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Teen Appeal, Memphis, 13.04, 2009

Documents

Issue 13.4 of the "Teen Appeal" published by the University of Memphis Journalism Department and Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee, on December 1, 2009.

To What Extent Do Non-Native Shrubs Support Higher Trophic Levels?, Ari Zakroff

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Invasive species threaten ecosystems and economies. Globally, biological invasions are estimated to have cost over $2.1 trillion since 1970. In Eastern North American woodlands, invasive plants are rapidly displacing natives. This is concerning, because invasive plants may not support the diverse and abundant arthropod communities essential to ecosystem function. Despite the conceptual understanding of invasive shrubs’ potential to transform forest communities, scant research has focused on the effect of invasive plants on higher trophic levels here in Ohio. To address this gap, I examined the diversity and abundance of arthropod communities, caterpillar performance, and caterpillar predation on two invasive shrubs, …

Female Middle Aged Rats Showed Increased Recovery From A Focal Demyelination With Drug Combination : Changes In Dcx And Nfkb Suggest Increased Oligodendrocytes Production, Andrew James Smith

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Neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis affect millions of people around the globe, and promising treatments to counter its progress have been studied extensively. In our study, we used Dawley rats and tested them using the Montoya Staircase test to evaluate their ability to use their forelimbs. After training, surgery was performed using lysolecithin to induce focal demyelination on the rats. After the surgery a drug combination of fluoxetine, ibuprofen, and ascorbic acid was used on injured rats and they were then retested on the Montoya Staircase test. They were then sacrificed and were stained for doublecortin (DCX) and nuclear …

Systematics, Taxonomy, And Ecology Of Neotropical Tachinidae (Diptera) With Focus On The Tribe Polideini, Juan Manuel Perilla López

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The diverse family of flies Tachinidae are a significant component of insect communities in nearly all terrestrial systems from deserts to tropical forests to the high arctic. Due to their parasitoid habit, tachinids are important enemies of a variety of other insect groups. Despite the apparent importance of this group, current studies—including ecological and biogeographic studies—are limited by taxonomic and systematic impediments, including unknown phylogenetic frameworks for most tribes, poorly known generic limits, and a large number of undescribed tropical species. Here I present studies in taxonomy, systematics, phylogenetics and ecology of the Polideini of the Neotropical region organized in …

The Role Of Platelet-Activating Factor And Microvesicle Particles In Intoxicated Thermal Burn Injury-Induced Multiple Organ Failure, Rushabh Pawan Lohade

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Intoxicated thermal burn injury (ITBI) is more severe than thermal burn injury (TBI) alone and causes significant morbidity and mortality. Evidence from mouse models that replicate the human condition of multiple organ dysfunction has been informative. ITBI results in enhanced bacterial translocation from the gut, increased levels of proinflammatory mediators, and immune cell infiltration in various organs, resulting in inflammation in multiple organs with subsequent dysfunction. In addition, ITBI induces delayed systemic immunosuppression. To understand the mechanism(s) underlying ITBI-induced inflammation and damage in multiple organs, we investigate the role of Platelet-activating factor (PAF) and subcellular microvesicle particles (MVPs) in this …

Calpains In The Peripheral Nerve And During Demyelination And Degeneration In Rodents, John A. Miller

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Myelin formed around axons ensures rapid and efficient action potential propagation. Disruption of myelinated axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) often causes nerve conduction failure, neurological symptoms and can lead to long-term disability. Calpains are calcium dependent cysteine proteases that play many roles during both normal physiology and pathogenesis. Calpain-1 (CAPN1) and calpain-2 (CAPN2) are key calpain paralogs found in the nervous system and potentially have opposing roles, with CAPN2 having a more neurodegenerative function. In the central nervous system (CNS), calpains have a role in developmental myelination as well as in the pathological demyelination of multiple sclerosis and …

Effect Of Reduced Cardiomyocyte O-Glcnacylation On The Expression And Activity Of The Cardiac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel, Chiagozie Dawn Bede Paul-Onyia

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Abnormal glycosylation can impact cardiac proteins, affecting signaling, contraction, and metabolism, which leads to compromised cardiac function. O-GlcNAcylation, the only form of intracellular glycosylation, involves adding a single GlcNAc molecule to proteins via enzymes: O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT) for addition and O-GlcNAcase (OGA) for removal. The Ednie/Bennett lab has previously demonstrated that in both chronic (OGT KO) and acute (OGT inhibition) models of reduced cardiomyocyte O-GlcNAcylation, a disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis occurs. This study delved into the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV 1.5) in these models. NaV 1.5 expression was analyzed through western blotting and immunocytochemistry, while its functional activity was …

Cosplay Fandom Leisure Engagement: Exploring Cosplay Participation And Involvement On Depression And Wellbeing Toward A Recreation Therapy., Julie A. Morris Chambers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Engagement in leisure is a complex construct that impacts wellbeing beyond mere participation. Moreover, researchers have explored engagement in various ways including what people do and experience in their personal pursuit of leisure activities (Kleiber et al., 2011). Studies show that leisure engagement positively effects participants' wellbeing and reduces their ill-being. The purpose of this study is to explore the level of cosplay leisure engagement and wellness and mental health of DragonCon (DC) attendees to illuminate if their cosplay engagement has therapeutic effects on wellness, perceived wellness, and depression. In this study, Newman (et al., 2013) and Kuykendall (et al., …

Nondomination And The Ambitions Of Employment Law, Aditi Bagchi

Faculty Scholarship

There is something missing in existing discussions of domination. While republican theory and critical legal theory each have contributed significantly to our understanding of domination, their focus on structural relationships and group subordination can leave out of focus the individual wrongs that make up domination, each of which is an unjustified exercise of power by one person over another. Private law (supported by private law theory) plays an important role in filling out our pictures of domination and the role of the state in limiting it. Private law allows us to recognize domination in wrongs by one person against another, …

Getting The Law Right: An Essay In Honor Of Aaron Twerski, John C.P. Goldberg, Benjamin C. Zipursky

Faculty Scholarship

Written in honor of the great torts scholar Aaron Twerski, this article critically analyzes disturbing developments in New York negligence law as it applies to police who injure innocent bystanders. With the New York Court of Appeals’ 2022 decision in Ferreira v. City of Binghamton as a focal point, it argues that Ferreira and other contemporary decisions have largely betrayed the promise of the 1929 Court of Claims Act, which waived state and municipal immunity for police torts. While courts may be warranted in recognizing certain limits on police negligence liability that do not apply to private actors, the current …

Anti-Carceral Human Rights Advocacy, Chi Adanna Mgbako, Nate Johnson, Vivienne Bang Brown, Megan Cheah, Kimya Zahedi

Faculty Scholarship

The theory of carceral abolition entered the mainstream during the 2020 global protests for Black lives. Abolition calls for divestment from carceral institutions like police and prisons in favor of the expansion of social and economic programs that ensure public safety and nurture community well-being. Although there is little scholarship explicitly linking abolition to international human rights, there are scholars and advocates who implicitly echo abolitionist theories by critiquing the international human rights regime's overreliance on criminal law. These critics argue that relying on carceral institutions to address impunity for human rights abuses and promote gender justice does little to …

Age And Its Effect On Drug Addiction Treatment, Skylar Haberman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Substance use disorders and addiction have become increasingly serious problems in the United States. Diseases of this nature revolve around problematic patterns of substance use and abuse of alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications. Substance use disorders are not limited to a certain demographic, which makes treatment of these illnesses complicated and multifaceted (Argyriou et al., 2017). This review paper will focus on age-related effects on substance use, and how age is consequential to the effectiveness of drug addiction treatment. The literature review focuses on the onset and progression of substance use disorders and treatment for these disorders …

The Effect Of Alpha Lipoic Acid On Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy In Danio Rerio, Sophia Scott

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Even though poor glycemic control puts diabetics at risk for a variety of disease complications, there are many barriers to achieving adequate blood glucose regulation. Diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a progressive autonomic denervation of the cardiovascular system resulting from chronic hyperglycemia and characterized by orthostatic hypertension, sinus tachycardia, low heart rate variability, and fatal arrhythmias. Available CAN therapeutics are limited to symptom alleviation, and do not prevent or reverse cardiac nerve damage. Limited evidence from clinical trials suggests the antioxidant Alpha Lipoid Acid (ALA) prevents CAN progression (Lee et al., 2017; Serhiyenko et al., 2020; Tankova, Koev & …

Knockout Of Endospanin 1 Via Crispr In Zebrafish, Danio Rerio, Jared Kittinger

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I made endospanin 1 knockout (KO) zebrafish to examine its effects on lipid and bone metabolism. Endospanin 1, or leptin receptor overlapping transcript (leprot), is a cytosolic protein linked to the protein hormone leptin that influences the trafficking of leptin receptors to the plasma membrane of cells. Genes for endospanin and tyrosinase (a pigmentation enzyme) were targeted via a microinjection of guide RNAs and CRISPR Cas9 into zebrafish embryos at 2-4 cell stages. I was able to disrupt the endospanin 1 gene (based upon the disruption of tyrosinase), but very few mutant zebrafish fully developed into adults. Only low KO …

Teflon Replacement In Pans, Teodora Neamtu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of the project is to determine an optimal prepping method of common cooking oils for pans that will be as effective as Teflon non-stick pans. The reason for this is to replace Teflon coating in pans, which can be very toxic for humans and the environment. Teflon has been a common coating for non-stick surfaces that is useful when cooking things such as eggs. To determine an optimal cooking method, three different oils were used: olive oil, vegetable oil, and shortening. The oils were tested on an aluminum pan by cooking egg whites at various temperatures, cooking times, …

Mouthpiece For Patients With Neuromuscular Disorders, Rebekah Starkey, Carissa Thompson, Michael Dickens, Andrew Pero

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Neuromuscular Disorders (NMDs) impact people throughout the world. An early hallmark of these disorders includes some degree of facial muscle weakness. Respiratory testing is important to evaluate the progression of these patients’ NMDs. However, these tests require that the patient purses their lips around a mouthpiece to create a tight seal. This is a difficult task for one with facial muscle degeneration. This often leads to results that fail to reflect the patient’s true respiratory ability and prevents their physician from providing the appropriate degree of care. The objective of this project was to develop a face mask or mouthpiece …

Pwatem: An Anthology Of Literature And Art (2023)

Pwatem (Poictesme), 2006-

Pwatem is an anthology of literature and art from undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Pwatem publishes poetry, prose and art of all kinds from talented undergraduate students of all majors.

‘Phos’Tering A Clear Message: The Evolution Of Dietary Phosphorus Management In Chronic Kidney Disease, Annabel Biruete, Kathleen M. Hill Gallant, Lyn Lloyd, Anthony Meade, Sharon M. Moe, David E. St.-Jules, Brandon M. Kistler

Department of Nutrition Science Faculty Publications

Phosphorus is a vital nutrient, but disturbances in phosphorus homeostasis are central to chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder. To minimize disturbances, traditional dietary guidance focused on a numerical phosphorus target leading to the exclusion of many healthy foods and implementation challenges. Contemporary phosphorus guidance focuses on dietary source, avoiding additives, and emphasizing low-phosphorus bioaccessibility foods, leading to a more liberal approach. Additional work is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of these contemporary approaches and understand the influence of specific foods, processing, and cooking methods. Unfortunately, patient education using traditional and contemporary strategies may give mixed messages, particularly related to …

All Winged Their Supermen: Mina Loy, Olive Moore, And The Transhumanist Imagination, Maren Linett

Department of English Faculty Publications

Recent scholarship has demonstrated some of the ways modernism depends on eugenic thinking. Exploring similarities and differences between eugenics and early transhumanism, this article identifies in modernist literature a strand of more radical transhumanist desire. Looking in particular at Mina Loy's poems "Parturition" and "Songs to Joannes" and Olive Moore's novel Spleen, it argues that these texts turn the modernist call to "make it new" on human beings ourselves, as Loy and Moore imagine maternity as a means to advance evolution, if only it could transcend the disappointing reproducibility of the human being.

The Association Between Inflammatory Diet And Infection-Related Cancers In Adults: A Systematic Review, Alfu Laily, Jason B. Reed, Madeline Q. Powers, Anna Giuliano, Monica Kasting

Libraries Faculty and Staff Supplemental Materials

Poster presented at the 2023 American Academy of Health Behavior conference. Presents preliminary results of a systematic review investigating the relationship between inflammatory dietary patterns and infection-related cancers in adults.

Mind The Gap: Eugenics And Animality, Maren Linett

Department of English Faculty Publications

This article argues that eugenics was motivated, in part, by human exceptionalism. It first explores the ways in which eugenics understood nonwhite race, disability, and animality as forces capable of exerting a drag on the forward thrust of eugenic progress. Next, it traces the incoherent discourse about animality within eugenics, demonstrating that while eugenic breeding—eugenic methods—relied on human animality, the fundamental goal of eugenics was to improve human beings by distancing us from that animality. The final part of the essay explores the imbrication of animality, race, and disability in Aldous Huxley’s 1948 novel Ape and Essence, arguing that the …

Making Us New: From Eugenics To Transhumanism In Modernist Culture, Maren Linett

Department of English Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Thrown Into The World, Attached To Love: On The Forms Of World-Sharing And Mourning In Heidegger, Ahmet Aktas

Department of Philosophy Student Publications

How can we understand the phenomena of loss and mourning in the Heideggerian framework? There is no established interpretation of Heidegger that gives an elaborate account of the phenomena of loss and mourning, let alone gauges its importance for our understanding and assessment of authentic existence in Heidegger. This paper attempts to do both. First, I give a detailed exposition of Heidegger’s analysis of the phenomena of mourning and loss and show that Heidegger’s analysis of mourning in his early and late work is strikingly in line with his collectivist understanding of Being-with. This demonstrates, contrary to what some of …

Usability Evaluation Of A Community Pharmacy Health Information Exchange Interface Prototype, Katelyn N. Hettinger, Margie E. Snyder, Omolola A. Adeoye-Olatunde, Alissa L. Russ-Jara

Department of Pharmacy Practice Faculty Publications

Objective
Few community pharmacies have access to health information exchange (HIE) data. We conducted a first-of-its-kind usability evaluation of an HIE interface prototype (referred to throughout as the “HIE-Pioneer mock-up”) developed with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to aid future implementation in community pharmacies.

Methods
Community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were recruited to complete usability evaluations with the HIE-Pioneer mock-up. Each usability evaluation lasted up to 60 minutes. System usability scale (SUS) scores were collected from each participant following each usability evaluation session and summarized with descriptive statistics. Usability evaluation videos were reviewed for common usability attributes, such as the impact …

Has Journalism Education Kept Up With Digital Transformation?, Md Sazzad Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the digital world, journalism is a highly technology-dependent profession (Goni & Tabassum 2020). But there are gaps between what journalism schools teach and what employers want (Wenger and Owens, 2013). As a result, students, educators, and professionals demand the development of specific digital skills (Lee 2022). This study examines how journalism educators adapt their programs to respond to changing media environments and to the demands of professional journalism in the digital age. The researcher used a quantitative survey method to target the 119 journalism and mass communication programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass …

An Examination Of The Role Of Adrenergic Receptor Stimulation In Mediating The Link Between Early-Life Stress And The Sensitization Of Neuroinflammatory-Based Depressive-Like Behavior In Isolated Guinea Pig Pups, Rachel Renate Kessler

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Early-life stress appears to sensitize neuroinflammatory signaling to increase later vulnerability for stress-related mental disorders. How stress initiates this process is unknown, but sympathetic nervous system activation during the early stress may be key. Isolated guinea pig pups display inflammatory-mediated depressive-like behavior and fever that sensitize on repeated isolation. We assessed whether sympathetic nervous system activity contributed to the sensitization process in guinea pig pups. In Experiment 1, the adrenergic agonist ephedrine, either alone or with cortisol, did not increase depressive-like behavior or fever during an initial isolation the following day. In Experiment 2, both depressive-like behavior and fever sensitized …

Wave-Powered Batch Reverse Osmosis Buoy, Austin Howse, Camden Frieling, Cooper Ford, Imaan Qazilbash, Joel Veihl, Mariya Savchenko, Ryan Vulich, Sultan Alnajdi, Abhimanyu Das, Antonio Esquivel-Puentes, Ali Naderi Beni, David M. Warsinger, José Garcia-Bravo

School of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

As populations grow across the world, the availability of freshwater at a reasonable cost has become a growing concern to many nations. An estimated 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water [5]. Many of these areas also exist in coastal communities which get burdened by severe weather storms. During these occasions, access to clean drinking water drastically decreases. Combining this with the potential for ocean energy, access to clean drinking water can be derived with a potential solution. The ocean contains abundant resources that comprise of untapped wave-powered energy, unharvested salt water to be turned potable, …

It's Never Too Soon! Comparing Intercultural Learning Outcomes Of Undergraduate Students Via Face-To-Face And Online Teaching Modalities, Aparajita Jaiswal, Christi Masters, Lan Jin, Tanvin Inani, Annika Schenkel, Muna Sapkota, Lata Krishnan

Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose: Providing culturally responsive care for a diverse patient population is critical for future speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Prior studies have shown gains in intercultural competence (ICC) from study abroad programs, face-to-face classes, and online courses; however, limited studies have investigated differences between face-to-face and online modes of delivery in speech-language pathology and audiology. The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate whether there are quantitative differences in development of ICC in a direct comparison of a face-to-face and 100% asynchronous online introductory in communication dis-orders, and (b) to describe participants learning through the structural intercultural learning activities embedded …

How Rocks Rock: The Processes That Shape Our World, Jennifer Harrison

Lesson Plans

Have you ever thought about how the rocks in your driveway formed? Or the sand on your beach? How about the diamond in a ring or the charcoal in a grill?

All earthen material is subject to forces that impact its properties, from where we find it, how its structure is made and how it behaves under external pressures. Rocks are defined as any inorganic material found in the natural world (meaning not living material). There are 3 types of rock, and where and how they form is important in their classifications. They are subject to geological processes as well …

Effectiveness And Characteristics Of A New Technology To Reduce Ammonia, Carbon Dioxide, And Particulate Matter Pollution In Poultry Production With Artificial Turf Floor, Ji-Qin Ni, Marisa Erasmus, Deana R. Jones, Dana L.M. Campbell

School of Agricultural & Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Ammonia (NH₃), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and particulate matter (PM) are three major aerial pollutants that threaten the health of workers and animals in poultry production. An experiment was conducted in four laying hen rooms, with 735 to 740 hens per room, to study a new technology using artificial turf (AstroTurf®) floor for mitigation of the three pollutants. Air was sampled at three locations in each room to measure ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations with an Innova 1412 multi-gas monitor for 83 days. Particulate matter was measured at one location at bird height in each room using …