Digital Commons Network^™

Insights Into The Feeding Behaviors And Biomechanics Of Varroa Destructor Mites On Honey Bee Pupae Using Electropenetrography And Histology, Andrew Y. Li, Steven C. Cook, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Francisco Pasada-Florez, Noble I.I. Noble, Joseph Mowery, Conner J. Gulbronson, Gary R. Bauchan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Feeding behaviors and biomechanics of female Varroa destructor mites are revealed from AC-DC electropenetrography (EPG) recordings of mites feeding from Apis mellifera honey bee pupae and histology of mite internal ingestion apparatus. EPG signals characteristic of arthropod suction feeding (ingestion) were identified for mites that fed on pupae during overnight recordings. Ingestion by these mites was confirmed afterwards by observing internally fluorescent microbeads previously injected into their hosts. Micrographs of internal ingestion apparatus illustrate the connection between a gnathosomal tube and a pharyngeal lumen, which is surrounded by alternating dilator and constrictor muscles. Inspection of EPG signals showed the muscularized …

Development And In Vitro Evaluation Of Buccal Effervescent Tablet Containing Ropinirole Hydrochloride, Shahla S. Smail, Naz J. Ibrahim, Nozad R. Hussein

Polytechnic Journal

The buccal delivery is an attractive route to improve the clinical efficacy of ropinirole hydrochloride (RH) for the treatment of Parkinson and restless syndrome since this drug undergoes extensive first-pass effect, which has only 50% bioavailability after oral administration. The purpose of this study was to develop and optimize the formulation of fast disintegrating buccal effervescent tablets of RH using four types of superdisintegrants. The direct compression method was used to develop four different formulas containing RH using Kyron T-314, crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, and sodium starch glycolate separately as a superdisintegrant. Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid were added to the …

Dosimetric Analysis With Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy For Central Nervous System Irradiation In Patients With Brain Cancer Compared With Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy Treatment, Noor S. Omar, Ronak T. Ali

Polytechnic Journal

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was put as the development of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). The purpose of the present study is to compare the dosimetric analysis of two techniques of radiotherapy (IMRT) and 3D-CRT, which include target volume and organ at risk for both plans. The present study enrolled that nine patients with different types of brain cancer which previously irradiated from November 2018 to May 2019 were selected in Zhianawa Cancer Center in Sulaymaniyah; all cases were planned again by both techniques 3D-CRT and IMRT. IMRT planning provides reducing the dose of both right and left optic nerve …

Knowledge And Attitudes Of Pregnant Women Regarding Breastfeeding, Hamdia M. Ahmed, Safyia Sabri Piro

Polytechnic Journal

Inadequate knowledge or inappropriate attitude about breastfeeding may lead to undesirable consequences. This study assessed the breastfeeding knowledge and attitude of pregnant women about breastfeeding. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 pregnant women from four primary health-care centers in Erbil City/Iraqi Kurdistan from March 15, 2017, to May 15, 2017. A structured questionnaire was developed based on the evidence in the literature. A face to face interview technique was used for data collection. Overall, 61.7% of mothers had a poor level of knowledge of breastfeeding despite having a positive attitude (96.7%). There was a significant association between mothers’ …

Prevalence Of Cigarette And “Waterpipe” Smoking Among “Duhok Universities” Students, Masood Abdulkareem Abdurahman, Jader Aziz Jader

Polytechnic Journal

Tobacco use is considered one of the largest public health threats facing the world. Waterpipe smoking (WPS) is a customary and cultural method of tobacco consumption in many parts of the world. This study aimed to find the prevalence of smoking among Duhok city University students in Iraq and to assess students’ knowledge regarding smoking. A cross-sectional, self-completed questionnaire-based study was conducted at four Universities in Duhok city. According to the study’s objectives, scientific and literature colleges from each university are selected. The selection of the number of enrolled colleges and departments is proportionate with total university students’ number. The …

Effects Of Fly Ash And Granulated Ground Blast Furnace Slag On Stabilization Of Crude Oil Contamination Sandy Soil, Mohamed Arbili, Farman Ghaffoor, Mohamed M. Arbili

Polytechnic Journal

This paper deals with on stabilization of crude oil-contaminated soil. Industrial waste materials such as GGBFS and fly ash (FA) are used to achieve acceptable results for compaction and strength properties. GGBFS and FA utilized in two groups of soil (clean soil and 6% contaminated with crude oil) with varying proportions of GGBFS and FA by weight of soil. The primary goals of this study explain to establish a conclusion that GGBFS and FA are the best byproduct stabilizer material for increasing the strength and stability of soil by investigating samples of soil. In this study, the effect of GGBFS …

A Correlation Between Compaction Characteristics And Soil Index Properties For Fine-Grained Soils, Hunar Hama Ali, Ahmed Jabar Hamarash, Madeh Izat Hamakareem, Daban A. Muhedin

Polytechnic Journal

This paper addresses the correlation between the liquid and/or plastic limits with the compaction characteristics, maximum dry density, and optimum moisture content (OMC), for fine-grained soils. In the previous studies, several attempts have been made to identify these two important parameters from other simple soil properties such as index soil properties. Some concluded that liquid limit shows a good correlation with compaction characteristics, while others observed that plastic limit does. In this work, many soil samples have been taken from various locations around Koya city and the required tests have been carried out. The results have been illustrated to identify …

Cytotoxic Effects Of Vitamin D3 On Tumor Cell Lines, Twana A. Mustafa, Iman M. Rasul

Polytechnic Journal

Vitamin D3 is a potent antiproliferative agent against various tumor cells in vitro. Here, the results of Vitamin D3 study as a potential antitumor therapy in vitro are presented. Applying antiproliferative 3(4,5-dimethyl- 2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-terazolium bromide assays, the inhibitory effects of the Vitamin D were measured. The following cancer cell lines were employed: L20B (normal cell line) and RD (malignant rhabdomyosarcoma). Both cell lines were cultivated in 96-wells culture plates in the presence and absence of different doses of Vitamin D (10–6, 10–8, and 10–10 ?g/ml) for 24 and 48 h. In vitro results of cytotoxic effects were variable on both cell …

A Mathematical Model For Prediction The Embedment Depth Of The Contiguous Piles Used In The Interchange Of Zakho Entrance, Najdat S. Akrawi, Shimal A. Ahmed

Polytechnic Journal

Determination of the depths of the embedment of contiguous piles requires extensive soil investigation to obtain the soil physical parameters. In addition, a large number of such piles involved in restricted access projects make that depth an essential problem. A simple mathematical model for predicting the depth of embedment using the height of the retained soil, the standard penetration test values, and the bulk unit weight of the soils encountered for 261 pile data sets was introduced using an artificial neural network approach. The coefficient of determination equals to 0.99 for the tested the data reveal that the depth of …

Estimation Of Serum Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance And Lipid Profile In Beta-Thalassemia Major Patients And Their Correlation With Iron Overload In Koya City, Kochar K. Saleh, Saman R. Abdullah, Rukhosh E. Mekha

Polytechnic Journal

The current study focused on 43 patients who suffer from major beta-thalassemia at the hospital of shaheed Dr. Khaled in the Koya city. Out range, age of cases was 8.03 ± 4.0 and of controls was 7.81 ± 3.11 years. Our aim is to observe the prevalence of homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance and other physiological and biochemical changes in major beta-thalassemia. While we a significant changes confirm that serum glucose concentration was significantly higher in the patients than in the controls (P ? 0.01) and lipid abnormality occurs in beta-thalassemia major patients, which include high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), …

Detection Of Helicobacterpylori Antigens Among Patients With Gastroenteritis In Erbil City, Iraq, Karim J. S., Pshtewan D. Majeed, Kareem K. Hamad, Kareem K. Hamad

Polytechnic Journal

Helicobacter pylori is a significant pathogen of the gastrointestinal tract infection connected with gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric carcinoma. Its infection influence more than half of the world’s inhabitants. This study aims to reveal the prevalence rate of H. pylori infection among patients with gastroenteritis and to investigate the risk factors such as age, gender, residency, blood group and rhesus factors related to this infection in Erbil city. Of 300 stool specimens from patients presenting with gastroenteritis who were admitted to Rizgary Teaching Hospital, Erbil, Iraq, from September 2018 to February 2019 were collected and screened for the presence of …

Treatment Of Wastewater Disposal From The General Hospital In Tuz Region Using Alum And Bentonite, Shno M. Ali

Polytechnic Journal

The general hospital in Tuz town in Iraq suffers from the absence of a wastewater treatment plant, in which the disposals of the hospital are discharged directly into the sewerage system. The aim of this study is to use simple and basic methods for treating wastewater from the general hospital in Tuz Town using bentonite clay and alum with different dosages by methods of coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation using Jar test, to measure the general characteristics of wastewater such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), potential of hydrogen (PH), electrical conductivity (EC), nitrates (NO3), phosphates (PO4), hardness, …

Tensile Strength Modeling Of Limestone Rocks In Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq Using Simple Tests, Diyari Abdulrahman Mohammed, Younis M. Alshkane

Polytechnic Journal

Tensile strength of rocks is one of the mechanical properties of intact rock that is a significant parameter for designing geotechnical structures includes dam foundations and tunnels. The tensile strength can be determined indirectly using Brazilian indirect test procedure that is mentioned in the International Society for Rock Mechanics suggested methods. The availability of rock samples is needed to perform the Brazilian indirect test so as to determine their tensile strength which is expensive, time-consuming, and cost-effective especially for weak quality rock formations. Therefore, non-destructive methods for predicting the tensile strength of the rock are crucially needed during the poor …

Synthesis Of Zinc Sulfide Nanoparticles By Chemical Coprecipitation Method And Its Bactericidal Activity Application, Rebaz A. Omar, Karzan Abdul-Kareem Omar, Aqeel Ismael Gheni, Rekar Q. Ahmad, Sheyma M. Salih

Polytechnic Journal

A particle of zinc sulfide (ZnS) was synthesized by the chemical coprecipitation method using zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO4), ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 as a reactant, and thiourea as a stabilizer and capping agent. The optioned product characterized by electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy that exhibits the presence of Zn and S elements. The average particle size of the ZnS nanoparticles determined using X-ray diffraction is about 4.9 nm. The ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy showed the blue shift in wavelength and the band gap was 4.33 eV, the surface morphology of the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles powder was studied by scan electron microscopy which was showed …

Review Of Seismic Characteristics In Erbil City, The Capital Of The Kurdistan Region Of Iraq, Zina A. Abduljaleel, Bahman O. Taha

Polytechnic Journal

Erbil city essentially suffers from the risk of earthquakes generated by Zagros-Taurus Belt. The central objective of this study is to identify the seismic characteristics and required seismic parameters for structural analysis. The methodology concentrated on reviewing the seismology and geology of Erbil city. It was concluded that the tectonically classified by an outer platform of the low folded zone in the position of Western Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt of the Arabian plate, geologically covered by Quaternary sediments and lithologically described by fluvial sediments, and the dynamic soil properties classified by site Class D. Seismicity review indicated that the seismic source …

Evaluation Of Mix Proportions And Mechanical Properties Of Normal And High-Strength Fibers Concrete, Imad R. Mustafa, Omar Q. Aziz

Polytechnic Journal

An experimental program is carried out to evaluate the mix design and mechanical properties of normal strength concrete (NSC) grade 40 MPa and high-strength concrete grade 60 and 80 MPa. The study investigates using silica fume to produce high-strength concrete grade 80 MPa and highlights the influence of adding steel fiber on the mechanical properties of normal and high-strength concrete. For NSC, the compressive strength is found at 7 and 28 days. While for higher strength concrete, the compressive strength is determined at 7, 28, and 56 days. The splitting tensile strength and flexural strength is determined at 28 days. …

Histopathological Diagnosis Of Peptic Ulcer Biopsies In Koya City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Mehri M. Salih

Polytechnic Journal

Peptic ulcer disease is the common gastrointestinal disorder, which affects the high number of people during their life. The present study was carried out among 267 patients with different upper gastrointestinal symptoms, at the Department of Endoscopy, Shahid Dr.Khalid Hospital/in Koya city during 1/2018-1/2019, all patients were assessed endoscopically and biopsies from both antral and body mucosa were taken for histopathological examination. The aim of this study was to determine the spectrum of histopathological biopsies of the gastric region with the distribution of peptic ulcer biopsies according to age and sex in Koya city, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The study showed …

Effects Of Video Technology On Cooking Self-Efficacy, Zakary Kaesberg

Theses and Dissertations

College students, on average, have poor nutritional habits associated with increasing risk of obesity and chronic disease later in life. Today’s average student has low self-efficacy for cooking meals in the home and thus, is highly dependent on convenience-type food items. A valuable technique for improving cooking skill in individuals is through the use of video technology to teach cooking. Undergraduate students are likely Millennials, and prefer to use technology for learning purposes. The objective of this study was to test the effect of video technology on cooking self-efficacy in undergraduate college students living off-campus at a public Midwestern University. …

Index To Volume 87

Nebraska Bird Review

14 pages: Akers, Danny 108 to Zeglen, Nancy 45

2019 Hitchcock Raptor Banding Project In Perspective, Jerry Toll

Nebraska Bird Review

Hitchcock Nature Center in Pottawattamie County, north of Crescent, Iowa, is home to the Hitchcock HawkWatch and Raptor Banding Project. The Nature Center is in the heart of the Loess Hills which, together with the flat expanse of the Missouri River Valley to the west, provides the perfect conditions for creating the updraft that aids migrating birds. The Hawkwatch began in 1992, and every fall from September through December, birds-of-prey enthusiasts gather on the 45-foot observation tower to watch and count thousands of eagles, hawks, and other raptors as they migrate south. Every year since 2007, Sandy Reinken and I …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 87 December 2019 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August - November 2019, by W. Ross Silcock …118-138

2019 Hitchcock Raptor Banding Project in Perspective, by Jerry Toll …138-147

Imperial Fall Field Days, Sept 13-15, 2019 …148-152

Index to Volume 87 …153-166

Subscription and Organization Information …167

The Effects Of Ship Wakes In The Venice Lagoon And Implications For The Sustainability Of Shipping In Coastal Waters, Gian Marco Scarpa, Luca Zaggia, Giorgia Manfe, Giuliano Lorenzetti, Kevin E. Parnell, Tarmo Soomere, John Rapaglia, Emanuela Molinaroli

Biology Faculty Publications

We analyse the impact of ship traffic in the vicinity of navigation channels in a wide shallow waterbody. The crucial hydrodynamic driver in this situation is the depression (Bernoulli) wake that may be transferred into a long-living solitary wave of depression over the shoals. The analysis considers navigation channels in the Venice Lagoon using a new large dataset of approximately 600 measured wake events associated to specific ships whose data are provided by the AIS system. Since the development of the modern industrial port and the opening of the Malamocco–Marghera channel in the late 1960s, growing pressure on the lagoon …

Bowles, Hunter Joe, B. 1996 (Fa 1384), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1384. Interviews with honey and mushroom producers in southcentral Kentucky, conducted by Hunter Bowles in fall 2019 for a WKU folk studies class in foodways.

A Novel Switch-Like Function Of Delta-Catenin In Dendrite Development, Ryan Baumert

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The formation of neuronal networks in the brain is tightly regulated, and dependent on the morphology of dendrites, the branch-like signal-receiving structures extending from neurons. Disruptions in dendrite development, or dendritogenesis, can lead to the atypical neuronal connectivity associated with multiple neurodevelopmental diseases. My research addresses molecular processes that underlie dendritogenesis via analysis of a pair of novel interactions involving the protein delta-catenin.

In neurons, delta-catenin localizes to dendrites and synapses, where it functions in their development and maintenance. Structurally, delta-catenin possesses a central Armadillo domain and a C-terminal PDZ-binding motif. This motif associates with PDZ domain-containing proteins, and is …

Multidrug Resistance Regulators Mara, Soxs, Rob, And Rama Repress Flagellar Gene Expression And Motility In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Srinivas Thota, Lon Chubiz

Biology Department Faculty Works

Production of flagella is costly and subject to global multilayered regulation, which is reflected in the hierarchical control of flagellar production in many bacterial species. For Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and its relatives, global regulation of flagellar production primarily occurs through the control of flhDC transcription and mRNA translation. In this study, the roles of the homologous multidrug resistance regulators MarA, SoxS, Rob, and RamA (constituting the mar-sox-rob regulon in S. Typhimurium) in regulating flagellar gene expression were explored. Each of these regulators was found to inhibit flagellar gene expression, production of flagella, and motility. To different degrees, repression via …

Immunogenetic Response Of The Bananaquit In The Face Of Malarial Parasites, Jennifer Antonides, Samarth Mathur, Mekala Sundaram, Robert Ricklefs, J. Dewoody

Biology Department Faculty Works

Background: In the arms race between hosts and parasites, genes involved in the immune response are targets for natural selection. Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) genes play a role in parasite detection as part of the innate immune system whereas Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes encode proteins that display antigens as part of the vertebrate adaptive immune system. Thus, both gene families are under selection pressure from pathogens. The bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) is a passerine bird that is a common host of avian malarial parasites (Plasmodium sp. and Haemoproteus sp.). We assessed molecular variation of TLR and MHC genes in a wild …

Dual Activities Of Plant Cgmp-Dependent Protein Kinase And Its Roles In Gibberellin Signaling And Salt Stress., Qingwen Shen, Xinqiao Zhan, Pei Yang, Jing Li, Jie Chen, Bing Tang, Xuemin Wang, Xuemin Wang, Yueyun Hong

Biology Department Faculty Works

Cyclic GMP (cGMP) is an important regulator in eukaryotes, and cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) plays a key role in perceiving cellular cGMP in diverse physiological processes in animals. However, the molecular identity, property, and function of PKG in plants remain elusive. In this study, we have identified PKG from plants and characterized its role in mediating the gibberellin (GA) response in rice (Oryza sativa). PKGs from plants are structurally unique with an additional type 2C protein phosphatase domain. Rice PKG possesses both protein kinase and phosphatase activities, and cGMP stimulates its kinase activity but inhibits its phosphatase activity. One of …

Selectivity Of Two Commercial Dredges Fished In The Northwest Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery, Sally Roman, David Rudders

VIMS Articles

Size selectivity curves were estimated for two commercial dredge configurations used in the United States Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery. Traditionally, the New Bedford Style dredge (New Bedford dredge) has been used by the commercial fleet; however, since 2013, the Coonamessett Farm Turtle Deflector Dredge (turtle dredge) has been required seasonally in the Mid-Atlantic region to minimize the capture of sea turtles. This analysis provides estimates of selectivity and relative efficiency for the turtle dredge and the New Bedford dredge. Selectivity information for the turtle dredge is currently unknown, and selectivity for the New Bedford dredge was originally assessed …

A Conservation Palaeobiological Perspective On Chesapeake Bay Oysters, Rowan Lockwood, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

The eastern oyster plays a vital role in estuarine habitats, acting as an ecosystem engineer and improving water quality. Populations of Chesapeake Bay oysters have declined precipitously in recent decades. The fossil record, which preserves 500 000 years of once-thriving reefs, provides a unique opportunity to study pristine reefs to establish a possible baseline for mitigation. For this study, over 900 fossil oysters were examined from three Pleistocene localities in the Chesapeake region. Data on oyster shell lengths, lifespans and population density were assessed. Comparisons to modern Crassostrea virginica, sampled from monitoring surveys of similar environments, reveal that fossil oysters …

Genetic Relationships Using Mitochondrial Versus Nuclear Markers: Is The Catfish Rag1 Gene Suitable For Species Differentiation In The Family Pangasiidae?, Huong Thanh Hoang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Mekong River located in Southeast Asia is a global “hotspot” for aquatic biodiversity. It includes an extensive variety of fish species second only to the Amazon River in South America. Recent studies have revealed the impacts of anthropogenic and climate factors on this river system. Such impacts can result in the formation of barriers, which divide a species population and impede gene flow between separated sub-populations. Barriers influence evolutionary trajectories resulting in the generation of geographic variants or subspecies from an ancestral population. Catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) are a key species of the Mekong River ecosystem and are an essential …