Digital Commons Network^™

The Origin Of Ticks And The Genesis And Emergence Of Lyme Disease, Alan L. Gillen, Matthew Eakin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ticks are notorious for their capability of transmitting diseases that have debilitated humanity for thousands of years. They can confer lifelong chronic ailments via pathogenic bacterial species that they harbor inside themselves. These parasitic tick species, namely the Ixodes scapularis tick is responsible for hundreds of thousands of Lyme disease infections each year. This profound tick continues to produce the highest rate of zoonotic disease in the United States each year. Many may ask why these tick species are so infectious when ticks were originally designed by a benevolent God. Why would a good Creator choose to design a creature …

Modified Degradation Process Models And Statistical Methods For Assessing Robustness And Reliability Of Complex Networks, Yuzhou Chen

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we develop a novel stochastic modeling approach based on multiple interdependent topological measures of complex networks. The key engine behind our approach is to evaluate the dynamics of multiple network motifs as descriptors of the underlying network topology. Under a framework of the gamma degradation model, we develop a formal statistical framework for the analysis of reliability and robustness of a single complex network as well as for assessing differences in reliability properties exhibited by two different networks. We validate the proposed methodology with Monte Carlo simulation studies and illustrate the utility of the proposed approach by …

Bayesian Statistical Modeling Of Metagenomics Sequencing Data, Shuang Jiang

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

Microbiome count data are high-dimensional and usually suffer from uneven sampling depth, over-dispersion, and zero-inflation. In this thesis, we develop specialized analytical models for analyzing such count data. In Chapter 2, I develop a bi-level Bayesian hierarchical framework for microbiome differential abundance analysis. The bottom level is a multivariate count-generating process that links the observed counts to their latent normalized abundances. The top level is a mixture of Gaussian distributions with a feature selection scheme for differential abundance analysis. A simulation study on both simulated and synthetic data is conducted. A colorectal cancer case study demonstrates that a resulting diagnostic …

Groundwater Quality And Age Of Secondary Bedrock Aquifers In The Glaciated Portion Of Eastern Nebraska, 2016–18, Christopher M. Hobza, Amanda T. Flynn

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (ENWRA) project was initiated in 2006 to assist water managers by developing a hydrogeologic framework and water budget for the glaciated portion of eastern Nebraska. Within the ENWRA area, the primary groundwater sources for municipal, domestic, and irrigation water needs are provided by withdrawals from alluvial, buried paleovalley, and the High Plains aquifer (where present). Generally, other bedrock aquifers are considered a secondary water source. However, in some areas, such as parts of Sarpy and Nemaha Counties, these secondary bedrock aquifers are the only source of water within glaciated upland areas. To improve the …

Uplc-Ms/Ms Analysis Of The Michaelis-Menten Kinetics Of Cyp3a-Mediated Midazolam 1′- And 4-Hydroxylation In Rat Brain Microsomes, Devaraj Venkatapura Chandrashekar, Barent Dubois, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Midazolam (MDZ) is a short-acting benzodiazepine with rapid onset of action, which is metabolized by CYP3A isoenzymes to two hydroxylated metabolites, 1′-hydroxymidazolam and 4-hydroxymidazolam. The drug is also commonly used as a marker of CYP3A activity in the liver microsomes. However, the kinetics of CYP3A-mediated hydroxylation of MDZ in the brain, which contains much lower CYP content than the liver, have not been reported. In this study, UPLC-MS/MS and metabolic incubation methods were developed and validated for simultaneous measurement of low concentrations of both hydroxylated metabolites of MDZ in brain microsomes. Different concentrations of MDZ (1–500 µM) were incubated with …

Concretization Of Depression, Jing Zhou

Theses

Depression is a common mental disorder, but many people cannot understand the pain experienced by depression patients. Even after having a certain understanding of depression, it is difficult for us as normal people to empathize with the true inner feelings of depression patients. However, some people not only fail to understand the depressed patients, but they also speak slanderously and scold these depressive patients for their overly emotional actions. For these reasons, I want to show the true feelings of depression patients or the pain experienced as a depression patient through motion graphics. Motion graphic is an effective way to …

A Fast Method For Computing Volume Potentials In The Galerkin Boundary Element Method In 3d Geometries, Sasan Mohyaddin

Mathematics Theses and Dissertations

We discuss how the Fast Multipole Method (FMM) applied to a boundary concentrated mesh can be used to evaluate volume potentials that arise in the boundary element method. If $h$ is the meshwidth near the boundary, then the algorithm can compute the potential in nearly $\Ord(h^{-2})$ operations while maintaining an $\Ord(h^p)$ convergence of the error. The effectiveness of the algorithms are demonstrated by solving boundary integral equations of the Poisson equation.

Finite Element Approximation Of Solutions Of The Equations Of Electroporoelasticity, Yu Hu

Mathematics Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we consider the solution of the equations of electroporoelasticity, which are a combination of Maxwell's equations and the poroelasticity equations. Included is a description of suitable initial and boundary conditions, weak formulation of the equations, and the error estimate for a general numerical method.

A Call For A Better Understanding Of Aquatic Chytrid Biology, Davis Laundon, Michael Cunliffe

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The phylum Chytridiomycota (the “chytrids”) is an early-diverging, mostly unicellular, lineage of fungi that consists of significant aquatic saprotrophs, parasites, and pathogens, and is of evolutionary interest because its members retain biological traits considered ancestral in the fungal kingdom. While the existence of aquatic chytrids has long been known, their fundamental biology has received relatively little attention. We are beginning to establish a detailed understanding of aquatic chytrid diversity and insights into their ecological functions and prominence. However, the underpinning biology governing their aquatic ecological activities and associated core processes remain largely understudied and therefore unresolved. Many biological questions are …

Semantic Matching Evaluation: Optimizing Models For Agreement Between Humans And Autotutor, Colin Mackenzie Carmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The goal of this thesis is to evaluate the answers that students give to questions asked by an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) on electronics, called ElectronixTutor. One learning resource of ElectronixTutor is AutoTutor, an instructional module that helps students learn by holding a conversation in natural language. The semantic relatedness between a student’s verbal input and an ideal answer is a salient feature for assessing performance of the student in AutoTutor. Inaccurate assessment of the verbal contributions will create problems in AutoTutor’s adaptation to the student. Therefore, this thesis evaluated the quality of semantic matches between student input and the …

Neonicotinoids Can Cause Arrested Pupal Ecdysis In Lepidoptera, Niranjana Krishnan, Russell A. Jurenka, Steven P. Bradbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recently, we reported a novel mode of action in monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larvae exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides: arrest in pupal ecdysis following successful larval ecdysis. In this paper, we explore arrested pupal ecdysis in greater detail and propose adverse outcome pathways to explain how neonicotinoids cause this effect. Using imidacloprid as a model compound, we determined that final-instar monarchs, corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea), and wax moths (Galleria mellonella) showed high susceptibility to arrested pupal ecdysis while painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) and red admirals (Vanessa atalanta) showed low susceptibility. Fall …

Revamping The Scholarly Publishing Landscape: A Case For Open Access, Dimple Patel Dr., Sneha Tripathi Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The for-profit publishing industry has taken over the reins of the scholarly publishing landscape which was primarily meant for the academicians and by the academicians. The developments in information communication and technology facilitated open publishing, open sharing and open access, the researchers, however, still prefer for closed access journals, which survive mostly on the metrics developed and promoted by the for-profit publishing industry for their reputation. Also, in the contemporary academe, the merit of the researchers is determined largely by the number of their publications and by the fact that these are published by the purportedly reputed publishers who predominantly …

Hur Plays A Positive Role To Strengthen The Signaling Pathways Of Cd4+T Cell Activation And Th17 Cell Differentiation, Shiguang Yu, Morgan Tripod, Ulus Atasoy, Jing Chen

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

After antigen and/or different cytokine stimulation, CD4⁺ T cells activated and differentiated into distinct T helper (Th) cells via differential T cell signaling pathways. Transcriptional regulation of the activation and differentiation of naïve CD4⁺ T cells into distinct lineage Th cells such as Th17 cells has been fully studied. However, the role of RNA-binding protein HuR in the signaling pathways of their activation and differentiation has not been well characterized. Here, we used HuR conditional knockout (HuR KO) CD4⁺ T cells to study mechanisms underlying HuR regulation of T cell activation and differentiation through distinct signaling pathways. …

Three Newly Recorded Genera And Species Of Gobiid Fishes (Teleostei: Gobiidae) From The Dongsha Atoll (Pratas Islands), South China Sea, Shao-Liang Hsu, Ta-Kang Liu, Kwang-Tsao Shao, Kuan-Te Chen, I-Shiung Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Three newly recorded gobiid genera of coral-reef gobies have been collected and examined by scuba diving in the Dongsha Atoll, also known as the Pratas Islands, South China Sea. They are Feia Smith, 1959; Sueviota Winterbottom and Hoese, 1988; and Trimmatom Winterbottom and Emery, 1981. These three genera were formerly unrecorded in the Dongsha Atoll and all Taiwanese waters before this paper. One representing species was found for each gobiid genus. The diagnosis for these three newly recorded species and genera will be provided in this paper.

Effects Of Microwave-Assisted Extraction On The Free Radical Scavenging And Ferrous Chelating Abilities Of Monostroma Nitidum Extract, Yeu-Pyng Lin, Shao-Chi Wu, Shih-Li Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The optimum treatments of Monostroma (M.) nitidum extract were studied using response surface methodology, and pulsed microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method was applied in this study. The study was performed using a threelevel, three-factor design and aimed at determining the optimum combinations of particle size of M. nitidum particle (X1), concentration of M. nitidum (X2), and ethanol percentage (X3). The response variables of the α-diphenyl-α-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect and ferrous ion chelating capacity were significantly affected by particle size (X1) and the ethanol percentage (X3) at a significance level of 5%. The coefficients of determination (R2) of the response surface …

A Creative Differential Evolution Algorithm For Global Optimization Problems, Hsin-Chuan Kuo, Ching-Hai Lin, Jeun-Len Wu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Under the framework of the differential evolution algorithm, we develop a creative algorithm by extrapolating the thinking of the garbage can model. The developed algorithm is hence named in the study as a creative differential evolution algorithm (CDE). To verify the performance of the CDE, we selected seven well-known benchmark functions; three of them are uni-modal and four multi-modal. In conducting the numerical experiment, we adopted two different numbers of dimensions for each test function, which is 50 and 100. The results show that CDE can find the global optimum robustly, demonstrate that CDE significantly improves the DE’s performance.

Classroom To Paddock: Delivery Of Grazing Land Management Education In The Northern Territory, Australia, Ellena Hannah

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

The Agdal System Or The Art Of Managing Spatio‐Temporality Of Forage Resources And Risks In The High Atlas Mountains Of Morocco, Didier Genin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Teachers Attitudes Regarding Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma-Informed Educational Practices, And Student Resiliency, Alyson Reynolds Kohl

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this convergent parallel design mixed methods case study was to determine how training on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Educational Practice affected the attitudes of teachers, in Shasta County’s Enterprise Elementary School District (EESD), regarding students who had experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). A further purpose of this study was to understand if teachers in EESD perceived training in ACE and Trauma-Informed Educational Practices (TIEP) was effective in changing their classroom practices to support the resiliency of students who had experienced ACEs.

Methodology: The methods for this research included: an online survey, The Attitudes Regarding Trauma-Informed …

Insight - Summer 2021, Dugoni School Of Dentistry

Insight

Whether you are involved in clinical research, biomedical research, the scholarship of teaching and learning, improvement of the health care system, or professional partnerships that advance the field, we aim to spotlight the work of people at the Dugoni School.

Farmer’S Market Research & Recommendations, Jim Speer

2021 Spring Reports (Sullivan)

The City of Sullivan’s Quality of Life plan indicates a need for a local farmer’s market and other community gathering spaces. ENVI460 students were tasked with putting forth recommendations for a community farmer’s market space that would meet the needs of Sullivan, IN. Students recommended operational procedures for the 3 N. Section Street in Sullivan as the farmer’s market. They also provided construction and multipurpose use recommendations to enact.

Pollination Habitat And Flower Plating For City Beautification, Jim Speer

2021 Spring Reports (Sullivan)

The City of Sullivan identified needs to improve sustainable infrastructure and green space in Sullivan, IN through their Quality of Life plan. Students in ENVI460 were tasked with providing recommendations for their daily operations and site plans that could improve habitats and attractiveness for the community and tourists. Students provided recommendations for native habitat planting and community involvement/education. They also provided site recommendations for community garden and green space updates.

Method And System For Non-Invasive Optical Blood Glucose Detection Utilizing Spectral Data Analysis, Zhi Xu

UMSL Patents

Systems and methods are disclosed for non-invasively measuring blood glucose levels in a biological sample based on spectral data. This includes utilizing at least one light source configured to strike a target area of a sample, utilizing at least one light filter positioned to receive light transmitted through the target area from the at least one light source, utilizing at least one light detector positioned to receive light from the at least one light source and filtered by the at least one light filter, and to generate an output signal, having a time dependent current, which is indicative of the …

Vecinos Para El Bienestar De La Comunidad Costera V. Ferc, Malcolm M. Gilbert

Public Land & Resources Law Review

The D.C. Circuit Court remanded three Brownsville, TX LNG approval orders to FERC for failing to adequately explain conclusions around environmental justice and climate concerns. The Court ordered FERC to reevaluate whether the projects are in the public interest. The LNG terminals and pipeline will disproportionately impact low-income, minority communities, and substantial greenhouse gas emissions from production and export will contribute to anthropogenic climate change. This case note explores the role that environmental justice and climate change play in federal agency decision-making processes, analyzes the legal framework for the Court's decision, and discusses how the outcome of this litigation could …

Effect Of Alteplase Use On Outcomes In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis Of The Initiation Of Anticoagulation After Cardioembolic Stroke Study, Shadi Yaghi, James Giles, Angela Liu, Salah Keyrouz, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Background Intravenous alteplase improves outcome after acute ischemic stroke without a benefit in 90-day mortality. There are limited data on whether alteplase is associated with reduced mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)-related ischemic stroke whose mortality rate is relatively high. We sought to determine the association of alteplase with hemorrhagic transformation and mortality in patients with AF. Methods and Results We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke between 2015 and 2018 diagnosed with AF included in the IAC (Initiation of Anticoagulation After Cardioembolic Stroke) study, which pooled data from stroke registries at 8 comprehensive stroke centers across …

Comparison Of Constant Load Exercise Intensity For Verification Of Maximal Oxygen Uptake Following A Graded Exercise Test In Older Adults, Ian R. Villanueva, John C. Campbell, Serena M. Medina, Theresa M. Jorgensen, Shannon L. Wilson, Siddhartha S. Angadi, Glenn A. Gaesser, Jared M. Dickinson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

Maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) declines with advancing age and is a predictor of morbidity and mortality risk. The purpose here was to assess the utility of constant load tests performed either above or below peak work rate obtained from a graded exercise test for verification of VO₂max in older adults. Twenty-two healthy older adults (9M, 13F, 67 ± 6 years, BMI: 26.3 ± 5.1 kg·m⁻²) participated in the study. Participants were asked to complete two experimental trials in a randomized, counterbalanced cross-over design. Both trials (cycle ergometer) consisted of (1) an identical graded exercise …

Cyclic Peptide Conjugates And Methods Of Use, Lori Hazlehurst, Christoph Rader, Xiuling Li, Mark Mclaughlin

USF Patents

The present invention concerns cyclic compounds, compositions comprising the cyclic compounds, linkers, a method of preparing a carrying agent:cyclic compound adduct, a method for treating disorders such as proliferation disorders (e.g., malignancies), bone deficiency diseases, and autoimmune diseases, and a method for suppressing the growth of, or inducing apoptosis in, cells (e.g., malignant cells).

Thermal Legacy Of A Large Paleolake In Taylor Valley, East Antarctica, As Evidenced By An Airborne Electromagnetic Survey, Krista F. Myers, Peter T. Doran, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, Neil T. Foley, Thue S. Bording, Esben Auken, Hilary A. Dugan, Jill A. Mikucki, Nikolaj Foged, Denys Grombacher, Ross A. Virginia

Faculty Publications

Previous studies of the lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys have attempted to constrain lake level history, and results suggest the lakes have undergone hundreds of meters of lake level change within the last 20ĝ€¯000 years. Past studies have utilized the interpretation of geologic deposits, lake chemistry, and ice sheet history to deduce lake level history; however a substantial amount of disagreement remains between the findings, indicating a need for further investigation using new techniques. This study utilizes a regional airborne resistivity survey to provide novel insight into the paleohydrology of the region. Mean resistivity maps revealed an extensive brine …

Graduate Commencement, Philadelphia (2021), Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Commencements

Philadelphia Campus Graduate Commencement program, Class of 2021. Degrees include Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, Doctor of Psychology in Educational Psychology, Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology, Educational Specialist in School Psychology, Master of Science in School Psychology, Master of Science in Counseling and Clinical Health Psychology, Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership, Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, Master of Science in Forensic Medicine, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, and Master of Science in Health Sciences – Physician Assistant Studies.

Commencement Speaker: Robert F. Cuzzolino, Ed.D., Vice President …

Experiences Of Undergraduates And Graduate Teaching Assistants In Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences, Emma Crystal Goodwin

Dissertations and Theses

Evidence of positive student outcomes from course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) has sparked implementation of CUREs in introductory biology laboratory courses, as one approach to boosting student engagement in research. In a CURE, students collaborate with other students and instructors on a research project, where they conduct novel scientific research that has relevance to a local or scientific community. However, previous research rarely considers that graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) often teach introductory labs. The classroom role of GTAs expands in a CURE--they no longer need to simply teach a lab class, but also to serve as research mentors. GTAs, who …