed and water ad libitum. Animals were randomly selected and harvested at an USDA inspected abattoir at approximately 200 days of age. Loins were removed from one side of 14 BB and 10 HB pigs after harvest, and were packed in ice and transported to the NCSU Food Science for sensory panel testing. Samples of loin chops from BB and HB female and male pigs were presented to 101 panelists. The panelists evaluated the overall liking, as well as the overall flavor, freshness, texture and meaty flavor likings for each of the four samples on a 9-point hedonic scale where 1 = dislike extremely and 9 = like extremely. They also evaluated the texture, moisture and meaty flavor of the samples on a 5-point JAR scale where 1 or 2 = too little, 3 = just about right, and 4 or 5 = too much. The responses were analyzed with PROC GLM in SAS 9.3. Breed and sex were included as fixed effects. Interaction between breed and sex was not included because it wasn't statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between the breeds, as well as the sexes, were not significant for the overall, overall flavor, freshness, and meaty flavor likings (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference between both breeds and sexes for the texture liking (P < 0.05). Berkshire sired pigs and females scored higher than HB and males, respectively. However, when the panelists were asked to evaluate the texture of the loin chops on a 5-point JAR scale, they could not tell the difference between the samples. Boar taint did not affect the sensory characteristics of pork from pigs reared outdoors. Even though there was a statistical difference in the texture liking of the samples from different sexes, the difference was not observed when the range of the evaluation scale was reduced. However, BB and females received higher scores for purchase intent than HB and males, respectively (P < 0.05).

Reflections From Graduate Adult Learners About Service Learning

Many colleges and universities now embrace the concept of service learning as a legitimate and beneficial means engage students in their learning experience and challenge students, faculty, and staff to make a lasting, positive impact on social and environmental challenges that proactively respond the needs of others (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University [NC A&T], 2015b, para. 1). Adult education is grounded in responding the needs of others, and our field places emphasis on adult learning theories such as transformative learning and experiential learning. So why is there paucity in our field with regard service learning in graduate programs of adult education? During the 2015-2016 academic year, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) has charged students, faculty, staff, and alumni complete 125 service projects as it celebrates 125 years as a land grant university committed community engagement. According NC A&T (2015a), service learning is defined as a participatory approach learning which supports academic studies and helps develop the skills, citizenship and values of students. Its primary goal is encourage understanding and evaluate the intricacies of our diverse and interconnected world by becoming contributing members of a local and global community, (para 1) Service learning is an educational approach that balances formal instruction and direction with the opportunity for adult learners serve in the community as a pragmatic, progressive learning experience. Although approaches differ among institutions, service learning provides participants the opportunity learn through the practical experience of serving the community. In our Social Gerontology course's primary text, Learning Later, Findsen (2005) tells us, Lifelong learning necessitates attention older adults in a variety of social roles, even if most attention is given economic and employment issues by the state rather than in fuller participation of older adults as citizens (p. 2). Not only are older adults affected by this, but adults with disabilities fit into this category as well. Therefore, why is this an understudied topic in the field of adult education? During the course, we participated in a service-learning project volunteering at After Gateway (2015), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, certified by the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services: After Gateway is an adult day health program caring for intellectually and developmentally disabled adults whose conditions present a constant challenge family and community institutions. After Gateway provides activities that meet each participant's continuing recreational, vocational, educational, and health personal care needs, (para 1) When we entered the facility, multiple environmental components communicated After Gateway's commitment learner centeredness. The sound of music and laughter permeated the hallways. Cindy, the program coordinator, led us down a hallway that displayed student artwork, including handprints, paintings, and letters friends. We were instantly impressed with the bright hallway colors that made us feel welcomed and set the tone for the facility. We felt we entered a place where learning was going take place. Again, not only was the environment welcoming, but the display of the student's work told a story about the After Gateway program. The environment communicated that the adult learners have a collective voice, they have talent, and what they do is most important. We assisted with the field day events and co-facilitated educational activities with classroom coordinators. After completing paperwork regarding volunteer responsibilities and confidentiality, we received an organized agenda listing the day's scheduled activities. …

Promoting Student Learning in Criminal Justice, STEM, and Forensic Science: Aggie Sleuth Initiative (AggieSI)-Guided Inquiry Learning Experience

This study reported the first interdisciplinary Aggie Sleuth Initiative (AggieSI) conducted between the Departments of Political Science and Criminal Justice, Sociology and Social Work and Chemistry in order to interest underrepresented minority students in the field of forensic science at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T). The AggieSI project involved a “simulated crime scene” and a “hypothetical narrative” that provided the “simulated circumstances” for the AggieSI exercise. The students worked in groups on their AggieSI projects in a guided inquiry laboratory experiment format. The students found their AggieSI project motivating, promoting the students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills with students from other departments. This project also promoted mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships between NCA&T and the local Police Department to further promote forensic studies and to ensure justice and public safety in our community.