Digital Commons Network^™

Repeated Evolution Of Chimeric Fusion Genes In The Β-Globin Gene Family Of Laurasiatherian Mammals, Michael J. Gaudry, Jay F. Storz, Gary Tyler Butts, Kevin L. Campbell, Federico G. Hoffmann

Jay F. Storz Publications

The evolutionary fate of chimeric fusion genes may be strongly influenced by their recombinational mode of origin and the nature of functional divergence between the parental genes. In the β-globin gene family of placental mammals, the two postnatally expressed δ- and β-globin genes (HBD and HBB, respectively) have a propensity for recombinational exchange via gene conversion and unequal crossing-over. In the latter case, there are good reasons to expect differences in retention rates for the reciprocal HBB/HBD and HBD/ HBB fusion genes due to thalassemia pathologies associated with the HBD/HBB “Lepore” deletion mutant in humans.Here,were port a comparative …

Native Insect Herbivory Limits Population Growth Rate Of A Non-Native Thistle, James O. Eckberg, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Svata M. Louda

Brigitte Tenhumberg Papers

The influence of native fauna on non-native plant population growth, size, and distribution is not well documented. Previous studies have shown that native insects associated with tall thistle (Cirsium altissimum) also feed on the leaves, stems, and flower heads of the Eurasian congener Cirsium vulgare, thus limiting individual plant performance. In this study, we tested the effects of insect herbivores on the population growth rate of C. vulgare. We experimentally initiated invasions by adding seeds at four unoccupied grassland sites in eastern Nebraska, USA, and recorded plant establishment, survival, and reproduction. Cumulative foliage and floral herbivory …

The Unoccupied Electronic Structure Characterization Of Hydrothermally Grown Tho2 Single Crystals, T D. Kelly, J C. Petrosky, D Turner, J W. Mcclory, J M. Mann, J W. Kolis, Xin Zhang, Peter A. Dowben

Peter Dowben Publications

Single crystals of thorium dioxide ThO₂, grown by the hydrothermal growth technique, have been investigated by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS), inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES), and L₃, M₃, M₄, and M₅ X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). The experimental band gap for large single crystals has been determined to be 6 eV to 7 eV, from UPS and IPES, in line with expectations. The combined UPS and IPES, place the Fermi level near the conduction band minimum, making these crystals n-type, with extensive band tailing, suggesting an optical gap in the region …

Varestrongylus Eleguneniensis Sp. N. (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): A Widespread, Multi-Host Lungworm Of Wild North American Ungulates, With An Emended Diagnosis For The Genus And Explorations Of Biogeography, Guilherme G. Verocai, Susan J. Kutz, Manon Simard, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Background: A putative new species of Varestrongylus has been recently recognized in wild North American ungulates based on the ITS-2 sequences of larvae isolated from feces during a wide geographic survey. No taxonomic description was provided, as adult specimens were not examined. Methods: Lungworm specimens were collected in the terminal bronchioles of muskoxen from Quebec, and a woodland caribou from central Alberta, Canada. The L3 stage was recovered from experimentally infected slugs (Deroceras spp.). Description of specimens was based on comparative morphology and integrated approaches. Molecular identity was determined by PCR and sequencing of the ITS-2 region of …

Air Sac Nematode Monopetalonema Alcedinis In A Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle Alcyon) In Maryland, Usa, Ellen Bronson, Kathleen Kelly, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Sporadic and geographically widespread reports of parasites affecting the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) have been published but few have described details of the pathology. A female, adult kingfisher was found dead in a heavily wooded area of a zoo in Maryland, USA. At necropsy, numerous sexually dimorphic, 4.4–40.5-cm adult Monopetalonema alcedinis nematodes were found tightly wound within the coelomic cavity between organs and completely filling the caudal thoracic and abdominal air sacs. Abundant, 30–60-mm diameter, larvated, thick-walled ova were found in the bronchi and parabronchi, within the mesentery, and in the serosa of multiple coelomic organs. Monopetalonema alcedinis …

In Memoriam: Robert Lloyd Rausch—A Life In Nature And Field Biology, 1921–2012, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

During his distinguished career, Robert Rausch, a man of great integrity and principles, served in his lifetime as a singular ambassador for parasitology in a broad international arena. Robert was a friend to many, was honored to be considered an equal among the nomadic bands of Nunamiut traversing the Brooks Range 60 years ago, and will be long remembered for the strength of his science and his perceptive views of the natural world.

Levisunguis Subaequalis N. G., N. Sp., A Tongue Worm (Pentastomida: Porocephalida: Sebekidae) Infecting Softshell Turtles, Apalone Spp. (Testudines: Trionychidae), In The Southeastern United States, Stephen S. Curran, Robin M. Overstreet, David E. Collins, George W. Benz

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

A new tongue worm (Pentastomida) belonging to the Sebekidae Sambon, 1922 (Porocephaloidea Sambon, 1922) is described based on exemplars collected from softshell terrapins Apalone spinifera aspera (Agassiz) and Apalone ferox (Schneider) in the southeastern United States; a new genus is erected to accommodate the new species. The new species belongs in the Sebekidae because adults possess four simple hooks arranged in a trapezoid pattern on the ventral surface of the cephalothorax, a mouth opening between the anterior and posterior pairs of hooks, a terminal anus, an elongated uterus with preanal uterine pore, and a Y-shaped seminal vesicle. Nymphs possess geminate …

On The Equality Assumption Of Latent And Sensible Heat Energy Transfer Coefficients Of The Bowen Ratio Theory For Evapotranspiration Estimations: Another Look At The Potential Causes Of Inequalities, Suat Irmak, Ayse Kilic, Sumantra Chatterjee

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Evapotranspiration (ET) and sensible heat (H) flux play a critical role in climate change; micrometeorology; atmospheric investigations; and related studies. They are two of the driving variables in climate impact(s) and hydrologic balance dynamics. Therefore, their accurate estimate is important for more robust modeling of the aforementioned relationships. The Bowen ratio energy balance method of estimating ET and H diffusions depends on the assumption that the diffusivities of latent heat (K_V) and sensible heat (K_H) are always equal. This assumption is re-visited and analyzed for a subsurface drip-irrigated field in …

Van Der Waals Trilayers And Superlattices: Modification Of Electronic Structures Of Mos2 By Intercalation, Ning Lu, Hongyan Guo, Lu Wang, Xiaojun Wu, Xiao Cheng Zeng

Xiao Cheng Zeng Publications

We perform a comprehensive first-principles study of the electronic properties of van der Waals (vdW) trilayers via intercalating a twodimensional (2D) monolayer (ML = BN, MoSe₂, WS₂, orWSe₂) between a MoS₂ bilayer to form various MoS₂/ML/MoS₂ sandwich trilayers. We find that the BN monolayer is themost effective sheet to decouple the interlayer vdW coupling of the MoS₂ bilayer, and the resulting sandwich trilayer can recover the electronic structures of the MoS₂ monolayer, particularly the direct-gap character. Further study of the MoS₂/BN superlattices confirms the effectiveness of …

[The Development Of Public Relations In] Kenya, Dane M. Kiambi

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

This chapter traces the practice of PR from pre-independence Kenya to the 21st century. It emerges that the practice of PR is closely tied to major national events and to social, cultural, political and economic forces. PR roles as understood by the pre-independence colonial government: keeping the public informed on government development projects, assessing public opinion and advising government, endearing government to Kenyans and building the awareness of Kenya abroad have continued to modern-day Kenya.

Ashfall Tephra In The Ogallala Group Of The Great Plains: Characteristics And Significance, Michael E. Perkins, Robert F. Diffendal Jr., Michael R. Voorhies, Barbara P. Nash, Bruce E. Bailey

Robert F. Diffendal, Jr., Publications

The Miocene Ogallala Group blankets the Great Plains east of the Rocky Mountains. This sheet of largely fluvial deposits, lying downwind of major silicic volcanic fields to the west, was ideally located to receive and preserve tephra from these fields. This investigation brings modern methods of tephrochronlogy to bear on the age and identity of Ogallala tephra. Results indicate that ~40 separate tephra layers, ranging in age from ~16.5–5.0 Ma, in the Ogallala. Most tephra came from Yellowstone hotspot sources. The relative frequency of hotspot tephra in the Ogallala matches that in more proximal regions to the west with peak …

Sulfites, Steve L. Taylor, Robert K. Bush, Julie A. Nordlee

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Key Concepts

Sulfites are frequently used food and drug additives.

Ingestion of sulfite residues has been documented to trigger asthmatic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Sulfite-induced asthma occurs in less than 5% of asthmatic individuals, and those with severe, persistent asthma are at greatest risk.

The diagnosis of sulfite-induced asthma is best made by blinded oral challenge with assessment of lung function.

Labeling regulations in the United States alert sulfite-sensitive individuals to the presence of sulfites in foods, which must then be avoided.

Maternal Perceptions Of Agency In Intergenerational Transmission Of Spanish: The Case Of Latinos In The U.S. Midwest, Isabel Velázquez

Spanish Language and Literature Papers

This article examines the ways in which a group of first-generation Latino immigrants to the U.S. Midwest conceptualized their role in their children’s bilingual development. Respondents were asked to identify the individuals or institutions on which their children’s language and academic development depended, as well as household practices perceived as conducive to Spanish maintenance, and perceived obstacles to their children’s use of Spanish in the domains of home, school, and community. Discussion centers on maternal perceptions of agency because of the centrality of the mother in intergenerational minority language transmission. It is argued here that immigrant mothers’ perceptions of agency …

Transpedicular Intracorporeal Grafting For Patients With Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures, Da-Peng Li, Hui-Lin Yang, Yong-Hui Huang, Xiao-Feng Xu, Tai-Cun Sun, Lang Hu

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of reinforcing short-segment fixation with transpedicular intracorporeal grafting in restoring vertebral body height and preventing loss of correction in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures. METHODS: This retrospective study was carried out from the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, China. Forty-six patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurological deficit were operatively treated between July 2008 and June 2011. Patients in group A (n=21) were treated by short-segment fixation with transpedicular intracorporeal grafting, whereas patients in group B (n=25) were treated by short-segment fixation without bone grafting. The preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up radiographs (anterior, middle, posterior …

Quality Of Undergraduate Critical Care Medical Education In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. Where Do We Stand?, Mariam A. Alansari

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of Supply Chain Collaboration: Implications For The Role Of Knowledge, Michael Gravier, M. Theodore Farris

Marketing Department Faculty Journal Articles

Increasingly, research across many disciplines has recognized the shortcomings of the traditional “integration prescription” for inter-organizational knowledge management. This research conducts several simulation experiments to study the effects of different rates of product change, different demand environments, and different economies of scale on the level of integration between firms at different levels in the supply chain. The underlying paradigm shifts from a static, steady state view to a dynamic, complex adaptive systems and knowledge-based view of supply chain networks. Several research propositions are presented that use the role of knowledge in the supply chain to provide predictive power for how …

A Systems Engineering Approach To Quantitative Comparison Of Molecular Instruments For Use On The International Space Station, Kimberly Lineberger, Jennifer Levitt, David J. Smith, Troy Van Nguyen, Adrian M. Peter

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

The presence of microorganisms on the International Space Station (ISS) poses a threat to the health and safety of the ISS crew Currently the ISS utilizes culture-based methods to detect and identify microorganisms These methods are out dated and time-consuming Molecular methods can deliver accurate results and require less processing time This article details an approach to determine which molecular methods instrument most closely meets the Microbial Monitoring System (MMS) requirements for use on the ISS We utilize the decision-theoretic Analytical Hierarchy Process and Quality Function Deployment while aligning the systems requirements vs instrument capabilities m a Pugh Matrix to …

Environmental And Occupational Factors Associated With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Case-Control Study, R. Kasmani, N.A. Othieno-Abinya, M.T. Singh Riyat, G.W. Kiarie, Peter Wanzala

Pathology, East Africa

Background: The relationship between chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and a broad range of exposures to occupational and environmental factors known to cause leukemia in general is limited. CML is by and large incurable and treatment is just palliative and life prolonging, with high case fatality rate, even in the best centers. Furthermore treatment is very expensive. Identification of leukemogenic factors is therefore important if this can lead to simple public health interventions.

Objective: The objective was to determine key environmental and occupational exposure factors that may be associated with CML.

Methods: This was a case-control study involving CML …

Low Prevalence Of Methicillin Resistant As Determined By An Automated Identification System In Two Private Hospitals In Nairobi, Kenya: A Cross Sectional Study, Geoffrey Omuse, Beatrice Kabera, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) is a major cause of both healthcare and community acquired infections. In developing countries, manual phenotypic tests are the mainstay for the identification of staphylococci with the tube and slide coagulase tests being relied upon as confirmatory tests for S. aureus. The subjectivity associated with interpretation of these tests may result in misidentification of coagulase negative staphylococci as S.aureus. Given that antibiotic resistance is more prevalent in CONS, this may result in over estimation of methicillin resistant S.aureus (MRSA) prevalence.

Methods: A review of susceptibility data from all non-duplicate S.aureus isolates generated between March 2011 and …

Kangaroo Is Kangaroo, I Am I, Jeongrye Choi, Special Collections, Fleet Library

Artists' Books

37 unnumbered pages including 3 folded pages : illustrations (some color). "Designed, illustrated, printed, and bound by steph rue at the university of iowa center for the book in the spring of 2014. text graciously provided by jeongrye choi, who holds the copyright. additional thanks for sang-seok yoon, joung-a park, sara langworthy, and julie leonard."--Colophon Edition of 40 copies. Text in English and Korean. Case binding. Library has copy 33 of 40. Purchased at Codex 2024. SEI

Change = Anything Can Happen Next!, Bob Pliny, Special Collections, Fleet Library

Artists' Books

1 volume, 27 pages. Publication information from 23 Sandy Gallery website. "A meditation upon the nature of change. Change is everywhere and always. It is the ceaseless motion of things continually being transforming into other things."--23 Sandy Gallery website. Text and illustrations were handpainted using graphite and colored pencil, acrylics, photo copies and composition gold leaf. Layers of recycled book pages and wallpaper. Altered book, re-used hardcover book binding. Unique artists' book. Accordion fold, attached to back cover. Text extends out to 148.5 inches.

Deferiprone Versus Deferoxamine In Sickle Cell Disease: Results From A 5-Year Long-Term Italian Multi-Center Randomized Clinical Trial., Giusi Calvaruso, Angela Vitrano, Rosario Di Maggio, Samir K. Ballas, Martin H Steinberg, Paolo Rigano, Massimiliano Sacco, Paul Telfer, Disma Renda, Rita Barone, Aurelio Maggio

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Blood transfusion and iron chelation currently represent a supportive therapy to manage anemia, vasculopathy and vaso-occlusion crises in Sickle-Cell-Disease. Here we describe the first 5-year long-term randomized clinical trial comparing Deferiprone versus Deferoxamine in patients with Sickle-Cell-Disease. The results of this study show that Deferiprone has the same effectiveness as Deferoxamine in decreasing body iron burden, measured as repeated measurements of serum ferritin concentrations on the same patient over 5-years and analyzed according to the linear mixed-effects model (LMM) (p=0.822). Both chelators are able to decrease, significantly, serum ferritin concentrations, during 5-years, without any effect on safety (p=0.005). Moreover, although …

Primary Stroke In A Woman With Sickle Cell Anemia Responsive To Hydroxyurea Therapy., Samir K. Ballas, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Michael P. Savage

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

The most common cause of stroke in children with sickle cell anemia is infarction due to ischemia. In adults, however, stroke is most commonly hemorrhagic in nature. Other causes of stroke in patients with sickle cell disease are very rare. In this short communication, we describe a woman with sickle cell anemia responsive to hydroxyurea (HU) therapy who had primary stroke due to paradoxical embolization caused by a large atrial septal defect. Successful management of the stroke included surgical closure of the defect with trans-esophageal echocardiographic guidance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first patient with sickle …

A Modified Stacking Ensemble Machine Learning Algorithm Using Genetic Algorithms, Riyaz Sikora, O'La Hmoud Al-Laymoun

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

With the massive increase in the data being collected as a result of ubiquitous information gathering devices, and the increased need for doing data mining and analyses, there is a need for scaling up and improving the performance of traditional data mining and learning algorithms. Two related fields of distributed data mining and ensemble learning aim to address this scaling issue. Distributed data mining looks at how data that is distributed can be effectively mined without having to collect the data at one central location. Ensemble learning techniques aim to create a meta-classifier by combining several classifiers created on the …

Entropy Based Feature Selection For Multi-Relational Naïve Bayesian Classifier, Vimalkumar B. Vaghela, Kalpesh H. Vandra, Nilesh K. Modi

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Current industries data’s are stored in relation structures. In usual approach to mine these data, we often use to join several relations to form a single relation using foreign key links, which is known as flatten. Flatten may cause troubles such as time consuming, data redundancy and statistical skew on data. Hence, the critical issues arise that how to mine data directly on numerous relations. The solution of the given issue is the approach called multi-relational data mining (MRDM). Other issues are irrelevant or redundant attributes in a relation may not make contribution to classification accuracy. Thus, feature selection is …

Assessing Web Site Usability In Retail Electronic Commerce, Charles E. Downing, Chang Liu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

In the increasingly competitive environment of electronic commerce, companies are paying careful attention to Web site design and function to attract and retain both traffic and customers. One key factor that has been shown to increase both is Web site usability. This paper presents and tests a Web site usability research framework derived from prior literature. Fourteen Fortune 500 retail Web sites are examined by 261 potential customers and rated on aspects of usability. Results show that Content and Ease of Use are not currently differentiating sites with regard to usability (these attributes are expected and required just to survive …

A Web-Based Knowledge Management Tool Utilizing Concept Maps For On-Line Student Advising, Jay M. Lightfoot

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Increasingly complex program offerings by universities combined with on-line educational opportunities have created a situation where students must deal with an extremely complicated array of curriculum decisions. At the same time, many universities are moving away from the traditional one-on-one advising model toward one that relies heavily on web-based resources. The result of this is that students are often forced to self-advise using complicated and often poorly structured websites. This paper describes a knowledge management tool to mitigate this problem by creating an intuitive, web-based interface to help students navigate directly to the Internet advising materials that are most applicable.

Cloud-Based Email Adoption At Higher Education Institutions In South Africa, Melanie Willett, Rossouw Von Solms

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Cloud computing, in general, is having an impact on organizations today. Cloud-based email, in particular, is being adopted by educational institutions around the world on a large scale. This paper reports on the state of cloud-based email adoption at higher education institutions in South Africa; it does this by describing the findings of a survey of IT managers at sixteen of these institutions. It will show that South Africa follows the global trend of a large uptake of cloud- based email for higher education institutions. The fact that although organizations are satisfied with the service they receive from cloud-based email …

A Model Of Jordanian Firm’S Trainees’ Acceptance Of A Web-Based Training, Amin A. Shaqrah, Al Hareth Abu Husain

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study investigates E-learning technologies such as web based training “WBT” as a one of many products which wide used in all corporate training for delivering educational content to their employees. In order to achieve a better view and validate the study, researcher attempts to give details of how technology acceptance models help Jordanian trainees firms in accepting e- learning technology, and how if applied will result more attention to usage behavior. The empirical examination of study model which developed based on Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology ”UTAUT” which indicates that the Jordanian trainees’ firms’ usage behavior …

A Tribute On The 25 Th Anniversary To The International Information Management Association (Iima) And Its Co-Founders: C. E. Tapie Rohm Jr., Patrick J. Mcinturff Jr. And Walter T. Stewart Jr., Warren Adis, Joseph O. Chan, Xin James He, Tanya Goette, Frank Lin, Emmanuel Uzoma Opara, Trevor Rohm, Gerhard Steinke, Jake Zhu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

IIMA is a special place for all of us. For twenty-five years, it has served as a forum for all of us to gather together to engage in intellectual conversations, to disseminate knowledge, and to renew our profession. Over the many years, IIMA has helped many us with our tenure and promotion, and has made our manuscripts available worldwide through our publication outlets, the three IIMA journals and the seasonal conference proceedings. Also for many of us, IIMA is not only a forum for academics, but also a place for friendship, family and fun. Many of us have become life-long …