Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Shared And Unique Barriers To Housing Stability For Spanish Speakers In Connecticut, Gabriela Olea Vargas

Public Health Theses

Throughout the United States, rent costs and eviction increases leave low-income people of color more rent-burdened than their white counterparts; these challenges may result in further complex barriers to housing stability for Spanish speakers. In this explorative study, I examined the shared and unique barriers to housing stability for Spanish speakers in Connecticut. I conducted a rapid qualitative analysis of semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups with (N = 14) participants from three larger research projects (Right to Counsel Evaluation, Project ReSIDe, and Tenant Energy Advocacy). This study included Spanish-speaking individuals living in CT who had participated in at least …

Healthcare Costs For Patients With Severe Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Among Augmentation Therapy Users And Non-Users And Impact Of Therapy Frequency, Nikita Raina

Public Health Theses

Background: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a rare disease caused by a genetic mutation in the SERPINA1 gene which causes low levels of or no working alpha-1 antitrypsin protein to be made. This results in a number of clinical manifestations, most prominently pulmonary issues such as emphysema. An intravenous infusion of human plasma-derived AAT (augmentation therapy) is sometimes prescribed to patients with emphysema, but there is a need for a greater understanding of the resulting economic burden in this patient population.

Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted using the PearlDiver Mariner Patient Claims Database to analyze healthcare costs …

Examining Genetically Regulated Gene Expression As A Potential Biomarker For Postpartum Depression Screening, Eileen Zhu

Public Health Theses

Background: PPD is one of most common complications of pregnancy but is underdiagnosed and undertreated with less than 10% of women with PPD receiving adequate treatment. Currently, the most well-validated screening questionnaire for perinatal depression, the EPDS, produces a high false positive rate and results in a large number of unnecessary referrals. Objective: The principal emphasis of this investigation will center upon the estrogen sensitivity, which hypothesizes that individuals with a history of PPD will have differences in estrogen receptor gene (ESR1 and ESR2) mediated responses to estradiol and thus, are likely to be more sensitive to the abrupt drop …

Analysis Of Spoilage Bacteria Present In Vacuum Packaged Chilled Beef Treated With Organic Acids, Samuel C. Watson, Rebecca A. Furbeck, Byron D. Chaves, Samodha C. Fernando, Gary Sullivan

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Preventing the spoilage of fresh, chilled beef is crucial for maintaining market value. Since organic acids are regularly used in the beef industry for pathogen control, their ability to improve the shelf life of fresh, chilled beef was evaluated. Fresh, chilled beef was individually treated with 4.5% lactic acid, 2.5% Beefxide^®, or 380 ppm peroxyacetic acid. After storage, Lactococcus, a genus of lactic acid bacteria, became the most common spoilage organism across all treatment and control samples. Organic acid treatments were not able to slow the growth of this genus and may not be an effective method to …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Two Beef Systems From Birth To Slaughter In Eastern Nebraska, Levi J. Mcphillips, Zac E. Carlson, Andrew E. Suyker, J. C. Macdonald, Tala Awada, Jane Okalebo, Shree Dangal, Rick R. Stowell, Andrea K. Watson, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Methane emissions from growing and finishing calves born into a spring calving, conventional cow system or a summer calving, partially-confined cow system were compared. Cows fed a restricted diet of corn-byproduct and grain residues in confinement produced less methane and carbon dioxide per day compared to cows grazing pasture or cover crop. Calves weaned from the confinement-based production system were smaller at weaning and compensated with greater gain during the growing phase. More days on feed in the finishing phase were needed for the calves from the confinement system to reach same backfat thickness. Over the entire growing and finishing …

Supplemental Lysine In Finishing Cattle Diets, Hanna Cronk, Zac Carlson, Mitch Norman, Levi Mcphillips, Andrea Watson, Galen E. Erickson, Gary Ducharme

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of increasing lysine supply in finishing beef cattle diets. Crossbreed steers (n=120, BW=577 ± 2 lb) were individually fed using a Calen Gate system for 195 days. Animals received a common finishing diet (63% corn, 15% corn silage and 15% distillers grains) with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 g per day of supplemental rumen bypass lysine. High levels of lysine (5 or more g per day) in the diet decreased dry matter intake, carcass adjusted body weight with no impact on carcass adjusted feed efficiency. Hot …

Evaluation Of Ankom F58 Filter Bags Compared To Beakers For Analysis Of Neutral Detergent Fiber, Sawyer R. Kappel, Rebecca L. Sjostrand, J. C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Feed ingredient, feed refusals, duodenal and fecal samples were analyzed to compare two methods of determining neutral detergent fiber. All samples were weighed into Ankom F58 fiber bags and Analyzed using an Ankom 2000 automated fiber Analyzer. Results were then compared to the Van Soest beaker method. The fiber values determined from both methods were within 3.5% of one another, with the beaker method being consistently greater compared to the Ankom method, except for fecal samples. Variability in fiber estimates for ingredients, feed refusals, and feces translated to substantial inconsistency in estimated neutral detergent fiber digestibilities among treatments. It is …

Forage Evaluation Of Crested Wheatgrass, Kelton C. Adair, K. H. Jenkins Pas, Andrea K. Watson, James C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

An experiment evaluated the forage value of crested wheatgrass (CWG) harvested throughout the grazing season near Sidney, Nebraska over a two-year period (2019-2020). The purpose of the evaluation was to determine forage quality and rumen undegradable protein (RUP) content to help producers with supplementation decisions for cattle grazing monoculture CWG pastures. In vitro dry matter disappearance quadratically decreased from 54% in May to 37% in September of 2019, with no changes throughout 2020, averaging 43%. In both years, crude protein (CP) decreased throughout the growing season while rumen undegradable protein (RUP) increased (as % CP). Digestible RUP was less than …

Effects Of Strategic Supplementation On Return To Management And Performance Of Yearling Cattle, Kaylee E. Wheeler, Dean Dustin, Jay Parsons, M. E. Drewnoski, K. H. Jenkins Pas

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A three-year experiment evaluated the effects of two supplementation strategies on yearling cattle performance and producer returns to management. Yearling cattle grazed on crested wheatgrass pastures and were supplemented either throughout the entire grazing season, only during the latter part of the grazing season, or not supplemented at all. The supplemented yearlings received 3.5 lb of dried distillers grains with solubles 6 days/week. On average non-supplemented yearlings had an average daily gain of 1.1 lb/d and providing supplement increased average daily gain by 0.5 lb/d. Yearlings supplemented during the latter part of the season had similar performance to yearlings supplemented …

Itihas Vol. 23 Issue No. 1, Sastra Univ

ITIHAS

NEWSLETTER FROM SASTRA DEEMED UNIVERSITY

Impact Of Remineralization Potential Of Biphasic Calcium Phosphate Powders On Incipient Enamel Caries, Salwa Elmetwaly Abd Alaty Taha, Dina Sami Farahat, Tarek Abbas Ali Elkhooly, Manal Farouk Osman

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the remineralizing effect of biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) powder compared to nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HA) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) powders using laser fluorescence.

Materials and methods: Fifteen sound human premolars and molars were subjected to infection control measures. Then, the roots were removed and crowns were sectioned to provide blocks from the buccal and lingual surfaces. Each specimen underwent pH cycling to produce white spot lesions. The specimens were divided into three groups according to the treatment used. The total sample size for all groups was thirty specimens (10 specimens for each group). The change in mineral …

Physico-Chemical And Mechanical Properties Of Periodontal Barrier Membrane, Ayah Gamal Morsi, Ahmed Mostafa Hussein, Alaa Ali Omar, El-Sayed Gad Eid

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objective: This study aimed to fabricate and characterize a novel periodontal barrier nanofibers-based bio-membrane using electrospinning.

Materials and Methods: The matrix solution was prepared from poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) incorporating hydroxyapatite, hyaluronic acid, collagen, L-arginine and vanillin to fabricate composite membrane. Subsequently the elemental analysis, viscosity, conductivity and surface tension of solutions before spinning were evaluated. The physicochemical and mechanical properties were characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, scan electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and tensile strength. Data were expressed as mean and standard deviation (±SD). P values < 0.05 were considered significant.

Results: The results revealed that the composite solution surface tension …

Progression Of Dyad Mentorship To Work Driven Model: Is This A Value Addition?, Rehana Rehman, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Rahila Ali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Down The Leash: A Phenomenological Study Of K9 Officers Stresses And Rewards, Jennifer C. Anglin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand and relay the phenomenon of stress in K9 officers compared to before they took on the additional responsibilities of becoming K9 officers and the rewards that come with their position. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with K9 officers was the tool used to collect and analyze the data. Research questions began with basic demographic information and transitioned into lifestyle and stress-related questions. Eight K9 officers representing state troopers, county sheriff deputies, and city officers participated in the interviews where data saturation was obtained. After the data were coded and analyzed, five distinct themes emerged: family life, extra …

Levetiracetam Modulates Brain Metabolic Networks And Transcriptomic Signatures In The 5xfad Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease., Charles P Burton, Evgeny J Chumin, Alyssa Y Collins, Scott A Persohn, Kristen D. Onos, Ravi S Pandey, Sara K Quinney, Paul R Territo

Faculty Research 2024

Introduction: Subcritical epileptiform activity is associated with impaired cognitive function and is commonly seen in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The anti-convulsant, levetiracetam (LEV), is currently being evaluated in clinical trials for its ability to reduce epileptiform activity and improve cognitive function in AD. The purpose of the current study was to apply pharmacokinetics (PK), network analysis of medical imaging, gene transcriptomics, and PK/PD modeling to a cohort of amyloidogenic mice to establish how LEV restores or drives alterations in the brain networks of mice in a dose-dependent basis using the rigorous preclinical pipeline of the MODEL-AD Preclinical Testing Core. …

Northeastern Illinois University, Academic Catalog 2023-2024, Northeastern Illinois University

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Microtubule Polarity Flaws As A Treatable Driver Of Neurodegeneration, Bridie D. Eckel, Roy Cruz Jr., Erin M. Craig, Peter W. Baas

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Microtubule disruption is a common downstream mechanism leading to axonal degeneration in a number of neurological diseases. To date, most studies on this topic have focused on the loss of microtubule mass from the axon, as well as changes in the stability properties of the microtubules and/or their tubulin composition. Here we posit corruption of the normal pattern of microtubule polarity orientation as an underappreciated and yet treatable contributor to axonal degeneration. We include computational modeling to fortify the rigor of our considerations. Our simulations demonstrate that even a small deviation from the usual polarity pattern of axonal microtubules is …

Sacred Children, Taboo Tradeoffs, And Distorted Discourses, Sean Hannon Williams

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article brings together three literatures—bioethics, psychological research on taboo tradeoffs, and family law—to reveal pervasive distortions in current family law scholarship and judicial reasoning. Empirical work in bioethics shows that child welfare occupies a unique moral sphere. People routinely resist making tradeoffs between spheres. Just as sacrificing adult lives for money is taboo, so too is sacrificing child welfare for adult welfare. When faced with the prospect of these tradeoffs, people engage in a predictable set of avoidance and moral mitigation strategies. Across five case studies, this Article shows how child welfare has talismanic qualities which, even in the …

Hsc-Derived Fatty Acid Oxidation In Steady-State And Stressed Hematopoiesis., Jayna J Mistry, Kristian Bowles, Stuart A Rushworth

Faculty Research 2023

Metabolism impacts all cellular functions and plays a fundamental role in physiology. Metabolic regulation of hematopoiesis is dynamically regulated under steady-state and stress conditions. It is clear that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) impose different energy demands and flexibility during maintenance compared with stressed conditions. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic regulation in HSCs remain poorly understood. In this review, we focus on defining the role of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in HSCs. We first review the existing literature describing FAO in HSCs under steady-state hematopoiesis. Next, we describe the models used to examine HSCs under stress conditions, and, …

Misregulation Of Mitochondria-Lysosome Contact Dynamics In Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 2b Disease Rab7 Mutant Sensory Peripheral Neurons, Yvette C. Wong, Nirupa D. Jayaraj, Tayler B. Belton, George C. Shum, Hannah E. Ball, Dongjun Ren, Abby Tadenev, Dimitri Krainc, Robert W. Burgess, Daniela M. Menichella

Faculty Research 2023

Inter-organelle contact sites between mitochondria and lysosomes mediate the crosstalk and bidirectional regulation of their dynamics in health and disease. However, mitochondria-lysosome contact sites and their misregulation have not been investigated in peripheral sensory neurons. Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2B disease is an autosomal dominant axonal neuropathy affecting peripheral sensory neurons caused by mutations in the GTPase Rab7. Using live super-resolution and confocal time-lapse microscopy, we showed that mitochondria-lysosome contact sites dynamically form in the soma and axons of peripheral sensory neurons. Interestingly, Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2B mutant Rab7 led to prolonged mitochondria-lysosome contact site tethering preferentially in the axons of peripheral sensory …

Indigenous And Western Sciences In Carlos Hernandez's The Assimilated Cuban's Guide To Quantum Santeria, Joy Sanchez-Taylor

Publications and Research

This chapter examines Carlos Hernandez’s The Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum Santeria as an example of how authors of alternative futurisms can draw on Indigenous knowledge to destabilize Eurowestern perceptions that Western science is more modern and rational than Indigenous knowledge. Joy Sanchez-Taylor argues that Hernandez combines references to Santería and quantum physics to demonstrate parallels between Indigenous knowledge and Eurowestern “rational” science. Ultimately, references in Quantum Santeria to ideas of spiritual healing and nonlinear time demonstrate how authors like Hernandez are working to restore Biskaabiiyang, or a return to self, within science fiction.

Does The Supreme Court Of Canada Give A “Freak” About Disability Dignity?: The Inclusion Fallacy 25 Years After Eldridge, Ena Chadha, Emmett Rogers

The Supreme Court Law Review: Osgoode’s Annual Constitutional Cases Conference

For almost 20 years, the Supreme Court of Canada increasingly rejected the idea of disability as an inherent impairment and progressively endorsed the social model of disability, which recognizes the disabling condition is a consequence of structural and societal factors. However, recent Supreme Court jurisprudence has resurfaced the fallacy of disability being defined by individual defects and deviance. This paper surveys the Court’s disability discrimination jurisprudence from the seminal Eldridge v. British Columbia decision to the splintered Ward v. Quebec decision, examining how the Court appears to be retreating from the social model’s understanding of disability being a product of …

Unh: The Magazine Of The University Of New Hampshire, Winter 2023, Unh Magazine

UNH Magazine

No abstract provided.

2023 South Dakota Rancher Survey Descriptive Results, Tong Wang, Sujan Ghimire, Stephan Cheye

Midwestern Farm and Producer Surveys and Policy Briefs

Researchers at South Dakota State University surveyed South Dakotan ranchers between January and March 2023 to better understand their beliefs and perspectives on various grazing techniques, which will allow programs to be tailored to better serve their needs in the future. A sample of 3,500 ranchers were purchased from DTN that contains 3,500 records from South Dakota with 50+ livestock and 100+ acres of pasture.

Matter, Nature, Cosmos: The Scientific Art Of The Early Modern English Stage, Jean Feerick

2023 Faculty Bibliography

How does our understanding of early modern performance, culture and identity change when we decentre Shakespeare? And how might a more inclusive approach to early modern drama help enable students to discuss a range of issues, including race and gender, in more productive ways?
Underpinned by these questions, this collection offers a wide-ranging, authoritative guide to research on drama in Shakespeare's England, mapping the variety of approaches to the context and work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. By paying attention to repertory, performance in and beyond playhouses, modes of performance, and lost and less-studied plays, the handbook reshapes our critical …

Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis For Alzheimer’S Disease. Does It Work Under Physiological Conditions?, Yuri L. Lyubchenko

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

Plaques in the brain consisting of proteins are a hallmark of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Such aggregates can be assembled spontaneously by specialized proteins such as amyloid beta (Ab) proteins in the case of AD. Numerous in vitro studies made a foundation for the Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis (ACH), according to which the misfolding of proteins leads to their self-assembly into toxic oligomers along with the formation of amyloid fibrils assembled as plaques in the brain. Notably physiological concentration of Ab proteins in the brain is in the low nanomolar concentration, so no spontaneous aggregation of …

2023 Associate's Degree Exit Survey, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Assessment Center Reports

Exit Surveys produced by the SWOSU Assessment Center.

(Re)Building The Master's House: Dismantling America's Colonial Politics Of Extraction And Exclusion, Marissa Jackson Sow

Michigan Law Review Online

On February 10, 2021, and in the days thereafter, liberal American commentators showered Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett with superlatives and praise due to her masterful takedown of former President Donald Trump during his impeachment trial for incitement of the January 6, 2021 Capitol Riot. Referring to a picture of Plaskett wearing a knee-length blue dress with draped sleeves, the political strategist (and daughter of House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi) Christine Pelosi took to Twitter to note that “[n]ot all superheroes wear capes. This one does!”

The Inauguration Of The 15th President Of The University Of Michigan, The University Of Michigan

Event Materials

Santa J. Ono, Ph.D., is the 15th president of the University of Michigan. He began a five-year term on October 14, 2022.

A recognized leader in higher education in the United States and Canada, President Ono is an experienced vision researcher whose pioneering work in experimental medicine focuses on the immune system and eye disease. At U-M, he is professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences in the Medical School.

He joined U-M after serving as president and vice chancellor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) since 2016.

The Scientific Study Of Positive Psychology, Religion/Spirituality, And Physical Health, Kevin S. Masters, Julia K. Boehm, Jennifer M. Boylan, Kaitlyn M. Vagnini, Christina L. Rush

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Humans have long been interested in relations among religion/spirituality (R/S), positive psychological constructs, and physical health. Furthermore, many religions attempt to influence behavior through health-related prescriptions about food choices, sexual activity, substance use, and resting. Similarly, positive psychological constructs have been discussed in light of their presumed benefits on both mental and physical health (Ryff & Singer, 1998). However, R/S and positive psychological constructs have only recently become objects of scientific investigation of their associations with physical health.