Digital Commons Network^™

Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa) Productivity Influenced By Microbial Inocula Under Nitrogen-Limited Conditions In Aquaponics., Jessica A Day, Christian Diener, Anne E Otwell, Kourtney E Tams, Brad Bebout, Angela M Detweiler, Michael D Lee, Madeline T Scott, Wilson Ta, Monica Ha, Shienna A Carreon, Kenny Tong, Abdirizak A Ali, Sean M Gibbons, Nitin S Baliga

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The demand for food will outpace productivity of conventional agriculture due to projected growth of the human population, concomitant with shrinkage of arable land, increasing scarcity of freshwater, and a rapidly changing climate. While aquaponics has potential to sustainably supplement food production with minimal environmental impact, there is a need to better characterize the complex interplay between the various components (fish, plant, microbiome) of these systems to optimize scale up and productivity. Here, we investigated how the commonly-implemented practice of continued microbial community transfer from pre-existing systems might promote or impede productivity of aquaponics. Specifically, we monitored plant growth phenotypes, …

The Coaches’ Eye: Exploring Coach Decision-Making During Talent Identification, Alexandra Hannah Roberts

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

For decades, researchers and practitioners interested in talent identification have discussed the coaches’ eye: the elusive ability that allows some coaches to ‘see’ qualities in an athlete that point to their talent or future potential. While there is significant anecdotal evidence of coaches who possess this ability, there is little empirical research supporting the validity or reliability of the coaches’ eye. Guided by ecological dynamics, this thesis employs mixed methodologies to explore the decision-making that underpins how high-level coaches identify talent in Olympic combat sports. These four studies captured the processes of thirty- four coaches during the talent identification process, …

Assessment Of The Clinical Validity Of Ctdna Analysis For Melanoma Management, Anda-Gabriela Marsavela

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Metastatic melanoma is responsible for almost 80% of all skin cancer-related deaths and the incidence of people affected continues to rise worldwide. The emergence of targeted therapy and immune-checkpoint inhibitors has improved the clinical management of melanoma, but durable survival benefit is only seen in a minority of patients. The use of these very expensive systemic therapies on all appropriate patients also poses a high economic burden on health systems across numerous countries. Currently, surveillance for treatment failure is not optimal. Thus, reliable and accurate biomarkers of patient disease status are urgently required.

Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis has emerged …

Siblings Of People With Intellectual Disability: Relationships And Decision-Making Across The Life Span, Wendy Simpson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A growing amount of research focuses on siblings of children with disabilities. However, limited evidence exists to provide a solid understanding and depth of knowledge of the issues that affect adult sibling relationships when one has intellectual disability. Since sibling relationships are the longest lasting family relationship, they are becoming more important because people with disability are outliving their parents or main caregivers. The increased longevity of people with disability has a societal and economic impact that has been recognised in the context of the recently introduced National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia. By exploring the experiences of siblings …

Experimental And Cfd–Pbm Investigation Of An Agitated Bioreactor Using A Dual Helical Ribbon Impeller, Maryamsadat Amiraftabi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Throughout past decades, the management of solid waste by producing methane gas, as a renewable source of energy, has featured as an important research objective. Anaerobic digesters are widely used in countries with environmental initiatives and green approaches, where biogas produced from a bioreactor is a carbon neutral source of energy. Biogas contains 70% methane, 30% CO2 and some other gases. The by-product of an anaerobic digester is solid sludge that can be used as either fertilizer or compost.

Anaerobic digestion biogas plants can benefit industries by adding value to solid organic waste, reducing fossil fuel usage, eliminating solid waste …

Application Of The Vortex Fluid Device (Vfd) In Polysulfone Synthesis And Ultra-Filtration Membrane Fabrication For Water Treatment Purposes, Aghil Igder

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Extensive studies have been performed to improve key properties of filtration membranes via controlling the fabrication process conditions as well as physical and/or chemical modification of the polymers used in membrane fabrication. The Vortex Fluid Device (VFD) is a newly invented platform which has found many applications in materials science and clean technology. The unique features of the VFD originate from a combination of different effects (e.g., micro-mixing, viscous drag, microfluidic flow, enhanced mass transfer) all resulting in faster, greener, and more efficient and better controlled chemical reactions. The main aims of this project are: (i) to investigate the utility …

Drumbeat© For Arthritis “ A Shared Purpose” Rather Than A “Lonely Struggle”, Jannette Warhurst

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australia is regarded as a healthy nation, with life expectancy one of the highest in the world. Yet the latest National Health Survey tells a very different story. Almost 50% of Australians are now living with one or more chronic conditions, with arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions representing the most expensive chronic disease group in Australia. As the leading cause of chronic pain and second most common cause of disability and early retirement due to ill health in Australia, Arthritis is costing the economy over $7 billion a year, in addition to over $1.1 billion in extra welfare costs …

An Assessment Of Health Hazards Associated With The Use Of Water Mist Systems As A Cooling Intervention In Australia, Edmore Masaka

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Water mist systems (WMS) installed and used for cooling ambient temperatures in public places fall within the category of premise plumbing. Premise plumbing refers to the water distribution networks that lie downstream of the water meter, and within buildings. The colonization of premise plumbing by opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) such as Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium, Acanthamoeba and Naegleria fowleri is emerging as a challenge for public health and water quality management. Contrary to other premise plumbing features like showers and domestic taps that have been implicated in various waterborne infections, the health risks associated with WMS are …

Unravelling The Potential Applications Of Extracellular Vesicles For The Clinical Management Of Melanoma Patients, Michael Edward Clark

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Metastatic melanoma is the third most common cancer in Australia with global incidence increasing. After decades without effective systemic treatments for advanced melanoma, the advent of targeted and immune therapies has substantially improved patient survival. While this is encouraging, further research is needed as the majority of patients treated with targeted therapy ultimately develop drug resistance. Immunotherapy can achieve durable responses in many patients however, not all patients respond to current single or a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Considering the cost and potential toxicities to patients being treated with these therapies, there is an urgent need to develop biomarkers …

The Law And Ecology Of Dam Removals, Dave Owen, Kim Sager-Fradkin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Evolution Or Revolution In Telehealth Regulation, George Horvath

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Phylogeny And Systematics Of The Superfamily Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886 (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda), Tyler Joseph Achatz

Theses and Dissertations

The Diplostomoidea is a large superfamily of digeneans which possess a unique holdfast organ. Members of the superfamily are distributed worldwide and are known to parasitize a wide variety of animals, both invertebrates and vertebrates. In some cases, diplostomoideans have been associated with diseases such as ocular diplostomiasis and ‘black spot’ disease in fishes. The taxonomic and systematic history of diplostomoideans is complex and includes numerous revisions based on morphology and host associations. Prior to this study, the Diplostomoidea included 6 families and 16 subfamilies. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed the Diplostomidae and the Strigeidae to be non-monophyletic and …

Role Of Gravin/Akap12 Variants In Regulating Endothelial Cell Behavior, Ashrifa Ali

Theses and Dissertations

A functional endothelium must maintain an equilibrium among processes such as endothelial cell (EC) migration, barrier function and angiogenesis. The endothelium is constantly exposed to external factors that that result in a complex network of signaling wired to several possible cellular outcomes. A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) have a critical role in regulating cell signaling by providing spatial and temporal control of signaling proteins to increase downstream target specificity. Several studies have linked gravin (also called SSeCKS or AKAP12), an AKAP, to migration, barrier function, and angiogenesis. However, the functional significance of each gravin variant in ECs has not been investigated …

Perspectives Of Beginning Teachers From Generation Z: A Narrative Study, Troy Bartman

Theses and Dissertations

A wide range of ages in teachers exist in the field of education. New teachers from Generation Z is one specific category that has received little attention. Who are these new teachers? What experiences have they grown up with being from this generation? What might we learn about them that can help us offer better support, training, and guidance to ultimately create better learning environments for students? The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the perspectives that new teachers from Generation Z have on teaching, learning, and teacher development. As the newest generation entering the …

Development Of A Dynamic Force Sensor, Olusola Andrew Bolaniran

Theses and Dissertations

Sensors are employed for various applications in different industries. Chief of these applications is in the process and equipment monitoring. Most sensors used in the equipment monitoring are mostly after-market devices. This research answered the question of how can we include the condition monitoring of equipment into the design phase of the equipment. This research developed a dynamic force sensor using a PolyVinyliDene Fluoride (PVDF) film. The piezoelectric film attached to a fixed-fixed substrate which serves to support film and the properties of which the sensor equations were based. The sensor was tested in the laboratory by subjecting it to …

Intron Retention Of Jarid2 Regulates Gene Expression During Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination, Jacob Robert Bierstedt

Theses and Dissertations

Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is the developmental process in which cell fate decisions in the bipotential gonads are influenced by temperature and drive the gonad toward one of two distinct organs, an ovary or testis. In species with TSD, temperature establishes the gene expression patterns required for cell fate decisions and gonad differentiation. However, the precise mechanism that temperature regulates gene expression is unknown. Here we have shown that Jarid2, which encodes a Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) accessory protein, exhibits temperature-dependent intron retention that results in three distinct transcripts encoding distinct proteins with functional similarities and differences in TSD. …

Systemic Veterinary Parasitcides For Residual Malaria Vector Control In Central America, Staci Michele Dreyer

Theses and Dissertations

Malaria continues to be one of the most severe public health concerns worldwide. The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, is transmitted from person to person through the mosquito vector Anopheles. Vector control is a crucial element of anti-malarial campaigns and works best when there is thorough knowledge about an Anopheles vector’s biology and behavior in a given region. To fully eradicate malaria, new vector control strategies must be developed that exploit the behaviors of different vector species. One promising strategy to target vectors that primarily bite outdoors and display generalist feeding behaviors (zoophagic) is the use of veterinary systemic parasiticides. Veterinary parasiticides …

The Production Of Bio-Based Chemicals And Materials From Renewable Sources, Ian Foerster

Theses and Dissertations

Widespread concern with the impacts of global emissions and climate change plays an active role in driving global renewable markets, developing scientific research communities, and setting environmental pollution regulations. Efforts to confront this rise in global emissions are primarily focused on the reduction and replacement of non-renewable fuels and materials. It has become increasingly apparent that reducing global greenhouse gas emissions will require more than just the replacement of fossil fuels, but the development of technologies to convert a diverse set of renewable feedstocks into fuels, chemicals, and materials.The goal of the work documented herein, was to expand the breadth …

Maximum Carbon Dioxide Capture, Sequestration And Maximum Carbon Dioxide Beneficial Reuse At The Optimal Cost Efficiency For The Power Generation Sector To Address Global Temperature Rise, Michael Dean Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Global Climate Change is arguably one of the most important global crises of our times. Global Climate Change is the result of increasing global ambient temperatures around the world. These increased temperature changes have been impacting all aspects of human life and activity as wells as impacting all biological and physical systems of Earth. The primary cause of Global Climate Change are anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and other Greenhouse Gases. Fossil fuel combustion is a primary source of these emissions. The initiation of anthropogenic Global Climate Change has been scientifically traced back to the Industrial Revolution. From the Industrial …

Impacts Of Vertical Grid Resolution On The Representation Of A Convective Environment, Caitlyn Mensch

Theses and Dissertations

In a pre-convective environment, modeled atmospheric conditions can be presented as discrete parameters, which serve as valuable resources both in forecasting potential severe weather events and also in assessing changes in convective potential over time. However, the value of these parameters may depend on the vertical resolution of the simulation that is used to do the calculation. Upper-air radiosonde sounding data from various research campaigns (e.g., PECAN, DC3, TRMM-LBA, etc.) in both midlatitude and tropical convective regimes are analyzed and later interpolated to the pressure levels in a range of atmospheric reanalysis and operational models. Indices such as CAPE, CIN, …

"The Last Major Front": Special Education's Transition To Adulthood And North Dakota, Matthew David Mccleary

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis examines the development and implementation of special education’s transition policy in the United States and North Dakota from the 1980s to the 1990s. Researchers have primarily sought to further evidence-based practices in preparing adolescents with disabilities for adulthood, but the history of this effort has rarely been discussed. In the late 20th century, policymakers, researchers, and educators attempted to turn around negative socio-economic outcomes for people with disabilities by helping youth with disabilities and their families plan for the future and get connected to post-school services and employment. Assumptions about people with disabilities influenced transition programming and the …

An Evaluation Of Ci Asteroid Regolith As A Plant Growth Medium For Space Crop Production, Steven Jon Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Asteroids are small, undifferentiated bodies that materialized during the formation epoch of the solar system. With a concerted effort to establish a long-term presence in space, crewed missions to asteroids should not be ignored. A critical aspect of human missions is self-sustainability, primarily growing crops via in-situ resource utilization. CI carbonaceous asteroids are a primitive type of asteroid that retain elements found during that early solar system formation. More importantly, the regolith on these asteroids contains soluble elemental nutrients, such as phosphorous and potassium, that crops can use for growth and development. This thesis focuses on the ability of CI …

Supplementary Table 11: Regional Zotu Table (Data As Relative Abundances), Charlie M. Phelps, Kathryn Mcmahon, Andrew Bissett, Rachele Bernasconi, Peter D. Steinberg, Torsten Thomas, Ezequiel M. Marzinelli, Megan J. Huggett

Research Datasets

This zOTU table is the relative abundances for the whole regional (combined WA and NSW) dataset.

Journal Of Ecology 2021 Global Rainfall-Seagrass Resilience-Swan River, Chanelle L. Webster, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Paul S. Lavery, Simone Strydom, Marta Sánchez Alarcón, Kieryn L. Kilminster, Katherine Bennet, Sian Mcnamara

Research Datasets

The excel file contains: summary of daily maximum precipitation from global rainfall analysis, monthly change in seagrass indicators (biomass, leaf density etc); water quality data including salinity, temperature and light data. There are also .nc files containing precipitation data from 1979-2019.

Breeding And Feeding Habitat Selection By An Island Endemic Bird May Increase Its Vulnerability To Climate Change, Paul Radley, Eddie Van Etten, David Blake, Robert Davis

Research Datasets

Characterising patterns of habitat use is an important first step for effective conservation planning. Species restricted to low-lying islands are at greatest risk from climate change-related sea level rise, and requirements for breeding and foraging habitat may determine their risk from tidal inundation. The endangered Micronesian Scrubfowl (Megapodius laperouse senex) is a model species for understanding these impacts. This species faces the cumulative challenges of tourist visitation, invasive species, and rising sea levels, yet little is understood about its habitat use in the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon Conservation Area (RISL) of Palau. We studied the habitat requirements of …

Anticancer Activities Of Plant Secondary Metabolites: Rice Callus Suspension Culture As A New Paradigm, Wusirika Ramakrishna, Anuradha Kumari, Nafeesa Rahman, Pallavi Mandave

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Plant natural products including alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids and flavonoids have been reported to exert anticancer activity by targeting various metabolic pathways. The biological pathways regulated by plant products can serve as novel drug targets. Plant natural compounds or their derivatives used for cancer treatment and some novel plant-based compounds which are used in clinical trials were discussed. Callus suspension culture with secondary metabolites can provide a continuous source of plant pharmaceuticals without time and space limitations. Previous research has shown that rice callus suspension culture can kill >95% cancer cells with no significant effect on the growth of normal cells. …

Machine Learning Applications In Microbial Ecology, Human Microbiome Studies, And Environmental Monitoring, Ryan B. Ghannam, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Advances in nucleic acid sequencing technology have enabled expansion of our ability to profile microbial diversity. These large datasets of taxonomic and functional diversity are key to better understanding microbial ecology. Machine learning has proven to be a useful approach for analyzing microbial community data and making predictions about outcomes including human and environmental health. Machine learning applied to microbial community profiles has been used to predict disease states in human health, environmental quality and presence of contamination in the environment, and as trace evidence in forensics. Machine learning has appeal as a powerful tool that can provide deep insights …

Safety Management System For Highway-Rail Grade Crossings, Amin Keramati

Transportation Logistics and Finance

As a result of the considerable differences in mass between vehicles and trains, accidences at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) may result in severe injuries and fatalities. Therefore, HRGCs safety is considered one of the crucial transportation safety issues. Transportation decision makers and agencies need an efficient safety decision-making framework which is bale to consider crash occurrence and severity likelihood simultaneously. This study proposed a novel methodology and a statistical approach for HRGC crash analysis. The proposed method is competing risk model and the approach is Cox proportional hazard regression. This predictive method was well established in bioscience area but never …

Root Biomass And Production By Two Cushion Plant Species Of Tropical High-Elevation Peatlands In The Andean Páramo, Esteban Suárez, Segundo Chimbolema, Rodney Chimner, Erik A. Lilleskov

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

High-elevation peatlands in the Andes are receiving increasing attention for their biodiversity and their high rates of carbon accumulation. However, the ecology of these peatlands and the environmental factors that control their carbon dynamics remain under-studied. Here we report on the patterns of root biomass productivity and turnover rates for two cushion plant species (Distichia muscoides, Plantago rigida) that commonly dominate high-elevation peatlands (> 4200 m a.s.l.) in the Andean páramo landscape of Northern Ecuador. Root biomass for P. rigida ranged from 680 to 864 g m-2 and was approximately 40 % higher than for D. muscoides (507–620 g m-2). …

Preservation Of Heritage School Buildings In The Philippines : A Case Study Of The Gabaldon Buildings, Inero Ancho, Mark Ponce San Juan

Journal of Urban Culture Research

This research is an attempt to revisit the Philippines’ Gabaldon school buildings (GSB) in the light of Republic Act 11194. The research offers scrutiny of the law vis-a-vis prospects on practices of preserving and advocating the historical and cultural value of GSB. Using qualitative method of research, this study particularly employs content analysis of RA 11194. The discussion of this paper is clustered into two main sections: The narrative of GSB since its beginning, along with presenting notable details of select edifices which still serving the Philippine education system and an in-depth reading and analysis of RA 11194. It scrutinizes …