Digital Commons Network^™

Molecular Tools For Coral Reef Restoration: Beyond Biomarker Discovery, John Everett Parkinson, Andrew C. Baker, Iliana B. Baums, Sarah W. Davies, Andréa G. Grottoli, Sheila A. Kitchen, Mikhail V. Matz, Margaret W. Miller, Andrew A. Shantz, Carly D. Kenkel

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

As coral reefs continue to decline due to climate change and other stressors, scientists have proposed adopting genomic tools, such as biomarkers, to aid in the conservation and restoration of these threatened ecosystems. Biomarkers are easily measured indicators of biological processes that can be used to predict or diagnose health, resilience, and other key performance metrics. The ultimate goal of developing biomarkers is to determine the conservation value and utility of a given coral colony, including the host animal, its algal symbionts, and their microbial partners. However, this goal remains distant because most efforts have not yet moved beyond the …

Diversity And Abundance Of Dragonflies And Damselflies In Tampa Bay, Florida, Meredith A. Krause, Thomas Koster, Bryan N. Macneill, Daniel J. Zydek, Nicholas T. Ogburn, Jonathan Sharpin, Robert Shell, Marc J. Lajeunesse

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Little is known about the community of dragonflies and damselflies in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. To address this gap, we conducted 2 longitudinal surveys of adult odonates in a natural floodplain of the Hillsborough River in 2013 and 2017. Along with abundance and species diversity, we also measured intraspecific variation in body size, sexual dimorphism, wing-cell asymmetry, and water mite ectoparasitism. Our first weekly survey from Oct 2013 to Oct 2014 sampled 327 adults (230 female, 97 male) from 8 dragonfly species, with the eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis Say; Odonata: Libellulidae) representing 79% of captures, followed by the second …

Transmission Of West Nile And Five Other Temperate Mosquito-Borne Viruses Peaks At Temperatures Between 23°C And 26°C, Marta S. Shocket, Anna B. Verwillow, Mailo G. Numazu, Hani Slamani, Jeremy M. Cohen, Fadoua El Moustaid, Jason Rohr, Leah R. Johnson, Erin A. Mordecai

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The temperature-dependence of many important mosquito-borne diseases has never been quantified. These relationships are critical for understanding current distributions and predicting future shifts from climate change. We used trait-based models to characterize temperature-dependent transmission of 10 vector–pathogen pairs of mosquitoes (Culex pipiens, Cx. quinquefascsiatus, Cx. tarsalis, and others) and viruses (West Nile, Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, Sindbis, and Rift Valley Fever viruses), most with substantial transmission in temperate regions. Transmission is optimized at intermediate temperatures (23–26°C) and often has wider thermal breadths (due to cooler lower thermal limits) compared to pathogens with …

Phylogeny Of Terrestrial Isopods Based On The Complete Mitochondrial Genomes, Subvert The Monophyly Of Oniscidea, Rui Zhang, Ruru Chen, Jianmei An, Carlos A. Santamaria

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Oniscidea is the only truly terrestrial taxon within the Crustacea, and vital to soil formation. However, the monophyly of suborder Oniscidea has been in dispute since 1995, with different studies disagreeing on whether the coastal Ligiidae are included within the suborder. To clarify the phylogenetic hypothesis of suborder Oniscidea, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of Ligia exotica (Roux, 1828) and Mongoloniscus sinensis (Dollfus, 1901).

Results: Like most metazoan, the complete mitogenomes of two species with circular double strands. The structure and characters of mitogenomes of these two species are analyzed. The constructed phylogenetic analyses show that Oniscidea is …

How Do They Feel About It? Testing A New Mixed Methods Survey Tool To Assess Collective Emotional Status, Michael Schwab

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Emotions are now widely accepted as important elements of qualitative research, in studies of individuals and communities. However, collective emotional status—what a community feels about a given situation or proposition—can be challenging to assess. In this study, we examined the validity and acceptability of a new mixed methods survey tool, primarily qualitative, to address this challenge—the Assessment of Collective Emotional Status (ACES). The tool begins with an adjustable set of questions about emotion, to draw respondents’ attention to their own feelings. These are followed by an emotional self-assessment, in which respondents select and prioritize five emotional responses to a standardized …

Social Media Engagement At Academic Conferences: Report Of The Association Of Pathology Chairs 2018 And 2019 Annual Meeting Social Media Committee, Yonah C. Ziemba, Dana Razzano, Timothy C. Allen, Adam L. Booth, Scott R. Anderson, Anne Champeaux, Michael D. Feldman, Valerie Fitzhugh, Simone Gittens, Marilea Grider, Mary Gupta, Christina Hanos, Karen Kelly, Tarush Kothari, Jennifer Laudadio, Amy Y. Lin, Kamran M. Mirza, Kathleen T. Montone, Priscilla S. Markwood

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

The use of social media at academic conferences is expanding, and platforms such as Twitter are used to share meeting content with the world. Pathology conferences are no exception, and recently, pathology organizations have promoted social media as a way to enhance meeting exposure. A social media committee was formed ad hoc to implement strategies to enhance social media involvement and coverage at the 2018 and 2019 annual meetings of the Association of Pathology Chairs. This organized approach resulted in an 11-fold increase in social media engagement compared to the year prior to committee formation (2017). In this article, the …

Every Drop Counts: Quantifying Blood Loss Can Lead To Early Detection And Intervention For Postpartum Hemorrhage, Christina Bouikidis

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

A visual estimation has been the standard measurement for blood loss post vaginal or cesarean section delivery. Research has shown that visual estimation also known as estimated blood loss has led to an underestimation of total blood loss volume. This results in over 100,000 women per year in the United States that experience an adverse effect due to delayed recognition and treatment for postpartum hemorrhage. By quantifying blood loss, the volume is measured by a one to one ratio; one-gram weight is equal to one-milliliter blood volume. To promote the evidence-based practice of quantifying blood loss, a quality improvement …

An Exploration Of Teachers' Experiences With The Completion Of Behavior Rating Scales For Their Students With Adhd, Amy Jenkins

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This instrumental case study examines teacher completion of behavior rating scales for their students diagnosed with ADHD. The researcher used a qualitative approach following Stake’s (1995) approach. Surveys, interviews, classroom observations and review of behavior rating scales were completed to answer the main research question of what information does a teacher use when completing the behavior rating scales for students? Results of the study identified that teachers rely on background knowledge including upbringing when completing the behavior rating scales. Collegial conversations also help to determine the ratings teachers assign to behavior rating scales.

Evidence-Based Policy And Misinformation: Exploring The Public’S Processing Of Information, Amy E. Hann

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

As the online spread of misinformation increases, policymakers are finding it more difficult to ensure that the public is only exposed to the evidence they share and that their evidence is believed. Policymakers find they must now combat misinformation spread by a variety of entities. This dissertation explored thematic concepts regarding information in existing literature – information as a thing, information as a public good, information as propaganda, information use by elected officials, and information on social media. This dissertation exposed participants to conservative and liberal misinformation and corrective information to determine how they processed policy information. This study explored …

Federal Health Reform: Breast Cancer Outcomes, Nia Imani Bailey

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Young women are diagnosed with breast cancer; and young women die from breast cancer. This qualitative dissertation seeks to prove the significance of lowering the mammography age from 40 years old to 30 years old. Current policy and programs correlate to the mandated age of 40 years old, unless the woman is at high risk; such as having a family cancer history. This dissertation also seeks to implement an addendum to insurance policies to cover for younger women to have mammography screening in the event they are younger than the recommended age. The purpose of this study was to examine …

2019 Overview, Cesario Borlongan, Frederic Dorandeu, Giuseppe Di Giovanni, Jian-Sheng Lin, Gang Hu, Johannes Boltze, Jie Wu, Xiaoming Hu, Yumin Luo

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Gut Microbiome Perturbation In Fatigue Induced By Repeated Stress From Chemoradiotherapy: A Proof Of Concept Study, Velda J. González-Mercado, Josué Pérez-Santiago, Debra Lyon, Israel Dilán-Pantojas, Wendy Henderson, Susan Mcmillan, Maureen Groer, Brad Kane, Sara Marrero, Elsa Pedro, Leorey N. Saligan

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objectives. The objectives of this proof of concept study were to (a) examine the temporal changes in fatigue and diversity of the gut microbiome over the course of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in adults with rectal cancers; (b) investigate whether there are differences in diversity of the gut microbiome between fatigued and nonfatigued participants at the middle and at the end of CRT; and (c) investigate whether there are differences in the relative abundance of fecal microbiota at the phylum and genus levels between fatigued and nonfatigued participants at the middle and at the end of CRT. Methods. Stool samples …

Bias In Selection Processes, Tiffany Charvet

2020 Claremont Colleges Library Undergraduate Research Award

This research study examines underlying biases that occur in the selection process by college admissions evaluators in evaluating applicants applying for college admissions. Participants are recruited from Pitzer College and Claremont McKenna College - institutions who are apart of the Claremont Colleges consortium. The study uses a 2 x 2 factorial design. I predict that this research project will uncover underlying psychological ingroup bias in the college admissions process.

Potential Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alone, Or In Combination, To Treat Traumatic Brain Injury, Alison E. Willing, Mahasweta Das, Mark Howell, Shyam S. Mohapatra, Subhra Mohapatra

Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes death and disability in the United States and around the world. The traumatic insult causes the mechanical injury of the brain and primary cellular death. While a comprehensive pathological mechanism of TBI is still lacking, the focus of the TBI research is concentrated on understanding the pathophysiology and developing suitable therapeutic approaches. Given the complexities in pathophysiology involving interconnected immunologic, inflammatory, and neurological cascades occurring after TBI, the therapies directed to a single mechanism fail in the clinical trials. This has led to the development of the paradigm of a combination therapeutic approach against TBI. …

Comparison Of Poly-A+ Selection And Rrna Depletion In Detection Of Lncrna In Two Equine Tissues Using Rna-Seq, Anna R. Dahlgren, Erica Y. Scott, Tamer Mansour, Erin N. Hales, Pablo J. Ross, Theodore S. Kalbfleisch, James N. Macleod, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Rebecca R. Bellone, Carrie J. Finno

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are untranslated regulatory transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that can play a role in transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic regulation. Traditionally, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) libraries have been created by isolating transcriptomic RNA via poly-A+ selection. In the past 10 years, methods to perform ribosomal RNA (rRNA) depletion of total RNA have been developed as an alternative, aiming for better coverage of whole transcriptomic RNA, both polyadenylated and non-polyadenylated transcripts. The purpose of this study was to determine which library preparation method is optimal for lncRNA investigations in the horse. Using liver and cerebral parietal lobe tissues from two …

Special Topic: Cell-Based Meat: The Need To Assess Holistically, Cameron Faustman, Deb Hamernik, Michael Looper, Steven A. Zinn

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Proof-of-principle for large-scale engineering of edible muscle tissue, in vitro, was established with the product’s introduction in 2013. Subsequent research and commentary on the potential for cell-based meat to be a viable food option and potential alternative to conventional meat have been significant. While some of this has focused on the biology and engineering required to optimize the manufacturing process, a majority of debate has focused on cultural, environmental, and regulatory considerations. Animal scientists and others with expertise in muscle and cell biology, physiology, and meat science have contributed to the knowledge base that has made cell-based meat possible and …

The Effect Of Varicocele On Semen Quality In Boars Exposed To Heat Stress, Tasha R. Gruhot, Brett White, Benny Mote

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Semen quality has a dramatic impact on reproductive efficiency in the swine industry, influencing both conception rate and litter size. The objective of this study was to assess whether the presence of varicocele hinders semen quality in both thermoneutral and heat stress (HS) conditions. At approximately 6 mo of age, ultrasonography was used to measure left and right pampiniform plexus area in order to detect varicocele in maternal line boars at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Between 10 and 12 mo of age, semen was collected from each boar (n = 28) twice weekly. Boars were collected under thermoneutral conditions, were …

Formation And Characterization Of Lipid Droplets Of The Bovine Corpus Luteum, Heather A. Talbott, Michele R. Plewes, Crystal Krause, Xiaoying Hou, Pan Zhang, William B. Rizzo, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp, John S. Davis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Establishment and maintenance of pregnancy depends on progesterone synthesized by luteal tissue in the ovary. Our objective was to identify the characteristics of lipid droplets (LDs) in ovarian steroidogenic cells. We hypothesized that LDs are a major feature of steroidogenic luteal cells and store cholesteryl esters. Whole bovine tissues, isolated ovarian steroidogenic cells (granulosa, theca, small luteal, and large luteal), and isolated luteal LDs were assessed for LD content, LD-associated proteins and lipid analyses. Bovine luteal tissue contained abundant lipid droplets, LD-associated perilipins 2/3/5, hormone-sensitive lipase, and 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase ABHD5. Luteal tissue was enriched in triglycerides (TGs) compared to other …

Asas-Nanp Symposium: Ruminant/ Nonruminant Feed Composition: Challenges And Opportunities Associated With Creating Large Feed Composition Tables, Andres Schlageter-Tello, George C. Fahey, Tarra Freel, Liz Koutsos, Phillip S. Miller, William P. Weiss

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Traditional feed composition tables have been a useful tool in the field of animal nutrition throughout the last 70 yr. The objective of this paper is to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with creating large feed ingredient composition tables. This manuscript will focus on three topics discussed during the National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP) Symposium in ruminant and nonruminant nutrition carried out at the American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting in Austin, TX, on July 11, 2019, namely: 1) Using large datasets in feed composition tables and the importance of standard deviation in nutrient composition as well as …

Impact Of Cow Milk Production On Cow–Calf Performance In The Nebraska Sandhills, Tasha M. King, Jacki A. Musgrave, Richard N. Funston, J. Travis Mulliniks

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Livestock producers have tended to select for increased output traits like milk production and growth to increase productivity. Even with the increased selection for greater calf growth potential, some regions in the United States have seen a plateau in calf body weight (BW) at weaning (Lalman et al., 2019). When focusing on reaching maximum potential of these output traits, it is important to consider the multitude of variables that affect a production system. With increased milk production, nutrient requirements for cows become increased (Ferrell and Jenkins, 1984; Montaño-Bermudez et al., 1990), which may not be met if range and forage …

Influence Of Host Genetics In Shaping The Rumen Bacterial Community In Beef Cattle, Waseem Abbas, Jeremy T. Howard, Henry Paz, Kristin E. Hales, James E. Wells, Larry A. Kuehn, Galen E. Erickson, Matthew L. Spangler, Samodha Fernando

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In light of recent host-microbial association studies, a consensus is evolving that species composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota is a polygenic trait governed by interactions between host genetic factors and the environment. Here, we investigated the effect of host genetic factors in shaping the bacterial species composition in the rumen by performing a genome-wide association study. Using a common set of 61,974 single-nucleotide polymorphisms found in cattle genomes (n = 586) and corresponding rumen bacterial community composition, we identified operational taxonomic units (OTUs), Families and Phyla with high heritability. The top associations (1-Mb windows) were located on 7 chromosomes. These …

Genetic Structure And Admixture In Sheep From Terminal Breeds In The United States, Kimberly M. Davenport, C. Hiemke, Stephanie D. Mc Kay, J. W. Thorne, Ronald M. Lewis, Todd Taylor, B. M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Selection for performance in diverse production settings has resulted in variation across sheep breeds worldwide. Although sheep are an important species to the United States, the current genetic relationship among many terminal sire breeds is not well characterized. Suffolk, Hampshire, Shropshire and Oxford (terminal) and Rambouillet (dual purpose) sheep (n = 248) sampled from different flocks were genotyped using the Applied Biosystems Axiom Ovine Genotyping Array (50K), and additional Shropshire sheep (n = 26) using the Illumina Ovine SNP50 BeadChip. Relationships were investigated by calculating observed heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, eigenvalues, pairwise Wright’s FST estimates and an identity by state matrix. …

Muknalia Minima From The Yucatán Of Mexico Is Synonymous With The Collared Peccary, Pecari Tajacu (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae), Blaine W. Ob, Joshua X. Samuels, James C. Chatters, Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales

ETSU Faculty Works

Ongoing investigation of peccary remains from fossiliferous deposits in the Yucatán resulted in re-examination of previously identified tayassuid fossils from the region. This included the recently described new genus and species of peccary, Muknalia minima, which is based on a dentary from Muknal Cave near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Diagnostic characters of this taxon include a concave notch along the caudal edge of the ascending ramus and a ventrally directed angular process. Our assessment of the holotype indicates that these characteristics are not a reflection of the original morphology, but are instead the result of breakage and polishing of the …

Computation And Research In Data Science (Cards) Report - 2020, Computation And Research In Data Science, East Tennessee State University

Computation and Research in Data Science (CaRDS) Board Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Dementia, Autonomy, And Supported Healthcare Decision Making, Megan S. Wright

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Space Between Grand Optimism And Grim Determination: Finding A Pathway Forward In International Climate Change Law, Cinnamon P. Carlane

Loyola University Chicago International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rethinking The Role Of Nonstate Actors In International Climate Governance, Jason Maclean

Loyola University Chicago International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Somalia And Legal Pluralism: Advancing Gender Justice Through Rule Of Law Programming In Times Of Transition, Roison Burke

Loyola University Chicago International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Block And Bridle Annual 2020, Unl Animal Science Block And Bridle 2020 Team

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Demonstrating Mate Choice Copying In Spiders Requires Further Research, R. Tucker Gilman, Kasey Fowler-Finn, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Mate choice copying—when individuals learn to prefer mates or mate types that have been chosen by others—can influence trait evo-lution and speciation (Varela et al. 2018; Dion et al. 2019). Most examples of mate choice copying are from fish, birds, and mammals including humans (Varela et al. 2018). However, 2 invertebrate examples—fruit flies and wolf spiders—have been used to argue that the phenomenon may be phylogenetically widespread, and perhaps the rule rather than the exception in nature (Varela et al. 2018). Here, we revisit the evidence for mate choice copying in wolf spiders (Fowler-Finn et al. 2015) in light of …