Digital Commons Network^™

Detection Of Exogenous Double-Stranded Rna Movement In In Vitro Peanut Plants, P. C. Faustinelli, I. L. Power, R. S. Arias

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

New technologies are needed to eliminate mycotoxins and/or fungal pathogens from agricultural products. RNA interference (RNAi) has shown potential to control fungi associated with crops. In RNAi, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targets homologous mRNA for cleavage, and can reach the mRNA of pathogens in contact with the plant. The key element in this process is the movement of RNA signals cell-to-cell and over long distances within the plant, and between host plants and parasites.

• In this study, we selected a regulatory gene in the aflatoxin biosynthesis pathway, aflS/ aflR, necessary for the production of aflatoxins in Aspergillus spp. We …

Effects Of Triclosan In Breast Milk On The Infant Fecal Microbiome, Candace S. Bever, Amy A. Rand, Malin Nording, Diana Taft, Karen M. Kalanetra, David A. Mills, Melissa A. Breck, Jennifer T. Smilowitz, J. Bruce German, Bruce D. Hammock

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

Triclosan is frequently used for its antimicrobial properties and has been detected in human serum, urine, and breast milk. Animal and molecular studies have shown that triclosan exerts a wide range of adverse health effects at both high (ppm) and low (ppb) concentrations. Since triclosan is of growing concern to human and environmental health, there is a need to improve extraction procedures and to study additional effects from triclosan exposure. In this study, we have improved triclosan extraction from breast milk by using salt (MgSO4) to reduce emulsion formation and increase water polarity and water (~80%) to enhance the overall …

Application Of The Biosafety Ram And Eprotocol Software Programs To Streamline Institutional Biosafety Committee Processes At The Usda-National Animal Disease Center, John P. Bannantine, Karen B. Register, David M. White

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

The National Animal Disease Center (NADC) conducts basic and applied research on endemic animal diseases of high priority that adversely affect US livestock production or trade. Experiments conducted at this center vary in range and scope with a subset involving synthetic or recombinant nucleic acids (DNA), microorganisms, and/or animals. Historically, the NADC used hard copy paper and filing systems to catalog and monitor these types of experiments, but to improve communication, tracking, searching, reporting, and documentation of Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) actions, this institution has transitioned to using a commercially available software tool to digitally manage protocols in our ongoing …

Knowledge Gaps That Hamper Prevention And Control Of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Infection, Herman W. Barkema, Karin Orsel, S.S. Nielsen, A.P. Koets, V.P.M.G. Rutten, J. P. Bannantine, G.P. Keefe, D.F. Kelton, Scott J. Wells, Richard J. Whittington, Colin G. Mackintosh, E.J. Manning, M.F. Weber, C. Heuer, T.L. Forde, C. Ritter, S. Roche, C.S. Corbett, R. Wolf, P.J. Griebel, J.P. Kastelic, J. De Buck

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

In the last decades, many regional and country-wide control programmes for Johne’s disease (JD) were developed due to associated economic losses, or because of a possible association with Crohn’s disease. These control programmes were often not successful, partly because management protocols were not followed, including the introduction of infected replacement cattle, because tests to identify infected animals were unreliable, and uptake by farmers was not high enough because of a perceived low return on investment. In the absence of a cure or effective commercial vaccines, control of JD is currently primarily based on herd management strategies to avoid infection of …

Non-Conventional Therapy Of A Triple Acid Base Disorder, Maria Andrievskaya, Daniel Peisach, Jerry Yee

Nephrology Meeting Abstracts

Severe electrolyte derangements are difficult to correct and standard approaches are not always successful. We present a case in which an unconventional treatment approach led to resolution of a severe, mixed acid-base disorder. A 74-year-old female with a history of stroke, seizures, and chronic hyponatremia presented with confusion, gait difficulty, and poor oral intake. Initial vital signs T 36.3 °C, BP 97/52 mm Hg, HR 70 bpm, RR 16 min-1, BMI 19 kg/m2. Admission lab data revealed Na 118, K 3.2, Cl 89, TCO2 23 mmol/L, BUN 11, SCr 0.76, Mg 1.5, Pi 1.7 mg/dL. ABG pH 7.76, pCO2 12.5 …

Counter Clockwise Culture Shock, Matthew Mercer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counter Clockwise Culture Shock is a memoir focused the narrator's return to his hometown, a place he barely escaped: drug addiction, incarceration, bad relationships, alienation, an Oedipal mother, and suicidal threats. It is reflection on both culture and self, after I gained an outside perspective from Japan. The narrator is forced to relive nihilism and monotony, and face the troubles of his younger years. It describes the difficult journey of today's youth, in an evermore technologically dynamic world - with few role models able to plot a course through. This is a meditation on past actions that ended in survival. …

Behavioral And Disease Ecology Of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus) Post Exclusion And Relocation With A Novel Approach To Homing Determination, Johnathan Napier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of human expansion, relocations and the loss of habitat can be stressful to an organism, plausibly leading to population declines. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a keystone species that constructs burrows it shares with 362 commensal species. Frequent exclusions and relocations and long generation times have contributed to G. polyphemus being State-designated as Threatened in Florida. Prior studies have indicated that G. polyphemus may possess homing behavior and thus be able to counteract stressors due to relocation and exclusion. I radiotracked a cohort of G. polyphemus for 11 months following excavation, relocation, and exclusion due to …

Raça, Jinshu, Race: Whiteness, Japanese-Ness, And Resistance In Sūkyō Mahikari In The Brazilian Amazon, Moana Luri De Almeida

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presented an analysis of how leaders and adherents of a Japanese religion called Sūkyō Mahikari understand and interpret jinshu (race) and hito(person) in a particular way, and how this ideology is practiced in the city of Belém, in the Brazilian Amazon. The teachings of Sūkyō Mahikari classify humanity into five races (yellow, white, red, blue/green, black/purple) and five religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism). In this classification, the original humans - hito, the kingly race ōbito, and the God-given supra-religion sūkyō - deteriorated into ningen (people), the other races, and shūkyō (religions) along an …

Telluride In The Film Festival Galaxy, Jeffrey Ruoff

Dartmouth Scholarship

About the Book

For those who cherish art cinema, the Telluride Film Festival is America's best known and most celebrated film festival. It is the quintessential cinephile film festival in the USA, and a destination festival prototype in the galaxy of festivals. It has been spoken and written about a lot in popular media, yet it has never been the subject of a monograph. This is the first study to explore Telluride's multi-faceted contributions to the cultural life of the United States and beyond.

About the Author

Jeffrey Ruoff is a film historian, documentary filmmaker, and an associate professor of …

Biomechanical Characterization Of Video-Recorded Short-Distance Falls Involving Children Equipped With A Biometric Device: A Pilot Study., Bret A Hilt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Falls are commonly used as a false history by caregivers to conceal child abuse. Determining biomechanical compatibility is a key aspect in differentiating abuse from accident. Current forensic approaches are limited in assessing biomechanical compatibility of short-distance falls involving children due to a lack of reliable witnessed falls with known injury outcomes. The goals of this pilot study were to characterize biomechanical measures and to examine differences in biomechanical measures based on child and fall characteristics in reliable witnessed video-recorded falls involving children. The results of this study will serve as preliminary data for an on-going larger study with the …

Restoring Cholesterol Homeostasis In Familial Hypercholesterolemia Cell Line Model, Lubna Hindi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder that results in elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This increase in serum cholesterol level has been shown to result in premature coronary artery disease (CAD) with devastating symptoms from a young age. Today, the prevalence of heterozygous FH (HeFH) and homozygous FH (HoFH) is estimated to be 1 in 320 and 1 in 160,000 people, respectively. FH is referred to as an underdiagnosed disease due to the large number of mutations that continues to grow. These mutations often exist in one of or a combination of three genes: low-density lipoprotein …

Optimization Of Plga And Plga-Dasatinib Particles Through A Taguchi Design Approach, Rayeanne N Balgemann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a disease of the retina in the human eye. Retinal pigment epithelium cells (RPE) undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition in response to retinal trauma. This transition gives the cells mobility and allows them to potentially infiltrate the vitreous chamber and deposit on either side of the retina. Once cell deposition has occurred, along with several other transformed cells derived from cell types such as Müller glia, these migratory cells can form a membrane contiguous with the retinal extracellular matrix and, upon contraction, cause wrinkling of the retina. If left untreated PVR can lead to traction …

Narrative Transportation And Virtual Reality: Exploring The Immersive Qualities Of Social Justice In The Digital World, Sara Raffel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the potential applications for virtual reality (VR) stories in support of social justice causes, examining whether digital games historically been successfully leveraged for social justice purposes, and determining which components of VR technology can most encourage narrative transportation of participants in VR stories. The first chapter examines theories of simulation, virtual reality, narrative, and interactivity, as well as concepts of immersion from various disciplines and settles on narrative transportation, a theory from cognitive psychology, as the most useful in measuring the effect of VR stories on participants. The second chapter examines ethnographic practices, activist games, and modes …

A Multisystem Approach For The Characterization Of Bacteria For Sustainable Agriculture, Briana Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The chemical, physical, and biological properties of bacteria developing resistance have been explored in animal based bacteria while plant bacteria have been largely neglected. Thus, the ability to probe changes in stiffness, adhesion, binding interactions and molecular traits of bacteria causing plant diseases is of great interest to develop a new generation of more potent, yet sustainable, pesticides. Our study aims to investigate the physical and chemical properties of bacterial systems, in particular their cell walls. Building upon this fundamental understanding of the cells, we also investigate the physicochemical responses associated to multivalent nanoparticle-based bactericide treatments on bacterial systems identified …

Seeing Living Things: Observations Of Figures From The Outside In, Forrest Deblois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This writing accompanies the outcomes of my studio practice over the last three years, focusing on two bodies of work of paintings and drawings. In it I describe and analyze multiple influences tied to the progression and change in my studio practice. I began the process of my work with images and subjects from my home state of Florida, frequently juxtaposing the wildlife and humans, now I see this pattern as a byproduct of a studio practice functioning as a introspective reflection of what I experience, the things that I understand and the things that I don't. I deconstruct elements …

Investigations Of Possible Cases Of Scurvy In Juveniles From The Kellis 2 Cemetery In The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Through Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis Of Multiple Tissues, Georgina Chasse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, is a disease that can occur in humans at any age and has been seen throughout time. Scurvy affects the production of connective tissues, including collagen, which leads to the many symptoms of the disease, including fatigue, anemia, bleeding gums and lost teeth, skeletal changes, and even death. The Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, in use from approximately AD 50-360, contains the remains of many juveniles who exhibit skeletal indicators of scurvy. Tissue samples from juveniles who did (n=31) and did not (n=117) exhibit skeletal indicators of scurvy were analyzed isotopically, with …

Reliability And Validity Of An Arabic Translation Of Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (Ase) On Students At King Faisal University, Mohammed Fahad Almohazie

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF AN ARABIC TRANSLATION OF ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY SCALE (ASE) ON STUDENTS AT KING FAISAL UNIVERSITY

by

MOHAMMED F. AL MOHAZIE

May 2018

Advisor: Dr. Shlomo Sawilowsky

Major: Evaluation and Research

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Academic self-efficacy refers to a student’s confidence in successfully performing academic tasks at a designated level. Empirical research in US students suggests academic self-efficacy is a positive predictor of university student academic performance and retention, two outcomes that need to be increased in Saudi students. Given the potential predictive ability of academic self-efficacy on student academic performance and retention, a reliable and …

3d Face Reconstruction And Emotion Analytics With Part-Based Morphable Models, Hai Jin

Wayne State University Dissertations

3D face reconstruction and facial expression analytics using 3D facial data are new

and hot research topics in computer graphics and computer vision. In this proposal, we first

review the background knowledge for emotion analytics using 3D morphable face model, including

geometry feature-based methods, statistic model-based methods and more advanced

deep learning-bade methods. Then, we introduce a novel 3D face modeling and reconstruction

solution that robustly and accurately acquires 3D face models from a couple of images

captured by a single smartphone camera. Two selfie photos of a subject taken from the

front and side are used to guide our …

Identifying The Role Of The Type-Ii Transmembrane Serine Protease Tmprss13 In Breast Cancer, Andrew Stevan Murray

Wayne State University Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. Breast cancer progression is accompanied by increased expression of extracellular and cell surface proteases that are capable of degrading the extracellular matrix as well as cleaving and activating downstream targets. These proteolytic processes are critically involved in modifying the tissue microenvironment of the breast, which is necessary for cancer cell invasion and eventual dissemination of cancer cells to other organs. Therefore, identifying novel proteases that promote tumor progression is critical to create new approaches for developing improved breast …

Inflammation In The Pathogenesis Of Diabetic Retinopathy, Haoshen Shi

Wayne State University Dissertations

The general purpose of these studies is to investigate inflammation in diabetic retinopathy in an effort to identify key intervention points to develop as treatments. Firstly, we showed that the neuropeptide VIP displayed protective immunoregulatory effects on retinal endothelial cells cultured under high glucose conditions. This effect was carried out, in part through the VPAC2 receptor.

Next, we studied the β-adrenergic receptor agonist, Compound 49b, and its effect on the pro-resolving RvD1 pathway. Compound 49b was previously shown to suppress both inflammatory and apoptotic responses in DR. We demonstrated that Compound 49b rescued the high glucose-induced decrese in RvD1 and …

Freedom At The Freak Show: Carnivalesque Imagery In The Fiction Of Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor And Katherine Anne Porter, Virginia Mccarley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the function of the circus and the sideshow in the work of Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, and Katherine Anne Porter, arguing that all of these authors employ Mikhail Bakhtin’s idea of the carnivalesque as a reaction to and against the expectations put on them as women who are pressured to conform to the Southern ideal. In the first chapter, I argue that Eudora Welty uses the carnivalesque to reveal the performativity of normalcy in both “Lily Daw and the Three Ladies” (1937) and “A Memory” (1937). These performances, in the first story particularly, offer a critique of …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Valacyclovir Hydrochloride Ocular Inserts By Hot Melt Extrusion Technique, Gauri Shadambikar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the current study was to investigate the processability of Hot Melt Extrusion to formulate Ocular Inserts of Valacyclovir Hydrochloride and Evaluate its drug release in vitro and in vivo. Valacyclovir is the prodrug of Acyclovir, which is used in treatment of ocular keratitis and HSV infections. The bioavailability of the prodrug is better than the acyclovir and it is proved to permeate extensively through the corneal barrier. The polymer of choice was Klucel® Pharm MF and JF grades for the study. To optimize the formulation, different physical mixtures of the polymers and plasticizers (PEG 400 and Propylene …

Characterizing Variable Flow Pathways And Geochemical History Of Seepage Under The Mississippi River Levee: 2011, 2015, And 2016 Floods, Kaitlin Marie Voll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Seepage beneath levees during flood stage becomes a concern when piping occurs, creating channels beneath the levee and forming sand boils where transported sediments discharge. Along the lower Mississippi River, pathways beneath the levee vary with surface geology, following deeper paths where the levee overlies channel fill deposits, and shallower paths where it overlies sand bar deposits. A preliminary investigation north of Vicksburg, MS, during the 2011 flood, demonstrated the potential for using aqueous geochemistry to differentiate sand boils forming at the end of deep and shallow flow pathways, though the study was limited to cation and trace metal analyses. …

Down Under Punks And Dixie Rock: Reflections On Making The Documentary Film Chinese Whispers - Southern Roots In The Australian Swampy Sound, Gretchen Labudde Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cases Of Note-Copyright - A Desny Implied-In-Fact Contract, Bruce Strauch, Bryan M. Carson, Jack Montgomery

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Bet You Missed It-Press Clippings — In The News — Carefully Selected By Your Crack Staff Of News Sleuths, Bruce Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Atg Interviews Beth Marhanka, Interim Associate University Librarian For User Services & Engagement And Head, Gelardin New Media Center/Maker Hub, Georgetown University, Katina Strauch, Tom Gilson

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

One Health: Connecting The Dots, Pamela Rose

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

If Rumors Were Horses, Katina Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Wryly Noted-Books About Books, John D. Riley

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.