Digital Commons Network^™

Land Use Consultations Advancing Therapeutic Jurisprudence: Ripe For Clinical Trials, Michael N. Widener

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This paper proposes educating law students in the processes of therapeutic justice through service as a neutral in land use controversies, and in the process, improving law student dispute resolution skills and enabling them to promote therapeutic outcomes.

Classwide Arbitration: A Method Of Resolving The "Natural" Food Label Litigations, Angelina Dalia

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note discusses how classwide arbitration in food labeling disputes can better serve as a resolution method for both parties. Part I will review the current legal landscape surrounding food labeling litigations and the limitations of the FDA's regulatory and enforcement power. It will analyze how the lack of regulation has led to the recent surge in food labeling class actions. Part II will introduce the general benefits and downfalls of mandatory arbitration in comparison to litigation as a means of legal remedy. Furthermore, it will describe the recent trend of incorporating mandatory arbitration clauses and class action waivers in …

Oldowan Hominin Behavior And Ecology At Kanjera South, Kenya, Thomas W. Plummer, Laura C. Bishop

Publications and Research

The Early Stone Age archaeological record does not become persistent and widespread until approximately 2.0-1.7 million years ago, when Oldowan sites spread across Africa and ultimately into Eurasia. However, good records of hominin behavior from this important time interval are uncommon. Here we describe recent findings from the two million year old Oldowan site of Kanjera South, on the Homa Peninsula of southwestern Kenya. Kanjera South is the oldest Oldowan site with large assemblages of stone artifacts and well-preserved archaeological fauna. Our research indicates that hominin activities were situated in an open habitat within a grassland dominated ecosystem, the first …

Overlapping Signatures Of Chronic Pain In The Dna Methylation Landscape Of Prefrontal Cortex And Peripheral T Cells, Renaud Massart, Sergiy Dymov, Magali Millecamps, Matthew Suderman, Stephanie Gregoire, Kevin Koenigs, Sebastian Alvarado, Maral Tajerian, Laura S. Stone, Moshe Szyf

Publications and Research

We tested the hypothesis that epigenetic mechanisms in the brain and the immune system are associated with chronic pain. Genome-wide DNA methylation assessed in 9 months post nerve-injury (SNI) and Sham rats, in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) as well as in T cells revealed a vast difference in the DNA methylation landscape in the brain between the groups and a remarkable overlap (72%) between differentially methylated probes in T cells and prefrontal cortex. DNA methylation states in the PFC showed robust correlation with pain score of animals in several genes involved in pain. Finally, only 11 differentially methylated probes in …

Addressing Stress And Well-Being Among Women Of Arab Descent Living In The United States: Development Of A Training Workshop For Mental Health Professionals, Hoda Abou-Ziab

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the increasing number of persons of Arab descent living in the United States, estimated at over 3.5 million in 2012, there has been a recognized need for a deeper understanding of acculturative, gender, and immigration-related stressors that Arab American women face. In response to this need, a one-day workshop for mental health professionals interested in or currently working with women of Arab descent living in the United States was developed. The workshop focuses on increasing knowledge of the various types of stress (e.g., acculturation, discrimination, gender role strain, parent-child relationships, care giver, familial, cultural expectations, work, school, etc.) …

Modification Of The "Gold Standard"? Leadership Selection From An Attachment Lens: A Critical Analysis., Rebecca Pearlstein

Theses and Dissertations

The demands of corporate America are placing increased pressures on supervisors and executives to create and manage optimal organizational cultures. Relational capabilities and emotional intelligence have come to the fore as an essential component of effective and successful business leadership. When leaders are unable to create positive relationships with their working teams and navigate the day-to-day stressors of the workplace, the costs can be significant. In addition to losses in productivity, absenteeism, stress, burnout, and demoralization all take a heavy toll. From the perspective of attachment theory, the ability to connect with others, cope with stress, and engage in productive …

A Qualitative Study Of General Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Special Education Students' Attendance At Post-Secondary Education Institutions, Abraham B. De Villiers

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study will cross-sectionally examine the perceptions of general education teachers through in-person interviews to analyze their personal beliefs for special education students’ attendance at post-secondary education institutions. Data was collected from general education teachers working at different urban high schools in a Southern California charter management organization. Each of the interviewed teachers are currently responsible, or have been responsible, for the instruction of special education students in their classroom. A total of 6 general education teachers participated in semi-structured interviews that consisted of 10 open-ended questions. Three conclusions were extracted from the findings related to the data …

Critical Considerations On Interpersonal Impact For Next Generation Professional Services Leaders: A Case Study, John L. Evans Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

With all the discussion surrounding the significance of culture within the realms of professional services organizations, this researcher was curious as to how to improve the quality of a culture. A higher quality culture, evidenced by a more positively energized work force, serves to improve competitive advantage for a concern, in a commoditized world. The following qualitative case study, a thirty-five day intervention in the months of May and June, 2016, with nine participants, that happened at Think Creative, Inc., of Orlando, Florida, intends on shedding light on how and why professional services organizational leaders should consider instituting a regimen …

Stem-Themed Schools: A Case Study Of Its Effect On Student Educational Pathways, Monika R. Mcknight

Theses and Dissertations

As the country looks to increase the STEM workforce it is important to examine the effect of the programs in place, specifically the effect on the students choices in education. The Mathematics & Science Academy (MSA), is a STEM-themed, public magnet school in Southern California whose mission is to increase the nation’s pool of graduates in mathematics and science. It is 1 of the many schools and programs in place to increase the United States (U.S.) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. This study, designed as a qualitative case study investigated how MSA has influenced female, African American students …

The Neuroscience Of Fear And Anxiety: A Primer For Clinicians, Lionel Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few decades, research in affective neuroscience has led to considerable insights into the biology of fear and anxiety. For those in the practice of psychotherapy, these advances hold the potential for explaining the evolutionary utility of these emotions and targeting psychotherapeutic interventions to neurobiological correlates when these emotions go awry. The conversation of neuroscience, however, has yet to find a comfortable place in the therapy room. Translational and conceptual disparities owing to the historical split between psychology and neuroscience, continue to present challenges to their integration. The present study seeks to reframe clinicians’ understanding of the biological …

Preliminary Report: A Survey Of Aggressive Behaviors In The American Coot (Fulica Americana) At Ballona Wetlands, California, Victor D. Carmona-Galindo, Mariele Anne Courtois, Kiara Cerda

Biology Faculty Works

Understanding interspecific and intraspecific aggression is important for wildlife management and sustainability of populations. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether there is a difference in number of occurrences of interspecific aggression between American coots (Fulica americana) and mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and intraspecific aggression among American coots in the Ballona wetland habitat of Southern California. Trends in literature describe coots as highly aggressive toward other coots year-round and toward other bird species during the breeding season. Because we conducted observations outside the breeding season, we hypothesized that more instances of intraspecific aggression would …

Evaluation Of Genome-Enabled Selection For Bacterial Cold Water Disease Resistance Using Progeny Performance Data In Rainbow Trout: Insights On Genotyping Methods And Genomic Prediction Models, Roger L. Vallejo, Timothy D. Leeds, Breno O. Fragomen, Guangtu Gao, Alvaro G. Hernandez, Ignacy Misztal, Timothy J. Welch, Gregory D. Wiens, Yniv Palti

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

Bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) causes significant economic losses in salmonid aquaculture, and traditional family-based breeding programs aimed at improving BCWD resistance have been limited to exploiting only between-family variation. We used genomic selection (GS) models to predict genomic breeding values (GEBVs) for BCWD resistance in 10 families from the first generation of the NCCCWA BCWD resistance breeding line, compared the predictive ability (PA) of GEBVs to pedigree-based estimated breeding values (EBVs), and compared the impact of two SNP genotyping methods on the accuracy of GEBV predictions. The BCWD phenotypes survival days (DAYS) and survival status (STATUS) had been recorded …

Cheatgrass Is Favored By Warming But Not Co2 Enrichment In A Semi-Arid Grassland, Dana M. Blumenthal, Julie A. Kray, William Ortmans, Lewis H. Ziska, Elise Pendall

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

levated CO₂ and warming may alter terrestrial ecosystems by promoting invasive plants with strong community

and ecosystem impacts. Invasive plant responses to elevated CO₂ and warming are difficult to predict, however,

because of the many mechanisms involved, including modification of phenology, physiology, and cycling of nitrogen and water. Understanding the relative and interactive importance of these processes requires multifactor experiments under realistic field conditions. Here, we test how free-air CO₂ enrichment (to 600 ppmv) and infrared warming (+1.5 °C day/3 °C night) influence a functionally and phenologically distinct invasive plant in semi-arid mixed-grass prairie. Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), …

Management Characteristics Of Beef Cattle Production In The Northern Plains And Midwest Regions Of The United States, Senorpe Asem-Hiablie, C. Alan Rotz, Robert Stout, Kim Stackhouse-Lawson

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

A comprehensive life cycle assessment of United States beef will provide benchmarks and identify opportunities for improvement. On-going region-specific data collection is characterizing cattle production practices for a more accurate assessment. This study reports production information obtained via online surveys and on-site visits from 2 of 7 regions: the Northern Plains (Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) and Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin). Ranch responses (n = 512) represented 1.6% of beef cows maintained in both regions with operation sizes varying from 1 to 12,500 cows. Feedlot responses (n = 120) represented 9.6 and 3.7% of …

Crop Residue Management And Fertilization Effects On Soil Organic Matter And Associated Biological Properties, Bingzi Zhao, Jiabao Zhang, Yueyue Yu, Douglas Karlen, Xiying Hao

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

Returning crop residue may result in nutrient reduction in soil in the first few years. A two-year field experiment was conducted to assess whether this negative effect is alleviated by improved crop residue management (CRM). Nine treatments (3 CRM and 3 N fertilizer rates) were used. The CRM treatments were (1) R0: 100 % of the N using mineral fertilizer with no crop residues return; (2) R: crop residue plus mineral fertilizer as for the R0; and (3) Rc: crop residue plus 83 % of the N using mineral and 17 % manure fertilizer. Each CRM received N fertilizer rates …

Cqestr Simulated Changes In Soil Organic Carbon Under Residue Management Practices In Continuous Corn Systems, Brian J. Wienhold, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Gary E. Varvel, Hero Gollany

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

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important soil property and is strongly influenced by management. Changes in SOC stocks are difficult to measure through direct sampling, requiring both long time periods and intensive sampling to detect small changes in the large, highly variable pool. Models have the potential to predict management-induced changes in SOC stocks, but require long-term data sets for validation. CQESTR is a processed based C model that uses site weather, management, and crop data to estimate changes in SOC stocks. Crop residue removal for livestock feed or future biofuel feedstock use is a management practice that potentially …

Hot-Melt Extrusion: A Versatile Pharmaceutical Technology, Hemlata Patil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) is a promising technology for the production of new chemical entities in the developmental pipeline and for improving products already on the market. The first objective of this research work was to describe a continuous process for the production of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as drug-carrier systems via hot-melt extrusion (HME) using Quality by Design (QbD) principles. Fenofibrate SLN were prepared by combining two processes: HME technology for melt-emulsification and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) for size reduction. Varying the process parameters enabled the production of SLN below 200 nm. At the end of a 5-h in-vitro dissolution study, …

Maternal Melodrama And Modern Horror: Genre Hybridity In Southern Film, Sara Marcella Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation establishes the groundwork for a new genre of Southern film – a hybrid genre that I call Southern maternal horror. By integrating key elements from the genres of maternal melodrama and modern horror into Southern narratives, Southern maternal horror uses the central ambivalence found in both genres – manifesting as a desire to both return to and escape from one’s maternal origins – to challenge Southern nostalgia. Specifically, within its distinctly Southern framework, this hybrid genre frequently disrupts the romanticized notions of the Old South typically found in classic Southern films such as Gone With the Wind: idealizations …

Scalable Production Of Glioblastoma Tumor-Initiating Cells In 3 Dimension Thermoreversible Hydrogels, Qiang Li, Haishuang Lin, Ou Wang, Xuefeng Qiu, Srivatsan Kidambi, Loic P. Deleyrolle, Brent A. Reynolds, Yuguo Lei

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

There is growing interest in developing drugs that specifically target glioblastoma tumor-initiating cells (TICs). Current cell culture methods, however, cannot cost-effectively produce the large numbers of glioblastoma TICs required for drug discovery and development. In this paper we report a new method that encapsulates patient-derived primary glioblastoma TICs and grows them in 3 dimension thermoreversible hydrogels. Our method allows long-term culture (~50 days, 10 passages tested, accumulative ~>10¹⁰-fold expansion) with both high growth rate (~20-fold expansion/7 days) and high volumetric yield (~2.0 × 10⁷ cells/ml) without the loss of stemness. The scalable method can be used …

The Identification Of Haemonchus Species And Diagnosis Of Haemonchosis, Dante Zarlenga, E.P. Hoberg, W. Tuo

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

Diagnosis is often equated with identification or detection when discussing parasitic diseases. Unfortunately, these are not necessarily mutually exclusive activities; diseases and infections are generally diagnosed and organisms are identified. Diagnosis is commonly predicated upon some clinical signs; in an effort to determine the causative agent, identification of genera and species is subsequently performed. Both identification and diagnosis play critical roles in managing an infection, and involve the interplay of direct and indirect methods of detection, particularly in light of the complex and expanding problem of drug-resistance in parasites. Accurate and authoritative identification that is cost- and time-effective, based on …

A Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Predicted Serine Protease Is Associated With Acid Stress And Intraphagosomal Survival, Abirami Kugadas, Elise A. Lamont, John Bannantine, Fernanda Miyagaki Shoyama, Evan Brenner, Harish K. Janagama, Srinand Sreevatsan

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

The ability to maintain intra-cellular pH is crucial for bacteria and other microbes to survive in diverse environments, particularly those that undergo fluctuations in pH. Mechanisms of acid resistance remain poorly understood in mycobacteria. Although, studies investigating acid stress in M. tuberculosis are gaining traction, few center on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), the etiological agent of chronic enteritis in ruminants. We identified a MAP acid stress response network involved in macrophage infection. The central node of this network was MAP0403, a predicted serine protease that shared an 86% amino acid identity with MarP in M. tuberculosis. Previous studies confirmed …

Nlpc/P60 Domain-Containing Proteins Of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis That Differentially Bind And Hydrolyze Peptidoglycan, J. P. Bannantine, Cari K. Lingle, Philip R. Adam, Kasra X. Ramyar, William J. Mcwhorter, William D. Picking, Brian V. Geisbrecht

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

A subset of proteins containing NlpC/P60 domains are bacterial peptidoglycan hydrolases that cleave noncanonical peptide linkages and contribute to cell wall remodeling as well as cell separation during late stages of division. Some of these proteins have been shown to cleave peptidoglycan in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and play a role in Mycobacterium marinum virulence of zebra fish; however, there are still significant knowledge gaps concerning the molecular function of these proteins in Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). The MAP genome sequence encodes five NlpC/P60 domain-containing proteins. We describe atomic resolution crystal structures of two such MAP proteins, MAP_1272c and MAP_1204. These …

Effect Of Interpersonal And Cognitive Stressors On Habituation And The Utility Of Heart Rate Variability To Measure Habituation, Denise M. Feda, James N. Roemmich

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

Habituation is a decrease in responding to a repeated stimulus. Operant responding and salivation measure habituation in eating behaviour research. Stress may increase eating by acting as a distractor, yielding spontaneous recovery and prolonging responding for food. Our research tested differences in the ability of cognitive and inter- personal stressors to recover responding for food. We also tested heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure of habituation. Twenty women worked for portions of macaroni and cheese for 15 trials on three separate laboratory visits. Between the 12th and 13th trial, one of three different stressor types (speech, stroop and subtraction) …

Managing Hyperglycemia In Critically Ill Patients: Where Are We Now?, Umer Shoukat, Md, Umer Mukhtar, Md, M. Kamran Athar, Md

JHN Journal

Hyperglycemia is common in critically ill patients and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, rate of infections and length of hospital stay. For decades, hyperglycemia in critically ill population was considered an adaptive response and interventions were only considered if diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or severe hyperosmolar states developed. Furnary et al published studies showing lower sternal wound infection rates in cardiac surgical patients with control of glucose (180-220 mg/dl). This led to the dissemination of the “Portland Protocol,” but it was not widely accepted.1, 2

Management of hyperglycemia changed with the publication of Van Den Berghe study.3 This was a …

Novel Therapies For Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Fred Rincon, Md, Msc, Facp, Fccp, Fccm

JHN Journal

INTRODUCTION

Intracerebral hemorrhage is by far the most destructive form of stroke1. Apart from the management in a specialized stroke or neurological intensive care unit (NICU), no specific therapies have been shown to consistently improve outcomes after ICH2. Current Guidelines endorse early aggressive optimization of physiologic derangements with ventilatory support when indicated, blood pressure control, reversal of any preexisting coagulopathy, intracranial pressure monitoring for certain cases, osmotherapy, temperature modulation, seizure prophylaxis, treatment of hyerglycemia, and nutritional support in the stroke unit or NICU. Ventriculostomy is the cornerstone of therapy for control of intracranial pressure patients with intraventricular hemorrhage. 3, 4 …

A Multi-Scale Approach To Study Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: From Mechanical Properties And Crystal Structure Of The Cell's Materials To The Development Of An Interactive And Interconnected Educational Tool, Amjad Aman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells are energy conversion devices that convert chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy. They are known for being fuel-flexible, have minimal harmful emissions, ideal for combined heat and power applications, highly energy-efficient when combined with gas or steam turbines. The current challenges facing the widespread adoption these fuel cells include cost reduction, long-term testing of fully integrated systems, improving the fuel cell stack and system performance, and studies related to reliability, robustness and durability. The goal of this dissertation is to further the understanding of the mechanical properties and crystal structure of materials used …

Laser Mobile Mapping Standards And Applications In Transportation, Steven D. Johnson, James S. Bethel, Chisaphat Supunyachotsakul, Scott Peterson

JTRP Technical Reports

This report describes the work that was done to support the development of a chapter for the INDOT Survey Manual on Mobile Mapping. The work includes experiments that were done, data that was collected, analysis that was carried out, and conclusions that were drawn about accuracy of Mobile Terrestrial Laser Scanning (MTLS) systems. The resulting Manual chapter, located in the appendix, defines standards and procedures for preparing, collecting, editing, delivering, exploiting, and archiving electronic mapping data that is created for Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The purpose of the standards and procedures within this manual is to obtain statewide uniformity …

Performance Assessment Of Road Barriers In Indiana, Yaotian Zou, Andrew P. Tarko

JTRP Technical Reports

Road barriers have been used as an effective countermeasure to prevent exposure of errant vehicles to both vehicles travelling in the opposite direction and to roadside hazards. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in-service safety performance of three types of road barriers (concrete barriers, steel W-beam guardrails, and high-tension cable barriers) in Indiana using cross-sectional analysis based on crash data. The quantitative evaluation was comprised of three components: 1) the effect of the road, barrier scenarios, and traffic on the barrier-relevant (BR) crash frequency, 2) the effect of the road and the barrier scenarios on the BR …

A Comparison Of Shovel Testing And Surface Collection As Archaeological Site Discovery Methods: A Case Study Using Mississippian Farmsteads, Cameron Smith Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shovel testing and controlled surface collection are commethods of archaeological site investigation that are generally approved by state and federal agencies as well as the academic community for cultural resource management projects and research. While both techniques are equally utilized, little research has been conducted on how equivalent these techniques are in terms of their efficacy for finding site. This thesis seeks to find a way to compare these techniques by creating mathematical models to describe how well the methods behave when tested on known datasets generated from Mississippian period farmsteads. The predicted performance can then be compared to real …

Linearly Stressed To Death: Consideration Of Early Childhood Stress As A Main Contributor To The Regional Variability In Classic Maya Mortuary Profiles, Nicholas Billstrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Late and Terminal Classic periods were times of great social, economic, and political change in Maya civilization. Scholars have suggested that increasing levels of dietary stress during this time may have been the result of ecological instability, drought, warfare, and significant levels of population movement across the Maya lowlands. All of these processes may have affected human health and left measurable markers of stress in human skeletal material. The burial population recovered from two sites on Ambergris Caye, located near the coast of Belize, have significantly more sub-adult individuals than sites in inland Belize, such as Actuncan, suggesting the …