Digital Commons Network^™

Simulating The Changes Of Invasive Phragmites Australis In A Pristine Wetland Complex With A Grey System Coupled System Dynamic Model: A Remote Sensing Practice, Danlin Yu, Nicholas A. Procopio, Chuanglin Fang

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Biological invasion has been one of the reasons that coastal wetlands gradually lose their ecological services. The current study investigates the spread of a commonly found invasive species in coastal wetlands in Northeastern US, the Phragmites australis. Within a relatively pristine wetland complex in coastal New Jersey, we collected high-resolution multispectral remote sensing images for eight years (2011–2018), in both winter and summer seasons. The land cover/land use status in this wetland complex is relatively simple, contains only five identifiable vegetation covers and water. Applying high accuracy machine learning algorithms, we are able to classify the land use/land cover in …

Laboratory-Reported Normal Value Ranges Should Not Be Used To Diagnose Periprosthetic Joint Infection., Salvador A. Forte, Joseph A. D'Alonzo, Zachary Wells, Brett Levine, Stephen Sizer, Carl Deirmengian

Orthopedic Surgery Resident Research

INTRODUCTION: Clinical laboratories offer several multipurpose tests, such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), which are not intended to diagnose any specific disease but are used by clinicians in multiple fields. The results and laboratory interpretation (normal/abnormal) of these multipurpose tests are based on laboratory-reported normal thresholds, which vary across clinical laboratories. In 2018, the International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection (2018 ICM) provided a gold-standard definition to diagnose periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) which included many multipurpose laboratory tests, along with thresholds optimized to diagnose PJI. The discrepancy between laboratory-reported normal thresholds and 2018 ICM-recommended PJI-optimized …

2022-August-01-Researchers Discover Extinct Bone-Crushing Dog At Etsu's Gray Fossil Site, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – Overseen by the Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology at East Tennessee State University, researchers have studied the Gray Fossil Site for over 20 years, identifying many extinct animal and plant species. While large herbivores are well known from the site, large predators are relatively uncommon, so far including only alligators and scarce remains of at least one sabertooth cat. 

Now, there’s a new predator on the scene.  

A recent study published in the Journal of Paleontology describes a single right humerus (upper arm bone) of an animal named Borophagus, a member of an extinct …

Age-Based Comparison Of The Motivations, Self-Efficacy, And Quality Of Life In Bariatric Surgery Candidates, Sheena K. Bling

Master's Theses

Overweight and obesity is a worldwide epidemic that is negatively impacting individuals’ health and quality of life. Much research has been conducted regarding the effects of diet and exercise for weight loss, with current research providing evidence in favor of bariatric surgery for severely obese adults and children. The purpose of this project is to understand participants motivating factors, anticipated post-surgery success and anticipated changes in physical, social and mental health. The objectives were to describe participants’ motivations for pursuing bariatric surgery, describe participants level of confidence with postsurgical diet implementation, and compare participants anticipated post-surgery changes in quality of …

Restoring An Iso:5840-Compliant Pulse Duplicator Device For Hydrodynamic Performance Characterization Of Artificial Cardiac Valves, Denver Eagar

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

During the summer of 2021, I was employed as an intern at Dynatek Labs, an implantable prosthetics testing company located in southern Missouri. My primary project was to modernize an abandoned pulse duplicator device and protocol to allow the company to re-enter a market area which they left nearly 15 years prior: heart valve testing. The company halted this initiative due to changes in international testing standards in previous years. The International Standards Organization Cardiac Valves Working Group released the latest version of standards concerning artificial heart valve testing (ISO 5840) in January of 2021. Accordingly, my project required that …

Empathy: The Unspoken Language Of Humanity: A Systematic Review Protocol, Yasmin Khaled Al-Zubi

Social Work Theses - Archive

Prolonged exposure to violence may result in habituation or desensitization, which has negative impacts. Desensitization to real-life violence is a reduced initial arousal response to real-life violence. Real-life violence includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, peer violence, and community violence. Children who have been exposed to violence-related adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are more likely to achieve violence desensitization, by definition. As a result of ACEs, children are at risk of mental health complications, health-related problems, and risk for maladaptive behavior. Children who have reached violence desensitization are more likely to exhibit externalized symptoms such as aggression …

Investigating Gene Expression Changes In Daphnia: The Role Of Ems-Induced Mutations And Reproductive Modes, Marelize Snyman

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Gene expression variation is a common source of phenotypic variation between species. Understanding how changes in gene expression are associated with a particular phenotype will aid in understanding the molecular basis and evolution of complex traits. For the first chapter, I investigated the role that changes in gene expression play in the origin of obligate parthenogenesis using the microcrustacean Daphnia pulex. I conducted a genome-wide differential expression and splicing analysis comparing early subitaneous and early resting egg production in OP D. pulex isolates to investigate the genes and mechanisms underlying these parthenogenetic modes. Results from the KEGG pathway and GO …

Distribution And Management Of Phytophthora Species On Lavender In The United States, Daniel Dlugos

All Dissertations

Phytophthora root and crown rot (PRCR) is currently the most important disease on lavender (Lavandula spp.) in the United States. The disease was first described on English lavender (L. angustifolia) in a Maryland nursery in 1991, with Phytophthora nicotianae as the causal agent. Since that time, the disease has been reported on multiple continents and as caused by several species of Phytophthora. This study examined the distribution and pathogenicity of Phytophthora species on lavender in the United States, requested lavender grower feedback regarding their production and concerns, and examined efficacy of selected management options. Lavender …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 22: Stumbling Blocks To An Understanding Of Wallace's Worldview, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The writings of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) present a challenge to modern readers, both for the large range of subjects he entertained, and his unique point of view. In this short treatment, ten ‘stumbling blocks’ to an appreciation of Wallace’s thought are outlined which, it is suggested, have caused problems of interpretation in the past.

Post-Factum Studies In Trans-Corporeal Rhetoric: Triangularities Of Genre, Ethics, And Aesthetics In Kenneth Burke And Michel Foucault, Hubert Woodson

English Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation gives an account of and expands upon Stacy Alaimo’s term, “trans-corporeality,” in order to reconsider the rhetorical situation, through conceptualizations of how rhetorical bodies become embodied and traverse one another in various humanities. From “trans-corporeality,” what arises is a “trans-corporeal rhetoric,” which becomes an interdisciplinary rhetoric that speaks to the futures of rhetoric within the boundaries of various humanities, involving notions of embodiment, materiality, corporeality, and what Alaimo calls “bodily natures.” These futures of rhetoric not only wrestle with what embodiment is and can be for rhetorical bodies in various humanities, and what sort of ethics and aesthetics …

Elevated Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Black Females: The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health And Novel Preventive Strategies, Zachary Thomas Martin

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

Among females in the United States, Black females suffer from the highest rates of hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, and total cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Blunted peripheral and cerebral vascular function contribute to the development of CVD and are predictive of CVD risk. Although the causes of disparate cardiovascular health among Black females are multifactorial, upstream contributors such as psychosocial stress attributable to structural and interpersonal racism are likely critical. However, the societal changes required to dismantle structural racism and thus improve health outcomes may take decades to implement. Therefore, in addition to such policy changes, populations who face health …

Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation And Rate Of Gain In Beef Heifers Ii: Effects On Concentration Of Trace Minerals In Maternal Liver And Fetal Liver, Muscle, Allantoic, And Amniotic Fluids At Day 83 Of Gestation, Kacie L. Mccarthy, Ana Clara Ana, Cierrah J. Kassetas, Friederike Baumgaertner, James D. Kirsch, Sheri T. Dorsam, Tammi L. Neville, Alison K. Ward, Pawel P. Borowicz, Lawrence P. Reynolds, Kevin K. Sedivec, J. Chris Forcherio, Ronald Scott, Joel S. Caton, Carl R. Dahlen, Kacie L. Mccarthy

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

We evaluated the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation (from pre-breeding to day 83 of gestation) and two rates of gain (from breeding to day 83 of gestation) on trace mineral concentrations in maternal and fetal liver, fetal muscle, and allantoic (ALF) and amniotic (AMF) fluids. Crossbred Angus heifers (n = 35; BW = 359.5 ± 7.1 kg) were randomly assigned to one of two vitamin and mineral supplementation treatments (VMSUP; supplemented (VTM) vs. unsupplemented (NoVTM)). The VMSUP factor was initiated 71 to 148 d before artificial insemination (AI), allowing time for the mineral status of heifers to be altered …

Yearling Bulls Have Reduced Sperm Concentration And Increased Seminal Plasma Interleukin-8 After A 28-Day Breeding Season, Alexandria P. Snider, Kacie L. Mccathy, Elane C. Wright-Johnson, Jeffrey D. Ondrak, William T. Oliver, Carl R. Dahlen, Robert A. Cushman, Matthew S. Crouse

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

We hypothesized that yearling bulls selected for a 28-d breeding season would have reduced sperm concentrations and morphology, and have increased seminal plasma concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8). Yearling bulls were selected based on a breeding soundness examination (BSE) at approximately 415 d of age and contained at least 750 million sperm in the ejaculate, with 12 bulls randomly selected for breeding (BREEDERS) and 12 bulls not selected for breeding (NON-BREEDERS). After a 28-d breeding period, all bulls underwent a BSE. Plasma and seminal plasma were collected at each time point for analysis. Data were analysed utilizing either the …

Antiabortion Civil Remedies And Unwed Fatherhood As Genetic Entitlement, Yvonne F. Lindgren

Faculty Works

Antiabortion civil remedy laws in effect in five states grant putative fathers the right to sue abortion providers for wrongful death regardless of their relationship to the gestating parent. While these laws represent an important new development in the movement to restrict the abortion right, they also expand parental recognition of unwed fathers. Constitutional law requires that unwed fathers who seek to assert parental rights must establish that they possess both biological connection and a relationship with their child or the gestating parent—what has come to be known as “biology-plus.” However, antiabortion civil remedy laws vest parental recognition and rights …

Embedding A Grid Of Load Cells Into A Dining Table For Automatic Monitoring And Detection Of Eating Events, Mohammad Mayyan

All Dissertations

This dissertation describes a “smart dining table” that can detect and measure consumption events. This work is motivated by the growing problem of obesity, which is a global problem and an epidemic in the United States and Europe. Chapter 1 gives a background on the economic burden of obesity and its comorbidities. For the assessment of obesity, we briefly describe the classic dietary assessment tools and discuss their drawback and the necessity of using more objective, accurate, low-cost, and in-situ automatic dietary assessment tools. We explain in short various technologies used for automatic dietary assessment such as acoustic-, motion-, or …

Mutagenicity Assessment Of Salacia Chinensis By Bacterial Reverse Mutation Assay Using Histidine Dependent Salmonella Typhimurium Tester Strains, Madhuranthakam Reddi Nagesh, Mansour K. Gatasheh, Nasrul Hoda, Natesan Vijayakumar

Neurology Articles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Genotoxicity analysis is one of the most important non-clinical environmental safety investigations required for pharmaceutical and agrochemical product registration. Any medicinal product must undergo a risk evaluation to determine its mutagenicity and carcinogenicity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Ames test is a commonly used in vitro test for determining a test chemical's mutagenic activity. Histidine-dependent Salmonella typhimurium strains with a defective gene that causes the bacteria to synthesis the necessary amino acid histidine for life were tested for mutagenic potential. In order to reveal pro-mutagens and mutagens, the mutagenic potential of both plate integration and pre-incubation techniques was …

Investigating Best Practices For Engaging Chemistry Students In Online Learning, Megan Smith

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

This project investigated two online delivery methods to identify how to best support student learning. Students were grouped based on chemistry background and took part in one of two content lessons appropriate to their experience. These two content groups were then divided based on delivery method: asynchronous or synchronous. Participants completed a pre- and post-test around the lesson, with only content delivery method differing within groups; asynchronous students watched a video lecture, while synchronous students participated in a real-time lecture online. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. While student test scores improved pre-post, no statistical significance was seen in …

Prenatal Buprenorphine/Naloxone Or Methadone Use On Neonatal Outcomes In Michigan, Gregory Goshgarian, Rasha Jawad, Laura O'Brien, Robert Muterspaugh, Dimitrios Zikos, Sudhakar Ezhuthachan, Christine Newman, Chaur-Dong Hsu, Beth Bailey, Neli Ragina

Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health Services Articles

Background: Maternal opioid exposure during pregnancy has various effects on neonatal health. Buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone are examples of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) used for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). Research comparing the impacts of these MOUD modalities on neonatal outcomes when used to treat pregnant people with OUD remains limited. We evaluated the differences in outcomes between neonates with in-utero exposure to buprenorphine/naloxone versus methadone.

Methodology: We performed a retrospective cohort chart review between October 15, 2008, and October 15, 2019, evaluating mother/neonate dyads at two medical centers in Michigan. The charts of female patients, aged …

Phenology Effects On Productivity And Hatching-Asynchrony Of American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius) Across A Continent, Kathleen R. Callery, Sarah E. Schulwitz, Anjolene R. Hunt, Jason M. Winiarski, Christopher J. W. Mcclure, Richard A. Fischer, Julie A. Heath

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Optimal reproductive performance occurs when birds time reproduction to coincide with peak food availability. Deviation from optimal timing, or mismatch, can affect productivity, though birds may mediate some mismatch effects by altering their incubation behavior. We studied the consequences of nesting timing (i.e., clutch initiation relative to an index of spring start) on productivity across the breeding range of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) in the United States and southern Canada, and associations between nesting timing, incubation behavior, and hatching asynchrony. We used observations from long-term nest box monitoring, remote trail cameras, and community-scientist-based programs to obtain data on …

Filarial Nematode Phenotypic Screening Cascade To Identify Compounds With Anti-Parasitic Activity For Drug Discovery Optimization, Natalie Hawryluk, Li Zhiru, Clotilde Carlow, Suzanne Gokool, Simon Townson, Tamara Kreiss, Agnieszka Chojnowski, Monika Prorok, John Siekierka, Alexandra Ehrens, Marianne Koschel, Nathaly Lhermitte-Vallarino, Coralie Martin, Achim Hoerauf, Geraldine Hernandez, Stacie Canan

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Filarial diseases, including lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, are considered among the most devastating of all tropical diseases, affecting over 86 million people worldwide. To control and more rapidly eliminate onchocerciasis requires treatments that target the adult stage of the parasite. Drug discovery efforts are challenged by the lack of preclinical animal models using the human-pathogenic filariae, requiring the use of surrogate parasites for Onchocerca volvulus for both ex vivo and in vivo evaluation. Herein, we describe a platform utilizing phenotypic ex vivo assays consisting of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, microfilariae and adult filariae of the bovine filariae Onchocerca lienalis …

Land Use/ Land Cover Change Patterns And Trends In Two Dryland Regions, Omar Sulaiman Belhaj

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Development and climate change affect the environment in numerous ways and to varyingdegrees. This effect appears prominent and more influential in arid regions. Therefore, land use/ land cover in these regions experience profound changes such as plant cover decrease and extinction of some plant species. Also, land use/ land cover in these regions has critical impacts on the environment and its components, such as shrublands shrinking and losing the habitat of animal species. The degree of changes and effects reaches severe levels that become urgent to figure out the impacts and find solutions to stop or mitigate the negative consequences. …

Comparative Assessment Of Human Exposure To Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella Due To The Consumption Of Various Food Products In The United States, Yifan Wu

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Antibiotic resistance (AR) was increasingly recognized as a global and national problem. Prevention efforts are hampered by a lack of complete understanding of how transmission pathways contribute to human AR exposure. Many reports have indicated the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in foods at retail, suggesting that food consumption, animal-derived foods in particular, can represent a significant source of AR exposure among consumers. The presence of Salmonella, including antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, has been frequently reported in terrestrial animal-derived foods such as meat, poultry, and dairy products, as well as in aquaculture products. Identification of the significant food sources that harbor …

Experiences Of Latina Student Mothers In The Transfer Pipeline: An Interpretive Phenomonological Analysis, Aurora Vilchis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Characteristics of who today’s college student is has drastically changed over the years with more students over age 25, may have dependents, employed full-time, attending school part time and likely a parent. These students are known as post-traditional students who make up 85% of undergraduates nationwide. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Latina students, who are mothers, and have successfully transferred from a community college designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) to a four-year public higher education institution also designated as an HSI. Data was collected from eleven participants who shared their experiences …

Getting Them To The Chopper: An Empirical Study Of Man Therapy, A Public Health Campaign Designed To Encourage Men To Utilize Psychological Services, David Gretz

Dissertations

This study examined the effects that the Man Therapy website may have on men’s attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional psychological services, factors that play a role in deciding if they will eventually engage in the behavior of seeking of professional psychological services according to the theory of planned behavior. A large number of men die by suicide every year, and many men struggle with mental health concerns. Various components of masculinities can serve as barriers that dissuade men from seeking treatment for these concerns. Man Therapy is a novel approach that attempts to better engage men with professional psychological …

The Differences In Mental Well-Being For Individuals With And Without Service Dogs, Katelyn Morales

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Trained service dogs can be used for many tasks, but the growing literature focuses on the benefits of the psychosocial health and well-being of individuals experiencing depression or anxiety. This study analyzes the effects of service dogs on the mental well-being of individuals with a diagnosed disability who have depression or anxiety. This quasi-experimental design assesses the mental well-being of individuals who have a service dog compared to those who do not have a service dog. Mental well-being was measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) and focused on individuals with a service dog and diagnosed depression or anxiety …

Isolation Of Rat Adipose Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cells For Differentiation Into Insulin-Producing Cells, Dina H. Kassem, Sarah A. Habib, Omar I. Badr, Mohamed M. Kamal

Pharmacy

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-especially those isolated from adipose tissue (Ad-MSCs)-have gained special attention as a renewable, abundant source of stem cells that does not pose any ethical concerns. However, current methods to isolate Ad-MSCs are not standardized and employ complicated protocols that require special equipment. We isolated Ad-MSCs from the epididymal fat of Sprague-Dawley rats using a simple, reproducible method. The isolated Ad-MSCs usually appear within 3 days post isolation, as adherent cells display fibroblastic morphology. Those cells reach 80% confluency within 1 week of isolation. Afterward, at passage 3-5 (P3-5), a full characterization was carried out for the isolated …

Primary Myoblasts From Intrauterine Growth-Restricted Fetal Sheep Exhibit Intrinsic Dysfunction Of Proliferation And Differentiation That Coincides With Enrichment Of Inflammatory Cytokine Signaling Pathways, Robert J. Posont, Micah S. Most, Caitlin Cadaret, Eileen Marks-Nelson, Kiristen A. Beede, Sean W. Limesand, Ty B. Schmidt, Jessica L. Petersen, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is linked to lifelong reductions in muscle mass due to intrinsic functional deficits in myoblasts, but the mechanisms underlying these deficits are not known. Our objective was to determine if the deficits were associated with changes in inflammatory and adrenergic regulation of IUGR myoblasts, as was previously observed in IUGR muscle. Primary myoblasts were isolated from IUGR fetal sheep produced by hyperthermia-induced placental insufficiency (PI-IUGR; n = 9) and their controls (n = 9) and from IUGR fetal sheep produced by maternofetal inflammation (MI-IUGR; n = 6) and their …

Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation And Rate Of Weight Gain During The First Trimester Of Gestation In Beef Heifers Alters The Fetal Liver Amino Acid, Carbohydrate, And Energy Profile At Day 83 Of Gestation, Matthew S. Crouse, Kacie L. Mccarthy, Ana Clara B. Menezes, Cierrah J. Kassetas, Friederike Baumgaertner, James D. Kirsch, Sheri Dorsam, Tammi L. Neville, Alison K. Ward, Pawel P. Borowicz, Lawrence P. Reynolds, Kevin K. Sedivec, J. Chris Forcherio, Ronald Scott, Joel S. Caton, Carl R. Dahlen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding heifers a vitamin and mineral supplement and targeting divergent rates of weight gain during early gestation on the fetal liver amino acid, carbohydrate, and energy profile at d 83 of gestation. Seventy-two crossbred Angus heifers were randomly assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to one of four treatments comprising the main effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation (VTM or NOVTM) and feeding to achieve different rates of weight gain (low gain [LG] 0.28 kg/day vs. moderate gain [MG] 0.79 kg/day). Thirty-five gestating heifers with female fetuses …

A Survey Of The Microbial Communities Of Commercial Presliced, Packaged Deli-Style Ham Throughout Storage, Rebecca A. Furbeck, Chad G. Bower, Samodha C. Fernando, Gary Sullivan

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to evaluate the variation in spoilage microbiota associated with sliced, prepackaged deli-style ham from varying processing environments available in the retail market in the United States. Three different brands of presliced ham, water added were purchased at local markets and evaluated every 2 wk beginning 4 wk prior to the sell-by date until 4 wk beyond the sell-by date. Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA genes using operational taxonomic units showed that Brand A had a different bacterial community structure compared with Brands B and C, according to unweighted (P = 0.006) and weighted …

Recent Developments In International Litigation, 57 Tort Trial & Ins. Prac. L.J. 411 (2022), Mark E. Wojcik

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.