Digital Commons Network^™

Phylogenetic Relationship Of Leymus Chinensis Revealed By The Its And Chloroplast Trnl‐F Sequences, G. S. Liu, Z. P. Liu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Reproductive Effort Of Montastraea Cavernosa Across Depth In The Context Of Both Climate Change Refugia And Emergent Disease, Jeanne Bloomberg

LSU Master's Theses

As coral populations on shallow reefs decline globally, mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCE) have been suggested as potential coral refugia in the face of climate changes, leading to the development of a comprehensive deep reef refugia hypothesis. The current study assesses the climate and disease refuge potential of MCEs in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) for the gonochoric, broadcast-spawning species Montastraea cavernosa. Polyp, population, and total habitat fecundities were estimated across the species’ depth range, and changes to population oocyte production over time due to recent ecosystem disturbances were considered. The number of gonads producing oocytes in each polyp and oocyte …

Plankton Dynamics In An Urban, Subtropical Lake Prior To Lake Restoration, Jennifer C. Pulsifer

LSU Master's Theses

This research assessed plankton dynamics in two urban, subtropical lakes (University Lake and City Park Lake) shortly before a proposed and approved lake restoration project. Plankton dynamics were determined in University Lake by the dilution method to attempt to quantify growth rates of phytoplankton and grazing rates of zooplankton. Landry and Hassett’s (1982) dilution method has been widely used in marine systems to estimate rates of growth and grazing. In many marine systems, nutrients must be added to prevent nutrient limitation. However, it is assumed, due to the hypereutrophic conditions, that nutrients would not be a limitation in University Lake. …

Legacy And Current Pesticide Residues In Syr Darya, Kazakhstan: Contamination Status, Seasonal Variation And Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment, Daniel D. Snow, P. Chakraborty, B. Uralbekov, B. Satybaldiev, J. Brett Sallach, L. M. Thornton Hampton, M. Jeffries, A. S. Kolok, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

The Syr Darya is one of two major rivers in Central Asia supplying critical fresh water to the Aral Sea. In spite of the river’s importance and agriculturally-intensive history, few studies have provided a modern evaluation of and the occurrence of pesticide residues potential effects to aquatic life. The primary goal of this investigation was to determine seasonal variations in ambient concentrations of modern and legacy pesticides in bottom sediment and water of the Syr Darya in Kazakhstan (KZ) downstream from an agriculturally-intensive watershed in Uzbekistan. Grab samples and passive samplers were used at five remote sampling stations during June …

Key Strategic Issues List (Ksil) 2021-2022, Steve Cunningham

Articles & Editorials

New for Academic Years 2021-2022, the USAWC has published an updated Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL). The KSIL informs students, faculty, and external research associates of strategic topics requiring research and analysis. The USAWC in coordination with Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA), major commands throughout the Army, and the joint and interagency community has updated the Army's priorities for strategic analysis to address issues in the emerging strategic environment and to align with elements of the current Army Vision and Army Strategy. The USAWC will continue to address select topics as Integrated Research Projects and through other research efforts. …

Socioeconomic And Neuroanatomic Contributions To Language Performance In Children Born Very Preterm At Preschool And School Age, Rebecca E. Avila-Rieger

Psychology ETDs

Background: Children born very preterm are more likely to have difficulties with language acquisition and use that persist throughout childhood. Preterm birth occurs at a critical time in brain development and interrupts neurodevelopment, which has downstream implications for altered neural structure and function. Prematurity and socioeconomic status greatly impact language performance in children, but the neural substrates are poorly understood. Here the neural constituents of language performance are examined in select cortical and subcortical regions.

Methods: Fifty-one children born preterm (24-31 weeks) and 20 born full-term were seen at preschool (mean age = 47 months) and school age (mean age …

Toxicity Of Fluralaner, A Companion Animal Insecticide, Relative To Industry-Leading Agricultural Insecticides Against Resistant And Susceptible Strains Of Filth Flies, Edwin R. Burgess Iv, Christopher J. Geden, Kimberly H. Lohmeyer, Bethia H. King, Erika T. Machtinger, Jeffrey G. Scott

NIU Bibliography

Filth flies cause billions of dollars of losses annually to the animal production industry. Fluralaner is a relatively new pesticide currently sold for control of fleas, ticks, and mites on companion animals and poultry. We examined the efficacy of fluralaner against three species of filth flies. Insecticide-susceptible horn flies and stable flies were tested topically. Fluralaner outperformed permethrin by > 2-fold for the horn flies but underperformed permethrin by > 45-fold for stable flies at 24 h. House flies were tested topically with fluralaner in comparison to permethrin at 48 h and orally with fluralaner in comparison to imidacloprid at 24 h. …

Inflammatory Pathway Analytes Predicting Rapid Cognitive Decline In Mci Stage Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Jagan A. Pillai, Gurkan Bebek, Lynn M. Bekris, Aaron Bonner-Jackson, Stephen M. Rao, Mark R. Chance, James B. Leverenz

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: To determine the inflammatory analytes that predict clinical progression and evaluate their performance against biomarkers of neurodegeneration. Methods: A longitudinal study of MCI-AD patients in a Discovery cohort over 15 months, with replication in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) MCI cohort over 36 months. Fifty-three inflammatory analytes were measured in the CSF and plasma with a RBM multiplex analyte platform. Inflammatory analytes that predict clinical progression on Clinical Dementia Rating Scale-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and Mini Mental State Exam scores were assessed in multivariate regression models. To provide context, key analyte results in ADNI were compared against biomarkers …

Neonatal Exposure To Antigens Of Commensal Bacteria Promotes Broader Immune Repertoire, Jeff Hansen

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

A Mechanistic Model And Therapeutic Interventions For Covid-19 Involving A Ras-Mediated Bradykinin Storm, Michael R. Garvin, Christiane Alvarez, J. Izaak Miller, Erica T. Prates, Angelica M. Walker, B. Kirtley Amos, Alan E. Mast, Amy Justice, Bruce Aronow, Daniel Jacobson

Horticulture Graduate Research

Neither the disease mechanism nor treatments for COVID-19 are currently known. Here, we present a novel molecular mechanism for COVID-19 that provides therapeutic intervention points that can be addressed with existing FDA-approved pharmaceuticals. The entry point for the virus is ACE2, which is a component of the counteracting hypotensive axis of RAS. Bradykinin is a potent part of the vasopressor system that induces hypotension and vasodilation and is degraded by ACE and enhanced by the angiotensin1-9 produced by ACE2. Here, we perform a new analysis on gene expression data from cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from COVID-19 patients that …

Degree Completion Of Underrepresented Minorities Majoring In Mathematics As A Function Of Undergraduate Student Programs, Marnice Anthony

Dissertations

Abstract

Students with disabilities, minorities, and women are underrepresented in the critical demand courses of study in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate college enrollment. Institutions of higher education in the United States of America are challenged with a continuous need for undergraduate students to choose and earn a STEM degree. The 2019 annual report of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering indicated these groups continue to be disproportionately underrepresented relative to the U.S. population. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education reported that upon graduation students studying mathematics in college have higher employment rates …

Floatation Of Activated Sludge By Nascent Prepared Carbon Dioxide., Hoda El-Gamal, Kamal Radwan, Kareem Fouad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Sludge treatment plays an important role in the treatment of wastewater. The production of sludge from wastewater treatment by the activated sludge method is relatively high, which causes problems in the treatment and disposal processes. The main purpose of sludge treatment is to reduce its water content, in addition to the prevention of pollution of the environment; one method of the activated sludge treatment methods is "Thickening by Floatation", which could reduce the water content of the sludge, facilitating the disposal process. In the present study, the floatation method is used to increase the sludge solid content by bubbles of …

Publication Of Data Collection Forms From Nhlbi Funded Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (Scdic) Registry, Jeffrey Glassberg, Elizabeth A. Linton, Katrina Burson, Tabitha Hendershot, Joseph Telfair, Julie Kanter, Victor R. Gordeuk, Allison A. King, Cathy L. Melvin, Nirmish Shah, Jane S. Hankins, Axel Yannick Epié, Lynne D. Richardson

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive blood disorder affecting approximately 100,000 Americans and 3.1 million people globally. The scarcity of relevant knowledge and experience with rare diseases creates a unique need for cooperation and infrastructure to overcome challenges in translating basic research advances into clinical advances. Despite registry initiatives in SCD, the unavailability of descriptions of the selection process and copies of final data collection tools, coupled with incomplete representation of the SCD population hampers further research progress. This manuscript describes the SCDIC (Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium) Registry development and makes the SCDIC Registry baseline …

Inhibition Of Fatty Acid Oxidation Promotes Macrophage Control Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Pallavi Chandra, Li He, Matthew Zimmerman, Guozhe Yang, Stefan Köster, Mireille Ouimet, Han Wang, Kathyrn J Moore, Véronique Dartois, Joel D Schilling, Jennifer A Philips

Open Access Publications

Macrophage activation involves metabolic reprogramming to support antimicrobial cellular functions. How these metabolic shifts influence the outcome of infection by intracellular pathogens remains incompletely understood.

Variation In Masculinities And Fathering Behaviors: A Cross-National Comparison Of The United States And Canada, Kevin Shafer, Richard J. Petts, Casey Scheibling

Faculty Publications

Research continues to examine the barriers to and facilitators of positive fathering behaviors. One area recently addressed by researchers focuses on the relationship between masculine norm adherence and father involvement. Yet, little work has examined cross-national variability in this relationship—despite differences in gender norms, fathering expectations, and social policies across countries. The present study considers possible differences in the relationship between masculine norm adherence and fathering behaviors in the United States and Canada—two rich, multiethnic countries with many similarities but some distinct policy and family support differences. Using data from fathers in Canada (n = 2057) and the United …

Covid-19, Single-Sourced Diagnostic Tests, And Innovation Policy, Deb Chaarushena, Osman Moneer, Nicholson W. Price Ii

Articles

At the heart of the United States, disastrous response to the Covid-19 pandemic is a failure of diagnostic testing. That something so fundamental to medical care could be so botched evokes incredulity. From primary care offices to critical care settings, every patient encounter begins with a diagnostic workup. Diagnostic testing tools are key parts of the physician’s toolkit, and confirmatory testing is essential. But in the greatest public health challenge of the 21st century, the failures of diagnostic testing have been laid entirely bare.

Decomposability Of Soil Organic Matter Over Time: The Soil Incubation Database (Sidb, Version 1.0) And Guidance For Incubation Procedures, Christina Schadel, Jeffrey Beem-Miller, Mina Aziz Rad, Susan E. Crow, Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, Jessica G. Ernakovich, Alison M. Hoyt, Alain Plante, Shane Stoner, Claire C. Treat, Carlos A. Sierra

Faculty Publications

The magnitude of carbon (C) loss to the atmosphere via microbial decomposition is a function of the amount of C stored in soils, the quality of the organic matter, and physical, chemical, and biological factors that comprise the environment for decomposition. The decomposability of C is commonly assessed by laboratory soil incubation studies that measure greenhouse gases mineralized from soils under controlled conditions. Here, we introduce the Soil Incubation Database (SIDb) version 1.0, a compilation of time series data from incubations, structured into a new, publicly available, open-access database of C flux (carbon dioxide, CO2, or methane, CH4). In addition, …

Research Coherence A Framework For Successful Student Research, Emily K. Hart, Christopher M. Annear

Librarian Publications

When researching and writing scholarly papers for semester-long projects, undergraduate students face challenges, such as research anxiety, overestimation of research skills, poor time management, difficulty choosing appropriate sources, and lack of integration between research stages and final product. Student survey results and paper analyses show incoherence in the student research process. This article develops a coherence framework to address problems students face throughout the research and writing process. This framework joins literature on coherence techniques and effective pedagogies including guided research, peer modeling, checkpoints, and reflection. The article presents pedagogical recommendations for establishing coherence in student research and writing projects.

Automated 3d Reconstruction Using Optimized View-Planning Algorithms For Iterative Development Of Structure-From-Motion Models, Samuel Arce, Cory Vernon, Joshua Hammond, Valerie Newell, Joseph Janson, Kevin Franke, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

Unsupervised machine learning algorithms (clustering, genetic, and principal component analysis) automate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) missions as well as the creation and refinement of iterative 3D photogrammetric models with a next best view (NBV) approach. The novel approach uses Structure-from-Motion (SfM) to achieve convergence to a specified orthomosaic resolution by identifying edges in the point cloud and planning cameras that “view” the holes identified by edges without requiring an initial model. This iterative UAV photogrammetric method successfully runs in various Microsoft AirSim environments. Simulated ground sampling distance (GSD) of models reaches as low as 3.4 cm per pixel, and generally, …

Position/Weight-Activated Knee Locking Mechanism, Tyagi Ramakrishnan, Kyle B. Reed

USF Patents

A passive knee locking mechanism using the position of the shank and the weight of the user to lock. The mechanism has translational motion, which allows the shank to move linearly along the sagittal/vertical plane, which locks and unlocks the knee, and rotational motion for the shank to swing when unlocked. The knee block, which is disposed at the top of the shank, has a spur gear that locks with a matching gear rack on the top plate of the knee housing. The side plates for the knee housing have a linear path that makes for the translational motion. During …

St. Norbert College Adds Data Analytics Major, St. Norbert College

Press Releases 2020

No abstract provided.

Second Harmonic Generation Imaging Of Collagen In Chronically Implantable Electrodes In Brain Tissue, Andrew J. Shoffstall, Jeffrey R. Capadona

Faculty Scholarship

Advances in neural engineering have brought about a number of implantable devices for improved brain stimulation and recording. Unfortunately, many of these micro-implants have not been adopted due to issues of signal loss, deterioration, and host response to the device. While glial scar characterization is critical to better understand the mechanisms that affect device functionality or tissue viability, analysis is frequently hindered by immunohistochemical tissue processing methods that result in device shattering and tissue tearing artifacts. Devices are commonly removed prior to sectioning, which can itself disturb the quality of the study. In this methods implementation study, we use the …

Effects Of Sex, Race, And Education On The Timing Of Coming Out Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Adults In The U.S., Trenton M. Haltom, Shawn M. Ratcliff

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Sexual identity formation or “coming out” as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) involves a complex process including both private realization and public disclosure. Private realization refers to the process through which an individual becomes aware of their LGB identity, whereas public disclosure reflects when an individual discloses their identity to another person. Sex, race, and class affect the timing of these processes across the life course. While extant research has identified the bivariate nature of these processes, we took a multivariate approach to understand the timing of these sexual identity milestones from a life-course perspective. Using data from the Pew …

K–12 Teachers’ Experiences “With Or Without” Breastfeeding/Pumping Policy In The School Workplace, Michelle Mae Phillips

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the experiences of classroom teachers who are lactating and expressing milk in a situation with or without school/district policies related to lactation and breastmilk expression. As there is little in the published literature that describes postpartum K–12 teachers' experiences while pumping breastmilk in the workplace. There is a need for studies that highlight these experiences and explore how policies impact breastfeeding teachers. The study was guided by three research questions: (1) How do classroom teachers who are, or have been, lactating and expressing milk during their workday experience school/district policies related to lactation and breastmilk expression? (2) …

Characterization Of Shallow Subsurface Hydrology In Large Fine-Grained Floodplains, Mary Grace Lemon

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Floodplains are hydrologically dynamic, receiving water from overbank events, hyporheic flows, local precipitation, and regional groundwater sources. These sources are variously important contributors to the heterogeneous floodplain water pool that includes matrix water in soil micropores, mobile water in soil macropores, groundwater below the rooting zone, ephemeral to seasonal surface storage, and permanent surface water features such as oxbow lakes, sloughs, and other secondary channels. All sources may be ecologically relevant for floodplain vegetation, but the exact roles of each source in both controlling soil water and shallow groundwater recharge and in controlling floodplain water drainage are not well understood, …

Using A Timed Motor Task To Predict One-Year Functional Decline In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, Sydney Y. Schaefer, Andrew Hooyman, Kevin Duff

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Affordable, noninvasive methods of predicting functional decline are needed for individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. This study tested whether a timed upper-extremity motor task predicted functional decline over one year in 79 adults diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Participants completed subjective and objective measures of daily functioning at baseline and one year later. Motor task performance and delayed memory were also evaluated at baseline. Motor task performance was a significant predictor of one-year follow-up daily functioning, improving model fits by 18– 35%. Thus, motor behavior has potential to be an affordable enrichment strategy that is sensitive to functional …

Water Quality Modeling For Lake Burullus, Egypt, Part I: Model Calibration., W. Assar, M. Elshemy, B. Zeidan

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Burullus Lake is one of five coastal lagoons were exhibited by the northern Egyptian Mediterranean coast along the Nile Delta coast. It is the only one which lies inside the Nile Delta and is considered as the second largest coastal lagoon in Egypt. The lake has a great economic importance as a wetland, fishery and a resting area for migrating birds, so it is designated as a wetland nature reserve under the International Ramsar convention of 1988 and it is declared as a nature reserve in Egypt since 1998. It is a shallow brackish lake which is connected to the …

Supporting Scholarly Research: Current And New Opportunities For Academic Libraries, Ngoc-Yen Tran, Emily K. Chan

Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Discovery Of A Novel Analogue Of Fr901533 And The Corresponding Biosynthetic Gene Cluster From Streptosporangium Roseum No. 79089, Fuchao Xu, Yonghong Liang, Jie Ren, Siyuan Wang, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

FR901533 (1, also known as WS79089B), WS79089A (2), and WS79089C (3) are polycyclic aromatic natural products with promising inhibitory activity to endothelin-converting enzymes. In this work, we isolated five tridecaketide products from Streptosporangium roseum No. 79089, including 1-3, benaphthamycin (4) and a novel FR901533 analogue (5). The structure of 5 was characterized based on spectroscopic data. Compared to the major product 2, the new compound 5 has an additional hydroxyl group at C-12 and an extra methyl group at the 13-OH. The configuration of C-19 of these compounds …

The Culture Of Learning Disabilities, Race And Athletics: An Examination Of Student-Athlete Experiences In Predominantly White Institutions Of Higher Education’S Division One College Football Programs, Ashley L. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students’ educational experiences vary. The differences in these experiences can be attributed to a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographic location, socio-economic status, age, gender, race, ability, and individual experiences before and during schooling. In this study, the researcher examined the intersectionality of race and disability in the context of postsecondary education and student-athletes through the experiences of participants who identified themselves within select categories, namely as Black/African American and student-athlete. Of equal importance, participants struggled to meet normalized standards of learning during their P-12 educational experiences and/or were identified with a categorical learning disability. As will …