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Assessment Of Nephroprotective Properties Of Vitex Agnus Castus Extract In Cisplatin-Treated Wistar Rats: A Pilot Study, Aparna Tripathy, Babi Dutta, Archana Parampalli Raghavendra, Sudarshan Surendran

Open Access archive

Cisplatin (CP) is used to treat various solid tumors but is associated with nephrotoxicity, which varies with dose and duration. Vitex Agnus castus (VAC) berries, known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, may alleviate CP-induced renal toxicity. To investigate the gender-specific responses to cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and evaluate VAC extract's nephroprotective effects. Four-month-old Wistar rats (n=36) (24 male, 12 female) were used. In phase 1, gender-based differences in CP-induced nephrotoxicity were assessed. The gender group with higher nephrotoxicity was selected for phase 2 to evaluate VAC's nephroprotective properties. Animals were randomly grouped as Normal Control (6 males & 6 females), CP …

Cold-Shock Proteome Of Myoblasts Reveals Role Of Rbm3 In Promotion Of Mitochondrial Metabolism And Myoblast Differentiation, Paulami Dey, Srujanika Rajalaxmi, Pushpita Saha, Purvi Singh Thakur

Open Access archive

Adaptation to hypothermia is important for skeletal muscle cells under physiological stress and is used for therapeutic hypothermia (mild hypothermia at 32 °C). We show that hypothermic preconditioning at 32 °C for 72 hours improves the differentiation of skeletal muscle myoblasts using both C2C12 and primary myoblasts isolated from 3 month and 18-month-old mice. We analyzed the cold-shock proteome of myoblasts exposed to hypothermia (32 °C for 6 and 48 h) and identified significant changes in pathways related to RNA processing and central carbon, fatty acid, and redox metabolism. The analysis revealed that levels of the cold-shock protein RBM3, an …

Harnessing Trichoderma Mycoparasitism As A Tool In The Management Of Soil Dwelling Plant Pathogens, Srishti Singh, Alok Kumar Singh, Bhubaneswar Pradhan, Sudipta Tripathi

Open Access archive

Maintaining and enhancing agricultural productivity for food security while preserving the ecology and environment from the harmful effects of toxicants is the main challenge in modern monoculture farming systems. Microbial biological agents can be a promising substitute for traditional synthetic pesticides to manage plant diseases. Trichoderma spp. are soil-dwelling ascomycete fungi and are common biocontrol agents against diverse phytopathogens. Trichoderma-based biocontrol techniques can regulate and control soil-borne plant diseases through mechanisms such as mycoparasitism, the production of antibiotics and hydrolytic enzymes, rhizo-sphere competence, the effective competition for available resources, induction of plant resistance and facilitation of plant growth. Numerous secondary …

A Genotyping Array For The Globally Invasive Vector Mosquito, Aedes Albopictus, Luciano Veiga Cosme, Margaret Corley, Thomas Johnson, Dave W. Severson, Guiyun Yan, Xiaoming Wang, Nigel Beebe, Andrew Maynard, Mariangela Bonizzoni, Ayda Khorramnejad, Ademir Jesus Martins, José Bento Pereira Lima, Todd P. Livdahl

Biology

Background: Although whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is the preferred genotyping method for most genomic analyses, limitations are often experienced when studying genomes characterized by a high percentage of repetitive elements, high linkage, and recombination deserts. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), for example, has a genome comprising up to 72% repetitive elements, and therefore we set out to develop a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip to be more cost-effective. Aedes albopictus is an invasive species originating from Southeast Asia that has recently spread around the world and is a vector for many human diseases. Developing an accessible genotyping platform is essential in …

How Many Tiny Snails? Circumscription Of Three Species Of Pyrgulopsis (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae)In Nevada Mountain Springs, Trenton Meadows

Theses and Dissertations

The springsnail genus Pyrgulopsis is one of the most diverse groups of freshwater gastropods in North America (Hershler, 2014), with many species displaying high levels of endemism (Hurt, 2003). This study attempts to circumscribe three putative species of springsnails: Pyrgulopsis serrata, Pyrgulopsis marcida, and a newly identified clade, referred to as Lineage C, from the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, USA and nearby springs. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we combined morphological, anatomical, and molecular data to examine species boundaries and evolutionary relationships.

Many lines of evidence were considered to determine species boundaries. Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial …

Density Functional Theory And Machine Learning Analysis Of C—C Reductive Coupling From Terminal Cyanido And Cyaphido Complexes, Roberto Magdiel Escobar

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon–carbon (C–C) bond activation has gained increased attention as a direct method for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and industrial chemistry. Due to the thermodynamic stability and kinetic inaccessibility of the C–C bonds, however, activation of C–C bonds by homogeneous transition-metal catalysts under mild homogeneous conditions is still a challenge. Most of the systems in which the activation occurs either have aromatization or relief of ring strain as the primary driving force. The activation of unstrained C–C bonds of phosphaalkynes does not have this advantage. This study employs Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations using the Gaussian16 package to elucidate and compare …

Feasibility Study On Microwave Glucose Level Monitoring, Ricardo Cepeda

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes management heavily relies on regular blood glucose monitoring, which traditionally involves invasive techniques. In recent years, significant research has been directed towards developing non-invasive glucose monitoring methods, particularly using electromagnetic waves. This study explores the feasibility of detecting blood glucose levels non-invasively by measuring the resonant frequency shifts of an antenna, influenced by the dielectric properties of blood. Microwave measurement techniques have garnered attention due to their ability to safely penetrate human tissue and detect biochemical markers like glucose. While previous studies have established a link between glucose concentration and dielectric properties, many techniques suffer from poor sensitivity or …

Synthesizing And Characterizing Some Pharmaceutical Resins Using Mannich Bases And Studying Their Biological Activity, Tamador Ali Mahmood

Baghdad Science Journal

Mannich bases functional groups were used, which is considered an inventive phenol formaldehyde resin was created in this study. The project was divided into two phases. The first portion involves creating a monomer of Mannich bases through a condensation reaction. The reaction occurs between aromatic aldehyde (P-hydroxy benzaldehyde) and primary amines like (Metoclopramide, trimethoprim, 2-aminobenzothiazoly, sulfamethoxazole, and 4-amino antipyrine) and with minor amines such as Carbazol. By condensing Mannich bases made in part one with formaldehyde and phenol, the second stage included making phenol formaldehyde resin with Mannich bases. The synthesized resins (Phenol-formaldehyde) have been characterized. The characterization was done …

The Positivity Principle: Investigating A School Administrator Training Series Designed To Promote Systemic Positivity, Catherine Gillach

Theses and Dissertations

Education has historically been recognized as a stressful profession, yet the Covid-19 pandemic (2020) paired with intensified socio-political influences have exacerbated educator stress, anxiety, and negativity, prematurely pushing more career educators to leave the profession. Teacher and principal pre-service preparation programs largely neglect to train educators in strategies for personally managing negative stressors, and negativity mitigation strategies are often overlooked as a critical facet of school climate and culture. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation in practice was to examine the degree to which a school administrator training series could stimulate personal and systemic positivity within participants’ schools in a …

Rational Design Of Engineered Soft Materials For Mineral Scale Control: Synthesis, Characterization, And Performance Evaluation, Nadhem Ismail

Theses and Dissertations

Inorganic crystallization, referred to as mineral scaling, have been posing tremendous operational challenges to water-based industries over the years. Multiple recent initiatives have focused on developing sustainable and highly effective antiscalants/scale inhibitors; however, most of the investigated antiscalants have demonstrated low scaling ion tolerance and unknown scale inhibitor-mineral crystal interaction. Engineered soft materials, particularly Quantum Dots (QDs) and biopolymer-based formulations, are among the most desirable solutions since they both solve critical environmental issues and offer insights into the inhibition mechanism. This dissertation reports on the development and performance evaluation of three distinct soft materials-based formulations; Carboxyl-Silicon Quantum Dots (CSiQDs), Carboxymethylcellulose …

Evaluating Uas As A Tool For Improving Elk Population Counts In A Suburban Forested Area Of North Central Colorado, Michael Wussow

Theses and Dissertations

For decades, wildlife researchers have taken advantage of an aerial perspective for performing population counts because of challenges associated with ground observations. Due to advances in aviation technology and regulations, unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) have become increasingly available for wildlife population monitoring in addition to manned aircraft, with success largely dependent on the species, their habitat, and UAS utilized. This study compares a currently accepted method of counting North American elk (ground/spotting scope counts) to a novel method (UAS) to evaluate if a commercial-off-the-shelf quadcopter (COTS) UAS equipped with zoom-capable RGB cameras would be an acceptable tool for counting elk …

Researching Chlorophyll-Α Levels In Freshwater Lakes To Understand The Environmental State Of The Turtle Mountains Using Ndci Through Remote Sensing Techniques, Elliot Quinn Peltier

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorophyll α is one of the main indicators of water quality. Increasing levels have various triggers such as agricultural runoff, wastewater from treatment plants, sewage, and humus. Addressing chlorophyll α is crucial since high concentrations are precursors to eutrophication and are hazardous to human health. The Turtle Mountains in North Dakota and Manitoba is an island forest laden with lakes and trees. However, the noticeable extent of agricultural surface on the United States side of the border has made obvious the disintegration of forested area. Also, a lack of information and studies do not allow anyone to comprehend the level …

Using Problematic Sexual Behaviors And The Developmental Life Course Model To Predict Criminal Justice Involvement And Psychopathology By Early Adulthood, Amanda Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations

The developmental life course (DLC) model explains risk factors and developmental patterns among juveniles who have committed more than one sexual offense by considering the impact of major life events, experiences, and risk and protective factors throughout various developmental stages. Using an archival longitudinal dataset, the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), this study applied the DLC model to explore the relationship between gender and onset and persistence of problematic sexual behaviors (PSBs) in childhood and adolescence with criminal justice involvement and psychopathology by early adulthood (N = 330, 46% male, M = 18.26 years) after controlling for …

Empowering Community Leaders To Drive Sustainable Tourism And Small Business Development In Dangriga, Belize, Philip Nunez

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper discusses the complexities of tourism development in Dangriga, Belize and how simple efforts can greatly impact small businesses in Central America.

The Effectiveness Of Mbsr On The Occupational Stress Of Correctional Officers, Nikolas Kerr

Dissertations

This dissertation looks at the negative effects of the work environment and other factors related to correctional officers lived experience. The intervention concentrates on the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the occupational stress of correctional officers. Correctional officers have always dealt with difficult work conditions, but over the last 30 years the increase in the number of incarcerated people, the lack of retention among correctional officers, and the proliferation of inmates with complex mental health issues and gang affiliations have all created a much more complex and dangerous work environment. Combine this with the new understanding of the effects …

Enhancing Webtas: From An Atam Simulator To A Developmental Environment, Elizabeth G. Schmidt

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

As interest in a niche research area, like the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM), grows it is crucial to ensure that simulation tools are accessible and user-friendly for a broad audience. Existing resources can pose challenges for less experienced users, highlighting the need for enhancements that improve usability and functionality. To address these issues, key upgrades to the current online simulation platform, WebTAS, were implemented, including breakpoint functionality and nondeterminism checks, alongside features such as XML file integration, image capturing, and simulation view resets. These enhancements collectively elevate the platform from a basic learning tool to a comprehensive environment for …

Polarimetry Terahertz Imaging Of Human Breast Cancer Surgical Specimens, Nikita Gurjar, Keith Bailey, Magda O. El-Shenawee

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

We investigate terahertz (THz) polarimetry imaging of seven human breast cancer surgical specimens. The goal is to enhance image contrast between adjacent tissue types of cancer, healthy collagen, and fat in excised breast tumors. Based on the biological perception of random growth of cancer and invasion of surrounding healthy tissues in the breast, we hypothesize that cancerous cells interact with the THz electric field in a different manner compared with healthy cells. This difference can be best captured using multiple polarizations instead of single polarization.

Approach

Time domain pulsed signals are experimentally collected from each pixel of the specimen …

Sorgoleone (Lipophilic Benzoquinones) Levels In The Root Exudates Of Elite Sorghum [Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench] Cultivars, Suleica J. Lee

All Theses

Nitrogen loss from cropping systems is significant and is estimated at more than 50% of the amounts applied. Root exudates of certain plant species including sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] contain sorgoleone which can reduce nitrification and nitrogen loss through biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). Therefore, the goal of this study was to screen selected elite sorghum germplasm comprising hybrids and parents to determine the best sorgoleone secreting cultivars. The hypothesis was that nitrogen loss from croplands could be curbed through exploring sorghum BNI traits. Screening of the cultivars selected was done using an established sorghum culture and extraction pipeline that …

Tocilizumab In The Management Of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: A Narrative Review Of Literature And Critical Appraisal, Salman Mansoor, Samar Iltaf Mairajuddin, Saqib Gul

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Background and objective

Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum disorder (NMOSD) mostly affects the spinal cord and optic nerves. This manuscript aims to explore the treatment potential of tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor and regulates inflammatory cytokines implicated in the pathophysiology of NMOSD. Methods

A thorough search of the pertinent literature was done for this research utilising electronic databases, specifically PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase, which contained studies published from 2016 to 2024.

Results Clinical studies show that tocilizumab improves clinical outcomes and lowers recurrence rates in people with NMOSD, especially those who don't respond to traditional treatments. …

An Exploration Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In K-12 Teachers, Michelle E. Marciniak

Doctorate in Education

“Trauma during childhood has the potential to adversely affect one’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development across the lifespan” (Champine et al., 2021). Given the epidemic of trauma across the United States, it is statistically probable that teachers who serve in the trenches to provide safe, engaging, and nurturing environments for students are still suffering from the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Dunn, 2022). This qualitative grounded theory study sought to capture and highlight the experiences of 12 K-12 teachers who have experienced past childhood trauma and shed light on their experiences in the classroom day to day. Participants were …

Exploring Green Photochemical Reactions Of Bio-Based Heterocyclic Compounds: 4-Hydroxy-2(5h) Furanone And 2-Pyridone, Solmaz Asadi

Theses and Dissertations

The present work examines the photoreactivity of 4-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone and 2-pyridone un-der varying conditions, with the aim of investigating how solvent and wavelength can influence their photochemical reactivity. In the first chapter, the photoreactivity of 4-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone in its crystalline state was observed to undergo a [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction when exposed to UV-C light and led to a new cyclobutane containing dimer (CB-SA-1). More impressively, CB-SA-1 was determined to be stable at room temperature for two years. This method was solvent-free and catalyst-free offering an environmentally friendly method for synthesizing furanone deriva-tives. Further, in order to study the photoreactivity of 4-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone in …

The Impact Of Land Use And Land Cover Change On Vegetation, Ecosystem Dynamics, And Conservation In The Northern Great Plains, Seth R. Fore

Theses and Dissertations

Land use and land cover change (LULCC) is one of the primary contributors to global biodiversity and habitat loss. Identifying sustainable development strategies requires understanding the social drivers of land use and conservation decisions as well as their impacts on ecological processes. These socio-ecological interconnections were explored in Northern Great Plains region. Results showed that common responses to socio-economic drivers have resulted in widespread loss of grassland areas throughout the region and that shifts in the functional characteristics of plant communities caused by LULCC have significantly altered key ecosystem functions linked to primary production, carbon/nutrient turnover, and water cycling. Expanding …

Developing Inclusive Practices Through Peer Coaching In College Science Teaching, Briana Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Historically underrepresented students pursuing STEM majors encounter systemic barriers. Students are more likely to experience success when faculty implement inclusive practices. Faculty often lack the pedagogical training necessary to adopt inclusive practices, further perpetuating inequities. To eliminate barriers and offer equitable opportunities for success in STEM majors, this case study explores the implementation of peer coaching and Culturally Relevant Science Teaching (CRST) in college level science teaching, focusing on the experiences of three participating faculty. Through a year-long professional development (PD) cycle, three science faculty members from a small liberal arts college engaged in reflective practices aimed at improving their …

Assessing Reproducibility Challenges In Clinical Metabolics, Darcy Lin Cochran

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Current metabolomics research is expanding to be multiplatform and interdisciplinary. Metabolomic analysis has the potential to provide detailed insight into any biological system of interest to analyze the underlying molecular mechanisms of variables like environment, disease, and genetics. Human clinical metabolomics is a major research area that is often focused on finding biomarkers or panels of biomarkers for different diseases. However, results are difficult to compare across different laboratories since the field of metabolomics has yet to widely adopt best practices for sample preparation, data acquisition and data processing, results are difficult to compare across different laboratories.

This thesis focuses …

Microbiome Variation In Production Phenotypes And The Role Of Colonization History In Microbiome Establishment, Seidu Adams

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ruminant-based agriculture is expected to continue to be a major contributor to food security to feed the growing population. At the heart of nutrient degradation of complex organic matter within the rumen are its microbes. These microbes can convert otherwise unusable organic matter into usable protein and energy and can provide up to 50% of the animal’s protein needs and up to 70% of the energy needs. The microbial functional capacity within the rumen determines the nutrients utilized and the end products of fermentation. However, our understanding of microbial functional capacity within the rumen and factors that influence the rumen …

Domain-Specific Machine Learning Approaches For Geospatial Problems, Shine Bedi

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation explores novel algorithms for complex geospatial problems at the intersection of environmental, social, and computational sciences. Emphasizing the unique challenges of the geospatial domain, particularly the deviation from the independent and identical distribution (IID) assumption, the research spans various methodologies across different domains, demonstrating the benefits of specialized approaches in spatial analysis.

First, we show that machine learning techniques can be effectively used in environmental modeling, which often has severe class imbalance challenges. Using artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) and techniques to address class imbalance provides insights into groundwater quality …

Nitrogen Limitation In Soybean: Physiology And Diagnosis, Luzviminda Ann Ramos Sazon

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In high-yield soybean environments, the seed yield is limited by nitrogen (N) supply. However, the response of soybean to N fertilizer application is inconsistent. Understanding the seasonal N uptake dynamics in soybean can provide insights on diagnosing N limitation if soybean. To understand soybean N dynamics, we assessed seasonal trends on dry matter and N accumulation in vegetative organs (leaves, stems, and petioles) from 42 field experiments. Each experiment included a ‘zero-N’ treatment, where crops relied on N supply from soil and biological N fixation (BNF), and a ‘full-N’ that received ample N via N fertilizer addition. Vegetative storage proteins …

(R2104) On The Qualitative Results Of Riemann-Liouville Fractional Order Nonlinear Neutral Singular Systems With Mixed Delays, Abdullah Yiğit, Cemil Tunç

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this manuscript, we discuss new conditions for asymptotic stability of nonlinear Riemann- Liouville fractional mixed-delay neutral singular systems. By constructing a set of improved Lyapunov-Krasovski˘ı functionals (LKFs), we establish some new delay-dependent conditions in terms of matrix inequality, which guarantees that the systems are asymptotically stable. In the particular case, we give four numerical examples with their solutions and graphs via MATLAB software demonstrating the practical applicability of these proven conditions. With this study, some conditions existing in the literature are developed and generalized.

(R2113) A Numerical Method For Solving Linear First-Order Volterra Integro-Differential Equations With Integral Boundary Condition, Zelal Temel, Musa Cakir

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We investigate an efficient numerical method for the linear first-order Volterra integro-differential equations with integral boundary condition. To solve this problem, boundaries are determined for its derivative and the solution. The numerical solutions of the problem are modeled over a uniform mesh using the composite right-side rectangle concept for the integral component and the implicit difference rules for the differential component. Next, the stability and convergence of the numerical approach are discussed. The numerical experiments are presented confirming the accuracy of the proposed scheme.

Understanding The Interactions Between Pollen-Borne Ilarviruses And Pollinators In Peach Orchards, Mandeep Tayal

All Dissertations

Pollen-mediated virus transmission is a common problem in fruit crops. Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) are pollen-borne ilarviruses endemic to the southeastern U.S. and cause substantial losses in peach production. PNRSV and PDV are primarily transmitted through vegetative propagation (grafting) as well as via pollen and seed. However, the role of pollinators in transmission dynamics of these viruses is not well understood. First, I documented the bee diversity and abundance during peach bloom in South Carolina, identifying Bombus and Apis as the most dominant genera, followed by Eucera, Andrena and Habropoda. Bee community composition …