Digital Commons Network^™

Quantification Of Soil Microbial Biomass In The Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Emily Ruth Reynebeau

Biology ETDs

Quantifying microbial biomass is important for understanding microbial contribution to nutrient cycling and population flux. Widely accepted biomass estimation methods are sufficient for well-studied and high biomass systems, though are often not sensitive enough for systems with extremely low biomass. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are characterized as an extremely harsh environment with severe restrictions on life, with perhaps some of the lowest biomass in the world. We measured prokaryote biomass across Taylor and Wright Valleys using four estimation metrics to determine the most appropriate method for this ecosystem. The chloroform fumigation method was not sensitive enough for the …

Investigation Of Bovine Herpesvirus-1 Determinants Of Neuronal Infectivity In Novel Bovine Neuronal Cell Systems For Development Of A Safer Viral Vaccine Vector, Jared Rudd

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) is the causative agent of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and a component of the bovine respiratory disease complex. BoHV-1 is a significant burden on the cattle industry in the United States causing severe respiratory disease, abortions, loss of calves (“shipping fever”). BoHV-1 belongs to the alphaherpesvirus subfamily of Herpesviridae. Alphaherpesviruses enter axons of sensory nerves and establish life-long latency in trigeminal and dorsal root ganglionic neurons after primary infection of the oronasal or genital epithelium respectively. Modified live attenuated vaccines for BoHV-1 are commercially available but are limited in their protection while retaining the ability to establish latency …

Evaluation Of Brachiaria Brizantha Ecotypes Under Grazing In Small Plots, Valéria P. B. Euclides, Cacilda B. Do Valle, Manuel C. M. Macedo, M. P. Oliveira

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An intense search for new cultivars amongst recently collected and introduced ecotypes from Africa is in effect since 1988, at the National Beef Cattle Research Center, of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Beef Cattle). After agronomic evaluations of a large collection, 21 ecotypes were pre-selected for multilocational trials and from these, eight were elected for evaluation under grazing. The objective of this trial was thus to evaluate the persistence and carrying capacity of these eight new Brachiaria brizantha ecotypes after two years of grazing. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with nine treatments and two replicates. The …

Agronomic Evaluation Of Alfalfa Cultivars In Rio Grande Do Sul, Brasil, J. C. De Saibro, R. Battisti, T. M. S. Freitas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

From April 1995 to June 1998, thirty five alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars (cvs.) were evaluated in a field trial at the “Depressão Central” ecoclimatic region, in southern Brazil. Two years after sowing, 30 cultivars were excluded from the test due to their poor overall agronomic performance, mainly low forage DM yields. The remaining cultivars: Crioula (local genotype used as a check), Victoria, Rio and P 30 are hay-type cultivars while Alfagraze is a grazing-tolerant type. Twenty-two harvests were made and no significant differences were found for total DM yields among cvs. Crioula, Victoria, Rio and P 30; however, …

The Correct Identity Of Centruroides Hoffmanni Armas, 1996 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), With The Description Of A New Species From Chiapas, Mexico, Luis De Armas, Rolando Teruel

Euscorpius

The Mexican scorpion Centruroides hoffmanni Armas, 1996 was described on the basis of a supposed adult female (actually a juvenile) from La Gloria, Arriaga Municipality, southwest of the Chiapas State. In its redescription, this species was also recorded from the southeastern of Oaxaca State. Nevertheless, in the recent revision of the “thorellii” species-group of the genus Centruroides Marx, 1890, a new species from Chiapas was misidentified as C. hoffmanni and, also, an erroneous new diagnosis was given for C. hoffmanni. In the present contribution, this new species is named Centruroides concordia sp. n., and the correct identity of C. …

Sentiment Analysis Of Radicalization On Social Media, Anna Singley

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Age-Dependent Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury, Quintessa Hay

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Challenge Of Preventing A Rare But Potentially Devastating Iatrogenic Exposure To Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: An Ambi-Directional Observation With Policy Intervention, Ritambhara Pandey, Devesh Rai, Julie Giles, Maryrose Laguio-Vila, Emil Lesho

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Although rare, patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in their differential diagnosis of progressive dementia and movement disorder could continue to present to hospitals for care. However, U.S.-based infection control guidelines do not fully address the possibility of vCJD. After near-misses involving increasing numbers of patients with clinical findings and epidemiologic risks compatible with vCJD, or exposures to chronic wasting disease, we sought to improve recognition and prevention of iatrogenic spread of these prion-related diseases.

24andmore: Using Genomics To Improve Walleye (Sander Vitreus) Stocking In Iowa, Rachel Mcdonnell

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

Walleye, Sander vitreus, is one of the top gamefish in Iowa. Due to poor natural reproduction in many Iowa waterbodies, populations are managed with stocking. There are two strains of walleye used to stock Iowa’s inland waters: a river strain derived from the Mississippi River near Genoa, WI and a lake strain derived from Spirit Lake, IA. Each strain may have unique characteristics relative to their environment that could affect the fitness and success of fish stocked. The goal of this study is to understand the genetic diversity within and between each strain to offer stocking guidance to the Iowa …

Genetic Effect Of Long-Term Angling Pressure On Bluegill Populations In Small Impoundments In Kansas, Morganne Borsh

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is a versatile sport fish popularly fished across Kansas. Over the last decade, Bluegill catch rates have decreased, likely from high angler harvest rates of larger individuals. Large males that exhibit parental care have high growth rates and aggressively defend nests, making them vulnerable to angling. Males that display cuckoldry behavior reach maturity sooner, exhibit slower growth rates, and are generally smaller. The goal of this study is to determine if fisheries-induced evolution resulting from long-term harvest has led to a decline in the growth rate of Bluegill. A total of 100 individuals were sampled from ten …

The Beacon, November 12, 2021, The Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2021-2022

Resident directors add dogs to campus; Sophomores experience first “normal” year; Houndmouth leaves their listeners hopeful; Obscure comics brought to the big screen at last; Dordt prof has a soft spot for NW art department; Heritage and Jazz present an effervescent performance; Improv group brings laughs to NW; Empowerment groups offer more; The undeserving black sheep; Providence, history, and nuance; Hot Takes: Which fast food fries are the best and why?; Raiders men’s soccer the team to beat; Three Raiders get All-Conference honors in XC GPAC meet; Raiders football fall in rivalry match against Morningside; I-Club hosts annual Coffee House; …

Faculty Senate Minutes 2021-11-12, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Quercetin Exhibits Potent Antioxidant Activity, Restores Motor And Non-Motor Deficits Induced By Rotenone Toxicity, Syeda Madiha, Zehra Batool, Saiqa Tabassum, Laraib Liaquat, Sadia Sadir, Sidrah Shahzad, Fizza Naqvi, Sadia Saleem, Sarwat Yousuf, Saara Ahmad

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

The rotenone-induced animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been used to investigate the pathogenesis of PD. Oxidative stress is one of the main contributors of neurodegeneration in PD. Flavonoids have the potential to modulate neuronal function and combat various neurodegenerative diseases. The pre- and post-supplementation of quercetin (50 mg/kg, p.o) was done in rats injected with rotenone (1.5 mg/kg, s.c). After the treatment, behavioral activities were monitored for motor activity, depression-like behavior, and cognitive changes. Rats were decapitated after behavioral analysis and the brain samples were dissected out for neurochemical and biochemical estimation. Results showed that supplementation of quercetin …

Breathing Can Be Dangerous: Coccidioides And The Diverse Community Of The Lung Mycobiome, Paris S. Salazar-Hamm

Biology ETDs

Coccidioidomycosis, caused by soil-dwelling species of Coccidioides, is endemic to the Southwestern United States. It can present as a mild respiratory illness to life-threatening disseminated infections.Multi-gene phylogenetics and tracing patient histories revealed the presence of both Coccidioides species in New Mexico, and Native Americans may represent an unrecognized risk group. A PCR method developed distinguishes Coccidioides species by targeting regions of the mitochondrial genome. Recent advancements in molecular genetics solidifies lungs are not sterile. Illumina community data from 199 small mammals from Arizona, California, and New Mexico demonstrated a great diversity of fungi inhabiting lung tissues. One dominant order, Onygenales, …

A Strategy To Detect Emerging Non-Delta Sars-Cov-2 Variants With A Monoclonal Antibody Specific For The N501 Spike Residue, Rama Devudu Puligedda, Fetweh H Al-Saleem, Christoph Wirblich, Chandana Devi Kattala, Marko Jović, Laura Geiszler, Himani Devabhaktuni, Giora Z Feuerstein, Matthias J. Schnell, Markus Sack, Lawrence L Livornese, Scott K Dessain

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Efforts to control SARS-CoV-2 have been challenged by the emergence of variant strains that have important implications for clinical and epidemiological decision making. Four variants of concern (VOCs) have been designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), namely, B.1.617.2 (delta), B.1.1.7 (alpha), B.1.351 (beta), and P.1 (gamma), although the last three have been downgraded to variants being monitored (VBMs). VOCs and VBMs have shown increased transmissibility and/or disease severity, resistance to convalescent SARS-CoV-2 immunity and antibody therapeutics, and the potential to evade diagnostic detection. Methods are needed for point-of-care (POC) testing to rapidly identify these variants, protect …

Customary Law, Norms, Practices And Other Factors That Enable And Constrain Women’S Access To Housing, Land And Property (Hlp) In South Sudan: A Desk Review, Cynthia Caron

Sustainability and Social Justice

Published by the International Organization for Migration

This report presents a review of the existing literature on customary law and practices, attitudes and beliefs (social norms) and other factors that create barriers to women’s access to and control over land and property in South Sudan. It also presents existing efforts to improve women’s property rights. The findings emphasize not only access, but also security of that access and its limitations, the ability to use land as desired and the ability to control income derived from land.

State V. Moore Respondent's Brief Dckt. 48817

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

Exploring Women’S Oxytocin Responses To Interactions With Their Pet Cats, Elizabeth A. Johnson, Arianna Portillo, Nikki E. Bennett, Peter B. Gray

Anthropology Faculty Research

Background. Extensive research has evaluated the involvement of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in human social behaviors, including parent-infant relationships. Studies have investigated OT’s connection to human attachment to nonhuman animals, with the majority of the literature focusing on domestic dogs (Canis lupis familiaris). Utilizing what is known about OT and its role in maternal-infant and human-dog bonding, we apply these frameworks to the study of human-domestic cat (Felis catus) interactions. Methods. We investigated changes in salivary OT levels in 30 U.S. women of reproductive age before and after two conditions: reading a book (control) and interacting with their pet cat. …

Lower-Third Standardized Letters Of Evaluation In Emergency Medicine: Does Gender Make A Difference In Match Outcome?, Erica B. Shaver, Haley D. Frauen, Rachel Z. Polinski, Stephen M. Davis, Kimberly D. Quedado, Joseph Hansroth, Kristin H. Davis, Michelle R. Angeline, Christopher S. Kiefer

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether gender influences the likelihood of receiving a lowerthird global assessment (GA) on the standardized letter of evaluation (SLOE) submitted as part of the emergency medicine (EM) application process as well as the impact of gender on ultimate match outcomes for applicants receiving a lower-third GA ranking. Our hypothesis was that female applicants with a lowerthird GA ranking have a higher risk of not matching.

Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study evaluating U.S.-based allopathic applicants to a single EM residency program in the Mid-Atlantic region during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 …

Kenyon Collegiate - November 12, 2021

Kenyon Collegiate

No abstract provided.

The Heritagescape Of The Egyptian Natural Lakes, Magdi Ahmed Ragheb Koutkat

Student Theses and Dissertations

It is well-established that the ancient Egyptian civilization is water-based and derives its core cultural heritage assets from the country’s natural heritage constructs. Despites the scholarly studies on the Egyptian Natural Lakes (herein referred to as ENLs), from both natural and cultural perspectives, 1) these studies lack integration between the natural and cultural components of the ENLs, 2) the environmental studies do not provide continuous evolution of the ENLs, and 3) the cultural studies hardly touch on the role of the ENLs in the Egyptian civilization, which has not been thoroughly understood. This study investigates how far the ENLs were …

Volume Cxxxx, Number 8, November 12, 2021, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence Algorithms For Medical Imaging And Healthcare, Jonathan William Stubblefield

Student Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we studied several applications of artificial intelligence applications to healthcare. In the first chapter, we examined a machine learning algorithm for classifying patients presenting to the emergency department with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Patients presenting with this life-threatening condition require a quick and accurate assessment of whether the condition is infectious or cardiac in etiology as the treatments for these etiologies of ARDS differ significantly. We used a transfer learning approach to develop our model. The model used a combination of clinical data and a chest x-ray as its input and achieved an accuracy 0.675 on …

Four Weeks Of 16:8 Time-Restricted Feeding On Stress, Sleep, Quality Of Life, Hunger Level, And Body Composition In Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study On Wellness Optimization, Gurinder Bains, Everett Lohman, Michael Moh, Noha Daher, Lee Berk

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Sustainable methods of dietary lifestyle changes are essential to long term weight loss maintenance and enhancement in overall health and wellness. A novel modified alternative method to caloric restriction is Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF), a sub-type of Intermittent Fasting. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of four weeks of TRF (without caloric deficit) on body composition, stress levels, sleep quality, hunger level, and quality of life.

Methods: Sixteen participants, 9 males and 7 females, mean age 34.0 ± 11.7 years, completed the four-week protocol. Fasting program was 16 hours from the time of …

Assessing Video Game Satisfaction Of Gamers With Disabilities, Carmen Van Ommen, Barbara Chaparro

Publications

According to a survey conducted by the CDC, it is estimated that 26% of Americans are living with a disability. Of those with disabilities in the United States, it is estimated that 33 million play video games. People with disabilities face many barriers in gaming, which is likely to impact game satisfaction. Measuring game satisfaction among this population can be problematic if the scale is not adapted to their needs, which can vary significantly based on the disability. To understand how best to assess game satisfaction among these populations, we discuss the issues people with cognitive, sensory, and/or motor disabilities …

The Challenges Of Evaluating The Usability Of Augmented Reality (Ar), Jessyca L. Derby, Barbara S. Chaparro

Publications

Augmented reality (AR) is a new and emerging technology that could benefit from evaluating its usability to better the user’s experience with the device or application. This is often done through usability testing and heuristic evaluations. However, AR technology presents some challenges when completing these usability evaluations. Practitioners need to keep in mind the hardware limitations of AR devices that may not be present with other computerized technology, consistency of the users’ environment plays a larger role in the AR experience, recognize that a novelty effect may occur and affect subjective scores, and choose heuristic sets that will best evaluate …

Lichens And Allied Fungi Of The North Fork Nooksack River Valley Bottom, Whatcom County, Washington: Important Biodiversity In A High-Use Area, Jessica L. Allen, R. Troy Mcmullin

Western North American Naturalist

The North Fork of the Nooksack River is the northernmost river in Washington State. It is located on the western slope of the North Cascade Mountains and runs east to west near the Canadian border. Here we report the findings of a lichen and allied fungi survey of the valley bottom conducted in 2019. One hundred and forty-five species were documented from 69 genera, increasing the number of species known from this area to 153 in 71 genera. Six species are reported for the first time from Washington State: Abrothallus santessonii (D. Hawksw.) Suija, D. Hawksw. & Pérez-Ort.; Gyalectaria diluta …

Effectiveness Of Growth Mindset Intervention On Elementary Students’ Academic Performance: A Systematic Review, Salma Yeasmin

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The lack of academic success of the U.S. adolescents and wide achievement gap have become a persistent problem of the United States. Therefore, several educational reforms have been made to increase U.S. students’ academic performance as well as close achievement gap. However, despite the various reforms and efforts that have been enacted in educational sectors, U.S. students’ academic performance seemed not enough. Therefore, psychological factors were considered in the educational reform strategy, in which promoting growth mindset among students has become a way to accelerate students’ academic performance as well as reduce the achievement gap. Since then, numerous growth mindset …

Contribution Of Retinal Ganglion Cells To Brown-Norway Rat Spatiotemporal Visual Perception And The Electroretinogram, Nicholas P. Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) are the sole cells through which visual information is transmitted from the eye to the brain. As such, RGC dysfunction has a dramatic effect on vision and perception. Retinal neurodegenerative diseases, such as glaucoma, are one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The study of these diseases requires well-characterized models in order to swiftly and effectively develop diagnostic tools and therapeutics. This dissertation aims to characterize specific properties of the visual system of the Brown-Norway rat. First, visual processing was evaluated in awake, freely moving rats. Contrast sensitivities of Brown-Norway rats were characterized by discrimination-driven …

Ubiquitous Yet Inconspicuous: Quantifying Trophic Impact Of A Widespread Oceanic Comb Jelly (Ctenophore), Elizabeth Potter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The oceanic lobate ctenophore Ocyropsis spp. has a widespread distribution throughout the world’s tropical and sub-tropical oceans. While patchy, Ocyropsis spp. population densities are known to exceed one individual per m3. Studies of coastal ctenophores have shown that some species are capable of exerting strong predatory impacts on their ecosystems, but little is known about the potential trophic impacts of their oceanic relatives. Many oceanic genera such as Ocyropsis, Bolinopsis, and Eurhamphaea exhibit morphologies and prey capture mechanisms that are different from the more well-studied coastal species. Thus, existing data on coastal taxa may not apply to oceanic species due …