Digital Commons Network^™

Brain-Type Natriuretic Peptide Is A Useful Biomarker Of Cardiovascular Disease And Predictor Of Cardiac-Related Mortality In Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Angela M. Achorn, Carolyn L. Hodo, Martha E. Hensel, Elizabeth R. Magden, Stephanie J. Buchl

Anthropology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE

To validate the use of brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for detecting and monitoring cardiac dysfunction in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional (N = 175) and longitudinal (N = 76) BNP, echocardiogram, ECG, and pathology data from living and deceased captive chimpanzees to examine age and sex effects and to assess the usefulness of BNP for detecting cardiovascular disease and predicting mortality. The study period was from July 2010 through October 2024.

RESULTS

Brain-type natriuretic peptide values were significantly associated with age, and males exhibited significantly higher BNP values than females. Brain-type natriuretic peptide values …

Can Oral Caffeine Decrease Postoperative Opioid Consumption Following Posterior Spinal Fusion In Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis? A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial., Anne E. Stuedemann, Richard M. Schwend, K Aaron Shaw, Nicolette Saddler, Michon Huston, Michael Benvenuti, Julia Leamon, Ashley K. Sherman, John Anderson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Current studies have examined the efficacy of opioid-sparing analgesics primarily in adult surgical populations, while fewer guide pediatric postoperative pain treatment. Caffeine exerts most of its biological effects by binding to adenosine receptors, which are important for modifying pain and inflammation. Caffeine's ability to modulate pain following posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has not been previously assessed.

METHODS: The hospital investigational drug study (IDS) pharmacy provided either a treatment dose or placebo dose of caffeine to be given to the patient and was also in charge of randomization for the study.

RESULTS: There were 24 …

The Anchor: March 2025, Issue Three, Hope College

The Anchor: 2025

The Anchor began in 1887 and was first issued weekly in 1914. Covering national and campus news alike, Hope College’s student-run newspaper has grown over the years to encompass over two-dozen editors, reporters, and staff. For much of The Anchor's history, the latest issue was distributed across campus each Wednesday throughout the academic school year (with few exceptions). In recent years The Anchor moved to monthly print issues and a more frequently updated website. The Anchor is now published in print twice per academic semester. Occasionally, the volume and/or issue numbering is irregular.

Lshe/Cse And Srh Linkages: The Role Of Health Care Providers, Population Council

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

No abstract provided.

Efficacy Of Immersive Virtual Reality Gameplay In Environmental Attitude Change: The Case Of Abandoned Offshore Oil Platforms In Santa Barbara, Arun Prasad Srinivasan Manoharan

Master's Theses

Public perception plays an important role in shaping conservation policies and decisions, especially in contested environmental spaces. Offshore oil platforms, historically viewed as environmental hazards, have been found to serve as marine habitats that support diverse marine life. However, public perception remains largely negative, influenced by concerns over pollution from past oil spill accidents. Traditional environmental education methods, such as lectures and documentaries, often fail to engage audiences effectively or shift entrenched opinions. This study explores the efficacy of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) gameplay in changing environmental attitudes, specifically in the context of abandoned offshore oil platforms in Santa Barbara, …

Defining Transcriptional Signatures Of Susceptibility For Ceftriaxone And Tetracycline In Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Sanjana Logu

Theses

Resistance to antibiotics is the ability of bacteria to survive in spite of the administration of drugs designated to kill them; and overuse of antibiotics over the past decades has led to a vast increase in resistance. Most infections are treated empirically, such that patients are given a recommended course of antibiotics, however these infections are not frequently tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles (i.e., tested only in the case of treatment failure). This can lead to inappropriate prescription which can increase the selective pressure of antibiotics on other bacterial members of our microbiomes. Susceptibility testing would help determine the …

Preparation Of Eco-Friendly Nanocatalyst Calcium Oxide (Cao) For Oily Wastewater Treatment By Advanced Oxidation Process, Eman Khader, Thamer Mohammed, Talib Albayati, Sohrab Zendehboudi

Journal of Applied Sciences and Nanotechnology

In the present work, a novel eco-friendly nanocatalyst (NC) calcium oxide (CaO) is synthesized from the waste of tomato plants by physical method for the degradation of oil in oily wastewater by photocatalytic technology as a sophisticated oxidation process. The characterization of NC prepared is described by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, which illustrated that the NC prepared possessed a nanoscale size and a cubic crystal structure. The activity of NC in the photodegradation process is evaluated using …

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: Principles And Advanced Applications, Rajaa Ketan, Muayyed Zoory, Haidar Mohamad

Journal of Applied Sciences and Nanotechnology

A spectroscopic technique such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used to analyze various materials, including solids, liquids and gases. The advantages of this technique include rapid analysis, no prior sample preparation, low cost and the ability to generate qualitative and quantitative analytical data for any sample. There are numerous applications for LIBS in various fields, including environmental monitoring, quality in industry, the food sector and archeology, medicine (pharmaceuticals), biology (bones, nails, hair, blood and skin) and cosmetics, which is one of the main concerns of the World Health Organization due to its significant impact on health. In this review, …

Among-Population Variation In Telomere Regulatory Proteins And Their Potential Role As Hidden Drivers Of Intraspecific Variation In Life History, Sarah E. Wolf, Mary J. Woodruff, David A. Chang Van Oordt, Ethan D. Clotfelter, Daniel A. Cristol, Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Stephen M. Ferguson, Mark T. Stanback, Conor C. Taff, Maren N. Vitousek, David F. Westneat, Kimberly A. Rosvall

Biology Faculty Publications

Biologists aim to explain patterns of growth, reproduction and ageing that characterize life histories, yet we are just beginning to understand the proximate mechanisms that generate this diversity. Existing research in this area has focused on telomeres but has generally overlooked the telomere's most direct mediator, the shelterin protein complex. Shelterin proteins physically interact with the telomere to shape its shortening and repair. They also regulate metabolism and immune function, suggesting a potential role in life history variation in the wild. However, research on shelterin proteins is uncommon outside of biomolecular work. Intraspecific analyses can play an important role in …

Macroevolutionary Inference Of Complex Modes Of Chromosomal Speciation In A Cosmopolitan Plant Lineage, Carrie M. Tribble, José Ignacio Márquez-Corro, Michael R. May, Andrew L. Hipp, Marcial Escudero, Rosana Zenil-Ferguson

Biology Faculty Publications

The effects of single chromosome number change—dysploidy – mediating diversification remain poorly understood. Dysploidy modifies recombination rates, linkage, or reproductive isolation, especially for one-fifth of all eukaryote lineages with holocentric chromosomes. Dysploidy effects on diversification have not been estimated because modeling chromosome numbers linked to diversification with heterogeneity along phylogenies is quantitatively challenging. We propose a new state-dependent diversification model of chromosome evolution that links diversification rates to dysploidy rates considering heterogeneity and differentiates between anagenetic and cladogenetic changes. We apply this model to Carex (Cyperaceae), a cosmopolitan flowering plant clade with holocentric chromosomes. We recover two distinct modes of …

Scaling Covid-19 Rates With Population Size In The United States, Austin R. Cruz, Brian J. Enquist, Joseph R. Burger

Biology Faculty Publications

Using county-level data from the United States, we assessed allometric scaling relationships of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, deaths and age structure within and across the first four major waves of the pandemic (wild-type, alpha, delta, omicron). Results generally indicate that the burden of cases disproportionately impacted larger-sized counties, while the burden of deaths disproportionately impacted smaller counties. This may be partially due to multiple interacting social mechanisms, including a higher proportion of older adults who live in smaller counties. Moreover, these likely social mechanisms interacting with vaccinations and virus waves created a dynamic pattern whereby the rate and magnitude of …

The Biphasic Effect Of Lipopolysaccharide On Membrane Potential, Maria E. Hadjisavva, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from certain strains of Gram-negative bacteria can induce a rapid (<1 s) hyperpolarization of membrane potential, followed by a gradual depolarization exceeding the initial resting membrane potential. Through overexpression of a Drosophila ORK1 two-pore-domain K⁺ channel (K2P) in larval muscles and altering the external concentrations of K⁺ and Na⁺ ions, it is clear that the hyperpolarization is due to activating K2P channels and the depolarization is due to promoting an inward Na⁺ leak. When the external Na⁺ concentration is negligible, the LPS-delayed depolarization is dampened. The hyperpolarization induced by LPS can exceed −100 mV when external K⁺ and Na⁺ concentrations are lowered. These results indicate direct action by LPS on ion channels independently of immune …

Wright State University's Celebration Of Student Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities From Thursday, March 13, 2025, Wright State University

Celebration of Undergraduate & Graduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Abstract Books

The student abstract booklet is a compilation of abstracts from students' oral and poster presentations at Wright State University's Celebration of Student Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities on March 13, 2025.

Cold Chain Logistics Optimization: Integrating Iot And Data Analytics To Reduce Post-Harvest Loss In The United States Perishable Food Supply Chain: A Case Study Of Dole Food Company, Sarah Onyeche Usoro, Elizabeth Ramatu Galadima, Onyeche Helen Adogwa

Student Publications

Food spoilage in the United States is not simply a logistical inconvenience. It is one of the most underappreciated sources of economic and environmental waste in the country's food system. Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meat are routinely lost during storage and transport not because operators lack the will to prevent it, but because conventional cold chain management has historically lacked the tools to detect and respond to deteriorating conditions before damage becomes irreversible. This paper examines how the convergence of Internet of Things (IoT) sensing networks and data analytics platforms is reshaping what cold chain operators can know, predict, …

Workforce Forecasting For State Transportation Agencies: A Machine Learning Approach, Adedolapo Ogungbire, Suman Kumar Mitra

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A decline in the number of construction engineers and inspectors at state transportation agencies (STAs) to manage the ever-increasing lane miles has emphasized the importance of workforce planning in these agencies. Forecasting workforce requirements is crucial for effective planning in any industry or agency. This study developed machine learning (ML) models to estimate the person-hour requirements of STAs at the project level. The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) was used as a case study, using its employee and project details data between 2012 and 2021. ML regression models ranging from linear, tree ensembles, kernel-based, and neural network-based models were …

Crystal Structure And Hirshfeld-Surface Analysis Of The Pesticide Etoxazole, Chaluvarangaiah Sowbhagya, Thaluru M.Mohan Kumar, Hemmige S. Yathirajan, Sean Parkin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Etoxazole (C21H23F2NO2), systematic name 4-(4-tert-butyl-2-ethoxyphenyl)-2- (2,6-difluorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazole, is a fluorinated insecticide and acaricide that inhibits chitin biosynthesis, disrupting insect development by preventing proper exoskeleton formation. Widely used in agriculture since 1998, it is readily absorbed by plant tissues and translocates within leaves. Metabolic studies have identified several oxidative degradation products, while toxicological assessments have examined potential effects, including oxidative stress. This study presents a detailed crystallographic and Hirshfeld surface analysis of etoxazole. The molecule consists of a central dihydro-oxazole ring flanked by 2,6-difluorophenyl and 4-tert-butyl-2-ethoxyphenyl groups, each twisted relative to the oxazole core. The dihydro-oxazole ring is nearly planar, with the …

Experiences Among Parents Caring For Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis At A Tertiary Referral Hospital In Kenya, Hassan Silim, Susan Wamithi, Roselyter Riang’A, Angela Migowa

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in childhood. Despite the availability of effective treatment strategies such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), JIA is reported to have a negative impact on the quality of life of the patients and their caregivers. Ascertaining the perceptions of the parents will help facilitate more effective management strategies and improve outcomes for these patients. This study aimed to ascertain parental experiences and perceptions of caring for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: This was a single-center facility-based qualitative study. An in-depth interview guide was used to collect …

Ethiopia Humanitarian Violence Against Children And Youth Survey, 2024: Summary Report, Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Yadeta Dessie, Francis Obare, George Odwe, Dagim Habteyesus, Bonnie Wandera, Peter Kisaakye, Stephen Kizito, Stella Muthuri, Gloria Seruwagi, Et Al., Chi-Chi Undie

Humanitarian Task Force

Violence Against Children (VAC) refers to all forms of abuse or maltreatment of people under the age of 18 years. The Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS), led by national governments with technical assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the Together for Girls partnership, have documented the magnitude and prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual violence against children in more than 20 low- and middle-income countries, with a view to informing national prevention and response programs. Despite the precedent for understanding the extent of VAC from the perspectives of adolescents and …

Realistic Bionic Arm Development For Transradial Amputation, Bailey A. Wall, Lilly Noel Curdy, Ruthie Mccall, Courtney Mahoney, Andres Trejo

Biomedical Engineering

The VeraLimb realistic bionic arm is intended for use by individuals with a trans-radial amputation or congenital limb deficiency below the elbow to provide functional hand and arm movements. This advanced prosthetic device is designed to mimic a biological hand's natural motion, dexterity, control, and aesthetic, giving the user a higher sense of restored limb functionality. It offers an experience that closely restores motor function in a way that resembles having a natural hand rather than interacting with a mechanical device. The VeraLimb is suitable for daily activities, allowing users to grasp, manipulate, and interact with objects. It is designed …

Digital Inclusion And Systemic Barriers: The Role Of Technology In Shaping The Participation Of Women Of Color In Hybrid Workspaces, Sanket Patole, Rob E. Carpenter, Rochell Mcwhorter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

The rise of hybrid and remote work models, facilitated by digital technologies, has been widely regarded as a means of enhancing workforce diversity and inclusion. However, this study critically examines how these digital workplaces simultaneously reinforce systemic inequalities, particularly for women of color. Drawing on digital divide theory and intersectionality theory, this research explores the ways in which women of color navigate technological barriers, algorithmic bias, and workplace surveillance while developing adaptive strategies to assert their authority in digital spaces. Through a qualitative, interpretivist approach, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 women of color working in hybrid and remote …

Modulators Of Energy Expenditure Accuracy In Adults With Overweight Or Obesity: E-Mechanic Secondary Analyses, Rachel Matthews, Christoph Höchsmann, Melissa L. Erickson, James L. Dorling, Guillaume Spielmann, Neil M. Johannsen, Timothy S. Church, Corby K. Martin

Faculty Publications

Purpose American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) metabolic equations are used to estimate energy expenditure (EE) of physical activity and prescribe aerobic exercise to meet EE requirements. Limited evidence supports their accuracy in sedentary adults with overweight or obesity during controlled exercise interventions. The purpose of this study was to compare EE estimated by the ACSM walking equation versus EE measured by indirect calorimetry during a 24-wk aerobic exercise intervention, and identify potential modulators for their accuracy. Methods Data from the exercising groups (8 or 20 kcal·kg body weight-1·wk-1) of the E-MECHANIC study were utilized in this ancillary analysis (N …

From The Mountains To The Beach: Water Purification Ecosystem Services And Recreational Beach Use In Puerto Rico, Maya Corridore, Rebeca De Jesús Crespo, Mariam Valladares-Castellanos, Thomas Douthat

Faculty Publications

Recreational beach use is important for coastal economies and is influenced by water clarity, a trait that may be maintained by water purification ecosystem services (ESs). However, few studies have addressed these linkages. In this study, we ask the following questions: (1) Do watershed-scale water purification ecosystem services influence coastal water quality? (2) Does coastal water quality help explain beach visitation rates? To address these questions, we focused on Puerto Rico (PR), where coastal tourism has economic and cultural importance. We estimated water purification ESs using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST), coastal water quality using long-term …

A 3d Superposition Approximation For Gamma Knife Dose Calculation, Payton H. Stone, Lam M. Lay, Raymi Ramirez, Daniel Neck, Connel Chu, Joyoni Dey, David Solis

Faculty Publications

Effective dose calculation is essential for optimizing Gamma Knife (GK) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment plans. Modern GK systems allow independent sector activation, enabling complex dose distributions per shot. This study presents a dose approximation method designed to account for shot flexibility and generate 3D doses external to GammaPlan. A treatment plan was created with the TMR10 calculation for individual sector activations using a Radiosurgery Head Phantom. The resulting dose arrays established a basis set of sector-specific distributions, which were then referenced by shot parameters from the plan, allowing dose accumulation through superposition. This superposition approximation (SA) was compared to the …

Lagging Brain Gene Expression Patterns Of Drosophila Melanogaster Young Adult Males Confound Comparisons Between Sexes, Flannery Mclamb, Zuying Feng, Jeanne P. Vu, Lindsey Griffin, Miguel F. Vasquez, Goran Bozinovic

Center for Life in Extreme Environments Publications

Many species, including fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), are sexually dimorphic. Phenotypic variation in morphology, physiology, and behavior can affect development, reproduction, health, and aging. Therefore, designating sex as a variable and sex-blocking should be considered when designing experiments. The brain regulates phenotypes throughout the lifespan by balancing survival and reproduction, and sex-specific development at each life stage is likely. Changes in morphology and physiology are governed by differential gene expression, a quantifiable molecular marker for age- and sex-specific variations. We assessed the fruit fly brain transcriptome at three adult ages for gene expression signatures of sex, age, and sex-by-age: 6698 …

Expediting Toxicological Evidence Collection In Patients Presenting To The Emergency Department With Report Of Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault (Dfsa): A Quality Improvement Project, Adelene Egan

DNP Projects

Title: Expediting Toxicological Evidence Collection in Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault: A Quality Improvement Project

Background/Significance: Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) involves substance use to incapacitate victims, with rapid drug metabolism necessitating prompt evidence collection. Delays in blood collection reduce toxicology detection rates, compromising legal outcomes. In one New York ED, DFSA kits (Part B) were routinely collected after biological evidence (Part A), creating a critical gap.

Purpose: To improve compliance with evidence-based prioritization of blood collection (Part B before Part A) for DFSA cases through a structured QI initiative.

Methods: The project synthesized evidence from a systematic review of …

Design Of An Electro-Hydraulic Laboratory Test System For Adjusting The Inclination Angle Of Sowing Machines, Aytac Moralar, Figan Dalmis, Bahattin Akdemir

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Field testing of grain sowing machinery requires favorable field conditions and sufficient time periods, making laboratory tests a preferred alternative for determining performance under controlled conditions. However, a standardized testing system for evaluating sowing machinery has not yet been established. In this study, a test system was designed for laboratory testing of universal grain sowing machines. A movable platform was built on a chassis made using sheet metal with different dimensions and profiles. It operates through a hydraulic system via a programmable logic controller-based control system. The sowing machine placed on this platform allows for inclination adjustments (front, back, right, …

Antibiotic Resistome, Mobile Genetic Elements, And Virulence Profile Of Multidrug-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Isolated From Healthy Philippine Native Chicken As Revealed By Analysis Of Whole Genome Sequence, Alvin P. Jimenez, Grignard James R. Buday, Rina B. Opulencia

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Gram-negative bacteria, particularly Enterobacteriaceae, acquire antibiotic resistance via horizontal transmission of resistance genes in poultry farms that give rise to multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. The presence of MDR strains that are potentially pathogenic and zoonotic poses a concern to animal and human health. The aims of this study were to isolate MDR, potentially pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae from Philippine native chicken (PNC) and to analyze the genome of a representative MDR isolate to gain insights into the mechanisms, acquisition, and transmissibility of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Cloacal swabs from PNC were used to isolate putative Salmonella that were then tested for antimicrobial …

Assessment Of Water Pollution Levels In Lake Batur, Indonesia And Their Effect On Water Weed Presence, Syarif Prasetyo, Tri Retnaningsih Soeprobowati, Tirtaduna Tirtaduna, Agus Purnomo, Sri Hartati, Umi Chodrijah, Prihatiningsih Prihatiningsih, Ari Wahyono, Jumari Jumari, Rossi Prabowo

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Lake Batur in Bangli Regency, Bali Province is a priority area for ecological quality restoration in Indonesia due to its vulnerability to environmental changes caused by diverse and intensive utilization. Agricultural activities, fisheries, and tourism affect the lake’s water quality, leading to the uncontrolled growth of water weeds such as water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes). To determine the relationship between water quality, community activities, and water weed presence, water samples were collected from 9 locations consisting of residential, tourist, aquaculture, and agricultural areas. In situ analysis was then conducted to measure turbidity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved …

Putting The Substance In Substantial Evidence: An Evidence-Based Approach To Flexible Drug Regulation, Emanuel Krebs, Tania M. Bubela, Melanie Mcphail, Christopher Mccabe, Dean A. Regier

Office of the Provost

For new drugs or indications, substantial evidence of clinical effectiveness is required for market authorization. In most jurisdictions, substantial evidence is not explicitly defined. Health regulators exercise discretion and are increasingly tolerant of earlier or less mature evidence. To align with flexible evidentiary standards, we argue for the adoption of a principle and, context-based approach to the evidence threshold. Our approach aims to balance the potential benefits and harms of accelerated authorization, low therapeutic value, and safety, based on a value of information (VoI) framework. In our VoI framework, substantial evidence exists when the expected net health value of further …

Peek-A-Boo,They Are Watching You: Breach Of Individual Privacy Rights Through The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Powered Facial Recognition Technology, Lauren E. Baffo

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.