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Intralocus Sexual Conflict Over Optimal Nutrient Intake And The Evolution Of Sex Differences In Life Span And Reproduction, Michael Hawkes, Sarah M. Lane, Scott K. Sakaluk, John Hunt, Clarissa M. House, Kim Jensen, James Rapkin

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

1. Despite widespread variation in life span across species, three clear patterns exist: sex differences in life span are ubiquitous, life span is commonly traded against reproduction, and nutrition has a major influence on these traits and how they trade-off. One process that potentially unites these patterns is intralocus sexual conflict over the optimal intake of nutrients for life span and reproduction. If nutrient intake has sex-specific effects on life span and reproduction but nutrient choice is genetically linked across the sexes, intralocus sexual conflict will occur and may prevent one or both sexes from feeding to their nutritional optima.
2. Here …

Investigating The Behavioral And Social Context Of Sound In The Surface Foraging Strategies Of Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Sarah Weiss

Theses - ALL

Humpback whales are known for the plastic and variable nature of their acoustic communication, social interactions, and foraging behaviors. Distinct foraging strategies are used to capture different prey types at the surface and on the seafloor. Sounds produced during foraging are thought to facilitate intraspecific social communication. Previous studies have identified specific sound types produced by humpbacks associated exclusively with benthic foraging strategies, suggesting functions related to foraging behavior. In this study, we use suction cup acoustic tags (DTAGs) deployed on humpbacks in the western North Atlantic from 2006-2009 to investigate the social sound production associated with surface foraging ecology, …

Exploring The Therapeutic Effect Of Children's Picture Books, Yunfan Chen

Theses - ALL

This thesis discusses the phenomenon of left-behind children in China amid the country's urbanization, revealing the psychological state of these children in the countryside.

In this thesis, some psychological research sources have proven how picture books relieve children's emotions and attain therapeutic effects on children's psychology. Then, this thesis analyzes two examples of children's books depicting how picture books help children to manage their negative feelings and having a therapeutic effect on the child.

This thesis claims that bibliotherapy through children's independent reading of books can effectively alleviate left-behind children's negative emotions.

Ending Christian Hegemony: Jean-Luc Nancy And The Ends Of Eurocentric Thought, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay addresses Jean-Luc Nancy’s “deconstruction of Christianity” and how what Christianity proclaims through enacting a deconstruction of itself brings an end to the western, hegemonic hold that Christian imperialism has perpetuated for centuries. Nancy, for his part, takes up the name of Christianity insofar as it is a religious phenomenon that signals a trajectory of thought in the West that must be discerned as providing an “exit from religion and of the expansion of the atheist world.” Since deconstructing the dominant narratives of the West means deconstructing the myth of a sovereign, autonomous deity whose reign, Nancy declares, has …

Platelet Micrornas Inhibit Primary Tumor Growth Via Broad Modulation Of Tumor Cell Mrna Expression In Ectopic Pancreatic Cancer In Mice, Jeremy G.T. Wurtzel, Sophia Lazar, Sonali Sikder, Kathy Q Cai, Igor Astsaturov, Andrew S Weyrich, Jesse W Rowley, Lawrence E. Goldfinger

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

We investigated the contributions of platelet microRNAs (miRNAs) to the rate of growth and regulation of gene expression in primary ectopic tumors using mouse models. We previously identified an inhibitory role for platelets in solid tumor growth, mediated by tumor infiltration of platelet microvesicles (microparticles) which are enriched in platelet-derived miRNAs. To investigate the specific roles of platelet miRNAs in tumor growth models, we implanted pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells as a bolus into mice with megakaryocyte-/platelet-specific depletion of mature miRNAs. We observed an ~50% increase in the rate of growth of ectopic primary tumors in these mice compared to controls …

Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilization On The Production Of Panicum Maximum Cv. Ipr 86 Under Grazing, S. M. B. Lugão, L. R. De A. Rodrigues, E. B. Malheiros, J. J. Dos S. Abrahão, A. De Morais

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station of Paranavaí/IAPAR-PR-Brazil, from October 1998 to May 1999, to evaluate the effects of N fertilization on Panicum maximum cv. IPR 86 pastures. Four doses of N (0; 150; 300; and 450 kg.ha^-1.year^-1) were applied to pastures under rotational grazing with grazing cycles (GCs) of 40 days (5 days-grazing and 35 days-rest). It was used a randomized complete block design, with split-plots, and two replications per treatment, being the N-doses studied in the main plots and the GCs in the sub-plots. In all GCs the variables dry matter of …

Positive Leadership Theory For Online Dissertation Mentoring, Lee Stadtlander

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

A number of theoretical models have been suggested for how to mentor doctoral students. However, they tend to rely on hierarchical and authoritarian relationships between the faculty and students. Such models tend to create dependency and fear of the faculty, resulting in a reluctance in coming to the mentor for guidance. Such models do not tend to work well with online adult doctoral students with jobs and families. This paper proposes a model of positive leadership for online doctoral mentors, where mentors are accessible and create an environment where success is assumed and social support is provided by both the …

Agricultural Support For The Old Colony Mennonites Of Belize: A Collaborative Effort Between North American Old Order Mennonites And A Cornell Extension Educator, Judson Reid

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The Old Colony Mennonites of Belize practice a conservative form of Anabaptism where technology, dress and lifestyle choices are informed by church standards. Members live in a spatially contiguous Colony, which creates land pressure over time as population increases. The development of new Colonies is necessary for the Mennonites to participate in agricultural livelihoods. The Indian Creek Colony of Belize has experienced agricultural and economic hardships since its inception in the 1989 due to land costs, crop failures and debt structure. Old Order Mennonites of North America developed an outreach effort to assist with on-farm production of vegetable crops to …

Penn State Extension Services And Plain People: An Inside Perspective On A Trust-Based Relationship, Phillip Martin

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This perspective on Penn State Extension Services and plain people is based on my personal experiences as a plain person, in which I interacted with Extension Services first as a farmer, and then (while working on a doctorate) as a part of the Extension system. Penn State Extension started over a century ago and was deliberate in reaching out to plain (conservative Anabaptist) farmers since the beginning, which led to a history of trust-based cooperation. For all these successes there remain challenges to effective cooperation with certain plain individuals and subgroups. I suggest these challenges are broadly similar to those …

Hotline Number To Reach And Offer Agricultural Information To Plain Anabaptists During The Covid-19 Workplace Closures, Emily Shoop, Carly Becker, Nathan Glenn Briggs, Danielle Smarsh

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The Penn State Extension Animal Systems Team developed a toll-free hotline phone number to convey short educational messages to maintain contact and outreach to Pennsylvania’s animal producing Amish, Mennonite, and other plain Anabaptist populations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State Extension’s programming went largely online via webinars, online courses, and emails. This change in programming excluded a large sector of Pennsylvania farmers who do not use or have access to the internet and, as such, were liable to miss important best management practice reviews and timely updates in animal agriculture. The Animal Systems Hotline offered callers the choice to listen …

Effective Communication And Programming When Working With Amish Farmers: Reflections From A Wisconsin Agriculture Educator, Vance Haugen

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The author, an agricultural educator who worked with the Amish in Wisconsin for over 30 years, discusses his outreach efforts, which have been focused on managed grazing, a method well suited to Amish producers. Managed grazing offers agronomic, economic, and ecological benefits. A key educational tool for communicating managed grazing practices is the pasture walk, and the author relates lessons learned from these events. The communal nature and focus on farmer-to-farmer information exchange is well received by Amish producers. It is helpful if pasture walk scheduling is done well in advance and is focused on farmer-based problems with farmer-based solutions …

Farm Food Safety Training For Amish Produce Growers Covered Under The Food Safety Modernization Act (Fsma), Luke Laborde, Jeffrey Stoltzfus, Kaila Thorn

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Commercial production of fruits and vegetables on Amish farms provides significant amounts of fresh produce that are regionally distributed through wholesale markets. In response to several multi-state foodborne disease outbreaks linked to contamination of fresh produce, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated farm food safety standards that most commercial produce growers must implement. Although there have been no foodborne disease outbreaks attributed to fresh produce grown on Amish farms, this regulation poses regulatory challenges for those who sell produce at wholesale produce auctions, cooperatives, and distribution warehouses. This article describes recent farm food safety standards issued by the …

Performing Amish Agrarianism: Negotiating Tradition In The Maintenance Of Pennsylvania Dairy Farms, Nicole Welk-Joerger

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Amish people have a reputation for being ecologically and environmentally conscientious. As numerous scholars in Amish and Plain Anabaptist studies have demonstrated, Amish views of the environment are diverse and ultimately anchored in the understanding that God made nature for human use. In these cases, Amish views of the environment could be described as much more anchored in traditional philosophical notions of “agrarianism” than “environmentalism.” In this article, I explore how some Amish approach agrarianism with a turn from more traditional farm life toward necessary economic engagement with multi-faceted operations and diversification. Based on intensive ethnographic research and participant observation, …

Caring For The Land And The Livestock: Anabaptist Agricultural Practices In Europe And Colonial Pennsylvania, Rebecca Shenton

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Anabaptists have a strong history of agricultural innovation and care for the land. Their innovative spirit was forged out of persecution, migration, and the need to survive in challenging circumstances. This article examines the agricultural practices of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Swiss and South German Anabaptist farmers and those of eighteenth-century Anabaptist immigrants to Pennsylvania. European Anabaptist tenant farmers distinguished themselves by their family-centered mixed agriculture and their investment in both the land (using manure, lime, gypsum, and crop rotation to improve the soil) and livestock (improving natural meadows and planting pastures for fodder, maintaining clean barns, practicing confinement feeding, and …

Manila’S Black Nazarene And The Reign Of Bathala, Antonio D. Sison

Journal of Global Catholicism

A consideration of how the dynamics surrounding Manila's Black Nazarene express crucial themes in the Filipino psyche. The article specifically addresses the importance of "felt-experience" (pagdama) in devotion to the Black Nazarene as well as its connections to indigenous Filipino religion.

Catholicism In Context: Religious Practice In Latin America, Gustavo Morello Sj

Journal of Global Catholicism

A critical problem to study Catholicism in the context of Latin American modernity, is that the conceptual tools we use to study religion were designed to understand the transformations that modernity provoked in European religiosity. Studies on the religion of Latin Americans have largely explored the religiosity of the population through surveys that measure attendance, adherence and affiliation. While some anthropologists have explored religious practices among particular groups, we do not know how ordinary, urban Latin Americans practice religion. To fill this gap, a group of researchers from Boston College, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Catholic University of Córdoba, and …

The Relevance Of The Five New Laws Of Librarianship To The Development Of Mosque Libraries In Indonesia, Ahmad Amir Aziz

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In today's world of information technology disruption, library science must adapt quickly and accurately. The true library will always play an important role as a center of knowledge, including the mosque library, which is a distinct type of library because the majority of its collections are religious in nature. This article intends to discuss the New Five Laws of Librarianship as proposed by Michael Gorman, who revised the Ranganathan concept. The concept will be tested to determine its applicability to the design of the mosque library development, which is tasked with providing services to the surrounding Muslim community. Gorman's principle …

Induction Of Il19 Expression Through Jnk And Cgas-Sting Modulates Dna Damage–Induced Cytokine Production, Sara H. Small, E. Jessica Tang, Ryan L. Ragland, Yaroslava Ruzankina, David W. Schoppy, Rahul S. Mandal, M. Rebecca Glineburg, Zgjim Ustelenca, Daniel J. Powell, Fiona Simpkins, F. Bradley Johnson, Eric J. Brown

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Cytokine production is a critical component of cell-extrinsic responses to DNA damage and cellular senescence. Here, we demonstrated that expression of the gene encoding interleukin-19 (IL-19) was enhanced by DNA damage through pathways mediated by c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) and cGAS-STING and that IL19 expression was required for the subsequent production of the cytokines IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8. IL19 expression was stimulated by diverse cellular stresses, including inhibition of the DNA replication checkpoint kinase ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein), oncogene expression, replicative exhaustion, oxidative stress, and DNA double-strand breaks. Unlike the production of IL-6 and IL-8, IL19 expression was …

Late-Life Exercise Mitigates Skeletal Muscle Epigenetic Aging, Kevin A. Murach, Andrea L. Dimet-Wiley, Yuan Wen, Camille R. Brightwell, Christine M. Latham, Cory M. Dungan, Christopher S. Fry, Stanley J. Watowich

Center for Muscle Biology Faculty Publications

There are functional benefits to exercise in muscle, even when performed late in life, but the contributions of epigenetic factors to late-life exercise adaptation are poorly defined. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS), ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondrial-specific examination of methylation, targeted high-resolution methylation analysis, and DNAge™ epigenetic aging clock analysis with a translatable model of voluntary murine endurance/resistance exercise training (progressive weighted wheel running, PoWeR), we provide evidence that exercise may mitigate epigenetic aging in skeletal muscle. Late-life PoWeR from 22–24 months of age modestly but significantly attenuates an age-associated shift toward promoter hypermethylation. The epigenetic age of muscle …

Unravelling Rubber Tree Growth By Integrating Gwas And Biological Network-Based Approaches, Felipe Roberto Francisco, Alexandre Hild Aono, Carla Cristina Da Silva, Paulo S. Gonçalves, Erivaldo J. Scaloppi Junior, Vincent Le Guen, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Livia Moura Souza, Anete Pereira De Souza

Faculty Publications

Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) is a large tree species of the Euphorbiaceae family with inestimable economic importance. Rubber tree breeding programs currently aim to improve growth and production, and the use of early genotype selection technologies can accelerate such processes, mainly with the incorporation of genomic tools, such as marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, few quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been used successfully in MAS for complex characteristics. Recent research shows the efficiency of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for locating QTL regions in different populations. In this way, the integration of GWAS, RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) methodologies, coexpression networks and enzyme networks can …

Plastic, Pollution, Art, And The Caribbean, Celine Collazo

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of a growing ocean pollution problem can be seen on the trash-filled shores of Caribbean beaches. Through a contextualization of the work of three artists, Tony Capellán, Radamés ‘Juni’ Figueroa, and Alejandro Durán, this paper discusses the cause and effects of such detritus, and possibilities for change.

Recombinant Human Proteoglycan 4 Regulates Phagocytic Activation Of Monocytes And Reduces Il-1Β Secretion By Urate Crystal Stimulated Gout Pbmcs, Sandy Elsayed, Gregory D. Jay, Ralph Cabezas, Marwa Qadri, Tannin A. Schmidt, Khaled A. Elsaid

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives

To compare phagocytic activities of monocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from acute gout patients and normal subjects, examine monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystal-induced IL-1β secretion ± recombinant human proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) or interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), and study the anti-inflammatory mechanism of rhPRG4 in MSU stimulated monocytes.

Methods

Acute gout PBMCs were collected from patients in the Emergency Department and normal PBMCs were obtained from a commercial source. Monocytes in PBMCs were identified by flow cytometry. PBMCs were primed with Pam3CSK4 (1μg/mL) for 24h and phagocytic activation of monocytes was determined using fluorescently labeled latex beads. MSU …

Marker-Less Motion Capture System Using Openpose, Bin Feng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Motion capture systems are widely used for measuring athletic performance and as a diagnostic tool in sports medicine. Standard motion capture systems record body movement using: (1) a set of cameras to localize body segments; or (2) specialized suits in which inertial measurement units are directly attached to body segments. Major drawbacks of these systems are limited portability, affordability, and accessibility. This contribution presents a markerless motion capture system using a commercially available sports camera and the OpenPose human pose estimation algorithm. We have validated the proposed markerless system by analyzing the human biometrics during running and jumping movements. The …

Rotavirus Nsp1 Contributes To Intestinal Viral Replication, Pathogenesis, And Transmission, Gaopeng Hou, Qiru Zeng, Jelle Matthijnssens, Harry B Greenberg, Siyuan Ding

Open Access Publications

Rotavirus (RV)-encoded nonstructural protein 1 (NSP1), the product of gene segment 5, effectively antagonizes host interferon (IFN) signaling via multiple mechanisms. Recent studies with the newly established RV reverse genetics system indicate that NSP1 is not essential for the replication of the simian RV SA11 strain in cell culture. However, the role of NSP1 in RV infection

Book Review: Scorched Earth: Environmental Warfare As A Crime Against Humanity And Nature, Jeremy Ritzer

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The subtitle of Emmanuel Kreike’s Scorched Earth foreshadows the goal of this impressive and comprehensive contribution to the field. His goal is to chip away at the Nature-Culture dichotomy that he argues drives, and limits, much of the analysis that is produced of historical, and modern, warfare. Kreike uses the concept of environcide, which he defines as “intentionally or unintentionally damaging, destroying, or rendering inaccessible environmental infrastructure”, and argues that the traditional assumptions about nature and culture in the study of warfare obscure the importance of the natural world in determining who lives and who dies. For the field of …

Adipose-Specific Pparα Knockout Mice Have Increased Lipogenesis By Pask–Srebp1 Signaling And A Polarity Shift To Inflammatory Macrophages In White Adipose Tissue, Terry D. Hinds, Jr., Zachary A. Kipp, Mei Xu, Frederique B. Yiannikouris, Andrew J. Morris, Donald F. Stec, Walter Wahli, David E. Stec

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The nuclear receptor PPARα is associated with reducing adiposity, especially in the liver, where it transactivates genes for β-oxidation. Contrarily, the function of PPARα in extrahepatic tissues is less known. Therefore, we established the first adipose-specific PPARα knockout (Ppara^FatKO) mice to determine the signaling position of PPARα in adipose tissue expansion that occurs during the development of obesity. To assess the function of PPARα in adiposity, female and male mice were placed on a high-fat diet (HFD) or normal chow for 30 weeks. Only the male Ppara^FatKO animals had significantly more adiposity in the inguinal white …

An Instructional Guide To Environmental Campaigns For K-12 Schools, Erin Mccarty

University Honors Theses

Evidence suggests environmental education can correlate with both short- and long-term behavioral changes, but existing research on the effectiveness of popular environmental education tactics show mixed results. Qualitative research was used in this study to assess student engagement and behavioral change within the context of environmental education campaigns. Ideally, students exposed to environmental campaigns become more informed on environmental issues and adjust their behavior to align with the campaign’s objectives. However, only a portion of environmental campaigns have these desired effects on their students. Based on a preliminary literature review, I anticipated the defining catalyst on post-campaign behavioral engagement would …

A Next Generation Sequencing-Based Protocol For Screening Of Variants Of Concern In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jie Huang, Jun Liu, Ruiyi Tian, Kevin Liu, Patrick Zhuang, Hannah Tayla Sherman, Christoph Budjan, Michelle Fong, Min-Seo Jeong, Xue-Jun Kong

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with strong genetic influences. There is an increasing demand for ASD genetic testing beyond the traditionally recommended microarray and syndromic autism testing; however, the current whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES) methods are lacking an academic standard for WGS variant annotation, reporting, and interpretation, tailored towards patients with ASD and offer very limited interpretation for clinical significance. Using WGS data from six family trios, we demonstrate the clinical feasibility and technical implementation of an evidence-based, fully transparent bioinformatics pipeline and report framework for an ASD-focused WGS genetic report. We …

A Visually Realistic Simulator For Autonomous Evtol Aircraft, Seth M. Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

Electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could provide a new mode of air transportation of people and cargo that is low-cost, on-demand, and able to reach more areas than is possible with current technology. They have the unique ability to takeoff and land in congested spaces yet efficiently travel long distances which makes them a promising technology for applications such as rapid medical assistance, automated package delivery, or human transportation. This type of aircraft has only recently become a possibility, owing to advancements in battery technology, computing power, and sensor technologies, and thus support for eVTOLs is lacking …

Colonial Necrocapitalism, State Secrecy, And The Palestinian Freedom Tunnel, Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Stephanie Wahab

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Secrecy and the use of “secret information” as capital in the hands of the state is mobilised by affective racialised machineries, cultivated on “security” grounds. Securitised secrecy is an assemblage of concealed operations juxtaposing various forms of invasions and dispossessions. It is a central strategy in the politico-economic life of the state to increase its scope of domination. Secrecy is used and abused to entrap and penetrate political subjects and entities. This article explores the necrocapitalist utilisation of secrecy embedded in the coloniser’s attempt to distort the mind of the colonised. Built from the voices of those affected by secrecy’s …