Digital Commons Network^™

A Naïve Population Of European Oyster Ostrea Edulis With Reduced Susceptibility To The Pathogen Bonamia Ostreae: Are S-Strategy Life Traits Providing Protection?, Sian Egerton, Sharon A. Lynch, Maria Prado-Alvarez, Grace Flannery, Elaine Brennan, Tristan Hugh-Jones, David Hugh-Jones, Sarah C. Culloty

Biology Faculty Publications

European populations of the native flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, have been heavily depleted by two protozoan parasites, Marteila refringens and Bonamia ostreae, with mortalities of up to 90% reported in naïve populations. However, in studies carried out over a ten-year period, researching the parasite-host relationship of B. ostreae and O. edulis in several age cohorts within a naïve O. edulis population from Loch Ryan (LR), Scotland, 1,364 specimens were challenged and only 64 (5%), across multiple testing protocols, screened positive for B. ostreae. This article presents a case for the development of S-strategy life traits in the LR population that …

Pathogens, Endosymbionts, And Blood-Meal Sources Of Host-Seeking Ticks In The Fast-Changing Maasai Mara Wildlife Ecosystem, Joseph Wang’Ang’A Oundo, Jandouwe Villinger, Maamun Jeneby, George Ong’Amo, Moses Yongo Otiende, Edward Edmond Makhulu, Ali Abdulahi Musa, Daniel Obado Ouso, Lillian Wambua

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The role of questing ticks in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR), an ecosystem with intensified human-wildlife-livestock interactions, remains poorly understood. We surveyed the diversity of questing ticks, their blood-meal hosts, and tick-borne pathogens to understand potential effects on human and livestock health. By flagging and hand-picking from vegetation in 25 localities, we collected 1,465 host-seeking ticks, mostly Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma species identified by morphology and molecular analysis. We used PCR with high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis and sequencing to identify Anaplasma, Babesia, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Theileria pathogens and blood-meal remnants in 231 tick …

Role Of Cyp2b In Unsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism, Obesity, And Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Melissa Heintz

All Dissertations

Obesity is closely linked to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the United States, and the most recent 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey recorded 42.4% of adults are obese. Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) play a primary role in phase I detoxification pathways, which in humans, includes over 90% of phase I-dependent metabolism of clinically used drugs, especially within CYP families 1-3. These enzymes also metabolize a vast number of environmental pollutants including industrial and agricultural chemicals, as well as endogenous compounds such as steroids, bile acids, and fatty acids. Hepatic …

Using Heparin-Coated Nanoparticles In The Treatment Of Neointimal Hyperplasia, Nardine M. Ghobrial

All Dissertations

The use of stents in the treatment of atherosclerosis leads to a potential risk of restenosis, caused by neointimal hyperplasia. Neointimal hyperplasia is mainly caused by an injury to the endothelial layer of the blood vessel followed by the proliferation of smooth muscle cells into the lumen of the blood vessel. To address this, we designed a magnetically-guided drug delivery system to locally deliver heparin to a stented artery. The nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and tested on relevant human cell lines.

The particles were non-toxic to human smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. They reduced the proliferation of the …

Bench-Top Electrochemical Crystal Growth: In-Situ Synthesis Of Extended Solids Containing Polyoxometalate Anions, Qiuying Zhang

All Dissertations

A set of proof-of-concept in-situ synthesis of polyoxometalate-containing compounds is presented in this dissertation showing that room-temperature electrochemical crystal growth is a promising technique for the exploratory synthesis of new materials with functional architectures. Most polyoxometalate(POM)-based crystalline materials, if not all, have been synthesized via conventional hydrothermal/solvothermal methods. However, the high temperature and pressure required by these methods proves destructive towards thermally sensitive POM anions, resulting in greater uncertainty of the synthesis of crystalline materials based upon these plenary POM structures. We have explored a new approach for the “bench-top” synthesis of POM-containing materials at ambient conditions by employing electrochemical …

Functional Attributes Of Post-Disturbance Regeneration In Puerto Rican Tropical Dry Forest, Tristan Alan Pierre Allerton

All Dissertations

The global extent of tropical dry forests has rapidly diminished in recent decades due to a variety of threats, largely from human activity. Efforts to restore these forests require understanding of the various modes of regeneration and how they are impacted across a range of disturbance-types. Studies of tropical forest recovery have traditionally neglected the concept of ‘persistence’ in favor of ‘recruitment’ and seedling dynamics. Increasingly, the role of resprouting as a form of persistence in stressful environments is recognized as an important factor that has implications for population turnover, minimizing disturbance impacts and reducing reliance on seeds. Using a …

Entomopathogenic Fungi As Endophytes For Biological Control Of Subterranean Termite Pests Attacking Cocoa Seedlings, Chaba F. Ambele, Sunday Ekesi, Hervé D.B. Bisseleua, Olubukola O. Babalola, Fathiya M. Khamis, Christian T.L. Djuideu, Komivi S. Akutse

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study was conducted in the scope of developing a sustainable effective approach against subterranean termite pests using entomopathogenic and endophytic fungus-based biopesticides. Termites, Odontotermes spp. workers, were tested for their susceptibility to 15 entomopathogenic fungal isolates through the direct spraying of conidia suspensions at 1 × 108 conidia/mL. In general, all the isolates screened were pathogenic, with 100% mortality 4–7 days post-inoculation. However, the most virulent isolates were Metarhizium brunneum Cb15-III; the M. anisopliae isolates ICIPE 30 and ICIPE 60; Hypocrea lixii F3ST1; and the Beauveria bassiana isolates ICIPE 279, ICIPE 706 and ICIPE 662. These isolates were further …

Data Processing Electronics For An Ultra-Fast Single-Photon Counting Camera, Jackson Hyde

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Localizing photon arrivals with high spatial (megapixel) and temporal (sub-nanosecond) resolution would be transformative for a number of applications, including single-molecule super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Here, the Data Processing Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is developed as an ultra-fast computational platform built on an FPGA for a microchannel plate (MCP)-photomultiplier tube (PMT) based single-photon counting camera. Each photon is converted by the MCP-PMT into an electron cloud that generates current pulses across a 50×50 cross-strip anode. The Data Processing FPGA executes a massively parallel center-of-gravity coordinate determination algorithm on the digitized current pulses to determine a 2D position and time of …

Data For "Consistent Differences In A Virtual World Model Of Ape Societies", Bart J. Wilson, Sarah F. Brosnan, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Crickette M. Sanz

Business and Economics Faculty Data Sets

The zip file contains the data for the paper entitled "Consistent Differences in a Virtual World Model of Ape Societies" which appears in Scientific Reports.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Clinical Supervision In The Care Coordination Workforce, Nadjete Natchaba

Education Doctoral

Clinical supervision is noted in other fields as instrumental to attaining better outcomes for people who receive care. This study which occurred in New York State during the COVID-19 pandemic, explored using the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS-26) alignments between the perceptions of care coordinators and care coordinators’ supervisors of the effectiveness of clinical supervision in the health home context, the impact of COVID-19 on clinical supervision sessions, increased remote care coordination, and best practices of clinical supervision in the health home. Findings revealed differences in perceptions of the effectiveness of clinical supervision and of the impact of COVID-19 on …

Invisible: A Phenomenological Study Of Perseverance In Black Student-Fathers In Community Colleges, Carl Lamont Stokes Jr.

Education Doctoral

This transcendental phenomenological study examined how Black fathers’ perception of their own and their father’s fatherhood impacts persistence in community college. This study interviewed six Black male community college students with children in New York State. The study posed three research questions: (1) How do Black male college students experience fatherhood (from a son’s perspective) facilitating or impeding community college completion? (2) How do Black male college students experience their fatherhood (from a father’s perspective) facilitating or impeding community college completion? and (3) In the experience of Black male college students, how do community colleges support Black students who are …

The Conservation Treatment And Technical Analysis Of A 20th Century Painting By Haitian Artist J.E. Gourgue, Melissa Amundsen

Art Conservation Master's Projects

This project describes the conservation treatment and technical analysis of a painting on Masonite with an unknown title by Haitian artist Jacques-Enguerrand Gourgue. Imaging and scientific analysis aided in the identification of the artist’s materials which informed the treatment of this fragile painting. Prior to treatment, the piece exhibited severe flaking, widespread losses, and loose paint fragments resting on the surface, requiring it to be stored horizontally. Following treatment, the painting is now in stable condition, can once again be exhibited vertically and is aesthetically suitable for display. Background research briefly discusses the artist’s background, affiliations, and imagery.

Symmetric Inverse Consistent Nonlinear Registration Driven By Mutual Information, Wen Fury, Keun Woo Park, Zhuhao Wu, Eunhee Kim, Moon-Sook Woo, Yu Bai, Lynn E Macdonald, Susan D Croll, Sunghee Cho

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke is a major cause of chronic neurological disability. There is considerable interest in understanding how acute transcriptome changes evolve into subacute and chronic patterns that facilitate or limit spontaneous recovery. Here we mapped longitudinal changes in gene expression at multiple time points after stroke in mice out to 6 months.

METHODS: Adult C57BL/6 mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Longitudinal transcriptome levels were measured at 10 time points after stroke from acute to recovery phases of ischemic stroke. Localization and the number of mononuclear phagocytes were determined in the postischemic brain. Whole-mount brain …

The Kinetic Study Of Dpt Using Mathematica As An Efficient Optimization Tool, M. H. El Dewaik, Mamdouh Gadalla, M. A. Radwan, M. A. Sadek, Hany A. Elazab

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Mathematica is a powerful program for computing both numeric and algebraic calculations as well as graphing two- and three-dimensional curves and surfaces. It is used increasingly in many fields of science now such as physics, engineering, chemistry and even biology because of the fast interaction of mathematics with almost the fields of science nowadays. Synthesis of Cyclotetramethylene Tetramine through the action of nitrating mixture formed of ammonium nitrate and fuming nitric acid on hexamine in presence of acetic acid, acetic anhydride and p-formaldehyde has been proven. The pathway is relatively long and Hexamine Dinitrate and Dinitro Pentamethylene Tetramine (DPT) are …

Tropical Understory Herbaceous Community Responds More Strongly To Hurricane Disturbance Than To Experimental Warming, Deborah K. Kennard, David Matlaga, Joanne Sharpe, Clay King, Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez, Sasha C. Reed, Molly A. Cavaleri, Tana E. Wood

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The effects of climate change on tropical forests may have global consequences due to the forests’ high biodiversity and major role in the global carbon cycle. In this study, we document the effects of experimental warming on the abundance and composition of a tropical forest floor herbaceous plant community in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. This study was conducted within Tropical Responses to Altered Climate Experiment (TRACE) plots, which use infrared heaters under free-air, open-field conditions, to warm understory vegetation and soils + 4°C above nearby control plots. Hurricanes …

Multiple Fgf4 Retrocopies Recently Derived Within Canids, Kevin Batcher, Peter Dickinson, Kimberly Maciejczyk, Kristin Brzeski, Sheida Hadji Rasouliha, Anna Letko, Cord Drögemüller, Tosso Leeb, Danika Bannasch

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Two transcribed retrocopies of the fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) gene have previously been described in the domestic dog. An FGF4 retrocopy on chr18 is associated with disproportionate dwarfism, while an FGF4 retrocopy on chr12 is associated with both disproportionate dwarfism and intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). In this study, whole-genome sequencing data were queried to identify other FGF4 retrocopies that could be contributing to phenotypic diversity in canids. Additionally, dogs with surgically confirmed IVDD were assayed for novel FGF4 retrocopies. Five additional and distinct FGF4 retrocopies were identified in canids including a copy unique to red wolves (Canis rufus). The …

Predictive Insights For Improving The Resilience Of Global Food Security Using Artificial Intelligence, Meng Leong How, Yong Jiet Chan, Sin Mei Cheah

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Unabated pressures on food systems affect food security on a global scale. A human-centric artificial intelligence-based probabilistic approach is used in this paper to perform a unified analysis of data from the Global Food Security Index (GFSI). The significance of this intuitive probabilistic reasoning approach for predictive forecasting lies in its simplicity and user-friendliness to people who may not be trained in classical computer science or in software programming. In this approach, predictive modeling using a counterfactual probabilistic reasoning analysis of the GFSI dataset can be utilized to reveal the interplay and tensions between the variables that underlie food affordability, …

Chronic Pain, Sleep Disruption, And Work Performance In The Military, Jeffrey Ransom

Dissertations

Abstract

Background and Significance: Managing pain is a challenge for many organizations, including the U.S. military. The added complication of managing sleep disruption compounds the issue. Examining pain and sleep disruption in the context of work performance within the military is critical to understanding the impact of these conditions on our nation’s fighting forces.

Purpose: Examine the associations of chronic pain and sleep disruption in the context of work performance among active duty military service members.

Research Aims: 1) Describe sociodemographic characteristics, military service characteristics, clinical characteristics, and work performance of active duty service members, 2) Examine relationships between these …

Plant Diversity And Nitrogen Addition On Belowground Biodiversity And Soil Organic Carbon Storage In Biofuel Cropping Systems, Jennifer Butt

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Bioenergy production may reduce the emission of CO₂ which contributes to climate change, particularly when management strategies are adopted that promote soil carbon (C) sequestration in bioenergy cropping systems. Planting perennial native grasses, such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) may be used as a strategy to enhance soil C accumulation owing to their extensive root systems. Fertilizer use may further promote soil C sequestration, because of its positive impacts on plant production and soil C input. However,, the influence of fertilizer addition on soil C accumulation is variable across bioenergy cropping …

Patterns And Drivers In Counts Of Migratory Raptors At Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Usa, Patricia Kaye Tahura Dumandan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the mechanisms driving biodiversity patterns amidst an era of global environmental change is the core of modern ecological research. The magnitude of biodiversity losses associated with anthropogenic activities has prompted resource managers and ecologists alike to identify strategies to address conservation issues. Broadly, two types of approaches are employed to answer ecological research questions: 1) single-species and 2) ecosystem-based approach. Single-species approaches are often useful to elucidate mechanisms driving population trajectories of individual species. On the other hand, ecosystem-based approaches can help in identifying general patterns that may be useful for multi-species management.

Here, I used both approaches in …

No Dogs Allowed: A Qualitative Study About Invisible Barriers Faced By Those With Disability, Kory Gaona

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Service Animals (S.As.) are becoming more common throughout the United States and are seen more frequently on college campuses. This study uncovers the lived experiences of S.A. handlers on college campuses nationwide, to further understand the exclusion or inclusion that S.A. handlers experience throughout their everyday life. Utilizing Critical Disability Theory and Organizational Communication lenses through a series of open-ended questions, this study analyzes a handler’s experience with their S.A. Adopting a qualitative lens, I conducted one on one interviews. It filled a need for academia as present research on S.As. typically focuses on quantitative research. I was able to …

Movements Of White-Headed And White-Backed Vultures, Teague K. Scott

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vultures are the only obligate vertebrate scavengers, and as such provide crucial services as keystone species and support the health and function of ecosystems in which they live. African vultures are a diverse group, with nine species found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, many with overlapping distributions. Unfortunately, African vultures are faced with numerous threats throughout their range that have led to significant population declines, some greater than 90%, in only three generations. Four of these species are currently listed as critically endangered, and three as endangered.

Despite the significant perils faced by African vultures, there are still significant knowledge gaps and, …

In Vitro Regeneration, Rooting, And Cloning Of Artemisia Tridentata, Rachael Barron

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush) is an ecologically important shrub found in western North America. In vitro techniques can be applied to big sagebrush for the purpose of studying gene function, genotypic and phenotypic plasticity studies, cloning, genotypic preservation, and restoration. I performed experiments to develop an indirect organogenesis protocol to regenerate whole Wyoming big sagebrush plants from leaf explants. Callus formation frequency was 88% (±4.0%) in leaf explants cultured on medium containing 0.5 mg/l BAP and 1.0 mg/l NAA. Shoot formation frequency was variable between replicates and was the highest when callus tissue was cultured on medium containing 1.5 mg/l …

Dermatology Journals And The Impact Factor, Lawrence Charles Parish, W Clark Lambert

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

The noted informatics authority, Eugene Garfield (1925-2017), while working at the Johns Hopkins Medical Library, decided to assist medical librarians in selecting the publications to which they should subscribe. Not only at issue was the expense of subscribing and binding the periodicals, but there was also the physical space for shelving them. This was the birth of the Science Citation Index (SCI), the Impact Factor (IF), and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)in Philidelphia.

The role of the SCI has expanded over the years. Libraries may still continue to select journals on the basis of their IF, with many institutions …

Eco-Driving Systems For Connected Automated Vehicles: Multi-Objective Trajectory Optimization, Ke Huang, Xianfeng Yang

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study aims to leverage advances in connected automated vehicle (CAV) technology to design an eco-driving and platooning system that can improve the fuel and operational efficiency of vehicles during freeway driving. Following a two-stage control logic, the proposed algorithm optimizes CAVs’ trajectories with three objectives: travel time minimization, fuel consumption minimization, and traffic safety improvement. The first stage, designed for CAV trajectory planning, is carried out with two optimization models. The second stage, for real-time control purposes, is developed to ensure the operational safety of CAVs. Based on extensive numerical simulations, the results have confirmed the effectiveness of the …

Performance Testing Of Hot Mix Asphalt Containing Biochar, Shadi Saadeh, Yazan Al-Zubi, Basel Zaatarah

Mineta Transportation Institute

In recent years, researchers have been able to identify asphalt binder additives, such as polymers and bio-binder, that can enhance the rheological and mechanical properties of asphalt binders. Earlier studies show that utilizing bio-binder as a partial replacement for asphalt binder has shown promising results in both mechanical and sustainability aspects. Biochar additions improved binder viscosity and low-temperature characteristics. Biochar, which is a byproduct of producing bio-binder, has shown enhanced rheological and mechanical properties when used as an additive to the asphalt binder. In this study, the mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures containing Biochar were investigated. In addition, its color …

Implicit Bias And Voluntarily Childfree Adults, Virginia Elizabeth Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study aimed to determine if there is a negative bias towards voluntarily childfree adults or an association of negative views and attitudes with voluntarily childfree adults, controlling for other participant characteristics such as race, religion, or sexual orientation. At this stage in the research, voluntarily childfree adults are generally defined as legal adults who have the intention to remain childfree for the rest of their lives, due to reasons other than fertility issues. A negative view or bias is defined as any attitude which is not a desirable interpretation of behavior or lifestyle. A negative bias against voluntarily …

Student Perceptions Of Their Undergraduate Science Laboratories, Eva N. Nyutu

Dissertations

The science laboratory learning environment has been a distinctive area in science education since the 19th century. The science laboratory environment has been examined extensively at the high school level using the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI). There are, however, very few studies about the science laboratory environment done at the college level. An instrument that may be helpful for college instructors is one that assesses the degree to which students perceive the laboratory as intended by their science instructors. An examination of the literature indicated that there are no validated and reliable instruments for measuring student perceptions of what …

The Assessment Of Co2 Exposures, Workload Demands, And Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk On Heart Rate For Select Craft Brewery Job Tasks, David L. Huizen

Dissertations

Americans have embraced craft beer, and the ensuing demand has resulted in an ever-increasing number of craft breweries opening over the past 20 years. Craft brewers are generally small employers and, as such, lack the resources necessary to address the safety and health of their employees adequately. Brewers face many safety and health hazards in their work environment. These hazards include exposures to carbon dioxide (CO₂), workload demand, and MSD risk. It is essential to evaluate these hazards in craft breweries as they handle carbon dioxide (CO₂) differently than large breweries by having the CO_{2 …}

Can A Brief Online Intervention Change Low-Income Caregivers’ Reported Use Of Spanking? A Randomized Controlled Trial, Hilary L. Richardson

Dissertations

Spanking is commonly used by parents (64-94%) in the United States as a strategy for managing undesirable child behaviors. Research has found that the use of spanking is particularly high among young mothers, low-income parents, and African American families. Decades of literature on the use of spanking has identified abundant detrimental outcomes for children such as increased externalizing behaviors, decreased long-term compliance, and less guilt following misbehavior, as well as serious outcomes in adulthood such as depressed mood and alcohol/drug use. There is also a risk for spanking to escalate to physical abuse. Thus, safer, more effective discipline strategies are …