Digital Commons Network^™

Spatiotemporal Change Detection Of The Alpine Meadows At Holcomb Valley, San Bernardino Mountain National Forest, Using Gis And Remote Sensing Techniques, Rama Ewing

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Holcomb Valley, with a general elevation between 2200-2257m, is in the Northeast of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. Holcomb Valley is covered by Alpine meadows, unlike most mountain landscapes, which are rarely found in Mediterranean climates such as California. The cultural-environmental history of the San Bernardino Mountains in the past century speaks of intense anthropogenic activities such as timbering, grazing, gold mining, and extreme climate changes (i.e., drought, fires, floods). A study is conducted to identify and calculate the changes in the Alpine meadows at Holcomb Valley. The climatical data has been acquired to compute and visualize …

Fossil Mammals From Hickory Tree Cave, Sullivan County, Tennessee, Alexis Rivera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hickory Tree Cave, also known as Big Spring Cave, is located in the southern Appalachians and is known for fossils that are considered to be Quaternary in age. Fossil mammals were identified and assigned to the lowest taxonomical level possible. Most remains are fragmented or digested and it seems likely that various taphonomic processes are responsible for the resulting assemblage. The site lacks the extreme boreal component of Pleistocene cave faunas in the region (e.g. Baker Bluff Cave), with most reported taxa inhabiting Appalachian deciduous forest environments in North America today. While the presence of tapir (Tapirus sp.) …

Investigating The Pi3k/Akt/Atm Pathway, Telomeric Dna Damage, T Cell Death, And Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing During Acute And Chronic Hiv Infection, Sushant Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection initiates major metabolic and cell- survival complications. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is the current approach to suppress active HIV replication to a level of undetected viral load, but it is not a curative approach. Newer and sophisticated gene editing technologies could indeed be a potent antiviral therapy to achieve a clinical sterilization/cure of HIV infection. Chronic HIV patients, even under a successful ART regimen, exhibit a low-grade inflammation, immune senescence, premature aging, telomeric DNA attrition, T cell apoptosis, and cellular homeostasis. In this dissertation, we investigated CD4 T cell homeostasis, degree of T cell apoptosis, an …

An Acute Sense Of Place: The Songs Of Norman Blake, Thomas Jutz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American flat-picking guitarist, singer and songwriter Norman Blake holds legendary status among guitar players, bluegrass, and folk musicians.

The aim of this research is to analyze the interaction of sense of place in Norman Blake’s songwriting. This research will explore the techniques Blake uses to create that acute sense of place. Elements of literary criticism, cultural geography, ethnomusicology, and sense of place studies, as well as historical background information on Northern Alabama and North Georgia will be employed to show how this particular region of Southeastern Appalachia has informed Blake’s songwriting.

The research questions that I aim to answer are …

An Investigation Of Lab-Based Research Procedural Fidelity: The Relationship Between Experimenter Infant-Directed Speech, Temperament And Language Proficiency, Tess A. Simpson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether developmental researchers were influenced in the laboratory by the characteristics of children who participate in their research. I hypothesized that experimenters, as social partners, would adapt their speaking and other behaviors to the child’s perceived temperamental profile and language proficiency. I specifically focused on whether experimenters would adhere to the experimental laboratory procedure of two elicited imitation tasks, Feed Bear and Make a Rattle, in an archival dataset. Participants included 61 primarily white 15-month-olds. Coders transcribed infant directed speech (IDS) and analyzed transcriptions for total words, words per sentence, and …

Opinion Mining Of Bird Preference In Wildlife Parks, Isiwat Adenopo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Opinion Mining is becoming the fastest growing area to extract useful and insightful information to support decision making. In the age of social media, user’s opinions and discussions have become a highly valuable source to look for users preferences, likes, and dislikes.

The industry of wildlife parks (or zoos) is a competitive domain that requires careful analysis of visitor’s opinions to understand and cater for their preferences when it comes to wildlife. In this thesis, an opinion mining approach was proposed and applied on textual posts on the social media platform, Twitter, to extract the popularity, polarity (sentiment), and emotions …

Importance Of The Microhabitat And Microclimate Conditions In The Northern Gray-Cheeked Salamander (Plethodon Montanus) Across An Elevation Gradient, Trevor Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The southern Appalachian Mountains have among the highest salamander diversity in the world, largely due to local speciation in the family Plethodontidae. Plethodontid salamanders (i.e., lungless salamanders) are particularly sensitive to habitat climate conditions due to their reliance on cutaneous respiration, and their immediate environmental conditions (microhabitat) likely influence their dispersion and activity more than the large-scale atmospheric conditions. The Northern Gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus) is restricted to high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between P. montanus and its microhabitat by examining behavioral preference for climatic conditions, characterizing the microclimate with …

Light And Temperature Entrainment Of Two Circadian-Driven Behaviors In The Flesh Fly Sarcophaga Crassipalpis, Raven Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Circadian rhythms dictate the timing of both once-in-a-lifetime adult emergence (eclosion) and daily locomotor activity rhythms in the flesh fly S. crassipalpis. Light cycles are considered the primary environmental time cue (zeitgeber), but the life history of S. crassipalpis suggests that temperature cycles (thermocycles) may also play a key role. This work evaluates the efficacy of thermocycling as a zeitgeber in S. crassipalpis. We found that shifting both light and temperature cycles of sufficient amplitude affect the phasing of eclosion and locomotor activity, but result in different patterns. Additional experiments suggest greater thermocycle sensitivity during the late metamorphic …

The Greek Merchant Marine: A Unique Combination Of Nautical Skill And Commercial Savvy, Alexander Billinis

All Theses

The Greek-owned merchant fleet remains the world’s largest, and while plenty of histories have been written about this fleet, there is a definite absence in the historiography about why the Greeks’ relation to the sea is unique, and how this fleet came into existence. The author argues that the Greek merchant fleet is a successful hybridization of a commercial middleman minority ethos born out of conditions in the Ottoman Empire and post-independence Greece, combined with the shipping skills of a littoral people who invested in this expertise.

To understand the how and why of the Greek merchant fleet, it is …

Understanding Movement, Habitat Use, And Habitat Selection By Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Nigricans X Salmoides) And Alabama Bass (Micropterus Henshalli) On Lake Hartwell, South Carolina, Deon Kerr

All Theses

Alabama Bass (Micropterus henshalli) were illegally introduced into the upper Savannah River Basin 15-20 years ago and have since become abundant as well as problematic ecologically. Acoustic telemetry was used to quantify diel movement, habitat use, and habitat selection of Alabama Bass and Largemouth Bass in Lake Hartwell, SC across seasons (June 2021-July 2022) with the goal of informing ongoing habitat enhancement efforts. Across all seasons, Alabama Bass conducted diel horizontal migrations from deeper offshore habitats during the day to nearshore, shallow habitats at night. Daytime Alabama Bass movement rates in offshore waters were higher than nighttime movement rates. Largemouth …

Effect Of Metal Ions And Temperature On Stability Of Thiamine Determined By Hplc, Jhong Huei Huang

All Theses

Thiamine degradation occurs during storage and transportation for short and long periods due to the exposure to several factors, such as heat, oxidation-reduction reactions, and alkali. In this study, the effects of four metal ions (i.e., Cu⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺) on thiamine stability in aqueous solutions at three temperatures (i.e., 25, 40, and 55°C) for the storage time of 7 days were discussed. Thiamine degradation was found to follow the first-order kinetic reaction, and the degradation rate could also be estimated. The factors in influencing thiamine stability included pH values, temperatures, …

Transforming Character Faces Based On Perceived Personality Traits, Kara Porter

All Theses

The ability to read other human's faces is a crucial part of everyday life. Subconsciously, the human brain analyzes someone's face within the first few seconds of seeing it, making a variety of conclusions ~\cite{FacePerp} such as gathering information about emotional state and assuming character traits this person might possess. The purpose of this thesis is to create a tool that allows a user to alter features of a character's three dimensional (3D) face mesh to look increasingly or decreasingly like the character possesses certain personality traits. Using a sample set of randomly generated faces, a survey is conducted to …

Evaluation Of Novel Management Options For Bacterial Spot Of Peach, Daniela Moreno

All Theses

Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (Xap) is an economically important pathogen causing bacterial spot of stone fruits worldwide. In the southeastern US management for this disease relies on copper and oxytetracycline (OTC) sprays, yet disease incidence remains high especially when the environmental conditions are conducive (warm and rainy). To further complicate disease management copper tolerant and OTC resistant (OTC^R) strains of Xap have been reported in the southeastern peach orchards. complicating disease management. Therefore, we aim to evaluate potential chemical and biological alternatives for disease management. The first objective was to evaluate a novel nano nanoformulation Bz (Zinc Borate) …

Seeking Of Agriculture Information Through Mobile Phones By Rice Farmers In Ogoja Agricultural Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria, Friday O. Idiku, Ginini Francis Elemi, Ejeje Igwe Agube, Comfort Aya, Anthonia Egem Okem

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Seeking agriculture information is common among rice farmers in many parts of the world. The study was aimed at assessing the Seeking of Agriculture Information through Mobile Phone by Rice Farmers in Ogoja Agricultural Zone of Cross River State Nigeria The specific objectives of the study were to; identify the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, determine factors influencing the seeking of agriculture information through mobile phones by rice farmers, and to examine the constraints to use of mobile phones by rice farmers in Ogoja Agricultural Zone of Cross River State Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was adopted to select ninety …

Comparative Genome Analysis Of Plant Ascomycete Fungal Pathogens With Different Lifestyles Reveals Distinctive Virulence Strategies, Yansu Wang, Jie Wu, Jiacheng Yan, Ming Guo, Lei Xu, Liping Hou, Quan Zou

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Pathogens have evolved diverse lifestyles and adopted pivotal new roles in both natural ecosystems and human environments. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their adaptation to new lifestyles are obscure. Comparative genomics was adopted to determine distinct strategies of plant ascomycete fungal pathogens with different lifestyles and to elucidate their distinctive virulence strategies. Results: We found that plant ascomycete biotrophs exhibited lower gene gain and loss events and loss of CAZyme-encoding genes involved in plant cell wall degradation and biosynthesis gene clusters for the production of secondary metabolites in the genome. Comparison with the candidate effectome detected distinctive variations between …

Biobased Sprayable Mulch Films Suppressed Annual Weeds In Vegetable Crops, Eliott Gloeb, Sibel Irmak, Loren Isom, John L. Lindquist, Samuel E. Wortman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Biobased sprayable mulch (BSM) films are a potential alternative to herbicides, polyethylene plastic mulch film, and hand weeding for specialty crops. We developed a series of BSM films using locally available biomaterials [including corn (Zea mays) starch, glycerol, keratin hydrolysate, corn gluten meal, corn zein, eggshells, and isolated soy (Glycine max) protein] and tested their effects on weeds and crop yield during a total of seven greenhouse or field trials between 2017 and 2019 in Nebraska, USA. Application rates of BSM films applied in pots (greenhouse), planting holes in plastic film (field), or bed tops (field) …

Meningitis Post-Cochlear Implant And Role Of Vaccination, Ghadah A. Alanazi, Aumniyat S. Alrashidi, Khalid S. Alqarni, Saeed A. Al Khozym, Saad Alenzi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To investigate the incidence, risk factors, and management of meningitis in cochlear implant (CI)users. Methods: A systematic review was carried out using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register. Articles were considered relevant if reported any data on incidence, clinical presentations, the role of vaccination, management, and outcomes of meningitis after CI. Results: A total of 32 studies including 27358 patients were included, and meningitis was reported in only 202 cases. Meningitis occurred in the period ranging from 1 day to 72 months after CI. A total of 55 patients received the pneumococcal vaccine, while 20 patients …

Role And Mechanism Of Alpa1-Antitrypsin In Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Shouxi Pan, Yilihaer Aizezi, Honglei Wang, Yingli Lu, Baigong Xue

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To determine the relationships among alpha1-antitrypsin (A1AT), pro-inflammatory cytokines, neutrophil elastase (NE), interleukin (IL)- 1β, and IL-8 in cases with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Female rats in the control group were fed and watered normally. Female rats in the PCOS group were given high-fat diets and letrozole (1% carboxymethyl cellulose’ [CMC] solution) CMC by gavage at a dose of l mg/kg body weight daily for 23 days. The mRNA levels of A1AT and NE in rat ovaries were detected by performing real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the laboratory of Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, China …

Bacteriological Profile Of Wound Swab And Their Antibiogram Pattern In A Tertiary Care Hospital, Saudi Arabia, Azzah S. Alharbi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the microbial profile of wound infection and their antibiogram pattern. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah Saudi Arabia between December 2021 and July 2022 comprising data related to demographic, microbial profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of wound infection–suspected cases. Results: A total of 305 wound swabs were collected; of which 56.1% showed microbial growth. Among 187 microbial isolates, 62% were gram-negative bacteria, 30.5% were gram-positive bacteria and 7.5% were fungi. Staphylococcus aureus was the prevailing isolates 17.1%, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , each with 13.9% and Escherichia …

Does Maternal Obesity During Pregnancy Impact Offspring’S Liver And Skeletal Muscle Metabolism?

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Epidemiology And Antimicrobial Resistance Of Staphylococci Other Than Staphylococcus Aureus From Domestic Animals And Livestock In Africa: A Systematic Review, Remous Ocloo, Justin Nyasinga, Mohammed Munshi, Aisha Hamdy, Tessa Marciniak, Manonmani Soundararajan, Mae Newton-Foot, Wilma Ziebuhr, Manonmani Soundararajan, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Introduction: Staphylococci other than Staphylococcus aureus (SOSA) in animals are becoming more pathogenic and antibiotic resistant and can potentially disseminate to humans. However, there is little synthesized information regarding SOSA from animals in Africa. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of SOSA in companion animals (pets) and livestock in Africa.

Method: This systematic review (PROSPERO-CRD42021252303) was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, and 75 eligible studies from 13 countries were identified until August 2022. Three electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science) were employed.

Results: The frequently isolated SOSA …

Divergent Serpentoviruses In Free-Ranging Invasive Pythons And Native Colubrids In Southern Florida, United States, Steven B. Tillis, Jillian M. Josimovich, Melissa A. Miller, Laura L. Hoon-Hanks, Arik M. Hartmann, Natalie M. Claunch, Marley E. Iredale, Tracey D. Logan, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Ian A. Bartoszek, John S. Humphrey, Bryan M. Kluever, Mark D. Stenglein, Robert N. Reed, Christina M. Romagosa, James F.X. Wellehan, Robert J. Ossiboff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is an invasive snake that has significantly affected ecosystems in southern Florida, United States. Aside from direct predation and competition, invasive species can also introduce nonnative pathogens that can adversely affect native species. The subfamily Serpentovirinae (order Nidovirales) is composed of positive-sense RNA viruses primarily found in reptiles. Some serpentoviruses, such as shingleback nidovirus, are associated with mortalities in wild populations, while others, including ball python nidovirus and green tree python nidovirus can be a major cause of disease and mortality in captive animals. To determine if serpentoviruses were present in invasive Burmese …

Totoro Teapot, Emma Gillam

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

No abstract provided.

Pupil Voice Groups: The Impact On Schools And Students, Eric Rubenstein, James D. Scott, Jason Peake

Journal of Youth Development

Over 30 years ago, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child passed legislation allowing children under the age of 18 to express their concerns in circumstances and decisions that affect them. Because one impact on children under the age of 18 is the educational system, Scotland education has integrated opportunities for students to be involved in the educational process. Pupil voice groups are one of the techniques that have been implemented in Scotland and throughout Europe. These groups allow students to have a voice in their education that may impact development. Researchers sought to identify the impacts …

After-School Connectedness, Racial–Ethnic Identity, Affirmation, And Problem Behaviors, Danielle A. Augustine, Emilie Smith, Dawn P. Witherspoon

Journal of Youth Development

After-school programs are potential contexts that may promote positive youth development (PYD) and reduce problem behaviors among African American children. One way after-school programs may be associated with reduced problem behaviors is by fostering an affirming sense of identity. Prior research on racial–ethnic identity among African American children and adolescents has shown that a positive and affirming sense of identity is related to less maladaptive coping, yet little is known about how after-school programs may foster an affirming sense of identity and lead to reduced problem behaviors. The current study adds to this discourse by investigating how children’s connection to …

Vol. 35, Iss. 1 [Full Issue], _ _

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effects Of Tree Roots On Infiltration Process, Nazife Onaral

Masters Theses

Effects of the root structures on soil infiltration dynamics are not clearly defined. Imaging the complex tree root structures and movement of water through the root ball is a challenging task to achieve without damaging the trees and roots by conventional methods. Commonly used methods are invasive, labor-intensive, and not easily accessible. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has commonly been used to characterize soil profiles and it can be a reliable tool to map complex root structures with a novel high-resolution circular data collection technique. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is another reliable geophysical method to image infiltration processes by the change …

Micrornas Contribute To The Host Response To Coxiella Burnetii, Madhur Sachan, Katelynn Brann, Daniel E. Voth, Rahul Raghavan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, are critical to gene regulation in eukaryotes. They are involved in modulating a variety of physiological processes, including the host response to intracellular infections. Little is known about miRNA functions during infection by Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of human Q fever. This bacterial pathogen establishes a large replicative vacuole within macrophages by manipulating host processes such as apoptosis and autophagy. We investigated miRNA expression in C. burnetii-infected macrophages and identified several miRNAs that were down- or up-regulated during infection. We further explored the functions of miR-143-3p, an miRNA whose …

Cdc’S Covid-19 Vaccination Messages And Public Engagement: A Study On Facebook Posts, Hasan Mahmud Faisal

Master's Theses

Government health agencies utilize social media for public health interventions. This study examines how CDC, the national public health agency of the United States, use Facebook to disseminate COVID-19 vaccine messages and to get public engagement towards them over the past two years (2020-2022). Investigating the process of dialogic potentials of Facebook from the dialogic theory of public relations perspective, the current study analyzes 681 posts and 3,405 comments from CDC’s official Facebook page. Thematic analysis of posts yields three dominant themes such as “Vaccine supportive”, “availability of vaccine”, and “up to date information”. Comment analysis shows positive sentiment to …

Role Of Bacteriophage Therapy For Resistant Infections In Transplant Recipients, Paul Nicholls, Saima Aslam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose of review: Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are prevalent in transplant recipients and associated with poor outcomes. We review recent cases of phage therapy used to treat recalcitrant infections in transplant recipients and explore the future role of such therapy in this setting.

Recent findings: Individual case reports and small case series suggest possible efficacy of phage therapy for the treatment of MDRO infections in pre and posttransplant patients. Importantly, there have been no serious safety concerns in the reported cases that we reviewed. There are no applicable randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to better guide phage therapy at this time.

Summary: …