Digital Commons Network^™

Community Perceptions Of Rape And Child Sexual Abuse: A Qualitative Study In Rural Tanzania, Muzdalfat Abeid, Projestine Muganyizi, Pia Olsson, Elisabeth Darj, Pia Axemo

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Rape of women and children is recognized as a health and human rights issue in Tanzania and internationally. Exploration of the prevailing perceptions in rural areas is needed in order to expand the understanding of sexual violence in the diversity of Tanzania’s contexts. The aim of this study therefore was to explore and understand perceptions of rape of women and children at the community level in a rural district in Tanzania with the added objective of exploring those perceptions that may contribute to perpetuating and/or hindering the disclosure of rape incidences.

Methods: A qualitative design was employed using focus …

In Vivo Processing Of Ceria Nanoparticles Inside Liver: Impact On Free-Radical Scavenging Activity And Oxidative Stress, Uschi M. Graham, Michael T. Tseng, Jacek B. Jasinski, Robert A. Yokel, Jason M. Unrine, Burtron H. Davis, Alan K. Dozier, Sarita S. Hardas, Rukhsana Sultana, Eric A. Grulke, D. Allan Butterfield

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The cytotoxicity of ceria ultimately lies in its electronic structure, which is defined by the crystal structure, composition, and size. Despite previous studies focused on ceria uptake, distribution, biopersistance, and cellular effects, little is known about its chemical and structural stability and solubility once sequestered inside the liver. Mechanisms will be presented that elucidate the in vivo transformation in the liver. In vivo processed ceria reveals a particle-size effect towards the formation of ultrafines, which represent a second generation of ceria. A measurable change in the valence reduction of the second-generation ceria can be linked to an increased free-radical scavenging …

Natural History Collections: Connecting With Faculty And Content, Stacey Knight-Davis, Todd A. Bruns

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

For well over a century, American biologists have built collection of plants, animals, fungi, insects, and other natural materials. Often, these collections serve as a record of the unique biodiversity of the local area and provide a record of change over time. Many taxonomic, genetic, and environmental discoveries lay waiting in the drawers and cupboards in which these specimens are stored. / / Uploading images of natural history specimens to Digital Commons allows them to be easily discovered in with a web search, leading the user back to the home collection. As an example, a search for 'big leaf magnolia …

Complementary Therapies As Stress-Reduction In Children With Mental-Illness, Meghan M. Neubauer

Senior Honors Projects

Meghan Neubauer

Abstract: Complementary Therapies as Stress-Reduction in Children with Mental Illness

Mental Illness is being diagnosed at a faster rate and in younger populations than in the past. While children with Mental Illness face a number of physical, social, and emotional concerns, how can we balance a child’s physical, social, emotional, and developmental needs while supporting mental wellness? The National Institute for Mental Health identifies current treatment for children with mental illness to include psychotherapy and medications. Complementary therapies can help support children’s therapy by reducing stress in children with mental illness. If we can reduce stress in children …

The Role Of Melanin Concentrating Hormone (Mch) In The Central Chemoreflex: A Knockdown Study By Sirna In The Lateral Hypothalamus In Rats, Ningjing Li, Eugene Nattie, Aihua Li

Dartmouth Scholarship

Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), a neuropeptide produced mainly in neurons localized to the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), has been implicated in the regulation of food intake, energy balance, sleep state, and the cardiovascular system. Hypothalamic MCH neurons also have multisynaptic connections with diaphragmatic motoneurons and project to many central chemoreceptor sites. However, there are few studies of MCH involvement in central respiratory control. To test the hypothesis that MCH plays a role in the central chemoreflex, we induced a down regulation of MCH in the central nervous system by knocking down the MCH precursor (pMCH) mRNA in the LHA using …

Neuroprotective Effects Of (-)-Epigallocatechin 3-O-Gallate (Egcg) On L-Methyl-4- Phenyl-L,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine (Mptp) And Hydrogen Peroxide (H2o2) Stressed Pc 12 Cells, Elizabeth M. Appert

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Despite the fact that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, much of its etiology and pathogenesis remains to be discovered. The main pathological feature of PD is the progressive death of specific dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the brain. Oxidative stress induced cell death has been hypothesized as one mechanism responsible for PD pathogenesis.

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that has been implicated in PD as a by-product of dopamine (DA) degradation. 1 -methyl-4-phenyl- 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) has been shown to produce a Parkinsonian syndrome via an oxidative stress induced …

Do Arthropod Prey Alter Behavior When Exposed To Different Combinations Of Sensory Cues From Predators?, Kelly I. Pniewski

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

How animals respond to predatory threats is influenced by the kinds of sensory cues from predators they are able to detect. Because sensory information is transduced through the environment, both that and the animal’s physiology may determine how animals are capable of reacting and are important variables when considering their behavioral responses. In this study I tested the effects of visual, chemical and seismic predator cues on how prey react to predatory threat. Four species of arthropod prey animals were tested; German cockroaches, Blatella germanica (Blattodea: Blattellidae), House crickets, Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllinae), Pill bugs, Armadillidium vulgare (Oniscidea: Armadillidiidae), and …

Brassicas: Be Aware Of The Animal Health Risks, Michelle Arnold, Jeff Lehmkuhler

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Winter annuals are often used to extend the grazing season. These forages can be used as supplemental feed when lower quality perennial forages dominate or to provide grazing at times when other forages are not available. On farms where row crops are grown, the combination of crop residues and fall growth of annual crops can allow livestock grazing to be extended well into the winter months. The annuals provide a cover for the soil during winter as well. Winter annuals planted in the early fall will allow grazing in late fall to early winter similar to stockpiled fescue. Based on …

Development Of A New Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay For The Rapid Detection Of The Oral Pathogenic Bacterium, Selenomonas Noxia, Patrica Cruz-Perez, Arthuro Mehretu, Mark P. Buttner, Katherine M. Howard, Theresa Trice

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background

In recent studies, periodontal health has been linked to being overweight and/or obese. Among common oral bacteria, Selenomonas noxia has been implicated in converting periodontal health to disease, and Selenomonas species have also been found in gastric ulcers. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the specific and rapid detection of S. noxia.

Methods

Two oligonucleotide primer pairs and one probe were designed and tested to determine optimal amplification signal with three strains of S. noxia. The PCR assay was tested against fourteen non-target organisms, including …

Biological Condition Of Money Pont Benthic Communities, Southern Branch Of The Elizabeth River (2010 And 2013), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

The subtidal macrobenthic communities off Money Point in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River were quantitatively sampled in summer 2010 (Dauer 2011). The designated Money Point study area was part of a sediment contaminant remediation effort. The primary objectives of the present study were to: (1) characterize the biological health of the benthos of Money Point comparing pre-remediation (2010) and post-remediation (2013) conditions and (2) assess the effectiveness of the sediment contamination remediation efforts with respect to Money Point benthos. In this report the macrobenthic communities off Money Point were resampled in the summer of 2013 after …

Generalization Of Fear Effects In Reinstatement To A Discrete Stimulus, Lauren Best

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate generalization of reinstated fear effects to a discrete stimulus. McAllister and McAllister (2006) reported that reinstated fear could generalize over time to similar contexts. The present study aimed to determine if reinstated fear could generalize to similar or different stimuli than conditioning after a long delay between reinstatement and testing. Rat subjects were randomly assigned to six groups (n = 10) which received conditioning and extinction to a 3000 Hz tone. Reinstatement conditioning was then conducted with either the same, similar, or different CS as used in conditioning. Testing for reinstated fear …

August 2014 Cvm Library Newsletter, Mississippi State University

CVM Library Newsletters

Newsletter of the College of Veterinary Medicine Library at Mississippi State University.

Diagnosis And Management Of Enterococcus Spp Infections During Rehabilitation Of Cold-Stunned Kemp’S Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys Kempii): 50 Cases (2006–2012), Charles J. Innis, Hillary Braverman, Julie M. Cavin, Michelle L. Ceresia, Lindsey R. Baden, Duncan M. Kuhn, Salvatore Frasca Jr, J. Patrick Mcgowan, Keiko Hirokawa, E. Scott Weber Iii, Brian Stacy, Constance Merigo

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Objective—To evaluate clinical data for cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) with Enterococcus spp infections during rehabilitation.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—50 stranded cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley turtles hospitalized between 2006 and 2012.

Procedures—Medical records for turtles from which Enterococcus spp were isolated were reviewed retrospectively, and clinical data, including morphometric data, body temperature at admission, physical examination findings, antimicrobial medication history, history of medications administered IV, environmental data, day of diagnosis, clinical signs at diagnosis, microbiological testing results, sources of positive culture results, hematologic and plasma biochemical data, cytologic and histopathologic results, radiographic findings, antimicrobial …

Collaborating For A Shared Purpose, Jame Schaefer

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Genomic Imprinting: Theories, Predictions And Empirical Tests, M M. Patten, L Ross, J P. Curley, David C. Queller, R Bonduriansky, J B. Wolf

Biology Faculty Research

The epigenetic phenomenon of genomic imprinting has motivated the development of numerous theories for its evolutionary origins and genomic distribution. In this review, we examine the three theories that have best withstood theoretical and empirical scrutiny. These are: Haig and colleagues’ kinship theory; Day and Bonduriansky’s sexual antagonism theory; and Wolf and Hager’s maternal–offspring coadaptation theory. These theories have fundamentally different perspectives on the adaptive significance of imprinting. The kinship theory views imprinting as a mechanism to change gene dosage, with imprinting evolving because of the differential effect that gene dosage has on the fitness of matrilineal and patrilineal relatives. …

Static And Dynamic In Vitro Testing Of Estrogen Coated Balloons, Adam Metzger

All Theses

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerosis is the main contributing factor for CVD. Current treatment methods for atherosclerosis include balloon angioplasty and stent implantation, which both have drawbacks associated with them. Balloon angioplasty shows restenosis in 3-6 months after deployment in 25-50% of patients. Bare metal stents have all the risks associated with implanting a medical device in a blood contacting area along with restenosis due to neointimal hyperplasia and stent fracture. In coronary arteries, drug-eluting stents (DES) have been shown to be very safe and effective with a very low percentage of …

One-And-A-Half Badges Of Fraud, Douglas G. Baird

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

Lenders have long included savings clauses in loan documents as a way to minimize exposure to fraudulent conveyance at-tacks. This paper suggests that scope of operation of savings clauses is exceeding small. Those cases in which lenders find themselves exposed to fraudulent conveyance liability are only rarely ones in which a savings clause is of much use. Savings clauses are useful to guard against constructive fraudulent conveyance attacks, but only in environments in which actual intent fraudulent conveyances attacks are also possible and for these savings clauses do little good. Even when in environments in which they might protect a …

Swosu Standing Committees 2014-2015, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

University Standing Committees

No abstract provided.

Paramyxovirus Glycoprotein Incorporation, Assembly And Budding: A Three Way Dance For Infectious Particle Production, Farah El Najjar, Anthony P. Schmitt, Rebecca Ellis Dutch

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Paramyxoviruses are a family of negative sense RNA viruses whose members cause serious diseases in humans, such as measles virus, mumps virus and respiratory syncytial virus; and in animals, such as Newcastle disease virus and rinderpest virus. Paramyxovirus particles form by assembly of the viral matrix protein, the ribonucleoprotein complex and the surface glycoproteins at the plasma membrane of infected cells and subsequent viral budding. Two major glycoproteins expressed on the viral envelope, the attachment protein and the fusion protein, promote attachment of the virus to host cells and subsequent virus-cell membrane fusion. Incorporation of the surface glycoproteins into infectious …

Graduate Programs Commencement, 15th Class (2014), Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Commencements

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Bacterial Inactivation Efficiency And Disinfection Byproduct Formation From Different Disinfection Processes, Binbin Li

All Theses

Formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during Escherichia coli K12 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 inactivation under four disinfection processes, including chlorination, chloramination, photo-Fenton reaction, and TiO2/UV photocatalytic inactivation were examined. Factors of pH (5 or 8) and different disinfectant dosages were also investigated in order to balance the risks of DBP formation and bacterial cell viability in the four treatment processes. Chlorination had the fastest bacterial inactivation whereas chloramination, photo-Fenton, and TiO2/UV requiring longer contact times to achieve the same inactivation efficiency. In spite of the lag phase in the treatment processes, both photo-Fenton and TiO2/UV achieved 100% bacteria reduction after …

The Effect Of 0.2 Hz And 1.0 Hz Frequency And 100 Ms And 20 - 100 Ms Amplitude Of Latency On Simulatory Sickness In A Head Mounted Display, Amelia Kinsella

All Theses

The purpose of the current experiment was to contribute to the existing literature on the relationship between frequency of latency and amplitude of latency and simulator sickness experienced in a head mounted display (HMD). Motion sickness has been studied for decades in a variety of vehicles including ships, planes, trains and automobiles. More recently virtual environments, including those utilizing an HMD have been shown to generate significant sickness, often termed simulator sickness. Many studies have linked system latency to simulator sickness and recent research has found that with current technology latency is not a constant; but rather it varies systematically …

Antioxidant Effect Of Peach Skin Extracts From 13 Varieties Of South Carolina Grown Peaches, Yueyuan Zhang

All Theses

South Carolina is the second largest peach producing state in the United States. Every year, large quantities of peaches do not meet the fresh peach standard and are discarded or used for further processing. The waste stream from discarded and processed peaches includes the skin and this could be recovered as a rich source of antioxidants. The objective of this research was to determine the antioxidant (phenolic) content and antioxidant capacity of peach skin from various peach varieties grown in South Carolina. Chapter 1 is a literature review which covers topics of oxidation in foods, mechanism of lipid oxidation, antioxidants …

Adsorption Of Halogenated Aliphatic Contaminants By Graphene Nanomaterials: Comparison With Carbon Nanotubes And Granular Activated Carbons, Yang Zhou

All Theses

Graphene nanomaterials are two-dimensional single layer sp2 hybridized carbon atoms densely packed in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice and can be visualized as basic building blocks for fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphite. In addition, they are hydrophobic nanomaterials and possess a large specific surface area (SSA), thus they have been evaluated as promising adsorbents to remove synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) from water. As with granular activated carbons (GACs) and CNTs, adsorption behavior of SOCs on graphene depends on the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents (e.g., specific surface area, pore size distribution and surface chemistry), SOCs (e.g., hydrophobicity, molecular size and …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Land Cover Change, Sedimentation And Water Quality In The Lake Issaqueena Watershed, South Carolina, Cassie Pilgrim

All Theses

Soil erosion and increased sediment yields within a watershed lead to impaired water quality, decreased availability of wildlife habitat and reduced recreational opportunities. While some sedimentation occurs naturally within a water system, most erosion processes are the result of anthropogenic activities across a landscape, namely changes in land use and land cover (LULC). This study was conducted to determine temporal and spatial sedimentation trends in the Lake Issaquena watershed using sonar logging equipment, geographic information systems (GIS) and limited hydrologic data from the Soil Conservation Service (1941 and 1949). Sediment deposition was analyzed in relation to several key factors that …

Repair Of The Proboscis Of Brush-Footed Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Suellen Pometto

All Theses

A key feature of the order Lepidoptera is the coilable proboscis, present in over 99% of lepidopteran species. The proboscis is used to obtain liquid nutrition, usually floral nectar. The proboscis is assembled from two elongate galeae immediately after emergence of the adult from the pupa. What happens if the galeae become separated? I studied the process of repair of the proboscis, behaviorally and functionally, at the organismal level. My research questions were as follows: 1) is the proboscis capable of repair, 2) is saliva necessary to proboscis repair, and 3) is the repaired proboscis able to acquire fluids? Test …

Getting Sandy: Creating Collapsing Sand Effects For An Ode To Love, Pisut Wisessing

All Theses

This thesis presents an artistic approach of creating collapsing sand effects in Brown Bag Films' animated short, An Ode To Love, directed by Matthew Darragh. A combination of rigid body simulation and fluid simulation tools, which are available in Houdini 3D animation software version 13, was used to successfully complete the task. A detailed design and implementation process to achieve the effects is documented in this work.

Video Event Detection Using Motion Relativity And Feature Selection, Feng Wang, Zhanhu Sun, Yu-Gang Jiang, Chong-Wah Ngo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Event detection plays an essential role in video content analysis. In this paper, we present our approach based on motion relativity and feature selection for video event detection. First, we propose a new motion feature, namely Expanded Relative Motion Histogram of Bag-of-Visual-Words (ERMH-BoW) to employ motion relativity for event detection. In ERMH-BoW, by representing what aspect of an event with Bag-of-Visual-Words (BoW), we construct relative motion histograms between different visual words to depict the objects' activities or how aspect of the event. ERMH-BoW thus integrates both what and how aspects for a complete event description. Meanwhile, we show that by …

Bombing 12294, Lucosi Ikeem Fuller

All Theses

“Bombing 12294” is a composite short story that is comprised of prose, drama and poetry. The components come together to form a story that follows a family that is torn apart because of conflicting views about graffiti and the ways in which graffiti is visual art, a form of writing, and vandalism, especially when compared to landscape architecture and automotive design, which are featured in the story to illustrate art forms that are far less versatile and volatile than graffiti, and are completely accepted by the society that condemns graffiti. The format of “Bombing 12294” is an exercise in writing …

Wetland Sediment Nutrient Flux In Response To Proposed Hydrologic Reconnection And Climate Warming, James T. Smit

Masters Theses

Wetland restoration and creation are common practices, but wetlands restored or created on former agricultural land may act as a source of nutrients, rather than as a sink. I studied P sediment-water exchange in two flooded celery fields (west and east), which are designated for wetland restoration, in order to assess the effects that hydrologic reconnection of the area to an adjacent creek would have on P dynamics. We also examined the influence of climate change, specifically warming temperatures, by conducting the sediment-water exchange experiments at ambient and plus 2°C temperature conditions. Lab-based sediment core incubations revealed that TP release …