Digital Commons Network^™

Il-12 Gene Electrotransfer Triggers A Change In Immune Response Within Mouse Tumors, Guilan Shi, Chelsea Edelblute, Sezgi Arpag, Cathryn Lundberg, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer with a relatively low survival rate. Immune-based therapies have shown promise in the treatment of melanoma, but overall complete response rates are still low. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of plasmid IL-12 (pIL-12) delivered by gene electrotransfer (GET) to be an effective immunotherapy for melanoma. However, events occurring in the tumor microenvironment following delivery have not been delineated. Therefore, utilizing a B16F10 mouse melanoma model, we evaluated changes in the tumor microenvironment following delivery of pIL-12 using different GET parameters or injection of plasmid alone. The results revealed a unique immune cell …

Sartre, Camus And A Marxism For The 21st Century, David Schweickart

Philosophy: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In 1952 Albert Camus wrote a caustic letter to Les Temps Modernes in response to the journal’s negative review of The Rebel, addressed, not to the author of the review, but to “M. Le Directeur,” i.e. to Sartre. Sartre’s response published in the journal ended their friendship. This article examines the deep cause of this rupture, Camus’s political views moving rightward, Sartre’s moving left. I examine Camus’s critique of Marx and Marxism, then ask the question, “What is Marxism, Anyway?” I defend a version of Sartrean “existential Marxism” as appropriate for our time.

Inhibition Of Human Dendritic Cell Er Stress Response Reduces T Cell Alloreactivity Yet Spares Donor Anti-Tumor Immunity, Brian C. Betts, Frederick L. Locke, Elizabeth M. Sagatys, Joseph Pidala, Kelly Walton, Meghan Menges, Jordan Reff, Asim Saha, Julie Y. Djeu, Chang Won Kang

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Acute graft- vs. -host disease (GVHD) is an important cause of morbidity and death after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We identify a new approach to prevent GVHD that impairs monocyte-derived dendritic cell (moDC) alloactivation of T cells, yet preserves graft- vs.-leukemia (GVL). Exceeding endoplasmic reticulum (ER) capacity results in a spliced form of X-box binding protein-1 (XBP-1s). XBP-1s mediates ER stress and inflammatory responses. We demonstrate that siRNA targeting XBP-1 in moDCs abrogates their stimulation of allogeneic T cells. B-I09, an inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE1α) inhibitor that prevents XBP-1 splicing, reduces human moDC migration, allo-stimulatory potency, and curtails moDC IL-1β, …

Homogenization Of Species Composition And Species Association Networks Are Decoupled, Daijiang Li, Timothée Poisot, Donald M. Waller, Benjamin Baiser

Faculty Publications

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: Ecological communities are composed of both species and the biotic relationships (interactions or spatial associations) among them. Biotic homogenization in species composition (i.e., increased site-to-site similarity) is recognized as a common consequence of global change, but less is known about how the similarity of species relationships changes over space and time. Does homogenization of species composition lead to homogenization of species relationships or are the dynamics of species relationships decoupled from changes in species composition?. Location: Wisconsin, USA. Time period: 1950–2012. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We used long-term resurvey data …

Neural And Behavioural Correlates Of Repeated Social Defeat, Julie M. Butler, Sarah M. Whitlow, David A. Roberts, Karen P. Maruska

Faculty Publications

© 2018 The Author(s). Dominance hierarchies are common across the animal kingdom and have important consequences for reproduction and survival. Animals of lower social status cope with repeated social defeat using proactive and reactive behaviours. However, there remains a paucity of information on how an individual's coping behaviours changes over time or what neural mechanisms are involved. We used a resident-intruder paradigm in the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni to investigate the neural correlates of these two opposing behaviour groups. Fish initially used both proactive and reactive behaviours, but had a dramatic increase in use of proactive behaviours during the …

Gauging Support For Macroecological Patterns In Helminth Parasites, Tad A. Dallas, A. Alonso Aguirre, Sarah Budischak, Colin Carlson, Vanessa Ezenwa, Barbara Han, Shan Huang, Patrick R. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: To explore spatial patterns of helminth parasite diversity, and to investigate three main macroecological patterns – (a) latitude–diversity relationships, (b) positive scaling between parasite and host diversity, and (c) species–area relationships – using a largely underutilized global database of helminth parasite occurrence records. Location: Global. Methods: We examined the London Natural History Museum’s collection of helminth parasite occurrence records, consisting of over 18,000 unique host species and 27,000 unique helminth parasite species distributed across over 350 distinct terrestrial and aquatic localities. Results: We find support for latitudinal gradients in parasite diversity and …

Towards A Better Understanding Of The Effects Of Praziquantel On The Interaction Between The Helminth Parasite Schistosoma Mansoni And Its Murine Host, Melissa Catherine Sanchez

Biology ETDs

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that infects 206 million individuals worldwide. This disease is caused by dioecious trematodes of the genus Schistosoma, and its pathology is associated with the large number of eggs that are released by the female. Entrapped eggs lead to host immune and inflammatory responses resulting in disease progression. Chemotherapy provides the main means of control and praziquantel (PZQ) is the only widely available drug that is used in all mass drug administration (MDA) programs. As the number of individuals receiving PZQ continues to grow, the development of PZQ resistance is a concern and …

Structure-Activity Relationship Of Novel Rgd-Containing Cyclic Peptides Against Αvβ3 Integrin, Aaron Silva

Honors Theses

The αvβ3 integrin, a receptor for many extracellular matrix proteins with the RGD sequence motif, is involved in multiple physiological processes. The integrin is highly expressed on tumor cells, therefore making it a target for cancer therapy and imaging. Efforts have been made to develop an RGD-containing ligand against the αvβ3 integrin.

A series of RGD-containing cyclic octapeptides (LXW analogs) were previously synthesized, tested in vitro, and screened as integrin antagonists with a different binding affinity (Xiao et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2015), but the structure-activity relationship remains to be elucidated. In the current study, the structures of three …

Vertical Transmission Of Zika Virus In Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus, Stephanie Cantu

Honors Theses

Arboviruses such as Zika (ZIKV), dengue, chikungunya are responsible causing over 4 million people to live with debilitating conditions and may produce long-term health consequences. Zika virus, a newly emerging arbovirus, has potentially severe neurological complications and a potential to cause severe birth defects. There are no current vaccines for Zika virus, and the primary method for control the spread of this disease is through early detection and vector control. Assessing and quantifying viral transmission patterns is critical for successful control efforts. Zika virus shows some unique (among arboviruses) transmission patterns, notably the ability to be sexually transmitted. One aspect …

Research & Development Of A Sensory Exploration System, Surabhi Vijay Rajandekar

Theses

Learning Disabilities affect individuals in all age groups and affect how one comprehends the information they receive. Individuals with learning disabilities are often distracted by their surroundings and face difficulties to follow paths in surroundings. Learning disabilities can be addressed with proper support, feedback, and assistive technology. Schools provide children a favorable environment to learn and can support overcoming such difficulties with the help of different activities. This paper discusses the design of a sensory exploration system for individuals with Autism Spectrum to help them learn how to follow paths and not get distracted. The sensory exploration system is called …

Popularity, Safety And Quality Of Homoeopathic Medicines, Raj Manchanda

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

No abstract provided.

A Low-Intensity, Hybrid Design Between A "Traditional" And A "Course-Based" Research Experience Yields Positive Outcomes For Science Undergraduate Freshmen And Shows Potential For Large-Scale Application, Thushani Rodrigo-Peiris, Lin Xiang, Vincent M. Cassone

Biology Faculty Publications

Based on positive student outcomes, providing research experiences from early undergraduate years is recommended for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. To this end, we designed a novel research experience called the “STEMCats Research Experience” (SRE) for a cohort of 119 second-semester freshmen with diverse college preparatory levels, demographics, and academic majors. The SRE targeted student outcomes of enhancing retention in STEM majors, STEM competency development, and STEM academic performance. It was designed as a hybrid of features from apprenticeship-based traditional undergraduate research experience and course-based undergraduate research experience designs, considering five factors: 1) an authentic research experience, 2) …

Engineering Soft Tissue Replacements And The Development Of Novel Technologies To Heal These Wounds, Sarah Grace Dennis

All Dissertations

The primary focus of tissue engineering is to develop biological substitutes capable of restoring, maintaining, or improving native tissue function. This field advances an exciting array of solutions for organ repair and wound healing. In the United States alone over 6.5 million people are affected by chronic wounds every year, which account for over $25 billion of healthcare expenses. Vascularization and fast anastomosis with the host are essential in engineering cellular constructs that survive once implanted. In the last decade, there has been extensive investigation into fabrication techniques to create tissue replacements that are rapidly perfused post-implantation to address this …

Second Graders' Responses To And Application Of Word-Picture Relationships In Picturebooks: A Case Study, Koti Lee Hubbard

All Dissertations

Picturebooks are defined by the interaction of words and pictures to convey narrative (Bader, 1976; Kiefer, 1995; Sipe, 2011), referred to in this study as the word-picture relationship. This dissertation study extends on the work of others who investigated young children’s responses to picturebooks (e.g., Arizpe & Styles, 2016; Sipe, 2008a; Sipe & Bauer, 2001) and picturebook productions (e.g., Pantaleo 2017, 2018; Zapata, 2013) by placing word-picture relationships at the forefront of this study. This study employed an embedded, single-case study design to investigate second graders’ responses to word-picture relationships in contemporary realistic fiction and fantasy picturebooks during interactive read-alouds …

Models For Networks With Consumable Resources: Applications To Smart Cities, Hayato Montezuma Ushijima-Mwesigwa

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, we introduce different models for understanding and controlling the spreading dynamics of a network with a consumable resource. In particular, we consider a spreading process where a resource necessary for transit is partially consumed along the way while being refilled at special nodes on the network. Examples include fuel consumption of vehicles together with refueling stations, information loss during dissemination with error correcting nodes, consumption of ammunition of military troops while moving, and migration of wild animals in a network with a limited number of water-holes. We undertake this study from two different perspectives. First, we consider …

Association Of Drd2 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism And Fescue Toxicosis In Ruminants, Sarah Adams Wilbanks

All Dissertations

Fescue Toxicosis is a prevalent problem in the Southeastern, United States causing an estimated loss of one billion dollars per year to the livestock industry (Roberts & Andrae, 2010). There has been much research aimed at understanding the grass itself, the endophyte and the ergot alkaloids it produces, as well as its relationship and impacts on consuming animals. Many mitigation plans have been established and have been shown to control the amount of alkaloids subsequent animals are ingesting; however, research is at the tipping point of needing a genetic approach to fescue toxicosis. This research looked into the bovine genome …

On Some Environmental Applications Of Stochastic Processes, Liu Zhu

All Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the study of some environmental applications of stochastic processes. In the first Chapter, we study an extreme value time series, where the extremes are derived using the block maxima/minima method. In extreme value analyses, the block maxima/minima are typically assumed to be statistically independent from block to block. However, extreme data arising from applications often present significant correlations. The main result of the chapter is to develop a simple and efficient method to estimate extreme model parameters and compute standard errors for them that account for correlation. More precisely, we develop a likelihood for sequences of …

Ocean Deoxygenation And Zooplankton: Very Small Oxygen Differences Matter, K. F. Wishner, Brad A. Seibel, C. Roman, C. Deutsch, D. Outram, Caroline T. Shaw, Matthew A. Birk, K. A. S. Mislan, T. J. Adams, D. Moore, S. Riley

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), large midwater regions of very low oxygen, are expected to expand as a result of climate change. While oxygen is known to be important in structuring midwater ecosystems, a precise and mechanistic understanding of the effects of oxygen on zooplankton is lacking. Zooplankton are important components of midwater food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Here, we show that, in the eastern tropical North Pacific OMZ, previously undescribed submesoscale oxygen variability has a direct effect on the distribution of many major zooplankton groups. Despite extraordinary hypoxia tolerance, many zooplankton live near their physiological limits and respond to slight …

Lakeshore Modification Reduces Secondary Production Of Macroinvertebrates In Littoral But Not Deeper Zones, Marlene Pätzig, Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, Mario Brauns

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Littoral macroinvertebrates are an integral component of lake food webs, but their productivity may be affected by shoreline alteration. We hypothesized that human modification of lake shores simplifies habitat diversity, which, in turn, affects littoral macroinvertebrate production and patterns of depth–production relationships. Furthermore, we expected that lakeshore modification would favor nonnative species, potentially compensating for negative effects of lakeshore modification on production of native taxa. To test these ideas, we estimated benthic macroinvertebrate production in the upper littoral, middle littoral, and profundal zones of a large lowland lake (Lake Scharmützelsee) in Northeast Germany. We collected samples between April and November …

Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates In Marshallese Mothers Residing In The U.S., Connor K. Otto

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: The largest population of Marshallese immigrants in the Contiguous U.S. resides in Northwest Arkansas. Despite adequate access to healthcare, the Marshallese face many health disparities, perhaps partly due to the language barrier they face in healthcare settings and education. Regarding breastfeeding rates, women in the Marshall Islands have a significantly higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding than in Marshallese women residing in the U.S. who face cultural barriers. Breastfeeding is positively correlated to many benefits for infants and is recommended exclusively for at least 6 months by pediatric policy organizations.

Objective: The purpose of this research is to examine breastfeeding …

Changes In Cultural Competency Of Nurses Caring For Marshallese Islanders Following An Educational Intervention, Abigail Childers

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Background: Marshall Islanders are one of the fastest growing migrant populations in the US and Northwest Arkansas. Health disparities and maintenance of strong cultural values and norms may adversely affect the Marshallese participation in the health care system. Evidence shows that cultural competency training can improve the attitudes, knowledge, skills and behaviors of health professionals and has many positive impacts. The Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) is a research-validated tool that can be used to measure perceived cultural competency through many subscale categories.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to implement a cultural awareness educational program and to …

Bloodstream Infection Due To Piperacillin/Tazobactam Non-Susceptible, Cephalosporin Susceptible Escherichia Coli: A Missed Opportunity For De-Escalation Of Therapy, Leah Carlisle, Julie Ann Justo, Majdi N. Al-Hasan

Faculty Publications

An increasing number of reports describing Escherichia coli isolates with piperacillin/tazobactam resistance, despite retained cephalosporin susceptibility, suggest further emergence of this phenotypic resistance pattern. In this report, a patient with metastatic breast cancer presented to medical care after two days of chills, nausea, vomiting, reduced oral intake, and generalized weakness. Blood and urine cultures grew E. coli as identified by rapid diagnostics multiplex PCR and MALDI-TOF, respectively. The patient continued to manifest signs of sepsis with hypotension and tachypnea during the first three days of hospitalization despite empirical antimicrobial therapy with intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam. After in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated …

Spectral Sensitivity In Ray-Finned Fishes: Diversity, Ecology And Shared Descent, Lorian E. Schweikert, Robert R. Fitak, Eleanor M. Caves, Tracey Sutton, Sonke Johnsen

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

A major goal of sensory ecology is to identify factors that underlie sensory-trait variation. One open question centers on why fishes show the greatest diversity among vertebrates in their capacity to detect color (i.e. spectral sensitivity). Over the past several decades, λ_max values (photoreceptor class peak sensitivity) and chromacy (photoreceptor class number) have been cataloged for hundreds of fish species, yet the ecological basis of this diversity and the functional significance of high chromacy levels (e.g. tetra- and pentachromacy) remain unclear. In this study, we examined phylogenetic, physiological and ecological patterns of spectral sensitivity of ray-finned fishes (Actinoptergyii) via …

The Adoption Of Federal Scrutiny By State Supreme Courts In Same-Sex Marriage Jurisprudence, Shane Farrell

Lawrence University Honors Projects

It would be logical to assume state supreme courts, when reviewing state constitutional challenges, interpret their state constitutions in unique and independent ways. This is not true in same-sex marriage cases. Counterintuitively, state supreme courts use a non-independent standard of review created by the federal government. My research shows that state courts are shaped by federal scrutiny standards in same-sex marriage cases. I will show how Washington, Connecticut, and California all adopted federal scrutiny. I will also show how Vermont did not adopt the federal scrutiny, yet was still shaped by the standard.

Limitations In Predicting The Space Radiation Health Risk For Exploration Astronauts, Jeffery C. Chancellor, Rebecca S. Blue, Keith A. Cengel, Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor, Kathleen H. Rubins, Helmut G. Katzgraber, Ann R. Kennedy

Faculty Publications

Despite years of research, understanding of the space radiation environment and the risk it poses to long-duration astronauts remains limited. There is a disparity between research results and observed empirical effects seen in human astronaut crews, likely due to the numerous factors that limit terrestrial simulation of the complex space environment and extrapolation of human clinical consequences from varied animal models. Given the intended future of human spaceflight, with efforts now to rapidly expand capabilities for human missions to the moon and Mars, there is a pressing need to improve upon the understanding of the space radiation risk, predict likely …

Challenges During Diapause And Anhydrobiosis: Mitochondrial Bioenergetics And Desiccation Tolerance, Steven C. Hand, Daniel S. Moore, Yuvraj Patil

Faculty Publications

© 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology In preparation for the onset of environmental challenges like overwintering, food limitation, anoxia, or water stress, many invertebrates and certain killifish enter diapause. Diapause is a developmentally-programed dormancy characterized by suppression of development and metabolism. For embryos of Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp), the metabolic arrest is profound. These gastrula-stage embryos depress oxidative metabolism by ~99% during diapause and survive years of severe desiccation in a state termed anhydrobiosis. Trehalose is the sole fuel source for this developmental stage. Mitochondrial function during diapause is downregulated primarily by restricting substrate supply, as a …

Habitat Suitability Estimated By Niche Models Is Largely Unrelated To Species Abundance, Tad A. Dallas, Alan Hastings

Faculty Publications

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: Data on species occurrences are far more common than data on species abundances. However, a central goal of large-scale ecology is to understand the spatial distribution of abundance. It has been proposed that species distribution models trained on species occurrence records may capture variation in species abundance. Here, we gauge support for relationships between species abundance and predicted climatic suitability from species distribution models, and relate the slope of this relationship to species traits, evolutionary relationships and sampling completeness. Location: USA. Time period: 1658–2017. Major taxa studied: Mammal and tree species. Methods, …

Multidimensional Relationships Of Herbicides With Insect-Crop Food Webs, Anamika Sharma, Prashant Jha, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

Controlling weeds is critical for improving the yield and quality of crops. Herbicides are the most commonly applied pesticides in agro-ecosystems. Herbicides affect insects directly as contact damage and indirectly by influencing food supplies. The innate susceptibility, life stages, and mode of feeding of insects can affect the herbicide–insect interaction. Interaction of herbicides with insect pest and beneficial insects is mainly indirect and absence of weeds either can reduce the insect population or causes switching of host plant and hence can also increase the population. The direct effect of herbicides depends on carrier or surfactant used. Presence of herbicides also …

Adoption Of Sustainable Agriculture Practices Among Farmers In Kentucky, Usa, Bijesh Mishra, Buddhi R. Gyawali, Krishna P. Paudel, Neelam C. Poudyal, Marion F. Simon, Siddhartha Dasgupta, George Antonious

Faculty Publications

© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Promoting the sustainable agricultural practices at an individual farm level is essential to ensure agricultural sustainability. This study analyzed whether and how various factors related to farm or farmers’ characteristics influence the adoption intensity of sustainable agriculture practices. We used a negative binomial regression model to fit the data collected from a mail survey of farmers in Kentucky, USA. Our results showed that the adoption intensity of sustainable agriculture practices varied significantly among agricultural districts in Kentucky. Farmers who grew row crops, had irrigation facilities, and were in favor of …

Gobbling Activity Of Eastern Wild Turkeys Relative To Male Movements And Female Nesting Phenology In South Carolina, Michael J. Chamberlain, Patrick H. Wightman, Bradley S. Cohen, Bret A. Collier

Faculty Publications

Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) use a polygynous mating system, and males must balance fitness benefits of courtship displays against costs of their reproductive strategies. Wild turkeys are the only gamebird species in the contiguous United States hunted primarily during their reproductive period. Managers attempt to implement seasons that allow for hunter satisfaction while limiting effects to reproduction and ensuring sustainable populations. To minimize illegal harvest, managers often attempt to set spring hunting seasons when gobbling activity is high and females are actively incubating nests. Gobbling activity varies significantly both temporally and spatially, and relationships between gobbling activity and reproductive phenology …