Digital Commons Network^™

Infectious Diseases In Yellowstone’S Canid Community, Emily S. Almberg, Paul C. Cross, L. David Mech, Doug W. Smith, Jennifer W. Sheldon, Robert L. Crabtree

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Each summer Yellowstone Wolf Project staff visit den sites to monitor the success of wolf reproduction and pup rearing behavior. For the purposes of wolf monitoring, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is divided into two study areas, the northern range and the interior, each distinguished by their ecological and physiographical differences. The 1,000 square kilometer northern range, characterized by lower elevations (1,500–2,200 m), serves as prime winter habitat for ungulates and supports a higher density of wolves than the interior (20–99 wolves/1,000 km² versus 2–11 wolves/1,000 km²). The interior of the park encompasses 7,991 square kilometers, is higher …

Lessons Learned Conducting Breastfeeding Intervention Research In Two Northern Plains Tribal Communities, Mary Beth Stepans, S Wilhelm, K Rodehorst-Weber, T Aguirre, M Hertzog, M Clarke, A Herboldsheimer

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

AIM:

The overall purpose of this article was to describe the challenges and benefits of conducting breastfeeding intervention research with two Native American Tribal communities.

METHODS:

A focus group with an interpretive approach was used to collect data within this qualitative study as a means of incorporating a complex, holistic, subjective interpretation of the case managers' perceptions and experiences. In addition, researchers' field notes were used. Findings are discussed in relation to Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Framework.

RESULTS:

Themes that emerged during the focus group discussions were related to innovation, relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, trialability, and observability.

CONCLUSIONS:

Conducting research …

A View Of American Orphanages Through A Study Of The History Of The Ohio Pythian Home, Stephen S. Doucher

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study aims at analyzing the general situation of American orphan asylums in the period from 1894 to 1944 by looking at the Ohio Pythian Home, which operated in Springfield, Ohio at this time. Through the use of primary and secondary sources, as well as interviews with former orphan residents of the Ohio Pythian Home, the study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief the orphan asylums of the period were nurturing institutions concerned with the well-being of their wards.

Parental Perception Of Childhood Obesity And The School's Role On Prevention And Interventions In Childhood Obesity, Monique Jones

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Childhood obesity is a major health crisis that is becoming an epidemic among children and adolescents. Interventions must begin early and focus on prevention strategies to achieve the goal of increasing quality years of life for today's children and families. Parents with children in a local after school Boys & Girls club were surveyed regarding their perception of childhood obesity, the causes of childhood obesity, and the school's role in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. More than 90% of the participants identified inactivity, poor eating behavior, eating too much, and lack of money to buy nutritious foods as …

Diabetes Understanding Among Staff Nurses: Examining The Actual Versus Perceived Knowledge In The Acute Care Setting, Rebecca B. Ledbetter

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death world-wide claiming a staggering 3.8 million lives globally each year to related complications (World Health Organization, 2011). Diabetes complications account for 20% of all acute care admissions or 1 in every 5 patients have a diabetes-related condition (American Diabetes Association, 2011). Patient education in the areas of lifestyle modification, healthy eating habits, and proper medication administration is research-supported to clinically decrease the likelihood of acute complications. Bedside, acute care nurses are at the front line of patient education delivery and have the opportunity to determine behavioral stages related to a patient's readiness …

Cultivating Knowledge In The School Garden: New Ways Of Teaching Literacy To Esl Students, Michele Durivage

MA TESOL Collection

My thesis project includes a combination of materials development and classroom-based research. In my paper, I explore existing garden-related curricula, and create original garden-based lesson plans to teach literacy to fourth grade ESL students. This curriculum development project contributes to the field of ESL in its innovative garden-based pedagogy. The field study took place during the spring semester of 2009 at Increase Miller Elementary School in Westchester County, New York. Using nature as inspiration for writing descriptive essays and poetry, the ESL students at Increase Miller produced imaginative writing pieces, using their own voices to express their thoughts. The students’ …

Sullivan County, New Hampshire Annual Report Of The Board Of Commisioners, And Other Elected Officials And Department Heads Fiscal Year 2011., Sullivan County Representatives

Sullivan County, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a county in the state of New Hampshire.

A New Class Of Haemophilus Ducreyi? Molecular Characterization Of Samoa Strains Sb 5755, Sb 5756,Sb 5757, And Be 3145, Nichol S. Murray

Theses

Haemophilus ducreyi is a Gram negative, strict human pathogen that causes the genital ulcer disease chancroid. Chancroid is a sexually transmitted infection that may aid in transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Haemophilus ducreyi can be categorized into two strain classes, class I (CI) and class II (CII), based on variations in DNA sequence and protein expression of several virulence determinants including Ducreyi Serum Resistance protein A (DsrA) and the Necessary for Collagen Adhesion protein (NcaA). Recently, the first description of non-sexually associated chancroid transmission in children with chronic lower limb ulcerations was reported. Bacteria isolated from the children were …

Chinese Market Access Barriers Of U.S. Oilseeds And Grains, Gloria Appiah-Danquah

Theses

China was admitted into the WTO in December 2001 and this raised the hopes of the U.S that China will open up to agricultural trade with the U.S. This is due to the fact that China is the most populated country in the world with a rising mile income and therefore has the potential for increasing its food consumption. However, this potential has not been realized. China has used various strategies such as devaluing the Yuan against the dollar to promote exports and impede imports. The U.S currently has a trade deficit of 252 billion dollars with China. China is …

Hear My Voice: An Examination Of The Views Of Parents Who Are Raising Children Of African American Descent, Chavez Phelps

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have demonstrated that children who attend early childhood education programs benefit academically and socially (National Institute for Early Education Research, 2003). However, other researchers have shown that African American students may still lag behind their counterparts when they enter school (National Center for Education Statistics ([NCES], 2004). To explain this phenomenon, scholars and practitioners have relied on deficit theories, such as Ruby Payne's (2005) culture of poverty theory or John Ogbu's (1992) oppositional culture identity theory, which shift the blame solely on the child or their parents. However, there are other researchers who have stressed the importance of examining …

Free Trade, Poverty, And Inequality, Nicole Hassoun

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

Anyone familiar with The Economist knows the mantra: Free trade will ameliorate poverty by increasing growth and reducing inequality. This paper suggests that problems underlying measurement of poverty, inequality, and free trade provide reason to worry about this argument. Furthermore, the paper suggests that better evidence is necessary to establish that free trade is causing inequality and poverty to fall. Experimental studies usually provide the best evidence of causation. So, the paper concludes with a call for further research into the prospects for ethically acceptable experimental testing of free trade's impact on poverty and inequality. Although the paper is unabashedly …

Evaluation Of Syracuse Healthy Start’S Program For Abnormal Flora Management To Reduce Preterm Birth Among Pregnant Women, Emilia H. Koumans, Sandra D. Lane, Richard Aubry, Kathleen Demott, Noah Webster, Brooke A. Levandowski

Falk College Research Center

Randomized trials of bacterial vaginosis (BV) treatment among pregnant women to reduce preterm birth have had mixed results. Among non-pregnant women, BV recurs frequently after treatment. Randomized trials of early BV treatment for pregnant women in which recurrence was retreated have shown promise in reducing preterm birth. Syracuse’s Healthy Start (SHS) program began in 1997; in 1998 prenatal care providers for pregnant women living in high infant mortality zip codes were encouraged to screen for abnormal vaginal flora at the first prenatal visit. Vaginal swabs were sent to a referral hospital laboratory for Gram staining and interpretation. SHS encouraged providers …

It Takes At Least Two: Male Partner Factors, Racial/Ethnic Disparity, And Chlamydia Trachomatis Among Pregnant Women, Jessica Weisz, Sara Lozyniak, Sandra D. Lane, Robert Silverman, Kathy Demott, Martha A. Wojtowycz

Falk College Research Center

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the United States, disproportionately infects women and people of color. This study aimed to identify risk factors for racial and ethnic disparities for CT infection, re-infection, and persistent infection among pregnant women. We present a secondary analysis of births from a retrospective cohort study in Syracuse, NY from January 2000 through March 2002. African American women [OR 3.35 CI (2.29, 4.92)], Latin American women [OR 4.35 CI (2.52, 7.48)], unmarried women [OR 7.57 CI (4.38, 13.10)], and teen mothers [OR 3.87 CI (2.91, 5.16)] demonstrated statistically significant increased risk for …

Annual Report 2011, Eastern Illinois University

Lumpkin College Annual Reports

This 2011 Annual Report records the achievements, outreach activities, and student honors work of the Eastern Illinois University's Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences. It also includes reports from the School of Business, the School of Family and Consumer Science, the School of Technology, and the department of Military Science.

Different Sources Of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Affects Apparent Digestibility, Tissue Deposition, And Tissue Oxidative Stability In Growing Female Rats, Janet C. Tou, Stephanie N. Altman, Joseph C. Gigliotti, Vagner A. Benedito, Elizabeth L. Cordonier

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Numerous health benefits associated with increased omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) consumption has lead to an increasing variety of available n-3 PUFA sources. However, sources differ in the type, amount, and structural form of the n-3 PUFAs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of different sources of ω-3 PUFAs on digestibility, tissue deposition, eicosanoid metabolism, and oxidative stability.

Methods

Female Sprague-Dawley rats (age 28 d) were randomly assigned (n = 10/group) to be fed a high fat 12% (wt) diet consisting of either corn oil (CO) or n-3 PUFA rich flaxseed (FO), krill …

Efficacy Of Aerobic Exercise And A Prudent Diet For Improving Selected Lipids And Lipoproteins In Adults: A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, George A. Kelley, Kristi S. Kelley, Susan Roberts, William Haskell

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Studies addressing the effects of aerobic exercise and a prudent diet on lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in adults have reached conflicting conclusions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of aerobic exercise combined with a prudent diet on lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in adults.

Methods

Studies were located by searching nine electronic databases, cross-referencing, and expert review. Two independent reviewers selected studies that met the following criteria: (1) randomized controlled trials, (2) aerobic exercise combined with diet recommendations (saturated/trans fat intake less than 10% of total calories and cholesterol less than 300 mg/day and/or fiber intake …

Molecular Cloning And Expression Of Bovine Nucleoplasmin 2 (Npm2): A Maternal Effect Gene Regulated By Mir-181a, Brandon M. Lingenfelter, Swamy K. Tripurani, Jyothsna Tejomurtula, George W. Smith, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Nucleoplasmin 2 (NPM2) is an oocyte-specific nuclear protein essential for nuclear and nucleolar organization and early embryonic development. The aims of this study were to clone the bovine NPM2 gene, determine its temporal expression during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, and evaluate the potential role of miRNA-181a in regulation of its expression.

Methods

A 329 bp cDNA fragment was amplified from bovine fetal ovary using primers designed based on the conserved regions of the human and mouse NPM2 cDNA sequences. RACE experiments were performed to obtain the 5' and 3' ends of the bovine NPM2 cDNA. Real time PCR …

A Statistical Design For Testing Transgenerational Genomic Imprinting In Natural Human Populations, Yao Li, Yunqian Guo, Jianxin Wang, Wei Hou, Myron N. Chang, Duanping Liao, Rongling Wu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Genomic imprinting is a phenomenon in which the same allele is expressed differently, depending on its parental origin. Such a phenomenon, also called the parent-of-origin effect, has been recognized to play a pivotal role in embryological development and pathogenesis in many species. Here we propose a statistical design for detecting imprinted loci that control quantitative traits based on a random set of three-generation families from a natural population in humans. This design provides a pathway for characterizing the effects of imprinted genes on a complex trait or disease at different generations and testing transgenerational changes of imprinted effects. The design …

Generation Of A Reference Transcriptome For Evaluating Rainbow Trout Responses To Various Stressors, Cecilia C. Sanchez, Gregory M. Weber, Guangtu Gao, Beth M. Cleveland, Jianbo Yao, Caird E. Rexroad

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Fish under intensive culture conditions are exposed to a variety of acute and chronic stressors, including high rearing densities, sub-optimal water quality, and severe thermal fluctuations. Such stressors are inherent in aquaculture production and can induce physiological responses with adverse effects on traits important to producers and consumers, including those associated with growth, nutrition, reproduction, immune response, and fillet quality. Understanding and monitoring the biological mechanisms underlying stress responses will facilitate alleviating their negative effects through selective breeding and changes in management practices, resulting in improved animal welfare and production efficiency.

Results

Physiological responses to five treatments associated with …

Metabolic Changes In Skin Caused By Scd1 Deficiency: A Focus On Retinol Metabolism, Matthew T. Flowers, Chad M. Paton, Sheila O'Byrne, Kevin Schiesser, John A. Dawson, William S. Blaner, Christina Kendziorski, James M. Ntambi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We previously reported that mice with skin-specific deletion of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (Scd1) recapitulated the skin phenotype and hypermetabolism observed in mice with a whole-body deletion of Scd1. In this study, we first performed a diet-induced obesity experiment at thermoneutral temperature (33°C) and found that skin-specific Scd1 knockout (SKO) mice still remain resistant to obesity. To elucidate the metabolic changes in the skin that contribute to the obesity resistance and skin phenotype, we performed microarray analysis of skin gene expression in male SKO and control mice fed a standard rodent diet. We identified an extraordinary number of differentially expressed genes that …

Convergence Of Developmental Mutants Into A Single Tomato Model System: 'Micro-Tom' As An Effective Toolkit For Plant Development Research, Rogerio F. Carvalho, Marcelo L. Campos, Lilian E. Pino, Simone L. Crestana, Agustin Zsogon, Joni E. Lima, Vagner A. Benedito, Lazaro E P Peres

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plant is both an economically important food crop and an ideal dicot model to investigate various physiological phenomena not possible in Arabidopsis thaliana. Due to the great diversity of tomato cultivars used by the research community, it is often difficult to reliably compare phenotypes. The lack of tomato developmental mutants in a single genetic background prevents the stacking of mutations to facilitate analysis of double and multiple mutants, often required for elucidating developmental pathways.

Results

We took advantage of the small size and rapid life cycle of the tomato cultivar Micro-Tom (MT) …

Association Of Arsenic Exposure With Lung Cancer Incidence Rates In The United States, Joseph J. Putila, Nancy L. Guo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Although strong exposure to arsenic has been shown to be carcinogenic, its contribution to lung cancer incidence in the United States is not well characterized. We sought to determine if the low-level exposures to arsenic seen in the U.S. are associated with lung cancer incidence after controlling for possible confounders, and to assess the interaction with smoking behavior.

Methodology

Measurements of arsenic stream sediment and soil concentration obtained from the USGS National Geochemical Survey were combined, respectively, with 2008 BRFSS estimates on smoking prevalence and 2000 U.S. Census county level income to determine the effects of these factors on …

Socioeconomic Status, Self-Rated Health, And Mortality In A Multiethnic Sample Of Us Adults, Sivaranjani Suuresh, Charumathi Sabanayagam, Anoop Shankar

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective: To examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES), self-rated health (SRH), and mortality separately by race-ethnicity in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Methods: We analyzed data from 16 716 adult women and men who were followed up for mortality for up to 12 years as part of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination survey (NHANES III). Poverty-income ratio (PIR) and education were assessed as measures of SES. All-cause mortality (n = 2850) was recorded from the NHANES III linked mortality file.

Results: Lower PIR was associated with mortality after adjustment for lifestyle, clinical risk factors, and …

Modified Expression Of Alternative Oxidase In Transgenic Tomato And Petunia Affects The Level Of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Resistance, Hao Ma, Congfeng Song, Wayne Borth, Diane Sether, Michael Melzer, John Hu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) has a very wide host range, and is transmitted in a persistent manner by several species of thrips. These characteristics make this virus difficult to control. We show here that the over-expression of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) in tomato and petunia is related to TSWV resistance.

Results

The open reading frame and full-length sequence of the tomato AOX gene LeAox1au were cloned and introduced into tomato 'Healani' and petunia 'Sheer Madness' using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Highly expressed AOX transgenic tomato and petunia plants were selfed and transgenic R1 seedlings from 10 tomato lines …

Microrna-196a Regulates Bovine Newborn Ovary Homeobox Gene (Nobox) Expression During Early Embryogenesis, Swamy K. Tripurani, Kyung-Bon Lee, Gabbine Wee, George W. Smith, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Oocyte-derived maternal RNAs drive early embryogenesis when the newly formed embryo is transcriptionally inactive. Recent studies in zebrafish have identified the role of microRNAs during the maternal-to-embryonic transition (MET). MicroRNAs are short RNAs that bind to the 3' UTR of target mRNAs to repress their translation and accelerate their decay. Newborn ovary homeobox gene (NOBOX) is a transcription factor that is preferentially expressed in oocytes and essential for folliculogenesis in mice. NOBOX knockout mice are infertile and lack of NOBOX disrupts expression of many germ-cell specific genes and microRNAs. We recently reported the cloning and expression of bovine NOBOX …

Antibiotic Resistance Of Enterococcus Species Isolated From Raw Foods Of Animal Origin In South West Part Of Slovakia, M Krocko, M Canigova, V Duckova, A Artimova, J Bezekova, J Poston

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We determined the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of enterococci isolated from raw foods of animal origin. All samples were positive for enterococci. The lowest count of enterococci was found in pork (2.00 log CFU/cm2), while bryndza cheese contained the highest count (4.99 log CFU/g). Among the 349 Enterococcus isolates, 49% were E. faecalis, 29% E. faecium, and 13% Enterococcus spp. Tetracycline and gentamicin resistance was the most common. We found the highest tetracycline resistance levels (91%) in isolates from poultry samples. The isolates from the poultry samples also displayed multidrug resistance to all antibiotics tested. The most common …

A First Generation Integrated Map Of The Rainbow Trout Genome, Yniv Palti, Carine Genet, Ming-Cheng Luo, Guangtu Gao, Aurelie Charlet, Yuqin Hu, Cecilia Castano-Sanchez, Kamila Tabet-Canale, Francine Krieg, Jianbo Yao, Roger L. Vallejo, Caird E. Rexroad Iii

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are the most-widely cultivated cold freshwater fish in the world and an important model species for many research areas. Coupling great interest in this species as a research model with the need for genetic improvement of aquaculture production efficiency traits justifies the continued development of genomics research resources. Many quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified for production and life-history traits in rainbow trout. An integrated physical and genetic map is needed to facilitate fine mapping of QTL and the selection of positional candidate genes for incorporation in marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs for …

Use Of 16s Ribosomal Rna Gene Analyses To Characterize The Bacterial Signature Associated With Poor Oral Health In West Virginia, Joan C. Olson, Christopher F. Cuff, Slawomir Lukomski, Ewa Lukomska, Yeremi Canizales, Bei Wu, Richard J. Crout, John G. Thomas, Daniel W. Mcneil, Robert J. Weyant, Mary L. Marazita, Bruce J. Paster, Thomas Elliott

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

West Virginia has the worst oral health in the United States, but the reasons for this are unclear. This pilot study explored the etiology of this disparity using culture-independent analyses to identify bacterial species associated with oral disease.

Methods

Bacteria in subgingival plaque samples from twelve participants in two independent West Virginia dental-related studies were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray (HOMIM) analysis. Unifrac analysis was used to characterize phylogenetic differences between bacterial communities obtained from plaque of participants with low or high oral disease, which was further evaluated using clustering and Principal …

Abstracts From The 6th North American Echinoderm Conference, Jim Nestler

Gulf of Mexico Science

Abstracts from the 6th North American Echinoderm Conference. Organizer: Jim Nestler. Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Anacortes, Washington, 14–19 August 2011

Evaluation Of Rice Extract As A Potential Stabilizer In Plain Yogurt, Sangeetha Nurani Viswanathan

Theses

Quality and consumer acceptability are essential parameters in dairy products The objectives of the present study were to examine the microbiological (viability of L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and bifidobacteria), chemical (pH, titratable acidity, and total solids), and physical(syneresis) qualities of yogurt enriched with rice extract as a stabilizer during 28 days of storage at 4°C. Additionally, viscosity measurements and consumer acceptability were determined for yogurt enriched with rice extract. Results showed that the viability of L. bulgaricus was maintained with the addition of rice extract. Population of Streptococcus thermophilus and bifidobacteria decreased significantly (p<0.05) in the control sample but the addition of rice extract at 15% concentration supported the viability of bifidobacteria in yogurt over storage. The addition of rice extract did not alter the pH or titratable acidity of yogurt. Viscosity, total solids and syneresis values slightly changed with the addition of rice extract. Yogurt prepared with rice extract ranked higher in terms of texture and appearance by the panelists. Our results indicated that the addition of rice extract could improve the quality characteristics and consumer acceptability of plain yogurt. Hence, rice extract has a promising potential to be used as an alternative stabilizer in dairy products.