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Assessment Of Heavy Metals In Subsistence-Harvested Alaskan Marine Mammal Body Tissues And Vibrissae, Pilar M. Ferdinando

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The coastal, indigenous communities around Alaska have subsisted on marine animals for generations, often focusing on large apex predators such as seals, sea lions, and whales. Three species of pinnipeds (harbor seal, Steller sea lion, northern fur seal) and the northern sea otter have all undergone significant population declines since the 1970s, some regions more than others. Archived vibrissae (whiskers) and body tissues from these four species were available from the Bering Sea and throughout the Gulf of Alaska from the 1990s and early 2000s. Tissues from these species are exceedingly difficult to obtain; thus, the archived tissues provided a …

Edifying The Spirit Of Love And Liberation In The Education Of Young Children: Lessons From Critical Pedagogy And Reggio Emilia Inspired Educators, Seyedeh Zahra Agha Seyed Yousef

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In an age of adultism in which children have been perceived as mere drains on society, schooling often has been viewed as a means to an end. Due to the fact that a capitalistic society requires future workers, children have been socialized in the necessary skills and knowledge required to fulfill their future job requirements. Consequently, schooling often has taken place in the form of the banking model in which students are treated as empty vessels to be filled up by the knowledgeable teachers, and then to regurgitate said knowledge on assessments to prove their understanding. I challenge this antiquated …

Economic Aspects Of Selling, Acquiring And Managing Ecosystem Services, Anwesha Chakrabarti

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation aims to identify and propose a few valuation strategies to provide insights to conservation agents and policymakers to achieve ecosystem conservation goals. The first two essays of the dissertation focus on how buyers and sellers value Ecosystem Services (ES) through the creation of an experimental market. Specifically, owners of grassland bird habitat participated in an auction to adopt “bird-friendly” haying practices in exchange for compensation. Consequently, private citizens (donors) were asked to engage in a novel pledging process, inspired by Lindahl pricing, to raise funds to compensate the participating landowners. The first essay employs a triple hurdle model …

Regulating Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Tyler Rauh

University of Miami Business Law Review

American waistlines are an international punchline, and United States taxpayers spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year to combat medical complications resulting from obesity. The personal costs are financial, emotional, and mortal. Projections insist that it will become worse. Section I details the obesity epidemic and ponders why the United States is uniquely unhealthy.

The reason could be that America consumes more sugar than any other country. In recent years, some municipal policymakers have attempted to restrain America’s sweet tooth by taxing sugar-sweetened beverages. Initial responses are polarizing. Chicago’s tax did not last three months before its abolishment. Philadelphia’s …

2019 April 26 - Board Of Trustees Academic And Student Affairs Committee Agenda And Minutes, Board Of Trustees, East Tennessee State University

Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Spring Commencement ceremonies.

Common Garden Experiment Reveals Altered Nutritional Values And Dna Methylation Profiles In Micropropagated Three Elite Ghanaian Sweet Potato Genotypes, Belinda Akomeah, Marian D. Quain, Sunita A. Ramesh, Lakshay Anand, Carlos M. Rodríguez López

Horticulture Faculty Publications

Micronutrient deficiency is the cause of multiple diseases in developing countries. Staple crop biofortification is an efficient means to combat such deficiencies in the diets of local consumers. Biofortified lines of sweet potato (Ipomoea batata L. Lam) with enhanced beta-carotene content have been developed in Ghana to alleviate Vitamin A Deficiency. These genotypes are propagated using meristem micropropagation to ensure the generation of virus-free propagules. In vitro culture exposes micropropagated plants to conditions that can lead to the accumulation of somaclonal variation with the potential to generate unwanted aberrant phenotypes. However, the effect of micropropagation induced somaclonal variation on …

Preliminary Automated Determination Of Edibility Of Alternative Foods: Non-Targeted Screening For Toxins In Red Maple Leaf Concentrate, Joshua M. Pearce, Maryam Khaksari, David C. Denkenberger

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Alternative food supplies could maintain humanity despite sun-blocking global catastrophic risks (GCRs) that eliminate conventional agriculture. A promising alternative food is making leaf concentrate. However, the edibility of tree leaves is largely uncertain. To overcome this challenge, this study provides the methods for obtaining rapid toxics screening of common leaf concentrates. The investigation begins with a non-targeted approach using an ultra-high-resolution hybrid ion trap orbitrap mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled to an ultra-high pressure two-dimensional liquid chromatograph system on the most common North American leaf: the red maple. Identified chemicals from this non-targeted approach are then cross-referenced with …

Cholesterol-Based Polymeric Nanoparticles For Improved Chemotherapy, Laura Gonzalez

Doctoral Dissertations

Polymeric nanoparticles from amphiphilic copolymers are deemed as flexible platforms for effective delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to tumor tissues. The use of cholesterol as the hydrophilic segment can confer stability upon dilution and high drug loading capacity to these type of nanoparticles due to the tendency of cholesteryl groups to aggregate and form liquid crystal phases. On the other hand, the incorporation of polyethylene glycol as the hydrophilic block provides colloidal stability and reduced opsonization. Building on previous research in the laboratory, the overall goal of the present dissertation was to further advance the development and understanding of novel and …

Childhood Obesity: A Childhood Nightmare, Sarah S. Teemul

Undergraduate Research Symposium

There is an alarming increase in the rates of childhood obesity. The social issues that obese children face begin with the society’s behavior towards them. Obesity is viewed by the public as a lifestyle disease therefore, victim blaming is involved. Society created how a “perfect” body should be and this has led to bullying. People are taken advantage of due to low-economics status, resulting in the purchase of unhealthy food. The challenges that overweight children face from society are important to acknowledge because understanding the social issues can prevent this epidemic. Although, society has come to terms with the epidemic, …

Genetic Diversity In The Leucoagaricus Cultivar Fungus Of Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis Fungus-Growing Ants, Lee Deininger

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Marital Relationship, And Its Association With The Physical And Emotional Health Of Women In A Low-Income Community Of Mumbai, India, Nita Thapa-Chhetri

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessing Woody Species In The Philadelphia Urban Forest: Foraging Potential Versus Actual Practices, Sarah Becker

Environment and Sustainability Presentations

No abstract provided.

Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis Is Associated With Detrimental Bacterial Dysbiosis., Bo-Young Hong, Takanori Sobue, Linda Choquette, Amanda K Dupuy, Angela Thompson, Joseph A Burleson, Andrew L Salner, Peter K Schauer, Pujan Joshi, Evan Fox, Dong-Guk Shin, George M. Weinstock, Linda D Strausbaugh, Anna Dongari-Bagtzoglou, Douglas E Peterson, Patricia I Diaz

Faculty Research 2019

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal mucosal injury (mucositis), commonly affecting the oral cavity, is a clinically significant yet incompletely understood complication of cancer chemotherapy. Although antineoplastic cytotoxicity constitutes the primary injury trigger, the interaction of oral microbial commensals with mucosal tissues could modify the response. It is not clear, however, whether chemotherapy and its associated treatments affect oral microbial communities disrupting the homeostatic balance between resident microorganisms and the adjacent mucosa and if such alterations are associated with mucositis. To gain knowledge on the pathophysiology of oral mucositis, 49 subjects receiving 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or doxorubicin-based chemotherapy were evaluated longitudinally during one cycle, assessing …

The Potential Of Apple Peel Microorganisms To Break Down Fatty Acids, Samantha Patricio, Kristine Vang

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The objective of the study was to see how effective bacteria isolated from apple peels would be in breaking down fatty acids. Apple peel pieces were sampled twice onto Diluted Broth (DB) and Tributin agar plates in a series of dilutions. Bacteria selected from the DB diluted agar plates were replated onto Tributyrin agar plates in order to observe its cultivation from the composted apple peels and its ability to break down tributyrin. Antibiotic-resistant testing was also conducted in order to identify bacterial resistance and a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) so to identify the cultivated bacteria. This experiment was conducted …

Athletes' Funk: A Study Of Bacterial Communities At Saint John's University Athletic Facilities, Joe Chitwood, Thomas Meland

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

For our research project, bacterial swabs were taken in both the baseball locker room at the Saint John’s Palaestra facility and hockey locker room at the SCSU Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. The bacterial samples were then isolated and subsequently tested for antibiotic resistance. PCR was done in an attempt to identify the most heavily antibiotic resistant cultures. The goal of this research was to identify bacteria that pose danger to athletes upon exposure. Due the nature of the different sports in question as well as the separate facilities, we wanted to assess the comparative risk of exposure between the …

The Weekly Challenger, April 25, 2019, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The April 25, 2019, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Rice Terrace Degradation In Ifugao: Causation And Cultural Preservation, Chaepter Negro

Honors Projects

The Cordilleran rice terraces of Northern Luzon, Philippines, are a testament to Filipino ingenuity and remain an important social-ecological system within highland indigenous communities. Ifugao, one of six Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) provinces, is best known for its expansive and World Heritage Site recognized rice terraces, and has been a popular tourist destination in the Philippines for the past twenty years. According to local rice farmers, though, the terraces in Ifugao are quickly becoming degraded, as a series of external and internal factors have placed pressure on the indigenous community. Drawing from anthropological, ecological, and historical sources, I examine the …

Prevention Of Oral Mucositis In Cancer Patients, Patricia E. Biel

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Oral mucositis [OM] is one of the most severe non-hematological problems related to cancer treatments and can impact quality of life. It is linked to poorer outcomes due to the associated weight loss, pain, dehydration, and risk of developing life-threatening infections. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine if OM is preventable with the use of an oral care protocol and zinc supplementation when compared to use of oral care protocols alone. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model was used to guide project implementation in an outpatient oncology office. Recommendations were developed from an exhaustive review …

Local In Vivo Measures Of Muscle Lipid And Oxygen Consumption Change In Response To Combined Vitamin D Repletion And Aerobic Training In Older Adults, D. Travis Thomas, David M. Schnell, Maja Redzic, Mingjun Zhao, Hideat Abraha, Danielle Jones, Howard Brim, Guoqiang Yu

Health and Clinical Sciences Faculty Publications

Intramyocellular (IMCL), extramyocellular lipid (EMCL), and vitamin D deficiency are associated with muscle metabolic dysfunction. This study compared the change in [IMCL]:[EMCL] following the combined treatment of vitamin D and aerobic training (DAT) compared with vitamin D (D), aerobic training (AT), and control (CTL). Male and female subjects aged 60–80 years with a BMI ranging from 18.5–34.9 and vitamin D status of ≤ 32 ng/mL (25(OH)D) were recruited to randomized, prospective clinical trial double-blinded for supplement with a 2 × 2 factorial design. Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D₃) (10,000 IU × 5 days/week) or placebo was provided for 13 weeks …

Support And Mentorship Of Diverse And Disadvantaged Nursing Students, Elle E. Hoselton

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Yield Stress Analysis With Dv-Iii Rheometer, Leah Margaret Cook

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to understand the behavior of everyday substances (toothpaste, lotions, ect.) and chemicals through the analysis of yield stress. By measuring the flow properties of these products, one can determine the stability, uses, and other properties of a substance. Yield stress is experienced everyday from squeezing a tube of toothpaste, to stirring a batch of cake batter, or canning products in a factory. Yield stress along with viscosity helps us predict the behavior of chemicals, cosmetics, and food that we handle daily. Yield stress, torque, and strain values were measured with a DV-III Rheometer and …

A Practical Understanding Of Preeclampsia For A Nurse In A Third World Setting, Anna Lovin

Senior Honors Theses

Preeclampsia is a disease of pregnancy that affects approximately 3-5% of women with child. It is one of the primary causes of mortality in mothers and babies across the globe. The exact cause, pathogenesis, or disease progression is unknown. Therefore, there is no definition of which patients are at risk for developing preeclampsia and what can work as a preventative measure. In high socioeconomic settings where there is good healthcare, standard treatment is established to manage the symptoms and decrease the progression of preeclampsia to eclampsia. However, in more rural, third-world settings of developing countries, caring for patients with preeclampsia …

A Gene-Based Recessive Diplotype Exome Scan Discovers Fgf6, A Novel Hepcidin-Regulating Iron-Metabolism Gene, Shicheng Guo, Shuai Jiang, Narendranath Epperla, Yanyun Ma, Mehdi Maadooliat, Zhan Ye, Brent Olson, Minghua Wang, Terrie Kitchner, Jeffrey Joyce, Peng An, Fudi Wang, Robert Strenn, Joseph J. Mazza, Jennifer K. Meece, Wenyu Wu, Li Jin, Judith A. Smith, Jiucan Wang, Steven J. Schrodi

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

Standard analyses applied to genome-wide association data are well designed to detect additive effects of moderate strength. However, the power for standard genome-wide association study (GWAS) analyses to identify effects from recessive diplotypes is not typically high. We proposed and conducted a gene-based compound heterozygosity test to reveal additional genes underlying complex diseases. With this approach applied to iron overload, a strong association signal was identified between the fibroblast growth factor–encoding gene, FGF6, and hemochromatosis in the central Wisconsin population. Functional validation showed that fibroblast growth factor 6 protein (FGF-6) regulates iron homeostasis and induces transcriptional regulation of hepcidin. …

Nursing Students' Knowledge Of Alcohol - Interactive Medications, Andrew Coop

Honors Projects

In 2018, nearly 57% of American adults reported drinking alcohol in the past month, and 41.5% of current drinkers reported taking alcohol-interactive (AI) medications. Consuming alcohol and medications concurrently may result in adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a one-hour lecture about AI medications in a class of undergraduate nursing students (N = 48) at a small Midwestern university. The Jarvis Nursing Knowledge of Alcohol-Interactive Medications survey was distributed on August 27, 2018, and again on November 19, 2018. A significant increase was found between pretest and posttest on correct identification of …

Contribution Of Retrotransposons To Breast Cancer Malignancy, Isaac D. Raplee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The components contributing to cancer progression, especially the transition from early to invasive are unknown. Consequently, the biological reasons are unclear as to why some patients diagnosed with atypia and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) never progress into invasive breast cancer. The “one gene at a time” approach does not sufficiently predict progression. To elucidate the early stage progression to invasive ductal cancer, expression signature of transcripts and transposable elements in micropunched samples of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue was conducted. A bioinformatics pipeline to analyze poor quality, short reads (>36 nts) from RNA-Seq data was created to compare …

Closing Racial-Ethnic Gaps In Poverty: How Government Programs Compare, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, authors Marybeth Mattingly and Jessica Carson explore the role of government programs in alleviating poverty for people with different racial-ethnic identities. Because poverty rates among non-Hispanic whites are significantly lower than among other groups, programs with disparate effects by race can either widen or decrease racial-ethnic gaps in the poverty rate. The authors find that SNAP and the EITC play particularly important roles for non-white populations; however, Social Security maintains low poverty rates among whites, and exacerbates the poverty gap between white and non-white populations. Policymakers who want to advance low income populations and promote racial-ethnic …

Hidden Amongst The Crowd: Experiences Of Students From Underrepresented Religions And Denominations, Rediet Negede Lewi, D'Havian Scott, Maria Schrupp

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This research addresses the lived experiences of students from underrepresented religions and denominations at a small Catholic college. There has been increased interest in promoting inclusive practices in higher education around race, ethnicity, gender. An article published in 2012 by Bowman and Smedley, outlines the dissatisfaction of college students from marginalized religions on campuses where they do not identify with the majority religion. This research seeks to expand the research to include religion, particularly at institutions with religious affiliation.Using ethnographic research methods, including participant observations and semi-structured interviews, this research explores student understandings, experiences and practices of religion as well …

Dark Chocolate- Lowering Hypertension And Costs, Marissa Tuccy, Hannah Glynn, Madison Stace, Amanda Graff, Stephanie; Brenk, Marin Jaszewski

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The goal of this quality improvement project was to promote better blood pressure control for residents in a long-term care facility (LTC) who have primary hypertension and potentially reduce the costs associated with their care. Data has shown that nationally, persons with hypertension as a comorbidity pay nearly $2,000 more in healthcare costs compared to their non-hypertensive counterparts (Kirkland, 2018). Chart audits revealed that 63% of residents on a single wing had a diagnosis of primary hypertension and had incidences of high blood pressure recordings. A survey of staff at the LTC faculty showed that 13 out of 15 staff …

Agricultural Informatization And Technical Efficiency In Maize Production In Zambia, Ge Mwalupaso, S Wang, S Rahman, E J-P Alavo, X Tian

Plymouth Business School

The cropland productivity gap between Africa and the rest of the world is widening. Fortunately, increasing farmers’ access to useful agricultural information reduces the costs of searching for information, thereby leading to higher agricultural productivity and sustainability. This study investigates the association between the adoption of mobile phones to collect agricultural information and farmers’ technical efficiency (TE) in Zambia. Different from previous studies, we focus on the actual use of mobile phones by farmers rather than mere ownership. Farmers were selected using a two-stage sampling procedure, and the Cobb-Douglas (CD) production function is adopted to estimate the association using two …