Digital Commons Network^™

Salt Doping Of Hyaluronic Acid Glycopolymer Biocondensates, James D. Sterling, Lu Fu, Kenisha Pudun, Shenda Baker, Megan Lord, Henry E. Riggs

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biocondensates are largely studied with regard to intracellular components, while recognition of the formation of extracellular biocondensates are emerging, such as for cell surface heparan sulfate binding with basic fibroblast growth factor. This study analyzed the formation of biocondensates in vitro between the ubiquitous extracellular component, hyaluronan an anionic glycosaminoglycan, and cationic derivitized polyglucosamines known to bind to mucosal interfaces. The effect of molecular weight and net charge ratio was studied using a combination of microscopy, turbidity, laser diffraction particle sizing and zeta potential measurements. These analyses revealed that molecular weight affected the ability to form biocondensates while the surface …

Improving Automatic Melanoma Diagnosis Using Deep Learning-Based Segmentation Of Irregular Networks, Anand K. Nambisan, Akanksha Maurya, Norsang Lama, Thanh Phan, Gehana Patel, Keith Miller, Binita Lama, Jason Hagerty, Ronald Stanley, William V. Stoecker

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Deep Learning Has Achieved Significant Success in Malignant Melanoma Diagnosis. These Diagnostic Models Are Undergoing a Transition into Clinical Use. However, with Melanoma Diagnostic Accuracy in the Range of Ninety Percent, a Significant Minority of Melanomas Are Missed by Deep Learning. Many of the Melanomas Missed Have Irregular Pigment Networks Visible using Dermoscopy. This Research Presents an Annotated Irregular Network Database and Develops a Classification Pipeline that Fuses Deep Learning Image-Level Results with Conventional Hand-Crafted Features from Irregular Pigment Networks. We Identified and Annotated 487 Unique Dermoscopic Melanoma Lesions from Images in the ISIC 2019 Dermoscopic Dataset to Create a …

Dissecting Cell Identity Via Network Inference And In Silico Gene Perturbation, Kenji Kamimoto, Blerta Stringa, Christy M Hoffmann, Kunal Jindal, Lilianna Solnica-Krezel, Samantha A Morris

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cell identity is governed by the complex regulation of gene expression, represented as gene-regulatory networks

Missed Opportunities In The Diagnosis Of Tuberculosis Meningitis, Niamh Simmons, Margaret A Olsen, Joanna Buss, Thomas C Bailey, Carlos Mejia-Chew

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) has high mortality and morbidity. Diagnostic delays can impact TBM outcomes. We aimed to estimate the number of potentially missed opportunities (MOs) to diagnose TBM and determine its impact on 90-day mortality.

METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort of adult patients with a central nervous system (CNS) TB

RESULTS: Of 893 patients with TBM, median age at diagnosis was 50 years (interquartile range, 37-64), 61.3% were male, and 35.2% had Medicaid as primary payer. Overall, 407 (45.6%) had a prior hospital or ED visit with an MO code. In-hospital 90-day mortality was not different between those …

The Tetraspanin Transmembrane Protein Cd53 Mediates Dyslipidemia And Integrates Inflammatory And Metabolic Signaling In Hepatocytes, Cassandra B Higgins, Joshua A Adams, Matthew H Ward, Zev J Greenberg, Małgorzata Milewska, Jiameng Sun, Yiming Zhang, Luana Chiquetto Paracatu, Qian Dong, Samuel Ballentine, Weikai Li, Ilona Wandzik, Laura G Schuettpelz, Brian J Debosch

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Tetraspanins are transmembrane signaling and proinflammatory proteins. Prior work demonstrates that the tetraspanin, CD53/TSPAN25/MOX44, mediates B-cell development and lymphocyte migration to lymph nodes and is implicated in various inflammatory diseases. However, CD53 is also expressed in highly metabolic tissues, including adipose and liver; yet its function outside the lymphoid compartment is not defined. Here, we show that CD53 demarcates the nutritional and inflammatory status of hepatocytes. High-fat exposure and inflammatory stimuli induced CD53 in vivo in liver and isolated primary hepatocytes. In contrast, restricting hepatocyte glucose flux through hepatocyte glucose transporter 8 deletion or through trehalose treatment blocked CD53 induction …

Review Of Feature Selection Methods Using Optimization Algorithm (Review Paper For Optimization Algorithm), Zana O. Hamad

Polytechnic Journal

Many works have been done to reduce complexity in terms of time and memory space. The feature selection process is one of the strategies to reduce system complexity and can be defined as a process of selecting the most important feature among feature space.Therefore,themostuseful features will be kept,and the less useful features will be eliminated.In the fault classification and diagnosis field, feature selection plays an important role in reducing dimensionality and sometimes might lead to having a high classification rate. In this paper, a comprehensive review is presented about feature selection processing and how it can be done.The primary goal …

Learning To Count Isomorphisms With Graph Neural Networks, Xingtong Yu, Zemin Liu, Yuan Fang, Xinming Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Subgraph isomorphism counting is an important problem on graphs, as many graph-based tasks exploit recurring subgraph patterns. Classical methods usually boil down to a backtracking framework that needs to navigate a huge search space with prohibitive computational costs. Some recent studies resort to graph neural networks (GNNs) to learn a low-dimensional representation for both the query and input graphs, in order to predict the number of subgraph isomorphisms on the input graph. However, typical GNNs employ a node-centric message passing scheme that receives and aggregates messages on nodes, which is inadequate in complex structure matching for isomorphism counting. Moreover, on …

Modulation Of Trpv4 Protects Against Degeneration Induced By Sustained Loading And Promotes Matrix Synthesis In The Intervertebral Disc, Garrett W D Easson, Alireza Savadipour, Akila Anandarajah, Leanne E Iannucci, Spencer P Lake, Farshid Guilak, Simon Y Tang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

While it is well known that mechanical signals can either promote or disrupt intervertebral disc (IVD) homeostasis, the molecular mechanisms for transducing mechanical stimuli are not fully understood. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel activated in isolated IVD cells initiates extracellular matrix (ECM) gene expression, while TRPV4 ablation reduces cytokine production in response to circumferential stretching. However, the role of TRPV4 on ECM maintenance during tissue-level mechanical loading remains unknown. Using an organ culture model, we modulated TRPV4 function over both short- (hours) and long-term (days) and evaluated the IVDs' response. Activating TRPV4 with the agonist GSK101 …

Molecular Comparative Study Of Virulence Factors Produced By Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated From Several Cancer Cases And Noncancer Patients In Erbil Governorate, Iraq, Saman I. Othman, Fattma A. Ali

Polytechnic Journal

Background and objectives: Gram-negative bacteria are one of the most prevalent complications among immunocompromised cancer sufferers and pose the greatest threat to these patients. Our study aimed to conduct research on Gram-negative bacteria isolated from various clinical samples among cancerous patients and non-cancerous patients in Erbil city to analyze and compare some virulence genes among them such as tuf, atpD1, atpD2, ms-1, ms-2 and ms-3. Methods: The current study was carried out in Nanakaly hospital and other public health hospitals in ErbilKurdistan region at a period extending from August 2021 to March 2022. A total of 100 different clinical samples …

First-Principles Calculations On The Electronic Structure, Mechanical, Vibrational, And Thermal Properties Of The Ca₃Bin Antiperovskite Alloy, Reem Maher Mohamad

Theses

Antiperovskites are the counterparts of perovskites. They have diverse properties that make them physically rich and technologically relevant. In the recent years, the alkaline earth based antiperovskites, especially the ones with small semiconductor bandgap, have captured tremendous attention due to their properties which make them efficient to be used in optoelectronic and thermoelectric applications. In this thesis, we are shading light on the alkaline antiperovskite ����₃������ due to its narrow bandgap. Thus, it can be considered as a promising candidate for thermoelectric and optoelectronic applications. Specifically, it is used to harvest waste thermal energy into electricity at low …

Is A Genetic Diathesis For Poor Nutrition Becoming More Crucial Due To The Uniformity Of Covid Social Stress?, M. Catherine Desoto

Faculty Publications

The important role of nutrition in proper neural functioning and mental health has seen wider acceptance, but is still sadly under recognized given the existent body of research. This Special Issue was designed to unite authoritative information on this topic in one volume. This editorial provides an overview of the issue, and suggests that the combination of social isolation, lack of exercise, and remaining indoors that overtook industrialized societies during 2020 are specific factors expected to change the Gene × Environment interactions for anxiety and depression. Importantly, the recent environmental changes may make biological diatheses for nutritional deficiencies even more …

Retrospective Analysis Of Measures To Reduce Large Whale Entanglements In A Lucrative Commercial Fishery, Leena Riekkola, Owen R. Liu, Blake E. Feist, Karin A. Forney, Briana Abrahms, Elliott L. Hazen, Jameal F. Samhouri

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Recovering marine animal populations and climate-driven shifts in their distributions are colliding with growing ocean use by humans. One such example is the bycatch of whales in commercial fishing, which poses a significant threat to the conservation and continued recovery of these protected animals and is a major barrier to sustainable fisheries. Long-lasting solutions to this problem need to be robust to variability in ecological dynamics while also addressing socio-cultural and economic concerns. We assessed the efficacy of gear reductions as an entanglement mitigation strategy during 2019 and 2020 in the highly valuable Dungeness crab fishery (Washington State, USA) in …

Building Resilience In Graduate Nurses Through Online Virtual Simulation, Robert Grant Harmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resilience has become a popular topic in nursing research. Nurses experience enormous stress throughout their training process that extends into their first employment as they transition into practice. Simulation training is a standard for training nurses and for continuing professional education within academia. Most simulation training for nurses is focused on building critical thinking skills. While critical thinking is an essential quality equipping nurses to meet professional demands, resilience is a crucial quality to overcome the stress of both training and practice. Resilience is believed to play an essential role in the retention of new graduate nurses and preventing burnout …

Pediatric Obesity In Primary Care, Lynne C. Liggins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this evidence-based quantitative quasi-experimental research was to compare if providing the parents with information on the health risk associated with childhood obesity would cause the parents to make healthier food choices and encourage their children to be involved in a full hour of physical activity a day. Participants included parents and pediatric and adolescent children 5 to 18 years of age at a solo practice primary care office in a large city in Southern, California, which specializes in treating pediatric and adolescent patients. A pre- and postquantitative intervention design were used and analyzed using the paired t …

Access And Use Of Consortium For E-Resources In Agriculture (Cera) By The Research Scholars And Post Graduate Students Of The Krc College Of Horticulture, Arabhavi, Uhs Bagalkot, Manjunath B. Hadimani Mr., Vinayaka M. Bankapur Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In the electronic information age, consortiums are gaining more importance. The consortia movement has entered libraries and has received attention from the information-producing community. CeRA consortium is a tremendously great effort on the part of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to propose single-window access to e-resources to State Agricultural Universities (SAU)/ICAR institutes all over India. CeRA subscribed to e-Resources and create/facilitate an e-environment and e-access culture for faculty, scientists, research scholars, and students in the National Agricultural Research and Education System. The current study attempts to understand the access and use of CeRA among the researchers and PG …

Assessment Of Efficacy And Mechanism Of Resistance To Soil-Applied Ppo Inhibitors In Amaranthus Palmeri, Gulab Rangani, Aimone Perri, Reiofeli A. Salas-Perez, Jens Lerchl, Srikanth Kumar Karaikal, Juan Camilo Velásquez, Nilda Roma-Burgos

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Resistance to protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitors in Palmer amaranth is a major concern, given the high selection pressure and increasing number of populations with reduced sensitivity to PPO herbicides in the US. We evaluated the effect of five soil-applied herbicides on Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) populations collected in 2014 and 2015 in Arkansas, USA. Soil-applied saflufenacil, sulfentrazone, and flumioxazin reduced the seedling emergence 91–100%; however, fomesafen and oxyfluorfen showed reduced (63–90%) efficacy on some populations. Target-site mutation (TSM) is the major mechanism of resistance to PPO herbicides; therefore, six populations showing resistance to soil-applied fomesafen were selected for …

Winter Connectivity And Leapfrog Migration In A Migratory Passerine, Rafael Rueda‐Hernández, Christen M. Bossu, Thomas B. Smith, Andrea Contina, Ricardo Canales Del Castillo, Kristen Ruegg, Blanca E. Hernández-Baños

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Technological advances in migratory tracking tools have revealed a remarkable diversity in migratory patterns. One such pattern is leapfrog migration, where individuals that breed further north migrate to locations further south. Here, we analyzed migration patterns in the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) using a genetic‐based approach. We started by mapping patterns of genetic variation across geographic space (called a genoscape) using 386 individuals from 25 populations across the breeding range. We then genotyped an additional 230 samples from 31 migration stopover locations and 178 samples from 16 wintering locations to map patterns of migratory connectivity. Our analyses of …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, February 2023, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- Energy Trends Workshop
--- IWRC Welcomes New Environmental Intern - Kendall Lieneman
--- ISOSWO Spring Conference Student Scholarship Applications Are Now Open
--- Iowa Minor Source Emissions Inventory Assistance
--- Industry News

A Single Bout Of Breast Milk Expression Does Not Increase Resting Metabolic Rate, Leryn J. Reynolds, Kayla R. Powell, Taskina Akhter, Hannah M. Twiddy, Patrick B. Wilson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Introduction: Breastfeeding women have elevated resting metabolic rate (RMR); however, whether a single bout of lactation increases RMR is unknown. This study aimed to determine if a single bout of lactation acutely increased RMR.

Methods: Twenty-two lactating women (age: 31 ± 0.9 year, body mass index: 27.3 ± 1.2 kg/m²) were recruited. RMR was assessed at baseline and at 1- and 2-h following breast milk expression.

Results: RMR was unchanged in lactating women following a single bout of lactation (baseline: 1437 ± 39; 1 h: 1425 ± 37 2 h: 1440 ± 31 kcal/day) (p > .05). RMR was …

Fibrinogen-Like Protein 2: Its Biological Function Across Cell Types And The Potential To Serve As An Immunotherapy Target For Brain Tumors, Sheng Zhang, Ganesh Rao, Amy Heimberger, Shulin Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain tumors are among the 10 leading causes of cancer-related death and present unique treatment challenges due to their critical location, genetic heterogeneity, and the blood-brain barrier. Recent advances in targeted immunotherapy and immune checkpoint blocking therapy provide alternative therapeutic strategies for brain tumors. Fibrinogen-like protein 2 (FGL2), which induces transformation from low-grade glioma to high-grade glioblastoma, is a type II membrane protein that is highly expressed in both host immune cells and tumor cells. Studies have uncovered multiple forms of FGL2 proteins with a broad range of roles in inducing immune tolerance and avoiding immune surveillance in tumor cells. …

Using Decision-Tree Analysis For Predicting Wildfires Impact On Vegetation In Australia, Saif Al-Khuraisat

Theses

This research aims to use machine learning algorithm to predict wildfires impact on green landscape based on weather conditions while exploring factors that could influence the possibility. By utilizing the generated results, it could help decision-makers and authorities to come-up with best possible strategy to prepare for and respond to wildfires. Being prepare will work toward the economy best interest by saving unintended expenditure in time of crises also saves the cash liquidity along the economy on the long-term. For example, back in East cost of United States of America in Florida, in 1998, the estimated economical losses because of …

Autophagy Requirements For Eye Lens Differentiation And Transparency, Lisa Brennan, M Joseph Costello, J Fielding Hejtmancik, A. Menko, S Amer Riazuddin, Alan Shiels, Marc Kantorow

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Recent evidence points to autophagy as an essential cellular requirement for achieving the mature structure, homeostasis, and transparency of the lens. Collective evidence from multiple laboratories using chick, mouse, primate, and human model systems provides evidence that classic autophagy structures, ranging from double-membrane autophagosomes to single-membrane autolysosomes, are found throughout the lens in both undifferentiated lens epithelial cells and maturing lens fiber cells. Recently, key autophagy signaling pathways have been identified to initiate critical steps in the lens differentiation program, including the elimination of organelles to form the core lens organelle-free zone. Other recent studies using ex vivo lens culture …

Competing For The Starting Line: How Ombuds Programs Can Help Transgender Student Athletes Participate Under Various State Policies, Drew Fabricius

Journal of Dispute Resolution

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Phosphorus Reduction And Phytoplankton Responses In An Urban Lake (Usa), Yuan Xiao Grund, Yangdong Pan, Mark Rosenkranz, Eugene Foster

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Eutrophication is one of the primary factors causing harmful cyanobacteria blooms in freshwater lakes. This study investigated the long-term changes in water quality and summer phytoplankton assemblages in Oswego Lake, OR, USA, in relation to phosphorus reduction through hypolimnetic aeration and alum applications. Both water quality and phytoplankton assemblages were sampled biweekly during the summers from 2001 to 2013. The concentrations of total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, and total nitrogen decreased 66%, 93% and 31%, respectively, in response to the hypolimnetic aeration and alum treatments since 2005. Summer phytoplankton assemblages showed a 62% reduction of cyanobacteria biovolume and a …

Forest Ecosystem Properties Emerge From Interactions Of Structure And Disturbance, J. Christina Mitchell, Daniel M. Kashian, Xiongwen Chen, Stella Cousins, David J. Flaspohler, Daniel S. Gruner, Jeremy S. Johnson, Thilina D. Surasinghe, Jenny Zambrano, Brian Buma

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Forest structural diversity and its spatiotemporal variability are constrained by environmental and biological factors, including species pools, climate, land-use history, and legacies of disturbance regimes. These factors influence forest responses to disturbances and their interactions with structural diversity, potentially creating structurally mediated emergent properties at local to continental spatial scales and over evolutionary time. Here, we present a conceptual framework for exploring the emergent properties that arise from interactions between forest structural diversity and disturbances. We synthesize and present definitions for key terms, including emergent property, disturbance, and resilience, and highlight various types and examples of emergent properties, such as …

Selectively Modified Lactose And N-Acetyllactosamine Analogs At Three Key Positions To Afford Effective Galectin-3 Ligands †, Shuay Abdullayev, Priyanka Dipak Kadav, Purnima Bandyopadhyay, Francisco Javier Medrano, Gabriel A. Rabinovich, Tarun K. Dam, Antonio Romero, René Roy

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Galectins constitute a family of galactose-binding lectins overly expressed in the tumor microenvironment as well as in innate and adaptive immune cells, in inflammatory diseases. Lactose ((β-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranose, Lac) and N-Acetyllactosamine (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose, LacNAc) have been widely exploited as ligands for a wide range of galectins, sometimes with modest selectivity. Even though several chemical modifications at single positions of the sugar rings have been applied to these ligands, very few examples combined the simultaneous modifications at key positions known to increase both affinity and selectivity. We report herein combined modifications at the anomeric position, C-2, and O-3′ of each of the two …

Australian Consumers’ Attitudes Towards Sustainable Diet Practices Regarding Food Waste, Food Processing, And The Health Aspects Of Diet: A Cross Sectional Survey, Janelle D. Healy, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal, Christina M. Pollard, Piyush Sharma, Clare Whitton, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Carol J. Boushey, Jane A. Scott, Deborah A. Kerr

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Environmentally sustainable diets are increasingly aspired to in food-based dietary guidelines across the world. However, little is known about consumer attitudes toward these diets when making food decisions. This study aimed to identify the demographic characteristics of Australian adults based on the level of attention they paid to the healthfulness of their diet, their consideration of the level of food processing, and their concern about household food waste and sustainable packaging disposal. Adults aged from 18 to over 75 years (n = 540) were surveyed online. Thirty-seven percent were concerned about sustainable food waste, 28 % considered the level of …

Epigenetic Regulation Of Corneal Epithelial Differentiation By Tet2, Yuzuru Sasamoto, Siyuan Wu, Catherine A. A. Lee, Jason Y. Jiang, Bruce R. Ksander, Markus H. Frank, Natasha Y. Frank

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Epigenetic DNA modification by 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), generated by the Ten-eleven translocation (TET) dioxygenases, regulates diverse biological functions in many organ tissues, including the mammalian eye. For example, 5hmC has been shown to be involved in epigenetic regulation of retinal gene expression. However, a functional role of 5hmC in corneal differentiation has not been investigated to date. Here, we examined 5hmC and TET function in the human cornea. We found 5hmC highly expressed in MUC16-positive terminally differentiated cells that also co-expressed the 5hmC-generating enzyme TET2. TET2 knockdown (KD) in cultured corneal epithelial cells led to significant reductions of 5hmC peak distributions …

Global Dataset On Seagrass Meadow Structure, Biomass And Production, Simone Strydom, Roisin Mccallum, Anna Lafratta, Chanelle L. Webster, Caitlyn M. O'Dea, Nicole E. Said, Natasha Dunham, Karina Inostroza, Cristian Salinas, Samuel Billinghurst, Charlie M. Phelps, Connor Campbell, Connor Gorham, Rachele Bernasconi, Anna M. Frouws, Axel Werner, Federico Vitelli, Viena Puigcorbé, Alexandra D'Cruz, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Jack Robinson, Megan J. Huggett, Sian Mcnamara, Glenn A. Hyndes, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows provide valuable socio-ecological ecosystem services, including a key role in climate change mitigation and adaption. Understanding the natural history of seagrass meadows across environmental gradients is crucial to deciphering the role of seagrasses in the global ocean. In this data collation, spatial and temporal patterns in seagrass meadow structure, biomass and production data are presented as a function of biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics. The biological traits compiled include measures of meadow structure (e.g. percent cover and shoot density), biomass (e.g. above-ground biomass) and production (e.g. shoot production). Categorical factors include bioregion, geotype (coastal or estuarine), genera and …

Preschool-Aged Household Contacts As A Risk Factor For Viral Respiratory Infections In Healthcare Personnel, Zachary M Most, Ann-Christine Nyquist, Lewis J Radonovich, Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas, Connie Savor Price, Michael S Simberkoff, Mary T Bessesen, Derek A T Cummings, Susan M Rattigan, Charlotte Warren-Gash, Charlotte A Gaydos, Cynthia L Gibert, Geoffrey J Gorse, Trish M Perl

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Viral respiratory infections (VRIs) are common and are occupational risks for healthcare personnel (HCP). VRIs can also be acquired at home and other settings among HCPs. We sought to determine if preschool-aged household contacts are a risk factor for VRIs among HCPs working in outpatient settings.

METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a cluster randomized trial at 7 medical centers in the United States over 4 influenza seasons from 2011-2012 to 2014-2015. Adult HCPs who routinely came within 6 feet of patients with respiratory infections were included. Participants were tested for respiratory viruses whenever symptomatic and …