Digital Commons Network^™

Digital Gaming As A Learning Tool : A Literature Review, Seth Weylin Vickers

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature focuses on the uses of digital gaming within learning environments. Using academic journal articles, the author reviews the advantages and disadvantages of using digital games, ways instructors are using digital games, the uses of educational as well as recreational digital games, considerations for implementing digital games, and an overview on the importance of digital security. The benefits include increased motivation, collaboration, and the increased opportunity of a learner potentially entering the flow experience. The disadvantages include health risks as well as some learners' negative attitudes towards digital gaming. The author recommends instructors to consider using digital …

Are Probiotics Safe And Effective In Reducing The Incidence Of Diarrhea In Hiv-Positive Individuals?, Christina K. Horvath

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not probiotics are safe and effective in reducing the incidence of diarrhea in HIV-positive individuals.

Study Design: Systematic review of three English language primary studies, published in 1998, 2007, and 2008.

Data Sources: Three double-blind, randomized, controlled trials published after 1996, comparing administration of probiotics with placebo, were obtained using EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Cochrane databases.

Outcomes Measured: Frequency and consistency of stools. Daily or weekly questionnaires allowed subjects to report perceived severity of symptoms using scales containing descriptive words and figures with corresponding numeric values. Subjects were …

Does The Use Of Ginger Extract Effectively Help Patient With Obesity Loses Weight?, Linh H. Nguyen

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not ginger extract (NT) effectively helps obese patient loses weight.

Study Design: Two randomized controlled studies to determine the effectiveness of ginger extract in weight loss and a cross sectional observational study.

Data Sources: Randomized controlled studies published after 2006 relating to ginger extract (NT) and weight loss. Data obtained using PubMed, CINAHL, and OVID databases written in English.

Outcomes Measured: Studies measured weight loss, food intake, and safety such as pulses and blood pressure. Subjects are evaluated at baseline with CMP, CBC and urinalysis weekly.

Results: …

Is Tesamorelin A Safe And Effective Drug To Treat Lipodystrophy In Hiv Patients?, Jazmine A. Cole

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Tesamorelin is a safe and effective drug to treat lipodystrophy in HIV patients.

Study Design: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trials published between 2005-2010.

Data Sources: Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials comparing Tesamorelin to a visually matched placebo were found using PubMed.

Outcome(s) Measured: Each of the three clinical trials assessed the improvement of lipodystrophy (accumulation of visceral adipose tissue) in HIV patients. In addition, they noted how the improvement in lipodystrophy would impact patient's self body image and quality of life. Prior …

Role Of Na+K+2cl- Co-Transporters In Insulin Secretion, Saeed Alshahrani

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to investigate the role of intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl^-]i) in insulin secretion in vivo and in vitro.

The maintenance of high [Cl^-]i in insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells plays an important role in glucose-induced depolarization and insulin secretion. Insulinotropic glucose concentrations i.e., >6 mM induces electrical activity in β-cells which results in insulin secretion. This electrical activity is mainly due to electrogenic efflux of Cl^- from β-cells through volume-regulated anion channels (VRAC). The solute carrier family 12 group A member 1 (Slc12a1) and 2 (Slc12a2) encode several splice variants of the …

Early Postnatal Overnutrition: Potential Roles Of Gastrointestinal Vagal Afferents And Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Edward A. Fox, Jessica E. Biddinger

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Early postnatal overnutrition: Potential roles of gastrointestinal vagal afferents and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. PHYSIOL BEHAV 00(0) 000-000, 2012. Abnormal perinatal nutrition (APN) results in a predisposition to develop obesity and the metabolic syndrome and thus may contribute to the prevalence of these disorders. Obesity, including that which develops in organisms exposed to APN, has been associated with increased meal size. Vagal afferents of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract contribute to regulation of meal size by transmitting satiation signals from gut-to-brain. Consequently, APN could increase meal size by altering this signaling, possibly through changes in expression of factors that control vagal afferent …

Treating Diet - Induced Obesity: A New Role For Vagal Afferents?, Edward A. Fox

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Do The Perceived Barriers, Attitudes, And Knowledge Of Grocery Store Personnel Affect Availability Of Organic Food Products?, Rachel Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic food is one of the fastest-growing segments of food production and consumption in the U.S. Even though organic foods are becoming more widely available, some studies suggest they may not be equally available to all populations because people in some areas are being excluded from the organics market either geographically or financially. The purpose of this study was to examine how individual and local characteristics affect the attitudes of grocery store personnel toward organic food products and how these attitudes affect availability. Grocery store personnel were surveyed about their attitudes toward organic foods, their perceptions of the barriers to …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Strain-Stimulated Intestinal Epithelial Cell Differentiation And Migration, Lisi Yuan

Wayne State University Dissertations

The intestinal epithelium is subjected to repetitive deformation during normal gut function by peristalsis and villous motility. In vitro, cyclic strain promotes intestinal epithelial proliferation and induces an absorptive phenotype characterized by increased dipeptidyl dipeptidase (DPPIV) expression. Schlafen 3 is a novel gene recently associated with cellular differentiation. We sought to evaluate whether Schlafen 3 mediates the effects of strain on the differentiation of IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cells in the absence or presence of cyclic strain. Strain increased Schlafen 3 mRNA and protein. In cells transfected with a control non-targeting siRNA, strain increased DPPIV specific activity. However, Schlafen

3 reduction …

Estimating The Efficiency Of Michigan's Rural And Urban Public School Districts, Rita Ann Maranowski

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined student achievement in Michigan public school districts to determine if rural school districts are demonstrating greater financial efficiency by producing higher levels of student achievement than school districts in other geographic locations with similar socioeconomics. Three models were developed using multiple regression analysis of student achievement for high school graduation rates and student proficiency rates for eleventh grade students in mathematics and English language arts as reported from the Michigan Merit Examination results. These models compared student achievement by geographic location which included a selection of 10 independent variables and a sample size of 496 Michigan public …

Inequality In Health Care Utilization And Equity: A Cross-Country Comparision Of Low And Middle Income Countries, Satis Chandra Devkota

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation identifies the sustainable policies that can reduce disparity in health care utilization, education and income from the low and middle income countries represented by Albania, Nepal, Tajikistan and Tanzania. Concentration indices are used to calculate the income related inequality in health care utilization and education, and Gini index is used to calculate the inequality in income. Likewise, horizontal inequity index is used to test whether the principle of equal treatment for equal need and equal schooling for equal need is maintained in all countries under study. Finally, a mechanism is proposed for the first time in the literature …

Examining Autoimmune Sequelae During Cancer Immunotherapy In A Combined Autoimmune Thyroiditis And Tumor Mouse Model, Suresh Kari

Wayne State University Dissertations

Some clinical trials of immunotherapeutic agents against cancers have resulted in the development of autoimmune sequelae, including autoimmune thyroiditis. It has been suggested that the immunotherapy resulted in an alteration in the immunoregulatory mechanism(s). Using experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), a mouse model of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), the importance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) has been well established; inhibition of Tregs leads to enhanced thyroiditis with repeated doses of mouse thyroglobulin (mTg) without adjuvant. To simulate cancer patients, we developed a combined EAT and tumor model in our EAT-susceptible mice (CBA/J). In first establishing the tumor model, we found Treg depletion …

Narratives Of Possibility: Adolescent Girls Constructing And Negotiating Front And Back Stage Identities Through Blogs, Kattie Marie Hogan

Wayne State University Dissertations

For young woman, the issue of self-expression is important to consider because there are many contexts where their voices and experiences are discounted, silenced, and suppressed. Venues for self-expression can provide a way for those voices and experiences that have been ignored in classrooms and other social outlets to be recognized. This research study explored the ways four girls between the ages of 16-19 used blogging to construct meaning of their experiences and negotiate their identities through a wide range of literary practices including nonfiction and fiction writing, photographs, self-created drawings, and other materials. Writing in these blogs girls moved …

Sci-Tech Book News Reviews, Susan Fingerman

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Producer Survey Of Bird-Livestock Interactions In Commercial Dairies, Stephanie A. Shwiff, James C. Carlson, J. H. Glass, J. Suckow, Martin S. Lowney, K. M. Moxcey, Bruce Larson, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The objective of this producer survey was to identify and estimate damage caused by bird-livestock interactions in commercial dairies. The interactions between birds and livestock have previously been implicated in causing economic damage while contributing to the environmental dissemination of microorganisms pathogenic to livestock and humans. Very little research exists to help producers understand what bird species use dairies, why they use dairies, or the scope and nature of damage created as a result of bird-livestock interactions. To better characterize these interactions, we surveyed dairy operators within Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin. Survey results suggest that the most common and …

Phylogenomic And Functional Domain Analysis Of Polyketide Synthases In Fusarium, Daren W. Brown, Robert A. E. Butchko, Scott E. Baker, Robert A. Proctor

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Fusarium species are ubiquitous in nature, cause a range of plant diseases, and produce a variety of chemicals often referred to as secondary metabolites. Although some fungal secondary metabolites affect plant growth or protect plants from other fungi and bacteria, their presence in grain-based food and feed is more often associated with a variety of diseases in plants and in animals. Many of these structurally diverse metabolites are derived from a family of related enzymes called polyketide synthases (PKSs). A search of genomic sequence of Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium solani identified a total of 58 …

Induction Of Reproductive Diapause In Habrobracon Hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) When Reared At Different Photoperiods At Low Temperatures, Haoliang Chen, Hongyu Zhang, Kun Yan Zhu, James E. Throne

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Development of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) at low temperatures was determined to identify rearing conditions that might result in adults that were in reproductive diapause. Diapausing adults would be expected to survive cold storage longer than nondiapausing adults for use in biological control programs. Only a few eggs were found in the ovaries when H. hebetor females were reared during the immature stages at 17.5 and 20°C with a 16-h photoperiod, and the ovaries were poorly developed and contained no eggs when females were reared with a 10-h photoperiod in these low temperatures. Rearing H. hebetor at …

Resistance Of Soil-Bound Prions To Rumen Digestion, Samuel E. Saunders, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Jason C. Bartz

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Before prion uptake and infection can occur in the lower gastrointestinal system, ingested prions are subjected to anaerobic digestion in the rumen of cervids and bovids. The susceptibility of soil-bound prions to rumen digestion has not been evaluated previously. In this study, prions from infectious brain homogenates as well as prions bound to a range of soils and soil minerals were subjected to in vitro rumen digestion, and changes in PrP levels were measured via western blot. Binding to clay appeared to protect noninfectious hamster PrPc from complete digestion, while both unbound and soil-bound infectious PrP^Sc proved highly resistant …

Separation Of Alcohol Soluble Sorghum Proteins Using Non-Porous Cation-Exchange Columns, Deidre L. Blackwell, Scott R. Bean

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Kafirins, the storage proteins and major protein of the cereal grain sorghum, play an important nutritional role for millions of people in parts of Africa and Asia. Kafirins are non-water soluble, being soluble only in the presence of detergents or aqueous alcohol mixtures and are among the most hydrophobic of the cereal proteins. Limited M_w heterogeneity of kafirins reduces their resolution when separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Charge based separation techniques have been shown to have improved resolution of kafirins, but due to the nature of their solubility, ion-exchange (IE)-HPLC has not been widely used to …

The Effect Of Row Spacing And Seeding Rate On Biomass Production And Plant Stand Characteristics Of Non-Irrigated Photoperiod-Sensitive Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench), John L. Snider, Randy L. Raper, Eric B. Schwab

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

To evaluate row spacing and seeding rate effects on yield and plant stand characteristics of high-biomass sorghum, a photoperiod-sensitive cultivar was sown at three different row spacings (76, 38, and 19 cm) and seeding rates (218,000, 306,000, and 393,000 seeds ha⁻¹ for one site-year and 116,000, 204,000, and 291,000 seeds ha⁻¹ for three site-years) from 2009 to 2010 in Alabama and Arkansas, USA. Measurements included above-ground dry matter production, plant height, stem density, and stem diameter. Narrower row spacing (i.e. 19 cm) produced the highest biomass for all site-years. Increasing seeding rate did not affect yield for three …

Zebra Chip-Diseased Potato Tubers Are Characterized By Increased Levels Of Host Phenolics, Amino Acids, And Defense-Related Proteins, Christopher M. Wallis, Jianchi Chen, Edwin L. Civerolo

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Little is known about specific host chemistry effects on zebra chip disease symptom development in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). This research compared chemical profiles and defense-related enzyme levels between non-symptomatic and zebra chip-symptomatic potato tubers. Levels of phenolics, five amino acids, peroxidases, polyphenol oxidases, chitinases, and B-1,3-glucanases were greater in symptomatic tubers than non-symptomatic tubers, and many of these compounds also were positively correlated with zebra chip disease severity. 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ was consistently present in symptomatic tubers. However, the lack of associations between titers and tuber chemistry suggests a complicated relationship between this bacterium and zebra chip …

Genomics Of Tropical Fruit Tree Crops, R. S. Arias, James W. Borrone, Cecile L. Tondo, David N. Kuhn, Brian M. Irish, Raymond J. Schnell

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The genetic improvement of tropical fruit trees is limited when compared to progress achieved in temperate fruit trees and annual crops. Tropical fruit tree breeding programs require significant resources to develop new cultivars that are adapted to modern shipping and storage requirements. The use of molecular markers in tropical fruit tree breeding is greatly assisting in solving a number of difficult challenges for breeders such as the development of complex family structures for recombination mapping and for recurrent selection. A review of the literature on molecular markers development and new techniques for increasing single-nucleotide polymorphic markers is discussed. The development …

Reproductive Potential Of Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) Fed Cattle, Chicken, Or Horse Blood, Kristina M. Friesen, Gregory D. Johnson

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Reproductive potential was assessed for stable fly cohorts fed cattle, chicken, or horse blood. Flies provided chicken blood oviposited20%moreeggs per day than did those fed cattle or horse blood. However, flies provided cattle or horse blood were fecund 50% longer. When both egg viability and number of eggs produced were considered, lifetime reproductive potential was almost twice as high for flies fed cattle or chicken blood than for flies fed horse blood. Maternal investment, which took egg production and volume into account, was higher in cohorts fed cattle blood (70 mm³) when compared with the other treatments (chicken …

Climate Change Alters Stoichiometry Of Phosphorus And Nitrogen In A Semiarid Grassland, Feike A. Dijkstra, Elise Pendall, Jack A. Morgan, Dana M. Blumenthal, Yolima Carrillo, Daniel R. Lecain, Ronald F. Follett, David G. Williams

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

• Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients for primary producers and decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems. Although climate change affects terrestrial N cycling with important feedbacks to plant productivity and carbon sequestration, the impacts of climate change on the relative availability of N with respect to P remain highly uncertain.
• In a semiarid grassland in Wyoming, USA, we studied the effects of atmospheric CO₂ enrichment (to 600 ppmv) and warming (1.5/3.0°C above ambient temperature during the day/night) on plant, microbial and available soil pools of N and P.
• Elevated CO₂ increased P availability to plants and microbes relative …

Indirect Effects Of Parasites In Invasions, Alison M. Dunn, Mark E. Torchin, Melanie J. Hatcher, Peter M. Kotanen, Dana M. Blumenthal, James E. Byers, Courtney A.C. Coon, Victor M. Frankel, Robert D. Holt, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew R. Kanarek, Kristina A. Schierenbeck, Lorne M. Wolfe, Sarah E. Perkins

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

1. Introduced species disrupt native communities and biodiversity worldwide. Parasitic infections (and at times, their absence) are thought to be a key component in the success and impact of biological invasions by plants and animals. They can facilitate or limit invasions, and positively or negatively impact native species.

2. Parasites have not only direct effects on their hosts, but also indirect effects on the species with which their hosts interact. Indirect effects include density-mediated effects (resulting from parasite-induced reduction in host reproduction and survival) as well as trait-mediated indirect effects (resulting from parasite-induced changes in host phenotype, behavior or life …

Flavor And Antioxidant Capacity Of Peanut Paste And Peanut Butter Supplemented With Peanut Skins, Chellani S. Hathorn, Timothy H. Sanders

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Peanut skins (PS) are a good source of phenolic compounds. This study evaluated antioxidant properties and flavor of peanut paste and peanut butter enhanced with peanut skins. PS were added to both materials in concentrations of 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 5.0%, 10.0%, 15.0%, and 20.0% (w/w). PS, peanut paste, and peanut butter used in the study had initial total phenolics contents of 158, 12.9, and 14.1 mg GAE/g, respectively. Hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC) of peanut skins was 189453 μMol Trolox/100 g and addition of 5% PS increased H-ORAC of peanut paste and peanut butter by 52% to 63%. Descriptive …

Compositional And Mechanical Properties Of Peanuts Roasted To Equivalent Colors Using Different Time/Temperature Combinations, Kristin A. Mcdaniel, Brittany L. White, Lisa L. Dean, Timothy H. Sanders, Jack P. Davis

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Peanuts in North America and Europe are primarily consumed after dry roasting. Standard industry practice is to roast peanuts to a specific surface color (Hunter L-value) for a given application; however, equivalent surface colors can be attained using different roast temperature/time combinations, which could affect product quality. To investigate this potential, runner peanuts from a single lot were systematically roasted using 5 roast temperatures (147, 157, 167, 177, and 187 ^◦C) and to Hunter L-values of 53 ± 1, 48.5 ± 1, and 43 ± 1, corresponding to light, medium, and dark roasts, respectively. Moisture contents (MC) …

Susceptibility Of Three Strains Of Blue Catfish, Ictalurus Furcatus (Valenciennes), To Ichthyophthirius Multifiliis, D-H Xu, P.H. Klesius, Brian G. Bosworth, N Chatakondi

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

This study compared the susceptibility of three blue catfish strains (D&B, USDA 101 and USDA 102) to the parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich). In Trial I, a cohabitation study (all strains stocked communally) was conducted and fish were exposed to theronts at 0, 200, 1000, 5000 or 25 000 theronts fish^-1, respectively. All fish died when exposed to theronts at 5000 or 25 000 theronts fish^-1. When exposed to 1000 theronts fish^-1, USDA 102 strain of blue catfish showed significantly lower mortality (78.5%) compared to USDA 101 and D&B strains (92.7% and 100%). In Trial …

Antibacterial Activity Of Cinnamaldehyde And Sporan Against Escherichia Coli O157:H7 And Salmonella, Nadine Yossa, Jitendra Patel, Dumitru Macarisin, Patricia Millner, Charles Murph, Gary Bauchan, Y. Martin Lo

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The in vitro antimicrobial effect of cinnamaldehyde and Sporan in combination with acetic acid against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella was investigated in Luria-Bertani broth (7 log cfu/mL) containing cinnamaldehyde or Sporan (800 and 1,000 ppm) alone or in combination with 200 ppm acetic acid, and incubated at 37C for up to 6 h. Surviving populations of test pathogens were determined by spiral plating on selective media. E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella were undetectable after 1 h in the presence of 800 ppm cinnamaldehyde. A 1,000 ppm Sporan significantly reduced Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 populations by 1.83 and 3.02 …

Using Eastern Gamagrass To Construct Diets That Limit Intake And Caloric Density For Dairy Replacement Heifers, W. K. Coblentz, P. C. Hoffman, N. M. Esser, M. G. Bertram

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that eastern gamagrass (EGG; Tripsacum dactyloides L.) will survive winter climatic conditions common throughout central Wisconsin, and will produce yields of dry matter (DM) ranging approximately from 7,000 to 10,000 kg/ha annually when managed with a 1-cut harvest system. The objective of this research was to determine whether the fibrous nature of this perennial warm-season grass could be effective in reducing the caloric density and DMI of corn silage/alfalfa haylage diets for replacement dairy heifers. A total of 120 Holstein dairy heifers were blocked by body weight (heavy, 424 ± 15.9 kg; medium, 369 ± 11.8 …