Digital Commons Network^™

Whole Genome Phylogenetic Investigation Of A West Nile Virus Strain Isolated From A Tick Sampled From Livestock In North Eastern Kenya, Olivia Wesula Lwande, Marietjie Venter, Joel Lutomiah, George Michuki, Cecilia Rumberia, Francis Gakuya, Vincent Obanda, Caroline Tigoi, Collins Odhiambo, Fredrick Nindo, Samwel Symekher, Rosemary Sang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) has a wide geographical distribution and has been associated to cause neurological disease in humans and horses. Mosquitoes are the traditional vectors for WNV; however, the virus has also been isolated from tick species in North Africa and Europe which could be a means of introduction and spread of the virus over long distances through migratory birds. Although WNV has been isolated in mosquitoes in Kenya, paucity of genetic and pathogenicity data exists. We previously reported the isolation of WNV from ticks collected from livestock and wildlife in Ijara District of Kenya, a hotspot for …

Molecular Markers Reveal Narrow Genetic Base And Culturing-Associated Genetic Drift In Teretrius Nigrescens Lewis Populations Released For The Biological Control Of The Larger Grain Borer In Africa, B. A. Omondi, J. Van Den Berg, D. Masiga, F. Schulthess

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In biological control, successful establishment of a natural enemy species depends on its adaptability in the introduced range including its ability to re-establish desired ecological interactions with the pest. These are affected by genetic parameters hitherto largely unresolved in biological control. The larger grain borer (LGB), Prostephanus truncatus, an invasive species from meso-America, is the most important post-harvest pest of maize in Africa. We studied the genetic structure of Teretrius nigrescens, a predatory beetle previously released for the control of the pest in Africa, to test the hypothesis that establishment patterns were a result of ecotype-environment mismatch and to follow …

Scattered Shade Trees Improve Low-Input Smallholder Arabica Coffee Productivity In The Northern Lake Kivu Region Of Rwanda, F. Pinard, J. M. Boffa, E. Rwakagara

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In suboptimal conditions for coffee growth, the use of shade tree is usually considered beneficial to production. This study aimed to evaluate this benefit in the poorly documented East African smallholder Arabica coffee systems in optimal climatic but suboptimal management conditions. In a 4 year observational trial in 50 coffee farms, the association of shade trees and coffee generated an average 55 % cherry production increase. Neither delay in berry maturation nor buffer in alternate bearing patterns were observed, probably due to the low productivity of unfertilized coffee plants. Quality wise, the presence of shade trees did not result in …

Effects Of Anticancer Drug Docetaxel On The Structure And Function Of The Rabbit Olfactory Mucosa, Boniface M. Kavoi, Johanna Plendl, Andrew N. Makanya, Shem Ochieng', Stephen G. Kiama

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Docetaxel (DCT) is an anticancer drug which acts by disrupting microtubule dynamics in the highly mitotic cancer cells. Thus, this drug has a potential to affect function and organization of tissues exhibiting high cellular turnover. We investigated, in the rabbit, the effects of a single human equivalent dose (6.26. mg/kg, i.v.) of DCT on the olfactory mucosa (OM) through light and electron microscopy, morphometry, Ki-67 immunostaining, TUNEL assay and the buried food test for olfactory sensitivity. On post-exposure days (PED) 5 and 10, there was disarrangement of the normal cell layering in the olfactory epithelium (OE), apoptotic death of cells …

Bisbenzylisoquinoline And Hasubanane Alkaloids From Stephania Abyssinica (Dillon & A. Rich) (Menispermeceae), Ruth A. Omole, Jeremiah Gathirwa, Hosea Akala, Hamisi M. Malebo, Alex K. Machocho, Ahmed Hassanali, Isaiah O. Ndiege

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Two bisbenzylisoquinoline and one hasubanane alkaloids: (-)-pseudocurine (1), (-)-pseudoisocurine (2) and (-)-10-oxoaknadinine (3), were isolated from leaf extract of Stephania abyssinica, a plant used in traditional medicine in South Nyanza region of Kenya. They were characterized using 1D (1H, 13C and DEPT) and 2D (COSY, NOESY, HMQC and HMBC) NMR techniques. (-)-Pseudocurine (1) and (-)-pseudoisocurine (2) exhibited strong to moderate anti-plasmodial activity while (-)-10-oxoaknadinine (3) showed moderate to mild activity. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practicum Images 2014, Georgia Southern University

Georgia Municipal Association Practicum (2013-2022)

No abstract provided.

Integrated Decision Support For Sustainable And Profitable Land Management In The Lowlands Of Central Asia, Nodir Djanibekov, Rolf Sommer

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Land use and crop production in the Khorezm region in western Uzbekistan, exemplarily for the irrigated lowlands of Central Asia, are challenged by the excessive, non-sustainable use of irrigation water and repeated water shortages on one hand, and soil degradation by secondary salinization on the other hand. One of the research objectives of the German-Uzbek Khorezm project, funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and led by Center of Development Research (ZEF) of Bonn University, was to better understand options for land use and choice of technology at the farm level in order to evaluate and propose …

High-Resolution Melting Analysis Reveals Low Plasmodium Parasitaemia Infections Among Microscopically Negative Febrile Patients In Western Kenya, Purity N. Kipanga, David Omondi, Paul O. Mireji, Patrick Sawa, Daniel K. Masiga, Jandouwe Villinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are common tools for diagnosing malaria, but are deficient in detecting low Plasmodium parasitaemia. A novel molecular diagnostic tool (nPCR-HRM) that combines the sensitivity and specificity of nested PCR (nPCR) and direct PCR-high resolution melting analysis (dPCR-HRM) was developed. To evaluate patterns of anti-malarial drug administration when no parasites are detected, nPCR-HRM was employed to screen blood samples for low parasitaemia from febrile patients without microscopically detectable Plasmodium infections in a rural malaria-endemic setting. Methods: Blood samples (n = 197) were collected in two islands of Lake Victoria, Kenya, from febrile patients without …

Triple Bag Hermetic Storage Delivers A Lethal Punch To Prostephanus Truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) In Stored Maize, A. W. Njoroge, H. D. Affognon, C. M. Mutungi, J. Manono, P. O. Lamuka, L. L. Murdock

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Clean shelled maize was stored in woven polypropylene (PP) or triple layer polyethylene (PICS™) bags in the presence of Prostephanus truncatus Horn (PP1; PICS1) or absence of it (PP0; PICS0) at ambient conditions for six months. Moisture content, live insect population, grain damage, weight loss, and germination were analyzed on a monthly basis. Temperature and relative humidity in both PICS- and PP-bag setups were monitored, as well as the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the PICS bags. Overall, maize stored in PICS bags had significantly lower (P<0.05) moisture content than maize stored in PP bags. Storage in PICS bag slowed growth of P.truncatus populations and blocked infestation from the surrounding storage environment. On the contrary, PP bags permitted profuse build-up of insect population and cross-infestation. At six months, grain damage was 0.0%, 3.4%, 50.5% and 73.9%, corresponding to weight loss of 0.0%, 2.0%, 36.3%, and 47.7% in PICS0, PICS1, PP0 and PP1, respectively. Germination of maize stored in PP bags dropped from 91.1% to 37.0% and 12.7% in PP0 and PP1, respectively, whereas germination of maize stored in PICS bags dropped only marginally and reached 78.1% and 71.0% in PICS0 and PICS1, respectively, in six months. Without extreme loss of grain viability, a huge decrease in insect infestation, grain damage and weight loss is achieved by storing maize in PICS bag even under P.truncatus endemic conditions. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Spatial Analysis Of Human-Induced Vegetation Productivity Decline Over Eastern Africa Using A Decade (2001-2011) Of Medium Resolution Modis Time-Series Data, Tobias Landmann, Olena Dubovyk

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Climate variation and land transformations related to exploitative land uses are among the main drivers of vegetation productivity decline and ongoing land degradation in East Africa. We combined analysis of vegetation trends and cumulative rain use efficiency differences (CRD), calculated from 250-m MODISNDVI time-series data, to map vegetation productivity loss over eastern Africa between 2001 and 2011.The CRD index values were furthermore used to discern areas of particular severe vegetation productivity loss over the observation period. Monthly 25-km Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) datametrics were used to mask areas of rainfall declines not related to human-induced land productivity loss. To …

Odorant And Gustatory Receptors In The Tsetse Fly Glossina Morsitans Morsitans, George F.O. Obiero, Paul O. Mireji, Steven R.G. Nyanjom, Alan Christoffels, Hugh M. Robertson, Daniel K. Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse flies use olfactory and gustatory responses, through odorant and gustatory receptors (ORs and GRs), to interact with their environment. Glossina morsitans morsitans genome ORs and GRs were annotated using homologs of these genes in Drosophila melanogaster and an ab initio approach based on OR and GR specific motifs in G. m. morsitans gene models coupled to gene ontology (GO). Phylogenetic relationships among the ORs or GRs and the homologs were determined using Maximum Likelihood estimates. Relative expression levels among the G. m. morsitans ORs or GRs were established using RNA-seq data derived from adult female fly. Overall, 46 and …

Evaluation Of Acaricide-Treated String Curtains For Control Of Two-Spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus Urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) On Greenhouse Roses And Impact Of The String Curtain On The Predatory Mite Phytoseiulus Persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Emilie M. Deletre, Romain Bonafos, Thibaud Martin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Foliar sprays of pesticides are frequently used to control two-spotted mites on rose flowers, but these also destroy predatory mites and pose a high risk of contamination for humans and the environment. Using a novel approach to avoid spray applications on rose plants, modified acaricide-treated string curtains were adapted to control the pest. Two main aims of this study were: (i) to identify the lethal concentration of string curtains treated with propargite, dicofol, flufenoxuron, acrinathrin or tau-fluvalinate (τ-fluvalinate) on Tetranychus urticae, and (ii) to test the design (feasibility) and efficiency of the string curtains to trap the phytophagous mites on …

Frost Depth Prediction, Meng Luo

Statistics

The purpose of this research project is to develop a model that is able to accurately predict frost depth on a particular date, using available information. Frost depth prediction is useful in many applications in several domains. For example in agriculture, knowing frost depth early is crucial for farmers to determine when and how deep they should plant. In this study, data is collected primarily from NDAWN(North Dakota AgriculturalWeather Network) Fargo station for historical soil depth temperature and weather information. Lasso regression is used to model the frost depth. Since soil temperature is clearly seasonal, meaning there should be an …

The Role Of School District Science Coordinators In The District-Wide Appropriation Of An Online Resource Discovery And Sharing Tool For Teachers, Victor R. Lee, Heather M. Leary, Linda Sellers, Mimi Recker

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

When introducing and implementing a new technology for science teachers within a school district, we must consider not only the end users but also the roles and influence district personnel have on the eventual appropriation of that technology. School districts are, by their nature, complex systems with multiple individuals at different levels in the organization who are involved in supporting and providing instruction. Varying levels of support for new technologies between district coordinators and teachers can sometimes lead to counterintuitive outcomes. In this article, we examine the role of the district science coordinator in five school districts that participated in …

Healing Heights, Bailey Krause

Landscape Architecture Theses

This thesis examines reasons why the Children’s Hospital Minneapolis campus is a location that benefits from a therapeutic green roof. Healing Heights will bring meaning and life to an otherwise conventional roof that is advantageous for people and the environment. Researching critical factors that influence green infrastructure help determine elements that are included in the design to improve the users’ mental and physical health, as well as the building’s environmental impacts. Looking at urban healing gardens, there is a list of criteria that need to be met to design a properly constructed vegetated roof.

Evaluation The Levels Of Ifn-Gamma , Il-10 And Concentration Of Zn In Children With Visceral Leishmaniasis, Mais N. Kamil, Sabah Al-Najar, Nahla Ghanim

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic infection of the reticulo- endothelial system that could affect on immune system and biochemical parameters like the concentration of trace elements which may be significantly changed . OBJECTIVE: Evaluating the level of cytokines (INF- γ ,IL-10) and concentration of Zn in Visceral Leishmaniasis in children after diagnosis . PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of (98) child their ages rang (6m-5y) were attending to the Central Public Health Laboratory and Teaching Laboratories of Medical City suspected to be infected with kala-azar, the diagnosis was done by both IFAT technique and Rapid Kala-azar (r-K39) …

Beluga Whale Vocalizations, Michael T. Johnson

Dr. Dolittle Project: A Framework for Classification and Understanding of Animal Vocalizations

Sound files:

A Chirp; A Whistle ; B Chirp; B Whistle: Buzz; C Whistle; CH6 A Chirp; D Whistle; Down Warble; Down Whistle; E Whistle; Voca

Sensible Heat Balance And Heat-Pulse Method Applicability To In Situ Soil-Water Evaporation, Andrew C. Trautz, Kathleen M. Smits, Paul Schulte, Tissa H. Illangasekare

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications - Archive

A combined heat-pulse and sensible heat balance method can be used to determine evaporation using temperature measurements and thermal property estimations. The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability of the combined heat-pulse and sensible heat balance method by comparing laboratory experimental data to both an analytical and a multiphase heat and mass transfer model. A bench-scale laboratory experiment was performed to measure soil thermal and hydraulic properties at fine spatial and temporal resolutions. Comparisons of experimental and numerical results confirmed the applicability of the heat-pulse and sensible heat balance methods to determine evaporation rates. Results showed close …

A Tree-Ring Based Reconstruction Of Logan River Streamflow In Northern Utah, Eric B. Allen, Tammy M. Rittenour, Justin Derose, Matthew F. Bekker, Roger Kjelgren, Brendan M. Buckley

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

We created six new tree-ring chronologies in northern Utah, which were used with preexisting chronologies from Utah and western Wyoming to reconstruct mean annual flow for the Logan River, the largest tributary of the regionally important Bear River. Two reconstruction models were developed, a “Local” model that incorporated two Rocky Mountain juniper chronologies located within the basin, and a “Regional” model that also included limber pine and pinyon pine chronologies from a larger area. The Local model explained 48.2% of the variability in the instrumental record and the juniper chronologies better captured streamflow variability than Douglas-fir collected within the Logan …

Estimation Of Actual Evapotranspiration Using Surface Energy Balance Algorithms For Land Model: A Case Study In San Joaquin Valley, California, Sagarika Roy, Duke Ophori, Shawn Kefauver

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Almond is an important cash crop in semi-arid southern San Joaquin Valley, California. Estimating almond water use is an important research objective in the arid area of Paramount farm. A Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model spatially estimates actual evapotranspiration (ETa) in the southern San Joaquin Valley in California from available MASTER airborne data. The objectives of the study are: (1) to study the spatial distribution property of canopy surface temperature (Tc), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and ETa over the San Joaquin Valley, (2) estimate ETa of almond class on pixel-by-pixel basis in the Central Valley, California, …

Principal Angles And Approximation For Quaternionic Projections [Dataset], Terry A. Loring

Math and Statistics Datasets

We extend Jordan's notion of principal angles to work for two subspaces of quaternionic space, and so have a method to analyze two orthogonal projections in the matrices over the real, complex or quaternionic field (or skew field). From this we derive an algorithm to turn almost commuting projections into commuting projections that minimizes the sum of the displacements of the two projections. We quickly prove what we need using the universal real C*-algebra generated by two projections.

Gunnison's Prairie Dog Restoration Experiment (Gpdrex): Small Mammal Mark-Recapture Population Assessment Within Grasslands At The Sevilleta National Widlife Refuge, New Mexico (2013-2014), Stephanie Baker

Sevilleta LTER Program Data

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are burrowing rodents considered to be ecosystem engineers and keystone species of the central grasslands of North America. Yet, prairie dog populations have declined by an estimated 98% throughout their historic range. This dramatic decline has resulted in the widespread loss of their important ecological role throughout this grassland system. The 92,060 ha Sevilleta NWR in central New Mexico includes more than 54,000 ha of native grassland. Gunnison’s prairie dogs (C. gunnisoni) were reported to occupy ~15,000 ha of what is now the SNWR during the 1960’s, prior to their systematic eradication. In 2010, we collaborated …

African Elephant Vocalizations, Michael T. Johnson

Dr. Dolittle Project: A Framework for Classification and Understanding of Animal Vocalizations

Sound files:

Croak ; Rumble ; Rev ; Snort ; Trumpet

Stony Brook Press, V. 35 N. 07, Stony Brook University. Stony Brook Press.

Stony Brook Press

v. 35, n. 07, v.:ill. ; 38 cm (original analog pub.)

No Hablo Ingles: Emergency Department Lived Experiences Of Spanish-Speaking Patients, Arleen N. Steckel, Danielle Bellucci, Julie Mount, Dawn Hueber, Eileen M. Dowdy, Erin Zazzera, Mary Feiler, Susan Masciello

General Submissions: Presentations (Oral and Poster)

Purpose: Few studies have specifically targeted the experience of Spanish-speaking patients in the Emergency Department. Studies have shown that patient populations are growing more diverse. This presents challenges to the Emergency Department staff working in a fast-paced chaotic environment where vital information must be communicated accurately to best assess and treat patients presenting for care. Communicating with a patient who only speaks Spanish creates an obstacle for health care professionals trying to provide appropriate and timely care. The aim of this study was to obtain information to guide change in Emergency Department practice and promote more effective communication and respectful …

International Non-Governmental Organizations In Latin America And Social Capital: An Empirical Case Study, Vijayan K. Pillai, Fanghsun Wei, Arati Maleku

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

No abstract provided.

Stat Inhibitors For Cancer Therapy, Muhammad Furqan, Akintunde Akinleye, Nikhil Mukhi, Varun Mittal, Yamei Chen, Delong Liu

NYMC Faculty Publications

Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) proteins are a family of cytoplasmic transcription factors consisting of 7 members, STAT1 to STAT6, including STAT5a and STAT5b. STAT proteins are thought to be ideal targets for anti-cancer therapy since cancer cells are more dependent on the STAT activity than their normal counterparts. Inhibitors targeting STAT3 and STAT5 have been developed. These included peptidomimetics, small molecule inhibitors and oligonucleotides. This review summarized advances in preclinical and clinical development of these compounds.

Estimating Norms Of Commutators [Dataset], Terry A. Loring, Freddy Vides

Math and Statistics Datasets

We find estimates on the norm of a commutator of the form [f(x),y] in terms of the norm of [x,y], assuming that x and y are bounded linear operators on Hilbert space, with x normal and with spectrum within the domain of f. In particular we discuss |[x^2,y]| and |[x^{1/2},y]| for 0leq x leq 1. For larger values of delta = |[x,y]| we can rigorous calculate the best possible upper bound |[f(x),y]| leq eta_f(delta) for many f. In other cases we have conducted numerical experiments that strongly suggest that we have in many cases found the correct formula for the …

The Statesman, V. 57, I. 14, Stony Brook University

Stony Brook Statesman-Sucolian

v. 57, i. 14

Challenges Of Asthma Management For School Nurses In Districts With High Asthma Hospitalization Rates, Penny Liberatos, Jennifer Leone, Ann Marie Craig, Elizabeth Mary Frei, Natalie Fuentes, India Marie Harris

NYMC Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: School nurses play a central role in assisting elementary school children in managing their asthma, especially those in higher-risk school districts that are at increased risk of uncontrolled asthma. Study purposes are to (1) identify barriers to asthma management by school nurses in higher-risk school districts; and (2) assess the extent to which National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) recommendations are followed in these districts. METHODS: School districts containing at least one zipcode with high asthma hospitalization rates among children (0-14 years) in a New York State county were identified. Nurses in 44 elementary schools were surveyed about …