Digital Commons Network^™

A Phenomenological Multi-Case Study Of Perceptions Of Older Adults’ Loneliness During Covid-19 Within Selected Online Churches, Bethney Wright Sikes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological multi-case study was to understand the perceptions of older adults regarding their feelings of loneliness related to the lockdown during COVID-19 and to discover if online church platforms for the older adult Christian population at Crosspoint Church in Niceville, Florida, Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas, and Community Life Church in Gulf Breeze, Florida, minimized those feelings of loneliness which may have caused mental, physical, and emotional concerns. Isolation from the church body was generally defined as nonattendance via traditional means or online platforms. The theory guiding this study was Lev Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. …

Stromal Reprogramming By Fak Inhibition Overcomes Radiation Resistance To Allow For Immune Priming And Response To Checkpoint Blockade, Varintra Lander

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies. While immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is effective in many solid cancers, it has not been effective in PDAC. Furthermore, clinical trials combining ICB with standard of care chemo- or radio-therapy (RT), which should be able to prime anti-tumor immunity and unlock ICB, have not been overwhelmingly successful. Thus, understanding the effect of RT on PDAC tumor immunity is critical to plan better combination treatment strategies for this highly recalcitrant cancer. To elucidate if RT can prime antigen specific T cell responses, we first looked at human PDAC resections. In …

Intracellular Neural Control Of An Active Feeding Structure In Aplysia Using A Carbon Fiber Electrode Array, Yu Huan, Benjamin N. Tibbetts, Hillel J. Chiel

Faculty Scholarship

Background: To study neural control of behavior, intracellular recording and stimulation of many neurons in freely moving animals would be ideal. However, current technologies limit the number of neurons that can be monitored and manipulated. A new technology has become available for intracellular recording and stimulation which we demonstrate in the tractable nervous system of Aplysia. New method: Carbon fiber electrode arrays (whose tips are coated with platinum-iridium) were used with an in vitro feeding preparation to intracellularly record from and to control the activity of multiple neurons during feeding movements. Results: In an in vitro feeding preparation, the carbon …

Spectrum, Volume 52, Issue 2, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: The Results are in: Student Government Election - SHU's New Distillation Science Certificate Program - Chi-O Goes to Chicago for Leadership Training - FTMA at Sundance - A Heartfelt Impact: Social Work Club - Need to Get Your Nails Done? - Meet 2026 Snowboard Hopeful and SHU Student, Joey Okesson - navigating the News: A Guide to Staying Informed in a Digital Age - Bat Boy Signing at the Edgerton - SHU Celebrates Black History Month - Women's Basketball Leading the NEC

Evidence That Aquaporin 11 (Aqp11) In The Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) May Represent A Pseudogene, Christopher P. Cutler, Meghan Canicatti, Esosa Omoregie

Biology: Faculty Publications

Various attempts to amplify an AQP11 cDNA from tissues of the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) were made. Two pairs of deoxy-inosine-containing degenerate primers were designed based on conserved amino acid sequences from an AQP11 alignment. These primers yielded some faint bands from gill cDNA that were sequenced. Blast searches with the sequences showed they were not AQP11. An elasmobranch AQP11 nucleotide sequence alignment was produced to identify conserved regions to make further degenerate primers. One primer pair produced a short 148 bp fragment showing particularly strong amplification in gill and intestine. It was sequenced and represented a piece of the …

How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review, Frederick Godley Iii, John Meitzen, Hadas Nahman-Averbuch, Mary Angela O'Neal, David Yeomans, Nanette Santoro, Nina Riggins, Lars Edvinsson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sex hormones and migraine are closely interlinked. Women report higher levels of migraine symptoms during periods of sex hormone fluctuation, particularly during puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause. Ovarian steroids, such as estrogen and progesterone, exert complex effects on the peripheral and central nervous systems, including pain, a variety of special sensory and autonomic functions, and affective processing. A panel of basic scientists, when challenged to explain what was known about how sex hormones affect the nervous system, focused on two hormones: estrogen and oxytocin. Notably, other hormones, such as progesterone, testosterone, and vasopressin, are less well studied but are also highlighted …

Genomemuster Mouse Genetic Variation Service Enables Multitrait, Multipopulation Data Integration And Analysis, Robyn L Ball, Alexander S Hatoum, Arpana Agrawal, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hundreds of inbred mouse strains and intercross populations have been used to characterize the function of genetic variants that contribute to disease. Thousands of disease-relevant traits have been characterized in mice and made publicly available. New strains and populations including consomics, the collaborative cross, expanded BXD, and inbred wild-derived strains add to existing complex disease mouse models, mapping populations, and sensitized backgrounds for engineered mutations. The genome sequences of inbred strains, along with dense genotypes from others, enable integrated analysis of trait-variant associations across populations, but these analyses are hampered by the sparsity of genotypes available. Moreover, the data are …

An Excitatory Projection From The Basal Forebrain To The Ventral Tegmental Area That Underlies Anorexia-Like Phenotypes, Jing Cai, Yanyan Jiang, Yuanzhong Xu, Zhiying Jiang, Claire Young, Hongli Li, Joshua Ortiz-Guzman, Yizhou Zhuo, Yulong Li, Yong Xu, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Qingchun Tong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Maladaptation in balancing internal energy needs and external threat cues may result in eating disorders. However, brain mechanisms underlying such maladaptations remain elusive. Here, we identified that the basal forebrain (BF) sends glutamatergic projections to glutamatergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in mice. Glutamatergic neurons in both regions displayed correlated responses to various stressors. Notably, in vivo manipulation of BF terminals in the VTA revealed that the glutamatergic BF → VTA circuit reduces appetite, increases locomotion, and elicits avoidance. Consistently, activation of VTA glutamatergic neurons reduced body weight, blunted food motivation, and caused hyperactivity with behavioral signs of …

Longitudinal Single-Cell Transcriptional Dynamics Throughout Neurodegeneration In Sca1, Leon Tejwani, Neal G Ravindra, Changwoo Lee, Yubao Cheng, Billy Nguyen, Kimberly Luttik, Luhan Ni, Shupei Zhang, Logan M Morrison, John Gionco, Yangfei Xiang, Jennifer Yoon, Hannah Ro, Fatema Haidery, Rosalie M Grijalva, Eunwoo Bae, Kristen Kim, Regina T Martuscello, Harry T Orr, Huda Y Zoghbi, Hayley S Mcloughlin, Laura P W Ranum, Vikram G Shakkottai, Phyllis L Faust, Siyuan Wang, David Van Dijk, Janghoo Lim

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Neurodegeneration is a protracted process involving progressive changes in myriad cell types that ultimately results in the death of vulnerable neuronal populations. To dissect how individual cell types within a heterogeneous tissue contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of a neurodegenerative disorder, we performed longitudinal single-nucleus RNA sequencing of mouse and human spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) cerebellar tissue, establishing continuous dynamic trajectories of each cell population. Importantly, we defined the precise transcriptional changes that precede loss of Purkinje cells and, for the first time, identified robust early transcriptional dysregulation in unipolar brush cells and oligodendroglia. Finally, we applied a …

How Does Covid-19 Vaccination Affect Long-Covid Symptoms?, Ali Akbar Asadi-Pooya, Meshkat Nemati, Mina Shahisavandi, Hamid Nemati, Afrooz Karimi, Anahita Jafari, Sara Nasiri, Seyyed Saeed Mohammadi, Zahra Rahimian, Hossein Bayat, Ali Akbari, Amir Emami, Owrang Eilami

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to identify the association between COVID-19 vaccination and prolonged post-COVID symptoms (long-COVID) in adults who reported suffering from this condition.

METHODS: This was a retrospective follow-up study of adults with long-COVID syndrome. The data were collected during a phone call to the participants in January-February 2022. We inquired about their current health status and also their vaccination status if they agreed to participate.

RESULTS: In total, 1236 people were studied; 543 individuals reported suffering from long long- COVID (43.9%). Chi square test showed that 15 out of 51 people (29.4%) with no vaccination and 528 …

Nanoemulsion Formulation Of Pregabalin For Enhanced Nose To Brain Delivery And Biological Tracking Using Radiolabeling With 99mtc, Hend Fayez, Adli A. Selim, Rehab N. Shamma, Hassan M. Rashed

Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University

Pregabalin is a γ-aminobutyric acid analogue used for the treatment of neuropathic pain, seizures, and anxiety disorders. After oral administration, its level of brain penetration is rather modest. In this research, pregabalin was formulated successfully as a nanoemulsion. To track the biodistribution of pregabalin nanoemulsion in vivo, radiolabelling of pregabalin using 99mTc was performed. The different factors affecting radiolabeling yield were studied and radiolabelling yield of 92.6 % was achieved. A biological evaluation was performed in Swiss Albino mice through comparing biodistribution of intranasal (IN) 99mTc-pregabalin nanoemulsion with intravenous (IV) 99mTc-pregabalin solution at different time intervals. Biodistribution results show a …

The Indiana Statesman, February 6, 2024, Indiana State University

Student Newspaper

Long live the king? Charles III diagnosed with cancer; Business student to receive national scholarship; Sycamores at the statehouse represent ISU

Shewanella Phage Encoding A Putative Anti-Crispr-Like Gene Represents A Novel Potential Viral Family, Hongmin Wang, Kaiyang Zheng, Min Wang, Keran Ma, Linyi Ren, Ruizhe Guo, Lina Ma, Hong Zhang, Yundan Liu, Yao Xiong, Miaolan Wu, Hongbing Shao, Yeong Yik Sung, Wen Jye Mok, Li Lian Wong, Andrew Mcminn, Yantao Liang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Shewanella is a prevalent bacterial genus in deep-sea environments including marine sediments, exhibiting diverse metabolic capabilities that indicate its significant contributions to the marine biogeochemical cycles. However, only a few Shewanella phages were isolated and deposited in the NCBI database. In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of a novel Shewanella phage, vB_SbaS_Y11, that infects Shewanella KR11 and was isolated from the sewage in Qingdao, China. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that vB_SbaS_Y11 has an icosahedral head and a long tail. The genome of vB_SbaS_Y11 is a linear, double-stranded DNA with a length of 62,799 bp and a G+C …

Impacts Of Harvest Date And Concurrent Alkali Pretreatment And Ensiling On Anaerobic Digestion Of Pennycress Biomass, Liangcheng Yang, Tuba Yasmin Lubna, Michael A. Moklak, Barsanti Gautum, Nicholas J. Heller, Robert L. Rhykerd, David E. Kopsell, John C. Sedbrook

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is an annual cover crop known for its exceptional cold tolerance and high oil and protein yields. Pennycress can be integrated into a corn–soybean rotation in the U.S. However, the utilization of pennycress biomass remains largely unexplored, including assessing compositional changes through its growth and organic matter digestibility. This study harvested pennycress at three growth stages, characterized the biomass for anaerobic digestion (AD), and tested the effects of concurrent alkali pretreatment and ensiling on the biomass methane yield. Results showed that the biomass harvested when the plants were undergoing senescence (“third-harvest”) had higher contents of …

Programs Agenda 2-6-24, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Approved Programs 2-6-24, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Tiktok V. Montana - State Tiktok Ban Blocked By Court Based On Foreign Affairs Preemption, Anna C. Conley

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

This article examines the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana's decision to preliminarily enjoin enforcement of Montana’s state law banning TikTok, citing foreign affairs preemption. The court found that the law conflicted with federal authority under the Defense Production Act (DPA), intruded upon the federal domain of foreign affairs, and violated the dormant foreign commerce clause. The case, now on appeal to the Ninth Circuit, highlights the tension between state-level regulation and federal control over foreign relations, particularly in the context of national security concerns surrounding Chinese-owned technology platforms. The article explores the legal arguments presented by TikTok …

Lauren London, Oral History Interview, 2024, Finn Vincent-Fix, Elizabeth Allen

Oral Histories

Lauren London is the General Counsel for Eastern Michigan University, and has been working at EMU for over a decade now. In this interview, London explains her decision to become a lawyer, how she became EMU’s General Counsel, and the challenges of being a Jewish person in the modern political climate. London describes her connection to Jewish Family Services, falling into the role as the project manager for the Afghan resettlement process, and the legality and logistics of opening up on-campus housing to the 12 Afghan families in 2022. London discusses future projects EMU hopes to work on relating to …

Ucc Minutes 2-6-24, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of Responses To Retina Questions From Either Experts, Expert-Edited Large Language Models, Or Expert-Edited Large Language Models Alone, Prashant D. Tailor, Lauren A. Dalvin, John J. Chen, Raymond Iezzi, Timothy W. Olsen, Brittni A. Scruggs, Andrew J. Barkmeier, Sophie J. Bakri, Edwin H. Ryan, Peter H. Tang, D. Wilkin Parke, Peter Belin, Jayanth Sridhar, David Xu, Ajay E. Kuriyan, Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Matthew R. Starr

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality, empathy, and safety of expert edited large language model (LLM), human expert created, and LLM responses to common retina patient questions.

DESIGN: Randomized, masked multicenter study.

PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one common retina patient questions were randomly assigned among 13 retina specialists.

METHODS: Each expert created a response (Expert) and then edited a LLM (ChatGPT-4)-generated response to that question (Expert + artificial intelligence [AI]), timing themselves for both tasks. Five LLMs (ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4, Claude 2, Bing, and Bard) also generated responses to each question. The original question along with anonymized and randomized Expert + AI, Expert, and LLM …

The Link February 6, 2024, Access To Justice Institute

The Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Artificial Insemination Catheters Covered With Protective Sheaths On Conception Rates In Heifers, Berrak Işık Soytürk, Hüseyin Erdem

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Artificial insemination is a biotechnological method widely practiced in cattle, first introduced in 1912. The present study investigated the effect of pierceable plastic sheaths used during artificial insemination of Holstein heifers on conception rates. A total of 110 heifers aged 15–18 months, detected to be in estrus based on observation, were included in the study. These heifers were randomly divided into two equal groups. The experimental group (n = 55) underwent insemination using an insemination catheter covered with a disposable, pierceable plastic sheath on day 0. Conversely, the control group (n = 55) underwent insemination using the standard conventional technique. …

The Effect Of Ashitaba (Angelica Keiskei (Miq.) Koidz.)) Sap On The Total Cholesterol Levels Of Cisplatin-Induced Wistar Rats, Ika Wahyuni, Diah L. Aulifa, Aziiz M. Rosdianto, Jutti Levita

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Cisplatin is a platinum-based anticancer drug that, in long-term use, causes nephrotoxicity due to oxidative stress and increases total cholesterol and triglycerides in animal models. Angelica keiskei (Miq.) Koidz., (A. keiskei) or Japanese celery ashitaba, has been reported for its antioxidant and nephroprotective activity. This study aims to determine the activity of A. keiskei sap on total cholesterol levels of cisplatin-induced Wistar rats. The sap of A. keiskeiwas freeze-dried until a yield of 3.62% w/v was obtained. The fat content in A. keiskei sap powder was obtained at 7.36%. A total of 60 g of A. keiskei sap powder was …

Comparison Of Milk Microbiota Between Healthy And Mastitic Cows, Sibel Kizil, Fatma Esin Aydin, Cansu Önlen Güneri̇, Ufuk Ülker, Gürol Emekdaş, İbrahim Basmaci, Serkan Erat, Rıza Durmaz, Efsun Melike Çeçen, Asya Kazan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Mammary gland infections occur due to bacterial changes in the mammary tissue. Studies conducted in recent years have reported variations in the most common bacteria differ according to geographical locations. California mastitis test (CMT), somatic cell count (SCC), and aerobic colony count (ACC) analyses were performed on approximately 50 mL of hygienically collected raw milk samples. Raw milk was also subjected to conventional bacteriological isolation and identification. Bacterial diversity and rates in raw milk were compared through metagenome analysis. Two samples, one from healthy milk and another from subclinical milk with mastitis, were independently tested to determine whether there were …

Investigation Of Molecular Detection Rate And Associated Risk Factors Of Psittacine Beak And Feather Disease Virus In Psittaciformes In Iran, Mojtaba Khosravi, Shoreh Alian Samakkhah, Rahem Khoshbakht

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Psittacine beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV) is a significant viral pathogen affecting the development of beak and feather cells, leading to feather abnormalities in avian species. This study aimed to investigate the molecular detection rate of PBFDV among Psittaciformes in Iran and to evaluate the influence of factors such as sex, species, season, and bird origin on PBFDV prevalence. Feather samples were collected from 1335 Psittaciformes, including Agapornis roseicollis, Pyrrhura molinae, Myiopsitta monachus, Aratinga solstitialis, Nymphicus hollandicus, Psittacula krameri, Psittacus erithacus, Poicephalus senegalus, Eos bornea, and Agapornis fischeri, and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for PBFDV detection. The …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Housing Environment (Deep Litter With Or Without Access To Different Plant Species Outdoor) On Welfare And Behavior Across Two Strains Of Laying Hens, Brian Tainika, Ahmet Şekeroğlu, Ahmet Akyol, Samet Hasan Abaci, Fatih Mehmet Gür

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The impact of housing environment and strain on welfare and behavior of laying hens was the focus of this study. Lohmann LSL Classic (W) and Lohmann Sandy (S) were assessed under deep litter without outdoor access (DL), deep litter with access to outdoor pens covered with either Mentha piperita (MP), Petroselinum crispum (PC) or Medicago sativa (MS). Duration of tonic immobility, feather condition, footpad dermatitis, and temperatures (comb, breast region, footpad surface, and rectal) were determined at 31, 42, and 52 weeks of age. Hen`s behaviors were observed at 32, 42, and 52 weeks of age. Blood parameters were assessed …

Determination Of Some Environmental Factors On Milk Yield Traits And Milk Components In Simmental Cows, Onur Şahi̇n, Mehmet İhsan Soysal, Eser Kemal Gürcan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of various environmental factors on milk yield and milk components in Simmental cows. In the present study, 33,813 milk yield records from 1631 cows and milk samples from 233 cows were used for milk component analysis. Lactation milk yield (LMY) and 305-day yield (305-DMY) were the milk yield characteristics studied. Environmental factors considered for milk yield characteristics included province, calving year, calving month, parity, age, and lactation length. Milk components analyzed were fat percentage (FP), protein percentage (PP), lactose percentage (LP), somatic cell count (Log10SCC), and dry matter (DM). Environmental …

Determination Of Antibiotic Resistance In Salmonella Typhimurium And Salmonella Kentucky Serotypes Of Animal Origin Using Conventional And Molecular Methods, Zeynep Şik, Mehmet Akan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The high incidence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Kentucky isolates is a concern for human and animal health. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance determinants of a total of 150 S. Typhimurium and S. Kentucky isolates obtained from cows, calves, lambs, and poultry. Salmonella isolates were tested against 13 different antimicrobials using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, and genotypic antimicrobial resistance determinants were investigated by polymerase chain reaction. Significant differences were detected among serovars for gentamicin, streptomycin, ampicillin, sulfonamide, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline resistance, with the rates of resistance to these antibiotics being determined to be …

Chimeric Antigen Receptor Macrophages Target And Resorb Amyloid Plaques, Alexander B. Kim, Qingli Xiao, Ping Yan, Qiuyun Pan, Gaurav Pandey, Susie Grathwohl, Ernesto Gonzales, Isabella Xu, Yoonho Cho, Hans Haecker, Slava Epelman, Abhinav Diwan, Jin-Moo Lee, Carl J Deselm

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Substantial evidence suggests a role for immunotherapy in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the precise pathophysiology of AD is incompletely understood, clinical trials of antibodies targeting aggregated forms of β amyloid (Aβ) have shown that reducing amyloid plaques can mitigate cognitive decline in patients with early-stage AD. Here, we describe what we believe to be a novel approach to target and degrade amyloid plaques by genetically engineering macrophages to express an Aβ-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-Ms). When injected intrahippocampally, first-generation CAR-Ms have limited persistence and fail to significantly reduce plaque load, which led us to engineer next-generation CAR-Ms that secrete …