Three studies utilizing a single group of growing beef steers were conducted to ascertain the effects of tick stress on cattle and to evaluate the use of bio-forensic techniques of detection. Steers (n = 28, 194 ± 3.0 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement: moderate (14.0 ± 1.0% CP, 60 ± 1.5% TDN) versus low (7.0 ± 1.0% CP, 58 ± 1.5% TDN) plane of nutrition, and control (no tick) versus tick treatment (300 pair of adult (Amblyomma americanum) per treated animal). Steers were individually fed experimental diets ad libitum for 35 days prior to and 21 days following the start of tick infestation (day 0), with peak tick feeding occurring 10 to 14 days post tick infestation. In study 1, blood was sampled on day -7, 0, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17 and 21, and plasma analyzed for metabolic and endocrine indicators. Within the low plane of nutrition, IGF-1 (ng/ml) was greater in control (P < 0.05) than in the tick treated (139.57 ± 9.3 vs 111.4 ± 9.3) group. Within the moderate plane of nutrition, tick treated cattle had higher (P < 0.05) plasma cortisol than nontreated. In study 2, fecal samples were analyzed for metabolic, endocrine and immunologic indicators. Fecal cortisol was the only constituent measured that was affected by treatment and not by plane of nutrition. The highest average daily fecal cortisol observed was for day 13, during peak tick feeding and after six days of repeated blood sampling. In study 3, near infrared spectra were obtained in the 1100-2498 nm range. Spectra were assembled into groups by plane of nutrition, treatment, and by plane of nutrition by treatment. Periods of 7 ± 1 days correspond to significant delineations in the tick feeding cycle. There were differences in pre-infestation versus infestation fecal spectra within the tick treated groups in both the moderate and low planes of nutrition. These differences can not be wholly attributed to tick treatment, but may have also been affected by blood sampling stress.

The objective of this thesis is to develop a low-cost infrared absorption spectroscope based on linear variable filter (LVF) technology for the automated detection of gases and vapors, and the semi-automated detection of liquids. This instrument represents an alternative to electronic-nose instruments based on cross-selective gas sensor arrays. Instead, the proposed instrument uses the idea of computational “pseudo-sensors”, whereby spectral lines in an analytical instrument are clustered into groups and used as independent variables. We characterize the system on a number of performance metrics, uncovering its detection limits and resolving power. We present calibration methods to estimate the concentration of analytes in a matrix of absorbing species, as well as signal processing techniques for spectral classification. Specifically, we validate the instrument on a mixture calibration problem with simple and complex chemicals, and compare the efficiency of different calibration methods to estimate the concentration of one analyte in the matrix. Moreover, we demonstrate the use of the instrument on two real-world applications in the foodstuffs domain: oil adulteration and trans fatty acid (TFA) detection. The instrument, combined with signal processing techniques, is able to fully discriminate oils, as well as classify margarine and spreads onto high-TFA and low-TFA groups. Despite operating at a low spectral resolution, our results show that the LVF based spectroscope is a promising alternative to traditional analytical techniques for selected niche applications.

Neuroscientists have uncovered much about the dorsal and ventral visual object processing pathways. However, little is understood about the functional development of these pathways in human infants. Behavioral data has shown that as early as 2.5 months, infants are sensitive to spatiotemporal information for object individuation in occlusion events. This study used Near Infrared Spectroscopy to assess neural activation (as evidenced by an increase in HbO2) in four areas of the pathways: primary visual cortex (O1), posterior parietal cortex (P3), lateral occipital (T5), and inferior temporal (T3) in awake human infants aged 5.5 months while they view either a spatiotemporaldiscontinuity event or a control event. Three major predictions were made: 1) since the events contain visually distinct objects, there should be significant neural activation in O1 to both events, 2) if the dorsal route mediates the processing of spatiotemporal discontinuities, then there should also be a significant increase in P3 in response to the spatiotemporal-discontinuity event but not to the control event, and 3) activation present in T3 and T5 should not vary by condition if the ventral pathway is not responsible for the processing of spatiotemporal discontinuities. Results supported all three predictions.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-54).

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: powder metallurgy; material evaluation; thermal imaging; NDE; IR radiation and detection; nondestructive testing; thermography; infrared imaging. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-88).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Haskell W. Beckham; Committee Co-Chair: David Bucknall; Committee Member: Andrew Lyon; Committee Member: Jiri Janata; Committee Member: Lawrence Bottomley; Committee Member: Mohan Srinivasarao. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: infrared spectroscopy; aerosols; nucleation; tunable diode laser; condensation; supersonic nozzles. Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-76).

The control and manipulation of infrared (IR) radiation beyond the capabilities of natural materials using silicon carbide (SiC), metamaterials, or a combination thereof, is presented. Control is first demonstrated using SiC, a polar crystal that exhibits a dielectric permittivity less than zero in the mid-IR range, through the excitation of tightly confined surface phonon-polaritons (SPPs), thus enabling a multitude of applications not possible with conventional dielectrics. Optimal, or critical coupling to SPPs is explored in SiC films through Otto-configuration attenuated total reflection. One practical application based on Otto-coupled SPPs is presented: IR refractive index sensing is shown for three pL-scale fluid analytes. It is then demonstrated that when two SiC films are brought to a few-micron separation, IR radiation can excite surface modes that possess phase velocities near the speed of light, a property required for efficient table-top particle accelerators. Metamaterials are engineered with subwavelength structure and possess optical properties not found in nature. Two such metamaterials will be introduced: metal films perforated with arrays of rectangular holes display the ability to control IR light polarization through spoof surface plasmon excitation, and metal/dielectric multilayers patterned with subwavelength-pitch corrugations display frequency-tunable, wide-angle, perfect IR absorption. Two experiments, which have implications in polarization control and thermal emission, combine the benefits of SiC with those of metamaterials: extraordinary optical transmission and absorption are observed in SiC hole arrays, and the design of individual SiC antennas permits the control of the bulk metamaterial responses of impedance and absorption/emission. Finally, a new optical beamline based on Fourier transform IR spectroscopy was designed, built, characterized, and implemented, serving as the major experimental objective of this dissertation. The novel beamline, which confines radiation to a 200-micron diameter and enables angle-dependent IR spectroscopy, was verified using multiple metamaterial structures. / text

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