Digital Commons Network^™

Quantification Of Compound And Cascading Hydroclimatic Extreme Events, Sourav Mukherjee

All Dissertations

Compound and cascading hydroclimatic extreme events have garnered much attention in recent studies. The combined effects of interconnected extremes can cause widespread damage, with a higher potential impact than individual extremes. Both anthropogenic warming and natural climate variability affect these extremes, which is why detecting past extreme events, understanding the underlying mechanisms, and assessing their future impacts can aid in mitigation efforts to reduce their overall impact. However, thus far, identifying such events is oversimplified and the propagation of their impact as cascades from the physical to human systems remains partly explored.

The overreaching goal of this thesis is to …

Computational Analysis To Study The Efficiency Of Shear Activated Nano-Therapeutics In The Treatment Of Atherosclerosis, Nicholas Jefopoulos

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and can cause long-term disabilities in patients who survive a stroke. The vast majority of these strokes are ischemic, primarily caused by intracranial atherosclerosis. Most therapies to combat intracranial atherosclerosis simply manage it and do not remove the buildup of plaque. Targeted shear-activated nanotherapeutics are currently being developed to remove these plaques. We discuss the roles that aggregate particle density, aggregate particle diameter, vessel geometry, stenosis shape and breakup threshold play in the efficiency of this new technology. Computational studies were performed to test these parameters in three …

Risk Management In Translation: How Much Does It Really Explain?, Daniel Gile

International Journal of Interpreter Education

While risk has always been part of translation, it was taken up as a distinct topic recently, with some confusion as to what the term actually covers and some problematic claims about its central role as a determinant of translation behavior and the links between risk and translation effort. It is argued that risk is more often a constraint than a driver of decisions, that the correlation between the magnitude of risk-associated loss and the number of problem-solving efforts can be weak, and that achievement-oriented decision making explains translatorial behavior better than risk management and is more compatible with professional …

Analytical Determination Of Mitochondrial Function Of Excised Solid Tumor Homogenates, Elizabeth R.M. Zunica, Christopher L. Axelrod, L. Anne Gilmore, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Mitochondria are essential to the onset and progression of cancer through energy production, reactive oxygen species regulation, and macromolecule synthesis. Genetic and functional adaptations of mitochondria to the tumor environment drive proliferative and metastatic potential. The advent of DNA and RNA sequencing removed critical barriers to the evaluation of genetic mediators of tumorigenesis. However, to date, methodological approaches to evaluate tumor mitochondrial function remain elusive and require technical proficiency limiting the feasibility, ultimately diminishing diagnostic and prognostic value in both experimental and clinical settings. Here, we outline a simple and rapid method to quantify rates of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and …

In Situ Chromatin Interaction Analysis Using Paired-End Tag Sequencing., Ping Wang, Yuliang Feng, Kun Zhu, Haoxi Chai, Ya-Ting Chang, Xiaofei Yang, Xiyuan Liu, Chen Shen, Eva Gega, Byoungkoo Lee, Minji Kim, Xiaoan Ruan, Yijun Ruan

Faculty Research 2021

Chromatin Interaction Analysis Using Paired-End Tag Sequencing (ChIA-PET) is an established method to map protein-mediated chromatin interactions. A limitation, however, is that it requires a hundred million cells per experiment, which hampers its broad application in biomedical research, particularly in studies in which it is impractical to obtain a large number of cells from rare samples. To reduce the required input cell number while retaining high data quality, we developed an in situ ChIA-PET protocol, which requires as few as 1 million cells. Here, we describe detailed step-by-step procedures for performing in situ ChIA-PET from cultured cells, including both an …

An Assessment Of Inp/Zns As Potential Anti-Cancer Therapy: Quantum Dot Treatment Induces Stress On Hela Cells, Victoria Grace Davenport

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Indium Phosphide/Zinc Sulfide (InP/ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) are an emerging option in QD technologies for uses of fluorescent imaging as well as targeted drug and anti-cancer therapies based on their customizable properties. In this study we explored effects of InP/ZnS when treated with HeLa cervical cancer cells. We employed XTT viability assays, reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis, and apoptosis analysis to better understand cytotoxicity extents at different concentrations of InP/ZnS. In addition, we compared the transcriptome profile from the QDtreated HeLa cells with that of untreated HeLa cells to identify changes to the transcriptome in response to the QD. Intracellular …

Exercise Training Rescues Increased Brain Isf Aβ Caused By Chronic Isolation Stress In App/Ps1 Transgenic Mice, Lydia M. Holtmann

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder that destroys memory and cognition thought to be initiated through the build-up of the amyloid-beta (A) peptide. The A peptide aggregates, slowly forming into insoluble plaque substances that destroy the brain and worsen patient’s symptoms over time. Studies have shown that chronic isolation stress (CIS) increases the A peptide soluble and insoluble levels in the brain and that exercise training decreases these levels in transgenic mouse models of AD. We sought to determine if an exercise training regimen would rescue the increase in Aβ levels caused by CIS in the APP/PS1 transgenic …

The Influence Of Human Attentional State And Familiarity On Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) And Siberian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Altaica) Sociability, Jenna J. Dail

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

An essential element of an animal’s character is sociability (Gosling and John, 1999) and is demonstrated through interactions with other individuals (Capitanio, 2002). Although it is common to believe that domestic cats are not social beings, they have exhibited variance in solitary and social behavior, contingent on their environment and history (Turner, 2014). Much of the research on sociable behavior of animals has been completed between conspecifics. There has been less examination into interspecies sociability, and that which has been reviewed is focused on the relationship between humans and the domestic dog (Udell et al., 2010). Following this work, Vitale …

Why Am I Like This? An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Childhood Experiences On Adult Attachment Style, Amaris Clay

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Early childhood experiences and parental relationships have a lasting influence on future interpersonal relationships and the associated behaviors (Cortazar and Herreros 2010; Raby et al. 2015; Simons et al. 2014; Treger and Sprecher 2011). The proposed study is investigating the complex links between adverse childhood experiences, parenting style, and attachment style. The purpose of this study was to examine the lasting impact of early childhood factors and how they affect relationships in adulthood. The study intends to replicate previous research on parenting style and attachment style. The results of this study will add to the body of research centered on …

Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is one of many turtle species facing conservation challenges. Nearly extirpated in the 1980s, it is currently the subject of a head-start initiative, of which, any lasting behavioral or physiological effects were—until now—unknown! To evaluate the ability of captive-reared individuals to excel in natural habitats, and to foresee any future research or conservation challenges regarding this animal, I explored a suite of variables that influence bite performance and behaviors including captive or free-ranging status, and environmental conditions including body temperature and season. My results indicated that free-ranging M. temminckii outperform those residing …

“Old People Problems”, Uncertainty And Legitimacy: Challenges With Diagnosing Parkinson's Disease In Kenya, Natasha Fothergill-Misbah, Richard Walker, Judith Kwasa, Juzar Hooker, Kate Hampshire

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Very little is known about the experience of people living with Parkinson's disease (PD) in low- and middle-income countries, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa. The number of specialists in the region is low and awareness is limited among the population and healthcare professionals. Drawing on ten months of ethnographic fieldwork in urban and rural Kenya with 55 people living with PD (PwP), 23 family members and 22 healthcare professionals from public and private clinics, we set out to understand the experience of diagnosis among PwP in Kenya. The diagnostic journeys of our study participants were typically long, convoluted and …

Residual Life And Reliability Assessment Of Underground Rc Sanitary Sewer Pipelines Under Uncertainty, Himan Hojat Jalali, Moein Ebrahimi

Publications

Prioritization of limited funding for pipelines maintenance is a major issue that concerns municipalities nationwide. Conducting a probabilistic assessment can provide a complete characterization of the performance of structural elements and systems along with optimizing the limited resources. The most widely used probabilistic performance indicator is reliability, a measure of the probability of failure corresponding to a particular limit state (e.g., ultimate strength or serviceability). Reliability methods can be used to identify which pipeline sections within a particular system require the most urgent inspection or repair. To this end, an automated data-driven framework for large diameter reinforced concrete pipes (RCPs) …

Epicuticular Wax Rice Mutants Show Reduced Resistance To Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) And Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Lina Bernaola, Timothy S. Butterfield, Thomas H. Tai, Michael J. Stout

Faculty Publications

Plant structural traits can act as barriers for herbivore attachment, feeding, and oviposition. In particular, epicuticular waxes (EWs) on the aerial surfaces of many land plants offer protection from biotic and abiotic stresses. In rice (Oryza sativa L.), mutations that reduce EWs have been previously reported. However, whether such mutations affect rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) performance has not been investigated yet. These pests cause significant economic problems in important rice-producing areas of the United States. The aim of our study was to characterize the EWs of EW mutants and wild-type rice plants …

Performance Of Bt-Susceptible And -Heterozygous Dual-Gene Resistant Genotypes Of Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) In Seed Blends Of Non-Bt And Pyramided Bt Maize, Marcelo Dimase, Sebe Brown, Graham P. Head, Paula A. Price, Wade Walker, Wenbo Yu, Fangneng Huang

Faculty Publications

A seed blend refuge has been implemented in the U.S. Corn Belt for Bt maize resistance management. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is a target pest of Bt maize in the Americas. The larvae of this pest are mobile, which may affect the efficacy of seed blend refuges. In this study, field and greenhouse trials were conducted to determine the performance of Bt-susceptible (aabb) and -heterozygous dual-gene-resistant (AaBb) genotypes of S. frugiperda in seed blends of non-Bt and pyramided Bt maize. Three field trials evaluated larval survival, larval growth, and plant injury with aabb in seed blends of …

Biocontrol Of Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Using Entomopathogenic Nematodes: The Impact Of Infected Host Cadaver Application And Soil Characteristics, Ramandeep Kaur Sandhi, David Shapiro-Ilan, Michael Ivie, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

Wireworms have become a significant menace to cereals in the Northern Great Plains. Therefore, research toward developing effective control methods such as biological control with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) is warranted. Two strains, each of two EPN species, Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston in the form of infected Galleria mellonella (L.) cadavers were evaluated against wireworms in field and greenhouse. In field experiments, none of the four EPN strains were found effective against wireworms. However, in the greenhouse test, three of the strains, S. carpocapsae (All and Cxrd) or S. riobrave (355) applied in cadavers killed …

Uv Radiation Increases Mortality And Decreases The Antioxidant Activity In A Tephritid Fly, Hongying Cui, Yiying Zeng, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Feng Gao, Zhihong Li, Zihua Zhao

Faculty Publications

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been widely used to monitor insects and conduct surface sterilizations at 365 nm and 254 nm wavelengths, respectively. The global increase in the use of UV light has raised concerns about environmental impacts and effects on non-target organisms. We, therefore, examined the effects of three UV radiation wavelengths (365 nm, 308 nm and 254 nm) on the survival and antioxidant activities of a tephritid fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. Exposure to UV radiation significantly increased B. dorsalis cohort mortality and the duration of pre-oviposition. Moreover, the application of UV-B and UV-C significantly decreased egg laying. The activities …

Plant Volatiles And Oviposition Behavior In The Selection Of Barley Cultivars By Wheat Stem Sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), Buddhi B. Achhami, Gadi V.P. Reddy, M. L. Hofland, Jamie D. Sherman, Robert K.D. Peterson, David K. Weaver

Faculty Publications

Wheat stem sawfly, [Cephus cinctus (Hymenoptera: Cephidae)], females display complex behaviors for host selection and oviposition. Susceptible hollow stem wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars release a greater amount of attractive compound, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and receive a greater number of eggs compared to resistant solid stem wheat cultivars. However, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is becoming a more common host for C. cinctus in Montana. Therefore, how do host selection and oviposition behaviors on barley cultivars compare to what happens when encountering wheat cultivars? To answer this question, we carried out greenhouse experiments using two barley cultivars: 'Hockett' and 'Craft'. Between these …

Effect Of Disclosed Information On Product Liking, Emotional Profile, And Purchase Intent: A Case Of Chocolate Brownies Containing Edible-Cricket Protein, Cristhiam E. Gurdian, Damir D. Torrico, Bin Li, Georgianna Tuuri, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul

Faculty Publications

Edible insects, a sustainable and nutritious alternative to conventionally derived proteins, are unfamiliar to Westerners and often associated with negative sentiments. Edible-cricket protein (ECP) added to chocolate brownies (CB) [0% ECP = CBWO (without) vs. 6% w/w ECP = CBW (with)], and disclosed information [no ECP added = (−) vs. ECP with benefits = (+), ECP− and ECP+, respectively] yielded four CB treatments (CBWO−, CBWO+, CBW−, and CBW+). Subjects (n = 112 female and n = 98 male) rated liking, selected emotions before-and after-tasting, and determined consumption (CI) and purchase intent (PI) after tasting. Likings were analyzed with mixed-effects ANOVA …

Gain-Of-Function Polymorphisms In Human Inflammasomes: Implications For Cystic Fibrosis, Duane Jeansonne, Samithamby Jeyaseelan

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Reduced Methionine In Mediating The Metabolic Responses To Protein Restriction Using Different Sources Of Protein, Han Fang, Kirsten P. Stone, Sujoy Ghosh, Laura A. Forney, Thomas W. Gettys

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Dietary protein restriction and dietary methionine restriction (MR) produce a comparable series of behavioral, physiological, biochemical, and transcriptional responses. Both dietary regimens produce a similar reduction in intake of sulfur amino acids (e.g., methionine and cystine), and both diets increase expression and release of hepatic FGF21. Given that FGF21 is an essential mediator of the metabolic phenotype produced by both diets, an important unresolved question is whether dietary protein restriction represents de facto methionine restriction. Using diets formulated from either casein or soy protein with matched reductions in sulfur amino acids, we compared the ability of the respective diets to …

Range-Wide Population Genetic Analysis Of Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza Maritima) Supports At Least Five Distinct Population Segments That Do Not Align With Current Subspecies Descriptions, Kathryn E.C. Davis, Amie E. Settlecowski, Mackenzie R. Roeder, Carolyn Enloe, Thomas Virzi, Margaret E. Hunter, Stefan Woltmann, Sabrina S. Taylor

Faculty Publications

As an obligate salt marsh species, Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) are vulnerable to numerous threats including climate change, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and both natural and anthropogenic disasters. Of the 9 recognized subspecies, 2 are extinct and 1 is endangered. Previous genetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite loci showed that current taxonomy does not accurately reflect underlying genetic diversity, with possible consequences for the distribution of conservation resources. To further inform Seaside Sparrow management, we comprehensively describe genetic structure among 24 range-wide sampling locations that include all extant subspecies. We inferred population structure from several thousand single-nucleotide polymorphisms …

Novel Epigenetic Link Between Gestational Diabetes Mellitus And Macrosomia, Brian T. Joyce, Huikun Liu, Leishen Wang, Jun Wang, Yinan Zheng, Drew Nannini, Alex Drong, Stephanie Shiau, Weiqin Li, Junhong Leng, Yun Shen, Ru Gao, Andrea Baccarelli, Gang Hu, Lifang Hou

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Background & objectives: Examine maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), macrosomia and DNA methylation in candidate genes IGF1, IGF2, H19, ARHGRF11, MEST, NR3C1, ADIPOQ and RETN. Materials & methods: A total of 1145 children (572 GDM cases and 573 controls) from the Tianjin GDM study, including 177 with macrosomia, had blood DNA collection at median age 5.9 (range: 3.1-10.0). We used logistic regression to screen for associations with GDM and model macrosomia on 37 CpGs, and performed mediation analysis. Results: One CpG was associated with macrosomia at false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05 (cg14428359 in MEST); two (cg19466922 in MEST and cg26263166 in IGF2) were associated at p < 0.05 but mediated 26 and 13%, respectively. Conclusion: MEST and IGF2 were previously identified for potential involvement in fetal growth and development (Trial Registration number: NCT01554358 [ClinicalTrials.gov]).

Lipids Activate Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Fission And Quality Control Networks To Induce Insulin Resistance In Humans, Christopher L. Axelrod, Ciaran E. Fealy, Melissa L. Erickson, Gangarao Davuluri, Hisashi Fujioka, Wagner S. Dantas, Emily Huang, Kathryn Pergola, Jacob T. Mey, William T. King, Anny Mulya, Daniel Hsia, Bartolome Burguera, Bernard Tandler, Charles L. Hoppel, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Background and aims: A diminution in skeletal muscle mitochondrial function due to ectopic lipid accumulation and excess nutrient intake is thought to contribute to insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. However, the functional integrity of mitochondria in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle remains highly controversial. Methods: 19 healthy adults (age:28.4 ± 1.7 years; BMI:22.7 ± 0.3 kg/m2) received an overnight intravenous infusion of lipid (20% Intralipid) or saline followed by a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp to assess insulin sensitivity using a randomized crossover design. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained after the overnight lipid infusion to evaluate activation of mitochondrial dynamics proteins, …

Phytosampling—A Supplementary Tool For Particulate Matter (Pm) Speciation Characterization, Chuqi Guo, Farhana Hasan, Dean Lay, Albert Leo N. Dela Cruz, Ajit Ghimire, Slawo M. Lomnicki

Faculty Publications

Ambient air particulate matter (PM) and PM-associated environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) have been documented to contribute to pollution-related health effects. Studies of ambient air PM potentially bear artifacts stemming from the collection methods. We have investigated the applicability of PM phytosampling (PHS) as a supplementary tool to a classic PM sampler in respect of achieving better PM chemical composition assessment (primarily organic fraction). Phytosampling is a static PM collection method relying on the particle entrapment by the plant’s leaf through electrostatic forces and surface trichomes. We have investigated the differences in the EPFR and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) speciation …

Comparing Ultraconserved Elements And Exons For Phylogenomic Analyses Of Middle American Cichlids: When Data Agree To Disagree, Fernando Alda, William B. Ludt, Diego J. Elías, Caleb D. Mcmahan, Prosanta Chakrabarty

Faculty Publications

Choosing among types of genomic markers to be used in a phylogenomic study can have a major influence on the cost, design, and results of a study. Yet few attempts have been made to compare categories of next-generation sequence markers limiting our ability to compare the suitability of these different genomic fragment types. Here, we explore properties of different genomic markers to find if they vary in the accuracy of component phylogenetic trees and to clarify the causes of conflict obtained from different data sets or inference methods. As a test case, we explore the causes of discordance between phylogenetic …

Increased Ploidy Of Butomus Umbellatus In Introduced Populations Is Not Associated With Higher Phenotypic Plasticity To N And P, Nathan E. Harms, James T. Cronin, John F. Gaskin

Faculty Publications

Separate introductions or post-introduction evolution may lead to multiple invader genotypes or cytotypes that differ in growth rates, biomass or chemical profile responses (phenotype) to a range of environments. If the invader has high trait plasticity to a range of resource levels, then sediment N or P enrichment may enhance invasiveness. However, the ways in which ploidy, plasticity, and available N or P interact are unknown for most species despite the potential to explain spread and impacts by invaders with multiple introduced lineages. We conducted a common garden experiment with four triploid and six diploid populations of Butomus umbellatus, collected …

2021-2022 Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog, The University Of Alabama In Huntsville

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

"Going It Alone": Following The Male Cohort Of Survivors Of Sex Trafficking Of The Chab Dai Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project, Jarrett D. Davis, James Havey, Glenn M. Miles, Nhanh Channtha, Sreang Phally, Lim Vanntheary

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Over the past ten years, the Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project has followed 128 survivors of trafficking through their experiences in aftercare, reintegration, and beyond to better understand the recovery and reintegration of trafficking survivors within a Cambodian context. This paper focuses on the 19 males who were available to interview. Despite the project’s wealth of data and analysis, there are notable gaps regarding the male cohort. In response, this paper examines this cohort holistically, considering their statements and broader narratives, merging them with previous collective observations of the Butterfly Project. Throughout this paper, data indicates a pattern of violence among …

The Veins That Lighten Dearth: Documenting Hidden Collections In Rural California, Jillian M. Ewalt

Marian Library Faculty Publications

This case study discusses an archival consulting project to document and preserve hidden collections in rural northern California. The paper provides an overview of the collecting institution (the Mother Lode Land Trust), the collections and their historical context, and the consulting process. The author highlights processing strategies to improve preservation and description while developing a post-custodial approach to managing collections in a rural, community-based archives setting.

Innovative Computational Methods For Pharmaceutical Problem Solving A Review Part Ii: Serious Gaming, Heather R. Campbell, Robert A. Lodder

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Serious gaming has begun to take a foothold in pharmaceutical problem-solving. Companies such as Akili's Interactive are seeing success in the form of positive clinical trial results and FDA approval of digital therapeutics. Academic researchers have begun exploring novel uses for serious gaming in the way of protein design and more with promising results. This paper provides a review of such topics in addition to topics of game repurposing- repurposing a game originally intended for entertainment into a serious game-such as Minecraft and America's Army. Reviewing these topics this paper shows the utility of serious gaming as a tool for …