Digital Commons Network^™

Exchange Of Polar Lipids From Adults To Neonates In Daphnia Magna: Perturbations In Sphingomyelin Allocation By Dietary Lipids And Environmental Toxicants, Namrata Sengupta, Delaney C. Reardon, Patrick D. Gerard, William S. Baldwin

Publications

Because xenosensing nuclear receptors are also lipid sensors that regulate lipid allocation, we hypothesized that toxicant-induced modulation of HR96 activity would alter lipid profiles and the balance between adult survival and neonate production following exposure in Daphnia magna. Adult daphnids were exposed to unsaturated fatty acid- and toxicant- activators or inhibitors of HR96 and later starved to test whether chemical exposure altered allocation toward survival or reproduction. The HR96 activators, linoleic acid and atrazine, decreased reproduction as expected with concomitant changes in the expression of HR96 regulated genes such as magro. The HR96 inhibitors, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and triclosan, …

Phase Iii Prospective Randomized Comparison Trial Of Depot Octreotide Plus Interferon Alfa-2b Versus Depot Octreotide Plus Bevacizumab In Patients With Advanced Carcinoid Tumors: Swog S0518, James C. Yao, Katherine A. Guthrie, Cesar Moran, Jonathan R. Strosberg, Matthew H. Kulke, Jennifer A. Chan, Noelle Loconte, Robert R. Mcwilliams, Edward M. Wolin, Bassam Mattar, Shannon Mcdonough, Helen Chen, Charles D. Blanke, Howard S. Hochster

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Purpose

Treatment options for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) remain limited. This trial assessed the progression-free survival (PFS) of bevacizumab or interferon alfa-2b (IFN-α-2b) added to octreotide among patients with advanced NETs.

Patients and Methods

Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) S0518, a phase III study conducted in a US cooperative group system, enrolled patients with advanced grades 1 and 2 NETs with progressive disease or other poor prognostic features. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with octreotide LAR 20 mg every 21 days with either bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 21 days or 5 million units of IFN-α-2b three times per week. The primary …

A Generalized Linear Model For Marital Disruption In Namibia, Lillian Pazvakawambwa

Andrews Research Conference

Marital disruption has attracted wide attention among researchers. In recent years, the world has experienced reductions in marriage rates, along with significant increases in cohabiting unions, divorce and separation, leading to rising conjugal and family instability. While some have seen this as a sign of social and moral disruption with a potential to shatter the family institution and the foundations of society itself, others have embraced these trends as signaling increased individual liberty and the loosening of suffocating social mores. There is limited research on the factors influencing marital disruption in Namibia. This paper used the Namibia Demographic and Health …

A Multifactorial Obesity Model Developed From Nationwide Public Health Exposome Data And Modern Computational Analyses, Lisaann S. Gittner, Barbara J. Kilbourne, Ravi Vadapalli, Hafiz M.K. Khan, Michael A. Langston

Sociology Faculty Research

Summary

Statement of the problem

Obesity is both multifactorial and multimodal, making it difficult to identify, unravel and distinguish causative and contributing factors. The lack of a clear model of aetiology hampers the design and evaluation of interventions to prevent and reduce obesity.

Methods

Using modern graph-theoretical algorithms, we are able to coalesce and analyse thousands of inter-dependent variables and interpret their putative relationships to obesity. Our modelling is different from traditional approaches; we make no a priori assumptions about the population, and model instead based on the actual characteristics of a population. Paracliques, noise-resistant collections of highly-correlated variables, are …

Revolution In Ideology: Crafting A Holistic Scientific Dialectic, Nathan Neill

Dialogue & Nexus

Ideology drives scientific research far more than is acknowledged. Since science itself is conducted by individuals, each scientist has a biased conception of themselves and their surroundings relative to the rest of the universe, even if it is never explicated. This sense of relation to the greater universe is what defines the ideology of the individual. It is this sense of relation and self that creates the individual, who goes on to investigate the natural world by the scientific method. In this paper I will examine extant scientific ideology, particularly in Western science, and propose changes that could be helpful.

Cancer Cell Spheroids Are A Better Screen For The Photodynamic Efficiency Of Glycosylated Photosensitizers, Patrícia M. R. Pereira, Naxhije Berisha, N.V.S. Dinesh K. Bhupathiraju, Rosa Fernandes, João P.C. Tomé, Charles Michael Drain

Publications and Research

Environmental remediation requires ion-selective polymers that operate under a wide range of solution conditions. In one example, removal of trivalent and divalent metal ions from waste streams resulting from mining operations before they enter the environment requires treatment at acidic pH. The monoethyl ester phosphate ligands developed in this report operate from acidic solutions. They have been prepared on polystyrene-bound ethylene glycol, glycerol, and pentaerythritol, and it is found that intraligand hydrogen bonding affects their metal ion affinities. The affinity for a set of trivalent (Fe(III), Al(III), La(III), and Lu(III)) and divalent (Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II)) ions is greater …

Effects Of Ponderosa Pine Ecological Restoration On Forest Soils And Understory Vegetation In Northern Arizona, Elena M. Thomas, Kenneth W. Farrish, Brian P. Oswald, Melinda G. Shaw-Faulkner, Scott R. Abella

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The human exclusion of wildfire and overgrazing by livestock since settlement have caused dramatic changes in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl ex Laws) forest ecosystems. These changes include increased numbers of tree stems, reduced understory cover and diversity, and the introduction of invasive, non-native understory species. This study evaluated the coverage and species composition of understory vegetation present in the “cool-season” (late spring and early summer) in a ponderosa pine forest on grazed and ungrazed plots that had undergone restoration treatments on three different soil/geologic parent material types near Flagstaff, Arizona, twelve years after tree thinning and grazing exclosure …

Environmental Health, Tessa Oliaro

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

There is a very important intersection between the environment, public health, and socioeconomic factors (Braveman, 2014). These include waste disposal, water use and quality, road safety, ecosystem services, and many more. Environmental health stresses, “the health impacts of physical, chemical, and biological agents in the environment and workplace, and learns to develop strategies to measure and control major environmental health problems both locally…and in settings around the globe” (UC Berkeley School of Public Health, 2017). This overarching umbrella can have emphases in environmental epidemiology, exposure science, climate change, ergonomics, home and industrial hygiene, and molecular epidemiology. Exploring each of these …

Software Development For Home Energy Audits: Reducing Energy Consumption In Harrisonburg Through Technology, Brantley E. Gilbert

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Fossil fuels play a vital role in our daily lives. Oil, natural gas, and coal powers our cars, heats our homes and water, and are used by power companies to generate the massive amounts of electricity used every day by the United States. However, this reliance on a finite source of energy is not sustainable. Fossil fuels such as these are non-renewable resources whose production will eventually be unable to keep up with the rate of consumption. Furthermore, the extraction of the stored energy in these fuels through combustion releases harmful substances into the environment, including toxins and greenhouse gases …

Pro- And Antioxidant Activity Of Selenomethionine: Preventative Measures Against Metal-Mediated Dna Oxidation, Austin Mroz

Graduate Theses - Chemistry and Biochemistry

DNA damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been linked to several diseases.

Antioxidants are one method of combating the effects of ROS; selenium-containing antioxidants have shown promise in alleviating in vitro DNA damage. This study aims toelucidate the effects of selenomethionine (SeMet) on DNA damage mediated by Cu(II),Fe(II), or Cr(III) metal ions. HPLC analysis was used to probe the oxidative effects of SeMet by quantifying the oxidative damage marker, 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine. Prior literature indicates that the antioxidant activity of SeMet is potentially concentration dependent; however, HPLC results in this study indicate a metal-ion dependency. In order to better understand the …

A Comparison Of Different Methods Of Zero-Inflated Data Analysis And An Application In Health Surveys, Si Yang, Lisa L. Harlow, Gavino Puggioni, Colleen A. Redding

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

The performance of several models under different conditions of zero-inflation and dispersion are evaluated. Results from simulated and real data showed that the zero-altered or zero-inflated negative binomial model were preferred over others (e.g., ordinary least-squares regression with log-transformed outcome, Poisson model) when data have excessive zeros and over-dispersion.

Human Services Management (Hsm) Certificate Program Expansion To Western Massachusetts Feasibility Study, Paul Campbell, Patrick Deschenes, Maria Pacheco, Bradley Paul, Elizabeth Vittum, Jing Zhang

School of Professional Studies

One of the most popular cost-savings programs that the Providers’ Council currently offers its members is a Certificate in Nonprofit Human Service Management (HSM) provided in partnership with Clark University and Suffolk University. As human services providers are struggling to hire and retain qualified staff, the need to provide professional development opportunities to help grow and expand a skilled health and human services workforce is a critical issue facing nonprofit organizations and communities in Massachusetts. This feasibility study examines the viability of Providers’ Council and Clark University expanding its HSM Certificate Program to organizations and staff located in western Massachusetts. …

Natural Sciences At Parkland College -- Spring 2017, Parkland College Natural Sciences Department, David Wilson, Scott Siechen, Amy Nicely, Erik Johnson, Britt Carlson, Toni Burkhalter, Derrick Baker, Christina Beatty, Heidi Leuszler, David Leake

Department of Natural Sciences Newsletter

This issue of the Natural Sciences Newsletter features an article on the SciCommons, an open tutoring center for Natural Sciences students at Parkland, a report on the seventh annual Illinois Science Olympiad Regional Tournament, submissions from the Astronomy Club and Science Club, a summary of the Laboratory Skills Assessment Survey, an article on internationalizing curriculum, and an article on the local March for Science (April 22, 2017).

Assessing Landslide Susceptibility With Gis Using Qualitative And Quantitative Methods In Knox County, Nebraska, Christian J. Cruz

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis assesses landslide susceptibility using data from LiDAR DEMs, land cover, and soil surveys. Data were assessed quantitatively through Bayesian logistic regression within a geographic information system (GIS) and statistical software to produce a landslide susceptibility map. The study area exhibits moderate relief where bluffs along the Missouri River valley gradually recede into rolling loess-mantled hills further to the south and southeast in Knox County. The six factors used to determine susceptibility to landslides are: land cover, parent material, slope aspect, slope curvature slope degree, and soil series. My findings show an increase in slope is the most significant …

Emphasizing Colonization In Modern Environmental And Women’S Activist Movements In India And The Future Of Ecofeminist Movements For Creating A More Just And Sustainable Future, Alea M. Tveit

Honors Theses

This research discusses the extent of colonial acknowledgement in modern women’s rights and environmental movements in India. British colonization profoundly altered the ecological landscape and social norms of the societies it affected while leaving behind institutional structures that encouraged and perpetuated discrimination, oppression, and environmental degradation. In the case of India, I illustrate pre-colonial norms surrounding environmental stewardship and women’s rights and compare it to post-colonial ideology to make a connection of modern human rights and environmental problems to a colonial past. Today’s popular environmental and women’s activist movements are analyzed to determine if colonial acknowledgment or a decolonial framework …

Uas-Collected Multispectral Imagery For The Identification Of Rangeland Vegetation In A Southern Mixed-Grass Prairie, Adam Rusk

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The interest in using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for remote sensing of natural resources and ecology has grown rapidly in recent years and continues to develop. Recent improvements in the cost, size, and accessibility of consumer-grade UASs are now facilitating image collection on low-flying UAS platforms. Rangelands provide a unique opportunity to explore the uses of UAS remote sensing due to their large spatial extent and spatial and temporal heterogeneity. This study focuses on the use of UAS’s to identify rangeland vegetation in a southern mixed-grass prairie in Kansas. Two primary questions were asked: 1) Do small UASs with low-cost …

Stable Isotope Diet Analysis Of Teleoceras Fossiger From The High Plains Of Kansas, Patrick J. Wilson

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Stable isotope geochemistry provides a way of examining both modern and ancient ecosystems. One important use of stable carbon isotopes is to determine the amount of C3 versus C4 plant biomass in the diet of herbivorous mammals. C3 plants have a more negative stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) than C4 plants because of the different photosynthetic pathways each type uses. These different δ13C values are preserved in the hydroxyapatite of herbivores upon consumption of the different plant types. The purpose of this study it to use δ13C values from serial samples of tooth enamel from six isolated permanent molars of …

Heterogeneity Of Avian Breeding Habitat On Grazing Lands Of The Northern Great Plains, Maggi S. Sliwinski

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Native rangelands in the Great Plains are largely privately owned and used for beef production. Vegetation heterogeneity is important for maintaining biodiversity, but private land may be more homogenous than desired. My research had two components: 1) to examine whether a variety of grazing strategies created vegetation heterogeneity in a large, intact rangeland, and 2) to understand beef producers’ attitudes about vegetation heterogeneity.

First, I sampled vegetation structure, composition, and bird abundance at multiple plots on eleven management units in Cherry County, Nebraska. Units were managed with commonly used grazing strategies (e.g., short-duration grazing and season-long continuous grazing). I examined …

A Rural And Urban Study Of The Food Environment In Select Nevada Geographies, Joseph Nickelson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

National and county level examination of urban and rural food environments has taken place, but primary validation of venue existence and in-venue data are lacking. The literature show disparities in access to healthy foods through low density of large grocers/supermarkets, low variety and quality of produce and higher prices for a healthy diet in rural versus urban geographies. Rural areas are of unique concern due to poor health indicators such as higher obesity rates, higher diabetes rates, lower incomes and lower educations than urban residents. The goal of this study was to explore differences in the community and consumer level …

Range-Wide Prevalence And Impacts Of Pseudocercosporella Inconspicua On Lilium Grayi And An Assessment Of L. Superbum And L. Michauxii As Reservoirs, Cindy L. Barrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lilium grayi (Gray’s Lily), a southern Appalachian endemic species, is threatened by a Lilium-specific fungal pathogen, Pseudocercosporella inconspicua. The disease is characterized by tan lesions that can cause early senescence, while also lowering seed production and viability. This project tested for P. inconspicua conidia and accessed health at nine locations. The disease was present and ubiquitous across the range of L. grayi. Through identification of P. inconspicua conidia in the field, L. superbum (Turk’s Cap Lily) was identified as an additional host, while L. michauxii (Michaux’s Lily) was disease-free. However, infection was inducible in both species. With …

Performance Of Imputation Algorithms On Artificially Produced Missing At Random Data, Tobias O. Oketch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Missing data is one of the challenges we are facing today in modeling valid statistical models. It reduces the representativeness of the data samples. Hence, population estimates, and model parameters estimated from such data are likely to be biased.

However, the missing data problem is an area under study, and alternative better statistical procedures have been presented to mitigate its shortcomings. In this paper, we review causes of missing data, and various methods of handling missing data. Our main focus is evaluating various multiple imputation (MI) methods from the multiple imputation of chained equation (MICE) package in the statistical software …

Great Basin Bristlecone Pine Resistance To Mountain Pine Beetle: An Evaluation Of Dendroctonus Ponderosae Host Selection Behavior And Reproductive Success In Pinus Longaeva, Erika L. Eidson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) is a native bark beetle that attacks and kills most species of pines (Pinus) throughout its range in western North America. Due to the strong relationship between thermal conditions and mountain pine beetle population success, climate change-induced changes in mountain pine beetle outbreaks are a major concern for land managers. Over the past several decades, warmer than average temperatures allowed mountain pine beetle populations to reach epidemic levels across much of the western U.S. and Canada, including high elevations where outbreaks were previously limited by cool temperatures. Many high-elevation pine …

Modeling De Novo Granulation Of Anaerobic Sludge, Honey Varghese

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The global market for biological waste water treatment is large and growing. Bioengineered reactor setups employ microorganisms to degrade waste and produce useful/less harmful components. Scientists are interested in studies that reveal the biological mechanisms involved in the process of these microbial actions in order to improve the reactor performance. The process of granulation in aerobic sludge is one such interesting process which is less explained.

The primary goal of the thesis is to design a computational model that simulates the process of granulation in anaerobic sludge and that addresses the role physiochemical and biological processes play in granule formation. …