Digital Commons Network^™

Lake Regionalization And Diatom Metacommunity Structuring In Tropical South America, Xavier Benito, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Miriam Steinitz-Kannan, Maria I. Vélez, Michael M. Mcglue

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Lakes and their topological distribution across Earth's surface impose ecological and evolutionary constraints on aquatic metacommunities. In this study, we group similar lake ecosystems as metacommunity units influencing diatom community structure. We assembled a database of 195 lakes from the tropical Andes and adjacent lowlands (8°N–30°S and 58–79°W) with associated environmental predictors to examine diatom metacommunity patterns at two different levels: taxon and functional (deconstructed species matrix by ecological guilds). We also derived spatial variables that inherently assessed the relative role of dispersal. Using complementary multivariate statistical techniques (principal component analysis, cluster analysis, nonmetric multidimensional scaling, Procrustes, variance partitioning), we …

Biological Characteristics And Outcomes Of Gliosarcoma, Fauzan Alam Hashmi, Adnan Salim, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Muhammad Ehsan Bari

Section of Neurosurgery

Gliosarcoma is a highly aggressive primary brain tumour. It is a relatively rare tumour and comprises of two histological components, glial and sarcomatous. Gliosarcomas carry a poorer prognosis than that of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). The current review highlights important histological and radiological features of gliosarcoma in the light of recent literature, and also touches upon the treatment options and outcomes of various types of gliosarcoma.

What Is A University Education?, H R. Ahmad

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Body Mass Index And Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome On Icsi/Ivf Treatment Outcomes: A Study Conducted In Pakistani Women, Rehana Rehman, Rozina Mustafa, Rabiya Ali, Saeeda Shaharyar, Faiza Alam

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: Obesity may establish a crucial barrier for effective fertility treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) females.
Objective: To compare results of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in females with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome and further appraise the effect of obesity in PCOS females.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study from June 2015 to July 2016 included non-PCOS and PCOS (recognized by Rotterdam criteria) females who underwent ICSI. The PCOS were further stratified into non-obese and Obese according to the South Asian criteria for body mass index. Results were categorized on the basis of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and transvaginal …

Clear Cell Carcinoma Of The Pelvic Side Wall Arising From Endometriosis., Lisa N Abaid, John S Cupp, Miles Chang, Steven R Beanes, Bram H Goldstein

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Endometriosis is a condition wherein an ectopic layer of endometrial tissue arises in an extra-uterine location, often effecting significant pelvic pain and infertility. While very uncommon, there have been reported cases of endometriosis undergoing malignant transformation, frequently involving the ovaries and seldom in extra-gonadal regions. We recount a case depicting a 63 year-old woman who presented with an apparent inguinal hernia in 2017; she was ultimately diagnosed with a pelvic side wall clear cell carcinoma and attendant metastatic disease to the medial groin, which emanated from endometriosis. Malignant transformation of endometriosis identified in the pelvic side wall is a very …

Seasonal Differences In Trace Element Concentrations And Distribution In Spartina Alterniflora Root Tissue, Huan Feng, Yu Qian, J. Kirk Cochran, Qingzhi Zhu, Christina Heilbrun, Li Li, Wen Hu, Hanfei Yan, Xiaojing Huang, Mingyuan Ge, Evgeny Nazareski, Yong S. Chu, Shinjae Yoo, Xuebin Zhang, Chang Jun Liu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The present study uses nanometer-scale synchrotron X-ray nanofluorescence to investigate season differences in concentrations and distributions of major (Ca, K, S and P) and trace elements (As, Cr, Cu, Fe and Zn) in the root system of Spartina alterniflora collected from Jamaica Bay, New York, in April and September 2015. The root samples were cross-sectioned at a thickness of 10 μm. Selected areas in the root epidermis and endodermis were mapped with a sampling resolution of 100 and 200 nm, varying with the mapping areas. The results indicate that trace element concentrations in the epidermis and endodermis vary among the …

Rain Shadow By Nicholas Bradley And Cloud Physics By Karen Enns, Kelly Shepherd

The Goose

Review of Nicholas Bradley's Rain Shadow and Karen Enns' Cloud Physics.

The Antepartum Stillbirth Syndrome: Risk Factors And Pregnancy Conditions Identified From The Intergrowth-21, J E Hirst, J Villar, C G Victora, A T Papageorghiou, D Finkton, F C Barros, M G Gravett, F Giuliani, M Purwar, I O Frederick, R Pang, L Cheikh Ismail, A Lambert, W Stones, Y A Jaffer, D G Altman, J A Noble, E O Ohuma, S H Kennedy, Z A Bhutta

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for antepartum stillbirth, including fetal growth restriction, among women with well-dated pregnancies and access to antenatal care.

DESIGN: Population-based, prospective, observational study.

SETTING: Eight international urban populations.

POPULATION: Pregnant women and their babies enrolled in the Newborn Cross-Sectional Study of the INTERGROWTH-21

METHODS: Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare risks among antepartum stillborn and liveborn babies.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Antepartum stillbirth was defined as any fetal death after 16 weeks' gestation before the onset of labour.

RESULTS: Of 60 121 babies, 553 were stillborn (9.2 per 1000 births), of which 445 were antepartum …

2018-August-01-Faculty/Staff Professional Activities, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

2017 (29th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) are described in its bylaws (NOURC 2010). The committee’s purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. Accidental and casual species for which the NOURC seeks documentation (NOURC Review List) can be found at the NOU website www.NOUbirds.org. All records mentioned here are available to interested persons at the NOU archives at the University of Nebraska State Museum (UNSM), Lincoln, NE. Interested parties should contact the current NOU Librarian, whose address can be found …

Video Prompting Delivered Via Augmented Reality To Teach Transition-Related Math Skills To Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Giulia Cacciatore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-based instruction packet as a method of teaching math-based vocational skills delivered through augmented reality to three adults with intellectual disabilities. The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly to solve each selected type of math problem. The independent variable was the video-based math intervention delivered via augmented reality, which modeled the individual steps for solving three different multi-step math problems: (1) adjusting a recipe to serve a different number of people, (2) calculation of salary, (3) calculation of unit prices. Visual and statistical analysis demonstrated …

Hemocyanin-Like 1 Protein, Unique To Planorbid Snails, Supports Reproductive Output Of Biomphalaria Glabrata, Vector Of Schistosomiasis, Janeth Julieta Peña

Biology ETDs

The Neotropical freshwater snail, Biomphalaria glabrata is a major intermediate host of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, causative agent of human intestinal schistosomiasis. Disease control efforts consist mainly of mass drug treatment but it is recognized that targeting of the snail vector is essential to prevent parasite transmission that leads to rapid (re)infections. This dissertation combines the knowledge of basic snail biology with modern molecular techniques including protein analysis, next-generation sequencing, proteomics, qRT-PCR and RNA interference to: (1) characterize hemocyanin-like genes in B. glabrata, in particular with further description of the egg mass fluid (EMF) protein hemocyanin-like 1 (Hcl-1), (2) …

Relational Identities And Other-Than-Human Agency In Archaeology, Eleanor Harrison-Buck, Julia A. Hendon

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

Relational Identities and Other-than-Human Agency in Archaeology explores the benefits and consequences of archaeological theorizing on and interpretation of the social agency of nonhumans as relational beings capable of producing change in the world. The volume cross-examines traditional understanding of agency and personhood, presenting a globally diverse set of case studies that cover a range of cultural, geographical, and historical contexts.

Agency (the ability to act) and personhood (the reciprocal qualities of relational beings) have traditionally been strictly assigned to humans. In case studies from Ghana to Australia to the British Isles and Mesoamerica, contributors to this volume demonstrate that …

Introduction To The Symposium Edition Of The Texas A&M Journal Of Property Law And The United States Defense Industry: Innovation, Acquisition, And Analysis, Lisa A. Rich

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

On February 23, 2018, the Texas A&M Journal of Property Law held an innovative and informative symposium on the United States Defense Industry focused on the acquisition process from conception to deployment and the scientific, budgetary, political, and legal framework through which the United States joint force is forged. The symposium brought together stakeholders from academia, private and public sectors, and the military to explain, analyze, and assess the labyrinthine weapons acquisition system and its role-and impact-on national security.

Predicting Perceived Wellness For Cisgender Women Utilizing The Social Determinants Of Health Model: Testing Group Differences Between Sexual Minorities And Heterosexual Respondents, Kristen Leigh Hohn

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this investigation was to bridge a gap in the literature about health disparities experienced across the intersection of multiple identities of women in the United States. Through the theoretical frameworks of the Structural Determinants of Health (SDH; Solar & Irwin, 2010) and Minority Stress Theory (Meyer, 2003), the researcher conducted a cross-sectional anonymous online survey to test the multifaceted SDH statistical model with the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) as an outcome indicator for perceived health for sexual minority and non-sexual minority women. A great collection of research reveals increased rates of mental health problems, rates of victimization, …

Mathematical Modeling Of The Bone Remodeling Process, Iris Lizeth Alvarado

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

The skeleton is a very important organ that needs to be continuously remodeled due to microdamage, changes in mechanical loading, or mineral homeostasis. The bone remodeling process is responsible for maintaining the structure and function of the skeletal system. Accumulation of microdamage that goes unrepaired within the bone matrix can lead to bone fragility and loss of mechanical properties. Evidence suggests that when microdamage is present in the bone structure, osteocyte apoptosis plays an important role in the initiation of the bone remodeling process. Osteocytes are known to release RANKL a promoter of osteoclastogenesis (bone-resorbing cells) and scelorstion an inhibitor …

Insertion Mechanism Of Long Interspersed Elements (Lines) And The Role Of The Linker Domain, Monika Pradhan

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Long Interspersed Elements (LINEs), also known as non-Long Terminal Repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons are major group of transposable elements ubiquitous in eukaryotic genomes and are known to altogether influence the structure and function of the host genome. LINEs encode a multifunctional protein that reverse transcribes its mRNA to DNA at the insertion site by a process called Target Primed Reverse Transcription (TPRT) which involves two half reactions involving DNA cleavage followed by DNA synthesis. TPRT is the first half of the integration reaction. The second half of LINE integration, second strand cleavage and second strand synthesis, has remained poorly understood. Also, …

Evaluation And Development Of Beta Particle Imagers, Thomas Burwell Bates

Physics Theses - Archive

Compact beta imagers have the great potential for tumor localization for radio-guided treatment interventions thanks, in part, to their natural collimation of beta particles. Their rapid survey capabilities of small areas, on the scale of tens of square centimeters, are important for clinical adoption. In this work we investigate the experimental methods and evaluate the performance of the uniformity, sensitivity, spatial resolution and field of view (FOV) of a hand-held beta camera. Results from this work have demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity and uniformity and a millimeter scale spatial resolution within a FOV close to 1 square centimeter. In …

Adjusting For Time Varying Confounding In Adaptive Interdisciplinary Pain Management Program, Nilabh Ohol

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Interdisciplinary pain management combines multiple disciplines of professionals to understand the biological and psychosocial factors causing a patient's pain and to determine the best treatments among many to administer. The Eugene McDermott Center of Pain at University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas runs a two stage adaptive interdisciplinary pain management program with the aim to improve current and future pain outcomes. The sequential treatment regime for the pain and the observational nature of data yield to time varying confounding and a form of endogeneity. This yields biased estimates of the treatment effects which is undesirable. Our adaptive …

Short-Term Intermittent Parathyroid Hormone 1-34 Administration And Bone Vascular Alterations In C57bl/6 Mice, Seungyong Lee

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

Advancing age is associated with progressive bone loss, declines in vasodilator capacity of blood vessels, vascular rarefaction and bone marrow blood vessel ossification. Intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) administration augments bone volume and is an anabolic agent used to treat osteoporosis in a duration-dependent manner. In animal research, at least 15 days of intermittent PTH administration is required to achieve bone accrual. However, physiological stimuli such as intermittent PTH administration effects the bone vascular system more rapidly; i.e., changes in the bone vascular system precede alterations in bone. Intermittent PTH administration also increases vasodilator capacity of bone blood vessels; however, data …

Racial Disparity In Cardiovascular Disease And Oxidative Stress In African American Women, Auburn L. Johnson

Kinesiology Theses - Archive

Several studies have demonstrated that African Americans (AA) exhibit elevations in systemic oxidative stress compared to Caucasian Americans (CA). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) have been identified as one of the primary contributors to systemic reactive oxygen species (i.e. oxidative stress) via the NADPH enzyme pathway and may be an underlying mechanism for the development of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Previous work demonstrates that young healthy AA men have elevated PBMC-derived superoxide production when compared to CA men. However, whether PBMC-derived superoxide production is also elevated in young healthy AA women remains unknown. Accordingly, this study investigated PBMC-derived superoxide production …

The Effect Of Midsole Cushioning On The Kinetics, Kinematics, And Control Of Running, Brian Joseph Prejean

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

The incidence of musculoskeletal injuries associated with the stress of running, known as running-related injuries (RRIs), has risen in conjunction with the resurgence of running as a health-related physical activity approximately half a century ago, with some reports giving an annual prevalence as high as 79% of practitioners surveyed. Running shoes with increased amounts of midsole cushioning have been promoted to reduce the risk of sustaining RRIs by absorbing some of the high magnitude and frequency ground reaction forces (GRFs) imposed on the leg with every stride. However, individual variability, as well as the ability of the motor system to …

Numerical Modeling Of The Interactions Of Oil, Marine Snow, And Riverine Sediments In The Ocean, Anusha L. Dissanayake, Adrian B. Burd, Kendra L. Daly, Simone Francis, Uta Passow

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Natural or spilled oil in the ocean can interact with marine snow and sediment from riverine sources and form Marine Oil Snow (MOS) aggregates including aggregates consisting of phytoplankton, detritus, and feces. Such aggregates have a fractal structure and can transport oil from the surface layers to greater depths in the ocean, eventually settling on the seafloor. In recent studies of the Deepwater Horizon and IXTOC‐1 oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, this process was identified as one of the main mechanisms for transporting oil vertically in the water column. We have adapted a stochastic, one‐dimensional numerical model that …

Challenges In Using Celltracker Green On Foraminifers That Host Algal Endosymbionts, Benjamin J. Ross, Pamela Hallock

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The uses of fluorescent microscopy and fluorescent probes, such as the metabolically activated probe CellTracker^TM Green CMFDA (CTG), have become common in studies of living Foraminifera. This metabolic requirement, as well as the relatively quick production of the fluorescent reaction products, makes CTG a prime candidate for determining mortality in bioassay and other laboratory experiments. Previous work with the foraminifer Amphistegina gibbosa, which hosts diatom endosymbionts, has shown that the species is capable of surviving both acute chemical exposure and extended periods of total darkness by entering a low-activity dormant state. This paper explores the use of CTG and …

Usf Women's Club Yearbook, 2018–2019, Usf Women's Club

USF Women’s Club Collection

Yearbook of the USF Women's Club. Inside is a list of past presidents, officers, committee chairmen, and members for 2018–2019. The booklet also includes a tribute to Grace Allen, interest groups, calendar of events, and a copy of the constitution and by-laws from the handbook.

Eulogizing Renewable Energy Policy, Lincoln L. Davies

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

Across the globe, renewable energy policy is changing. The change is coming so quickly that it appears the world is now on the cusp of a new future. The renewable energy policy of the past is on its way out; a new and different policy is taking its place. That new policy has different end goals, implementing mechanisms, and strategies than its predecessors. This is not just policy evolution but a policy revolution. The labels of the past soon no longer will apply because they are being merged and blurred — and replaced. Using the U.S. electricity sector as its …

Unpacking Hispanic Ethnicity—Cancer Mortality Differentials Among Hispanic Subgroups In The United States, 2004–2014, Dina Martinez-Tyson, Patricia Medina-Ramirez, Ann M. Flores, Rebecca Siegel, Claudia Aguado Loi

Community and Family Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: National data on the epidemiology of cancer are commonly reported by broad racial/ethnic categories, such as “Hispanic.” However, few studies have disaggregated Hispanic groups and explored mortality differentials in this heterogeneous population. This paper aims to further examine cancer mortality differentials among Hispanic subgroups in the U.S.

Materials and Methods: The study examined cancer deaths in the United States from 2004 to 2014 among decedents classified as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central/South American and non-Hispanic white on the death certificate among those who were 20 years or older at the time of death. Data were obtained from the …

Evolutionary History Of Plant Hosts And Fungal Symbionts Predicts The Strength Of Mycorrhizal Mutualism, Jason D. Hoeksema, James D. Bever, Sounak Chakraborty, V. Bala Chaudhary, Monique Gardes, Catherine A. Gehring, Miranda M. Hart, Elizabeth A. Housworth, Wittaya Kaonongbua, Marc J. Lajeunesse

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Most plants engage in symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi in soils and net consequences for plants vary widely from mutualism to parasitism. However, we lack a synthetic understanding of the evolutionary and ecological forces driving such variation for this or any other nutritional symbiosis. We used meta-analysis across 646 combinations of plants and fungi to show that evolutionary history explains substantially more variation in plant responses to mycorrhizal fungi than the ecological factors included in this study, such as nutrient fertilization and additional microbes. Evolutionary history also has a different influence on outcomes of ectomycorrhizal versus arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses; the former …

Acute Exposure Of Primary Rat Soleus Muscle To Zilpaterol Hcl (Β2 Adrenergic Agonist), Tnfα, Or Il-6 In Culture Increases Glucose Oxidation Rates Independent Of The Impact On Insulin Signaling Or Glucose Uptake, Caitlin N. Cadaret, Kristin A. Beede, Hannah E. Riley, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Recent studies show that adrenergic agonists and inflammatory cytokines can stimulate skeletal muscle glucose uptake, but it is unclear if glucose oxidation is similarly increased. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of ractopamine HCl (β1 agonist), zilpaterol HCl (β2 agonist), TNFα, and IL-6 on glucose uptake and oxidation rates in unstimulated and insulin-stimulated soleus muscle strips from adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Effects on phosphorylation of Akt (phospho-Akt), p38 MAPK (phospho-p38), and p44/42 MAPK (phospho-p44/42) was also determined. Incubation with insulin increased (P < 0.05) glucose uptake by ~47%, glucose oxidation by ~32%, and phospho-Akt by ~238%. Insulin also increased (P < 0.05) phospho-p38, but only after 2 hours in incubation. Muscle incubated with β2 agonist alone exhibited ~20% less (P < 0.05) glucose uptake but ~32% greater (P < 0.05) glucose oxidation than unstimulated muscle. Moreover, co-incubation with insulin + β2 agonist increased (P < 0.05) glucose oxidation and phospho-Akt compared to insulin alone. Conversely, β1 agonist did not appear to affect basal or insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism, and neither β agonist affected phospho-p44/42. TNFα and IL-6 increased (P < 0.05) glucose oxidation by ~23% and ~33%, respectively, in the absence of insulin. This coincided with increased (P < 0.05) phospho-p38 and phospho-p44/42 but not phospho-Akt. Furthermore, co-incubation of muscle with insulin + either cytokine yielded glucose oxidation rates that were similar to insulin alone, despite lower (P < 0.05) phospho-Akt. Importantly, cytokine-mediated increases in glucose oxidation rates were not concomitant with greater glucose uptake. These results show that acute β2 adrenergic stimulation, but not β1 stimulation, directly increases fractional glucose oxidation in the absence of insulin and synergistically increases glucose oxidation when combined with insulin. The cytokines, TNFα and IL-6, likewise directly increased glucose oxidation in the absence of insulin, but were not additive in combination with insulin and in fact appeared to disrupt Akt-mediated insulin signaling. Rather, cytokines appear to be acting through MAPKs to elicit effects on glucose oxidation. Regardless, stimulation of glucose oxidation by these key stress factors did not rely upon greater glucose uptake, which may promote metabolic efficiency during acute stress by increasing fractional glucose oxidation without increasing total glucose consumption by muscle.

Low-Cost Experimental System For Center Of Mass And Center Of Pressure Measurement, Cai Xia Yang

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Falls happen when the center of mass of body is outside of its base of support and the recovery of the center of mass back to the base of support failed. Balance ability is an essential ability needed for humans' daily routine activities. Improving balance ability should result in a better and more convenient way of living. There are various factors influence on balance ability. The focus of this paper is to investigate which factors have the greatest effect on balance. Balance ability is measured by deviations of center of pressure in both x-direction (side-to-side) and y-direction (front-to-back) with the …