Digital Commons Network^™

Adaptive Economic And Ecological Forest Management Under Risk, Joseph Buongiorno, Mo Zhou

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Forest managers must deal with inherently stochastic ecological and economic processes. The future growth of trees is uncertain, and so is their value. The randomness of low-impact, high frequency or rare catastrophic shocks in forest growth has significant implications in shaping the mix of tree species and the forest landscape. In addition, the fluctuations of wood prices influence greatly forest revenues.

Methods

Markov decision process models (MDPs) offer a rigorous and practical way of developing optimum management strategies, given these multiple sources of risk.

Results

Examples illustrate how such management guidelines are obtained with MDPs for combined ecological and …

Regulation Of Anti-Apoptotic Signaling By Kruppel-Like Factors 4 And 5 Mediates Lapatinib Resistance In Breast Cancer, M K. Farrugia, S B. Sharma, C-C Lin, S L. Mclaughlin, D B. Vanderbuilt, A G. Ammer, M A. Salkeni, P Stoilov, Y M. Agazie, C J. Creighton, J M. Ruppert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The Kruppel-like transcription factors (KLFs) 4 and 5 (KLF4/5) are coexpressed in mouse embryonic stem cells, where they function redundantly to maintain pluripotency. In mammary carcinoma, KLF4/5 can each impact the malignant phenotype, but potential linkages to drug resistance remain unclear. In primary human breast cancers, we observed a positive correlation between KLF4/5 transcript abundance, particularly in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched subtype. Furthermore, KLF4/5 protein was rapidly upregulated in human breast cancer cells following treatment with the HER2/epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, lapatinib. In addition, we observed a positive correlation between these factors in …

In Vitro Selection Of Single-Stranded Dna Molecular Recognition Elements Against S. Aureus Alpha Toxin And Sensitive Detection In Human Serum, Ka L. Hong, Luisa Battistella, Alysia D. Salva, Ryan M. Williams, Letha J. Sooter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Alpha toxin is one of the major virulence factors secreted by Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that is responsible for a wide variety of infections in both community and hospital settings. Due to the prevalence of S. aureus related infections and the emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, rapid and accurate diagnosis of S. aureus infections is crucial in benefiting patient health outcomes. In this study, a rigorous Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) variant previously developed by our laboratory was utilized to select a single-stranded DNA molecular recognition element (MRE) targeting alpha toxin with high affinity and specificity. At …

Mitochondrial Impairment In Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cells Is Involved In The Correlation Between Body Temperature And Stroke Severity, Hu Heng, Danielle N. Doll, Jiahong Sun, Sara E. Lewis, Jeffrey H. Wimsatt, Matthew J. Kessler, James W. Simpkins, Xuefang Ren

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The prognostic influence of body temperature on acute stroke in patients has been recently reported; however, hypothermia has confounded experimental results in animal stroke models. This work aimed to investigate how body temperature could prognose stroke severity as well as reveal a possible mitochondrial mechanism in the association of body temperature and stroke severity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) compromises mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in cerebrovascular endothelial cells (CVECs) and worsens murine experimental stroke. In this study, we report that LPS (0.1 mg/kg) exacerbates stroke infarction and neurological deficits, in the mean time LPS causes …

High-Resolution Genetic Mapping Of Allelic Variants Associated With Cell Wall Chemistry In Populus, Wellington Muchero, Jianjun Guo, Stephen P. Difazio, Jin-Gui Chen, Priya Ranjan, Gancho T. Slavov, Lee E. Gunter, Sara Jawdy, Anthony C. Bryan, Robert Sykes, Angela Ziebell, Jaroslav Klapste, Ilga Porth, Oleksandr Skyba, Faride Unda, Yousry A. El-Kassaby, Carl J. Douglas, Shawn D. Mansfield, Joel Martin, Wendy Schackwitz, Luke M. Evans, Olaf Czarnecki, Gerald A. Tuskan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

QTL cloning for the discovery of genes underlying polygenic traits has historically been cumbersome in long-lived perennial plants like Populus. Linkage disequilibrium-based association mapping has been proposed as a cloning tool, and recent advances in high-throughput genotyping and whole-genome resequencing enable marker saturation to levels sufficient for association mapping with no a priori candidate gene selection. Here, multiyear and multienvironment evaluation of cell wall phenotypes was conducted in an interspecific P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides pseudo-backcross mapping pedigree and two partially overlapping populations of unrelated P. trichocarpa genotypes using pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry, saccharification, and/ or traditional …

Gene Expression Profile Of Human Lung Epithelial Cells Chronically Exposed To Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Dongquan Chen, Todd A. Stueckle, Sudjit Luanpitpong, Yon Rojanasakul, Yongju Lu, Liying Wang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

A rapid increase in utility of engineered nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), has raised a concern over their safety. Based on recent evidence from animal studies, pulmonary exposure of CNTs may lead to nanoparticle accumulation in the deep lung without effective clearance which could interact with local lung cells for a long period of time. Physicochemical similarities of CNTs to asbestos fibers may contribute to their asbestos-like carcinogenic potential after long-term exposure, which has not been well addressed. More studies are needed to identify and predict the carcinogenic potential and mechanisms for promoting their safe use. Our previous study reported …

Characterization Of Shed Medicinal Leech Mucus Reveals A Diverse Microbiota, Brittany M. Ott, Allen Rickards, Lauren Gehrke, Rita V M Rio

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Microbial transmission through mucosal-mediated mechanisms is widespread throughout the animal kingdom. One example of this occurs with Hirudo verbana, the medicinal leech, where host attraction to shed conspecific mucus facilitates horizontal transmission of a predominant gut symbiont, the Gammaproteobacterium Aeromonas veronii. However, whether this mucus may harbor other bacteria has not been examined. Here, we characterize the microbiota of shed leech mucus through Illumina deep sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. Additionally, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) typing with subsequent Sanger Sequencing of a 16S rRNA gene clone library provided qualitative confirmation of …

Whole-Body Transcriptome Of Selectively Bred, Resistant-, Control-, And Susceptible-Line Rainbow Trout Following Experimental Challenge With Flavobacterium Psychrophilum, David Marancik, Guangtu Gao, Bam Paneru, Hao Ma, Alvaro G. Hernandez, Mohamed Salem, Jianbo Yao, Yniv Palti, Gregory D. Wiens

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Genetic improvement for enhanced disease resistance in fish is an increasingly utilized approach to mitigate endemic infectious disease in aquaculture. In domesticated salmonid populations, large phenotypic variation in disease resistance has been identified but the genetic basis for altered responsiveness remains unclear. We previously reported three generations of selection and phenotypic validation of a bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) resistant line of rainbow trout, designated ARS-Fp-R. This line has higher survival after infection by either standardized laboratory challenge or natural challenge as compared to two reference lines, designated ARS-Fp-C (control) and ARS-Fp-S (susceptible). In this study, we utilized 1.1 g …

Selection Of Single-Stranded Dna Molecular Recognition Elements Against Exotoxin A Using A Novel Decoy-Selex Method And Sensitive Detection Of Exotoxin A In Human Serum, Ka L. Hong, Kailey Yancey, Luisa Battistella, Ryan M. Williams, Katherine M. Hickey, Chris D. Bostick, Peter M. Gannett, Letha J. Sooter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Exotoxin A is one of the virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that can cause infections resulting in adverse health outcomes and increased burden to health care systems. Current methods of diagnosing P. aeruginosa infections are time consuming and can require significant preparation of patient samples. This study utilized a novel variation of the Systematic Evolution of Ligand by Exponential Enrichment, Decoy-SELEX, to identify an Exotoxin A specific single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecular recognition element (MRE). Its emphasis is on increasing stringency in directing binding toward free target of interest and at the same time decreasing binding toward negative targets. …

Survival Of Unstressed And Acid-, Cold-, And Starvation-Stress-Adapted Listeria Monocytogenes In Ham Extract With Hops Beta Acids And Consumer Acceptability Of Hba On Ready-To-Eat Ham, Li Wang, Cangliang Shen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The efficacy of hops beta acids (HBA) against unstressed and stress-adapted Listeria monocytogenes in ham extract and the consumers’ acceptability of HBA on ready-to-eat (RTE) hams were investigated. Unstressed or acid-, cold-, or starvation-stress-adapted L. monocytogenes was inoculated (1.3–1.5 log CFU/mL) into 10% ham extract, without (control) or with HBA (4.44 or 10.0 µg/mL). Survival/growth of the pathogen during storage (7.2°C, 26 days) was monitored periodically. Sensory evaluation (30 participants, 9-point hedonic scale) was performed with hams dipped into 0.05, 0.11, and 0.23% HBA solution. Ham extracts without HBA supported rapid growth of unstressed and stress-adapted cells with growth rates …

Evidential Value That Exercise Improves Bmi -Score In Overweight And Obese Children And Adolescents, George A. Kelley, Kristi S. Kelley

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background. Given the cardiovascular disease (CVD) related importance of understanding the true effects of exercise on adiposity in overweight and obese children and adolescents, this study examined whether there is evidential value to rule out excessive and inappropriate reporting of statistically significant results, a major problem in the published literature, with respect to exercise-induced improvements in BMI -score among overweight and obese children and adolescents. Methods. Using data from a previous meta-analysis of 10 published studies that included 835 overweight and obese children and adolescents, a novel, recently developed approach (-curve) was used to test for evidential value and rule …

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Treatment Ameliorates Peritonitis-Induced Diaphragm Dysfunction, Shinichi Asano, Ravikumar Arvapalli, Nandini Dpk Manne, Mani Maheshwari, Bing Ma, Kevin M. Rice, Vellaisamy Selvaraj, Eric R. Blough

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The severe inflammation observed during sepsis is thought to cause diaphragm dysfunction, which is associated with poor patient prognosis. Cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles have been posited to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities suggesting that these particles may be of potential use for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. To investigate this possibility, Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: sham control, CeO₂ nanoparticle treatment only (0.5 mg/kg iv), sepsis, and sepsis+CeO₂ nanoparticles. Sepsis was induced by the introduction of cecal material (600 mg/kg) directly into the peritoneal cavity. Nanoparticle treatment decreased sepsis-associated impairments in …

Seedling Performance Associated With Live Or Herbicide Treated Tall Fescue, Jonathan J. Halvorson, David P. Belesky, Harry W. Godwin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Tall fescue is an important forage grass which can host systemic fungal endophytes. The association of host grass and endophyte is known to influence herbivore behavior and host plant competition for resources. Establishing legumes into existing tall fescue sods is a desirable means to acquire nitrogen and enhance the nutritive value of forage for livestock production. Competition from existing tall fescue typically must be controlled to ensure interseeding success. We used a soil-on-agar method to determine if soil from intact, living (L), or an herbicide killed (K) tall fescue sward influenced germination and seedling growth of three cultivars of tall …

In Vitro Selection Of A Single-Stranded Dna Molecular Recognition Element Against Clostridium Difficile Toxin B And Sensitive Detection In Human Fecal Matter, Ka L. Hong, Eamonn Maher, Ryan M. Williams, Letha J. Sooter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Toxin B is one of the major virulence factors of Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that is responsible for a significant number of diarrhea cases in acute care settings. Due to the prevalence of C. difficile induced diarrhea, rapid and correct diagnosis is crucial in the disease management. In this study, we have employed a stringent in vitro selection method to identify single-stranded DNA molecular recognition elements (MRE) specific for toxin B. At the end of the 12-round selection, one MRE with high affinity  nM) for toxin B was identified. The selected MRE demonstrated low cross binding activities on negative targets: …

Diagnostic Approach For Monitoring Hydroclimatic Conditions Related To Emergence Of West Nile Virus In West Virginia, Antarpreet Jutla, Anwar Huq, Rita R. Colwell

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

West Nile virus (WNV), mosquito-borne and water-based disease, is increasingly a global threat to public health. Since its appearance in the northeastern United States in 1999, WNV has since been reported in several states in the continental United States. The objective of this study is to highlight role of hydroclimatic processes estimated through satellite sensors in capturing conditions for emergence of the vectors in historically disease free regions. We tested the hypothesis that an increase in surface temperature, in combination with intensification of vegetation, and enhanced precipitation, lead to conditions favorable for vector (mosquito) growth. Analysis of land surface temperature …

Caries Experience Differs Between Females And Males Across Age Groups In Northern Appalachia, John R. Shaffer, Elizabeth J. Leslie, Eleanor Feingold, Manika Govil, Daniel W. Mcneil, Richard J. Crout, Robert J. Weyant, Mary L. Marazita

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Sex disparities in dental caries have been observed across many populations, with females typically exhibiting higher prevalence and more affected teeth. In this study we assessed the sex disparities in two Northern Appalachian populations from West Virginia (WV, ) and Pennsylvania (PA, ) by comparing caries indices between males and females across four phases of dental development: primary dentition in children aged 1–5 years, mixed dentition in children aged 6–11 years, permanent dentition in adolescents aged 12–17 years, and permanent dentition in adults aged 18–59 years. No significant sex differences were observed for children aged 1–5 years. Contrary to national …

Oral Health In A Sample Of Pregnant Women From Northern Appalachia (2011–2015), Katherine Neiswanger, Daniel W. Mcneil, Betsy Foxman, Manika Govil, Margaret E. Cooper, Robert J. Weyant, John R. Shaffer, Richard J. Crout, Hyagriv N. Simhan, Scott R. Beach, Stella Chapman, Jayme G. Zovko, Linda J. Brown, Stephen J. Strotmeyer, Jennifer L. Maurer, Mary L. Marazita

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background. Chronic poor oral health has a high prevalence in Appalachia, a large region in the eastern USA. The Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) has been enrolling pregnant women and their babies since 2011 in the COHRA2 study of genetic, microbial, and environmental factors involved in oral health in Northern Appalachia. Methods. The COHRA2 protocol is presented in detail, including inclusion criteria (healthy, adult, pregnant, US Caucasian, English speaking, and nonimmunocompromised women), recruiting (two sites: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, USA), assessments (demographic, medical, dental, psychosocial/behavioral, and oral microbial samples and DNA), timelines (longitudinal from pregnancy to …

Hyperuricemia: An Early Marker For Severity Of Illness In Sepsis, Sana R. Akbar, Dustin M. Long, Kashif Hussain, Ahmad Alhajhusain, Umair S. Ahmed, Hafiz I. Iqbal, Ailia W. Ali, Rachel Leonard, Cheryl Dalton

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background. Uric acid can acutely activate various inflammatory transcription factors. Since high levels of oxyradicals and lower antioxidant levels in septic patients are believed to result in multiorgan failure, uric acid levels could be used as a marker of oxidative stress and poor prognosis in patients with sepsis. Design. We conducted a prospective cohort study on Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) patients and hypothesized that elevated uric acid in patients with sepsis is predictive of greater morbidity. The primary end point was the correlation between hyperuricemia and the morbidity rate. Secondary end points were Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), mortality, Acute …

A Comparison Of Hierarchical And Non-Hierarchical Bayesian Approaches For Fitting Allometric Larch (Larix.Spp.) Biomass Equations, Dongsheng Chen, Xingzhao Huang, Xiaomei Sun, Wu Ma, Shougong Zhang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Accurate biomass estimations are important for assessing and monitoring forest carbon storage. Bayesian theory has been widely applied to tree biomass models. Recently, a hierarchical Bayesian approach has received increasing attention for improving biomass models. In this study, tree biomass data were obtained by sampling 310 trees from 209 permanent sample plots from larch plantations in six regions across China. Non-hierarchical and hierarchical Bayesian approaches were used to model allometric biomass equations. We found that the total, root, stem wood, stem bark, branch and foliage biomass model relationships were statistically significant (p-values < 0.001) for both the non-hierarchical and hierarchical Bayesian approaches, but the hierarchical Bayesian approach increased the goodness-of-fit statistics over the non-hierarchical Bayesian approach. The R2 values of the hierarchical approach were higher than those of the non-hierarchical approach by 0.008, 0.018, 0.020, 0.003, 0.088 and 0.116 for the total tree, root, stem wood, stem bark, branch and foliage models, respectively. The hierarchical Bayesian approach significantly improved the accuracy of the biomass model (except for the stem bark) and can reflect regional differences by using random parameters to improve the regional scale model accuracy.

Surveying Environmental Attitudes, Behavior And Knowledge At A Christian Liberal Arts University: Exploring Faith, Stewardship, And The "New Ecological Paradigm", Kathryn R. Rudy

Master of Environmental Science (MES) Theses

A survey of undergraduate students (N=208) at a private, Christian university assessed environmental attitude with the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), environmental knowledge with the National Environment Education & Training Foundation NEEFT)/Roper Survey, and self-reported environmental behaviors. Some additional survey components explored the relationships of Christian faith and environmental attitudes of students. Sampling occurred among students in a few select classes and via all-campus student email announcements for voluntary and anonymous responses. This survey can serve in program and curriculum development, survey tool development and as a benchmark study for Taylor University.

Students overwhelmingly recognize a relationship between their Christian faith …

Taylor University Graduate Catalog 2015-16, Taylor University

Graduate Catalogs

The 2015-2016 graduate catalog of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

Taylor University Catalog 2015-2016, Taylor University

Undergraduate Catalogs

The 2015-2016 academic catalog of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

Man Up Or Man Down?: Male Perceptions Of Gender Identity, Matthew N. Barr

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Beginning during childhood, males learn to act in certain ways that will define them as masculine. Society expects boys to play with certain toys, not show emotion, and show aggressiveness. These expectations only increase as men age. By the time males enter college, they can be expected to take part in binge drinking, dangerous behavior, and sexual promiscuity. Research has shown many variables could affect male perceptions of gender identity during college. The current study aimed to investigate male perceptions of gender identity on two college campuses. The researcher distributed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) at two different faith-based institutions …

Embodying Man: A Phenomenological Study Of Body Image And Its Relationship To Masculinity, D'Andre Coats

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Many factors correlate with positive and negative body image issues in American culture today. Both men and women have a potential to struggle with negative and positive views of their bodies. However, body dissatisfaction has become commonly mistaken as an issue only impacting women. The present study sought to understand male body image and how it connects to a man’s view of his masculinity. The phenomenological study took place at a small, faith-based, residential campus in the Midwest and examined the experiences of eight male students at this institution. All participants mentioned family members as integral factors in helping them …

Continued Service: A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Immersive Service-Learning Courses, Jonathan T. Mcilvaine

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The present study sought to understand the impact of service-learning courses on students’ attitudes and goals toward education and future civic engagement. The research gathered responses from eight college students who participated in a service-learning course titled “Small Island Sustainability” that took place in the Bahamas. The following three research questions guided the study: 1) How do immersive service-learning courses impact attitudes toward future civic engagement? 2) How do immersive service-learning courses impact goals of future civic engagement? 3) How has a service-learning experience impacted the view of the importance of education? The study utilized a grounded theory design, resulting …

Developing A Silica-Coated Iron Oxide Nanovehicle For Antibody-Targeted Cancer Therapy, Zi Wei (Alice) Liao

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Examining A Gcpii+/-/Raav9 Genetic And Epigenetic Mouse Model Of Schizophrenia Using Magnetic Resonance, Alexandra Dunn

Honors Thesis Collection

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that affects approximately 24 million people worldwide, with about 50% of those affected by the disorder not receiving care (World Health Organization, 2013). Individuals with schizophrenia often exhibit abnormalities in behavior, cognition, and sociability. While the exact cause of the disorder remains unknown, environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors have been implicated in its onset. This thesis seeks to validate the GCPII^+/-/rAAV9 genetic and epigenetic mouse model of schizophrenia by observing whether it induces neurochemical, neurostructural, and behavioral abnormalities that mimic those observed in human patients. Previous studies in our laboratory explored a …

Development Of Transgenic Physcomitrella Patens Lines For Visualization Of Phosphoinositide Spatial And Temporal Localization, Angela Ai

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Surface Functionalization Of A Targeted Gold Nanovehicle For Pancreatic Cancer, Sara N. Musetti

Honors Thesis Collection

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The Gender Divide In Humor: How People Rate The Competence, Influence, And Funniness Of Men And Women By The Jokes They Tell And How They Tell Them, Christina Rozek

Honors Thesis Collection

How has the gender divide in humor—the widespread belief that men are funnier than women—arisen? Some theories in evolutionary biology provide compelling explanations for why it is more crucial for men than for women to be funny. I offer an alternative sociolinguistic perspective on the formation of this divide that focuses on the frequent association of women with a less powerful speech style, and how it may be changing. I investigated responses to jokes told by men and women using powerful and powerless styles. Hypothesis 1 was that jokes attributed to male speakers would receive higher ratings of competence, influence, …