Digital Commons Network^™

Insuring Nature, Carolyn Kousky, Sarah E. Light

Duke Law Journal

Scholars and policymakers have argued that insurance can shape behavior in ways that mitigate climate risks, such as by providing financial incentives to property owners to safeguard their property from increasingly intense hurricanes or from the risk of sea-level rise. But natural ecosystems like coral reefs, mangroves, and forest ecosystems can themselves protect property from these increased climate risks. This Article turns the climate governance literature on its head, examining the circumstances under which it is possible to insure nature itself in order to preserve these critical ecosystem services in the face of a changing climate.

Dendrochronological Methods To Examine Plant Competition With Changing Fire Regimes In Desert And Forest Ecosystems, Rebecca Irene Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Human activities are changing wildfire regimes globally through ignition, spread of invasive species, fire suppression, and climate change. Because of this, ecosystems are experiencing novel fire regimes that may alter plant growth and patterns of succession. Annual growth rings are one metric that can track changes in tree and shrub growth patterns over time in response to changing fire frequency. In Chapter 1 we explored the effects of fire on resprouting native shrubs in the Mojave Desert. Fires are becoming increasingly frequent due to the spread of highly flammable invasive grasses in the region. We monitored growth and fruit production …

A Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Model For Targeting Calcitriol-Conjugated Quantum Dots To Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells., James Forder, Mallory Smith, Margot Wagner, Rachel J. Schaefer, Jonathan Gorky, Kenneth L. Van Golen, Anja Nohe, Prasad Dhurjati

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Quantum dots (QDs) conjugated with 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) and Mucin-1 (MUC-1) antibodies (SM3) have been found to target inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) tumors and reduce proliferation, migration, and differentiation of these tumors in mice. A physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model has been constructed and optimized to match experimental data for multiple QDs: control QDs, QDs conjugated with calcitriol, and QDs conjugated with both calcitriol and SM3 MUC1 antibodies. The model predicts continuous QD concentration for key tissues in mice distinguished by IBC stage (healthy, early-stage, and late-stage). Experimental and clinical efforts in QD treatment of IBC can be augmented by in …

Culturing Embryonic Cells From The Parthenogenetic Clonal Marble Crayfish Marmorkrebs Procambarus Virginalis Lyko, 2017 (Decapoda: Astacidea: Cambaridae), Heriberto Deleon Iii, Juan Garcia Jr., Dionn Carlo Silva, Oscar Quintanilla, Zen Faulkes, John M. Thomas Iii

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The parthenogenetic marbled crayfish, or Marmorkrebs (Procambarus virginalis Lyko 2017), is an emerging model organism. We describe a method to isolate cells from early-stage embryos and culture them in vitro. The identity of the cells was confirmed by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. This technique can be applied for use in the manipulation of embryonic parthenogenetic crayfish cells.

Study Of Information Seeking Pattern Of School Teachers In Sri Lanka With Respect To Curriculum Planning, Chamani Gunasekera, Balasubramani R, Arumugam J

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study was conducted to examine information seeking pattern of school teachers in Sri Lanka. The survey method was adapted for this study and a self-administered questionnaire was used as main data collection tool. The school teachers who enrolled to follow postgraduate courses in the Department of Education, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka were selected as the study population and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS (21.0). The study found that most of the respondents used face to face discussions and mass media as communication channels and most of the respondents study curriculum, teachers’ guides and students’ text books …

Assessing The Value Of Korean School Library Research: A Bibliometric Comparison Of Korean And International Journal Papers, Eungi Kim

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study aimed to assess the value of Korean school library research by comparing Korean and international research on school libraries. To conduct this research, records of international papers indexed by Scopus and domestic papers indexed by the Korean Citation Index (KCI) on school libraries were downloaded. These records were analyzed and compared in terms of publication trends, journals, and author keywords. Approximately, four Korean LIS journals collectively published 39% more papers than the international journals indexed by Scopus, suggesting the substantial contributions made by Korean researchonschool libraries. The unique subtopicsofschool libraries in Korean domestic research were the revitalization of …

An Update On Pharmaceutical Strategies For Oral Delivery Of Therapeutic Peptides And Proteins, Nirnoy Dan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Peptides and proteins are imperative for the human body and play crucial roles in governing various bio-chemical processes. Recent advances in molecular biology and biochemistry helped in understanding the role of these endogenous macromolecules in different pathological and disease conditions. Currently, small molecule drugs (< 900dalton) in comparison to the therapeutic peptides and proteins-based drugs (TPP) dominate pharmaceutical market. However, the game is changing with the recent advances of biotechnological tools like recombinant DNA technology, solid phase protein synthesis etc., which enabled large-scale production of therapeutic peptides and proteins. The Success of Human Insulin, the first FDA approved commercial recombinant protein based therapeutic in 1982, revolutionized the field of TPPs. The number of FDA approved TPPs reached about to ~239 in 2017 compared to where it was only ~130 in 2008. Rapid progress in this sector can be attributed to several advantages of proteins and peptides over small molecule drugs both financially and clinically. From a clinical perspective, proteins and peptides are inherently more specific to the target site than the small molecules drugs, which lead to less interferences with normal biological system of the patient and caused minimal off-target side effects. A handful of proteins which are used for different clinical complications are less immunogenic because they are produced in the body naturally. Furthermore, proteins and peptides also take part in several complex and complicated biological processes, which is difficult to be to be mimicked by the small molecule drugs. From a financial standpoint, median total pre-market development times were shorter for biologics (10.6 years) than the small molecules drugs (12.6 years) estimated using Merck Index. In 2009, US Congress passed the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) which gave new biologics 12 years of guaranteed exclusivity. The most commonly utilized routes for administering TPPs are I.V, I.P or I.M injections, which largely suffer from patient compliances. There are ~350 TPPs under clinical development and among them only 2 are given orally which is Interferon-α and Human growth hormone. Currently, most efforts in both industry and academia are centered around enhancing bioavailability of orally administered TPPs which typically are less than 1%. Oral administration is the non-invasive, most preferred route of drug administration for the patients. Furthermore, oral dosage forms are cheaper to manufacture as well as to administer, because they do not need to be produced under sterile conditions or administered in clinics. However, unfavorable physicochemical characteristics of TPPs like high molecular weight, hydrophilicity, poor stability in the physiological conditions, short biological half-life, low permeability through the epithelial barrier in the small intestine put up a massive barrier in the development of orally available dosage forms of TPPs. In this review, we will discuss the challenges associated with oral delivery of TPPs and the ongoing efforts to solve them.

Time-Resolved Characterization Of The Mechanisms Of Toxicity Induced By Silica And Amino-Modified Polystyrene On Alveolar-Like Macrophages, Sarah Deville, Birgit Honrath, Quynh T.D. Tran, Gyorgy Fejer, Ivo Lambrichts, Inge Nelissen, Amalia M. Dolga, Anna Salvati

School of Biomedical Sciences

Abstract Macrophages play a major role in the removal of foreign materials, including nano-sized materials, such as nanomedicines and other nanoparticles, which they accumulate very efficiently. Because of this, it is recognized that for a safe development of nanotechnologies and nanomedicine, it is essential to investigate potential effects induced by nano-sized materials on macrophages. To this aim, in this work, a recently established model of primary murine alveolar-like macrophages was used to investigate macrophage responses to two well-known nanoparticle models: 50 nm amino-modified polystyrene, known to induce cell death via lysosomal damage and apoptosis in different cell types, and 50 …

Post-Exercise Hypotension And Skeletal Muscle Oxygenation Is Regulated By Nitrate-Reducing Activity Of Oral Bacteria, C. Clarke, M. Kiernan, J. R. Willis, L. Gallardo-Alfaro, P. Casas-Agustench, D. White, M. Hickson, T. Gabaldon, R. Bescos

School of Health Professions

Post-exercise hypotension (PEH) is a common physiological phenomenon leading to lower blood pressure after acute exercise, but it is not fully understood how this intriguing response occurs. This study investigated whether the nitrate-reducing activity of oral bacteria is a key mechanism to trigger PEH. Following a randomized, double blind and crossover design, twenty-three healthy individuals (15 males/8 females) completed two treadmill trials at moderate intensity. After exercise, participants rinsed their mouth with antibacterial mouthwash to inhibit the activity of oral bacteria or a placebo mouthwash. Blood pressure was measured before, 1h and 2 h after exercise. The microvascular response to …

Peach Twig Borer (Anarsia Lineatella), Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the peach twig borer, a major pest of apricot and peach/nectarine in Utah.

Towards A State-Space Geometry Of Neural Responses To Natural Scenes: A Steady-State Approach, Bruce C. Hansen, David J. Field, Michelle R. Greene, Cassady Olson, Vladimir Miskovic

All Faculty Scholarship

Our understanding of information processing by the mammalian visual system has come through a variety of techniques ranging from psychophysics and fMRI to single unit recording and EEG. Each technique provides unique insights into the processing framework of the early visual system. Here, we focus on the nature of the information that is carried by steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs). To study the information provided by SSVEPs, we presented human participants with a population of natural scenes and measured the relative SSVEP response. Rather than focus on particular features of this signal, we focused on the full state-space of …

Hypotrichosis With Juvenile Macular Dystrophy: Combination Of Whole-Genome Sequencing And Genome-Wide Homozygosity Mapping Identifies A Large Deletion In Cdh3 Initially Undetected By Whole-Exome Sequencing-A Lesson From Next-Generation Sequencing., Amir Hossein Saeidian, Hassan Vahidnezhad, Leila Youssefian, Soheila Sotudeh, Meisam Sargazi, Sirous Zeinali, Jouni Uitto

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Hypotrichosis with juvenile macular dystrophy (HJMD) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by abnormal growth of scalp hair and juvenile macular degeneration leading to blindness. We have explored the genetic basis of HJMD in a large consanguineous family with 12 affected patients, 1-76 years of age, with characteristic phenotypes.

METHODS: We first applied genome-wide homozygosity mapping to 10 affected individuals for linkage analysis to identify the genomic region of the defective gene. All affected individuals shared a 7.2 Mb region of homozygosity on chromosome 16q21-22.3, which harbored 298 genes, including CDH3, previously associated with HJMD. However, whole-exome sequencing (WES) …

The Flow Of Family Transitions Of Australian Families, Shana Pribesh, Matthew Usevitch, Elizabeth Koch Sigler, Kaijsa Angerhofer Heninger, Yuanyuan Yue, Mikaela J. Dufur, Jonathan A. Jarvis

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Family structure disruption has been linked to negative child educational and health outcomes (Perales et al. 2016). Australia has relatively stable families, but income disparities between Australians are widening, and single-parent families make up a large proportion of families living in poverty. Cohabitation is also common in Australia with approximately three-quarters of marriages preceded by cohabitation. If substantial family structure churning affects Australian children this may expose a need for special policy interventions aimed at family creation and dissolution to ameliorate the negative effects of such stressful experiences. To highlight family structures and transitions Australian children experience, we use Sankey …

Hazardous Fuels Reduction Using Flame Cap Biochar Kilns, Darren Mcavoy, Megan Dettenmaier

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes a do-it-yourself technique for making small-batch biochar. The Utah Biomass Resources Group has demonstrated this method for reducing hazardous forest fuels, protects soils, and creates biochar using simple, low-cost materials.

A Program Evaluation Of Mentoring: How Does It Affect Teacher Attrition, Jo-Lynette Crayton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was teacher attrition. The purpose of this qualitative research was to conduct a program evaluation of the mentoring program in a large urban district in Texas. The research conducted was through questionnaires derived from the teacher questionnaire of the National Teacher and Principal Survey 2015–2016 School Year and in-depth interviews of both novice teachers and mentors. Findings indicated that connectedness, modeling, and collaborative conversations were critical to the success of novice teachers. Additional findings indicated that training, classroom observations, and monthly meetings were the most effective components of the Study Independent School District …

Genetic Variants Affecting Bone Mineral Density And Bone Mineral Content At Multiple Skeletal Sites In Hispanic Children, Ruixue Hou, Shelley A. Cole, Mariaelisa Graff, Karin Haack, Sandra Laston, Anthony G. Comuzzie, Nitesh R. Mehta, Kathleen Ryan, Diana L. Cousminer, Babette S. Zemel

School of Medicine Publications

Context:

Osteoporosis is a major public health burden with significant economic costs. However, the correlates of bone health in Hispanic children are understudied.

Objective:

We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) at multiple skeletal sites in Hispanic children.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional genome-wide linkage analysis, genome-wide and exome-wide association analysis of BMD and BMC. The Viva La Familia Study is a family-based cohort with a total of 1,030 Hispanic children (4–19 years old at baseline) conducted in Houston, TX. BMD and BMC were measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results: …

The Functional, Ecological, And Evolutionary Morphology Of Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon Marinus), Bradley Morgan Wood

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes) are jawless vertebrates with an evolutionary history lasting at least 360 million years and are often used in comparisons with jawed vertebrates because some of their morphological aspects, such as the segmented trunk musculature with curved myosepta and a non-mineralized skeleton fibrous skeleton, are thought to resemble the condition of early vertebrates before the evolution of jaws. Although earlier authors studied the morphology of the skeleto-muscular system of the trunk of lampreys, their studies are not detailed and complete enough to allow a functional and biomechanical analysis that is needed as a basis for modeling the mechanics of …

Design Of A New 3d‐Printed Joint Plug, Lobat Tayebi, Zhanfeng Cui, Hua Ye

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

This paper introduces a kit of parts as a novel three‐dimensional (3D)–printed joint plug, in which each of the parts function cooperatively to treat cartilage damage in joints of the human body (e.g., hips, wrists, elbow, knee, and ankle). Three required and one optional parts are involved in this plug. The first part is a 3D‐printed hard scaffold (bone portion) to accommodate bone cells, and the second is a 3D‐printed soft scaffold (cartilage portion) overlying the bone portion to accommodate chondrocytes. The third part of joint plug is a permeable membrane, termed film, to cover the entire plug to provide …

Priority Symptoms, Causes, And Self-Management Strategies Reported By Ayas With Cancer, Lauri Linder, Kristin Stegenga, Jeanne Erickson, Suzanne Ameringer, Amy Rose Newman, Yin-Shun Chiu, Catherine Fiona Macpherson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Context

Cancer and symptom experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer can be highly variable, creating challenges for clinicians and researchers who seek to optimize AYAs' health outcomes. Understanding the heuristics AYAs use to designate priority symptoms can provide insight into the meaning they assign to their symptoms and self-management behaviors.

Objectives

This study described the frequency and characteristics of priority symptoms. It qualitatively explored reasons for a symptom's designation as a priority symptom, perceived causes of priority symptoms, and strategies AYAs use to manage priority symptoms.

Methods

Participants in this single-group, longitudinal study reported symptoms using a …

Bewitching Power: The Virtuosity Of Gender In Dekker And Massinger's The Virgin Martyr, Thomas Fish

Faculty Articles

This paper considers Thomas Dekker and Philip Massinger’s play The Virgin Martyr (1622) in light of scientific notions of the female body circulating during the period to illustrate how the performance of martyrdom manifested a performance of gender virtuosity, elevating it to the status of the supernatural or divine. Like well-known female martyrs from the period, such as Anne Askew, the protagonist, Dorothea, takes on characteristically male attributes: she assumes the role of the soldier and defies scientific understanding of the female gender by sealing her phlegmatic “leaky” body and exuding divine heat that defies her cold, wet “nature." The …

Outcomes Of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation In Patients With Germline Samd9/Samd9l Mutations., Ibrahim A. Ahmed, Midhat S. Farooqi, Mark T. Vander Lugt, Jessica Boklan, Melissa Rose, Erika D. Friehling, Brandon Triplett, Kenneth Lieuw, Blachy Davila Saldana, Christine M. Smith, Jason R. Schwartz, Rakesh K. Goyal

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Germline mutations in SAMD9 and SAMD9L genes cause MIRAGE (myelodysplasia, infection, restriction of growth, adrenal hypoplasia, genital phenotypes, and enteropathy) (OMIM: *610456) and ataxia-pancytopenia (OMIM: *611170) syndromes, respectively, and are associated with chromosome 7 deletions, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and bone marrow failure. In this retrospective series, we report outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in patients with hematologic disorders associated with SAMD9/SAMD9L mutations. Twelve patients underwent allogeneic HCT for MDS (n = 10), congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (n = 1), and dyskeratosis congenita (n = 1). Exome sequencing revealed heterozygous mutations in SAMD9 (n = 6) or SAMD9L (n = …

Sirna Targeting And Treatment Of Gastrointestinal Diseases., Rachel Chevalier

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

RNA interference via small interfering RNA (siRNA) offers opportunities to precisely target genes that contribute to gastrointestinal (GI) pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac, and esophageal scarring. Delivering the siRNA to the GI tract proves challenging as the harsh environment of the intestines degrades the siRNA before it can reach its target or blocks its entry into its site of action in the cytoplasm. Additionally, the GI tract is large and disease is often localized to a specific site. This review discusses polymer and lipid-based delivery systems for protection and targeting of siRNA therapies to the GI tract to …

Long-Term Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Adult Patients Treated With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (Ecmo): An Integrative Review, Krista A. Knudson, Carolina M. Gustafson, Lois S. Sadler, Robin Whittemore, Nancy S. Redeker, Laura K. Andrews, Abeel A. Mangi, Marjorie Funk

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Extracorporeal membarane oxygenation (ECMO), a rescue  treatment for patients with severe pulmonary and/or cardiac dysfunction, is increasingly being used worldwide. A better understanding of long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is needed.

Objective: To synthesize research on long-term (at least 6 months post-ECMO) HRQOL of adults treated with ECMO.

Methods: In this integrative review, we searched 3 electronic databases and did a hand search of relevant journals for articles published 2000–2019, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results: Thirty-one studies, representing 913 patients treated with ECMO, were included. Long-term HRQOL was slightly …

Label-Free Microrna Optical Biosensors, Meimei Lai, Gymama Slaughter

Bioelectrics Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in regulating gene expression. Many studies show that miRNAs have been linked to almost all kinds of disease. In addition, miRNAs are well preserved in a variety of specimens, thereby making them ideal biomarkers for biosensing applications when compared to traditional protein biomarkers. Conventional biosensors for miRNA require fluorescent labeling, which is complicated, time-consuming, laborious, costly, and exhibits low sensitivity. The detection of miRNA remains a big challenge due to their intrinsic properties such as small sizes, low abundance, and high sequence similarity. A label-free biosensor can simplify the assay and enable the direct detection …

Sticking Points: Epistemic Pluralism In Legal Challenges To Mandatory Vaccination Policies, James R. Steiner-Dillon

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Secondary Legislation, Jennifer Kinsley

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Acute Diagnosis Of Wilson’S Disease In A Teenage Patient, Sarah Irvin, Ryan Mccarthy

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Wilson’s Disease, a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease, is caused by a mutation in the ATP7B enzyme gene. Without this enzyme, copper builds up in the brain, liver, and cornea causing a multitude of symptoms. It is important to consider Wilson’s disease because the prognosis is dependent on timely diagnosis. This is an interesting case of a 19-year-old male who presented with suicidal thoughts and rapid weight loss. After many months and an extensive work-up, Wilson’s Disease was diagnosed. Due to his rapid decline, he was transferred to a larger university healthcare center where he is currently enrolled in clinical …

Effectiveness Of A Suggested Program In Developing The 21st Century Skills Among Teacher Students In Scientific Departments In University College In Qunfudah In Umm Al Qura University, Moharam Yahia Mohamed Afifi, Hussain Daif'allah Almalki

International Journal for Research in Education

Abstract:

The current research aimed at developing 21st century skills among science teacher students in University College in Qunfudah, Umm Al Qura University in KSA, through suggesting a new program. The research consisted of two basic components, the diagnostic study, and the experimental study. The diagnostic study of the current state of the 21st century skills was carried out by determining its level, and the students` self – concept of these skills among a group of (200) students. The experimental study was conducted on (54) students. Results showed the lack of 21st century skills among prospected science teachers, and …

Exploring The Relationships Between High School Course Enrollment, Achievement, And First-Semester College Gpa, Jeffrey M. Warren, Camille L. Goins

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study explored the impact of Advanced Placement and honors course enrollment and high school grade point average (GPA) on first-semester college GPA. Data were collected from 131 college freshmen enrolled at a minority-serving institution who graduated from a public school during the previous academic year. A four-step hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that family structure, college status, enrollment in one or more Advanced Placement courses, and enrollment in five or more honors courses accounted for a significant amount of variance explained in first-semester college GPA, both individually and in combination. High school GPA intervened in these variables relationships with …

A New Species Of Kochius From Avra Valley, Southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Richard F. Ayrey, Lawrence L. C. Jones, Brandon Myers

Euscorpius

A new scorpion species, Kochius colluvius sp. n. is described (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). This small brown species is found in the Avra Valley near Tucson, Arizona, USA. It appears to be most similar to Kochius sonorae (Williams, 1971) and K. hirsuticauda (Banks, 1910). On all fingers examined, the fixed finger has 6 ID denticles and the movable finger has 7. There is no scalloping of the chela fingers. This species differs from all other vaejovids in Arizona by having a coarsely granulated exoskeleton.