Digital Commons Network^™

Library Anxiety Of Lis Students In Universities Of Pakistan: A Measurement Using Mlas, Mahe Bushra Asghar, Rubina Bhatti, Salman Bin Naeem

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study was conducted with an aim to determine the level of library anxiety among the graduate students of Library and Information Science enrolled in public sector universities of Pakistan. The Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale developed and validated by Dr. Doris Van Kampen, was used for this study. The data was collected from 511 students of MLIS studying in different library schools of Pakistan. The collected data was then analyzed statistically by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. The findings of the study indicated that graduate students of Library and Information Science exhibited overall a mild …

Conatus, The Will To Persist: An Introduction, Jasmin Özel, Nikos Psarros

Philosophy Faculty Research

The papers collected in this issue address a variety of aspects of the concept of conatus ranging from the explorations of its roots in early ancient Greek thought to its application on modern theories of democratic education. The conatus is a special relation between the parts of a monad and their subparts and the subparts of the subparts to infinity, which ensures that each part and subpart is a part of this monad and not of any other. As a fundamental trait of monadic existence, the conatus is manifested in a multiplicity of facets that sustain the persistence of any …

Photoelectrochemical Sensing Based On Zr-Mofs For Homocysteine Detection, Wen-Xia Dong, Guang-Ming Wen, Bin Liu, Zhong-Ping Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Due to the independent form of the light source and detection system, photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor has the advantages of low background, high sensitivity and simple operation. So far, PEC systems have been widely used in the fields including the actual detection of metal ions, biological antibodies or antigens in environmental pollutants. When the photosensitive material is irradiated by a light source with an energy being equal to or greater than its band gap, electrons (e^-) transition occurs from the valence band to the conduction band, leaving a hole (h⁺), at the same time, the generated electron-hole …

Development Of Radiochemical Quality Control Methods For Ra-223 And Th-227 Radiotherapies, Abigail Hasson

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. Radiolabeled molecules for use in disease detection and targeted treatment are a mainstay of patient management. The majority of radiopharmaceuticals deployed to date undergo a single radioactive transition (decay) to reach a stable ground state. Complex emitters, which produce a series of daughter radionuclides, are emerging as novel radiopharmaceuticals, and there is a need for the proper validation of content and purity using common quality control instrumentation. Hypothesis. There is a need for proper characterization of complex emitters for more accurate quality control on readily available equipment. Here, we demonstrate the novel characterization of Th-227 and Ra-223 using a …

Importance Of Haresfoot Clover (Trifolium Arvense) As A Nitrogen Fixer In Semi-Arid Grasslands Of New Zealand, C. C. Boswell, W. L. Lowther, P. R. Espie

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of the study was to determine the distribution of annual haresfoot clover (Trifolium arvense) in a depleted indigenous short tussock grassland catchment in the dry subhumid MacKenzie Basin, South Island, New Zealand. Haresfoot clover was present on all landscapes, and widely distributed on lower sunny aspects, suggesting that it is an important component of the nitrogen cycle in these environments even in the absence of fertiliser application. The study was conducted during an atypically moist summer when a bloom of the annual clover occurred. Nitrogen inputs will vary with landscape and spring/summer rainfall and it is …

The Future For Savanna And Tropical Grasslands: A Latin American Perspective, R. R. Vera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of the paper is to briefly review the main trends in the tropical lowlands of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with particular emphasis in the neotropical savannas. These tropical native grasslands cover occupy approximately 210 million hectares, and constitute major portions of the territory of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Venezuela. Many analysts consider that intensification of their use is a valid alternative to the expansion of the livestock and crop industries into the rainforest.

The evidence reviewed shows that since the late 1980s, the LAC agricultural sector has shown dynamism not seen for many years. Despite …

Ecophysiology And Management Response Of The Subtropical Grasslands Of Southern South America, E. J. Berretta

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The subtropical grasslands of Southern South America (campos) are located approximately in the range of 24° S to 37° S latitude. These grasslands are dominated by C₃ and C₄ grasses, and in a lesser extent to herbaceous plants, shrubs and dispersed trees, with some exceptions in particular regions. Previous to the introduction of large herbivores, at the beginning of the XVII century, like cattle and horses, shrubs and tall grasses dominated the vegetation. Then, associated with greater grazing pressure and partially due to fire, the original campos are maintained, actually in a pseudo-climax herbaceous phase. These native communities …

Goats To Control The Encroachment Of Undesirable Brush And Woody Species In Cattle Pastures, J-M. Luginbuhl, J. T. Green Jr., M. H. Poore, A. C. Conrad

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Field studies were initiated in an abandoned, overgrown 8.4 ha orchard left untouched for 15 years to evaluate the effectiveness of using goats (Capra hircus hircus) to manage undesirable vegetation. Goats alone (G: 30 does/ha) or cattle (Bos taurus) with goats (GC:17 does/ha and 3 steers/ha) were mob-grazed twice a year during four grazing seasons. Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora Thunb.) canopy area decreased from 12 to 2.5 m² in grazed pastures and multiflora rose live canes were 100% in the control, 0% in G, and only 8% in GC at the completion of the …

Herbaceous Vegetation Dynamic After Cut And Burn Shrub Plants In Southern Brazil, A. M. Girardi-Deiro, M. L. Porto, J. Riboldi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A savanna area at "Serra do Sudeste" in southern Brazil, was studied during four years to evaluate the influence of cutting and burning shrub plants on dynamic of herbaceous vegetation. The cover of each species in 44 permanent quadrats (0,25 m²) and in each area (cut and burned) was evaluated. The results suggested that grasses and legumes were favored by cutting shrub plants. Burning favored forbs in the first years after disturbance and retarded the development of native forage species desirable for grazing.

Characterization Of Forage Selected By Cattle On Communal Range In Manhiça, Mozambique, O. Faftine, A. Alage, J. P. Muir

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage selection by 10 cattle herds was observed monthly over 2 years on a communal rangeland. Plants grazed were hand-plucked as representative of both species and plant portions being cropped by cattle. Herds were led to green pasture year-round. Nutrient concentration of species and plant portions selected by cattle indicated adequate crude protein and calcium but phosphorus deficiency during the dry season. Well-drained escarpments and uplands were more important during the rains while upland depressions and the Nkomati valley were essential for adequate forage intake during the dry seasons.

Deforestation For Pasture Development – Has It Been Worth It?, W. H. Burrows

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Differing scenarios leading to deforestation for pasture development in savanna (woodland) and closed forest communities in the tropics – sub-tropics are compared and contrasted. Australian and Brazilian examples are highlighted. No simple answer is given to the question of whether deforestation for pasture development has been worth it, since both commercial and non-commercial values have equal validity and need to be taken into account. These issues are addressed in the context of land assigned by governments for agricultural purposes. It is concluded that technology and ecological understanding are now available to maintain sustainable production from converted forest systems. However emphasis …

Back To The Future – Pastoral Land Use In A Forest Land – Sustainability Challenges For The 21St Century, J. Morgan Williams

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To contribute meaningfully to a session entitled “Deforestation” with a proposed paper title of “Trees in Pastoral Zones; Landuse Standards in the 21^st Century” necessitates I carefully define the scope of my contribution. My paper will draw on my experiences as an ecologist working in the pastoral lands of New Zealand in roles that have led me to delve increasingly into what constitutes sustainability (of people, land and economy) for a tiny multicultural nation maturing amidst the remnants of a unique Gondwanaland ecosystem. As New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) I now examine a very wide range …

Carbon Accumulation In Soils Under Brachiaria Pastures In The Atlantic Forest Region Of The South Of Bahia, Brazil, R. M. Tarré, R. Macedo, R. B. Cantarutti, C. De P. Rezende, J. M. Pereira, E. Ferreira, B. J. R. Alves, S. Urquiaga, R. M. Boddey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this study was to investigate the change in carbon stocks in soil following deforestation of the Atlantic forest in the South of Bahia State (Brazil) and replacement with productive pastures of Brachiaria humidicola either in monoculture or with the introduction of the forage legume Desmodium ovalifolium. Carbon stocks in the 0-30 cm layer were 44.5 Mg ha^-1 under the original forest and found to be approximately 42 Mg ha^-1 C 10 years later. At this time pastures of B. humidicola with or without the presence of D. ovalifolium were formed and grazed continuously for …

Potential Role Of Native Bush In The Chaco For Mitigation Of Dryland Salinity In Grassland, A. Glatzle, R. Schultze-Kraft, R. Mitlöhner

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There is a zone of some 3.000.000 ha with an elevated dryland salinity risk in the Paraguayan Chaco due to a shallow saline ground water table. Evidence is shown of the crucial role native bush seems to play in keeping the water table at a low level and reducing therefore the risk of soil salinisation. In this paper a planned field experiment is outlined to define the tolerable level of deforestation and pasture establishment for a sylvopastoral production system in the Chacoan zone prone to dryland salinity.

Influence Of Electrophysical Methods On The Processes Of Root Formation Of Grapes, N.M. Markayev

Irrigation and Melioration

The article describes the possibilities of electrophysical processing before planting cuttings during vegetative cultivation of grape seedlings. The processes of root formation in cuttings using the electrophysical method in the article Acceleration of the process of root formation in cuttings of black raisins, treated at 71 V/m and an electric field strength of 15 hours, and an increase in the viability, quality, growth and survival of rooted seedlings up to 16.67-34% Presented the results of experiments on the increase and methods of electrotechnological processing of grape cuttings. The result of the study is the analysis and results of the processes …

Matalon Selected As Corresponding Member For The Academy Of Athens, Anna Jones

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Compact Gas Sensor Using Silicon-On-Insulator Loop-Terminated Mach–Zehnder Interferometer, Raghi S. El Shamy, Mohamed A. Swillam, Mohamed M. Elrayany, Alaa Sultan

Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper, we propose a compact optical gas sensor based on the widespread silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, operating in the near-infrared (NIR) region around the 1.55 µm wavelength. The sensor employs a loop-terminated Mach–Zehnder interferometer (LT-MZI) with a slot waveguide and a strip waveguide for the sensing arm and the reference arm, respectively. For the same arm length, the LT-MZI can achieve a detection limit two times lower than that of the conventional MZI. Different sensor components were designed, and the optimum dimensions were obtained using finite-difference eigenmode (FDE) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solvers. With a sensing arm length of …

Determination Of Interferon Gamma Protein In Serum Of Breast Cancer Patients Using The Elisa, Noor Hassan, Abbas Mohammed

Journal of Applied Sciences and Nanotechnology

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is a cytokine involved in the induction and modulation of various immune responses. INF-γ has recently been associated with breast cancer and the stage of the disease. Also, it can be used as a cancer marker in determining disease activity. The ELISA test is a technique for identifying antigens in biological materials. The ELISA test is used for the detection of antibodies against target antigen through highly antibody-antigen interactions. In this study, the blood samples were taken from 88 Iraqis, 30 healthy controls, and 58 breast cancer patients (ranging from 35 to 52 years of age). During …

Application Of A Bacteriophage–Sanitizer Combination In Post-Harvest Control Of E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination On Spinach Leaves In The Presence Or Absence Of A High Organic Load Produce Wash, Badrinath Vengarai Jagannathan, Steven Kitchens, Stuart Price, Melissa Morgan, Paul Priyesh Vijayakumar

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Foodborne illness due to the consumption of contaminated products continues to be a serious public health issue. Bacteriophages might provide a natural and effective way to control and reduce the pathogenic bacterial population on food products. Researchers have conducted various experiments to prove their effectiveness against different pathogens and their ability to act as a natural intervention to control pathogen populations, especially in the food industry. In this study, a cocktail of bacteriophages (phages) was added to wash water in the presence of a high organic load along with commercially used sanitizers (chlorine or Sanidate 5.0) to study the efficacy …

Reformed And Always... Deconstructing?, Howard Schaap

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Gc/Msprofilingandexvivoantibacterialactivityofsalvadora Persica (Siwak) Against Enterococcus Faecalis As Intracanal Medicament, Noha Swilam, Nahla Ayoub, Nadia Badr, Saeed S Al-Ghamdi,, Arwa Alzahrani, Rahaf Alsulaimani, Afnan Nassar, Rawabi Qadi

Pharmacy

Salvadora persica L. (S. persica, Siwak) has been used for many centuries as oral hygiene tools, particularly in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of S. persica petroleum ether extract (SPE) as an intracanal bactericidal for endodontictreatmentagainstEnterococcusfaecalis.CalciumhydroxideCa(OH)2 gold standard intracanal medicament was used for comparison.Methods.Thegaschromatographymassspectrometry(GC/MS)analysis was carried out to identify the components of SPE. First, the consistency of SPE was accomplished according to ANSI/ADA specification no 57. Forty-five single-rooted mandibular premolars were infected with that of E. faecalis suspension. Colony-forming units (CFU) were counted before the medicaments’ application (CFU-1) and after seven days of their applications …

Evaluating A Test For Shedding Propensity Using Tape Lifts From Different Skin Locations, Xiao M. Chen

Student Theses

The shedding propensity of a person can assist data interpretation in casework when assessing the possibility of passive transfer for DNA analysis. Past studies on shedding propensity evaluated palmar skin (washed and unwashed) deposits. This study compared different skin locations with respect to shedding propensity, and explored the potential of tape-lifts as a skin surface collection method. Eight different skin types and samples were collected with adhesive tape disks from 28 participants over three non-consecutive days; the washed and unwashed fingers from both hands, toe, and arm, neck below ear, and nape. Samples were extracted, quantified, amplified, genotyped, and evaluated …

Epigenome-Wide Association Study Of Mitochondrial Genome Copy Number, Penglong Wang, Christina A Castellani, Jie Yao, Tianxiao Huan, Lawrence F Bielak, Wei Zhao, Jeffrey Haessler, Roby Joehanes, Xianbang Sun, Xiuqing Guo, Ryan J Longchamps, Joann E Manson, Megan L Grove, Jan Bressler, Kent D Taylor, Tuuli Lappalainen, Silva Kasela, David J Van Den Berg, Lifang Hou, Alexander Reiner, Yongmei Liu, Eric Boerwinkle, Jennifer A Smith, Patricia A Peyser, Myriam Fornage, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Charles Kooperberg, Dan E Arking, Daniel Levy, Chunyu Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We conducted cohort- and race-specific epigenome-wide association analyses of mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) copy number (mtDNA CN) measured in whole blood from participants of African and European origins in five cohorts (n = 6182, mean age = 57-67 years, 65% women). In the meta-analysis of all the participants, we discovered 21 mtDNA CN-associated DNA methylation sites (CpG) (P < 1 × 10-7), with a 0.7-3.0 standard deviation increase (3 CpGs) or decrease (18 CpGs) in mtDNA CN corresponding to a 1% increase in DNA methylation. Several significant CpGs have been reported to be associated with at least two risk factors (e.g. chronological age or smoking) for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Five genes [PR/SET domain 16, nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3 (NR1H3), DNA repair protein, DNA polymerase kappa and decaprenyl-diphosphate synthase subunit 2], which harbor nine significant CpGs, are known to be involved in mitochondrial biosynthesis and functions. For example, NR1H3 encodes a transcription factor that is differentially expressed during an adipose tissue transition. The methylation level of cg09548275 in NR1H3 was negatively associated with mtDNA CN (effect size = -1.71, P = 4 × 10-8) and was positively associated with the NR1H3 expression level (effect size = 0.43, P = 0.0003), which indicates that the methylation level in NR1H3 may underlie the relationship between mtDNA CN, the NR1H3 transcription factor and energy expenditure. In summary, the study results suggest that mtDNA CN variation in whole blood is associated with DNA methylation levels in genes that are involved in a wide range of mitochondrial activities. These findings will help reveal molecular mechanisms between mtDNA CN and CVD.

Reproducibility Of Individual Dna Deposits Detected Through Cellular Fluorescence, Natalee Small-Davidson

Student Theses

Contact traces are an important part of DNA casework, but the probative value of any identified associations depends on the possibility of passive transfer. There is known individual variation in DNA left behind during contact, this DNA shedding propensity has an effect on whose DNA is detected. This study evaluated this variability using a cell staining approach. Volunteers were asked to deposit a fingerprint on a clean glass slide, then wash their hands and deposit a second fingerprint after a 30-minute wait without touching anything. Three sets of samples were collected over three consecutive weeks. Fingerprints were stained with a …

A Mathematical Model For Transport And Growth Of Microbes In Unsaturated Porous Soil, Harihar Khanal, Andrei Ludu, Ramesh Chandra Timsina, Kedar Nath Uprety

Publications

In this work, we develop a mathematical model for transport and growth of microbes by natural (rain) water infiltration and flow through unsaturated porous soil along the vertical direction under gravity and capillarity by coupling a system of advection diffusion equations (for concentration of microbes and their growth-limiting substrate) with the Richards equation. (e model takes into consideration several major physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms. (e resulting coupled system of PDEs together with their boundary conditions is highly nonlinear and complicated to solve analytically. We present both a partial analytic approach towards solving the nonlinear system and finding the main …

Development Of A Custom Tendon Explant Frame Compatible With Reflectance Quantitative Polarized Light Imaging, Matthew Riak, Lila Dickstein

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Tendons and ligaments are collagenous tissues in the body which attenuate load. Reflectance quantitative polarized light imaging (rQPLI) is being developed to combat some of the issues present in many of the current imaging modalities used to study tendons and ligaments. To establish its utility in continuous monitoring of tendon healing, rQPLI will be used to monitor a tendon explant defect over a four week period in both normal and super healer mice strains. In this study, we discuss fabrication of a custom frame built to exert a constant force on tendon explants for these imaging studies. Additionally, the frame …

Acetyl-L-Carnitine Protects Against Lps Induced Depression Via Ppar-Γ Induced Inhibition Of Nf-Κb/Nlrp3 Pathway, Amna Samin, Lina Tariq Al Kury, Muhammad Imran Khan, Shabir Hussain, Abdullah Alattar, Reem Alshaman, Fawad Ali Shah, Muhammad Aamir, Shupeng Li

All Works

Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating human health status characterized by mood swings and high suicidal attempts. Several studies have reported the role of neuroinflammation in MMD, yet the efficacy of natural drug substances on neuroinflammation-associated depression needs to be further investigated. The present study demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of Acetyl-L- carnitine (ALC) alone or in combination with caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced neuro-inflammation, depression, and anxiety-like behavior. Material and methods Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were used to explore the relative effects of ALC and the mechanistic interplay of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors …

A Nanoscale Shape-Discovery Framework Supporting Systematic Investigations Of Shape-Dependent Biological Effects And Immunomodulation, Wei Zhang, Hender Lopez, Luca Boselli, Paolo Bigini, André Perez-Potti, Zengchun Xie, Valentina Castagnola, Qi Cai, Camila P. Silveira, Joao M. De Araujo, Laura Talamini, Nicolò Panini, Giuseppe Ristagno, Martina B. Violatto, Stéphanie Devineau, Marco P. Monopoli, Mario Salmona, Valeria A. Giannone, Sandra Lara, Kenneth A. Dawson, Yan Yan

Articles

Since it is now possible to make, in a controlled fashion, an almost unlimited variety of nanostructure shapes, it is of increasing interest to understand the forms of biological control that nanoscale shape allows. However, a priori rational investigation of such a vast universe of shapes appears to present intractable fundamental and practical challenges. This has limited the useful systematic investigation of their biological interactions and the development of innovative nanoscale shape-dependent therapies. Here, we introduce a concept of biologically relevant inductive nanoscale shape discovery and evaluation that is ideally suited to, and will ultimately become, a vehicle for machine …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxvii. Lanzatus Huluul Sp. N. From Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe

Euscorpius

The rare Horn of Africa buthid genus Lanzatus Kovařík, 2001 was newly collected in Somaliland in two localities. We describe a new species Lanzatus huluul sp. n. fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology, habitus, hemispermatophore and collection areas.

Remediation Of Pollution In A River By Releasing Clean Water, Ahmed Saleh, Fayez N. Ibrahim, Mohamed Kh. Hadhouda

Information Sciences Letters

Analytical solution has been obtained for one-dimensional advection-diffusion equation with constant coefficients by using Laplace transformation. Also numerical solution has been obtained by using explicit finite difference scheme. In this paper, the initial condition and the boundary condition at the source of pollution (x = 0) were applied to describe the exponential variation in pollutant concentration. Impacts of different parameters controlling the pollutant dispersion have been studied separately with the help of graphs. This publication proved mathematically the fact that the high concentration of pollutant can be reduced by releasing clean water discharges from barrage in a river. For a …