Digital Commons Network^™

Cancer Risk Prediction With Whole Exome Sequencing And Machine Learning, Abdulrhman Fahad M Aljouie

Dissertations

Accurate cancer risk and survival time prediction are important problems in personalized medicine, where disease diagnosis and prognosis are tuned to individuals based on their genetic material. Cancer risk prediction provides an informed decision about making regular screening that helps to detect disease at the early stage and therefore increases the probability of successful treatments. Cancer risk prediction is a challenging problem. Lifestyle, environment, family history, and genetic predisposition are some factors that influence the disease onset. Cancer risk prediction based on predisposing genetic variants has been studied extensively. Most studies have examined the predictive ability of variants in known …

Kinematic Differences On Mid-Range Basketball Jump-Shot Between Experienced And Less-Experienced Collegiate Player, Agam Akhmad Syaukani, Li Chun Yan

Jurnal Keolahragaan

Jump shot in modern basketball is an effective scoring way to overcome pressure of the defender. Fundamental jump shot technique relies on experience and biomechanical analyses. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate kinematic profile of basketball players based on their experience level during mid-range jump shot. Four experienced basketball players and four less-experienced basketball players participated in the experiment. Jump shot phase was classified into 3 categories: preparatory, action, and follow-through. Angular displacement and angular velocity were measured using three-dimension (3D) motion capture technology. One-way Anova analysis indicated significant differences on several kinematic parameters between groups. On preparatory …

The Place Of Crossbred Lambs In Australian Lamb Production, David L. Hopkins, Suzanne I. Mortimer, Jessica S. Richards

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The Australian sheep industry, particularly the lamb meat sector has undergone a major change in focus, such that consumer requirements are a paramount determinant for production and processing developments. This change has been facilitated by the use of cross breeding production systems where the benefits of heterosis are captured and the implementation of a performance recording system amongst initially, breeders of terminal sires. This sector of the industry has strongly embraced genetic selection using objectively measured traits and this is one of the contributors to the superior growth rate of crossbred progeny over pure bred progeny. A crossbreeding system does …

Characterizing Feeds And Feed Availability In Sud-Kivu Province, Dr Congo, Samy B. Bacigale, Birthe K. Paul, Fabrice L. Muhimuzi, Neville Mapenzi, Michael Peters, Brigitte L. Maass

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Animal husbandry in the Sud-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is gradually moving towards stall feeding, due to demographic pressure (Battistin et al. 2009) and scarcity of collectable forages (DSRP-RDC 2005). Therefore, feed is considered one of the main constraints faced by livestock production, especially in the dry season (Katunga et al. 2009; Maass et al. 2012). Unaffordable, fluctuating prices and inaccessibility of feed concentrates and the lack of improved forages adapted to marginal conditions, making them non-competitive with food crops, further exacerbate the livestock feeding situation. This study within the African Food …

Effect Of Hospital Volume On Outcomes Of Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Syed Hamza Mufarrih, Muhammad Owais Abdul Ghani, Russell S. Martins, Nada Qaisar Qureshi, Sayyeda Aleena Mufarrih, Azeem Tariq Malik, Shahryar Noordin

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: A shift in the healthcare system towards the centralization of common yet costly surgeries, such as total hip arthroplasty (THA), to high-volume centers of excellence, is an attempt to control the economic burden while simultaneously enhancing patient outcomes. The "volume-outcome" relationship suggests that hospitals performing more treatment of a given type exhibit better outcomes than hospitals performing fewer. This theory has surfaced as an important factor in determining patient outcomes following THA. We performed a systematic review with meta-analyses to review the available evidence on the impact of hospital volume on outcomes of THA.
Materials and methods: We conducted …

Cognitively Normal Women With Alzheimer’S Disease Proteinopathy Show Relative Preservation Of Memory But Not Of Hippocampal Volume, Jessica Z.K. Caldwell, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Sarah J. Banks, Sebastian Palmqvist, Oskar Hansson

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: We examined interactive effects of sex, diagnosis, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta/phosphorylated tau ratio (Aβ/P-tau) on verbal memory and hippocampal volumes. Methods: We assessed 682 participants (350 women) from BioFINDER (250 cognitively normal [CN]; and 432 symptomatic: 186 subjective cognitive decline [SCD], 246 mild cognitive impairment [MCI]). General linear models evaluated effects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) proteinopathy (CSF Aß/p-tau ratio), diagnosis, and sex on verbal memory (ADAS-cog 10-word recall), semantic fluency (animal naming fluency), visuospatial skills (cube copy), processing speed/attention functions (Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Trail Making Part A), and hippocampal volumes. Results: Amyloid-positive (Aβ/P-tau+) CN women …

Urbanization And Population Growth: Projected Impacts Of Growth On Ecological Resources In Ontario1, Laura J. Bozzelli

International ResearchScape Journal

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of The Effect Of Exercise Dose And Integrative Nonpharmacological Therapies In The Treatment Of Chronic Pain, Anna M. Polaski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain includes debilitating conditions affecting large populations of people throughout the world. These diseases are further complicated by comorbid psychological disorders which make chronic pain conditions difficult to treat. Nonpharmacological treatment options have more recently become an important mainstay of effective therapies and are currently being used to supplement or replace traditional pharmacological treatment methods. Exercise-based therapies in particular are of interest due to their demonstrated success in reducing pain symptoms as well as improving psychological outcomes. Dose is an important factor in being able to effectively prescribe treatments in the context of specific exercise interventions and specific pain …

The Ethics Of Ivf, Breanna Beers

Bioethics in Faith and Practice

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has promised hope to many couples struggling with the pain of infertility. However, as with any new medical technology, the ethical implications of this procedure must be examined, particularly in light of recent events such as the birth of the first genetically modified human beings, made possible by IVF. It is crucial to examine oppositions to IVF based on principle, as well as address concerns related to adjacent issues such as the discard of unused embryos; the selection, payment, privacy, and parental rights of donors and surrogates; the importance of genetic parenthood; new combinations of gametes; …

Representative Economic Budgets For Nebraska Cow Herds, Glennis Mcclure, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

In 2017, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources (IANR) and Nebraska Extension made a commitment to implement a multidisciplinary Beef Systems Initiative (BSI). BSI is administered by the Center for Grassland Studies and is comprised of six projects designed to develop and support implementation of beef production systems that optimize feed resource use, natural resource conservation, and producer success in Nebraska through improved management of perennial grasslands and systems of integrated crop-beef cattle production. In addition to BSI, a parallel project funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is studying the best practices …

Genetic Taster Status As A Mediator Of Neural Activity And Swallowing Mechanics In Healthy Adults, Angela M. Dietsch, Ross M. Westemeyer, William G. Pearson Jr., Douglas H. Schultz

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

As part of a larger study examining relationships between taste properties and swallowing, we assessed the influence of genetic taster status (GTS) on measures of brain activity and swallowing physiology during taste stimulation in healthy men and women. Twenty-one participants underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during trials of high-intensity taste stimuli. The precisely formulated mixtures included sour, sweet-sour, lemon, and orange taste profiles and unflavored controls. Swallowing physiology was characterized via computational analysis of swallowing mechanics plus other kinematic and temporal measures, all extracted from VFSS recordings. Whole-brain analysis of fMRI data assessed blood …

Sixteen Years Of Social And Ecological Dynamics Reveal Challenges And Opportunities For Adaptive Management In Sustaining The Commons, Josh Eli Cinner, J. D. Lau, Andrew G. Bauman, David A. Feary, Fraser A. Januchowski-Hartley, C. A. Rojas, M. L. Barnes, B. J. Bergseth, E. Shum, R. Lahari, J. Ben, N. A. J. Graham

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Efforts to confront the challenges of environmental change and uncertainty include attempts to adaptively manage social–ecological systems. However, critical questions remain about whether adaptive management can lead to sustainable outcomes for both ecosystems and society. Here, we make a contribution to these efforts by presenting a 16-y analysis of ecological outcomes and perceived livelihood impacts from adaptive coral reef management in Papua New Guinea. The adaptive management system we studied was a customary rotational fisheries closure system (akin to fallow agriculture), which helped to increase the biomass of reef fish and make fish less wary (more catchable) relative to openly …

Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae And Membracidae) From Madre De Dios Region, Peru, Chung-Ping Lin, Munetoshi Maruyama, Jo-Fan Wang, Paige E. Miller, Caroline S. Chaboo

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A list of treehoppers (Aetalionidae and Membracidae) is presented from Madre de Dios region at the southeastern Amazon basin in Peru. The treehopper specimens were collected as by-catch in a survey of the beetles in the Villa Carmen Biological Station and Los Amigos Biological Station. The list comprises 44 species, 31 genera, 16 tribes and 9 subfamilies. Ten genera are new records to Peru. The images of representative specimens of each identified species and genera are provided to facilitate the identification of the local treehopper fauna.

Resumen: Se presenta una lista de los membrácidos (Aetalionidae y Membracidae) de la región …

‘Am I Turning Into A Man?’ Experiences Of Pakistani Women With Pcos, Rida E Zehra Zaidi

MSJ Capstone Projects

According to the National Institutes of Health, 20 – 25% of all regularly ovulating women have PCOS. This disorder has a range of visible symptoms including excessive weight gain, hirsutism, acne, and hair loss among others. These symptoms make it difficult for women with the syndrome to fit the femininity ideals of the society, as it demands female bodies to be slim, smart, hair less, and to have porcelain skin and regular menstrual cycles. Women with PCOS and other health problems in Pakistan spend all their lives fighting unnecessary battles. This struggle has severe impacts on their physical and mental …

Wheelchair Propulsion For Everyday Manual Wheelchair Users: Repetition Training And Machine Learning-Based Monitoring, Pin-Wei Chen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Upper limb pain and injuries are prevalent among manual wheelchair users and can restrict their participation and daily activities. Due to the high repetition and force in wheelchair propulsion, chronic wheelchair propulsion has been linked to the risk of upper limb pain and injury. Prevention of upper limb pain and injury is a high priority in wheelchair-related research. Decades of research in wheelchair propulsion biomechanics have led to clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Unfortunately, a decade after the publication of the CPG, CPG-recommended propulsion is still uncommon. Hence, for the first aim, a randomized controlled trial pilot study with two groups …

What If The Key To Climate Change Is Hiding Under The Sea?, Shira Feder

Capstones

“We know more about outer space than we do the ocean,” says Vicki Ferrini, a research scientist at Columbia University with over 20 ocean expeditions under her belt. And as the woman leading Seabed 2030, the charge to map the world’s oceans—which are 85% unexplored—she knows how vital this is to combat climate change and exactly how she’s going to do it. Read it here: https://medium.com/@shira.feder/what-if-the-key-to-climate-change-is-hiding-under-the-sea-4503565c33a2

Vaxinsight: An Artificial Intelligence System To Access Large-Scale Public Perceptions Of Vaccination From Social Media, Jingcheng Du

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Vaccination is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. A high vaccination rate is required to reduce the prevalence and incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. However, in the last two decades, there has been a significant and increasing number of people who refuse or delay getting vaccinated and who prohibit their children from receiving vaccinations. Importantly, under-vaccination is associated with infectious disease outbreaks. A good understanding of public perceptions regarding vaccinations is important if we are to develop effective vaccination promotion strategies. Traditional methods of research, such as surveys, suffer limitations that impede our understanding of …

Bone-Loading Physical Activity And Alcohol Intake But Not Bmi Affect Areal Bone Mineral Density In Young College-Aged Korean Women: A Cross-Sectional Study., Dong Jun Sung, Harshvardhan Singh, Seung-Bum Oh, Sojung Kim

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the differences in areal bone mineral density (aBMD) based on alcohol consumption behaviors, bone-loading history as assessed by a bone-specific physical activity questionnaire (BPAQ), and the body mass index (BMI). College-aged female students (N = 112) were recruited from the universities in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, South Korea. The aBMD of the lumbar spine and non-dominant side of the proximal femur (total hip, TH; femoral neck, FN; femoral trochanter, FT) were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Alcohol consumption was determined by the frequency and amount of alcohol intake during …

From Field To Film: Mosquito Surveillance And Survey Of Us Adults' Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Arthropod-Borne Disease Vectors, Justine Laviolette

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mosquito-borne disease is a public health challenge that warrants an active surveillance program for the identification of mosquito populations and the education of the public for prevention and protection against disease-transmitting arthropods. The communication of science to the public is necessary to prevent disease, change behavior, and promote a dialog between scientists and the public.

People are accustomed to high quality entertainment, which begs the question, “If we made science more entertaining, would the public be more interested?”

To address these issues, the objectives of this study are: 1) identify mosquito species and abundance at the US Meat Animal Research …

Accrual Accounting And The Farm Business, Part Ii, Tim L. Meyers

Cornhusker Economics

My last Cornhusker Economics article, Accounting Assumptions and the Farm Business (10-16-19) set the foundation for a specific evaluation of the conceptual framework accrual accounting offers the farm or ranch manager. The article addressed cash accounting and hinted at its shortfalls which were rectified by accrual accounting. This article will explain conceptual frameworks, and two accrual accounting principles; namely the revenue recognition principle and the matching principle.

During one of my graduate school experiences, I encountered a professor who seemed to be in love with conceptual frameworks. I chose a framework and tried to use it as instructed, but it …

Genetics With Nettie And Friends: An Exploration Of Genetics In Children's Literature, Erin Soule, Madeleine Gray Burland

Honors Projects

Genetics with Nettie and Friends is an exploration of chromosomal disorders and its place within children's literature. The book provides a comprehensive examination the genetic composition of Downs syndrome, Williams Syndrome, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy at a level to increase understanding in children. This paper provides an insight to the development and construction of the children's book that is available for purchase on Barnes and Noble as well as why representation of genetic disorders in children's literature is needed.

Examining The Relationship Of Exercise And Sleep In Students Across Multiple Academic Disciplines, Taylor Zewe

Honors Projects

Students in college learn the importance of balancing their academic studies with their sleep and exercise habits. The amount of sleep and exercise a student recieves has been examined in previous research studies. In these studies it was found that exercise had a postive affect on the amount of sleep received. However, there is little research on the affect academic discipline has on sleep habits and/or exercise habits of students in college. The purpose of this study is to examine the sleep and exercise habits among students in multiple academic majors at Bowling Green State University.

Undergraduates And Stress, Mahra Crone

Honors Projects

America is facing a serious mental health crisis, which may be an effect of increased chronic stress. Students, in particular, are vulnerable to this hazard as most face a moderate to extreme amount of stress. The programs which colleges and universities have put into place are outdated. Ineffective treatment of mental health crises leads to disastrous consequences. The present study analyzed the effects of major and grade level on stress level and sources of stress for undergraduate universities at both a large, public university and a small, private college. The author found that a student’s grade level and choice of …

Biological And Psychological Implications Of Mindfulness Meditation For College Students, Kelsey Madison Dietrich

Honors Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was threefold: investigate the psychological implications of mindfulness meditation for college students enrolled in a semester-long course introducing these practices, investigate the biological implications of mindfulness meditation for these students, and create the Peer Education “Mindfulness” presentation for the Wellness Connection to introduce mindfulness meditation methods to a greater quantity of college students. The following paper describes the two components of this capstone project that examine the implications of mindfulness meditation opportunities available for college students specifically at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Global Impacts From Improved Tropical Forages: A Meta-Analysis Revealing Overlooked Benefits And Costs, Evolving Values And New Priorities, Douglas S. White, Michael Peters, Peter Horne

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The wider use and improved performance of planted tropical forages can substantially change social, economic and environmental landscapes. By reviewing impact-related studies published in the past two decades, this paper shows how evolving development priorities have influenced the types of impacts being documented. A meta-analysis was used to examine 98 studies according to: (1) breadth of reported effects, as related to development goals of social equity, economic growth and environmental sustainability; (2) extent of effects, ranging from intermediate to longer-term impacts; and (3) measurement precision (identification, description and quantification). Impacts have been assessed for fewer than half of the documented …

The Black Identity, Hair Product Use, And Breast Cancer Scale, Dede Teteh, Marissa Ericson, Sabine Monice, Lenna Dawkins-Moultin, Nasim Bahadorani, Phyllis Clark, Eudora Mitchell, Lindsey S. Treviño, Adana Llanos, Rick Kittles, Susanne Montgomery

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Introduction
Across the African Diaspora, hair is synonymous with identity. As such, Black women use a variety of hair products, which often contain more endocrine-disrupting chemicals than products used by women of other races. An emerging body of research is linking chemicals in hair products to breast cancer, but there is no validated instrument that measures constructs related to hair, identity, and breast health. The objective of this study was to develop and validate the Black Identity, Hair Product Use, and Breast Cancer Scale (BHBS) in a diverse sample of Black women to measure the social and cultural constructs associated …

The Impact Of Veterans Treatment Courts On The Community, Daniela Mettos, Amanda Leingang

Cornhusker Economics

With the United States’ ongoing presence in the Middle East and the ever-present possibility of future conflict, the commitment to tend to the unique needs of veterans returning from combat is an essential one. The number of veterans suffering from mental health issues, substance abuse disorders, and physical trauma continues to rise. With this comes an increased risk of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), drug and alcohol abuse, and repeating criminal behavior, all of which increase the likelihood that veterans will find themselves involved in the criminal justice system at some point following their combat service.

Utilizing effective, reliable, and focused …

Narratives Of Canadian Identity At The Ultimate Fighting Championship, Jared V. Walters

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the use of representations and symbols of Canadian identity within the event coverage produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship Corporation, in the context of its two key events, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Fight Night, produced in Canada. To establish the historical context in which the sport developed in Canada, a narrative historiography of the political and legal struggles that led to the legalization and increasing popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, and the UFCC’s version of the sport, in particular. This first major part of the dissertation is contained in Study 1. The …

A New Species Of Allomallodon Santos-Silva And Galileo, 2010 From Bolivia (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Macrotomini), James E. Wappes, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Allomallodon Santos-Silva and Galileo, 2010, A. bolivianus Wappes and Santos-Silva (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Macrotomini), is described from Bolivia and a key is provided to separate the three species now assigned to the genus.

Bone Mineral Density Of The Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops Truncatus: A Proposed Model For Monitoring Osteological And Ecosystem Health, James Wright Burrus Powell

Dissertations and Theses

Bone mineral density (BMD) in the pectoral flipper of the common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, was examined to address the need to define a comprehensive target site for clinical osteodensitometric assessment and to establish ranges of observed bone density values for this species. Radii were analyzed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the accepted standard in human medical studies. Multiple loci within the radius were identified and assessed for their correlation to BMD of the entire bone. Radii BMD were also examined for differences based on sex, age, total body length, handedness, geographical affinity, and nutritional status at time …