Digital Commons Network^™

Review Of The Evidence Of Sentience In Cephalopod Molluscs And Decapod Crustaceans, Jonathan Birch, Charolotte Burn, Alexandra Schnell, Heather Browning, Andrew Crump

General - Animal Feeling

Birch and colleagues have developed an important and useful framework for evaluating the evidence for sentience – namely, the capacity to experience pain, distress and suffering, in cephalopod molluscs (cuttlefish, octopods and squid) and decapod crustaceans (including crabs, crayfish, lobsters, prawns, shrimps). Birch and colleagues develop eight criteria in their evaluation framework which are used to weigh the evidence from over 300 scientific publications. The report also investigates the potential welfare implications of current commercial practices on these species. The report concludes that cephalopods and decapod crustaceans are probably sentient.

The Economics Of Biodiversity The Dasgupta Review Full Report, Sir Partha Dasgupta

Environmental Economics

In 2019, Her Majesty’s Treasury (UK) commissioned Sir Partha Dasgupta, an economist and Professor Emeritus at Cambridge University to produce an independent, global review on the Economics of Biodiversity. Sir Partha was assisted by a multi-disciplinary Advisory Panel that included representatives of public policy, science, economics and business. The Review argues that countries should de-emphasize GDP as an index of progress and instead should focus on a national Wealth measure that includes an accounting for Natural Capital. After World War II, when the world was very different from what it is now, Sir Partha argues the economic questions being faced …

Identification And Functional Analysis Of Thadh1 And Thadh4 Genes Involved In Tolerance To Waterlogging Stress In Taxodium Hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan 406’, Lei Xuan, Jianfeng Hua, Fan Zhang, Zhiquan Wang, Xiaoxiao Pei, Ying Yang, Yunlong Yin, David Creech

Faculty Publications

The Taxodium hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan 406’ (T. hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan 406’) [Taxodium mucronatum Tenore × Taxodium distichum (L.). Rich] has an outstanding advantage in flooding tolerance and thus has been widely used in wetland afforestation in China. Alcohol dehydrogenase genes (ADHs) played key roles in ethanol metabolism to maintain energy supply for plants in low-oxygen conditions. Two ADH genes were isolated and characterized—ThADH1 and ThADH4 (GenBank ID: AWL83216 and AWL83217—basing on the transcriptome data of T. hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan 406’ grown under waterlogging stress. Then the functions of these two genes were investigated through transient expression and overexpression. The results showed that the …

Values And Other Decisional Factors Regarding Treatment Of Hypercalcaemia Of Malignancy: A Systematic Review Protocol, Aya Bassatne, Maya Rahme, Thomas Piggott, Hassan Murad, Layal Hneiny, Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan

Faculty Publications

Introduction Hypercalcaemia of malignancy (HCM) is the second most common cause of hypercalcaemia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Several treatment options are available including pharmacological therapy with bisphosphonates, denosumab, glucocorticoids and calcimimetics, as well as conventional therapy with hydration and possibly calcitonin. While guidelines have previously considered treatment effects, no guideline has yet considered a range of contextual factors impacting recommendations for the management. The aim of this study was to summarise the available evidence on important decisional factors for the development of guidelines for the treatment of HCM. These include patient’s values and preferences, cost, acceptability, …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Department Of Biomechanics Annual Report 2020-2021, Department Of Biomechanics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Biomechanics Annual Report

This report contains:

A letter from the Director: Dr. Nick Stergiou

Articles about the Department of Biomechanics' reach

Articles on research that impacts the community

Article about the Movcentr Impact

Articles on how the department persevered and responded during the pandemic

Article on the people of UNO Biomechanics

Student Centered articles

and In the News.

Effects Of Estuary-Wide Seagrass Loss On Fish Populations, Jennifer K. O'Leary, Maurice C. Goodman, Ryan K. Walter, Kariss Willits, Daniel J. Pondella

Physics

Globally, habitat loss in coastal marine systems is a major driver of species decline, and estuaries are particularly susceptible to loss. Along the United States Pacific coast, monospecific eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds form the major estuarine vegetated habitat. In Morro Bay, California, eelgrass experienced an unprecedented decline of > 95%, from 139 ha in 2007 to < 6 ha by 2017. Fish populations were compared before and after the eelgrass decline using trawl surveys. Beach seines surveys were also conducted during the post-decline period to characterize species within and outside of remnant eelgrass beds.While the estuary-wide loss of eelgrass did not result in fewer fish or less biomass, it led to changes in species composition. The post-eelgrass decline period was characterized by increases in flatfish (mainly Citharichthys stigmaeus) and staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus), and decreases in habitat specialists including bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus) and shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata). There were similar trends inside and outside of remnant eelgrass patches. These findings support evidence across multiple ecosystems suggesting that the predominance of habitat-specialists predicts whether or not habitat loss leads to an overall decline in fish abundance. In addition, loss of critical habitats across seascapes can restrict population connectivity and lead to range contraction. For bay pipefish, the loss of eelgrass in Morro Bay is likely to create a population biogeographic divide. Currently, Morro Bay is dominated by flatfish and sculpins, and the longevity of this new ecosystem state will depend on future eelgrass recovery dynamics supported by ecosystem-based management approaches.

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: January 2021, Julius T. Medenblik, Lisa De Young, Shawn Brix, Todd Cioffi

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Main Features
3 - Loving your Neighbor by Jul Medenblik
4 - Loving Your Neighbor Conference Devotions by Lisa Deyoung
8 - The Role & Response of the Church in an Age
12 - Incarceration in Canada: Addressing a Colonial Past by Shawn Brix
16 - Visit the Prisoner - and Don't Forget to Bring Books, Exams, and Paper Assignments by Todd V. Cioffi
22 - Loving Your Neighbor: Calvin Prison Ministry by Gary Burge
26 - Change from the Inside Out by Christy Wolff

Calvin Seminary News
28 - New Books
30 - New Faces

The Role Of The Parental-Adolescent Relationship And Communication On Adolescent Risky Sexual Behaviors And Mental Health Outcomes, Michaela C. Steiner

ETD Archive

The purpose of the present study is to examine how parental sexual communication, including sexual education taught in the home, and parental-adolescent relationship quality are associated with adolescent risky sexual behaviors and mental health outcomes. The study hypothesizes that (A) higher levels of parental-adolescent relationship quality will be related to a decrease in adolescent risky sexual behaviors, (B) sexual communication between the parental figure and adolescent combined with sexual education taught in the home will act as a moderator on the relationship between parental-adolescent relationship quality and adolescent risky sexual behaviors, (C) adolescents who report higher levels of risky sexual …

Dynamics And Surface Forces Experienced By An Anisotropic Colloidal Particle Near A Boundary, Aidin Rashidi

ETD Archive

Colloidal interactions play an important role in determining the macroscopic properties of different materials. Recent work in this area has focused on the role anisotropic particles play in these materials. This thesis summarizes work conducted on the dynamics and interactions of an anisotropic colloid particle near a solid wall. Specifically, the methodology for conducting Total Internal Reflection Microscopy (TIRM) on anisotropic colloidal systems near a boundary was developed. This new method is called “Scattering Morphology Resolved - TIRM” (SMR-TIRM). Simulations of the Brownian motion of a sphere comprising hemispheres of different composition (i.e. a Janus particle) very near a wall …

Occurrence And Interactions Of Mycobiomes With The Anopheles Gambiae Host, Godfrey Nattoh Indinda

All PhD Dissertations

Anopheles mosquitoes are colonized by diverse microorganisms that may influence hosts‟ biology and vectorial capacity. Resident Anopheles bacterial symbionts isolated from these hosts are known to influence traits such as generational fitness, survival, host seeking,and infectivity of pathogens such asPlasmodium falciparum.Eukaryotic symbionts such as fungi residing in the gut of Anopheles gambiaecould confer similar phenotypes, but are undexplored. It was hypothesized that fungi associating with Anopheles could establish a stable and generational association with these mosquitoes thereby influencing their fitness and could offer protection against malaria parasites. The objective of this study was to characterize fungalsymbionts of Anopheles gambiaeand establish …

St. Vincent's College Student Guide 2021-2022, St. Vincent's College

Handbooks & Factbooks

The Student Guide is the official student handbook and provides essential St. Vincent’s College policies and procedures for academic progression and graduation. This guide is intended to supplement the University Catalog and provide information specific to our programs. All students are expected to review and abide by the current Student Guide.

Commencement And Graduate Commencement Program 2020, Whitworth University

Commencement Programs

Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement exercises of Whitworth University for the Class of 2020 in May 2021.

Uk-India: Partnerships For Growth With Research And Innovation, Ukri, Ukri India, Newton Bhabha

Public Reports

UKRI India joint funding resulted in 258 projects. Over £150 million in funding from the UK was matched by Indian counterparts, bringing the overall joint investment to the equivalent of over £330 million.

The projects were funded by over 15 funding agencies, bringing together more than 220 lead institutions from the UK and India. These research projects have generated more than £450 million in further funding, mainly from public bodies but also from non-profit organisations and commercial entities.

The projects covered a wide range of subjects, from heritage to renewable energy, generating a large number of outputs in different formats …

Ua19/16/2 Athletic Media Relations Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

General WKU athletic press releases for 2021.

Ua35/7 Preparing Students For Infinite Possibilities 2007-2021, Wku Gatton Academy Of Mathematics & Science In Kentucky

WKU Administration Documents

Report of awards, research projects, study abroad opportunities and alumni achievements.

• Hannah Fugate
• Naomi Kellogg
• Niven Achenjang
• Tyler Jury
• Paul Hudson
• Luke Yap
• Chris Obermeyer
• Vishnu Tirumala
• Hannah Pennington
• Shelby Rader
• Sarah Schrader
• Ryan Gott
• Alex Pena
• Jenna Ellis
• Elaine Flynn

Mitochondrial Dysfunction’S Role In The Pathogenesis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Proposed Pathway, Vaughan Schwob

Alison Scott Ricker Research Award

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate Bulletin [2021], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Graduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2021-2022. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs.

Ferrocenium Complex Aided O -Glycosylation Of Glycosyl Halides, Deva Talasila, Eike Bauer

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

A new strategy for the activation of glycosyl halide donors to be utilized in glycosylation reactions is presented, utilizing the ferrocenium (Fc) complexes [FcB(OH)2]SbF6 and FcBF4 as promoters. The scope of the new system has been investigated using glycosyl chloride and glycosyl fluoride donors in combination with common glycosyl acceptors, such as protected glucose. The corresponding glycosylation products were formed in 95 to 10% isolated yields with α/β ratios ranging from 1/1 to β only (2 to 14 h reaction time at room temperature, 40 to 100% ferrocenium promoter load).

Bntir: An Online Transcriptome Platform For Exploring Rna‐Seq Libraries For Oil Crop Brassica Napus, Dongxu Liu, Liangqian Yu, Lulu Wei, Pugang Yu, Jing Wang, Hu Zhao, Yuting Zhang, Shuntai Zhang, Zhiquan Yang, Guanqun Chen, Xuan Yao, Yanjun Yang, Yongming Zhou, Xuemin Wang, Shaoping Lu, Cheng Dai, Qing-Yong Yang, Liang Guo

Biology Department Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Terrorism And The Inherent Right To Self-Defense In Immigration Law, Faiza Sayed

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Tree-Ring Based Reconstruction Of Historical Fire In An Endangered Ecosystem In The Florida Keys, Lauren A. Stachowiak, Maegen L. Rochner, Elizabeth A. Schneider, Grant L. Harley, Savannah A. Collins-Key, Hunter A. Bonawitz

SHU Faculty Publications

Big Pine Key, Florida, is home to one of Earth’s largest swaths of the critically-endangered dry forests. Known as pine rocklands, this fire-adapted ecosystem must experience regular fire to persist and remain healthy. Pine rocklands are composed of a sole canopy species: the South Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa), along with a dense understory of various woody and herbaceous species, and minimal surface moisture and soil development. Slash pine record wildfire activity of the surrounding area via fire scars preserved within the annual tree rings formed by the species. Our study used dendrochronology to investigate the fire history …

Selective Toxicity Of Mx106-4c, A Survivin Inhibitor, To Abcb1 Positive Multidrug Resistant Colon Cancer, Zining Lei

Theses and Dissertations

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major challenge in colon cancer chemotherapy, which is typically mediated by the overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, particularly ABCB1 (P-gp, MDR1). The application of ABCB1 inhibitors to overcome ABCB1-mediated MDR has been disappointing in the clinical settings. As an alternative approach, a synthetic analog of survivin inhibitor MX106, MX106-4C, was identified as a potent collateral sensitivity (CS) agent that selectively exerted more than 10-fold cytotoxicity on ABCB1 positive MDR colon cancer cell lines compared to cell lines with low ABCB1 expression. Biochemical assays revealed that MX106-4C did not affect the ATPase activity or the …

Representations Of Nature And Ecological Collapse In The Novels Of Jane Austen, Lydia Maria Child, And Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Faten Hafez

Theses and Dissertations

Did Jane Austen precede Charles Dickens in pointing out air pollution in the big cities? Did she predate Elizabeth Gaskell in delineating the odd blending of rural and industrial towns? And did she surpass Mary Elizabeth Braddon in acknowledging the unusual cultivation of fruits in hothouses? Indeed, Austen antedated Victorian novelists in predicting early signs of environmental manipulation and identifying the attitudes and practices that led to the ecological collapse of early nineteenth century England. In Emma, Isabella’s health blooms in the fresh air of Highbury as opposed to London’s “bad air;” an indication of air pollution wreaking havoc on …

Academically Underprepared First Year Writing Students' Perceptions And Implementation Of Teacher And Peer Feedback, Jacqueline Marie Regan

Theses and Dissertations

When entering the university, students from under-resourced schools may not have the same educational experiences as their peers and are more likely to be held back by a lack of instruction in writing. Framed by sociocultural theory and viewing both peer and teacher feedback as dynamic conversations and literacy events, the purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to measure academically underprepared students’ perceptions of feedback and to understand how these perceptions of writing feedback align with the decisions they make about implementing changes to their essays. Focusing on first-year writing students (n=29) at a diverse state university, …

Mechanism Of Dna Damage Checkpoint (Ddc)- Mediated Repression Of Histone Mrnas And Role Of Acetyl-Coa In Histone Transcription, Madhura Bhagwat

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation contains two projects. The first project is focused on the mechanism of DNA damage checkpoint (DDC)- mediated repression of histone mRNAs. The second project deals with the role of acetyl-CoA in histone transcription. Proliferating cells coordinate histone and DNA synthesis to maintain correct stoichiometric amounts for chromatin assembly. Histone mRNA levels must be repressed when DNA replication is inhibited to prevent toxicity and genome instability due to free non-chromatinized histone proteins. In the first project we show that, unlike in mammalian cells, DNA replication stress does not trigger decay of histone mRNAs in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, …

“I Have Gone Beyond My Sphere”: Network Analysis And Rhetorical Feminism In Women’S Writing 1650-1750, Donna P. Downing

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of a contrasting public sphere and private sphere is both enduring and contested. The model of the eighteenth century public sphere offered by Jürgen Habermas offers a rational-critical approach to public discourse, while bracketing difference. Interlocutors of Habermas see such exclusion as problematic, particularly from a feminist standpoint. In contrast to Habermas’ static model, this project offers a networked, motile vision of public and private spheres that allows for interconnections and relationships, and which not only incorporates conceptual differences, but in fact relies on them. In this flexible model, rhetorical feminism, where the ideology of feminism is brought …

Pharmacological Effects Of Ebselen And Other Novel Organoselenium Compounds In Vitro And In The Mouse Model Of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, Suvidha M. Menon

Theses and Dissertations

The current era is witnessing the emergence of virulent and resistant Candida and other pathogenic strains that has led to high morbidity and mortality rates on a global scale. Drug resistance has rendered once proven potent and commonly used antifungal drugs ineffective, especially in immunocompromised patients. These reasons justify the need for identifying novel antifungal targets and thereby building the antifungal armamentarium.

Our lab has previously investigated and studied Ebselen (EB), an organoselenium compound for its antifungal mechanism and activity against Candida strains. In vitro studies have shown the growth inhibitory activity (IC50 ˜ 15 µM) for various C. albicans …

The Role Of Transcription Factor Nrf2 In The Toxicity Of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (Pfos) And Perfluorooctanoic Acid (Pfoa) In Vitro And In Vivo In Wild-Type And Nrf2 Deficient C57bl/6 Mice, Saif A. Alharthy

Theses and Dissertations

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are members of a family of compounds known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This study aimed to determine the protective role of Nrf2 against the toxicity of these agents. Nrf2-/- and wild-type astrocytes from C57BL/6 mice were exposed to PFOS (75-600µM) and PFOA (400-1000µM) for 24 hours. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Neutral Red (NR) uptake assays showed cytotoxicity being significantly greater in nrf2-/- than in the wild-type astrocytes. Concentrations of 600µM PFOS and 800µM PFOA showed significant increases in reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and TUNEL positive cells in both cells types with significantly …

Self-Emulsified Nanoemulsion As Permeation Enhancer And Its Application For Intranasal Delivery Of Insulin, Kanyaphat Bunchongprasert

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the permeation enhancing property and safety of self-emulsified nanoemulsion (SEN) and use these findings to enhance insulin absorption through the nasal route.

The first part of the project was to identify the factors affecting cytotoxicity and permeation enhancement of SEN on Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells, a widely used paracellular model. Twenty-six fatty acid esters (FAEs) commonly used in SEN were investigated. Among the FAEs (mono-, di-, and triesters), fatty acid monoesters (FAME) are the main excipient causing cytotoxicity and opening tight junction. The cytotoxicity of FAME in SEN was reduced with the presence of …

Particle Shape Engineering For Improved Drug Delivery To Peripheral Lungs By Non-Invasive Route, Snehal Shukla

Theses and Dissertations

Inhalation of therapeutics has been gaining importance owing to immense advantages offered by pulmonary route and have attracted significant advancements in the pharmaceutical field. However, pulmonary drug delivery has been challenging because of the complexity of the respiratory tract and the existing defense mechanism. The pulmonary drug delivery has experienced advances in approaches and strategies to combat the existing challenges by tailoring the physicochemical properties of the delivery carriers and enabling both localized as well as systemic delivery. Pulmonary drug delivery is governed by several biophysical parameters of the delivery carriers such as particle size, shape, density, charge, and surface …