Digital Commons Network^™

Monitoring Nurturing Care Environments For Early Childhood From The National To The Municipal Level, Rafael Pérez‐Escamilla, Sonia Venancio, Gabirela Buccini

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

There is a dearth of indicators and management information systems to assess early childhood nurturing care environments. The Brazilian Early Childhood Care Friendly Municipal Index (IMAPI) is a robust tool to assess nurturing care environments at the local level. IMAPI was able to detect nurturing care inequities within and across regions. Further validation work is needed to confirm the utility of IMAPI for policymaking.

Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase 2 (Got2) Reverse Reaction Could Act As A Possible Relief Valve For Mitochondrial Substrate Overload Induced By Glucocorticoids, Humza Pirzadah

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Rnai-Based Screen To Identify Transcription Factors Regulating Small-Vcp Interacting Protein (Svip) Expression In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tiffany Dang

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effect Of Hormetic Stress And Aging On Tubular Lysosome Induction In Caenorhabditis Elegans Nematodes, Sanaa Alam

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

In Vivo Static Retraction And Dynamic Elongation Of Rotator Cuff Repair Tissue After Surgical Repair: A Preliminary Analysis At 3 Months, Rebekah L. Lawrence, Matthew C. Ruder, Roger Zauel, Alena Jalics, Adam M. Olszewski, Brian J. Diefenbach, Vasilios Moutzouros, Eric C. Makhni, Stephanie Muh, Michael J. Bey

Orthopedics Articles

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff repair is a common orthopedic procedure that provides pain relief for many patients, but unfortunately, an estimated 20% to 70% of repair procedures will fail. Previous research has shown that elongation (ie, retraction) of a repaired tendon is common even in patients with a repair construct that appears intact on magnetic resonance imaging. However, it is unknown how this repair tissue functions under dynamic conditions.

PURPOSE: To quantify static retraction and maximum dynamic elongation of repair tissue after rotator cuff repair.

STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS: Data from 9 patients were analyzed for …

Analyzing Faculty Open Access Publishing: A Citation Analysis Of Select Colleges At The University Of South Florida, Jason Boczar, Leetta Schmidt

USF Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In scholarly communication literature, an Open Access citation advantage refers to articles published or released as Open Access receiving a higher citation count than articles that are not released Open Access. This article considers Open Access citation advantage factors at the University of South Florida. Data from Scopus and Open Access Button was used to examine publication activity from a five-year range in seven different departments. The data indicated that an Open Access citation advantage does exist in most of those departments. Future research is necessary to look at other departments.

Impact Of Host Plant Resistance On Emergence, Body Parameters, And Supercooling Point Of Cylas Formicarius Elegantulus (Coleoptera: Brentidae), Nupur Sarkar, Mark J. Murray, Michael J. Stout, Jeffrey A. Davis

Faculty Publications

Sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Summers) (Coleoptera: Brentidae), an in-field and storage pest of sweetpotato, is the primary insect constraint to sweetpotato production in tropical and subtropical regions. Feeding by adult and larval sweetpotato weevil induces terpenes, rendering storage roots unmarketable. To reduce storage root damage and sweetpotato weevil populations, the present experiment tested the impact of sweetpotato cultivar on developmental time, adult emergence, body length, weight, and supercooling point of sweetpotato weevil. The cultivars tested were â Beauregard' and â Evangeline,' both orange fleshed cultivars susceptible to sweetpotato weevil, and â Murasaki,' a white fleshed cultivar known to be …

Genome-Wide Pleiotropy Analysis Identifies Novel Blood Pressure Variants And Improves Its Polygenic Risk Scores, Xiaofeng Zhu, Luke Zhu, Heming Wang, Richard S. Cooper, Aravinda Chakravarti

Faculty Publications

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (S/DBP) are highly correlated modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We report here a bidirectional Mendelian Randomization (MR) and horizontal pleiotropy analysis of S/DBP summary statistics from the UK Biobank (UKB)-International Consortium for Blood Pressure (ICBP) (UKB-ICBP) BP genome-wide association study and construct a composite genetic risk score (GRS) by including pleiotropic variants. The composite GRS captures greater (1.11–3.26 fold) heritability for BP traits and increases (1.09- and 2.01-fold) Nagelkerke's R2 for hypertension and CVD. We replicated 118 novel BP horizontal pleiotropic variants including 18 novel BP loci using summary statistics from the Million …

The Supercooling Responses Of The Solitary Bee Osmia Excavata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Under The Biological Stress Of Its Brood Parasite, Sapyga Coma (Hymenoptera: Sapygidae), Zhuo Yan, Lina Wang, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Shimin Gu, Xingyuan Men, Yunli Xiao, Jianwei Su, Feng Ge, Fang Ouyang

Faculty Publications

(1) Background: Many insects have evolved different strategies to adapt to subzero temperatures and parasites, but the supercooling response of pollinator populations under the brood parasitism pressure has not been sufficiently investigated. (2) Methods: This study assessed the supercooling traits (supercooling points, fresh weight and fat content) of the solitary bee Osmia excavata Alfken and its brood parasite, Sapyga coma Yasumatsu & Sugihara. We measured 4035 samples (3025 O. excavata and 1010 S. coma, one individual as one sample) and discovered the super-cooling traits relations between solitary bee and brood parasite. (3) Results: Significant differences in the supercooling points were …

Bone And Cartilage Compression Simulator, Karoline M. Wucherer, Benjamin A. Parmentier, Thomasina E. Hinkle

Biomedical Engineering

A device was developed that delivers mechanical loads to bone and soft tissue samples under physiological conditions to aid in the research of tissue engineering bone and cartilage. To begin the design process, a Network Diagram and Gantt Chart were produced to create a general timeline for the project to follow. This allowed us to measure our progress and determine what effects (if any) delays could have on our project.

Identifying Potential Drivers Of Distribution Patterns Of Invasive Corbicula Fluminea Relative To Native Freshwater Mussels (Unionidae) Across Spatial Scales, Taylor E. Kelley, Garrett W. Hopper, Irene Sánchez González, Jamie R. Bucholz, Carla L. Atkinson

Faculty Publications

This study aimed to identify the importance of ecological factors to distribution patterns of the invasive Clam (Corbicula fluminea) relative to native mussels (family: Unionidae) across seven rivers within the Mobile and Tennessee basins, Southeast United States. We quantitatively surveyed dense, diverse native mussel aggregations across 20 river reaches and estimated mussel density, biomass, and species richness along with density of invasive C. fluminea (hereafter Corbicula). We measured substrate particle size, velocity, and depth in quadrats where animals were collected. Additionally, we characterized reach scale environmental parameters including seston quantity and quality (% Carbon, % Nitrogen, % Phosphorous), water chemistry …

Med12 Regulates Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Adipogenesis And Mediator Kinase Subunit Expression In Murine Adipose Depots, Sree Venigalla, Joseph Straub, Onyekachi Idigo, Caroline Rinderle, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Jamie J. Newman

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The mediator kinase module plays a critical role in the regulation of transcription during metabolic processes. Here we demonstrate that in human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs), kinase module subunits have distinct mRNA and protein expression profiles during different stages of adipogenesis. In addition, siRNA-mediated loss of MED12 results in decreased adipogenesis as evident through decreased lipid accumulation and decreased expression of PPARγ, a master regulator of adipogenesis. Moreover, the decrease in adipogenesis and reduced PPARγexpression are observed only during the early stages of MED12 knockdown. At later stages, knockdown of MED12 did not have any significant effects on adipogenesis or …

Validity Of Four Commercially Available Metabolic Carts For Assessing Resting Metabolic Rate And Respiratory Exchange Ratio In Non-Ventilated Humans, J. M.A. Alcantara, J. E. Galgani, L. Jurado-Fasoli, M. Dote-Montero, E. Merchan-Ramirez, E. Ravussin, J. R. Ruiz, G. Sanchez-Delgado

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background & aims: The validity of most commercially available metabolic cart is mostly unknown. Thus, we aimed to determine the accuracy, precision, within-subject reproducibility, and concordance of RMR and RER measured by four commercially available metabolic carts [Cosmed Q-NRG, Vyaire Vyntus CPX, Maastricht Instruments Omnical, and Medgraphics Ultima CardiO2]. Further, we studied whether a previously proposed simulation-based post-calorimetric calibration of cart readouts [individual calibration control evaluation (ICcE)] modify the RMR and RER reproducibility and concordance. Methods: Three experiments simulating different RMR and RER by controlled pure gas (N2 and CO2) infusions were conducted on 5 non-consecutive days. Moreover, 30-min methanol …

Decreasing Phosphorus Fertility To Reduce Sweet Potato Root Growth During Container-Grown Transplant Production, L. Rouse, J. Beasley, D. Labonte, J. Kuehny

Faculty Publications

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.], grown as an edible ornamental, is propagated in home gardens using locally purchased transplants. However, vigorous growth of sweetpotato limits the period of transplant salability due to root confinement. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate reductions in phosphorus (P) fertility to slow transplant root growth and extend the period of salability. Cuttings were planted into containers and fertilized at 0, 5 (0.0007), 10 (0.0012), 15 (0.0020), 20 (0.0024), and 31 mg P.L-1 (0.0040 oz P.gal-1) using a modified Hoagland solution. All transplants fertilized at 5 mg P.L-1 increased in shoot length, color, and …

Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19: A Metabolic Perspective, Philipp E. Scherer, John P. Kirwan, Clifford J. Rosen

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to rage around the world. At the same time, despite strong public health measures and high vaccination rates in some countries, a post-COVID-19 syndrome has emerged which lacks a clear definition, prevalence, or etiology. However, fatigue, dyspnea, brain fog, and lack of smell and/or taste are often characteristic of patients with this syndrome. These are evident more than a month after infection, and are labeled as Post-Acute Sequelae of CoV-2 (PASC) or commonly referred to as long-COVID. Metabolic dysfunction (i.e., obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus) is a predisposing risk factor for severe acute COVID-19, and …

Evaluating Stratified Substrates Effect On Containerized Crop Growth Under Varied Irrigation Strategies, Kristopher S. Criscione, Jeb S. Fields, Jim S. Owen, Lisa Fultz, Edward Bush

Faculty Publications

Growers rely on soilless substrates to provide sufficient water and nutrients to containerized crops. Traditional bark-based substrates are engineered to have relatively low water-holding capabilities, which can lead to nonuniform rewetting patterns and inefficient usage of water resources. Engineering substrates to redistribute water dynamics and maximize aeration within the container may improve water resource efficiencies. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether more efficient irrigation schedules can be used when stratifying unique substrates within a container for added crop water and nutrient efficiency. Loropetalum chinense ‘Ruby’ liners were planted and grown in a conventional pine bark substrate or …

Implementing A Telephone Follow-Up Process For Patients With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes: A Nurse-Led Quality Improvement Project, Amber Gomes

DNP Projects

Background: Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in America with approximately 1.5 million people diagnosed yearly (ADA, 2020). The current problem in the practice setting is the lack of follow-up of patients with hemoglobin A1c’s (HbA1c’s) 9% or greater. The current workflow utilizes care coordinators to perform patient outreach to patients with diabetes and a HbA1c of 9% or greater. This workflow is not structured and consists of randomly selecting a patient with a HbA1c 9% or greater and placing one phone call to them to provide education.

Purpose: The purpose of the project was to develop and …

Emergent Intra-Pair Sex Differences And Organized Behavior In Pair Bonded Prairie Voles (Microtus Ochrogaster), Liza E. Brusman, David S.W. Protter, Allison C. Fultz, Maya U. Paulson, Gabriel D. Chapel, Isaiah O. Elges, Ryan T. Cameron, Annaliese K. Beery, Zoe R. Donaldson

Psychology: Faculty Publications

In pair bonding animals, coordinated behavior between partners is required for the pair to accomplish shared goals such as raising young. Despite this, experimental designs rarely assess the behavior of both partners within a bonded pair. Thus, we lack an understanding of the interdependent behavioral dynamics between partners that likely facilitate relationship success. To identify intra-pair behavioral correlates of pair bonding, we used socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and tested both partners using social choice and non-choice tests at short- and long-term pairing timepoints. Females developed a preference for their partner more rapidly than males, with preference driven by …

Sex Differences In The Reward Value Of Familiar Mates In Prairie Voles, Daniel M. Vahaba, Emily R. Halstead, Zoe R. Donaldson, Todd H. Ahern, Annaliese K. Beery

Psychology: Faculty Publications

The rewarding properties of social interactions facilitate relationship formation and maintenance. Prairie voles are one of the few laboratory species that form selective relationships, manifested as “partner preferences” for familiar partners versus strangers. While both sexes exhibit strong partner preferences, this similarity in outward behavior likely results from sex-specific neurobiological mechanisms. We recently demonstrated that in operant trials, females worked hardest for access to familiar conspecifics of either sex, while males worked equally hard for access to any female, indicating a sex difference in social motivation. As tests were performed with one social target at a time, males might have …

Pervasive Neglect Of Sex Differences In Biomedical Research, Irving Zucker, Brian J. Prendergast, Annaliese K. Beery

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Females have long been underrepresented in preclinical research and clinical drug trials. Directives by the U.S. National Institutes of Health have increased female participation in research protocols, although analysis of outcomes by sex remains infrequent. The long-held view that traits of female rats and mice are more variable than those of males is discredited, supporting equal representation of both sexes in most studies. Drug pharmacokinetic analysis reveals that, among subjects administered a standard drug dose, women are exposed to higher blood drug concentrations and longer drug elimination times. This contributes to increased adverse drug reactions in women and suggests that …

Farm And Food Policies For A Sustainable Future, John Ikerd

The Business, Entrepreneurship & Tax Law Review

United States government policies have incentivized and supported the unsustainable agri-food system of the present and fundamental changes in farm and food policies will be necessary for a sustainable future. US farm policies, initiated in the 1930s, were designed to ensure long run domestic food security by ensuring the economic viability of independent family farms. New mechanical, chemical, and biological technologies of the 1950s made it possible to increase agricultural productivity by applying industrial production strategies to farming. A shift in farm policy during the 1960s made the shift from family farms to industrial agriculture inevitable.

Identification Of A Novel Microdeletion Causative Of Nance-Horan Syndrome, Mariana Lopez Martinolich, Hope Northrup, Pedro Mancias, Paul Hillman, Kavya Rao, Kate Mowrey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Nance-Horan syndrome (NHS) is a rare X-linked genetic disorder characterized by ophthalmologic and dental anomalies as well as dysmorphic facies. The clinical phenotype in males includes congenital cataracts, vision loss, microcornea, nystagmus, microphthalmia, glaucoma, screwdriver blade-shaped incisors, supernumerary maxillary incisors, diastema, delays, intellectual disability, and dysmorphic facies. With the evolution of array-CGH technology, a total of five kindreds with NHS have been reported in the medical literature with microdeletions encompassing the NHS gene rather than sequencing variants.

METHODS: The patient is a 19-year-old male born to non-consanguineous parents with a past medical history of bilateral congenital cataracts, nystagmus, poor …

Concentrations Of Digestible, Metabolizable, And Net Energy In Coconut Co-Products Fed To Growing Pigs, Ronilo O. De Castro, Satoshi Ohkura, Akemi Yamamoto, Yasuhiro Morita, Analyn P. Padua, Rommel C. Sulabo

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This experiment was conducted to determine the concentration of digestible (DE), metabolizable (ME), and net energy (NE), and to develop prediction equations for DE and ME in coconut co-products (CCP) fed to growing pigs. The CCP used were copra meal (CM), protein enriched copra meal (PECM), and white copra (WC) obtained from the different sources in the Philippines. Twenty-two growing barrows (PIC L337 × C24; initial BW 18.74 ± 0.91 kg) were individually housed in metabolism cages that allowed for a total but separated collection of feces and urine. Pigs were arranged in a replicated 11 × 3 Youden square …

Modeling The Dynamics Of Soil Organic Matter Accumulation From Leaf Litterfall As Affected By Tillage Practices In Mango Orchard, Fernan T. Fiegalan, Cherry L. Ringor, Tolentino B. Moya

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study was undertaken to determine long-term soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation dynamics from added mango leaf litter (MLL) into tilled (MT) and non-tilled soil (MnT) through integrated field experiment (bio-physico-chemical edaphic properties) and system dynamics modeling. Field data shows that the coarse (Lf) and fine (Fn) fractions of SOM have no significant difference (p > 0.05) between MT and MnT during the dry season. In contrast, there is a significant difference (p < 0.01) in the Fn fraction between MT and MnT during the wet season. The total N, available P, exchangeable K, as well as the collembola, bacteria, and fungi in the soil were also assessed. Of these parameters, the available P and exchangeable K have a significant difference between the MnT and MT during the dry season. In comparison, the total N and collembola significantly differed during the wet season. The results of the field experiment were used in the parametrization to build the SOM accumulation model. The 20-year simulation showed that the incorporation of MLL into the soil through tillage increased SOM from 3.09% to 3.13%, with an average of 2.78 ± 0.018%. In the non-tilled orchard, SOM also increased from 3.09% to 4.23%, with an average of 3.59 ± 0.035%. This SOM level can sustain the fertility and productivity of the mango agroecosystem. The increase in SOM is accounted for by the coarse fraction both in tilled and non-tilled plots. Given the foregoing, with minimum tillage, mango orchards can be developed into crop-based systems.

Effect Of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria And Rhizofungus On The Growth Of Hairy Basil (Ocimum Basilicum L.F. Var. Citratum Back.), Nuntavun Riddech, Tiptida Kidtook, Natthawat Sritongon, Jindarat Ekprasert

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

In this study, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF) were isolated from soil adhered to the roots of herbs. PGPR and PGPF isolates were selected for producing microbial inoculant as a starter culture for bio-fertilizer production. The screening of PGPR and PGPF was performed using the spread plate technique on the selected medium. Total plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPM) were composed of 72 isolates, nitrogen-fixing microorganisms: 39 isolates, phosphate-solubilizing: 11 isolates, and potassium-solubilizing: 22 isolates. Two bacterial isolates, S-K7-2 and S-P7-1, had the highest plant growth promoting abilities, and a fungus isolate, Di-K7-2, was able …

Morpho-Physiological Responses Of Wheat To Silicon And Bio-Fertilizer Under Water-Deficit Conditions, Mehrdad Arab-Aval, Hamid Reza Ganjali

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Recently, the use of silicon and bio-fertilizer has become important worldwide to improve the physicochemical characteristics of soil. Thus, they are used as an alternative approach to cope with the water-deficit stress on wheat plant. In this regard, a split-plot factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted during 2017 and 2018 at Sistan and Baluchestan Research Station, Iran. In the present study, treatments included water-deficit stress (irrigation after 60, 120, and 180 mm of evaporation from Class A pan) as the main plot, as well as the application of silicic acid (Si) foliar nutrition …

Determining Some Quality Properties Of Oat Genotypes Collected From The Middle And West Black Sea Region, Zeki Mut, Hasan Akay, Ozge Doganay Erbas Kose, Ismail Sezer

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Healthy foodstuffs, including functional foods, are the key component of a healthy and prosperous life. Oat grains are rich in protein, soluble dietary fiber, β-glucan, starch, oil, some vitamins and minerals, and thus accepted as a healthy foodstuff. This study was conducted to determine physical and chemical quality traits of many different oat landraces/cultivars. In this study, 251 local oat genotypes, collected from 10 provinces of Western and Middle Black Sea Regions of Turkey and four standard oat cultivars were grown over the experimental fields of the Agricultural Application and Research Center at Samsun Ondokuz Mayıs University for two years …

Contributions Of Agricultural Subsidies To Increase Producer Income In Cotton And Milk Productions: A Case Study Of Hatay Province-Turkey, Ahmet D. Çelik

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Agricultural production is subsidized at different levels depending on the country's development status. The budget that was allocated for agricultural subsidies in Turkey in 2020 was around 22 billion TL (Turkish Lira) which was equal to 3.14 billion USD. In this study, the contribution of agricultural subsidies to product income and gross profit value was examined specifically on cotton as crop production and dairy cattle as animal production. According to the research results, agricultural subsidies increased production value by 30.70% in cotton and 4% in milk income. Those increased rates also significantly increased the gross profit values of the products. …

Phylogenetic Analysis Of Tilapia Lake Virus (Tilv) Isolates From The Philippines Based On Partial Genome Segment 3 Sequences [Research Note], Dan Joseph C. Logronio, Joselito R. Somga, Maria Rowena R. Romana-Eguia, Sonia Somga, Demy Catedral, Gonzalo Jr Coloma

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study aimed to expand current knowledge on TiLV genetic diversity by sequence analysis of a portion of genome segment 3 of TiLV detected from the Philippines. This includes a recently deposited sequence in GenBank (Accession No. LC504279) and six new sequences from cases of infection reported from 2017 to 2020. Phylogenetic analysis of 179 bp fragment of segment 3 showed that the seven TiLV isolates from the Philippines can be divided into three phylogenetic groups. When comparing all sequences, unique nucleotide substitutions and amino acids were noted among these groups. Variation in mortality rates in naturally infected samples was …

Microwave Hyperthermia Application With Bioimplant Single Slot Coaxial Antennadesign For Mouse Breast Cancer Treatment, Ahmet Ri̇fat Görgün, Cem Baytöre, Selçuk Çömlekçi̇, Mehmet İbrahi̇m Tuğlu, Adnan Kaya

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this study, a novel animal model for the breast cancer treatment which contains hyperthermia is proposed. For this main purpose a low cost, interstitial, bioimplant antenna by short ended single slot design is proposed to heat the cancerous tissues. Both the theoretical background of the proposed system and the simulation and measurement results of antenna design are presented. An artificial tissue phantom model has been created under laboratory conditions and then the utility of the proposed antenna has been tested on this model. Artificial tissues have been heated by 25W to (41-44 ? C) in a short time like …