Digital Commons Network^™

Asian Elephant Rescue, Rehabilitation And Rewilding, Liv Baker, Rebecca Winkler

Animal Sentience

Thailand has fewer than 10,000 elephants left. More of them are living in captivity to serve the tourist industry under grim conditions than are living free in what is left of their wild habitat. Conservation efforts need to be focused on all surviving members of the species, captive and free, but they need to take into account the inextricable entanglement of human and nonhuman animal lives in Thailand today. There is an opportunity for rescuing, rehabilitating and reintroducing captive elephants to the wild with the help of the traditional expertise of a mahout culture that has been elephant-keeping for centuries. …

A “Halfway House” For Improving Captive Welfare, Phyllis C. Lee, W. Keith Lindsay

Animal Sentience

It is certainly time to aim for higher quality management strategies for Thailand’s captive elephants, and to engage with sustainable livelihoods for traditional mahouts. Baker & Winkler’s proposal to rewild Thai elephants by placing them under the guardianship of Karen mahouts is recognized as not “wild” since it remains a form of management requiring elephants to live under the control of human caregivers. We applaud the positive welfare aims of this proposal; however, we caution that few of the long-term consequences for elephants or habitats can be known, and further considerations of elephant population dynamics and forest ecosystems are required …

Remedying Anthropogenic Zoonoses, Daniela Figueroa, Ximena Duprat

Animal Sentience

Abstract: Zoonotic diseases represent 60% of the infections suffered by the human species. in light of the latest episodes of epidemics and pandemics we have to begin to address health problems with another perspective. The “One Health” vision aims to generate a change in consciousness and a new working strategy.

Combined Genome And Transcriptome Analyses Of The Ciliate Schmidingerella Arcuata (Spirotrichea) Reveal Patterns Of Dna Elimination, Scrambling, And Inversion, Susan A. Smith, Xyrus X. Maurer-Alcalá, Ying Yan, Laura A. Katz, Luciana F. Santoferrara, George B. Mcmanus

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Schmidingerella arcuata is an ecologically important tintinnid ciliate that has long served as a model species in plankton trophic ecology. We present a partial micronuclear genome and macronuclear transcriptome resource for S. arcuata, acquired using single-cell techniques, and we report on pilot analyses including functional annotation and genome architecture. Our analysis shows major fragmentation, elimination, and scrambling in the micronuclear genome of S. arcuata. This work introduces a new nonmodel genome resource for the study of ciliate ecology and genomic biology and provides a detailed functional counterpart to ecological research on S. arcuata.

Complementary Metagenomic Approaches Improve Reconstruction Of Microbial Diversity In A Forest Soil, L. V. Alteio, F. Schulz, R. Seshadri, N. Varghese, W. Rodriguez-Reillo, E. Ryan, D. Goudeau, S. A. Eichorst, R. R. Malmstrom, R. M. Bowers, Laura A. Katz, J. L. Blanchard, T. Woyke

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Soil ecosystems harbor diverse microorganisms and yet remain only partially characterized as neither single-cell sequencing nor whole-community sequencing offers a complete picture of these complex communities. Thus, the genetic and metabolic potential of this “uncultivated majority” remains underexplored. To address these challenges, we applied a pooled-cell-sorting-based mini-metagenomics approach and compared the results to bulk metagenomics. Informatic binning of these data produced 200 mini-metagenome assembled genomes (sorted-MAGs) and 29 bulk metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs). The sorted and bulk MAGs increased the known phylogenetic diversity of soil taxa by 7.2% with respect to the Joint Genome Institute IMG/M database and showed clade-specific …

Groundwater Report 305b 2020, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation.

Groundwater Assessment

No abstract provided.

Are Prp Injections Effective At Decreasing Chronic Low Back Pain In Adults?, Bobbi Webb

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine review is to determine whether or not “Are PRP injections effective at decreasing chronic low back pain in adults?”

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of two randomized control trials and one prospective clinical evaluation written in English, published after the year 2012.

DATA SOURCES: All three articles were found in peer review journals published via PubMed Database.

OUTCOME MEASURED: The primary outcome measured in each study is self-reported pain at baseline and 4 weeks following injection of PRP or the comparison. The visual analog scale and a generic numeric rating scale were …

Does Sarilumab 200mg Result In Functional Improvement In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Who Cannot Tolerate The Traditional Line Of Treatment?, Emily P. Andreano

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Sarilumab 200mg results in functional improvement in patients who cannot tolerate the traditional line of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.

Study Design: Review of three randomized control trials (RCTs), published after 2013 all in the English language

Data Sources: 1 double blind, RCT comparing sarilumab 200mg against traditional treatment of TNF-alpha inhibitor adalimumab. 2 RCTs comparing efficacy of sarilumab 200mg to different dosages in patients that had an inadequate response or were unable to tolerate methotrexate (MTX) or TNF-a inhibitor. All studies were found using PubMed.

Outcomes …

Postmortem Interval Estimation Based On Eukaryotic Community Associated With Soil Under Decomposing Porcine Remains, Amanda M. Haase

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Recent studies have shown that bacteria associated with soils under a carcass change significantly both temporally and spatially. These studies were done in both laboratory and field conditions, but with limited replications. In addition, limited information exists on temporal and spatial changes in eukaryotic community structure associated with soil under decomposing remains. This study was designed to fill in these gaps and expand on previous studies to improve postmortem interval (PMI) estimation techniques as well as to identify cadaver decomposition islands (CDI) based on eukaryotic community structure associated with soil under vertebrate remains. To accomplish this goal, soil samples were …

Global Energy Poverty: The Relevance Of Faith And Reason, Lakshman Guruswamy

Publications

The challenge of energy poverty (EP) primarily confronts the least developed countries (LDCs) of the world, located in Africa and Asia, but is also prevalent within segments of more advanced developing countries in Asia. This article will first delineate the nature of global energy poverty that results in the premature deaths of millions of people and leads to pervasive sickness among many more millions. The article will next sketch the legal and political responses to this problem that have generally applied principles of sustainable development (SD) and the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2015 adopted by the General Assembly …

Blue Dye Degradation In An Aqueous Medium By A Combined Photocatalytic Andbacterial Biodegradation Process, Gabriela Perez Osorio, Flor Del Rocio Hernandez Gomez, Janette Arriola Morales, Maribel Castillo Morales, Jose Carlos Mendoza Hernandez

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

This paper aimed at implementing a treatment system for polluted water with textile dyes, starting with a photocatalytic decomposition process using sunlight as a source of energy and continuing with a bacterial biodegradation process, in order to reach degradation percentages higher than those obtained using only one of the processes mentioned above. When water treatment with the dye in the combined system was over, an acute ecotoxicity test was performed to make sure that toxic metabolites were not produced due to biodegradation. Solophenyl Blue azoic dye, and Erionyl Blue and Terasil Blue anthraquinone dye-colored solutions were treated with the Pd/Al$_{80}$ …

Selective Modifications At The Different Positions Of Cyclodextrins: A Review Of Strategies, Jia Yue Liu, Xiao Zhang, Bingren Tian

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are natural, nontoxic, and biodegradable macrocyclic oligosaccharides. As supramolecular hosts, CDs have numerous applications in many aspects. However, nonsubstituted CDs have the disadvantages of solubility, unspecific recognition sites, and weak interactions with guest molecules. Therefore, new CD-based derivatives are successfully designed, synthesized, and widely used in various fields. This contribution outlines the research progress in CD derivatives. In particular, this review emphasizes the synthesis and application of CDs modified through functionalization in definite positions, random substitution, and reconstruction of the skeleton. At the end of this review, a summary and future directions are presented.

Bioreduction: The Biological Activity, Characterization, And Synthesis Of Silver Nanoparticles, Nesri̇n Korkmaz

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Today, nanoparticles are effectively used in different areas. Initially, physical and chemical methods were used in the synthesis of nanoparticles. Biosynthesis (green synthesis) has emerged as an alternative to overcome the toxic effects of chemically synthesized nanoparticles. In this study, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with the leaf extract of Anthurium andraeanum was performed. UV-Vis spectrophotometry, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and XRD were applied to characterize the biosynthesized nanoparticles. As a result of the characterization, the spectra showed that a spectrum at a wavelength of about 419 nm and a spherical size of 38 nm nanoparticles was formed. Antibacterial …

The Single Nucleotide Ss-Arrestin2 Variant, A248t, Resembles Dynamical Properties Of Activated Arrestin, Özge Şensoy

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

ß-arrestins are responsible for termination of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated signaling. Association of single nucleotide variants with onset of crucial diseases has made this protein family hot targets in the field of GPCR-mediated pharmacology. However, impact of these mutations on function of these variants has remained elusive. In this study, structural and dynamical properties of one of ß-arrestin2 (arrestin 3) variants, A248T, which has been identified in some cancer tissue samples, were investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that the variant underwent structural rearrangements which are seen in crystal structures of active arrestin. Specifically, the "short helix" unravels …

Design Of An Amphiphilic Hyperbranched Core/Shell-Type Polymeric Nanocarrier Platform For Drug Delivery, Ayça Bal Öztürk, Nesri̇n Oğuz, Hande Tekarslan Şahi̇n, Serkan Emi̇k, Emi̇ne Alarçi̇n

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

An amphiphilic core/shell-type polymer-based drug carrier system (HPAE- PCL-b-MPEG), composed of hyperbranched poly(aminoester)-based polymer (HPAE) as the core building block and poly(ethylene glycol)-bpoly(ε-caprolactone) diblock polymers (MPEG-b-PCL) as the shell building block, was designed. The synthesized polymers were characterized with FTIR, $^{1}$H NMR, $^{13}$C NMR, and GPC analysis. Monodisperse HPAE-PCL-bMPEG nanoparticles with dimensions of

Arene Diazonium Saccharin Intermediates: A Greener And Cost-Effective Alternative Method For The Preparation Of Aryl Iodide, Lia Zaharani, Nader Ghaffari Khaligh, Zohreh Shahnavaz, Mohd Rafie Johan

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In the current protocol, the arene diazonium saccharin derivatives were initially produced from various substituted aromatic amines; subsequently, these intermediates were treated with a greener organic iodide for the preparation of the aryl iodide. We tried to choose low-cost, commercially available, biodegradable, recoverable, ecofriendly, and safe reagents and solvents. The arene diazonium saccharin intermediates could be stored in the liquid phase into a refrigerator for a long time with no significant loss activity. The outstanding merits of the current protocol (a) included the partial recovering of saccharin and tetraethylammonium salt, (b) reduce the use of solvents and the reaction steps …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

No abstract provided.

An Anthracene Based Fluorescent Probe For The Selective And Sensitive Detection Of Chromium (Iii) Ions In An Aqueous Medium And Its Practical Application, Erman Karakuş

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

An anthracene based fluorescent probe, integrated with thiophene moiety, exhibited selective and sensitive detection of chromium (III) ions over other metal ions. Its synthesis was achieved by simple mixing of two commercially available compounds, 2-aminoanthracene, and 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde, in onestep without the needed complex purification process. The probe molecule (ANT-Th) offered exceptional features such as "turn-on" fluorescence response, low detection limit (0.4 μM), and fast response time (< 1 min) via C$=$N bond hydrolysis. Also, a simple test paper system was developed for the rapid detection of chromium (III) ions with the naked eye.

Modeling And Optimization Of Simultaneous Degradation Of Rhodamine B And Acid Red 14 Binary Solution By Homogeneous Fenton Reaction: A Chemometrics Approach, Nasrin Aliasgharlou, Morteza Bahram, Pezhman Zolfaghari, Naiemeh Mohseni

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

This study aimed to propose a mathematical method to investigate and optimize the simultaneous elimination process of multiple organic pollutants using the Fenton process. Hence, the treatment of rhodamine B (RB) and acid red 14 (AR14) dyes in their binary solution was studied. Multivariate curve resolution alternating least square (MCR-ALS), a novel chemometric method, was applied along with correlation constraints to resolute the UV-Vis spectrophotometric data, enabling quantification of investigated dyes despite a high spectral overlapping. Response surface methodology was adopted to assess the model and optimize individual and interactive effects of three independent factors (Fe$^{2+}$, H$_{2}$O$_{2}$ and initial pH) …

Dean's Research Newsletter, Winter 2020, Jerry L. Nadler

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Choice Orientation And Consensual Non-Monogamy On Relationship Quality, Meara Thombre

Theses and Dissertations

Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is a style of sexual or romantic relationship that consensually includes more than two people. Despite a notable prevalence of CNM relationships in the United States, there is relatively little research on this population. While previous research generally finds similar levels of relationship quality to that of monogamist relationships, those in CNM relationships experience notable stigma and are an understudied population. The current study used the Maximization Paradox (Dar-Nimrod, Rawn, Lehman, & Schwartz, 2009) to investigate whether individual differences in choice orientation might impact relationship quality differently in CNM and monogamist relationships. Specifically, it investigated whether maximizers, …

Home Range And Habitat Selection Of Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus) On Red Lake Indian Reservation And Surrounding Areas, June Levin

Theses and Dissertations

Every animal requires space where they can perform activities to survive and reproduce. For land animals, components of space use include area and habitat. Because most land animals are living on a human dominated landscape, understanding home range area and habitat needs is critical to their conservation. This is particularly relevant for threatened or endangered species such as the gray wolf (Canis lupus). The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimates home ranges and habitat use of wolves in northwestern Minnesota; however, a subset of this population lives within the bounds of Red Lake Indian Reservation, where The Red Lake Band …

Legal Lessons From A Very Fast Problem: Covid-19, Eric E. Johnson, Theodore Bailey

Faculty Articles

The course of a pandemic is as much a function of social structures as protein structures. Law is among the most important of these social structures, and it is among those most capable of the kind of rapid adaptation that is needed against an exponentially replicating virus. Thus, there is an urgent need to scrutinize the role of the law in impeding or supporting timely and effective measures to combat the great pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated malady, coronavirus disease 2019, better known as COVID-19. This Essay offers a look back on …

[Introduction To] Treating Black Women With Eating Disorders : A Clinician’S Guide, Charlynn Small, Mazella Fuller

Bookshelf

The first of its kind, this edited volume provides in-depth, culturally sensitive material intended for addressing the unique concerns of Black women with eating disorders in addition to comprehensive discussions and treatment guidelines for this population.

The contributing authors—all of whom are Black professionals providing direct care to Black women—offer a range of perspectives to help readers understand the whole experience of their Black female clients. This includes not only discussion of their clients’ physical health but also of their emotional lives and the ways in which the stresses of racism, discrimination, trauma, and adverse childhood experiences can contribute to …

Conference Program 2020, Sotl Commons Conference

SoTL Commons Conference

Conference Program

Machine Learning Assisted Gait Analysis For The Determination Of Handedness In Able-Bodied People, Hugh Gallagher

Dissertations

This study has investigated the potential application of machine learning for video analysis, with a view to creating a system which can determine a person’s hand laterality (handedness) from the way that they walk (their gait). To this end, the convolutional neural network model VGG16 underwent transfer learning in order to classify videos under two ‘activities’: “walking left-handed” and “walking right-handed”. This saw varying degrees of success across five transfer learning trained models: Everything – the entire dataset; FiftyFifty – the dataset with enough right-handed samples removed to produce a set with parity between activities; Female – only the female …

Identifying Online Sexual Predators Using Support Vector Machine, Yifan Li

Dissertations

A two-stage classification model is built in the research for online sexual predator identification. The first stage identifies the suspicious conversations that have predator participants. The second stage identifies the predators in suspicious conversations. Support vector machines are used with word and character n-grams, combined with behavioural features of the authors to train the final classifier. The unbalanced dataset is downsampled to test the performance of re-balancing an unbalanced dataset. An age group classification model is also constructed to test the feasibility of extracting the age profile of the authors, which can be used as features for classifier training. The …

Detection Of Pathological Hfo Using Supervised Machine Learning And Ieeg Data, Isabel L. Sicardi Rosell

Dissertations

Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder and it affects approxi mately 50 million people worldwide. One of the main characteristics of this disorder is the presence of recurrent seizures which tend to be controlled through medication. Nonetheless, 20% of the patients with this disorder are resistant to drug treatment meaning that they need to go through alternative procedures.

Investigating Effect Of Amount Of Augmented Data On Performance Of Convolutional Neural Network For Multiclass Image Classification, Shivam Khandelwal

Dissertations

This research project seeks to investigate the use of Image Data augmentation that generates synthetic data by adding distortions to original images, as a means of replacement to a large amount of real data used to train the Convolutional Neural Networks. The purpose of the research project is to assess the effectiveness of augmented data over the real data by comparing the performance of the model trained with various amounts of augmented training and validation data ratio. Deep learning tasks involving convolutional neural networks have difficulty in generalizing the models effectively for computer vision tasks when the training dataset is …

Statistics Used In The Nebraska Beef Cattle Report And Their Purpose

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Th e purpose of beef cattle and beef product research at UNL is to provide reference information that represents the various populations (cows, calves, heifers, feeders, carcasses, retail products, etc) of beef production. Obviously, the researcher cannot apply treatments to every member of a population; therefore he/she must sample the population. Th e use of statistics allows the researcher and readers of the Nebraska Beef Cattle Report the opportunity to evaluate separation of random (chance) occurrences and real biological effects of a treatment. Following is a brief description of the major statistics used in the beef report. For a more …