Digital Commons Network^™

Issue 37

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Optimal Agricultural Land Use: An Efficient Neutrosophic Linear Programming Method, Maissam Jdid, Florentin Smarandache

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The increase in the size of the problems facing humans, their overlap, the division of labor, the multiplicity of departments, as well as the diversity of products and commodities, led to the complexity of business and the emergence of many administrative and production problems. It was necessary to search for appropriate methods to confront these problems. The science of operations research, with its diverse methods, provided the optimal solutions. It addresses many problems and helps in making scientific and thoughtful decisions to carry out the work in the best way within the available capabilities. Operations research is one of the …

Geographic Differences In The Magnitude Of Black-White Disparities In Having Obesity, Steven A. Cohen, Monique J. Brown, Furong Xu, Caitlin C. Nash, Mary L. Greaney

Faculty Publications

Background

Obesity disparities in the United States are well documented, but the limited body of research suggests that geographic factors may alter the magnitude of these disparities. A growing body of evidence has identified a “rural mortality penalty” where morbidity and mortality rates are higher in rural than urban areas, even after controlling for other factors. Black-White differences in health and mortality are more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas.

Objective

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how rural-urban status and region moderate Black-White health disparities in obesity.

Methods

Data were abstracted from the 2012 …

Climate Change, Malnutrition, And Hiv: The Impact Of Food Insecurity On Hiv Response In Sub-Saharan Africa, Olivia Walshak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change is a key driver of an unprecedented global food crisis, exacerbated by rising temperatures and the vulnerability of crop yields. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible, and case studies demonstrate the fragility of food systems in the region, leading to severe food insecurity and famine in the face of climate shocks.

There are a variety of health implications, particularly the syndemic relationship between malnutrition and HIV. HIV interacts bidirectionally with malnutrition, creating a vicious cycle of poor clinical outcomes. Expanding access to antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by rampant food insecurity, including inadequate food intake, reduced dietary …

Physical-Vapor-Deposited Metal Oxide Thin Films For Ph Sensing Applications: Last Decade Of Research Progress, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Devendra K. Maurya, Boon K. Yap, Armin Rajabi, Camellia Doroody, Hassan B. Mohamed, Mayeen U. Khandaker, Mohammad A. Islam, Sieh K. Tiong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In the last several decades, metal oxide thin films have attracted significant attention for the development of various existing and emerging technological applications, including pH sensors. The mandate for consistent and precise pH sensing techniques has been increasing across various fields, including environmental monitoring, biotechnology, food and agricultural industries, and medical diagnostics. Metal oxide thin films grown using physical vapor deposition (PVD) with precise control over film thickness, composition, and morphology are beneficial for pH sensing applications such as enhancing pH sensitivity and stability, quicker response, repeatability, and compatibility with miniaturization. Various PVD techniques, including sputtering, evaporation, and ion beam …

Organic Carbon Decay Mediated By Mesopelagic Microbial Communities, Noah Jonathan Craft

OES Theses and Dissertations

Substantial remineralization of organic carbon occurs in the mesopelagic zone (i.e., the biological pump), the efficiency of which is responsible for the oceans’ capacity to store carbon originally derived from the atmosphere. To better understand how a substrate’s composition influences its degradation by mesopelagic microbial communities, we added treatments made of live algal cells, dead particulate organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon from ¹⁴C-labeled algal cultures to mesopelagic water collected in-situ. Each incubation took place in the laboratory over a period of months, during which PO¹⁴C, DO¹⁴C, ATP, prokaryote abundances and biochemical fractions were measured. …

Evaluation Of The Inhibitive Properties Of Silver Nanoparticles In Senna Occidentalis Root Extract As Corrosion Inhibitor Of Mild Steel, Victor O. Egbeneje, Samuel E. Okhale, Chinyere Imoisi, Isaac O. Ogbogo, Omolade Ojo

Tanzania Journal of Science

The use of nanoparticles as corrosion inhibitors has gained popularity because of its increased corrosion efficiency due to increase surface to volume ratio. Nanoparticles which undergo physisorption/chemisorption to the corrosion metal surface and inhibit the corrosion efficiently also have low toxicity, low cost and easy production. In this research work, weight lost method was applied to study the inhibitive properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using Senna occidentalis root extract as environmentally benign corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 medium at 298 K and 308 K. It was observed that the corrosion rate of the steel sample …

Design Of A Cooling System Integrated With Ultraviolet Light For Preservation Of Fruits And Vegetables At Variable Tropical Weather Conditions: A Case Study Of Arusha, Tanzania, John Pyuza Gunda, Alexander Pogrebnoi, Baraka Kichonge

Tanzania Journal of Science

Post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables pose significant challenges, especially in tropical climates. This study introduces the development and performance evaluation of a solar-powered evaporative cooling storage system integrated with ultraviolet light (UV) designed for preservation of perishable fruits and vegetables. The cooling chamber supplied with ultraviolet lamp was developed using locally available materials such as sisal, sponge, and bricks. The performance of the system was evaluated in terms of air temperature decrease, relative humidity increase, and evaporative cooling power capacity both for sunny and cloudy tropical weather conditions. The study reveals that activating the UV light considerably extends the …

Building The Health Silk Road Within The Belt And Road Initiative From A Systematic View, Shouyang Wang, Qin Bao, Qi Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Life and health are common challenges faced by mankind, and the building of the Health Silk Road is the fundamental content of the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. There are great differences in the level of economic and social development of the countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Under the increasingly complex and severe global biosecurity situation, scientific guidance from a systematic perspective is required for comprehensively improving the medical and health conditions and life and health quality of different countries and regions. Aiming at the challenges faced by the building of the Health Silk …

The Influence Of Polystyrene Microplastics On Juvenile Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Kaitlyn Marie Baker

Dissertations and Theses

Mass production of plastic within the past decade has led to over 100 billion tons of plastics being added to the world’s oceans through rivers and effluent disposal and decomposition. For marine environments, the sudden and constant growth of microplastics (plastics 1 µm to 5 mm in diameter), is of particular concern to top-predatory fish such as steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), who passively or actively uptake microplastics while consuming prey. Previous research has demonstrated clear detrimental impacts of microplastic accumulation in bivalves, seabirds, and zebrafish, including decreased diet, reproduction rates, and metabolism, as well as increased rates of …

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages And Artificially Sweetened Beverages Consumption And The Risk Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver (Nafld) And Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (Nash), Tung Sung Tseng, Wei Ting Lin, Peng Sheng Ting, Chiung Kuei Huang, Po Hung Chen, Gabrielle V. Gonzalez, Hui Yi Lin

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are fast becoming the most common chronic liver disease and are often preventable with healthy dietary habits and weight management. Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is associated with obesity and NAFLD. However, the impact of different types of SSBs, including artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), is not clear after controlling for total sugar intake and total caloric intake. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the consumption of different SSBs and the risk of NAFLD and NASH in US adults. The representativeness of 3739 US adults aged ≥20 years …

Managing Fires And Ecosystems Indigenous Fire Ecologies Session_Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Wildland Fires Workshop, Cynthia Twyford Fowler

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A Marker Free Visual-Based Home Rehabilitation Framework, Roy Kwang Yang Chang, Kok Swee Sim, Siong Hoe Lau

Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering

Adhesive capsulitis or more commonly known as frozen shoulder, is a familiar occurrence for adults aged above 40 caused by the inflammation of the connective tissues surrounding the shoulder joint. There are different severity of adhesive capsulitis but patients afflicted with frozen shoulder typically will experience stiffness, severe pain, and reduced range of motion (ROM) for the shoulder. No matter the course of treatment being non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or steroid injections, which can help reduce the inflammation and reduce pain, in order to restore ROM for the afflicted shoulder joint, rehabilitation exercises need to be performed. Even without the …

Gamerfit-Asd Beta Test: Adapting An Evidence-Based Exergaming And Telehealth Coaching Intervention For Autistic Youth, Daniel P. Hatfield, Aviva Must, Winston Kennedy, Amanda E. Staiano, James Slavet, Rachael A. Sabelli, Carol Curtin, Linda G. Bandini, Phillip Nauta, Christopher Stuetzle, April Bowling

Computer and Data Science Faculty Publications

Background: Health disparities faced by autistic youth are exacerbated by inadequate physical activity (PA) and sleep, whereas healthy PA and sleep may improve mood and function. Adaptive Game Squad (AGS) is an evidence-based telehealth coaching and exergaming intervention to improve PA and sleep for adolescents with diverse neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions. This study aimed to adapt AGS for autistic youth ages 10–15 years; beta-test the modified intervention for feasibility, accessibility, and engagement; and further refine the intervention for a larger planned demonstration pilot.

Methods: Interdisciplinary experts adapted AGS to create GamerFit-ASD, a 12-week intervention that included a progressive exergame schedule, …

Design, Analysis, And Interpretation Of Treatment Response Heterogeneity In Personalized Nutrition And Obesity Treatment Research, Roger S. Zoh, Bridget H. Esteves, Xiaoxin Yu, Amanda J. Fairchild, Ana I. Vazquez, Andrew G. Chapple, Andrew W. Brown, Brandon George, Derek Gordon, Douglas Landsittel, Gary L. Gadbury, Greg Pavela, Gustavo De Los Campos, Luis M. Mestre, David B. Allison

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

It is increasingly assumed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dietary recommendations for the management and treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity. This phenomenon that not all individuals respond uniformly to a given treatment has become an area of research interest given the rise of personalized and precision medicine. To conduct, interpret, and disseminate this research rigorously and with scientific accuracy, however, requires an understanding of treatment response heterogeneity. Here, we define treatment response heterogeneity as it relates to clinical trials, provide statistical guidance for measuring treatment response heterogeneity, and highlight study designs that can quantify treatment response …

In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, And Photoprotective Activities Of Aqueous Extract Of The Endemic Plant Hammada Scoparia L. From Algeria, Benine Chaima, Djahra Ali Boutlelis, Laiche Ammar Touhami, Tlili Hajer, Tliba Ali, Ben Arfa Abdelkarim, Najjaa Hanen

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

This study aimed to analyze the chemical profile and evaluate the biological activities of the aqueous extract of H. Scoparia, an endemic plant found in Southeastern Algeria. The aqueous extract was subjected to phytochemical screening, RP-HPLC, and FT-IR analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity was examined using the protein denaturation method, and the photoprotective activity was evaluated using UV-Visible spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity was assessed using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The study found the presence of various secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, tannins, and saponins. This study suggests that H. Scoparia extract has the potential as a natural source of bio-actives …

A Roadmap For The Human Gut Cell Atlas, Matthias Zilbauer, Kylie R. James, Mandeep Kaur, Sebastian Pott, Zhixin Li, Albert Burger, Jay R. Thiagarajah, Joseph Burclaff, Frode L. Jahnsen, Francesca Perrone, Alexander D. Ross, Gianluca Matteoli, Nathalie Stakenborg, Tomohisa Sujino, Andreas Moor, Raquel Bartolome-Casado, Espen S. Bækkevold, Ran Zhou, Bingqing Xie, Ken S. Lau, Shahida Din, Scott T. Magness, Qiuming Yao, Semir Beyaz, Mark Arends, Alexandre Denadai-Souza, Lori A. Coburn, Jellert T. Gaublomme, Richard Baldock, Irene Papatheodorou, Jose Ordovas-Montanes, Guy Boeckxstaens, Anna Hupalowska, Sarah A. Teichmann

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

The number of studies investigating the human gastrointestinal tract using various single-cell profiling methods has increased substantially in the past few years. Although this increase provides a unique opportunity for the generation of the first comprehensive Human Gut Cell Atlas (HGCA), there remains a range of major challenges ahead. Above all, the ultimate success will largely depend on a structured and coordinated approach that aligns global efforts undertaken by a large number of research groups. In this Roadmap, we discuss a comprehensive forward-thinking direction for the generation of the HGCA on behalf of the Gut Biological Network of the Human …

Explaining Students’ Attitudes Towards A Sustainable Future: Evidence From Sea-Plm 2019 Data, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Petra Lietz

Global education monitoring

This report, published by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Centre, discusses how students’ attitudes towards global issues are now crucial more than ever to build a sustainable world for future generations. The first section describes why students’ attitudes towards school and learning are important and how they are linked to the Educational Prosperity Framework (Willms & Tramonte, 2015). The second section highlights the literature about the key factors which can influence students’ attitudes towards school and learning and how they are related to students’ attitudes towards sustainable development. The third section discusses the methods used for analysing the relationships between …

White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Fawn Survival And The Influence Of Landscape Characteristics On Fawn Predation Risk In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Usa, Adam C. Edge, Jacalyn P. Rosenberger, Cheyenne J. Yates, Andrew R. Little, Charlie H. Killmaster, Kristina L. Johannsen, David A. Osborn, John C. Kilgo, Karl V. Miller, Gino J. D’Angelo

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In the Southern Appalachian region of the United States, harvest data has indicated the occurrence of low deer densities while exposing a trend of declining white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations over the past several decades in northern Georgia. A triumvirate of increasing fawn predator populations reside in the Southern Appalachian Mountains including coyotes (Canis latrans), black bears (Ursus americanus) and bobcats (Lynx rufus). This region is also characterized by a homogenous landscape composed of mature forests and sparse understory vegetation, likely lacking adequate cover to offer fawns refugia from predators. Our objectives …

Computational And Experimental Investigation Of Elemental Sulfur And Polysulfide, Jyoti Sharma

Dissertations

Petroleum processing results in the generation of significant quantities of elemental sulfur (S₈), leading to a surplus of sulfur worldwide. Despite its abundance and low cost, the use of sulfur in value-added organic compound synthesis is limited due to its unpredictable and misunderstood reactivity. This dissertation aims to address this issue by tackling it from two angles. Firstly, by utilizing Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, the reactivity of sulfur in the presence of nucleophiles is studied. This facilitates the identification of organic polysulfide intermediates that can be generated under different conditions, as well as the corresponding reactivity for …

Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors And Sociodemographic Characteristics Among Medical Students In Indonesia During The New Normal Era: A Cross-Sectional Study, Sharren Shera Vionnetta, Tommy Nugroho Tanumihardja, Kevin Kristian

Kesmas

This study aimed to identify medical students’ healthy lifestyle behaviors during the new normal era and to determine its relationship with sociodemographic factors, bearing in mind that, as future physicians and health role models, medical students play an important role in adopting and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors to reduce the risk of future health problems as well as optimize communities’ health status. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, with 111 medical students selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using sociodemographic characteristics (sex, residence, year of …

Self-Reported Consumption Of Bottled Water V. Tap Water In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Kentucky, Jason W. Marion

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Quantitative studies on drinking water perceptions in Appalachia are limited. High-profile water infrastructure failures in the U.S. and Eastern Kentucky, coupled with human-made and natural disasters in the Appalachian Region, have likely impacted opinions regarding tap water.

Purpose: To use existing unexplored data to describe baseline tap water v. bottled water consumption in Kentucky.

Methods: Telephone-based cross-sectional data were obtained from the 2013 Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) directed by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Among many items in KHIP, self-reported consumption of bottled water over tap water, reasons for bottled water use, and demographic data were obtained. …

Prediction Of Factors For Patients With Hypertension And Dyslipidemia Using Multilayer Feedforward Neural Networks And Ordered Logistic Regression Analysis: A Robust Hybrid Methodology, Wan Muhamad Amir W Ahmad, Mohamad Nasarudin Bin Adnan, Norhayati Yusop, Hazik Bin Shahzad, Farah Muna Mohamad Ghazali, Nor Azlida Aleng, Nor Farid Mohd Noor

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Hypertension is characterized by abnormally high arterial blood pressure and is a public health problem with a high prevalence of 20%–30% worldwide. This research combined multiple logistic regression (MLR) and multilayer feedforward neural networks to construct and validate a model for evaluating the factors linked with hypertension in patients with dyslipidemia.

Methods: A total of 1000 data entries from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and advanced computational statistical modeling methodologies were used to evaluate seven traits associated with hypertension. R-Studio software was utilized. Each sample's statistics were calculated using a hybrid model that included bootstrapping.

Results: Variable …

The Implications Of Solidarity For Food Ethics, John Sniegocki

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay examines numerous ways in which commitments to solidarity have relevance in the area of food ethics. Among the topics explored are food insecurity and hunger, workers’ rights, ecology, and the treatment of animals. Particular attention is paid to the impacts of the production and consumption of animal products. These issues are examined through the lens of the developing understanding of solidarity present in the tradition of Catholic social teaching (CST). The ethical framework provided by CST, it is suggested, could be further enhanced by insights drawn from the growing tradition of “Black veganism” and its holistic, intersectional understanding …

Preparation And Application Of Caffeic Acid Imprinted Polymer, Şeyda Karaman Ersoy, Esma Tütem, Kevser Sözgen Başkan, Mustafa Reşat Apak

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In the present study, molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized using caffeic acid (CA) as a template molecule and then used for the extraction of CA and chlorogenic acid (CLA) from complex matrices. Syntheses were carried out in tetrahydrofuran as porogenic solvent using 4-vinyl pyridine, methacrylic acid, acrylamide, and 1-vinyl imidazole as monomers, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. In polymerization processes, different ratios of the template:monomer:crosslinker (T:M:CrL) were used to obtain the most suitable polymer. Caffeic acid:4-vinylpiridine:ethylene glycol dimethacrylate's 1:4:16 mole ratio of MIP was determined as the most convenient polymer for CA recognition. In addition, nonimprinted …

In Vitro Antioxidant Activity Of Alginate Nanoparticles Encapsulating The Aqueous Extract Of Coccinia Grandis L., Walimuni Nayomi Deshani De Silva, Anoja Priyadarshani Attanayake, Liyanage Dona Ashanti Menuka Arawwawala, Desiree Nedra Karunaratne, Geethi Kaushalya Pamunuwa

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Bioactive compounds in medicinal plants are more susceptible to preventing oxidative stress. Encapsulation of herbal extracts has empowered the properties and characteristics of bioactive compounds. Nanoencapsulation allows the enhancement of the stability of extracts and targeted drug delivery. The present study aims to determine the antioxidant activity of alginate nanoparticles encapsulating the aqueous extract of Coccinia grandis L. (Family: Cucurbitaceae). The aqueous extract of C. grandis (AqCG) was prepared by using ultrasonication (40 ° C, 20 min, 40 kHz) followed by refluxing (2½ h). The prepared AqCG (1-5 mg/mL) encapsulated alginate nanoparticles were synthesized by ionic gelation with the addition …

Additive Effects Of Cyclic Peptide [R4w4] When Added Alongside Azithromycin And Rifampicin Against Mycobacterium Avium Infection, Melissa Kelley, Kayvan Sasaninia, Arbi Abnousian, Ali Badaoui, James Owens, Abrianna Beever, Nala Kachour, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Vishwanath Venketaraman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Mycobacterium avium (M. avium), a type of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), poses a risk for pulmonary infections and disseminated infections in immunocompromised individuals. Conventional treatment consists of a 12-month regimen of the first-line antibiotics rifampicin and azithromycin. However, the treatment duration and low antibiotic tolerability present challenges in the treatment of M. avium infection. Furthermore, the emergence of multidrug-resistant mycobacterium strains prompts a need for novel treatments against M. avium infection. This study aims to test the efficacy of a novel antimicrobial peptide, cyclic [R4W4], alongside the first-line antibiotics azithromycin and rifampicin in reducing M. avium survival. Colony-forming unit (CFU) …

Enhancing The Performance Of Microbial Fuel Cells Via Metabolic Engineering Of Escherichia Coli For Phenazine Production, Olja Simoska, Dale A. Cummings, Erin M. Gaffney, Claire Langue, Tommy G. Primo, Courtney J. Weber, Corbin E. Witt, Shelley D. Minteer

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the central roles in the design, development, and application advances in mediator-Based microbial electrochemical systems, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), is the establishment of efficient and successful communication between conductive electrode surfaces and microorganisms via modes of extracellular electron transfer (EET). Most microbial-Based systems require the use of artificial electroactive mediators in order to facilitate and/or enhance electron transfer. Our previous work established an exogenous phenazine-Based library as a mediator system to enable EET from the model microorganism Escherichia coli as a promising biotechnological host. However, the addition of exogenous mediators to a microbial electrochemical system has …

Multi-Color Fluorescent Microscopy And Deep Learning For Studying Eukaryotic Organelles: Unveiling Cellular Growth In A System Biology Perspective, Shixing Wang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Eukaryotic cells are building blocks to complex living systems, characterized by membrane-bound organelles. Studying how eukaryotic organelles react to cellular growth and size increase is crucial, but it demands biochemical and biophysical manipulations, as well as quantitative observation tools in microscopy. We developed a multi-color yeast strain with tagged fluorescent proteins, enabling systematic measurements of 6 organelles inside each cell using spectral confocal microscopy. These measurements provided insights into how organelle biogenesis is coordinated with cellular size and growth rate regulation via different signaling pathways. To explore cellular growth under dynamic conditions, I utilized deep learning for organelle recognition using …

Effectiveness Of Modified Nitrogen Fertilizer On Soil Chemical Properties And Rice Plant Growth In The Textile Industrial Area, Rija Sudirja, Santi Rosniawaty, Sri Muji Rahayu, Budy Frasetya Taufik Qurrohman

Jurnal Kultivasi

The imbalance of nutrients and heavy metal contamination is a challenge in increasing plant growth surround the textile industry area. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the dosage of Biologically Agent N Organo Mineral Fertilizer (Biomix-N) as a fertilizer and an ameliorant in paddy soil contaminated with textile liquid waste. This study used a randomized block design of eight treatments with four replications. Parameters observed were soil chemical properties after application of Biomix-N (Na-ex, total N, EC, Cd, and pH), rice plant growth (plant height and tiller number), Cd concentration in the plant, and relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE). …