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Elucidating The Genetic Cause To Ascites Syndrome In Broiler Chickens Utilizing Multi-Generational Genome Wide Association Studies, Katy Tarrant

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ascites syndrome in broiler chickens has developed into a source of economic loss in the last three decades. Intensive selective pressure, and implementation of flock management practices, has successfully reduced ascites frequency, but has not eliminated its occurrence. For this reason, it is imperative to better understand the genetic cause to ascites in broiler chickens. Previous studies of this magnitude have been attempted, but, thus far, a consensus of genomic associations have not been made. This collection of studies was aimed at identifying and interpreting genomic and genetic associations to ascites phenotype specific to a broiler line representative of a …

Behavioral Effects Of Phencyclidine On Nicotine Self- Administration And Reinstatement In The Presence Or Absence Of A Visual Stimulus In Rats, Natashia Swalve, Steven T. Pittenger, Rick A. Bevins, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Rationale—Tobacco use is a serious health problem in the United States and this problem is potentiated in patients with schizophrenia. The reward system is implicated in schizophrenia and may contribute to the high comorbidity between nicotine use and schizophrenia but very little research has been done on the topic. The reward-enhancement effect of nicotine has been shown to be important in nicotine use, but there have been no studies on this effect in animal models of schizophrenia.

Objectives—This study was designed to determine the effects of phencyclidine, used to model negative symptoms of schizophrenia, on self-administration of nicotine with or …

Characterizing Mesophotic Reef Fish Communities At Five South Texas Relic Coral-Algal Banks, Linda Marie Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The South Texas Banks are a mesophotic coral ecosystem (30-150m deep). Understanding the community structure, biodiversity and, geographic connectivity of the South Texas Banks is essential with increasing threats from climate change, ocean acidification, invasive species, and pollution. In this study, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to examine the fish communities at five of the South Texas Banks: Big Adam, Hospital, Mysterious, North Hospital, and Southern. Reef fish were identified to the lowest possible taxon and enumerated from ROV transect video footage. A total of 3,838 demersal and pelagic fishes were recorded representing 61 species in 22 families …

Three-Dimensional Adult Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Promotes Maturation Of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes, Ahsley H. Fong, Mónica Romero-López, Christopher M. Heylman, Mark Keating, David Tran, Agua Sobrino, Anh Q. Tran, Hiep H. Pham, Cristhian Fimbres, Paul D. Gershon, Elliot L. Botvinick, Steven C. George, Christopher C.W. Hughes

Biomedical Engineering

Pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) have great potential in the development of new therapies for cardiovascular disease. In particular, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may prove especially advantageous due to their pluripotency, their self-renewal potential, and their ability to create patient-specific cell lines. Unfortunately, pluripotent stem cell-derived CMs are immature, with characteristics more closely resembling fetal CMs than adult CMs, and this immaturity has limited their use in drug screening and cell-based therapies. Extracellular matrix (ECM) influences cellular behavior and maturation, as does the geometry of the environment—twodimensional (2D) versus three-dimensional (3D). We therefore tested the hypothesis that native …

Available Interventions For Prevention Of Cotton Dust-Associated Lung Diseases Among Textile Workers, Asaad Ahmed Nafees, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

The authors reviewed literature on interventions for cotton dust-associated lung diseases among textile workers. Internet sources (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google and Google Scholar) were accessed and interventions were categorized into: Engineering or administrative controls, or personal protective equipment (PPE). Ten relevant articles were shortlisted, five related to engineering controls (pre-processing, bactericidal treatment of cotton, improved workplace design, machinery and dust control measures). Administrative controls may involve setting standards, environmental surveillance, periodic medical examinations, and workers training. Although specific guidelines are available regarding the use of PPEs, but there was little literature on their effectiveness. It was concluded that there is …

Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Uptake In Skeletal Muscle Health And Disease, Jingsong Zhou, Kamal Dhakal, Jianxun Yi

Faculty and Staff Publications

Muscle uses Ca(2+) as a messenger to control contraction and relies on ATP to maintain the intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. Mitochondria are the major sub-cellular organelle of ATP production. With a negative inner membrane potential, mitochondria take up Ca(2+) from their surroundings, a process called mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake. Under physiological conditions, Ca(2+) uptake into mitochondria promotes ATP production. Excessive uptake causes mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload, which activates downstream adverse responses leading to cell dysfunction. Moreover, mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake could shape spatio-temporal patterns of intracellular Ca(2+) signaling. Malfunction of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake is implicated in muscle degeneration. Unlike non-excitable cells, mitochondria in muscle …

Ventosimonas Gracilis Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov., A Member Of The Gammaproteobacteria Isolated From Cephalotes Varians Ant Guts Representing A New Family, Ventosimonadaceae Fam. Nov., Within The Order ‘Pseudomonadales’, Jonathan Y. Lin, William J. Hobson, John T. Wertz

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Cephalotes ‘turtle’ ants are known to harbor a core group of gut symbionts, including members belonging to the Gammaproteobacteria. Here, we describe the cultivation and characterization of strain CV58T, a novel member of the Gammaproteobacteria order Pseudomonadales isolated from the guts of the ant Cephalotes varians. Strain CV58T was rod-shaped, Gram-stainnegative, non-motile and formed pale-yellow colonies on trypticase soy agar. Optimum growth occurred under an atmosphere of 4-20% (v/v) O2. Growth was possible for strain CV58Tat NaCl concentrations of 0-1.5% (w/v), temperatures of 23-40 °C, and pH values of 5.5-8.5. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 54.9 mol% …

Cephaloticoccus Gen. Nov., A New Genus Of ‘Verrucomicrobia’ Containing Two Novel Species Isolated From Cephalotes Ant Guts, Jonathan Y. Lin, Jacob A. Russell, Jon G. Sanders, John T. Wertz

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Two novel members of the bacterial phylum ‘Verrucomicrobia’, strains CAG34T and CV41T, were isolated from the guts of Cephalotes rohweri and Cephalotes varians ants, respectively. Strains CAG34T and CV41T were coccoid, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, and formed creamcoloured colonies on trypticase soy agar. Optimum growth occurred under an atmosphere of 12-20% O2 and 1% CO2 for both strains, although strain CV41T could not grow without supplemental CO2. Growth was possible under NaCl concentrations of 0.5-1.5% (w/v) and temperatures of 23-37 °C for both strains, and pH values of 6.9-7.7 for strain CAG34T and 6.9-7.3 for strain CV41T. The G+C content of the …

Diabetes Is Associated With Cerebrovascular But Not Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology, Erin L. Abner, Peter T. Nelson, Richard J. Kryscio, Frederick A. Schmitt, David W. Fardo, Randall L. Woltjer, Nigel J. Cairns, Lei Yu, Hiroko H. Dodge, Chengjie Xiong, Kamal Masaki, Suzanne L. Tyas, David A. Bennett, Julie A. Schneider, Zoe Arvanitakis

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The relationship of diabetes to specific neuropathologic causes of dementia is incompletely understood.

METHODS: We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between diabetes and infarcts, Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage, and neuritic plaque score in 2365 autopsied persons. In a subset of >1300 persons with available cognitive data, we examined the association between diabetes and cognition using Poisson regression.

RESULTS: Diabetes increased odds of brain infarcts (odds ratio [OR] = 1.57, P < .0001), specifically lacunes (OR = 1.71, P < .0001), but not Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Diabetes plus infarcts was associated with lower cognitive scores at end of life than infarcts or diabetes alone, and diabetes plus high level of Alzheimer's neuropathologic changes was associated with lower mini-mental state examination scores than the pathology alone.

DISCUSSION: This study supports the conclusions that diabetes increases the risk of cerebrovascular but not Alzheimer's disease pathology, and at least some of diabetes' relationship to …

Measuring Sodium Alginate Content Of Brown Algae Species Padina Sp. As The Basic Matter For Making Dental Impression Material (Irreversible Hydrocolloid Impression Material), Nurlindah Hamrun, Suci A. Rachman

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

One of the most important procedures in denture fabrication and orthodontic treatment is molding the patient’s detail oral cavity to determine the treatment planning. This procedure was done by using alginate impression material or irreversible hydrocolloid in which the basic material is sodium alginate imported from abroad because it is extracted from brown algae which its habitat is not in Indonesia so that it is causes the impression material is relatively expensive roomates is impact to high cost of dental treatment. Indonesia as the archipelago country has availability of abundant brown algae Padina sp. Especially in Puntondo-Punaga seashore, South …

Pattern Of Relapse In Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia In A Tertiary Care Unit, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Sayyeda Ghazala Kazi, Muhammad Irfan Habib, Khalid Mehmood Ahmed Khan, Nukhba Zia

Department of Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the frequency, site and time to relapse from diagnosis, and to see the relationship of relapse with important prognostic factors.

METHODS:

The prospective descriptive observational study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, June 2005 to May 2007, and comprised newly-diagnosed cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Bone marrow aspiration was done on reappearance of blast cells in peripheral smear and cerebrospinal fluid. Detailed report was done each time when intra-thecal chemotherapy was given or there were signs and symptoms suggestive of central nervous system relapse. SPSS 12 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS:

Of …

Inlp Newsletter, August 2016, Indigenous Nations Library Program

Monthly Newsletters

Contents:

- Welcome Back

- Welcome Back Week!

- Revised Hours!

- The Art of Indigenous Scholarship: Celebrating the Contributions of Indigenous Faculty at UNM

- Student Spotlight: Raelene Charley

- Introduction to Research Guides

- New Scholarly Resources

- Who Speaks Wukchumni?

Laboratory And Full Boom-Based Investigation Of Nozzle Setup And Restriction Effects On Flow, Pressure And Spray Pattern Distribution, Shane H. Forney

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pesticide application is an integral part of crop production and ground-based agricultural boom sprayers are used extensively to apply pesticides to the crop canopy or soil surface across millions of acres in the United States. Efficient application is necessary to minimize costs and limit adverse environmental impacts. Errors in flow rate and system pressure measurements may cause as-applied maps to incorrectly indicate application rates and could negatively affect downstream data processing or analysis. The goals of this study were to provide quantified measurements on the effects of nozzle setup errors on spray pattern uniformity and evaluate how laboratory patternator data …

Diversity And Virulence Of Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera Glycines Ichinohe) In Nebraska, Kyle C. Broderick

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is one of the most economically important soybean pathogens in the United States. Best management practices are the use of resistant cultivars and crop rotation. Though there are several genetic sources of SCN resistance, most of the SCN-resistant cultivars are derived from a single resistance source (PI 88788). Other states have reported an increase in virulence to PI 88788 due to prolonged use of this resistance. In this thesis, two studies were conducted to characterize the diversity and virulent phenotypes of SCN populations in Nebraska.

The first study assessed the virulent phenotypes of …

Winter Greenhouse Production And Tissue Culture Of Basil (Ocimum Spp.), Wan Wei

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Basil (Ocimum spp.) is a popular annual culinary and medicinal herb contains essential oils. Numerous researchers have studied the effects of fertilizer level on the growth and oil yield of basil, but in most studies, basil was grown in the field during the summer. Our experiment was conducted in a controlled environment greenhouse using a capillary mat system during the winter with a goal of increasing dry weight for fresh produce and basil essential oil. The 7-month experiment was conducted to determine the optimal production timeline and fertilizer levels for eight basil cultivars grown in a soilless mix. We …

Morphological And Molecular Identification And Characterization Of Dry Bean Fungal Root Rot Pathogens In Zambia, Chikoti Mukuma

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Dry bean is among the most important food legume crops for direct human consumption in Latin America and Africa. Recently, root and crown rot (RCR) has emerged as an important production constraint. Root and crown rot often involve fungal complexes. Thus, the straw, detached leaf, cup and stem tests were compared on their ability to detect the most common pathogens reported to be associated with RCR: Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani and Macrophomina phaseolina.Significant differences (P

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and classical fungal culturing methods were compared in identification of …

Effect Of Dung Beetles On Dung Decomposition And Nutrient Cycling In A Nebraska Rangeland, Kenneth Shay Evans

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Management practice can have impacts on the abundance and frequency of dung beetle populations and nutrient cycling in grazing systems. Also, agriculture and livestock production land use is a considerable source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are known to be one of the causes of global climate change. In this study, we evaluated the effect of dung beetle presence on the fluxes of greenhouse gasses (GHG’s) from dung pats in the semi-arid Sandhills region of Nebraska, by using closed chambers to measure the fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N …

Role Of Nanotechnology And Gene Delivery Systems In Trail-Based Therapies, George E. Naoum, Fady Tawadros, Ammad Ahmad Farooqi, Muhammad Zahid Qureshi, Sobia Tabassum, Donald J. Buchsbaum, Waleed Arafat

ETSU Faculty Works

Since its identification as a member of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) family, TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) has emerged as a new avenue in apoptosis-inducing cancer therapies. Its ability to circumvent the chemoresistance of conventional therapeutics and to interact with cancer stem cells (CSCs) self-renewal pathways, amplified its potential as a cancer apoptotic agent. Many recombinant preparations of this death ligand and monoclonal antibodies targeting its death receptors have been tested in monotherapy and combinational clinical trials. Gene therapy is a new approach for cancer treatment which implies viral or non-viral functional transgene induction of apoptosis in cancer cells or …

Host Nectin-1 Promotes Chlamydial Infection In The Female Mouse Genital Tract, But Is Not Required For Infection In A Novel Male Murine Rectal Infection Model, Jessica A. Slade, Jennifer V. Hall, Jennifer Kintner, Regenia Phillips-Campbell, Robert V. Schoborg

ETSU Faculty Works

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted pathogen, but more than 70% of patients fail to seek treatment due to the asymptomatic nature of these infections. Women suffer from numerous complications from chronic chlamydial infections, which include pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. We previously demonstrated in culture that host cell nectin-1 knockdown significantly reduced chlamydial titers and inclusion size. Here, we sought to determine …

Predictors Of Alcohol Consumption, Use Of Protective Behavioral Strategies, And Alcohol-Related Sexual Consequences: A Gendered Social Learning Perspective, Kayla Darlene Moorer

Dissertations

Given the long standing gender differences in regard to alcohol-related behaviors and consequences, understanding how conformity to gender norms may predict alcohol-related outcomes is an important next step in developing effective prevention efforts aimed at reducing alcohol-related sexual consequences for college women. The current study examined the relationships among conformity to feminine and masculine gender norms and alcohol-related outcomes (harmful drinking patterns, protective behavior strategy use, and sex-related consequences) among college women. Another primary aim of the study was to determine the extent to which sex-specific alcohol expectancies mediated the associations between gender norms and alcohol-related outcomes. Participants were 421 …

Profiles Of Academic Commitment, Anna Jill Womack

Dissertations

Tinto (1993) found that only 15-25% of students who dropped out of college did so due to academic failure, while the reasons for leaving among the remaining group of students who dropped out were unknown. This suggests that the majority of students who drop out of college are likely doing so for reasons other than academic struggles. Researchers have suggested that individuals who are committed to their major are more likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree (Bowling, Beehr, & Lepisto, 2006; Den Hartog & Belschak, 2007; Duffy, Dik, & Steger, 2011; Goulet & Singh, 2002; Landrum & Mulcock, 2007), indicating …

Ecological And Phenotypic Factors Influencing The Movement Dynamics Of The Blackspotted Topminnow, Fundulus Olivaceus, Scott Richard Clark

Dissertations

Movement of individuals throughout a landscape is a complex behavior that has important consequences on numerous ecological and evolutionary processes. Perhaps most notably is the relationship between movement and reproduction, as this has implicit ramifications on individual fitness and consequently, population level processes. Although this relationship has been theoretically and empirically demonstrated across a number of animal taxa, its role in fishes remains understudied and largely unknown. Using a series of outdoor mesocosms, in combination with a field study, I employed passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to experimentally assess the sex-specific movement dynamics of a small-bodied, sexually-dimorphic stream fish, the …

The Role Of Parental Locus Of Control In The Relations Among Early Childhood Temperament, Parenting Practices, And Child Externalizing Behavior, Amanda Kathryn Stary

Dissertations

Child externalizing behaviors are a common reason for children’s referral for mental health services, and parenting practices are a primary target of efficacious interventions. In turn, child temperament and parent beliefs, such as parental self-efficacy and locus of control, relate to use of specific parenting practices. The present study aimed to evaluate whether parental locus of control and related components moderate the indirect effect of preschool-aged children’s temperament on their externalizing behaviors through parenting practices. Specifically, child temperament was expected to predict parenting practices only at certain levels of locus of control. Female caregivers of 146 children ages 3-5 years …

The Effect Of Auditory Stimulation On Sleep Disruption In West Indian Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris), Natalija Lace

Dissertations

Florida manatees inhabit waterways where motorized boats are common. Although manatee mortalities resulting from boat strikes are well documented, the effect of boat noise on some manatee behaviors, including rest, has not been investigated. This study focuses on rest behavior and used a playback experiment with four manatees at the Lowry Park Zoo in Florida. We tested their responses to playback stimuli of either boat noise, silence, or manatee calls. A playback trial was initiated when the focal animal showed behavioral characteristics of rest.

Results showed that rest was interrupted in response to the playback of boat noise for each …

Preparation And Characterization Of Singlet-Oxygen Generating Thiol-Ene Networks Containing Fullerene And Metallofullerene Derivatives, Emily Matthews Barker

Dissertations

This work explores the derivatization of C₆₀ and Sc₃N@C₈₀ with S-, P-, and C- centered radicals, and is the first exploration into the functionalization of Sc₃N@C₈₀ with sulfur and phosphorous. The number of addends bound to C₆₀, as a function of reaction time and molar ratios, as well as, structure-property relationships including thermal stability, solubility, and singlet oxygen generation were explored. Fullerene derivatives exhibiting enhanced solubility were incorporated into two different thiol-ene polymer matrices at varying thiol-ene monomer concentrations (1:1 or 1:0.75 molar equivalents) and at different C₆₀ loadings (0, …

Students’ Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening And School Readiness, Jeannette D. Triplett Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public school kindergarten programs have become increasingly more academic and have educators debating about what skills best serve children in kindergarten that will prepare them for later academic achievement. The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is a screening instrument used in Virginia to assess kindergarten students and students in grades 1 through 3. Kindergarten teachers want to make sure that with the more demanding curriculum, and increase in rigorous standards, that students enter kindergarten ready to learn.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between students’ kindergarten PALS scores and first grade PALS scores in a southwestern …

The Relationship Between Fructose And The Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors, Lauren C. Kania

Research Papers

Up until the last few decades, fructose was pretty much nonexistent in the human diet. Today it can be found in various processed foods and beverages including soft drinks, juice, and baked goods. These products comprise a large proportion of the human diet these days and consumption is high in children, adolescents, and young adults. Naturally, fructose is found in plant sources such as fruits and sugar cane. Today, high fructose corn syrup is used as a sweetener in many processed foods and drinks such as soda and fruit juices. High fructose corn syrups’ low production cost has increased its’ …

Early Parental Loss, Socioeconomic Stressors, And Health In Later Life: Evidence For Gender Disparity, Rong Fu

Open Access Dissertations

Drawing from the stress process model and the cumulative disadvantage theory, this dissertation examined how childhood and later life stressors affected cognitive and subjective health in older adults. Using three main articles, this dissertation investigated (1) the effect of early parental loss on cognitive well-being in Chinese oldest old; (2) the effect of intergenerational socioeconomic mobility on cognitive and subjective health in advanced age; and (3) the effect of different dimensions of socioeconomic status and perceived financial strain on subjective health in later life. Data were derived from the 2002 and 2005 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. …

Fuel Type Estimation Using Fuel System Parameters, Shambhavi Balasubramanian

Open Access Theses

A number of factors are responsible for an increased interest in alternative fuels for transportation and other uses. Among the most widely available alternative fuels are biodiesel and vegetable oil, both of which can be used to power a diesel engine. Biodiesel has higher density, viscosity, surface tension, sound velocity, and bulk modulus of elasticity than regular diesel fuel. This affects the fuelling, injection timing, and fuel spray and consequently the emission characteristics.

Estimation of fuel type is critical to the performance of the engine. Knowing the fuel type allows the engine controller to determine the proper fuel quantity and …

Fructose 1,6-Bisphosphate Aldolase, A Novel Immunogenic Surface Protein On Listeria Species, Mercelo L. Mendonça, Gustavo Marçal Schmidt Garcia Moreira, Fabrício Fabrício Conceição, Michael Hust, Karla Sequeira Mendonça, Ângela Nunes Moreira, Rodrigo Correa Orrea França, Wladimir Padilha Da Silva, Arun K. Bhunia, José Antônio Guimarães Uimarães Aleixo

Department of Food Science Faculty Publications

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous food-borne pathogen, and its presence in food or production facilities highlights the importance of surveillance. Increased understanding of the surface exposed antigens on Listeria would provide potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In the present work, using mass spectrometry and genetic cloning, we show that fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) class II in Listeria species is the antigen target of the previously described mAb-3F8. Western and dot blot assays confirmed that the mAb-3F8 could distinguish all tested Listeria species from close-related bacteria. Localization studies indicated that FBA is present in every fraction of Listeria cells, including supernatant and …