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Common Data Set 2022, Systems Intelligence And Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Common Data Sets

Common Data Set (2022-2023) for the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Myrmecochorous Plants And Their Ant Seed Dispersers Through Successional Stages In Temperate Cove Forests, Robert Warren, Mary Schultz, James Costa, Beverly Collins, Mark Bradford

Biology Faculty Datasets

Anthropogenic disturbance can decrease woodland diversity in the species-rich herbaceous layer of eastern deciduous forests, and ant-dispersed (myrmecochorous) plants may be particularly affected due to their limited ability to re-colonize secondary forests. Consequently, we predicted that myrmecochorous plants and their keystone seed-dispersing ants would increase with time since last disturbance, as reflected by young, middle or mature forest successional stage. Specifically, we hypothesized that myrmecochore abundance and richness would be relatively lowest in the youngest forests, moderate in middle-aged forests and highest in mature forests. We also hypothesized that experimentally introducing ant bait in a regular pattern, as might be …

Laurentian Great Lakes Warming Threatens Northern Fruit Belt Refugia, Robert Warren

Biology Faculty Datasets

Climate refugia are anomalous ‘pockets’ of spatially or temporally disjunct environmental conditions that buffer distinct flora and fauna against prevailing climatic conditions. Physiographic landscape features, such as large water bodies, can create these micro-to-macro-scale terrestrial habitats, such as the prevailing westerly winds across the Laurentian Great Lakes that create relatively cooler leeward conditions in spring and relatively warmer leeward conditions in autumn. The leeward Great Lakes climate effects create a refugia (popularly known as a ‘fruit belt’) favorable for fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. This fruit belt refugia owes its existence to seasonal inversions whereby spring cooling prevents early flower budding …

The Relevance Of Pedigrees In The Conservation Genomics Era, Stephanie J. Galla, Julie A. Heath

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the past 50 years conservation genetics has developed a substantive toolbox to inform species management. One of the most long-standing tools available to manage genetics—the pedigree—has been widely used to characterize diversity and maximize evolutionary potential in threatened populations. Now, with the ability to use high throughput sequencing to estimate relatedness, inbreeding, and genome-wide functional diversity, some have asked whether it is warranted for conservation biologists to continue collecting and collating pedigrees for species management. In this perspective, we argue that pedigrees remain a relevant tool, and when combined with genomic data, create an invaluable resource for conservation genomic …

Chemosensitivity Of Locus Coeruleus Neurons Decreases With Postnatal Development, Yasmeen Samar

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a chemosensory area partially responsible for ventilation. Control over ventilation relies on inter-network communication via chemical and electrical synapses and chemosensitivity to CO2/pH. As the LC develops, it’s neural control over ventilation changes. This study investigates the chemosensitivity of the locus coeruleus over the course of development in postnatal rats. We hypothesize that 1) the CO2 sensitivity of LC neurons is highest at birth and declines with development 2) LC neurons are intrinsically chemosensitive and this chemosensitivity does not decrease with development and 3) the presence of gap junctions is highest at the beginning of …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Staying Alive Nbme Performance And Exam Testing Conditions, Anh Phuong Nguyen

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: This study will study the impact of COVID-19 on Wright State University BSOM class of 2023’s performance on the SA NBME exam and whether there was a difference in the scores between the group who took the test at school compared to at home. Methods: independent samples t-test was used to analyze SA NBME exam scores from BSOM class of 2022 and class of 2023 (n = 231) and also from students in the class of 2023 who took the SA NBME from home and at school. Results: The class of 2023’s performance on the SA NBME exam …

Maternal Occupational Exposure To Organic Solvents And Noise: Maternal Effects And Infant Outcomes, Kristen Van Buren

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction: Several maternal occupational exposures have not yet been studied for potential reproductive harm or have inconsistent findings in the literature. Despite the challenges, identification of potential risk factors, specifically reproductive toxicants, is necessary to mitigate and prevent adverse health outcomes for working mothers and their infants. The purpose of this study was to examine maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents and noise to small-for-gestational age (SGA) and preterm birth (PTB) among infants. Additionally, the study sought to examine maternal occupational exposure to noise and presence of gestational diabetes (GDM) and pregnancy-related hypertension among participant mothers.

Methods: The study population …

Impact Of Model Choice In Predicting Urban Forest Storm Damage When Data Is Uncertain, Casey Lambert, Shawn Landry, Michael G. Andreu, Andrew Koeser, Gregory Starr, Christina Staudhammer

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Research that illuminates causes of urban forest storm damage is valuable for planning and management. However, logistical and safety concerns often delay post-storm surveys in urban areas; thus, surveys may include observations with unverified sources of damage. While this uncertainty is often ignored, it can make up a high proportion of the number of damaged trees. The goal of this research was to improve understanding of techniques for modeling storm damage in urban forests. Using urban forest storm damage inventories collected in Florida, post-Hurricane Irma (2017), we tested how different imputation methods, modeling procedures, and damage frequency levels could impact …

Pay It Forward: Realizing The Promise Of Oer For The Next Generation Of Learners, Kimberly S. Grotewold, Karen Kohler, Elisabeth M. Krimbill

Library Staff Publications (Archived)

Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice explores the opportunities and challenges of moving the discussion about open educational resources (OER) beyond affordability to address structural inequities found throughout academia and scholarly publishing. OER have the potential to celebrate research done by marginalized populations in the context of their own communities, to amplify the voices of those who have the knowledge but have been excluded from formal prestige networks, and to engage students as co-creators of learning content that is relevant and respectful of their cultural contexts. Edited by academic librarians with experience advocating across campus, Using Open Educational …

Delegating Climate Authorities, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

The science is clear: the United States and the world must take dramatic action to address climate change or face irreversible, catastrophic planetary harm. Within the U.S.—the world’s largest historic emitter of greenhouse gas emissions—this will require passing new legislation or turning to existing statutes and authorities to address the climate crisis. Doing so implicates existing and prospective delegations of legislative authority to a large swath of administrative agencies. Yet congressional climate decision-making delegations to any executive branch agency must not dismiss the newly resurgent nondelegation doctrine. Described by some scholars as the “most dangerous idea in American law,” the …

Can Environmental Law Solve The "Forever Chemical" Problem?, Mark P. Nevitt, Robert V. Percival

Faculty Articles

Although federal environmental law purports to provide the public with comprehensive protection against chemical risks, the U.S. chemical industry is characterized by self­ regulation. This self-regulation is exemplified by the dangers posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (''PFAS'')­ broad classes of persistent toxic substances that have now entered nearly every American's bloodstream and hundreds of public drinking water systems. Despite data linking exposure to these "forever chemicals" to cancer, infertility, and a host of other public health harms, environmental law has failed to safeguard the American people from PFAS' toxic legacy. How did this occur? And what should be done …

Design Power And Potential Future Of Global Organization Of Life, A. Fuat Firat

Marketing Faculty Publications

In this essay I propose a definition of design to address its potential role in largely determining power relations in the future. Some foundational discussion of wealth, culturally constructed differently in different historical times, trends of corporatization in the contemporary world, and the birth of control society is presented to help understand the possibilities and difficulties of building future organizations of life. I invite discussions and dialogues to widen and deepen the concept of design power.

An Analysis On Various Treatment Options For Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Elisheva Dusowitz

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a highly invasive, under-researched subtype of Breast Cancer. Patients lack receptors for the protein Human Epidermal Growth Factor, and both estrogen and progesterone. This negatively impacts treatment by making all hormone-sensitive treatments unavailable to TNBC patients. Since the effectiveness of various options has remained understudied, the prognosis remains poor. This paper attempts to analyze and compare the effectiveness of various treatment options. Because TNBC is very aggressive, the standard approach is to jump in with harsh surgical procedures, including mastectomies and lumpectomies. This analysis finds that more aggressive treatment may not be necessary to treat …

The Development And Future Of Prosthetics Controlled By Myoelectrical Impulses, Chaya Podemski

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Objective: To document the developmental history of prostheses to better understand the circumstances that led to enabling amputees to experience touch through sensory reinnervation surgery in conjunction with an innovative bionic arm; and to prove that sensory reinnervation is the key to further progress. Methods: The topic was researched extensively using scholarly databases and read relevant accounts of experimental studies and outcomes. Results: By examining the progress made in the field of prostheses, it has been determined that a sensory reinnervation technique is at the forefront of bionic limb technology and predict that it will continue to be utilized and …

Full Issue: Volume 15, Number 2, Spring 2022

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 15, Number 2 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences. Published Spring 2022.

Is Deep Brain Stimulation A Desirable Therapy For Parkinson’S Disease?, Chana Steinberg

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that currently impacts 6.1 million people globally. Although it has different presentations, its core features are tremors, postural instability, bradykinesia (slowing of movement), and psychological disabilities such as mood disorders and cognitive decline. A primary treatment is Levodopa, but it has limited success. A promising treatment called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been shown to induce significant improvements in motor skills where Levodopa has failed to help. Deep Brain Stimulation works via implanted electrodes. It has been used successfully in many studies to decrease motor issues associated with Parkinson’s, but potential side effects pose …

Cardiovascular Disease - Is A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet The Answer?, Shalom Katz

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Objective: To determine if a whole food plant-based diet can prevent and cure cardiovascular disease. Results: People on whole food plant-based diets exhibit extremely low levels of plasma LDL. Another risk factor for developing atherosclerosis, is inhibited production of nitric oxide, which is vital for healthy blood flow. One of the main inhibitors of nitric oxide production is asymmetric dimethyl-l-arginine (ADMA). An inverse relationship was found between dietary fat and ADMA levels. The diets with the best results were the diets where oil intake was reduced to a minimum. Clinically, people who went on whole food plant-based diets had their …

Osteoporosis: A Comprehensive Review, Eliyahu Greenberg

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeleton that becomes more common with advanced age, especially in postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures, thereby reducing the quality of life for those who suffer from it. Due to the aging population, direct costs resulting from osteoporosis are projected to reach upward of $25 billion per year by 2025. The main pharmaceuticals primarily target osteoclasts. Exercise may be an effective method of preventing osteoporosis, although more research needs to be done. More research should be conducted to explore potential ways to enhance osteoblastic activity as a method to treat and/or reverse …

Does Exercise Make You Smarter?, Avi Derkhidam

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Physical exercise has been applauded for its beneficial cardiovascular and mental effects for decades. Recently, researchers have begun to study exercise from a different perspective, focusing on the positive relationship between exercise and cognition. One area of cognition highlighted in association with exercise is its positive impact on executive function. Executive function refers to the collection of neurocognitive processes involved in goal-directed problem-solving. Improved levels of cognitive function have been found to impact significant achievements throughout life. Because of this, the development, improvement, and preservation of these functions are essential. While research has proven a correlation between exercise and improved …

Can Androgenetic Alopecia Be Reversed And What Are The Effective Treatments?, Michelle Aminova

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Androgenic alopecia (AGA), also known as male and female pattern baldness, is the loss of hair on the scalp for both men and women. The onset of hair loss for men suffering from this condition can occur as early as their teens or early 20s. Symptoms include a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair at the vertex and frontal scalp. When women have female pattern baldness (FPB), their hair doesn’t appear thinning until they reach their 40s or older. Generally, women experience a thinning of the hair over the whole scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the …

Optimal Treatment Of Osteoporosis, Yehoshua Wiederkehr

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Osteoporosis affects tens of millions of people in America and is the most common disease of the bones. New treatments are constantly sought, as existing ones have documented side effects. This review seeks to pinpoint the most effective and safe treatment for osteoporosis by looking at head-to-head trials and research regarding combination therapies. This review also looks at the effectiveness of non-pharmacologic treatments and whether any options are beneficial. The importance of an open patient/provider relationship proves itself, as many medications and treatment plans depend on personal factors that need to be measured and weighed by a medical professional together …

Effective Treatments For Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Moshe Picciotto

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is the most common form of breast cancer wherein its progression interrupts the hormonal receptors and genetic variation of one’s DNA. DCIS can be caused by hereditary means, or through mutations. Fortunately, due to the many different modes of contraction, there is a plethora of treatments available in the forms of mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapeutic drugs, and PARP inhibitors, each with their own mechanism of action to combat the tumor and any metastatic effects the cancer may have on the body. This paper analyzes the cancer’s mechanism of action upon the body and the positive effects …

Death With Dignity: Terminally Ill(Inois), Nathan T. Levy

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Since the turn of the century, ten jurisdictions have followed Oregon’s lead by legalizing medical aid in dying. Illinois is not one of those jurisdictions. This Note argues that Illinois would benefit from permitting its terminally ill patients access medical aid in dying. This Note suggests the end-of-life decision making ability currently available to Illinois’ terminally ill patients is not sufficient to relieve the patients of the potential for conscious end-of-life suffering, loss of autonomy, and loss of dignity. Furthermore, the aging “Baby Boomer” generation, the insufficiency of end-of-life care, and physician compliance exacerbate the need for legalized medical aid …

Stability Of A Discrete-Time Infected-Aged Epidemic Model, Patchara Ploypetch

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this thesis, we consider a discrete-time infected-aged SIS epidemic model. The model is obtained from a continuous-time SIS epidemic model by applying Micken’s nonstandard finite difference method. We derive some basic properties of solutions including the boundedness and positivity of solutions. Furthermore, we obtain two parameters R0 and R∞ so that if R0 < 1 then the infection becomes extinct whereas if R∞ > 1 the the infection becomes permanent.

Developing Test Statistics For Familial Dna Searches Through Classification Ideas, Chanagarn Laoiam

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In a familial DNA search, the test statistic used for concluding a relationship is the likelihood ratio. In the traditional way, it is assumed that all individuals have the same genetic background ; however, population substructure typically exists and allele frequencies differ among subpopulations. To address this issue, a number of modified likelihood ratio statistics have been proposed. One is to apply the likelihood ratio framework to the average available allele frequencies (LRLAF). Another well-known three statistics are taking the maximum, minimum and average of all available likelihood ratios (LRMAX, LRMIN or LRAVG, respectively). In this thesis, two new likelihood …

Synthesis And Biological Activities Of Acyl Derivatives Of Hydroxylated Eudesmanolides, Rawinnipha Wettayanugul

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research focused on the synthesis of two hydroxylated eudesmanolides, reynosin (RNS, 2) and santamarine (STM, 3) from costunolide (1) isolated from Saussurea lappa roots, and the synthesis of their acyl derivatives to study on their biological activities. A total of 20 acyl derivatives of hydroxylated eudesmanolides, including 14 new compounds: 2(a-c), 3b, 3c, 3e, 3f, 3(h-j), and 3(l-o). The compounds were then evaluated for their anti-melanogenic, anti-colorectal cancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. It was observed that STM (3) exhibited anti-melanogenic and anti-colorectal cancer activity with IC50 values of 8.02 and 15.55 µM, respectively, which was greater than RNS (2) (IC50 …

Discovery Of Pharmaceutical Agents Towards The Inhibition Of P38 Mitogen- Activated Protein Kinase (Mapk): In Silico And In Vitro Studies, Utid Suriya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this research, we combined the accelerated in silico screening methods alongside experimental evaluations to search for novel anti-non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drug candidates specifically targeting the up-regulated kinases including epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR TK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). A novel compound scaffold, quinoxalinones including CPD4, CPD15, CPD16, and CPD21 was identified to inhibit the EGFR (L858R/T790M/C797S) TK with an IC50 value down to a nanomolar scale as well as showing a cytotoxic effect against NSCLC cell lines. Apart from that, we employed a drug repositioning platform to elucidate …

Naturally Derived Polymeric Gel For Bio-Catalysis And Wound Dressing, Yuwaporn Pinyakit

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this thesis, two types of polymeric gels made from naturally derived polymers have been developed for bio-catalysis and wound dressing applications. In the first part, the heterogeneous biocatalyst with tunable geometry was fabricated using a 3D printing technique. The hydrogel-based ink as a supporting material for the immobilization of laccase was prepared from alginate (Alg) combined with Pluronic® F127-dimethacrylate (F127-DMA). Chemically crosslinked F127-DMA hydrogel with an optimized Alg composition exhibited good water swelling, mass transfer, and mechanical stability. To enhance the interaction between substrate and enzyme, the printed constructs with various surface-to-volume ratio (S/V) and geometrical designs (cubic, cylinder, …

Bacteriophage Nanocarrier As A Crispr-Cas System Delivery Vector For Re-Sensitization Of Blactx-M-M Extended-Spectrum Β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia Coli From Companion Animals, Naiyaphat Nittayasut

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Increased prevalence of blaCTX-M third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) in small animals indicates a crisis of an antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation in veterinary medicine and public health. CRISPR-Cas9 system delivered by bacteriophage is an alternative tool for re-sensitization of AMR bacteria. This study aimed to characterize canine and feline 3GC-resistant UPEC in term of the genetic features and to find predominant blaCTX-M variants to be targets of CRISPR-Cas9 delivered by a bacteriophage nanocarrier in a re-sensitization model. Seven blaCTX-M variants, including group 1 (blaCTX-M-55, -15 and -173) and group 9 (blaCTX-M-14, -27, -65 and -90), were detected in …

Characteristics Of Mononucleotide A-Repeats Around Transcription Start Sites In Vertebrates, Jatuphol Pholtaisong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Tandem repeats (TRs) promote a wide variety of phenotypic traits. The imbalance of mononucleotide A-repeats around transcription start sites (TSSs) in human, mouse and rat in previous study. In this study, the imbalance of A-repeats in 60 vertebrates was investigated, and the potential function of upstream A-repeats was identified. We discovered that some vertebrates were the origin of the imbalance pattern. Mammals and birds had a similar pattern, while amphibians and reptiles did not. We hypothesized that the enriched A-repeats upstream of TSSs is a novel hallmark of endotherms or warm-blooded animals. Gene ontology analysis indicates that the primary function …