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Avian Index Of Biotic Integrity: Evaluating Wetland Health In The Red River Basin, Texas/Louisiana, Elexis M. Anderson

Biology Theses

Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining environmental health by filtering pollutants, controlling floods, and providing habitat for diverse species. These ecosystems are essential for sustaining biodiversity and regulating hydrological and biogeochemical cycles. The Red River Basin (The Red River of the South), spanning Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, is home to various types of wetlands, which provide essential habitats to an array of wildlife. However, anthropogenic pressures such as agriculture and urbanization have led to the degradation and loss of these valuable ecosystems. To counter this loss, federal programs such as the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - Wetland Reserve Easement …

Born High, Born Fast: Does Highland Birth Confer A Pulmonary Advantage For Sea Level Endurance?, Hunter L. Paris, Marissa N. Baranauskas, Keren Constantini, Ren Jay Shei, Peyton E. Allen, John R. Jadovitz, Chad C. Wiggins, Cooker Perkins Storm

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Less than 7% of the world's population live at an altitude above 1500 m. Yet, as many as 67% of medalists in the 2020 men's and women's Olympic marathon, and 100% of medalists in the 2020 men's and women's Olympic 5000 m track race may have been born or raised above this otherwise rare threshold. As a possible explanation, research spanning nearly a quarter of a century demonstrates that indigenous highlanders exhibit pulmonary adaptations distinct from their lowland counterparts. These adaptations may then promote endurance performance. Indeed, healthy indigenous highlanders often exhibit a larger aerobic exercise capacity compared to sea-level …

Counselors’ Experience With Male Opioid Abuse Clients With Anxiety And Depression During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sheila J. Stauffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a spike in overdoses in the United States resulting in approximately 100,306 deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began with overdose results from men in opioid and fentanyl abuse with a shortage of resources for substance use disorders and mental health. Families across the U.S. have been affected with the social problem of substance abuse disorders for many years due to environmental and biological constructs due to loss of jobs, housing, limited childcare, and exposure to drugs and alcohol at an early age. The present phenomenology qualitative study explored counselors’ experience working with male clients who abuse opioids …

Failure To Rescue Black And Brown Maternity Patients, Dorothy Marie Glisson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reducing maternal mortality rates is one of the leading health indicators in the nation. Pregnant and postpartum Black mothers make up a disproportionate number of maternal deaths. Many result from failure to rescue (FTR), defined as the inability to prevent a death from a disease, illness, or complication. Over 700 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy. Black patients are attributable to almost 40% of maternity mortality rates and represent over 50% of pregnancy-related deaths due to complications. Black women are more likely to die during pregnancy or after pregnancy, with heart disease causing almost half of pregnancy-related …

Advancing Drug Discovery And Disease Understanding Through Knowledge Graphs And Machine Learning Techniques, Swastika Tenkila Purushotham

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis investigates knowledge graphs with particular reference to the NIH-funded Common Fund Data Ecosystem Data Distillery project. By combining data from nine Common Fund projects and other sources, this project has created a large knowledge graph using Neo4j. To find new and undiscovered drug targets, UNM’s Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG) Data Coordinating Center has supplied data and use cases. Condensed Knowledge Graph, a condensed version that is based on the Data Distillery Knowledge Graph, improves usability for IDG applications. Condensed Knowledge Graph research endeavors to enhance data organization through the categorization of disease terms, examination of Cerebellar Stroke …

November 5, 2024 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Personality Profile And Leadership Style Of U.S. Vice President And 2024 Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris, Aubrey Immelman, Anne Marie Griebie, Elise Vomacka

Psychology Faculty Publications

The paper presents the results of an indirect personality assessment of U.S. vice president Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential nominee in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data about Harris were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5-TR.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed in accordance with interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality …

November 2024 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.

Environmental Drivers Of The Divergence Of Harveyi Clade Pathogens With Distinctive Virulence Gene Profiles, Andrei L. Barkovskii, Cameron Brown

Faculty and Staff Works

Fish and shellfish pathogens of the Harveyi clade of the Vibrio genus cause significant losses to aquaculture yields and profits, with some of them also causing infections in humans. The present study aimed to evaluate the presence of Harveyi clade fish and shellfish pathogens and their possible diversification in response to environmental drivers in southeastern USA waters. The presence and abundance of potential pathogens were evaluated via the detection and quantitation of six Harveyi-clade-specific virulence genes (toxR, luxR, srp, vhh, vhh, and vhp; VGs) in environmental DNA with clade-specific primers. The environmental DNA was obtained from water and sediments collected …

Examining Wildfire Dynamics Using Ecostress Data With Machine Learning Approaches: The Case Of South-Eastern Australia's Black Summer, Yuanhui Zhu, Shakthi B. Murugesan, Ivone K. Masara, Soe W. Myint, Joshua B. Fisher

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Wildfires are increasing in risk and prevalence. The most destructive wildfires in decades in Australia occurred in 2019–2020. However, there is still a challenge in developing effective models to understand the likelihood of wildfire spread (susceptibility) and pre-fire vegetation conditions. The recent launch of NASA's ECOSTRESS presents an opportunity to monitor fire dynamics with a high resolution of 70 m by measuring ecosystem stress and drought conditions preceding wildfires. We incorporated ECOSTRESS data, vegetation indices, rainfall, and topographic data as independent variables and fire events as dependent variables into machine learning algorithms applied to the historic Australian wildfires of 2019–2020. …

Understanding The Welfare Of Aquarium Fish, Paul Rose

Animal Sentience

Bony fishes (Osteichthyes) are prevalent in public and domestic aquaria, yet evidence-based welfare practices exist for only a limited number of species. Oldfield & Bonano’s (O&B’s) target article highlights critical questions about the wellbeing and sociality of Osteichthyes. Advancing research on their biology, physiology, psychology, and behavior is essential to develop and validate welfare measures, ensuring guidelines for welfare-focused housing and husbandry.

Counselors’ Experience With Male Opioid Abuse Clients With Anxiety And Depression During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sheila J. Stauffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a spike in overdoses in the United States resulting in approximately 100,306 deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began with overdose results from men in opioid and fentanyl abuse with a shortage of resources for substance use disorders and mental health. Families across the U.S. have been affected with the social problem of substance abuse disorders for many years due to environmental and biological constructs due to loss of jobs, housing, limited childcare, and exposure to drugs and alcohol at an early age. The present phenomenology qualitative study explored counselors’ experience working with male clients who abuse opioids …

The Role Of Sociability In Mental Health In Mid To Late Life During Covid-19, Katherine L. Fiori, Amy Rauer, Christina M. Marini, Amna Khan, Christine So

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Some adults in mid and late life may have been particularly sensitive to the negative effects of social disruptions due to COVID-19 restrictions. The current study explored whether sociability moderated links between disrupted contact with friends and family and multiple indicators of mental health. We collected quantitative data via an online survey from a community sample of 136 adults in mid to late life (M age = 67.77, range 50–91; 69.3% females; 92.7% White). We conducted a series of hierarchical linear regressions to test for moderation. Controlling for age, gender, and marital status, sociability moderated the associations between disruptions …

Failure To Rescue Black And Brown Maternity Patients, Dorothy Marie Glisson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reducing maternal mortality rates is one of the leading health indicators in the nation. Pregnant and postpartum Black mothers make up a disproportionate number of maternal deaths. Many result from failure to rescue (FTR), defined as the inability to prevent a death from a disease, illness, or complication. Over 700 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy. Black patients are attributable to almost 40% of maternity mortality rates and represent over 50% of pregnancy-related deaths due to complications. Black women are more likely to die during pregnancy or after pregnancy, with heart disease causing almost half of pregnancy-related …

Evaluating Growth Of Coastal Grass In Recycled Glass Sand: Evidence For Safe Application In Coastal Restoration, Allison B. Huddleston

Honors Capstones

Louisiana’s coastal land loss results from complex interactions of anthropogenic and naturally occurring processes that impact sediment supply in the Mississippi river delta. Given the coastline's vital role in the state’s economy, Louisiana has made significant investments in coastal restoration projects, including planting native vegetation and adding borrowed sediments. The amount of sediment needed to maintain Louisiana’s existing coastline exceeds the available amount that could be extracted, and state officials have since identified this lack of sustainable sediment resources as a critical limitation for future restoration projects. One proposed solution to address this shortage is using recycled crushed glass cullet …

Diversity And Evenness Of Birds During Seasonal Paddy Farming Practice In Southwestern Sarawak, Ivana Berlinda Bilang, Mohamad Fizl Sidq Ramji, Siti Nurlydia Sazali, Andrew Alek Tuen, Wan Nurainie Wan Ismail

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The influence of seasonal paddy farming activities on the paddy field environment and its composition of birds could be visually observed but has yet to be systematically studied and is still relatively understudied in Malaysian Borneo. Earlier research relied solely on point counts and not using line transects or mist nets for data collection could have resulted in missing and biased findings. Thus, this study aims to evaluate and compare species diversity and evenness of birds in different paddy stages in southwestern Sarawak with previous studies conducted in the region. We reported a higher species richness than previous reports from …

Counselors’ Experience With Male Opioid Abuse Clients With Anxiety And Depression During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sheila J. Stauffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a spike in overdoses in the United States resulting in approximately 100,306 deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began with overdose results from men in opioid and fentanyl abuse with a shortage of resources for substance use disorders and mental health. Families across the U.S. have been affected with the social problem of substance abuse disorders for many years due to environmental and biological constructs due to loss of jobs, housing, limited childcare, and exposure to drugs and alcohol at an early age. The present phenomenology qualitative study explored counselors’ experience working with male clients who abuse opioids …

Failure To Rescue Black And Brown Maternity Patients, Dorothy Marie Glisson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reducing maternal mortality rates is one of the leading health indicators in the nation. Pregnant and postpartum Black mothers make up a disproportionate number of maternal deaths. Many result from failure to rescue (FTR), defined as the inability to prevent a death from a disease, illness, or complication. Over 700 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy. Black patients are attributable to almost 40% of maternity mortality rates and represent over 50% of pregnancy-related deaths due to complications. Black women are more likely to die during pregnancy or after pregnancy, with heart disease causing almost half of pregnancy-related …

Characterizing The Temporal And Nearshore To Offshore Spatial Scale Of Phytoplankton Assemblages Within The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Sebastian P. Di Geronimo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton communities within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) from 2016 to 2021. Phytoplankton biomass and community composition were analyzed across four seasons and from both Nearshore (within 2 km of shore) and Offshore (8 to 10 km from shore) locations along the Florida Keys from Miami to the Western Sambo Ecological Reserve. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantified chlorophyll-a (tchla) as a proxy for bulk biomass, and other pigments. CHEMTAX, a chemotaxonomic identification method, was employed to estimate phytoplankton community composition. Our results revealed significant seasonal variability in bulk biomass, …

Satellite-Based Mapping Of Seagrass Habitats And Coastal Wetlands In The Us Gulf Of Mexico And Florida: A Remote Sensing Approach For Environmental Conservation And Management, Luis Lizcano-Sandoval

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands and seagrass meadows provide multiple services to nature and human society, but their spatial and temporal changes are often not well characterized. They are habitats that are threatened by natural and human causes such as changes in water quality, urban development, pollution, and climate change, among others. Coastal ecosystems rely on water quality and sea level variability for survival, and changes in those variables and their potential effects are of concern to many coastal communities. Satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool that has been used for mapping ecosystem distribution on land and in the ocean. Satellite sensors …

Clock Hijackers: How Integration Of Glioblastoma Into Circadian Circuits Regulates Tumor Progression And Sensitivity To Current Therapies, Maria Felicita Gonzalez

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults with a poor prognosis despite aggressive therapy. A recent, retrospective clinical study found that administering chemotherapy with Temozolomide (TMZ) in the morning increased patient overall survival by 6 months compared to evening. Previous work has shown that murine and human models of GBM have cell-intrinsic circadian rhythms in expression of the core clock genes Bmal1 and Per2 in vitro. This suggests that GBM has circadian rhythms that entrain to the hosts’ central clock. Understanding the mechanisms underlying circadian entrainment and tumor growth in GBM is essential to determine whether …

Ucc Minutes 11-5-24, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Kratom: A Narrative Review Of The Possible Clinical Uses And Dangers Of This Opioid-Like Plant, Amber N. Edinoff, Sarah E. Kaufman, Taylor C. Mahoney, William C. Upshaw, Jay Gong, Elyse M. Cornett, Kevin S. Murnane, Adam M. Kaye, Giustino Varrassi, Sahar Shekoohi, Alan D. Kaye

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The term "kratom" refers to a plant species formally known as Mitragyna speciosa. Kratom is composed of over 40 alkaloids, a type of organic compound that contains nitrogen. These compounds work primarily via binding to opioid receptors expressed on neurons, where they stimulate signal transduction mechanisms involving the activation of G proteins. Kratom has been shown to cause both a stimulant-like effect and a sedative effect in humans. These studies have shown that use is highest among European-American, middle-class men living in suburban areas. Additionally, individuals who have a history of opioid misuse are also more likely to take kratom. …

The Prospector, November 5, 2024, Utep Student Publications

The Prospector

No abstract provided.

Community-Led Workshops To Engage Action For Food System Change (Foodsequal), Clare Pettinger, Louise Hunt, Hannah Gardiner, Lisa Howard, Carol Wagstaff

School of Health Professions

Background: The UK food system is distorted by inequalities of access for socially and economically disadvantaged communities. There is a need for novel approaches whereby communities can lead food system change. Research Objective: This study aimed to explore creative methods (delivered by community members) to support dietary benchmarking activities as part of a UK consortium food system transformation research project (FoodSEqual, 2021). Methods: Several ‘shopping basket’ workshops were run to ‘sense check’ national dietary datasets against local community lived experience, seeking aspirational views on dietary change. Informed by UK data synthesis (Methven et al 2022), workshops were co-designed by community …

Engaging Secondary Schools In Food Activities – Curriculum Enrichment (Foodsequal), Clare Pettinger

School of Health Professions

Background: Secondary schools in disadvantaged communities are vulnerable to poor food provision. Food literacy in children builds skills and confidence to support lifelong healthy (sustainable) eating habits (Carroll et al 2021). Research Objective: The aim of this study was to co-design a food-themed curriculum enrichment week for secondary school children to explore food literacy and school food culture (FoodSEqual, 2021) Methods: A series of taster sessions (cooking; filming; games; discussions) were run to introduce ideas. This informed co-design of food-themed curriculum enrichment week activities. Food literacy focus groups were run with students; interviews with school teachers (school food culture); observations …

Gene Discovery From Microbial Gene Libraries I: Protection Against Reactive Oxygen Species-Driven Dna Damage, John C Taylor, Carmen Gu Liu, James D Chang, Brianna E Thompson, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) pose a lethal risk for all life forms by causing damage to cell processes, genome-wide DNA damage-driving mutation, replicative instability, and death. Thus, the development of mechanisms to resist or repair ROS-induced DNA damage is critical for the reliable replication of nucleic acids. DNA repair and protection mechanisms have been discovered in all forms of life. However, the vast array of microbes that may harbor novel repair or protection mechanisms, especially bacterial viruses, have not been adequately assessed. Here, we screened a microbial gene library composed primarily of phage open reading frames (ORFs) to uncover elements …

Activation Of A Gpcr, Orl1 Receptor: A Novel Therapy To Prevent Heart Failure Progression, Saliha S Pathan, Aarthi Pugazenthi, Beverly R E A Dixon, Theodore G Wensel, Todd K Rosengart, Megumi Mathison

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The number of ischemic heart failure (HF) patients is growing dramatically worldwide. However, there are at present no preventive treatments for HF. Our previous study showed that Gata4 overexpression improved cardiac function after myocardial infarction in rat hearts. We also found that Gata4 overexpression significantly increased the expression of a Pnoc gene, an endogenous ligand for the cell membrane receptor ORL1. We hypothesized that the activation of the ORL1 receptor would suppress HF in a rat ischemic heart model. Adult Sprague Dawley rats (8 weeks old, six males and six females) underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Three weeks …

Extending The Translational Science Benefits Model To Implementation Science For Cancer Prevention And Control, Karen M Emmons, Ross C Brownson, Douglas A Luke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: There is increasing pressure on the federal research budget and shifting public opinions about the value of the academic enterprise. We must develop and apply metrics that demonstrate the broad benefits of research for health and society. The Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) measures the impact of large-scale translational science initiatives, such as the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Moonshot. TSBM provides the scaffolding to illustrate how science has real-world health impacts. We propose an expansion of the TSBM to explicitly include implementation-focused outcomes.

METHODS: TSBM includes four categories of benefits, including (1) clinical and medical, (2) community and public …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Zoology

No abstract provided.