Digital Commons Network^™

Capacity Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Targeting Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells To Eliminate Follicular Dendritic Cells Bearing Human Immunodeficiency Virus Immune Complexes, Matthew T. Ollerton

Theses and Dissertations

An important obstacle to a functional cure for HIV/AIDS is the persistence of viral reservoirs found throughout the body in various cells and tissues. Reservoirs can be latently infected cells, or in the case of follicular dendritic cells (FDC), non-infected cells that trap infectious virus on their surface through immune complexes (HIV-IC). Although several strategies have been employed to target and eliminate viral reservoirs, they are short-lived and ineffective. In an attempt to provide a long-term approach, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells were designed to eliminate native HIV on FDCs. Although effective at eliminating HIV-infected cells, and halting spreading …

How Livestock Production In Eastern Nebraska May Affect Nitrate Concentrations In Platte River, Yuzhe Luo

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Platte River is one of the largest rivers in Nebraska and serves as a valuable water source to cities along its watershed. Water is essential for both human life and social and economic development. The human body cannot survive without water for more than 3 days, and many industries require water to function. At a regional scale, the total amount of water is relatively constant, which means if some water sources were contaminated there will be less water available to use.

The Effects Of Culture On International Advertising Appeals: A Cross-Cultural Content Analysis Of U.S. And Japanese Global Brands, Dan Zhao

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Professional Projects

An international advertising campaign can be standardized in creative strategy, but localized in execution. As an integral part of the execution, advertising appeals should be tailored to local culture to maximize the effectiveness of international advertising campaigns while minimizing cost. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether advertising appeals mirror predicable differences in cultural values.

This study is based on the influential Hofstede model (Hofstede, 2001; Hofstede & Mooij, 2010), which distinguishes cultures according to six dimensions. While individualism and collectivism have been widely discussed in published studies, other dimensions that are also important indicators of advertising appeals …

Impact Assessment Of Push-Pull Pest Management On Incomes, Productivity And Poverty Among Smallholder Households In Eastern Uganda, Ruth T. Chepchirchir, Ibrahim Macharia, Alice W. Murage, Charles A.O. Midega, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The paper evaluates the impact of adoption of push-pull technology (PPT) on household welfare in terms of productivity, incomes and poverty status measured through per-capita food consumption in eastern Uganda. Push-pull is a habitat management strategy for the integrated management of stemborers, striga weeds and poor soil fertility involving the use of a natural repellent (push) and an attractant (pull). This biological technology simultaneously reduces the impact of three major production constraints to cereal-livestock farming in Africa − pests, weeds and poor soil. Cross sectional survey data were collected from 560 households in four districts in the region (Busia, Tororo, …

Annotated Bibliography: Clean Graphic Novels, Robert Burgess

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Expanding The Genetic Toolbox To Improve Metabolic Engineering In The Industrial Oleaginous Yeast, Yarrowia Lipolytica, Murtaza Shabbir Hussain

All Dissertations

The oleaginous yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, is becoming a popular host for industrial biotechnology because of its ability to grow on non-conventional feedstocks and naturally accumulate significant amounts of lipids. With new genome editing technologies, engineering novel pathways to produce lipid-derived oleochemicals has become easier. The goal, however, is to expand the genetic toolbox to improve the efficiency of metabolic engineering such that production capacities could expand from proof-of-concept shake flasks to an industrial scale. Building efficient metabolic circuits require controlling strength and timing of several enzymes in a metabolic pathway. One method to do this is through transcription – …

Exploring Teachers' Read-Aloud Book Selections: What Drives The Decision, Rachael L. Ross

All Dissertations

Reading aloud is a common classroom practice that has many cognitive and affective benefits for students. Early childhood teachers conduct read-aloud events in classrooms across the country on a daily basis. A read-aloud event could not occur without the intentional selection of a book. This exploratory, sequential mixed method study explored the current use and frequency of read-alouds in K-2 classrooms. Specifically, the study sought to better understand teachers' decision-making when choosing books to read aloud. This mixed method study occurred in two sequential phases: a qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. During the first phase, fifteen teachers were …

Trace Plutonium Geochemistry In Hydrogeological Systems Containing Natural Organic Matter, Nathan Alec Conroy

All Dissertations

Plutonium (Pu) mobility through the subsurface is dependent on the chemical composition of the source-term and biogeochemical conditions that impact its speciation. Regardless of future decision making, existing stockpiles of Pu need to be isolated from the biosphere. Therefore, understanding the speciation of trace Pu is essential for assessing and mitigating any risk of Pu transport from the source-term to a human or environmental receptor. After a brief introduction (Chapter One) and statement of research objectives (Chapter Two), this dissertation investigated Pu speciation under saturated conditions and in the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) and pure synthesized mineral phases. …

A Comprehensive Model And Modulation Of Cellular Signaling Involved In Early Mammary Development And Aggressive Cancer Using A Novel Recombinant Protein Of The G3 Domain Of Laminin-5, Kathryn Adrian Elliott

All Dissertations

The mammary gland is a unique and specialized epidermal organ; mammary organogenesis begins in the embryo but is not fully complete until puberty. As such, formation of the mammary gland depends on temporally and spatially regulated developmental steps that require coordination of multiple biological and cell signaling processes; many of which have parallels with cancer development. Research describing the events that occur between birth and puberty is lacking and little is known about human breast development of youth. Since mammary gland development requires a coordinated balance between cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis, it is critical to understand which signaling pathways …

In Vitro Diabetic-Hypertensive Cellular-Response Evaluation Model For In-Stent Restenosis, Varun Chawla

All Dissertations

Drug-eluting stents have revolutionized the field of interventional cardiology and with the advent of their second-generation, percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents is the clinically preferred method. These stents have shown remarkable performance in reducing neointimal hyperplasia and thus, clinical manifestation of restenosis. Despite significant technological advances in DES, high-risk patient populations are still affected by in-stent restenosis. Diabetes and hypertension are the two most common patient-specific complications that result in the development of restenosis even in DES era. Currently, percutaneous interventional approaches are not designed specifically to address the pathophysiological progression of restenosis in diabetic and hypertensive patients and …

Generative Philanthropy: Long-Term Investments In Economic Opportunity, Bob Giloth

The Foundation Review

Generative philanthropy is a collaborative investment practice that tests prototypes and identifies new opportunities that, over time, can focus direction and generate momentum for change. It is an incremental, decentralized approach to investment in communities.

This article’s purpose is to clarify the theory and practice of generative philanthropy and contrast it with other approaches. It provides an in-depth discussion of the meaning of generative philanthropy, offers five examples of the approach related to economic opportunity, and draws lessons for future practice.

Generative philanthropy offers a framework for understanding and enriching philanthropy’s long-term role and collaboration with partners from a developmental …

Cxc Chemokines Exhibit Bactericidal Activity Against Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Pathogens, Erum Khan, Matthew A. Crawford, Debra J. Fisher, Lisa M. Leung, Sara Lomonaco, Christine Lascols, Antonio Cannatelli,, Gian Maria Rossolini, Yohei Doi, David R. Goodlett

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The continued rise and spread of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens pose a serious challenge to global health. Countering antimicrobial-resistant pathogens requires a multifaceted effort that includes the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches. Here, we establish the capacity of the human CXC chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 to kill multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and colistin-resistant members of the family Enterobacteriaceae that harbor the mobile colistin resistance protein MCR-1 and thus possess phosphoethanolamine-modified lipid A. Colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates affected by genetic mutation of the PmrA/PmrB two-component system, a chromosomally encoded regulator of lipopolysaccharide modification, and containing …

Validation & Optimization Of Capture™: Rapid Diagnosis Of Pathogens Causing Urinary Tract Infections, Elizabeth Gates

Perpetua: The Journal of Undergraduate Research at UAH

The number of bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics is growing exponentially. Antibiotics are often prescribed more than needed due to the delay period in diagnosing the pathogen and giving treatment. This delay often pushes prescribers to give a broad-spectrum antibiotic or pushes them to make the patient wait for the proper treatment, in turn allowing the bacterium to potentially mutate. This creates a need for a more rapid, easily used, and cost effective method of identifying pathogens. The objective of this study is to validate the CAPTURE™ method and its ability to identify pathogens, reduce the mechanical processing time, and …

Portraits, Preservation & Pedigrees: An Introduction To Photographic Portraiture, Photographs As A Means Of Genealogical Research, And A Preservation Case Study Of The Howard D. Beach Studio Collection Of Glass Plate Negatives, Kirsten Feigel

Museum Studies Theses

Photography is an established art form that combines the knowledge of chemistry, light, and optics to render an image. Initially, the image is captured on a flat surface coated with emulsion and combined with an exposure to sunlight or another illuminating source. Today, images are captured by digital methods. Artistically, the photograph may reveal sceneries of landscapes, of treasured belongings and of people, as they are seen to the human eye. Photographic portraiture is the oldest style of photography next to landscape imagery, due to commercial photographers setting up studios and experimenting with photography’s many cameras, plates, and emulsions. In …

Regarding Age As A Disability: Conceptualizing Age Discrimination At Work As (Mis)Perception Of Disability Discrimination, Kevin M. Cremin

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Microbial Composition Assessment Of Stormwater, Urban Runoff And Wastewater, Rose Syomiti Mutiso

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The goal of this study was to compare two methods for assessment of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in urban runoff (n = 96), stormwater (n = 8), and wastewater (n = 16). We quantified the densities and reductions of E. coli and Enterococcus, in raw stormwater, treated urban off from the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF) and wastewater from the Eastern Municipal Water District’s (EMWD) Moreno Valley water reclamation facility. We compared the overall FIB recovery efficiency by two varieties of USEPA-approved, culture-based laboratory methods in each type of water. The two types of methods were the IDEXX …

Accommodation, Decorum, And Disputatio: Matteo Ricci's The True Meaning Of The Lord Of Heaven As A Renaissance Humanist Disputation, Roberto Sebastian Leon

Theses and Dissertations

Matteo Ricci's True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven (1603) has been studied extensively by scholars of the Jesuit China Mission, especially in terms of accommodation through means of Scholastic and Humanist arguments and translation choices. Few of these studies, however, discuss the genre of this work (disputation), nor consider this genre in relation to Renaissance rhetorical teachings and how this relationship informs Ricci's accommodative strategies. The purpose of this paper is to remedy this gap in early modern Jesuit scholarship. Through a review of the history of accommodations in disputations in the Aristotelian-Scholastic and Ciceronian-Humanist traditions, this paper claims …

Age Of Drinking Initiation’S Association With Cognitive Functioning, Joshua Seth Goldberg

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has indicated that alcohol abuse is associated with deleterious effects on cognitive functioning later in life, specifically in the neuropsychological domains of immediate memory, delayed memory, and attention. However, research has been mixed regarding how age of initiation into problem drinking affects cognitive health after abstinence. This study aimed to identify if earlier age of alcohol abuse was associated with significant deficits in neuropsychological functioning in comparison to individuals who commenced alcohol abuse later in life. Participants were recruited from an alcohol rehabilitation program within Loma Linda University’s Behavioral Medicine Center and were administered the Repeatable Battery for the …

Music To Our Eyes: Assessing The Role Of Experience For Multisensory Integration In Music Perception, Robert Edward Graham

Dissertations

Based on research on the “McGurk Effect” (McGurk & McDonald, 1976) in speech perception, some researchers (e.g. Liberman & Mattingly, 1985) have argued that humans uniquely interpret auditory and visual (motor) speech signals as a single intended audiovisual articulatory gesture, and that such multisensory integration is innate and specific to language. Our goal for the present study was to determine if a McGurk-like Effect holds true for music perception as well, as a domain for which innateness and experience can be disentangled more easily than in language. We sought to investigate the effects of visual musical information on auditory music …

Phaeoviruses Discovered In Kelp (Laminariales), Da Mckeown, K Stevens, Af Peters, P Bond, Et Al

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Phaeoviruses are latent double-stranded DNA viruses that insert their genomes into those of their brown algal (Phaeophyceae) hosts. So far these viruses are known only from members of the Ectocarpales, which are small and short-lived macroalgae. Here we report molecular and morphological evidence for a new Phaeovirus cluster, referred to as sub-group C, infecting kelps (Laminariales) of the genera Laminaria and Saccharina, which are ecologically and commercially important seaweeds. Epifluorescence and TEM observations indicate that the Laminaria digitata Virus (LdigV), the type species of sub-group C, targets the host nucleus for its genome replication, followed by gradual degradation of the …

Capacity Management In Agricultural Commodity Processing And Application In The Palm Industry, Onur Boyabatli, Jason Quang Dang Nguyen, Tong Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper examines the capacity investment decisions of a processor that uses a commodity input to produce both a commodity output and a byproduct in the context of agricultural industries. We employ a multi-period model to study the optimal one-time processing and (output) storage capacity investment decisions---in addition to the periodic processing and inventory decisions---when both input and output spot prices as well as production yield are uncertain. We characterize the optimal decisions and perform sensitivity analysis to investigate how spot price uncertainty affects the processor's optimal capacity and profitability. Using a calibration based on the palm industry, we study …

Individual, Ecological, And Anthropogenic Influences On Activity Budgets Of Long-Finned Pilot Whales, Saana Isojunno, D. Sadykova, Stacy L. Deruiter, C. Cure

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Time allocation to different activities and habitats enables individuals to modulate their perceived risks and access to resources and can reveal important trade-offs between fitness-enhancing activities (e.g., feeding vs. social behavior). Species with long reproductive cycles and high parental investment, such as marine mammals, rely on such behavioral plasticity to cope with rapid environmental change, including anthropogenic stressors. We quantified activity budgets of free-ranging long-finned pilot whales in order to assess individual time trade-offs between foraging and other behaviors in different individual and ecological contexts, and during experimental sound exposures. The experiments included 1-2 and 6-7 kHz naval sonar exposures …

Thiopental To Desflurane-An Anaesthetic Journey. Where Are We Going Next?, J. R. Sneyd

More Faculty of Health Research

Development targets in anaesthetic pharmacology have evolved from minimizing harm caused by unwanted effects through an era in which rapid onset and offset of drug effect were prioritised. Today's anaesthetists have access to a library of effective drugs whose characteristics offer controllable hypnosis, analgesia and paralysis with manageable off-Target effects. The availability of these agents at generic prices inhibits commercial interest and this is reflected in the limited number of current anaesthetic drug development projects. Recently, questions around neonatal neurotoxicity, delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction have stimulated research to characterise these phenomena and explain them in mechanistic terms. Emergent basic …

Marketing For The Beginner: Resources From The Acrl Library Marketing And Outreach Interest Group, Lindsay Davis, Jennifer Park, Sabine J. Dantus, Chris Davidson, Bonnie Cohen Lafazan, Joan Petit

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

Are you new to outreach work? Were you tasked with planning events highlighting your services, collections, or spaces and don’t know where to start? Do you need to create promotional materials but have no background in design? Is there little to no budget? The administrators of ACRL’s Library Marketing and Outreach Interest Group have put together a beginner’s guide that includes groups to join, blogs and websites to read, free and low-cost graphic design tools, collections of free images and icons, and other online resources that spark inspiration when you have hit the proverbial creativity wall.

The Ecosystem Of Bioethics: Building Bridges To Public Health, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

Understanding bioethical inquiry as ecosystem aligns that thinking about health conceptually close to public health ethics. Despite having roots in decades-long, culturally-diverse, and disciplinarily-broad concerns about the relationships of human beings to environment as manifest in the work of Fritz Jahr and Van Rensselaer Potter, medical "mainstream" bioethics has maintained a relatively narrow focus on individual health. The practical instantiations of bioethics are inconsistent both with the term's own historical international contexts and the ecosystemic nature of health, a concept of systems that includes both cultural and biological interactions. Following a growing number of international calls for such change in …

Preparing Soil For Turfgrass Establishment - Southern Utah, Michael Caron, Candace Schaible, Rick Heflebower, Grant Cardon, Taun Beddes, Kelly Kopp

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information for successfully establishing a lawn including planning, soil preparation, appropriate seed or sod choice, and an understanding of turfgrass requirements in southern Utah.

The Money Mentors Program: Increasing Financial Literacy In Utah Youths, Zurishaddai A. Garcia, Dave Francis, Amanda Christensen, Stacey S. Macarthur, Margie Memmott, Paul A. Hill

All Current Publications

Utah 4-H and Fidelity Investments collaborated on a program for increasing the financial literacy of teens and children. The collaboration resulted in positive impacts for both Extension and Utah youths. Extension benefited through partnership with a corporation that provided content expertise, volunteers, and funding for a financial literacy program. Youths benefited from improved financial literacy. A Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) team approach was used for the training of 81 teens, who then taught 530 youths statewide. The curriculum addressed research-based financial concepts through activities and technologies that were interactive, appealing, and engaging. The program development and implementation processes may serve …

4-H Agricultural Systems Technology, Joshua Dallin

All Current Publications

4-H gives youth an opportunity to explore different career paths, learn and practice new skills, and experience what a career in agricultural systems technology might be like.

Oligodendrocyte Rasg12v Expressed In Its Endogenous Locus Disrupts Myelin Structure Through Increased Mapk, Nitric Oxide, And Notch Signaling, Haley E. Titus, Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Sadiq H. Silbak, Tilat A. Rizvi, Madeleine Bogard, Nancy Ratner

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Costello syndrome (CS) is a gain of function Rasopathy caused by heterozygous activating mutations in the HRAS gene. Patients show brain dysfunction that can include abnormal brain white matter. Transgenic activation of HRas in the entire mouse oligodendrocyte lineage resulted in myelin defects and behavioral abnormalities, suggesting roles for disrupted myelin in CS brain dysfunction. Here we studied a mouse model in which the endogenous HRas gene is conditionally replaced by mutant HRasG12V in mature oligodendrocytes, to separate effects in mature myelinating cells from developmental events. Increased myelin thickness due to decompaction was detectable within one month of HRasG12V expression …

Ondov's "Heavenly Horse Stories: Inspirational Stories From Life In The Saddle" (Book Review), Lisa Hayes

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.