About

Renee Miller, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Texas A&M College of Nursing. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Murray State University in 2017, her Master of Science in Nursing Education in 2010, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2001, also at Murray State University. Additionally, she holds an Associate of Applied Science from Hopkinsville Community College obtained in 1999. Her research interests include the long-term use of stimulant ADHD medications in the pediatric population. Miller is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and has contributed to various research publications related to pediatric emergency care and monitoring techniques. Her professional focus encompasses pediatric nursing, toxicology, and acute care, and she is involved in teaching within these areas.

Research topics

• Food science
• Biology
• Computer Science
• Business
• Psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Agricultural science

Selected publications

• The Effects of Aging Time on Eating Quality of Semimembranosus Steaks

  Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports · 2025-01-01

  article

  Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer palatability, instrumental tenderness, and objective color of semimembranosus steaks aged 14 to 70 days. Study Description: Beef semimembranosus subprimals were aged for 14, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, and 70 days, then cut into 1-in steaks. Color readings were taken before and after cooking. Steaks were cooked to 160°F then analyzed by consumers for overall liking, flavor, juiciness, and tenderness liking and acceptability. Color readings were used to calculate the percentage of oxymyoglobin (OMb), deoxymyoglobin (DMb), metmyoglobin (MMb), chroma, and hue angle. Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) tests were conducted. Results: Consumer sensory results showed 28, 56, and 70 day steaks rated higher (P < 0.05) for tenderness and overall liking scores compared to 14 day steaks. There was also a higher (P < 0.05) percentage of 70 day steaks rated as acceptable for tenderness compared to 14 day steaks. There were no other sensory differences (P > 0.05) found for flavor liking and juiciness liking. Moreover, WBSF values for 14 and 35 day steaks were higher (P < 0.05) than all other treatments. Conversely, 49, 56, and 63 day steaks had higher (P < 0.05) raw L* (lightness) values than 14 and 28 day steaks. Furthermore, 14, 28, 35, and 49 day steaks resulted in higher a* (redness) values (P < 0.05) compared to the 70 day treatment. Also, 70 day steaks had a higher (P < 0.05) percentage of MMb than the 28 day treatment, as well as a higher (P < 0.05) OMb percentage than both 49 and 56 day steaks. The Bottom Line: This research indicates extended aging improves tenderness and overall liking while not decreasing flavor for consumers, which supports using extended aging periods for historically tough muscles.

  PublisherDOI

• The Effects of Aging Time on the Eating Quality of Gluteus Medius Steaks

  Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports · 2025-01-01

  article

  Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the palatability characteristics and color traits of gluteus medius steaks aged 14, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, and 70 days. Study Description: Beef top sirloin butt subprimals were assigned to one of eight aging periods. Once aged, the gluteus medius was fabricated into 1-in. steaks. Steaks were used for consumer panels, Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), or raw/cooked color evaluation. Color data were collected on raw steaks. Steaks were cooked to 160°F and internal color data measured. Samples were cooled for 24 hours before WBSF determination. Steaks were cooked to 160°F for consumer ratings on overall juiciness, tenderness, and flavor liking. Results: Consumers found no difference (P > 0.05) among aging treatments for juiciness, tenderness, flavor, or overall liking. Although there were no differences (P > 0.05) in the percentage of samples rated acceptable for juiciness, tenderness, flavor, or overall liking, all treatments had, at minimum, 83% of samples rated overall acceptable by the consumers. Additionally, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in cooking loss, cooked L* (lightness), a* (redness), b* (yellowness), deoxymyoglobin (DMb), oxymyoglobin (OMb), metmyoglobin (MMb), chroma, or hue angle among all treatments. Steaks that were aged for 14 days had a higher (P < 0.05) WBSF value than all other treatments. Steaks aged for 63 and 70 days were more tender (P < 0.05) than samples aged for 42 days or less. Although there were differences found in raw color, there were few evident trends. Steaks that were aged for 14, 49, and 56 days were redder (P < 0.05) than those aged for 63 and 70 days. Steaks aged for 14 days were darker (P < 0.05) than steaks aged for 49 days or more. Although there were no differences (P > 0.05) in raw calculated MMb, there were differences (P < 0.05) in DMb, with values being higher in steaks aged 14, 35, 49, and 56 days than at 63 and 70 days. Furthermore, OMb was higher (P < 0.05) at 63 days than at 14, 35, 42, and 56 days. The Bottom Line: These results indicate that extending the aging time of gluteus medius steaks has limited impact on the palatability and color characteristics of the steaks.

  PublisherDOI

• A comparison of fatty acid percentages and mass, sensory attributes, and volatile aroma compounds for segregating beef quality grades

  Journal of Animal Science · 2025-01-01 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  We hypothesized that combining sensory flavor attributes, volatile aroma compounds (VAC), and fatty acid composition would better separate beef quality grades than fatty acid composition alone. Select, Choice, Prime, and Grass-fed ribeye rolls (n = 6 per group) were purchased from a local distributor, so production conditions or cattle type were unknown. Select cooked beef steaks ranked lowest for Beef Flavor, Bloody/Serumy, Brown/Roasted, and Umami (P ≤ 0.048). Prime steaks had greater values than other steak types for the VAC 2-methyl-butanal, 2-methyl-propanal (2MP), 3-methyl-butanal (3MB), and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3H2B) (P ≤ 0.025). There was a significant, positive correlation of 3MB and 3H2B with Beef Flavor (P ≤ 0.05), and 2MB, 3MB, and 2MP were significantly, positively correlated with Brown/Roasted (P ≤ 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) that included fatty acid percentages indicated that all positive flavor attributes clustered with 2MP and 3H2P, Grass-fed, and Prime. A PCA analysis that included mg fatty acid/100 g muscle (i.e., fatty acid mass) segregated all positive flavor attributes and all fatty acids with Grass-fed and Prime steaks, but VAC were not in the same quadrant. Fatty acid percentages, sensory attributes, and VAC were analyzed by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with Beef Flavor Identity as the dependent variable. Fatty acid composition alone could not completely segregate beef types. Analysis by PLS-DA with fatty acid percentage or mass, combined with sensory attributes and VAC, indicated that all beef types were distinctly separated. We conclude that the combination of sensory attributes, VAC, fatty acid composition better separate beef quality types than fatty acid percentages or mg fatty acid/100 g muscle alone.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Effects of Aging Time on the Eating Quality of Biceps Femoris Steaks

  Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports · 2025-01-01

  article

  Objective: This study evaluated the sensory, instrumental color, and tenderness characteristics of biceps femoris steaks aged from 14 to 70 days. Study Description: Beef sirloin top butt sub-primal cuts (n = 80) were collected from a commercial processing facility and aged at 35.6°F and 39.2°F throughout the duration of their aging periods. After aging, the biceps femoris and gluteus medius muscles were separated, and 1-in thick steaks were fabricated, packaged, frozen at -4°F, and stored for subsequent analysis. The steaks underwent instrumental evaluations for raw and cooked color traits, tenderness, and consumer sensory preferences. Results: There were no differences (P > 0.05) in the percentage of samples rated acceptable for flavor, juiciness, tenderness, or overall. Moreover, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in flavor, juiciness, tenderness, or overall liking among the different aging periods. Furthermore, no differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the percentage of cook loss, Warner Bratzler Shear Force, or cooked color readings among aging treatments. However, raw steaks aged 14 and 28 days had higher (P < 0.05) a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values than steaks aged 42, 49, or 70 days. The Bottom Line: Despite minor differences in raw color, the aging period had minimal impact on overall eating quality, indicating that within the studied range, the aging process has only a minimal effect on the quality traits of biceps femoris steaks.

  PublisherDOI

• Effects of relative humidity on dry-aged beef quality

  Meat Science · 2024-03-18 · 18 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Sensory and volatile aromatic compound differences of paired lamb loins with 0 or 14 day dry aging

  Small Ruminant Research · 2024-03-02 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A current review of U.S. beef flavor I: Measuring beef flavor

  Meat Science · 2024-01-23 · 16 citations

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• USA millennial and non-millennial beef consumers perception of beef, pork, and chicken

  Meat Science · 2024-04-13 · 3 citations

  articleCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Multivariate Examination of Metabolic Contributions to Beef Longissimus Lumborum Flavor

  Meat and Muscle Biology · 2024-02-16 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  We examined the impact of muscle metabolic capacity on beef longissimus lumborum flavor. Beef carcasses were selected to have normal or dark cutting lean color (n=160, each) and aged until 13 d postmortem. Muscle pH, glycolytic potential, mitochondrial DNA copy number, instrumental lean color, myoglobin concentration, carbonyls on sarcoplasmic proteins, initial metmyoglobin formation, bloom, proximate composition, slice shear force, sarcomere length, desmin degradation, overall tenderness, juiciness, and flavor profile were determined. Carcasses were clustered based on metabolic characteristics into dark cutting classes (Control, Shady, Moderate, and Severe), which were compared using analysis of variance and multiple factor analysis. Clusters were in general, but not complete, agreement with classifications based on muscle pH. Multiple factor analysis produced 2 dimensions that explained 30.8% and 13.8% of the variation, respectively. Dimension 1 had strong negative loadings for muscle pH and strong positive loadings for glycolytic potential, L*, a*, b*, initial metmyoglobin formation, and bloom. Ratings for fat-like, overall sweet, sweet, and musty/earthy/humus had relatively weak positive loadings for dimension 1, whereas salt, sour, and metallic ratings had weak negative loadings for dimension 1. Overall tenderness and juiciness ratings, marbling score, intramuscular lipid content, carbonyls on sarcoplasmic proteins, and L* had positive loadings for dimension 2. Ratings for fat-like, beef flavor identity, and brown/roasted had positive loadings for dimension 2, and intramuscular moisture content, slice shear force, and mitochondrial copy number had negative loadings. Sample scores stratified dark cutting clusters along dimension 1, which agreed with univariate comparisons for these traits. Sample scores for dimension 2 were greater for Moderate and Control steaks than for Shady steaks. These data indicate that clustering was effective in segmenting them into groupings more indicative of the metabolic machinery than pH alone. Moreover, the semetabolic differences influenced animal variation in beef flavor profile.

  PublisherDOI

• National Beef Tenderness Survey—2022: Consumer Sensory Panel Evaluations and Warner-Bratzler Shear Force of Beef Steaks From Retail and Foodservice

  Meat and Muscle Biology · 2024-01-18 · 8 citations

  articleOpen access

  Beef retail steaks from establishments across 11 US cities and beef foodservice steaks from establishments in 6 US cities were evaluated by consumer sensory evaluations and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force analyses. The retail tenderloin had the lowest (P&amp;lt;0.05) WBS force value compared to other retail cuts. The retail steak with the greatest (P&amp;lt;0.05) WBS force value was the top sirloin. Foodservice ribeye and top loin steaks had greater (P&amp;lt;0.05) WBS force values compared to the tenderloin. All retail top blade, bone-in ribeye, Porterhouse, and tenderloin steaks were categorized as“very tender” (&amp;lt;31.4 N). There were no (P&amp;gt;0.05) differences in WBS force values among USDA quality grade groups for foodservice steaks. Retail tenderloin steaks received the highest (P&amp;lt;0.05) consumer rating for overall like/dislike, tenderness like/dislike,tenderness level, flavor like/dislike, and juiciness like/dislike compared to all other retail cuts. There were no (P&amp;gt;0.05)differences among the 4 foodservice cuts for consumer sensory ratings of overall like/dislike, tenderness like/dislike, tenderness level, flavor like/dislike, and juiciness like/dislike. There were no (P&amp;gt;0.05) USDA quality grade differences for ribeye, top loin, top sirloin, and tenderloin foodservice steaks for overall like/dislike, tenderness like/dislike, tenderness level, flavor like/dislike, and juiciness like/dislike. Regardless of source (foodservice or retail), USDA grade group, or beef cut, measures of tenderness in this survey reveal ratings and values that should meet most consumer expectations in the marketplace.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• C. R. Kerth

  Texas A&M University

  109 shared

• J.W. Savell

  Texas A&M University

  81 shared

• H. L. Laird

  Texas A&M University

  40 shared

• D. B. Griffin

  Texas A&M University

  37 shared

• Kerri B. Gehring

  Texas A&M University

  35 shared

• A. N. Arnold

  Wellborn Road Veterinary Medical Center

  32 shared

• Stephen B. Smith

  Mitchell Institute

  24 shared

• D. S. Hale

  21 shared