Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Vincent Amanor-Boadu / Business plans are a necessity for new ventures. The plan helps to set goals for the business, establishes a good product and customer base, looks at competition, provides management strategies and develops a financial plan and succession/exit strategy. This thesis assesses the business plan that was developed for a 9,300 acre farm in Southwestern Wisconsin from an ex post perspective when assumptions about the future have been realized. It assesses the strategic direction, objectives and financial projections that were made and the assumptions that underlay the projections. The research provides a discussion of a family farming operation that ultimately became a banking investment at the cost of many family members’ lifestyles. The farm did continue on, but not with the same operators that had goals to build a new venture from the existing one. This research evaluates the financial information to determine whether the farm could have been a feasible proposition under the specified conditions. Also, the business plan is evaluated using hindsight information to assess the errors in assumptions and their effects on the projected cash flows, profitability and balance sheet situations. The research assesses the role that the template approach to the business planning process played in the results, and explored if the process model or the Cascade Approach® might have produced different recommendations. The entrepreneurial behaviors under uncertainty are discussed and evaluated, with the hubris being an underlying factor in the plan. It is concluded that the assumptions entrepreneurs make are often over-optimistic. There is, therefore, a need to temper entrepreneurs’ enthusiasm about their projects with reality to control their natural hubris.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Greg Aldrich / Water soluble B-vitamins play an integral role in normal metabolic function in cats. For example, thiamine deficiency results in anorexia, neurological impairment, and, in severe cases, death in a few weeks’ time. However, little research has addressed how these vitamins are affected during cat food canning. Thiamine is the most susceptible to degradation during this process, with less known about how it affects the other B-vitamins. Therefore, our objectives were to determine the effects of modifying processing parameters on thiamine and other water-soluble B-vitamins in a model canned cat food. In a series of five experiments, various processing parameters were adjusted: including cook (retort) time, batter moisture and temperature, pH, protein source, and the addition of sulfites. Pressure (172368.93 Pa) and temperature (121 ̊C) within the retort remained the same for all treatments. As retort time increased, thiamine concentration decreased (P ≤ 0.05). No loss of B-vitamin concentration was noted for thiamine, riboflavin, cobalamin, and pantothenic acid as batter moisture increased. Likewise, as batter temperature increased, concentration of riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, and pantothenic acid remained constant (P ˃ 0.10). When different types of thiamine were included for supplementation, thiamine mononitrate tended to have a greater retention of the vitamin than thiamine hydrochloride (P = 0.12). The protein sources selected for the experiment included chicken as a control, beef liver, chicken liver, pork liver, salmon, tuna, and whitefish. The salmon, tuna, and whitefish were grouped together for analysis. Beef liver, chicken liver, and pork liver were grouped together for analysis. The vitamin retention of each group was compared. When compared to chicken or liver, thiamine retention was greatest in diets containing fish (P≤ 0.05). In addition, riboflavin, niacin, and cobalamin retentions were greatest (P≤ 0.05) in diets containing liver. The addition of sulfites came from dehydrated potatoes added to thediets in exchange for rice. Thiamine tended to decrease in those diets with sulfite containing dehydrated potatoes (P= 0.07) compared to diets containing rice. Pyridoxine and pantothenic acid retention decreased in diets containing dehydrated potatoes (P≤ 0.05) compared to diets containing rice. The largest negative impact on thiamine retention was time in the retort; cobalamin, folic acid, and riboflavin were also negatively affected. Including sulfite-containing potatoes in the diet tended to decrease thiamine, pyridoxine, and pantothenic acid. It was expected that diets containing chicken would retain more thiamine than those formulated with fish and liver. However, diets containing fish retained more thiamine, pyridoxine, and pantothenic acid. Therefore, it appears that processing and diet composition can affect the B-vitamin content of canned cat foods and must be accounted for when producing commercial products.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Greg Aldrich / Pet food is a $23 billion industry that continues to grow. Owners continue to humanize their pets and their dietary needs, thus the pet food industry tends to mirror human dietary trends. Currently, pet food is trending towards higher levels of protein, thus lower levels of starch. Decreasing starch, one of the main structure forming ingredients in extruded foods, creates issues in terms of lower rates of expansion and decreased kibble durability. Consumers tend to dislike ingredients that do not serve a dual nutritional purpose; therefore gelatin may be a plausible binding ingredient for high protein pet foods. Gelatin is a pure protein derived from collagen and is sold as a dry, odorless, tasteless powder. High-bloom gelatins find numerous uses in the human food as a stabilizer, foaming agent, and capsule base among other uses. Low-bloom gelatin may find a value-adding opportunity as a nutritional binder in the pet food market. Four extrusion experiments were performed to test this hypothesis. Experiment 1 compared gelatin at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% inclusion and 15% gelatin at 3 different extruder screw speeds. Results showed a decrease in expansion but an increase in hardness and pellet durability index (PDI); however there may have been inadequate preconditioning. It was unclear whether the decrease in expansion or presence of gelatin improved product durability. Experiment 2 analyzed two levels of gelatin, 0% and 10%, under two extruder screw speeds, 300 rpm and 500 rpm, and two hydration ratios, 17% and 28%. In this experiment, there were no differences in density, expansion, hardness, or PDI. This indicated that preconditioning was more ideal and may indicate gelatin does not decrease product expansion. Experiment 3 analyzed two levels of gelatin, 0% and 10%, at two target densities, low and high. Results indicated that gelatin created a more expanded product when processed under similar conditions as a control formula. Experiment 4 analyzed different strengths of gelatin to determine if the low-bloom gelatin experiments were repeatable with more conventional strength gelatins. Treatments were a control with no gelatin, and a 100 bloom, 175 bloom, and 250 bloom gelatin. Results showed increased gelatin strength increased product expansion, likely through a foaming effect. However, durability declined with mid- and high-bloom gelatins; thus, low-bloom gelatin may be the most promising to improve product characteristics and preserve durability. Two additional experiments were performed in order to explore gelatin bloom strength in injection molded treat processing. A lab-scale experiment was performed to optimize an initial formula. Tensile strength, strain at break, Young’s Modulus, puncture force, and peaks were measured. It was determined that equal parts gelatin, gluten, and glycerin were most ideal for further testing purposes. Determination of gelatin bloom strength effects with three bloom strength gelatins were used to produce beadlets on a pilot-scale twin-screw extruded and production model injection molding system. Differences were noted between treatments; wherein high bloom gelatin created a softer, more stretchy treat and low bloom gelatin created a tougher, more rubbery treat. Low-bloom gelatin may find use as a nutritional binder in high protein pet foods and may be an alternative to high-bloom gelatin in injection molded dental treats.

This thesis looks directly into the controversial subject of the microwave field effect by the production of a versatile prototype isothermal microwave reactor for the investigation of enzymatic and microbiological reactions. The observed results from the prototype reactor and experiments conducted conclude that there is a nonthermal, nonlinear response between the exposure microwave power and rate and yield of cellulose saccharification. The nature of the nonthermal response is controversial and may be dependent on the definition of "nonthermal,' leading to ambiguity of exact mechanism. Enzymatic and microbial conversion of cellulosic material to ethanol is a highly desirable industrial process. Whether the demand is for the mitigation of climate change, political obligations or energy independence, the use of arable land for energy crops limits the available glucose carbon sources for conversion to bioproducts. To prevent this limitation, cellulose (~-l,4-linked glucose polymers) are touted as the "silver bullet" to prevent carbon exhaustion or impinging on food crops. The technical constraint for the industrialization of cellulose based processing is the rate limitation in the cellulase enzymatic action on cellulose. The enzyme rate is limited by feedback cycles and limited mechanical freedom, therefore a relatively high enzyme concentration is required to speed up the process. To date, the associated enzyme production costs and infrastructure prevents bulk volume exploitation. Biomolecular advances (amino acid substitutions, recombination of expression vectors etc) have gone some way to increase either enzymatic rate or enzyme concentration. The work presented in this thesis differs by increasing the rate of the enzyme without molecular modification. Using a microwave field, the work presented shows that by separating the system into its base units, irradiation of the enzyme/substrate complex in an aqueous environment can increase both the initial enzyme rate and the saccharification yield without alteration of the temperature set point. This study shows that the rate increase is not proportional to the microwave field power. An optimal power in each study is either found or suggested. The results cited show that in the three systems (Endoglucanase and cellobiohydrolase with cellulose, endoglucanase and cellobiohydrolase and ~- glucosidase with cellulose, and ~-glucosidase with cellobiose) the initial rates can be increased by 201 %, 65.5% and 69% respectively. In the total hydrolytic process (endoglucanase and cellobiohydrolase and ~-glucosidase on a cellulose substrate) the final glucose yield was increased by 43% in comparison to the conventional thermal control reaction. This is shown in Figure 1. 10.000 1 9.000 1 8.000 j 7.000 6.000 o 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 I I 1 I U 5.000 r:: o u 4.000 3.000 2.000 j i t t , f 1.000 0.000 Time (hours) =->=OOOW Glucose' °012W Glucose ?p025W Glucose ~050W Glucose ·075W Glucose Figure 1. Microwave irradiated "cellulase" enzymes with cellulose substrate I For development into an industrial system and looking towards simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was subjected to irradiated microwave fermentations on a glucose substrate. Although inconclusive in terms of rate increase, cell density 1 was comparable across the power range showing that the irradiation does not have a derogatory effect. ! The natural evolution of the conclusions drawn would be development of the system into a SSF or SSCF configuration for bio-product formation is possible with irradiation up to SOW. ii The novelty of the experiments conducted is twofold. Firstly, the reactor has been designed to ensure that the microwave irradiation is independent of the bulk temperature therefore allowing the exploration of the microwave field effect independently to the thermal effect. Secondly, the microwave source is a continuous microwave irradiation (none pulse irradiation) ensuring that the reaction is subjected to the microwave field for the entire reaction.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / J. Ernest Minton / Toll-like receptors (TLR) are instrumental in discriminating between pathogenic and commensal bacteria and act as mediators, along with downstream chemokines, of subsequent innate and adaptive immune responses. However, little is known about the expression and regulation of TLR or chemokines in swine. The objectives of the experiments described herein were to characterize the expression of porcine TLR and to identify regulatory patterns in these receptors in the presence of live Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) or Choleraesuis (SC). The first two experiments evaluated the in vivo and in vitro expression of TLR2, 4, 5 and 9. Our results indicate that TLR2, 4, 5 and 9 are constitutively expressed in vitro in a porcine jejunal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2), porcine mononuclear phagocytes (pMPs) and in vivo in the distal ileum. In IPEC-J2 cells, ST elicited an increase in TLR2 mRNA (P < 0.05), and both ST and SC increased TLR2 mRNA in pMPs (P < 0.05). In vivo, oral challenge with ST increased (P < 0.05) both TLR2 and TLR4 mRNA in the distal ileum. In addition, the second experiment evaluated interleukin 8 (IL8) and CC chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) expression in IPEC-J2 cells in response to ST or purified bacterial flagellin (Flag). TLR5 was constitutively expressed in the ileum and in IPEC-J2 and pMP cells. Interestingly, IL8 and CCL20 mRNA and protein were increased (P < 0.05) by ST and Flag, even in the absence of changes in TLR5. In the third experiment, the expression of TLR and chemoattractive mediators were evaluated in a panel of tissues obtained from pigs challenged with ST and SC. All genes of interest were constitutively expressed; however, the effects of treatment were limited to isolated tissues and genes. Taken together, the data indicate that TLR and chemoattractive mediators are expressed in porcine tissues and cells and that the observations described represent novel evidence that pig pathogens may regulate TLR expression and activate chemokine secretion.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Hikaru H. Peterson / Organic has become a familiar term in agriculture, usually bringing to mind the phrases “no chemicals” and “large premiums.” While organic products usually command a substantial price premium over their conventional counterparts, the determinants of this premium are generally unknown. The lack of literature covering organic prices is not from a lack of interest but from a lack of information and data for organic commodities. This study examines two aspects of organic grain prices in an attempt to learn more about the organic grain sector. The first objective was to identify determinants of organic premiums received by members of a Kansas organic grain cooperative. Six different grains along with alfalfa hay were examined using hedonic models and bootstrapping statistical techniques. Findings of the hedonic analyses are as follows. Dairy farms seemed to pay a lower premium for feed grade corn and hard red winter wheat compared to other types of buyers. Buyers located in Kansas tended to provide a smaller premium than buyers located elsewhere. Early contract periods produced a smaller premium than later periods. Shipment timing was much the same, with fourth quarter shipments receiving the largest premium. Additionally, each subsequent contract year resulted in a larger premium. If the cooperative had arranged shipment of the commodity, a lower premium was acquired. Finally, longer contract lengths resulted in a larger premium. The second part of this study examined various price series of organic and conventional commodities to determine if the two markets were related. Using vector autoregressive models, cointegration and causality tests were conducted, and speed of adjustment to a shock in the long run equilibrium and exogeneity were also examined. Of the 43 pairs of organic and conventional price series tested, 29 were found to be cointegrated. Of those cointegrated pairs, 11 causal relationships were found. Five of these causal relationships indicated that the conventional commodity prices led the organic. There were six instances where the organic commodity prices were found to lead the conventional. For most causal relationships, about 5% of the adjustment to a shock, or divergence from long run equilibrium occurred in one week.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Richard H. Mattson / Medical and psychological responses of patients recovering from surgery were evaluated in hospital rooms with ornamental indoor plants. Three clinical studies were conducted in two hospitals with 80 thyroidectomy patients, 90 appendectomy patients, and 90 hemorrhoidectomy patients. Patients in each surgical procedure were randomly assigned to either control or plant rooms. Eight species of foliage and flowering plants were placed in the hospital rooms during the recovery period following surgery until discharge. Data collected from each patient included length of hospitalization, analgesics used for postoperative pain control, vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate), ratings of pain intensity, pain distress, anxiety and fatigue (PPAF), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y-1 (STAI-Y1), the Environmental Assessment Scale (EAS), and the Patient’s Room Satisfaction Questionnaire (PRSQ). Effects were assessed by analysis of covariance and the exact chi-square test. Patients in the plant rooms had significantly more positive health outcomes than those in the control group with no plants. Patients exposed to plants experienced shorter hospitalizations, fewer intakes of postoperative analgesics, more positive physiological responses, and less pain, anxiety, and fatigue than patients in the control group. Patients with plants also felt more positively about their rooms and evaluated them with higher satisfaction as compared to those in the control group. Based on patients’ comments, plants brightened up the room environment, reduced stress, and also conveyed positive messages of the hospital caring for patients. Findings of this study confirmed the therapeutic value of plants in the hospital environment as a noninvasive, inexpensive, and effective intervention for surgical patients in a general hospital ward. Outcomes of this study will substantially affect patients’ and hospital administrators’ decisions that indoor plant intervention can foster improved medical outcomes, increase satisfaction with providers, and be acceptably cost effective as compared to other alternatives.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Michael R. Langemeier / With increased focus on food safety and protection, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has examined the possibility of removing the exemption for elevators pertaining to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). The objective of this thesis was to determine the extent to which Kansas Elevators have adopted GMPs. To accomplish the objective of this thesis, information from an online survey completed by 42 elevators was summarized and analyzed. The information that was collected focused on the general classification of the elevators, grain safety programs, pest control programs and procedures, operational methods and personal practices, and maintenance of the facilities and equipment. Correlation coefficients were computed to determine if there were any significant correlations between elevator characteristics and GMPs. The study found that many of the elevators surveyed do not comply with the GMP requirements, and would require more resources in order to do so. Little connection was made between classification information such as size, location, or number of employees and GMP implementation. The significant correlations found were between HACCP and Pest Management, and HACCP and Traceability. The main limitation of this thesis was the small number of survey participants.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Richard H. Mattson / With the advancement of urbanization, many children today have limited or no experiences with nature or survival instincts as described by the nature (Biophilia) hypothesis. Today, children's preference toward landscapes may be more reflective of cultural experiences learned from family, teachers, or classmates, and referred to as the nurture hypothesis. In this research study, two visual surveys were used to investigate the nature vs. nurture hypotheses. In the first survey, 93 multicultural American children were asked to identify their preferred colors for symbols of bananas, tulips, birds, and trees. In the second survey, 202 children from American and Japanese schools were asked their visual preferences and emotional responses to photographs of landscapes, trees, homes, and nature scenes. Subjects were first, third, and sixth grade elementary school students in America and Japan. The effects of culture, age, and gender were evaluated. In addition, the relative preference and emotional impact of plants and landscapes were examined. In the first study, younger children preferred all colors that exist in nature. However, responses of the older children would support the nurture hypothesis. Older children selected fewer and more appropriate colors, such as yellow bananas, reflecting a learned behavior. Also, boys preferred blue symbols while girls selected red with higher frequency than other colors. In the second study, American children preferred the Japanese landscape and tree scenes, and reported more positive emotion than Japanese children toward the American and Japanese tree scenes. Younger American children showed more positive emotions toward the American home scene. Although first and third grade Japanese children preferred Japanese scenes, more sixth grade Japanese children preferred American scenes. In conclusion, visual preferences and emotional responses are influenced by content of photographs, and evidence supports both the nature and the nurture hypothesis among Japanese and American children.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Rodney D. Jones / This thesis is the vehicle that I have used to outline a thorough small business plan for our personal business Big Sky Shires & Equine Services. While working toward my MAB Degree, I realized there were a lot of things that I could implement from the program into our business that would help us succeed in the equine industry. I was able to research the industry that we were in to gain a better understanding of how to market and plan for the future. In the back of my mind I started to ask a lot of questions and soon found that we needed a business plan that would answer many questions about the future of our business. The first part of the thesis is the history of the equine industry with a look at US history, outlook for the future and strategic issues affecting the industry. The second part of the thesis is a history of Big Sky Shires & Equine Services. This history tells where the business has come. The third portion, of the thesis is the small business plan that is the most thorough we could put together. A lot of thought and time went into the document that we plan to implement and update quarterly as needed. The final portion of the thesis is our conclusion followed by a detailed appendix of the corresponding documents for operating our business.