Digital Commons Network^™

Evolution Of The Natural Transformation Protein, Comec, In Bacteria, Zachary T. Pimentel, Ying Zhang

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Natural transformation enables the incorporation of exogenous DNA into host genomes and plays a fundamental role in the evolution of microbial populations. At the center of the natural transformation machinery, the ComEC protein mediates DNA import and serves potential functions in DNA recognition and single strand degradation. Despite its importance, the evolution of ComEC is not fully understood. Here, we aim to fill this knowledge gap by surveying putative ComEC proteins across 5,574 bacteria that span diverse phyla. We first derived the presence of a universal, core Competence domain through the analysis of ComEC proteins from known naturally competent species. …

Obesity-Induced Peritoneal Dissemination Of Ovarian Cancer And Dominant Recruitment Of Macrophages In Ascites, Rosa Mistica C. Ignacio, Eun-Sook Lee, Andrew J. Wilson, Alicia Beeghly-Fadiel, Margaret M. Whalen, Deok-Soo Son

Chemistry Faculty Research

One-fifth of cancer deaths are associated with obesity. Because the molecular mechanisms by which obesity affects the progression of ovarian cancer (OC) are poorly understood, we investigated if obesity could promote the progression of OC cells using the postmenopausal ob/ob mouse model and peritoneal dissemination of mouse ID8 OC cells. Compared to lean mice, obese mice had earlier OC occurrence, greater metastasis throughout the peritoneal cavity, a trend toward shorter survival, and higher circulating glucose and proinflammatory chemokine CXCL1 levels. Ascites in obese mice had higher levels of macrophages (Mφ) and chemokines including CCL2, CXCL12, CXCL13, G-CSF and M-CSF. Omental …

Growing Social Connection: A Case Study Of A Therapeutic Farm Community, Theresa Aldrich

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This is a case study of a single therapeutic farm community with the goal of understanding the community as a whole organization. Therapeutic farm communities are largely under researched. The studies that do exist focus on evaluating client outcomes without adequate description of the organizations which produce the outcomes. To provide an in depth description of the therapeutic farm community which was selected for this case study, ethnographic research methods were utilized. Data analysis was conducted as an inductive process, drawing conclusions from coded and organized ethnographic field notes using postmodernism as a theoretical lens. This guided the interpretation of …

Stress, Resilience, And Well-Being In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Jamie Waldera, Brittany L. Borhart, Megan R. Panek

Nursing Masters Papers

Although stress, resiliency, and well-being have been studied individually in nursing students, the relationship among these three concepts has not been well studied in the undergraduate nursing student population. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to examine the relationship of stress, resilience, and well-being in undergraduate nursing students. The primary study was conducted at a Midwestern university with 261 junior and senior nursing students. Primary investigators surveyed 261 students utilizing the Perceived Stress Scale, Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale 25, and Linear Analog Scale Assessment. This study found that stress and well-being were negatively correlated (p < 0.0001), stress and resilience were negatively correlated (p < 0.0001), and well-being and resilience were positively correlated (p < 0.0001). Additionally, these concepts were compared to students’ academic terms. Stress decreased in students throughout their academic terms while well-being increased. Resilience did not change in relation to academic term.

Poverty And Eastern Kentucky School Districts: An Analysis Of Effective Interventions That Lead To Academic Success, Jessica Dobbs

Honors Theses

Poverty is a persistent cycle that plagues the United States, but specifically Eastern Kentucky. This is especially evident within the school districts there. This data was collected in order to help highlight the magnitude of poverty within Eastern Kentucky and its’ impact on the academic success of the students. When analyzing data from the Kentucky School Report Card from the 2016-2017 school year, twenty-four counties were identified as having at least 75% of the student population within the district qualifying for free & reduced lunch. After the identification of those twenty-four counties, the elementary K-Prep Proficiency and Distinguished scores for …

Financial Well-Being In Low- And Moderate-Income Households: How Does It Compare To The General Population?, Sicong Sun, Olga Kondratjeva, Stephen P. Roll, Mathieu Despard, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

Research Brief (18-03)

Research has increasingly shed light on the precariousness of many households’ financial situations. For example, a large national survey showed that 41 percent of adults lack sufficient liquidity to cover even a modest $400 emergency without taking on debt or selling an asset; a problem that is exacerbated for lower-income households. Compounding this issue is the fact that financial shocks, such as the loss of income or a major car repair, are common; 60 percent of U.S. households reported a shock in the prior year at a median cost of $2,000.

We would expect that these indicators …

Communicating Information On Nature-Related Topics: Preferred Information Channels And Trust In Sources, Emily J. Wilkins, Holly M. Miller, Elizabeth Tilak, Rudy M. Schuster

Environment and Society Student Research

How information is communicated influences the public’s environmental perceptions and behaviors. Information channels and sources both play an important role in the dissemination of information. Trust in a source is often used as a proxy for whether a particular piece of information is credible. To determine preferences for information channels and trust in various sources for information on nature-related topics, a mail-out survey was sent to randomly selected U.S. addresses (n = 1,030). Diverse groups of people may have differing communication preferences. Therefore, we explored differences in channel preferences and trust by demographics using regression models. Overall, the most preferred …

Understory Community Assembly Following Wildfire In Boreal Forests: Shift From Stochasticity To Competitive Exclusion And Environmental Filtering, Bo Liu, Han Y. H. Chen, Jian Yang

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Understory vegetation accounts for the majority of plant species diversity and serves as a driver of overstory succession and nutrient cycling in boreal forest ecosystems. However, investigations of the underlying assembly processes of understory vegetation associated with stand development following a wildfire disturbance are rare, particularly in Eurasian boreal forests. In this study, we measured the phylogenetic and functional diversity and trait dispersions of understory communities and tested how these patterns changed with stand age in the Great Xing'an Mountains of Northeastern China. Contrary to our expectation, we found that understory functional traits were phylogenetically convergent. We found that random …

Design And Methodology Of A Cluster-Randomized Trial In Early Care And Education Centers To Meet Physical Activity Guidelines: Sustainability Via Active Garden Education (Sage), Rebecca E. Lee, Elizabeth Lorenzo, Jacob Szeszulski, Anel Arriola, Meg Bruening, Paul A. Estabrooks, Jennie Hill, Flavio F. Marsiglia, Teresia O'Connor, Kim Sellers Pollins, Gabriel Q. Shaibi, Erica Soltero, Michael Todd

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

Strategies are needed to help early care and education centers (ECEC) comply with policies to meet daily physical activity and fruit and vegetable guidelines for young children. This manuscript describes the design and methodology of Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE), a 12-session cluster-randomized controlled crossover design trial using community-based participatory research (CBPR) to test a garden-based ECEC physical activity and fruit and vegetables promotion intervention for young children aged 3–5 years in 20 sites. The SAGE curriculum uses the plant lifecycle as a metaphor for human development. Children learn how to plant, water, weed, harvest, and do simple food …

Fire, Grazing And Climate Shape Plant–Grasshopper Interactions In A Tallgrass Prairie, Ellen A.R. Welti, Fan Qiu, Hannah M. Tetreault, Mark Ungerer, Anthony Joern

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

1. Species interactions are integral to ecological community function, and the structure of species interactions has repercussions for the consequences of species extinctions. Few studies have examined the role of environmental factors in controlling species interaction networks across time.

2. We examined variation in plant–grasshopper network structural properties in response to three major grassland drivers: periodic fire, ungulate grazing and climate.

3. We sequenced a plant barcoding gene from extracted grasshopper gut contents to characterize diets of 26 grasshopper species. Resulting grasshopper species’ diets were combined with long‐term plant and grasshopper surveys to assemble plant–grasshopper networks across 13–19 years for …

Pengaruh Fermentasi Biji Kakao Dengan Menggunakan Kluyveromyces Sp., Lactobacillus Plantarum, Acetobacter Xylinum, Enzim Papain Dan Bromelain Serta Sistein Terhadap Prekursor Cita Rasa Serta Kandungan Nutrisi Dan Polifenolnya, Linda Yuniar, Saadah Diana Rachman, R. Ukun M.S. Soedjanaatmadja

Chimica et Natura Acta

Indonesia merupakan produsen kakao terbesar kedua di dunia. Kualitas biji kakao yang diekspor oleh Indonesia kurang baik karena tidak difermentasi. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan nilai nutrisi, kandungan polifenol serta prekursor cita rasa biji kakao melalui proses fermentasi dengan penambahan campuran mikroorganisme Kluyveromyces sp., Lactobacillus plantarum, Acetobacter xylinum, enzim papain dan bromelain serta inhibitor sistein. Adapun variasi fermentasi yang dilakukan adalah (A) biji kakao tidak difermentasi, (B) fermentasi alami, (C) fermentasi dengan Kluyveromyces sp. pada hari ke-0 dan L. plantarum pada hari ke-1, A. xylinum pada hari ke-2, (D) fermentasi dengan Kluyveromyces sp. pada hari ke-0 dan L. …

Financial Well-Being In Low- And Moderate-Income Households: How Does It Compare To The General Population?, Sicong Sun, Olga Kondratjeva, Stephen P. Roll, Mathieu Despard, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

Research has increasingly shed light on the precariousness of many households’ financial situations. For example, a large national survey showed that 41 percent of adults lack sufficient liquidity to cover even a modest $400 emergency without taking on debt or selling an asset;¹ a problem that is exacerbated for lower-income households.² Compounding this issue is the fact that financial shocks, such as the loss of income or a major car repair, are common; 60 percent of U.S. households reported a shock in the prior year at a median cost of $2,000^.3

Analisis Kandungan Logam Berat Aluminium (Al), Dan Timbal (Pb) Pada Buah Jambu Biji Varietas Kristal (Psidium Guajava L.) Dan Tanah Di Desa Bumiaji, Kota Batu, Hidayati Karamina, Ariani Trisna Murti, Tri Mudjoko

Jurnal Kultivasi

Bumiaji merupakan kawasan wisata yang terletak di Kota Batu. Dengan suhu mencapai 20oC menyebabkan Bumiaji menjadi tempat pengembangan kawasan yang cocok untuk penanaman tanaman hortikultura contohnya jambu biji varietas kristal. Budidaya jambu biji varietas kristal tidak lepas dengan pemeliharaan tanaman dengan cara pengaplikasian pupuk organik maupun anorganik dan pestisida dalam jumlah banyak dan dalam jangka waktu yang panjang. Usaha-usaha peningkatan hasil produksi di atas ternyata dapat memberikan dampak kurang baik bagi lingkungan sekitar khususnya tanah. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengetahui seberapa besar jumlah logam berat yang berada pada tanah dan buah jambu biji varietas kristal. Penelitian ini menggunakan …

The Carbon Tax Vacuum And The Debate About Climate Change Impacts: Emission Taxation Of Commodity Crop Production In Food System Regulation, Gabriela Steier

Pace Environmental Law Review

The scientific consensus on climate change is far ahead of U.S. policy on point. In fact, the U.S. has a legal vacuum of carbon taxation while climate change continues to impact the codependence of agriculture and the environment. As this Article shows, carbon taxes follow the polluter-pays model, levying taxes on the highest greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions—and contributions to climate change. But this is not only unsustainable; it would also undermine agricultural production and, thus, food security. This Article describes how the law can regulate climate change contributions and promote adaptation and mitigation supported through carbon taxes in the agricultural …

Servant Leadership And The Wellbeing Of Police Officers: A Case Study, Eric J. Russell, Rodger Broome, Jamie Russell

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

No abstract provided.

Atmospheric Cold Plasma Inactivation Of Salmonella And Escherichia Coli On The Surface Of Golden Delicious Apples, Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge, Siqin Liu, Sudheer K. Yannam, Ankit Patras

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

The contamination of fruits with human pathogens is a reoccurring concern in the fresh produce industry. Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is a potential alternate to customary approaches for non-thermal decontamination of foods. In this study, the efficacy of a dielectric barrier discharge ACP system against Salmonella (Salmonella Typhimurium, ATCC 13311; Salmonella Choleraesuis, ATCC 10708) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922, ATCC 11775) was explored. For each bacteria, a two-strain mixture at 8 log10 CFU/ml was spot inoculated on the surface of Golden Delicious apples, air dried, and exposed to ACP at a fixed distance of 35 mm, input power of 200 …

School Of Culinary Arts & Food Technology - Winter Newsletter 2018, James Peter Murphy

Other resources

The School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, Winter Newsletter captured the many events, research, awards, significant contributions and special civic and community activities which the students and staff members of the school have successfully completed up to the Winter period of 2018. The successful completion of these activities would not be possible without the active and on-going support of the 'INSPIRED' friends of Culinary Arts (school sponsors) and our school's industry association supporters.

Bariatric Surgery As A Treatment To Obesity, Morgan D. Dunn

Health Sciences Student Scholarship

This paper focuses on the efficiency and effectiveness that bariatric surgery provides as a treatment for the obesity epidemic that is ever-growing in our country. By taking into account scientific, ethnographical, scholarly, statistic-based, and various other forms of research, this paper argues for the widespread use of bariatric surgery for weight loss, decrease in obesity, and resolution of obesity comorbidities. This paper also focuses on the various factors that affect patient success in bariatric surgery, such as gaps in access, economic problems, psychological issues associated with the procedure, and more. Nevertheless, bariatric surgery, if these factors are taken into consideration, …

Prefronto-Cerebellar Neuromodulation Affects Appetite In Obesity, Elena M. Marron, Raquel Viejo-Sobera, Guillem Cuatrecasas, Diego Redolar-Ripoll, Pilar García Lorda, Abhishek Datta, Marom Bikson, Greta Magerowksi, Miguel Alonso-Alonso

Publications and Research

Human neuroimaging studies have consistently reported changes in cerebellar function and integrity in association with obesity. To date, however, the nature of this link has not been studied directly. Emerging evidence suggests a role for the cerebellum in higher cognitive functions through reciprocal connections with the prefrontal cortex. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine appetite changes associated with noninvasive prefronto-cerebellar neuromodulation in obesity. 12 subjects with class I obesity (mean BMI 32.9 kg/m2) underwent a randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled, crossover study, during which they received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS; active/sham) aimed at simultaneously enhancing the activity of …

Leveraging Student Experience With Water For Active Learning In A Large Introductory Oceanography Classroom, Rebecca Freeman

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Rhizosphere Microbial Communities Of Spartina Alternifloa And Juncus Roemerianus From Restored And Natural Tidal Marshes On Deer Island, Mississippi, Olga Mavrodi, Carina M. Jung, Jed O. Eberly, Samuel Hendry, Sanchirmaa Namijilsuren, Patrick D. Biber, Karl J. Indest, Dmitri V. Mavrodi

Faculty Publications

The U. S. Gulf of Mexico is experiencing a dramatic increase in tidal marsh restoration actions, which involves planting coastal areas with smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) for erosion control and to provide habitat for fish and wildlife. It can take decades for sedimentary cycles in restored marshes to approach reference conditions, and the contribution of the sediment microbial communities to these processes is poorly elucidated. In this study, we addressed this gap by comparing rhizosphere microbiomes of S. alterniflora and J. roemerianus from two restored marshes and a natural reference marsh located at Deer Island, …

Impact Of Individual Traits, Saturated Fat, And Protein Source On The Gut Microbiome., Jennifer M Lang, Calvin Pan, Rita M Cantor, W H Wilson Tang, Jose Carlos Garcia-Garcia, Ira Kurtz, Stanley L Hazen, Nathalie Bergeron, Ronald M Krauss, Aldons J Lusis

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Interindividual variation in the composition of the human gut microbiome was examined in relation to demographic and anthropometric traits, and to changes in dietary saturated fat intake and protein source. One hundred nine healthy men and women aged 21 to 65, with BMIs of 18 to 36, were randomized, after a two-week baseline diet, to high (15% total energy [E])- or low (7%E)-saturated-fat groups and randomly received three diets (four weeks each) in which the protein source (25%E) was mainly red meat (beef, pork) (12%E), white meat (chicken, turkey) (12%E), and nonmeat sources (nuts, beans, soy) (16%E). Taxonomic characterization using …

Female Secondary School Stipend Programs In Bangladesh And Pakistan: What Can We Learn From South Asia’S Ccts?, Julia Gibbons

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

While many developing countries have reported gender gaps in education, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress and terminated the gender gap in secondary school enrollment through its national Female Stipend Program (FSP) in the 1990s. Conditional Cash Transfer programs (CCTs) like the FSP have become a popular development policy prescription, but the literature on CCTs in South Asia is surprisingly limited. A similar program to the FSP, the Female Secondary School Stipend, was implemented in the Punjab province of Pakistan in 2004 and had modest success, increasing secondary school enrollment for girls by 10%. This paper compares and contrasts the two …

Agenda, December 11, 2018, Programs Committee

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Men’S Jeans Fit Based On Body Shape Categorization, Elahe Saeidi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to categorize lower body shape in men and to investigate the interplay between body shape and fitting issues appearing in men’s jeans. More specifically, the goal of the study was to improve apparel fit based on body shape. The detailed objectives of the study were to: (1) Categorize male body shapes using statistical analysis; (2) use 3D virtual fitting technology to assess fit and develop a shape-driven pants block pattern for each body shape.

This quantitative study was conducted in three stages: (1) categorizing the body shape of 1420 male scans, aged 18-35, from …

Review Article: The Effect Of Exercise On Fat Browning Through Plasma Irisin Level Modulation To Overcome Obesity, Miftahul Nur Amaliyah, Purwo Sri Rejeki

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Overweight and obesity incidence continues to increase and becomes a global problem in recent decades. One of the pathophysiology is a low energy output, therefore energy homeostasis shifts positively. Exercise is considered as an effective method to increase energy output. Irisin is one of myokine type that is secreted to the bloodstream while exercising and causes changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue. In adipose cells, irisin will stimulate the browning process in White Adipose Tissue to increase thermogenesis and lipolysis.

Review Article: Neonatal Sepsis In Thailand, Anucha Thatrimontrichai

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Neonatal sepsis is a burden around the world and causes high mortality and morbidity as well. Long-term neurodevelopmental disability may occur in survivors. General physicians, pediatricians, and neonatologists need be attentive to the proper diagnosis, starting, de-escalating or stopping empirical antimicrobials therapy in neonatal sepsis. Furthermore, multidrug resistant organisms have emerged among adults, children, and neonates in developing countries. Local epidemiology studies and antimicrobial stewardship programs are important for application of the best and specific treatments. Knowledge, definitions, and clinical practice of neonatal sepsis are updated in this review.

Potentially Modifiable Determinants Of Malnutrition In Older Adults: A Systematic Review., M. O'Keeffe, M. Kelly, E. O'Herlihy, P. W. O'Toole, P. M. Kearney, S. Timmons, E. O'Shea, C. Stanton, M. Hickson, Y. Rolland, Rossé C Sulmont, S. Issanchou, I. Maitre, M. Stelmach-Mardas, G. Nagel, M. Flechtner-Mors, M. Wolters, A. Hebestreit, Groot Lcpgm De, De Rest O Van, R. Teh, M. A. Peyron, D. Dardevet, I. Papet, K. Schindler, M. Streicher, G. Torbahn, E. Kiesswetter, M. Visser, M. Visser, E. M. O'Connor, Manuel Consortium

School of Health Professions

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition in older adults results in significant personal, social, and economic burden. To combat this complex, multifactorial issue, evidence-based knowledge is needed on the modifiable determinants of malnutrition. Systematic reviews of prospective studies are lacking in this area; therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to investigate the modifiable determinants of malnutrition in older adults. METHODS: A systematic approach was taken to conduct this review. Eight databases were searched. Prospective cohort studies with participants of a mean age of 65 years or over were included. Studies were required to measure at least one determinant at baseline …

An Empirical Study Of The Overall Satisfaction Of Hospitality Students Towards Library Services, Jyothi Mallya, Valsaraj Payini

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to identify the significant dimension of LibQUAL⁺ that has a greater influence on hospitality students’ satisfaction towards the quality of the overall service provided by a library. Authors of this study have used a modified (a shorter performance-only) LibQUAL+ tool to measure the perceived service quality of a library. The data for this study is collected from both graduate and post-graduate students from a single hospitality institute in Karnataka, India. The regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses. “Affect of Service” emerged as a significant dimension accounting for hospitality students’ satisfaction. …

Tucumcari, University Of New Mexico Prevention Research Center

Community bio

The Quay County on the Move Program began in 2014 with a project funded by Oregon State University’s Cooperative Extension Service.