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2021-December-08-Dr. Casey Balio Publishes Study In Health Affairs, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A number of states found ways to expand Medicaid without increasing their administrative spending, according to the results of a 10-year study published last month in the journal Health Affairs.

Dr. Casey P. Balio of East Tennessee State University is the lead author of the study, which was selected for the November issue of Health Affairs that focuses on “Hospitals, ACA Marketplace & More.” Balio is a research assistant professor at the Center for Rural Health Research and the Department of Health Services Management and Policy in the ETSU College of Public Health.

At the time …

Evaluating And Enhancing Iron Removal Via Filterable Iron Precipitates Formation During Coal-Waste Bioleaching, Prasenjit Podder, Zongliang Zhang, Rick Q. Honaker, Michael L. Free, Prashant K. Sarswat

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

Iron removal via jarosite precipitate formation is a commonly used technique in various hydrometallurgical processes. Excess iron removal often becomes essential to an overall metal recovery circuit. This is particularly important to processes involving iron-bearing minerals. A technique, which involved the use of pyrite to generate acid for leaching, for iron removal is critical to enabling the process. Iron removal using CaO or similar reagents is expensive and often results in lost product. In the present study, various compounds that facilitate jarosite formation, namely Na₂SO₄, NH₄OH, KCl, and KOH, were utilized and their effect …

Campus Chronicle, Elijah Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Emily Houck, Alyssa Monroe, Halle Reynolds, Andy Langager

Campus Chronicle

No abstract provided.

Eight Gwu Students Attend Fall Honors Conference, Claire Allen

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Led by Honors Program Director and Professor of biology Dr. Tom Jones, eight Gardner-Webb University students from the Honors Student Association recently attended the National Collegiate Honors Council’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Students presented Honors Thesis work, Summer Scholars research, and select special projects. Between presentations, they shared ideas about Gardner-Webb’s close ties to the surrounding community in an Idea Exchange.

Gardner-Webb Alpha Chi Inducts 40 New Members And Surprises Honorary Member, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

At the 49th annual induction ceremony, the Gardner-Webb University North Carolina Zeta Chapter of Alpha Chi National College Honor Society welcomed 40 new members and surprised GWU President Dr. William Downs with an honorary membership. The event was held on Nov. 14 in Blanton Auditorium.

Identifying Sinorhizobium Meliloti Genes That Determine Fitness Outcomes, Alexander B. Benedict

Theses and Dissertations

The remarkable metabolic capacity of the soil-dwelling bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti is encoded on its three circular replicons: the chromosome and two large megaplasmids, pSymA and pSymB. Despite making up 45% of the genome, the pSymA and pSymB megaplasmids can be cured from S. meliloti. This unique attribute provides an opportunity to study the essentiality of chromosomal genes in the presence or absence of nearly half the genome. By interrogating chromosomal genes via massively parallel transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) in the presence and absence of pSymA and pSymB, we identified 307 genes as being essential for viability regardless of the genomic …

2021-December-08-Dr. Casey Balio Publishes Study In Health Affairs, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A number of states found ways to expand Medicaid without increasing their administrative spending, according to the results of a 10-year study published last month in the journal Health Affairs.

Dr. Casey P. Balio of East Tennessee State University is the lead author of the study, which was selected for the November issue of Health Affairs that focuses on “Hospitals, ACA Marketplace & More.” Balio is a research assistant professor at the Center for Rural Health Research and the Department of Health Services Management and Policy in the ETSU College of Public Health.

At the time …

Quantum Mechanics-Based Computational Chemistry Has Become A Powerful Partner In The Scientific Research Of Nitrogen-Rich Compounds, Paving The Way For Important Advances In Biochemical, Pharmacological And Other Related Fields, Dobrushe Denburg

Student Theses and Dissertations

The Computational Chemistry of Nitrogen-Rich Compounds; Insight into Pioneering Research

Nitrogen-rich functional groups have long been studied for their diversity; nitrogen can form single, double and triple bonds with itself, and will therefore exist in a very broad range of molecular arrangements. Poly-nitrogen compounds are highly energetic and electron rich, and many compounds display unique properties that allow participation in very specialized chemical reactions. Of import is their ubiquity in biological systems, and throughout the past century and currently, their biological relevance is deeply and widely explored in biochemistry and biomedicine, from their involvement in natural biological processes and complex …

Increasing Total Lipid Content In Pennycress ( Thlaspi Arvense L. ) Utilizing Crispr-Cas9 And Transgenic Approaches, Damiano Marchiafava

Theses and Dissertations

Thlaspi arvense (pennycress) is a member of the Brassicaceae family currently under development as an oilseed winter cash cover crop for the U.S. Midwest. Planted in the fall at the time of corn or soybean harvest, pennycress establishes vegetative leaves before going dormant for the winter. Pennycress plants then flower in early spring and mature in mid May to early June in time for seed harvest followed by planting soybeans or corn. Hence, pennycress along with corn and soybeans can constitute e.g. a corn-pennycress-soybean rotation resulting in the production of three crops in two years. The winter annual life cycle …

The Student Movement Volume 106 Issue 10: Let's Get This Gingerbread: Au Celebrates The Christmas Season, Irina Gagiu, Grace No, Timmy Duado, Solana Campbell, Megan Napod, Hannah Cruse, Nathan Mathieu, Andrew Pak, Jenae Rogers, Robert Zhang, Alexander Navarro, Elizabeth Getahun, T Bruggemann, Karenna Lee, Gloria Oh, Alyssa Henriquez

The Student Movement v. 106 (2021-2022)

HUMANS

Christmas with President Luxton - Memories, Traditions, & Favorites!, Interviewed by: Irina Gagiu

My Christmas Wish..., Interviewed by: Grace No

Semester Reflections with Ian Freed, Interviewed by: Timmy Duado

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

AU's Christmas Playlist, Solana Campbell

Creative Spotlight, Kayla Bruno (junior, psychology), Interviewed by: Megan Napod

The Conundrum of Christmas Movies, Hannah Cruse

NEWS

A Very Merry Makarios Christmas Party, Nathan Mathieu

Andrews Wind Symphony: Joy to the Season, Andrew Pak

Winter Break Is Almost Here: Now What?

IDEAS

Master Your Sleep to Master Your Finals!, Robert Zhang

Pollution and Progress: The Nuclear Dilemma

Should We Lie To …

Characterization Of Novel Adhesive For Use As Topical Hemostatic Agent, Mae H. Hubel, Nick Payne

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

In this independent study, we explored the adhesive properties of a novel hydrogel, termed MusSeal, developed by Dr. Fuzhong Zhang in the context of sealing ruptured blood vessels during neurosurgery. The gel is made of synthesized hybrid mussel foot protein and polyacrylic acid (PAA). We developed a burst pressure testing apparatus to measure the pressure the gel could withstand while adhered to a patch of bovine aorta, the easiest substitute for human blood vessels. Varying compositions of the gel were tested under different application time periods to try and optimize the adhesion strength of the gel. Ultimately, it was found …

Saprotrophy Among Endophytic Fungi, Emily Marissa Weatherhead

Theses and Dissertations

Endophytic fungi have been found in every terrestrial plant investigated thus far. They can receive nutritional benefits from their host tissues. Two major modes of nutrition for endophytic fungi include biotrophy and saprotrophy. In chapter 1, I set out to determine whether endophytic fungi isolated from Quercus gambelii in Utah, USA were capable of saprotrophy and, if some were, how much variation in saprotrophic ability exists among them. Because saprotrophy requires moisture and, in Utah, moisture is largely unavailable outside winter and early spring, in chapter 2 I set out to determine if any of our isolated endophytic fungi were …

Limited Range-Filling Among Endemic Forest Herbs Of Eastern North America And Its Implications For Conservation With Climate Change, Stephanie K. Erlandson, Jesse Bellemare, David A. Moeller

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Biodiversity hotspots host a high diversity of narrowly distributed endemic species, which are increasingly threatened by climate change. In eastern North America, the highest concentration of plant diversity and endemism occurs in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (SAM). It has been hypothesized that this region served as a refugium during Pleistocene glacial cycles and that postglacial migration northward was dispersal limited. We tested this hypothesis using species distribution models for eight forest herb species. We also quantified the extent to which the geography of suitable habitat shifted away from the current range with climate change. We developed species distribution models for …

Microfabricated Platforms To Investigate Cell Mechanical Properties, Amir M. Esfahani, Grayson Minnick, Jordan Rosenbohm, Haiwei Zhai, Xiaowei Jin, Bahareh Tajvidi Safa, Justin Brooks, Ruiguo Yang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Mechanical stimulation has been imposed on living cells using several approaches. Most early investigations were conducted on groups of cells, utilizing techniques such as substrate deformation and flow-induced shear. To investigate the properties of cells individually, many conventional techniques were utilized, such as AFM, optical traps/optical tweezers, magnetic beads, and micropipette aspiration. In specific mechanical interrogations, microelectro- mechanical systems (MEMS) have been designed to probe single cells in different interrogation modes. To exert loads on the cells, these devices often comprise piezo-electric driven actuators that attach directly to the cell or move a structure on which cells are attached. Uniaxial …

Injectable Decellularized Nucleus Pulposus Tissue Exhibits Neuroinhibitory Properties, Logan M. Piening, David J. Lillyman, Fei San Lee, Alvaro Moreno Lozano, Jeremy R. Miles, Rebecca A. Wachs

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability, but treatments for LBP are limited. Degeneration of the intervertebral disc due to loss of neuroinhibitory sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs) allows nerves from dorsal root ganglia to grow into the core of the disc. Treatment with a decellularized tissue hydrogel that contains sGAGs may inhibit nerve growth and prevent discassociated LBP.

Methods: A protocol to decellularize porcine nucleus pulposus (NP) was adapted from previous methods. DNA, sGAG, α-gal antigen, and collagen content were analyzed before and after decellularization. The decellularized tissue was then enzymatically modified to be …

Ecological And Morphological Differentiation Among Coi Haplotype Groups In The Plant Parasitic Nematode Species Mesocriconema Xenoplax, Julianne N. Matczyszyn, Timothy Harris, Kirsten S. Powers, Sydney E. Everhart, Thomas O. Powers

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

DNA barcoding with the mitochondrial COI gene reveals distinct haplotype subgroups within the monophyletic and parthenogenetic nematode species, Mesocriconema xenoplax. Biological attributes of these haplotype groups (HG) have not been explored. An analysis of M. xenoplax from 40 North American sites representing both native plant communities and agroecosystems was conducted to identify possible subgroup associations with ecological, physiological, or geographic factors. A dataset of 132 M. xenoplax specimens was used to generate sequences of a 712 bp region of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies recognized seven COI HG (≥99/0.99 posterior probability/bootstrap value). Species delimitation …

Ecological And Morphological Differentiation Among Coi Haplotype Groups In The Plant Parasitic Nematode Species Mesocriconema Xenoplax, Julianne N. Matczyszyn, Timothy Harris, Kirsten S. Powers, Sydney E. Everhart, Tom Powers

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

DNA barcoding with the mitochondrial COI gene reveals distinct haplotype subgroups within the monophyletic and parthenogenetic nematode species, Mesocriconema xenoplax. Biological attributes of these haplotype groups (HG) have not been explored. An analysis of M. xenoplax from 40 North American sites representing both native plant communities and agroecosystems was conducted to identify possible subgroup associations with ecological, physiological, or geographic factors. A dataset of 132 M. xenoplax specimens was used to generate sequences of a 712 bp region of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies recognized seven COI HG (≥99/0.99 posterior probability/bootstrap value). Species …

Global Analysis Of Differential Gene Expression Within The Porcine Conceptus Transcriptome As It Transitions Through Spherical, Ovoid, And Tubular Morphologies During The Initiation Of Elongation, Sophie C. Walsh, Jeremy R. Miles, Brittney N. Keel, Lea A. Rempel, Elane C. Wright‐Johnson, Amanda K. Lindholm‐Perry, William T. Oliver, Angela K. Pannier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This study aimed to identify transcriptome differences between distinct or transitional stage spherical, ovoid, and tubular porcine blastocysts throughout the initiation of elongation. We performed a global transcriptome analysis of differential gene expression using RNA‐Seq with high temporal resolution between spherical, ovoid, and tubular stage blastocysts at specific sequential stages of development from litters containing conceptus populations of distinct or transitional blastocysts. After RNA‐Seq analysis, significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways were identified between distinct morphologies or sequential development stages. Overall, 1898 significant DEGs were identified between distinct spherical and ovoid morphologies, with 311 total DEGs between developmental stages …

Age And Not The Preferred Limb Influences The Kinematic Structure Of Pointing Movements, Kurt W. Kornatz, Brach Poston, George E. Stelmach

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

In goal-directed movements, effective open-loop control reduces the need for feedback-based corrective submovements. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of hand preference and aging on submovements during single-and two-joint pointing movements. A total of 12 young and 12 older right-handed participants performed pointing movements that involved either elbow extension or a combination of elbow extension and horizontal shoulder flexion with their right and left arms to a target. Kinematics were used to separate the movements into their primary and secondary submovements. The older adults exhibited slower movements, used secondary submovements more often, and produced relatively shorter …

Fungal Community And Functional Responses To Soil Warming Are Greater Than For Soil Nitrogen Enrichment, Mark A. Anthony, Melissa A. Knorr, Jessica A. M. Moore, M. Simpson, Serita D. Frey

Faculty Publications

Soil fungi are key regulators of forest carbon cycling and their responses to global change have effects that ripple throughout ecosystems. Global changes are expected to push many fungi beyond their environmental niches, but there are relatively few studies involving multiple, simultaneous global change factors. Here, we studied soil fungal diversity, community composition, co-occurrence patterns, and decomposition gene responses to 10 years of soil warming and nitrogen addition, alone and in combination. We specifically examined whether there were fungal community characteristics that could explain changes in soil carbon storage and organic matter chemistry in chronically warmed and fertilized soil. We …

Practical Considerations Of Dissolved Oxygen Levels For Platelet Function Under Hypoxia, Branden Kusanto, Andrew Gordon, Leigh Naylor-Adamson, Lloyd Atkinson, Charlie Coupland, Zoe Booth, Yusra Ahmed, Isabel M Pires, Graeme J Stasiuk, Roger Sturmey, Simon D J Calaminus, Mònica Arman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Investigating human platelet function in low-oxygen environments is important in multiple settings, including hypobaric hypoxia (e.g., high altitude), sea level hypoxia-related disease, and thrombus stability. These studies often involve drawing blood from which platelets are isolated and analysed at atmospheric conditions or re-exposed to low oxygen levels in hypoxia chambers before testing. However, it remains unknown how the in vitro handling of the samples itself changes their dissolved oxygen concentration, which might affect platelet function and experimental results. Here, we prepared healthy donor platelet-rich plasma and washed platelet (WP) suspensions and exposed them to 2% oxygen. We found that the …

11 Pressing Research Questions On How Light Pollution Affects Biodiversity, Franz Holker, Janine Bolliger, Thomas W. Davies, Simone Giavi, Andreas Jechow, Gregor Kalinkat, Travis Longcore, Kamiel Spoelstra, Svenja Tidau, Marcel E. Visser, Eva Knopp

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is closely associated with modern societies and is rapidly increasing worldwide. A dynamically growing body of literature shows that ALAN poses a serious threat to all levels of biodiversity—from genes to ecosystems. Many “unknowns” remain to be addressed however, before we fully understand the impact of ALAN on biodiversity and can design effective mitigation measures. Here, we distilled the findings of a workshop on the effects of ALAN on biodiversity at the first World Biodiversity Forum in Davos attended by several major research groups in the field from across the globe. We argue that 11 …

Educational Pandemic Impacts In Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba) Classrooms: Qualitative Outcomes From Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Bcba) And Registered Behavior Technicians (Rbt) Perspectives, Chana S. Josilowski-Max, Nicole Lambright

The Qualitative Report

The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented changes in how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services are provided to students/clients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and scant literature is available from which to determine the best course of action for providing safe services during a pandemic. The research question for this study is: What is the essence of experiences of parents, teachers, and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts of students with ASD who are now receiving ABA services remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic school closures? Generic qualitative design was used to analyze the responses of nine participants who are either Board …

Asthma Reduces Glioma Formation By T Cell Decorin-Mediated Inhibition Of Microglia, Jit Chatterjee, Shilpa Sanapala, Olivia Cobb, Alice Bewley, Andrea K Goldstein, Elizabeth Cordell, Xia Ge, Joel R Garbow, Michael J Holtzman, David H Gutmann

Open Access Publications

To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the reduced incidence of brain tumors in children with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and asthma, we leverage Nf1 optic pathway glioma (Nf1

Single-Cell Regulatory Network Inference And Clustering Identifies Cell-Type Specific Expression Pattern Of Transcription Factors In Mouse Sciatic Nerve, Mingchao Li, Qing Min, Matthew C. Banton, Xinpeng Dun

School of Biomedical Sciences

Advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics methods allow for both the identification of cell types in a complex tissue and the large-scale gene expression profiling of various cell types in a mixture. In this report, we analyzed a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset for the intact adult mouse sciatic nerve and examined cell-type specific transcription factor expression and activity during peripheral nerve homeostasis. In total, we identified 238 transcription factors expressed in nine different cell types of intact mouse sciatic nerve. Vascular smooth muscle cells have the lowest number of transcription factors expressed with 17 transcription factors identified. …

Intake Estimation Of Rams Under Grazing Condition In A Deferred Pastures Of Panicum Coloratum By Two Techniques, C. M. Ferri, M. A. Brizuela, N. P. Stritzler, H. J. Petruzzi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The goal of this study was to quantify the organic matter intake (OMI) of Pampinta rams grazing in a Panicum coloratum cv Verde differed pasture. The OMI was compared by two methods: a) the difference between the forage measured in pre and post-grazing condition, and b) the faecal production:digestibility ratio of the diet, estimated by total faecal gathering, and from the quantity of total faecal N in g per 100 g^-1 of OMI and the concentration of total faecal N, respectively. The OMI estimated by difference between the forage measured in pre and post-grazing was 9 % higher (P …

Estimation Of Organic Matter Digestibility And Intake From Faecal Organic Matter And Daily N Excretion And Concentration, C. M. Ferri, N. P. Stritzler, M. A. Brizuela

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study was performed with grazing sheep, to establish: a) if the amount of total faecal N (C; in g 100g^-1 of organic matter intake (OMI)) remains constant at three feeding levels, in four utilisation periods of deferred Panicum coloratum cv. Verde; b) the relationship between C and faecal N fractions, and c) the relationship between faecal daily excretion of OM and N, and OMI. Intake increased (P< 0.01) with utilisation period, and was related (r = - 0.82; P< 0.01) to the protein content of food, the insoluble N fraction (r = -0.49; P< 0.01) and the soluble:insoluble N ratio (r = 0.41; P< 0.01) in faeces. No relation with total N concentration (r = -0.22; P> 0.05) or soluble N fraction (r = -0.02; P> 0.05) in faeces could be found. Daily excretion of OM and N were positively related (R² = 0.93 and 0.96, respectively; …

Effects Of Fertilization And Legume Introduction On The Forage Production Of Brachiaria Decumbens Pastures, M. R. Correa, Tsutomu Kanno, Manuel C. M. Macedo, J. D. G. Santos Junior, L. G. Beretta

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A grazing experiment was conducted to examine the effects of P and K fertilization and legume introduction on the forage production of Brachiaria decumbens (BD) pastures. Amount of biomass, dry matter production and forage quality were evaluated on BD pastures where three treatments were applied: without maintenance fertilizer (BD-N), with maintenance fertilizer (BD-F), and BD and Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Mineirao (SG) mixture with maintenance fertilizer (BD-FL). The fertilizer application increased an annual average of biomass and the contents of P and K in the leaves. On the other hand, the legume introduction had a positive influence on crude protein and …

A Survey Of Stainless Steel In Medical And Surgical Application, Noah Slack, Clint Balch

ME 4133/6133 Mechanical Metallurgy

Stainless steels can be separated into four families based on the microstructure of the material: Austenitic, Ferritic, Martensitic, and Duplex. Each family provides a specific set of advantages and disadvantages, and material selection should be based on the specific application the material will be used for. For this study, the processing, microstructure, and performance of the four families of stainless steels will be compared in the context of medical device applications. The most important factors in medical device materials are biocompatibility, surface properties, mechanical properties and life span/corrosion resistance. This study will focus on medical devices that will be permanently …

Alterations In Glycemic Variability, Vascular Health, And Oxidative Stress Following A 12-Week Aerobic Exercise Intervention-A Pilot Study, Joshua R. Sparks, Mark A. Sarzynski, J. Mark Davis, Peter W. Grandjean, Xuewen Wang

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(3): 1334-1353, 2021. The state of being overweight or obese leads to an increased risk of development of cardiometabolic disease. Increases in glycemic variability have been associated with greater induction of oxidative stress and declined vascular health, which may be exacerbated by higher weight status and improved through exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a twelve-week aerobic exercise intervention on continuous glucose monitor (CGM) assessed glucose concentrations and glycemic variability, and biomarkers of vascular health and oxidative stress in overweight or obese adults. Eight adults (Age = 48.9 ± …