Showing papers by "Mississippi State University published in 2001"
TL;DR: The synthesis and properties of homopolymers and copolymers of monomers containing inorganic-organic hybrid polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) structures are described in this article.
Abstract: This review describes the synthesis and properties of homopolymers and copolymers of monomers containing inorganic–organic hybrid polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) structures. Monomers, such as styryl-POSS, methacrylate-POSS, norbornyl-POSS, vinyl-POSS, epoxy-POSS, and siloxane-POSS, are included. Both monofunctional and multifunctional monomers are included. Thermoplastic and thermoset systems are considered. Thermal, rheological, and dynamic mechanical properties are described. The synthesis of POSS macromers (monomers) is briefly described. POSS chemicals have been used to prepare nanosized designed novel composites with a variety of potential applications. This review, covering 111 references, is descriptive and not designed to be totally comprehensive. However, the major existing reviews of certain subtopics are noted, allowing the reader to gain a general introduction while providing the information to permit more comprehensive coverage.
1,020 citations
TL;DR: The time courses of expression of the genes surrounding the 26 documented lexA-regulated regions on the E. coli chromosome are reported here and several newly identified UV-responsive genes are discussed with respect to their possible roles in cellular recovery following exposure to UV irradiation.
Abstract: The SOS response in UV-irradiated Escherichia coli includes the upregulation of several dozen genes that are negatively regulated by the LexA repressor. Using DNA microarrays containing amplified DNA fragments from 95.5% of all open reading frames identified on the E. coli chromosome, we have examined the changes in gene expression following UV exposure in both wild-type cells and lexA1 mutants, which are unable to induce genes under LexA control. We report here the time courses of expression of the genes surrounding the 26 documented lexA-regulated regions on the E. coli chromosome. We observed 17 additional sites that responded in a lexA-dependent manner and a large number of genes that were upregulated in a lexA-independent manner although upregulation in this manner was generally not more than twofold. In addition, several transcripts were either downregulated or degraded following UV irradiation. These newly identified UV-responsive genes are discussed with respect to their possible roles in cellular recovery following exposure to UV irradiation.
830 citations
TL;DR: The creation of a scale to measure perceived Web security is described and the favorable psychometric properties of the scale are indicated, and the causal analysis indicates that security is a greater influence on intent to purchase using the Web than is the ease and utility of purchasing products.
Abstract: While Web‐based consumer activity is poised on the brink of dramatic growth, concerns about security have the potential to limit this growth by arousing shopper’s concerns about the Web‐based channel. One key aspect to consumer participation in Web commerce may be the extent to which they perceive risk to their sensitive information. This study describes the creation of a scale to measure perceived Web security. We apply the scale in a causal model to investigate the relative impact of beliefs about Web shopping on intent to purchase products using the World Wide Web. Data from two samples is used to develop the scale and to perform the causal analysis. Our findings indicate the favorable psychometric properties of the scale, and the causal analysis from our sample indicates that security is a greater influence on intent to purchase using the Web than is the ease and utility of purchasing products.
591 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report a study which operationalizes brand equity and empirically tests a conceptual model adapted from the concept of brand equity for the management of a company's brand.
Abstract: Brand equity has been criticized by some for an alleged lack of managerial relevance. This paper reports a study which operationalizes brand equity and empirically tests a conceptual model adapted ...
539 citations
TL;DR: The purpose of this review is to provide bacteriologists with assistance as they seek to better understand available instrumentation and fundamental principles concerning the estimation of zeta potential as it relates to bacterial surface physiology.
486 citations
TL;DR: Findings reveal significant differences in the reasons that these firms decided to adopt Web technology depending on when the firm made the adoption decision; early adopters placed more emphasis on perceived benefits and compatibility of the Web with existing technology and organizational norms than did later adopters.
446 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that LAO* can be used to solve Markov decision problems and that it shares the advantage heuristic search has over dynamic programming for other classes of problems.
431 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a positive model of consumers' trust of salesperson and manufacturer is developed which provides suggestions for improving relationships and increasing buyer-seller trust, indicating that buyer-sellers trust results from salesperson competence, low-pressure selling tactics, service quality, manufacturer ethical concern, and a general tendency to trust others.
374 citations
TL;DR: The use of functional behavioral assessments (FBA) and positive behavioral support plans to addrescribe the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was introduced in the 1990s.
Abstract: Through amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), federal law mandated the use of functional behavioral assessments (FBA) and positive behavioral support plans to addres...
294 citations
TL;DR: The biological basis of these inducible killing mechanisms and how they are regulated in fish are described and compared to those described in mammals.
Abstract: Phagocytosis is a primitive defense mechanism in all multicellular animals. Phagocytes such as macrophages and neutrophils play an important role in limiting the dissemination of infectious agents, and are responsible for the eventual destruction of phagocytosed pathogens. These cells have evolved elaborate killing mechanisms for destroying pathogens. In addition to their repertoire of degradative enzymes and antimicrobial peptides, macrophages and neutrophils can be activated to produce a number of highly toxic molecules. Production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates by these cells are potent cytotoxic mechanisms against bacteria and protozoan pathogens. Studies in fish suggest that the biological basis of these inducible killing mechanisms is similar to those described in mammals. More recent work suggest novel roles for regulating these killing responses in fish. In this review, we describe the biological basis of these killing mechanisms and how they are regulated in fish.
288 citations
TL;DR: Results indicate that most consumers prefer more tender steaks and that many are willing to pay a premium for tender Steakburgers.
Abstract: Experimental methods were used to examine consumer willingness-to-pay for steak tenderness in a grocery store setting. When relying on a taste test alone to determine product quality, the participants paid an average premium of $1.23/lb for a tender versus tough steak. Fifty-one percent of the participants were willing to pay an average of $1.84/lb when they had completed a taste test and were also provided information about the steak’s tenderness. Results indicate that most consumers prefer more tender steaks and that many are willing to pay a premium for tender steaks.
TL;DR: In this paper, contact stylus measurements of surface roughness on in-service turbine blades and vanes were performed. And the results showed that significant spatial variations are evidenced and transitions from rough to smooth surface conditions are remarkably abrupt in some cases.
Abstract: Results are presented for contact stylus measurements of surface roughness on in-service turbine blades and vanes. Nearly 100 turbine components were assembled from four land-based turbine manufacturers. Both coated and uncoated, cooled and uncooled components were measured, with part sizes varying from 2 to 20 cm. Spanwise and chordwise two-dimensional roughness profiles were taken on both pressure and suction surfaces. Statistical computations were performed on each trace to determine centerline averaged roughness, rms roughness, and peak to-valley height. In addition, skewness and kurtosis were calculated; as well as the autocorrelation length and dominant harmonics in each trace. Extensive three-dimensional surface maps made of deposits, pitting, erosion, and coating spallation expose unique features for each roughness type. Significant spatial variations are evidenced and transitions from rough to smooth surface conditions are shown to be remarkably abrupt in some cases. Film cooling sites are shown to be particularly prone to surface degradation.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors quantify the property-value impacts of a change in environmental quality by using the hedonic price model, focusing on the impact of the presence of landfills on nearby residential real estate prices.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to quantify the property-value impacts of a change in environmental quality by using the hedonic price model. In particular, we focus on the impact of the presence of landfills on nearby residential real estate prices. We combine elements of an urban location choice and hedonic pricing model to estimate the effects of the presence of multiple environmental disamenities on residential real estate prices. We explicitly account for temporal effects by including housing transactions in areas with both open and closed landfills and control for information effects. In addition, we treat property taxes and prices as being simultaneously determined. Our analysis suggests that closing landfills will not necessarily mitigate property-value impacts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the deterministic nature of immigration and extinction processes in stream fish assemblages and found that species with high local abundances were less prone to local extinction and more prone to colonize areas when they maintain high local abundance.
Abstract: Stream landscapes are highly variable in space and time and, like terrestrial landscapes, the resources they contain are patchily distributed. Organisms may disperse among patches to fulfill life-history requirements, but biotic and abiotic factors may limit patch or locality occupancy. Thus, the dynamics of immigration and extinction determine, in part, the local structure of assemblages. We sampled fishes and stream habitat at 12 localities for two years (96 samples) to examine the deterministic nature of immigration and extinction processes in stream fish assemblages. Mean immigration rates for assem- blages were highest at large stream localities, where the pool of potential immigrants was largest. Mean extinction rates were highest where variability in the flow regime was high, though local refugia appeared to modify the extinction process at one locality. Significant nested subset patterns in species composition occurred over time for 7 of the 12 localities. The strength of the nesting was associated with mean immigration and extinction rates. Higher extinction rates corresponded to stronger nestedness, whereas higher immigration rates were associated with weaker nestedness. Across all species, both immigration and extinction rates were strongly associated with mean abundance. Species with high local abundances had higher immigration rates and lower extinction rates than did species with low local abundances. There were no significant associations between trophic guild or body size and immigration and extinction rate. This work supports the hypothesis that immigration and extinction rates for assemblages are predictable along environmental gradients, and that species are less prone to local extinction and more prone to colonize areas when they maintain high local abundances. The extinction process in local assemblages can be a highly ordered event leading to strong nested subset patterns, but immigration appears to be more stochastic.
TL;DR: It is suggested that incorporation of lactic acid in the drinking water during pretransport FW may reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination of crops and broiler carcasses at processing.
TL;DR: Although a step size parameter is required, the numerical derivatives are not subject to subtractive cancellation errors and, therefore, exhibit true second-order accuracy as the step size is reduced, in contrast to the use of finite differences.
Abstract: The use of complex variables for determining sensitivity derivatives for turbulent flows is examined. Although a step size parameter is required, the numerical derivatives are not subject to subtractive cancellation errors and, therefore, exhibit true second-order accuracy as the step size is reduced. As a result, this technique guarantees two additional digits of accuracy each time the step size is reduced one order of magnitude. This behavior is in contrast to the use of finite differences, which suffer from inaccuracies due to subtractive cancellation errors. In addition, the complex-variable procedure is easily implemented into existing codes
TL;DR: In this article, consumer willingness-to-pay bids for corn chips made with nongenetically modified ingredients are elicited in first-and second-price auctions, and the second price auction induced a greater percentage of marginal bidders to offer a positive bid compared to the first price auction.
Abstract: This study explores two important issues in experimental economics: calibration and auction institution. Consumer willingness-to-pay bids for corn chips made with nongenetically modified ingredients are elicited in first- and second-price auctions. Results suggest that responses to scale-differential questions, elicited in a survey, accurately predicted consumer willingness-to-pay bids. While the second-price auction induced a greater percentage of marginal bidders to offer a positive bid compared to the first-price auction, average bid levels in the first- and second-price auctions were not statistically different from one other. In a small and unrepresentative sample, 70% of student participants were unwilling to pay to exchange a bag of chips made from genetically modified ingredients for a bag of chips made from nongenetically modified ingredients. However, 20% of respondents were willing to pay at least $0.25/oz. for the exchange.
TL;DR: It appears that this newly developed Bt cotton expressing two toxins will be more effective and have a wider range of activity on these lepidopteran pests.
Abstract: A series of laboratory assays were performed to compare the relative impact of commercial and experimental cultivars of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), expressing zero, one, or two insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, on several lepidopteran pests. Assays in which larvae were fed fresh plant tissue indicated that dual-toxin B. thuringiensis (Bt) cultivars, expressing both Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab endotoxins of B. thuringiensis, were more toxic to bollworms, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), fall armyworms, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and beet armyworms, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), than single-toxin cultivars expressing Cry1Ac. Assays in which lyophilized plant tissue was incorporated into artificial diet also indicated improved activity of the dual-toxin Bt cultivar compared with single-toxin plants. Both bollworm and tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), growth was reduced by Bt cotton, particularly the dual-toxin cultivar. Although assays with lyophilized tissues were done using largely sublethal doses, bollworm survival was reduced by the dual-toxin cultivar. It appears that this newly developed Bt cotton expressing two toxins will be more effective and have a wider range of activity on these lepidopteran pests.
TL;DR: In this article, the focus for ecological restoration should be to restore functions, rather than specifying some ambiguous natural state based on reference stands or pre-settlement forest conditions, allowing restoration goals that incorporate landowner objectives.
Abstract: Restoration of bottomland hardwood forests is the subject of considerable interest in the southern United States, but restoration success is elusive. Techniques for establishing bottomland tree species are well developed, yet problems have occurred in operational programs. Current plans for restoration on public and private land suggest that as many as 200,000 hectares could be restored in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley alone. The ideal of ecological restoration is to reestablish a completely functioning ecosystem. Although some argue that afforestation is incomplete restoration, it is a necessary and costly first step but not an easy task. The 1992 Wetlands Reserve Program in Mississippi, which failed on 90% of the area, illustrates the difficulty of broadly applying our knowledge of afforestation. In our view, the focus for ecological restoration should be to restore functions, rather than specifying some ambiguous natural state based on reference stands or pre-settlement forest conditions. We view restoration as one element in a continuum model of sustainable forest management, allowing us to prescribe restoration goals that incorporate landowner objectives. Enforcing the discipline of explicit objectives, with restoration expectations described in terms of predicted values of functions, causal mechanisms and temporal response trajectories, will hasten the development of meaningful criteria for restoration success. We present our observations about current efforts to restore bottomland hardwoods as nine myths, or statements of dubious origin, and at best partial truth.
TL;DR: In this paper, a standardized descriptive language for Cheddar cheese flavor was developed and validated using a 3-dimensional roundtable discussion with 15 individuals from industry, academia, and government.
Abstract:
A standardized descriptive language for Cheddar cheese flavor was developed and validated. Representative Cheddar cheeses (240) were collected. Fifteen individuals from industry, academia, and government participated in a 3-d roundtable discussion to generate descriptive flavor terms. A highly trained descriptive panel (n = 11) refined the terms and identified references. Cheddar cheeses (24) were presented to the panel for validation with the identified lexicon. The panel differentiated the 24 Cheddar cheeses as determined by univariate and multivariate analysis of variance (P < 0.05). Twenty-seven terms were identified to describe Cheddar flavor. Seventeen descriptive terms were present in most Cheddar cheeses. A standard sensory language for Cheddar cheese will facilitate training and communication between different research groups.
TL;DR: In this article, the relationship between fine aggregate shape properties and the performance of hot-mix asphalt was analyzed using three independent properties: form, angularity, and texture, and it was found that texture had the strongest correlation with rutting resistance.
Abstract: This study addresses the relationship between fine aggregate shape properties and the performance of hot-mix asphalt. Aggregate shape was expressed as three independent properties: form, angularity, and texture. Image analysis procedures and indices were developed to capture these properties. The indices were measured for 22 aggregate samples. The samples were related to the hot-mix asphalt rutting resistance measured under wet and dry conditions in the Purdue wheel-tracking device. Among the different aggregate shape properties, texture had the strongest correlation with rutting resistance. Resistance to rutting increased exponentially with an increase in aggregate texture.
University of Maryland, College Park1, University of California, Davis2, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education3, University of California, Berkeley4, University of Havana5, Princeton University6, University of the West Indies7, Yale University8, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center9, University of Kent10, Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí11, University of Georgia12, Mississippi State University13, Grambling State University14
TL;DR: In this article, rates of mortality due to nest poaching in 23 studies of Neotropical parrots, representing 4024 nesting attempts in 21 species and 14 coun- tries, were calculated.
Abstract: Although the poaching of nestlings for the pet trade is thought to contribute to the decline of many species of parrots, its effects have been poorly demonstrated. We calculated rates of mortality due to nest poaching in 23 studies of Neotropical parrots, representing 4024 nesting attempts in 21 species and 14 coun- tries. We also examined how poaching rates vary with geographic region, presence of active protection pro- grams, conservation status and economic value of a species, and passage of the U.S. Wild Bird Conservation Act. The average poaching rate across all studies was 30% of all nests observed. Thirteen studies reported poaching rates of � 20%, and four reported rates of � 70%. Only six studies documented no nest poaching. Of these, four were conducted on islands in the Caribbean region, which had significantly lower poaching rates than the mainland Neotropics. The other two studies that showed no poaching were conducted on the two species with the lowest economic value in our sample (U.S. retail price). In four studies that allowed direct comparison between poaching at sites with active nest protection versus that at unprotected sites, poaching rates were significantly lower at protected sites, suggesting that active protection efforts can be effective in re-
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate how the point of view imposed by salient consumer goals might affect category representations assessed by participants' similarity judgments of food products and find that personal goals and situational goals act in conjunction and exert a systematic impact on category representations, when salient, enhanced the perceived similarity of goal appropriate products and reduced the similarity of product pairs when only one product was ideal for the particular goal.
TL;DR: The models clearly suggest that resistance management programs using untreated refuges should not over-emphasize random mating at the cost of making the habitat too fine-grained, and differences between the two models may be due to the population regulation incorporated in the spatially explicit model.
Abstract: The interaction of population dynamics and movement among two habitat types (toxic transgenic fields and nontoxic refuge fields) on the evolution of insecticide resistance was examined in two different simulation models. The two models were developed to test the hypothesis that increasing habitat grain from fine-grained to coarse-grained, and the resultant increase in nonrandom mating, would increase the rate of local adaptation, here the evolution of resistance. The first model, a complex, stochastic spatially explicit model, altered habitat grain by varying adult dispersal rates between habitat patches. In contrast to the expectation that increasing patch isolation and increasing the coarseness of the habitats would increase the rate of resistance evolution, intermediate levels of dispersal actually delayed resistance by as much as fivefold over the range of dispersal levels observed. Source-sink dynamics related to ovipositional patterns and the related population dynamics appear to explain the results. A simple deterministic model was developed to abstract out the separate impacts of mating and ovipositional behaviors. This model showed qualitatively the same results, although under similar assumptions it predicted much longer delays in resistance evolution. In this model, nonrandom mating alone always increased the rate at which insects adapted to transgenic crops, but nonrandom mating in combination with nonrandom oviposition could significantly delay resistance evolution. Differences between the two models may be due to the population regulation incorporated in the spatially explicit model. The models clearly suggest that resistance management programs using untreated refuges should not over-emphasize random mating at the cost of making the habitat too fine-grained.
TL;DR: The influence of cyclic compressive loading of chick limb bud mesenchymal cells to a constant peak stress of 9.25 kPa suggests that cells may be sensitive to the level of cumulative (nonrecoverable) compressive strain, as well as to the dynamic strain history.
Abstract: As part of a program of research aimed at determining the role of mechanical forces in connective tissue differentiation, we have developed a model for investigating the effects of dynamic compressive loading on chondrocyte differentiation in vitro. In the current study, we examined the influence of cyclic compressive loading of chick limb bud mesenchymal cells to a constant peak stress of 9.25 kPa during each of the first 3 days in culture. Cells embedded in agarose gel were subjected to uniaxial, cyclic compression at 0.03, 0.15, or 0.33 Hz for 2 h. In addition, load durations of 12, 54, or 120 min were evaluated while holding frequency constant at 0.33 Hz. For a 2 h duration, there was no response to loading at 0.03 Hz. A significant increase in chondrocyte differentiation was associated with loading at 0.15 Hz, and an even greater increase with loading at 0.33 Hz. Holding frequency constant at 0.33 Hz, a loading duration of 12 min elicited no response, whereas chondrocyte differentiation was enhanced by loading for either 54 or 120 min. Although not statistically significant from the 120 min response, average cartilage nodule density and glycosaminoglycan synthesis rate were highest in the 54 min duration group. This result suggests that cells may be sensitive to the level of cumulative (nonrecoverable) compressive strain, as well as to the dynamic strain history.
TL;DR: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of regeneration of G. barbadense through somatic embryogenesis through somatics embryogenesis of diverse cotton species.
Abstract: To accomplish our objective of broadening the number ofregenerable cotton lines, we developed a protocol capable of producing plants through somatic embryogenesis of diverse cotton species. Callus was initiated from hypocotyl and cotyledon explants on a callus initiation medium [CIM; modified MS with 1 mg L -1 kinetin and 2 mg L -1 naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) 1. Friable embryogenic callus was periodically selected and transferred onto callus selection/maintenance medium (CS/MM) [modified MS with 0.1 mg L -1 kinetin and 0.5 mg L -1 NAA]. The selected callus was then transferred into a liquid embryo initiation medium (EIM) (modified MS medium in which NH 4 NO 3 was removed and KNO 3 amount doubled) followed by transfer to solid embryo maturation media EMMS 2 (0.5 mg L -1 NAA + 0.05 mg L -1 kinetin). The liquid step not only decreased the culturing time but also increased the number of embryos per gram of cultured tissue. Germinating somatic embryos were placed on MS medium with no hormones and plantlets were acclimatized before transfer to the greenhouse. Significant numbers of somatic embryos and their derived plantlets were obtained from a commercial cultivar of G. hirsutum, Deltapine 90 and G. barbadense accession GB-35B126 (PI-528306). The mean embryos per gram for Deltapine 90 on EMMS 2 were higher than those previously reported for Coker 312. Highly significant differences were found between the two genotypes for both embryo and plant production. To our knowledge, this is the first report of regeneration of G. barbadense through somatic embryogenesis.
TL;DR: Those counselors receiving regular clinical supervision indicated a higher level of counseling self-efficacy than those who did not, and the Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory was administered.
Abstract: Research indicated that ongoing clinical supervision is important for the growth and maintenance of counseling skills (Bernard & Goodyear, 1998). However, many practicing counselors do not receive consistent clinical supervision. Counseling self-efficacy is a measure of how a counselor views her or his competence as a counselor. The purpose of the study was to determine what effect receiving or not receiving clinical supervision on a regular basis would have on counseling self-efficacy. The Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory was administered to professional counselors in a community setting and doctoral level students in a university counseling lab setting (Larson et al., 1992). Those counselors receiving regular clinical supervision indicated a higher level of counseling self-efficacy than those who did not.
TL;DR: A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for the detection and differentiation of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in dairy products and allows presumptive identification and differentiation in less than 6 h.
TL;DR: One of the first robust LVCSR systems that uses a syllable-level acoustic unit for LV CSR on telephone-bandwidth speech and exceeds the performance of a comparable triphone system both in terms of word error rate (WER) and complexity.
Abstract: Most large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) systems in the past decade have used a context-dependent (CD) phone as the fundamental acoustic unit. We present one of the first robust LVCSR systems that uses a syllable-level acoustic unit for LVCSR on telephone-bandwidth speech. This effort is motivated by the inherent limitations in phone-based approaches-namely the lack of an easy and efficient way for modeling long-term temporal dependencies. A syllable unit spans a longer time frame, typically three phones, thereby offering a more parsimonious framework for modeling pronunciation variation in spontaneous speech. We present encouraging results which show that a syllable-based system exceeds the performance of a comparable triphone system both in terms of word error rate (WER) and complexity. The WER of the best syllabic system reported here is 49.1% on a standard Switchboard evaluation, a small improvement over the triphone system. We also report results on a much smaller recognition task, OGI Alphadigits, which was used to validate some of the benefits syllables offer over triphones. The syllable-based system exceeds the performance of the triphone system by nearly 20%, an impressive accomplishment since the alphadigits application consists mostly of phone-level minimal pair distinctions.
TL;DR: Two applications of Tasco-Forage to infected fescue during the growing season improved steers’ immune function, and the effect lasted through cross-country transportation and a 160-d feedlot finishing period.
Abstract: Tasco-Forage, an extract from the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum, has increased antioxidant activity in both plants and animals. Turf and forage grasses exhibited increased amounts of αtocopherol, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, and increased activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and ascorbate peroxidase in response to exogenous application of Tasco. Endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum [(Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon, and Hanlin]-infected tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) can increase oxidative stress. Both high environmental temperatures and increased body temperatures increase respiratory rates, which increase free radical production. Steers that grazed infected fescue had diminished immune function and vitamin E, Cu, and Se status, indicating less ability to deal with oxidative stress. Two applications of Tasco-Forage (3.4 kg/ha in water solution) to infected fescue during the growing season improved steers’ immune function, and the effect lasted through cross-country transportation and a 160-d feedlot finishing period. Grazing infected fescue reduced serum cholesterol, but the effect was reversed