Digital Commons Network^™

Plant-Soil Feedbacks Help Explain Plant Community Productivity, Andrew Kulmatiski, Jeanette Norton, Leslie E. Forero, Josephine Grenzer

Browse all Datasets

Plant community productivity tends to increase as species richness increases, but the mechanisms behind this biodiversity-productivity relationship are not fully understood. Plant-soil feedbacks (PSF) are a compelling potential mechanism of the biodiversity-productivity relationship because they can explain patterns of both underyielding and overyielding in diverse plant communities. To test the role of plant-soil feedbacks in the biodiversity-productivity relationship we measured all possible plant-soil feedbacks for sixteen species, and used the measured plant-soil feedbacks to predict plant community biomass production. We compared the predicted plant community biomass production to observed biomass production in a paired biodiversity-productivity experiment.

Editorial: Mechanisms And Strategies Of Arthropod Adaptation To The Chemical Environment, Chaoyang Zhao, Fang Zhu, Qian Sun, Xuguo Zhou

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Graduate Council Meeting, March 25, 2022, Marshall University Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Research Progress Of Multi-Source And Multi-Stage Genesis Of Co2-Enriched Cbm And The Enlightenments For Its Exploration And Development, Tang Shuling, Tang Dazhen, Sun Bin, Tao Shu, Zhang Taiyuan, Pu Yifan, Zhang Aobo, Zhi Yuanhao

Coal Geology & Exploration

CO₂-enriched coalbed methane(CBM) carries important geological information on CBM genesis and accumulation, and is closely related to the exploration and evaluation of CBM resources. On the basis of the systematic summary of the current research progress of CBM genesis, the current research status of the genetic mechanism of CO₂-enriched CBM reservoirs was scientifically analyzed by dissecting the special geological examples of CO₂-enriched CBM reservoirs in the southern Junggar Basin, and the problems in the research process of CBM genesis were comprehensively pointed out. The study shows that the generation of CBM has multiple sources …

Graduate Student Symposium Expands, Features Keynote By Noted Alumnus, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

Event draws record number of entries; Forbes '30 Under 30' honoree Sly Spencer Lee shares secrets of success

Size Structure And Intraguild Interactions Between Two Ambystoma Species, Gwyneth Daunton

Theses and Dissertations

Intraguild interactions affect population and community structure through a combination of competition and predation. Changes in size structure influence intraguild interactions by affecting the strength and direction of these species’ interactions. I tested for size-structured intraguild interactions in temporary pond ecosystems between marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) and tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) using an outdoor mesocosm experiment. I hypothesized that 1) A. opacum survivorship and growth would be negatively impacted when both species start at a similar size because tiger salamanders grow faster and are more aggressive 2) A. tigrinum will grow slower and have lower survivorship …

Examining Covid-19 Long-Haulers Along Gender, Race Stress And Social Support Variables, Brianna Mabie

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Unfortunately, the United States has experienced approximately 620,000 deaths as a direct result of COVID-19, with elderly, Hispanic, and Black Americans experiencing the greatest risk (CDC, 2021). Although most individuals recover from mild to moderate COVID-19 infections within a few weeks, some may experience lingering symptoms for many months (Mayo Clinic, 2020). These individuals are commonly known as COVID-19 long-haulers. In order to properly assist in the well-being of COVID-19 long-haulers, more needs to be understood in terms of how gender, race, stress, and social support impact symptomatology within this population. The present study seeks to address this gap in …

Spring 2022: A World Of Difference In Your Magazine Online, Susan Allen

St. Norbert College Magazine 2019-2023

Susan Allen, magazine editor, shares some of the web-exclusive content featured in the Spring 2022 issue of St. Norbert College Magazine.

Analyzing Inhibitors Of The Sars-Cov-2 Endoribonuclease Nsp15, Mary Staunton

Honors Scholar Theses

The global pandemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 has devastated the world. A flurry of research into the structures and activities of the virus have identified several viable targets for drug therapy, including the endoribonuclease nsp15, also known as EndoU. EndoU has been shown to play a role in diminishing the host cell’s immune response to the virus by cleaving signaling dsRNA, specifically targeting uridine sequences. The development of the crystal structure nsp15 allowed our lab along with others to perform virtual screenings to identify inhibitors that might be able to dock at the active site and inhibit the activity …

Differences Between Northern And Southern Female Coyotes, Alina Gabriela Monroy-Gamboa

Western North American Naturalist

The coyote (Canis latrans) has a wide distribution range, spanning boreal forests from the north of the continent to tropical environments in Central America, showing great adaptation and plasticity. Bergmann’s rule states that individuals inhabiting colder climates are larger than those in warmer climates. It is suggested that in carnivore species, litter size is influenced by allometric constraints such as maternal body size. The aim of this study is to analyze the relations using correlation between female coyote mass, latitude, and litter size. Using data compiled from the literature, I carried out statistical analyses to correlate female body …

Turning Carbon Into Gold: Incentivizing The New Alchemy, Anthony E. Chavez

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

One approach to help address climate change is carbon capture and utilization (CCU). CCU involves capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide and using it to generate marketable products. CCU, however, needs significant additional research and development to reach its potential. Development of CCU could yield benefits far in excess of its actual ability to sequester carbon. Research and development of CCU could stimulate improvements in carbon capture technologies, incentivize the capture and sequestration of carbon, and generate products that can benefit society generally. Nevertheless, most CCU uses remain only theoretical, or significant barriers prevent their current implementation.

A number of policy tools …

The Correlation Between Peer Support And Quality Of Life Of Nurses, Kim Diane Rose Maryniak

Dissertations

Nurses can experience stress and perceived traumatic events during their career. This distress in the workplace can affect the quality of life of nurses. Exposure to perceived distressing events may lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, post-traumatic stress disorder, patient errors or poor outcomes, horizontal violence or even nurses leaving the profession. Peer support is a strategy which has been explored to increase defensive lines and improve coping. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to examine if a relationship exists between the use of peer support, as conceptualized within the framework of the Neuman System Model, and the quality …

Monitoring Occupancy Of Bats With Acoustic Data: Power And Sample Size Recommendations, Jeremy A. Baumgardt, Michael L. Morrison, Leonard A. Brennan, Helen T. Davis, Rachel R. Fern, Joseph M. Szewczak, Tyler A. Campbell

Western North American Naturalist

Bats are difficult to study due to their nocturnal, cryptic, and highly vagile nature. Ongoing advances in acoustic recording hardware and call classification software have made species detection and activity monitoring more feasible. Our objectives were to determine the effort necessary to monitor bat assemblages using an occupancy framework and acoustic data and to provide guidelines for researchers interested in developing similar monitoring programs. We collected data at 2 study areas in South Texas from June through September in 2015, 2016, and 2017. We used Pettersson D500X Mk II real-time full-spectrum detectors and classified sound files using SonoBat bat call …

The Zircon, March 25, 2022 [Spoof Issue], Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Waxy Wheat Flour, Inulin And Guar Gum On Post-Prandial Glycaemic And Satiety Indices, Sensory Attributes And Shelf Life Of Tandoori And Pita Breads, Yaseen Galali, Gail Rees, Victor Kuri

School of Biomedical Sciences

The purpose of this study was to develop two different functional breads (Pita and Tandoori) supplemented with novel functional ingredients: waxy wheat flour (15%), inulin (8%) and guar gum (2%) independently and in combination. The breads were submitted to sensory characteristics, shelf life, glycaemic and satiety indices assessments. Both guar gum and inulin independently and in combination significantly (p < 0.05) decreased post-prandial blood glucose and glycemic response of Pita (GI of guar gum bread was 55%, inulin 57%) and Tandoori (GI of guar gum bread was 57% and inulin bread was 60%) compared to the control breads (GI 100%). Moreover, the results of the area under the curve of satiety showed that the addition of functional ingredients increased satiety levels as follows: for Pita, control was 355, a combination of all ingredients was 418, inulin was 451 and guar gum was 452; for Tandoori, control was 329, a combination of all ingredients was 420, inulin was 381 and guar gum was 390. The results showed that all sensory characteristics were improved, and breads were acceptable (all obtained more than five points) when the highest proportions of ingredients were added. Similarly, the shelf life of supplemented Pita and Tandoori breads was improved with the addition of ingredients. Therefore, the functional ingredients such as inulin and guar gum can be used independently and in combination to reduce GI and increase satiety of Pita and Tandoori bread with acceptable quality and shelf life.

Newborn Screening: Review Of Its Impact For Cystinosis, Katharina Hohenfellner, Ewa Elenberg, Gema Ariceta, Galina Nesterova, Neveen A Soliman, Rezan Topaloglu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Newborn screening (NBS) programmes are considered to be one of the most successful secondary prevention measures in childhood to prevent or reduce morbidity and/or mortality via early disease identification and subsequent initiation of therapy. However, while many rare diseases can now be detected at an early stage using appropriate diagnostics, the introduction of a new target disease requires a detailed analysis of the entire screening process, including a robust scientific background, analytics, information technology, and logistics. In addition, ethics, financing, and the required medical measures need to be considered to allow the benefits of screening to be evaluated at a …

Children Receiving A Nutrition And High-Quality Early Childhood Education Intervention Are Associated With Greater Math And Fluid Intelligence Scores: The Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries, Ana M. Palacios, Lisa A. Villanueva, Matthew B. Flynn, Erik Parker, Stephanie Dickinson, Helen W. Bland, Greg A. Reinhart

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background: About 47% of children < 5 years of age are stunted in Guatemala. In this study, the investigators aimed to compare growth and cognitive outcomes between children in second grade that attended five Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries (GCMN) vs. same sex, grade, and age-matched children. Methods: A cross-sectional design nested in a retrospective cohort was implemented between 2015 and 2019. Children that attended the GCMN and matched controls completed a math test and validated receptive language and fluid intelligence tests. The primary caregivers completed a sociodemographic survey. General and generalized linear mixed effect models were used to compare children that attended the GCMN vs. controls. The models were adjusted by maternal education, sex, asset score, and other relevant covariates. Results: Children that attended the GCMN exhibited greater math and fluid intelligence scores relative to the controls in the adjusted models (ß = 6.48; 95% CI (2.35–10.61)) and (ß = 1.20; 95% CI (0.12–2.29)), respectively. Lower odds of stunting were significant for children who went to any early childcare institution (AOR = 0.28; 95% CI (0.09–0.89)). Conclusions: The importance of integrating nutrition and high-quality early childhood education interventions in cognitive and growth outcomes is highlighted in this study. The GCMN model may be a scalable model in similar low-resource settings.

Evaluating The Teaching Performance Of Mathematics Teachers For (5 - 12) Virtual Classes In The Light Of The (4mat) Mccarthy's Model Standards From The Point Of View Of Educational Supervisors In The Gaza Strip During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ayman Al Ashqar

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

هدف هذه الدراسة إلى تعرّف نتائج تقويم الأداء التدريسي لمعلمي الرياضيات للصفوف (5 - 12) الافتراضية في ضوء معايير نموذج الفورمات (4MAT) لمكارثي من وجهة نظر المشرفين التربويين بقطاع غزة أثناء جائحة كورونا، وتعرّف مدى الاختلاف في أدائهم التدريسي بحسب متغيرات (المؤهل، الخبرة، المنطقة التعليمية). استخدمت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (24) مشرفاً تربوياً، طُبق عليهم الاستبيان كأداة للدراسة، توصلت الدراسة إلى قائمة بمعايير نموذج (4MAT) لمكارثي تكوّنت من (4) معايير؛ تضمنت (28) مؤشراً، وبيّنت الدراسة أنّ نتائج تقويم الأداء التدريسي لمعلمي الرياضيات للصفوف (5 - 12) الافتراضية في ضوء معايير نموذج (4MAT) لمكارثي من وجهة نظر …

Editorial: Early Career Scientists' Contributions To River Plastic Monitoring Across Scales, T Van Emmerik, D Gonzalez-Fernandez, F Mendrik, L Biermann, J Drummond, M Liedermann

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems (rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans) is of growing global concern, because of its negative impact on environmental health, and human livelihood. Rivers are assumed to be one of the main transport pathways for land-based plastics from source to sea (Meijer et al., 2021). Yet, observations and understanding of riverine plastics are scarce in comparison to the marine environment. To optimize plastic pollution prevention, mitigation and reduction strategies, as well as reliable data on plastic abundance, transport, and types are crucial. However, a lack of consistent and long-term observations limits our ability to monitor plastics in …

Broad Spectrum Artificial Light At Night Increases The Conspicuousness Of Camouflaged Prey, Oak Mcmahon, Tim Smyth, Thomas W. Davies

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

1. The growing global prevalence of energy efficient broad spectrum lighting threatens to disrupt an array of visually guided ecological processes. Broad spectrum lighting likely better enables the discrimination of colour, yet it is potential to increase the conspicuousness of camouflaged prey at night remains little explored.2. Using a well-established visual model, we quantified the impacts of four spectrally distinct narrow and broad spectrum lighting technologies on the conspicuousness of three different polymorphic colour variations of intertidal littorinid snail, as viewed by three model predators.3. Modern broad spectrum lighting technologies increased the conspicuousness of prey compared to 20th-century narrow spectrum …

The Design, Construction, And Testing Of A Recombinant Dna Vaccine For Brucella Abortus And Brucella Melitensis, Stephanie Lynn Korle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Brucella spp. are a bacterium that cause brucellosis, a zoonotic disease, which is commonly seen in cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and canines. Brucellosis is a problem worldwide, although it is eradicated in some countries (Garin-Bastuji et al. 1998). The reason for designing recombinant DNA (rDNA) vaccines opposed to utilizing the live-attenuated vaccines on the market is that they cannot be given to pregnant animals without potentially causing abortion, while an rDNA vaccine should be safe for pregnant animals since it does not contain viable bacteria. Also, there are no serological tests that can accurately distinguish between an animal vaccinated …

Structural And Molecular Rationale For The Diversification Of Resistance Mediated By The Antibiotic_Nat Family, Peter J Stogios, Emily Bordeleau, Zhiyu Xu, Tatiana Skarina, Elena Evdokimova, Sommer Chou, Luke Diorio-Toth, Alaric W D'Souza, Sanket Patel, Gautam Dantas, Gerard D Wright, Alexei Savchenko

Open Access Publications

The environmental microbiome harbors a vast repertoire of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) which can serve as evolutionary predecessors for ARGs found in pathogenic bacteria, or can be directly mobilized to pathogens in the presence of selection pressures. Thus, ARGs from benign environmental bacteria are an important resource for understanding clinically relevant resistance. Here, we conduct a comprehensive functional analysis of the Antibiotic_NAT family of aminoglycoside acetyltransferases. We determined a pan-family antibiogram of 21 Antibiotic_NAT enzymes, including 8 derived from clinical isolates and 13 from environmental metagenomic samples. We find that environment-derived representatives confer high-level, broad-spectrum resistance, including against the atypical …

Sorl1 Polymorphisms In Mexican Patients With Alzheimer's Disease, Danira Toral-Rios, Elizabeth Ruiz-Sánchez, Nancy Lucero Martínez Rodríguez, Marlene Maury-Rosillo, Óscar Rosas-Carrasco, Fernando Becerril-Pérez, Francisco Mena-Barranco, Rosa Carvajal-García, Daniela Silva-Adaya, Yair Delgado-Namorado, Gerardo Ramos-Palacios, Carmen Sánchez-Torres, Victoria Campos-Peña

Open Access Publications

The present study evaluated the risk effect of 12 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the SORL1 gene in the Mexican population using Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD) and control subjects. Considering APOE as the strongest genetic risk factor for LOAD, we conducted interaction analyses between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the APOE genotype.

METHODS: Patients were interviewed during their scheduled visits at neurologic and geriatric clinics from different institutions. The LOAD diagnosis included neurological, geriatric, and psychiatric examinations, as well as the medical history and neuroimaging. Polymorphisms in

RESULTS: The A/A genotype in rs1784933 might be associated with an increased LOAD risk. …

Maternal Obesogenic Diet Enhances Cholestatic Liver Disease In Offspring, Michael D Thompson, Holly Hinrichs, Austin Faerber, Phillip I Tarr, Nicholas O Davidson

Open Access Publications

Human and animal model data show that maternal obesity promotes nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in offspring and alters bile acid (BA) homeostasis. Here we investigated whether offspring exposed to maternal obesogenic diets exhibited greater cholestatic injury. We fed female C57Bl6 mice conventional chow (CON) or high fat/high sucrose (HF/HS) diet and then bred them with lean males. Offspring were fed 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) for 2 weeks to induce cholestasis, and a subgroup was then fed CON for an additional 10 days. Additionally, to evaluate the role of the gut microbiome, we fed antibiotic-treated mice cecal contents from CON or HF/HS offspring, …

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring In Perianal Fistulizing Crohn's Disease, Mir Zulqarnain, Parakkal Deepak, Andres J Yarur

Open Access Publications

Perianal fistulas are a common complication of Crohn's disease (CD) that has, historically, been challenging to manage. Despite the strong available evidence that anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents are useful in the treatment of perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease (PFCD), a significant number of these patients do not respond to therapy. The use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in patients with CD receiving biologic agents has evolved and is currently positioned as an important tool to optimize and guide biologic treatment. Considering the treatment of PFCD can represent a challenge; identifying novel tools to improve the efficacy of current treatments is …

Lactoferrin- And Dendrimer-Bearing Gold Nanocages For Stimulus-Free Dna Delivery To Prostate Cancer Cells, Jamal Almowalad, Partha Laskar, Sukrut Somani, Jitkasem Meewan, Rothwelle J. Tate, Christine Dufès

School of Medicine Publications

Background: The use of gene therapy to treat prostate cancer is hampered by the lack of effective nanocarriers that can selectively deliver therapeutic genes to cancer cells. To overcome this, we hypothesize that conjugating lactoferrin, a tumor-targeting ligand, and the diaminobutyric polypropylenimine dendrimer into gold nanocages, followed by complexation with a plasmid DNA, would enhance gene expression and anti-proliferation activity in prostate cancer cells without the use of external stimuli.

Methods: Novel gold nanocages bearing lactoferrin and conjugated to diaminobutyric polypropylenimine dendrimer (AuNCs-DABLf) were synthesized and characterized. Following complexation with a plasmid DNA, their gene expression, cellular uptake and antiproliferative …

Improving Water Quality Through Reducing Agricultural Nutrient Loss: Field Pennycress As A Cover Crop, Mujen Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural nutrient loss through water runoff from the Upper Mississippi (UM) River Basin is one of the major contributing sources to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic dead zone. Cover cropping has been identified as one strategy for farmers to use to reduce nutrient loss from their fields. However, the upfront costs and slow economic return of implementing cover crops prevent farmers from widely adopting traditional cover crops.Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is an emerging potential “cash cover crop” species that may provide the soil and environmental benefits of traditional cover crops and the economic incentive farmers need to widely implement cover …

Spare And Found Parts, Giselle Davis

Children's Book and Media Review

Nell Crane has never quite fit in. Her parents were geniuses, creating bio-mechanical body parts that save people's lives, and she needs to live up to their reputation. With time growing short before she must offer a contribution to society, the weight of expectation is heavy on her shoulders. Add to that the growing distance of her one friend Ruby and the persistent attention of Oliver Kelly, the most annoying boy in the world, and Nell is finding it difficult to act like everything is okay. However, inspiration strikes when she discovers Oliver is salvaging old models of her father's …

Sea Bear: A Journey For Survival, Ariel Woodbury

Children's Book and Media Review

When summer comes, the polar bear must paddle through the water after the ice melts, following the faint smell of a beach. The bear swims for days and even through a storm to reach the land, but even there polar bears are not land bears. Land is just for waiting—waiting to hunt seals in the ice.

July 2019 Cbmr Book Reviews, Various Various

Children's Book and Media Review

No abstract provided.