Digital Commons Network^™

Dyspnea (Breathlessness) In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Motor Neuron Disease: Prevalence, Progression, Severity, And Correlates, Carolyn A. Young, Amina Chaouch, Christopher J. Mcdermott, Ammar Al-Chalabi, Suresh K. Chhetri, Kevin Talbot, Timothy Harrower, Richard W. Orrell, Joe Annadale, Oliver C. Hanemann, Antonio Scalfari, Alan Tennant, Roger Mills

Peninsula Medical School

Objective: Dyspnea, or breathlessness, is an important symptom in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease (ALS/MND). We examined the measurement properties of the Dyspnea-12. Methods: Rasch analysis enabled conversion of raw Dyspnea-12 scores to interval level metric equivalents. Converted data were used to perform trajectory modeling; those following different trajectories were compared for demographic, clinical, symptom, and functioning characteristics. Logistic regression examined differences between distinct trajectories. Results: In 1022 people, at baseline, mean metric Dyspnea-12 was 7.6 (SD 9.3). 49.8% had dyspnea, severe in 12.6%. Trajectory analysis over 28 months revealed three breathlessness trajectories: group 1 reported none at baseline/follow-up (42.7%); …

The Role Of Internal And External Factors In The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) Crisis, Mariam Hassan, Mohamed Nour Al-Bosrati

The World Research of Political Science Journal

Water issues have become one of the first priorities of countries, so they set out to develop future plans and water policies to preserve and develop the available water resources and rationalize their use, and to search for new water resources by using alternatives to increase their water wealth. The Nile countries are among the countries that suffer from scarcity in a desert region where surface water sources are lacking, and their location outside the heavy rain belts made them suffer from a decrease in rainfall rates, and the waters of major rivers come from outside their lands, as the …

Ecological And Educational Impacts Of A Living Shoreline On St. Simons Island, Georgia, Usa, C. Tate Holbrook, Cameron Atkinson, Jordan Fountain, Stephanie Knox, Jan Mackinnon

Georgia Journal of Science

Living shorelines encompass a range of nature-based alternatives to traditional coastal armoring structures. In addition to shoreline stabilization and protection, living shorelines are intended to meet conservation goals such as restoring habitat, delivering ecosystem services, and promoting ecological resilience to climate change. While early results have been promising, further monitoring is needed to better understand and evaluate the performance of living shorelines across a range of designs and environmental contexts, thereby informing coastal management. Nature-based shoreline protection is relatively new in Georgia, USA, where in 2015 the state’s fourth living shoreline was constructed of oyster shell and native plants on …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - March 10, 2024, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the March 10, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine’s newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

• Researchers identify novel risk predictor of prostate cancer aggressiveness and racially disparate outcomes
• Meet a Med Student: Hannah Hill
• Senior Medical Students to celebrate Match Day

Interior Least Terns (Sternula Antillarum Athalassos) In A Landscape Of Fear: Explaining Predator Frequency On Sandbars Using Habitat Features, Carice N. Kimbrell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Causes of colony failure in interior least terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos) have been a prevalent topic for researchers investigating this previously endangered species. In Arkansas, these colonies are primarily located on sandbars formed along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. Reduction in nesting site quality may put this sensitive species at a greater risk for predator encounters. In my first chapter, I identified which sandbar characteristics resulted in higher frequencies of predator encounters at interior least tern colonies. In my second chapter, I investigated how those predators influenced colony production and whether interior least tern colonies exhibited similar …

Usa Archaeology Museum Newsletter - March 2024, Archaeology Museum

Archaeology Museum Newsletters

In this edition of the museum's newsletter:

• Upcoming Free Public Talks: Alabama Archaeological Society Southwest Chapter Meeting and Public Talk; "Unwritten: Archaeology & Oral History of Jim Crow Mobile" Speaker Series

• On Exhibit at the Archaeology Museum: "Unwritten: Archaeology & Oral History of Jim Crow Mobile"

• Upcoming Local Archaeology Conferences

• Who's Ready For Field Trips?

• Project Archaeology Investigating Rock Art Professional Development Workshop

• Giving to the Archaeology Museum

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant Activity, And Cytotoxic Effects Of Physalis Angulata And Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extracts On Cancer And Normal Cells In Vitro, Didik Priyandoko, Wahyu Widowati, Ika Adhani Sholihah, Nurul Zahra Zahira, Adityana Arta Bangun, Kusdianti Kusdianti, Hernawati Hernawati, Wahyu Surakusumah, Rahadian Deden Juansah

Makara Journal of Science

Physalis angulata and Moringa oleifera have long been the key ingredients of traditional medicine. This study aimed to obtain the metabolite profiles of the ethanolic leaf extracts of P. angulata (ELP) and M. oleifera (ELM), evaluate their antioxidant activity, and assess their toxicity against normal and cancer cells. The leaves were sourced from Balittro, West Java. The extraction used 70% ethanol and continued for 3 days. The metabolites were identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), antioxidant activity was ascertained via the DPPH assay, and cytotoxicity was evaluated employing the PrestoBlue assay. GC-MS identified 23 compounds in ELP and 15 in …

A Woman Alone: Aphra Behn And The Symbolic Power Of Widowhood, Gillian Kathleen Genardo

Theses and Dissertations

Seventeenth century playwright, Aphra Behn, is often considered one of theatre’s “greats,” as her plays are still widely discussed and produced. Interestingly, all contemporary scholars really know about Behn is her career, for her early life still remains a patchwork of possible theories. One such theory is that she never actually married. Instead, she may have invented a husband and faked his death in order to use the benefits of widowhood to build herself a respectable life as a “woman alone.” This research project is interested in Behn’s potential subterfuge. In what way might Aphra Behn have felt about widowhood …

Empowering The Future Of Learning: Integrating Fourth Industrial Revolution (4ir) Technology In Enugu State Secondary School Libraries To Enhance Literacy Level Among Students, Cyriacus Sochinwekene Aneke

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined the integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technology in Enugu State secondary school libraries to enhance literacy level among students. The research design adopted for this study was Descriptive Survey Design. The population of the study is derived from ten (10) schools from each of the six (6) education zones in Enugu State. The intended population was 1, 044, 890 students and 60 school/teacher librarians, but Taro Yamane's formula resulted in 399 students and 52 school/teacher librarians. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection, and the collected data were analyzed using frequency, mean and standard deviation. The …

Contemporary Approach To Narrow Angles, Wesam Shamseldin Shalaby, Rohit Reddy, Reza Razeghinejad, L. Jay Katz

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Among all glaucoma types, primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) affects approximately 23 million people worldwide, and is responsible for 50% of glaucoma-related blindness, highlighting the devastating consequences of this disease. The main mechanism of PACG is relative pupillary block. High-risk populations are female gender, Asian ethnicity, high hyperopia, short axial length, and a thick/anteriorly positioned lens. This review discusses the clinical diagnosis, classification, and management of patients with a narrow angle with and without intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and glaucomatous optic nerve damage, including laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI), endocycloplasty (ECPL), lens …

Factors That Influence Stunting In The Maratua District Of Berau, Indonesia, Risa Haryati Tambunan, Elis Nurbaeti

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: 1. This study investigated the factors contributing to stunting in a remote area, which has not received sufficient attention from key stakeholders. 2. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for the government in addressing stunting through intervention strategies that incorporate paternal roles to improve children's nutritional status. Abstract Stunting is a community health problem with significant impacts. The estimated prevalence rate of stunting was 24.4% in Indonesia and 25.7% in the Berau Regency. Stunting is a growth disorder caused by chronic malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of life. It is characterized by a height-for-age …

Drought Legacy Interacts With Wildfire To Alter Soil Microbial Communities In A Mediterranean Climate-Type Forest, Anna J. M. Hopkins, Aaron J. Brace, Jess L. Bruce, J. Hyde, J. B. Fontaine, L. Walden, W. Veber, K. X. Ruthrof

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mediterranean forest ecosystems will be increasingly affected by hotter drought and more frequent and severe wildfire events in the future. However, little is known about the longer-term responses of these forests to multiple disturbances and the forests' capacity to maintain ecosystem function. This is particularly so for below-ground organisms, which have received less attention than those above-ground, despite their essential contributions to forest function. We investigated rhizosphere microbial communities in a resprouting Eucalyptus marginata forest, southwestern Australia, that had experienced a severe wildfire four years previously, and a hotter drought eight years previously. Our aim was to understand how microbial …

The Use Of Comics As A Tuberculosis Learning Medium For Junior High School Students, Budi Utomo, Widati Fatmaningrum, Sulistiawati, Shifa Fauziyah, Teguh Hari Sucipto, Chan Chow Khuen

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: 1. Comics centered around tuberculosis offer a novel method tailored for specific audiences, specifically children or those of school age, to learn about the disease. 2. The tuberculosis comics feature the etiology, prevention, and treatment of tuberculosis conveyed through their unique design. 3. Comics can be an innovative promotional method to support the preventive campaign against tuberculosis. Abstract As a tropical country, Indonesia continues to grapple with the prevalence of tuberculosis. This study conducted by the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia, presented a novel approach to prevent tuberculosis through measures tailored to …

Expressions Of Interleukin-4 And Interleukin-5 In Nodular Prurigo And Pruritic Papular Lesions, Ayu Wikan Sayekti, Ann Kautsaria Putri, Dwi Retno Adi Winarni, Satiti Retno Pudjiati

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: 1. An examination of IL-4 and IL-5 expressions in nodular prurigo and pruritic papular eruption is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of biological agent therapy, specifically for HIV/AIDS patients. 2. The findings offer evidence suggesting the possibility of IL-4 as a treatment target for individuals diagnosed with nodular prurigo, as well as IL-4 and IL-5 for those diagnosed with pruritic papular eruption. Abstract Pruritic papular eruption is a dermatosis characterized by pruritic symptoms in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Similarly, nodular prurigo is an itchy dermatosis with lesions and histopathological features that resemble those of pruritic …

In Vitro Characterization Of Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Dimethacrylate-Nanofibrillated Cellulose As An Injectable Biomaterial For Herniated Nucleus Pulposus Substitute, Prihartini Widiyanti, Yurituna Firda, Aminatun, Herry Wibowo

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: 1. Novel synthetic biopolymer hydrogels were successfully prepared from pristine poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) using the photopolymerization method. 2. PEGDMA-NFC biocomposite hydrogel can be developed as an affordable biomaterial for herniated nucleus pulposus substitute, with the potential to meet clinical application standards. Abstract Herniated nucleus pulposus develops when the intervertebral disc portudes through the annulus fibrosus due to the rupture of the annulus fibrosus or a decrease in proteoglycans. Hydrogel implant material can be injected into the disc space to restore disc thickness caused by disc degeneration with minimal invasiveness. This study aimed to characterize …

Antioxidant Activities And Potential Wound Healing Effects Of Meniran (Phyllanthus Niruri) Extract Gel, Julio Arif, Ali Napiah Nasution, Sri Wahyuni Nasution, Wahyu Widowati, Nindia Salsabila Mia Dewi, Hanna Sari Widya Kusuma

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: 1. This study analyzed the potential of Meniran extract gel for wound healing therapy, a plant-based medicine that has not been thoroughly researched in the context of promoting a healthy lifestyle. 2. The analysis found that Meniran extract gel has antioxidant properties that can be used for wound treatment to improve human health. Abstract Research on the use of medicinal plants to treat numerous diseases has been widely conducted. However, for chronic wound healing, the availability of medicinal plants for treatment remains rare. Gels containing active plant-based compounds may provide a solution. Phyllanthus niruri, known as "meniran" in Indonesian, …

Primary Healthcare Providers' Knowledge On The Early Detection Of Biliary Atresia, Rendi Aji Prihaningtyas, Bagus Setyoboedi, Ni Nyoman Metriani Nesa, Melinda Masturina, Martono Tri Utomo, Sjamsul Arief

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: 1. An evaluation is necessary to verify that the knowledge of healthcare providers is sufficient for the early detection of biliary atresia. 2. It is crucial to promote education on prolonged jaundice to ensure early detection of biliary atresia in primary health facilities, as some primary healthcare providers have insufficient knowledge on the subject. Abstract Primary healthcare providers frequently fail to recognize biliary atresia because it closely mimics physiological jaundice. Early detection plays an important role in ensuring the optimal treatment of biliary atresia. Delays in referring to biliary atresia cases remain a problem around the world. The objective …

Geopolitics Of Cyberspace And Expansion Of Terrorism In The Central Asia, Mohammad Amin Zabihi, Saeed Shokohi, Sajad Abed

The World Research of Political Science Journal

Abstract: Terrorism, like any other phenomenon has enjoyed evolution during the course of history and it has become a paramount, influential factor in almost every aspect of national and international equations. Nowadays, terrorists, like any other activist group, use modern technologies in almost evert aspect of their strategies; thus, one should consider the role of these modern technologies that contribute to the furtherance of their malicious deeds. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the ways terrorists act through, and importantly, the tools and instruments they exploit in order to achieve their goals. Arguably, cyberspace and other related tools and materials …

Racial Construction As An Avenue For Better Life: A Study Of Nepali Migrants And Their Employers In New Delhi, Meghana Trivedi

The World Research of Political Science Journal

This paper views how Nepali migrants in India sell their identity to secure good jobs and money and create their own labour market. India is the most desired destination when it comes to work for the Nepali workers because of open border, shared culture, similar people and on the top of it, it does not require much investment unlike the gulf countries. They come to work in India to escape the political instability, high unemployment rate and low wages. Theoretically, race is not a biological concept, however the general public stills believe in the concept of race which is working …

Genome-Matched Treatments And Patient Outcomes In The Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (Mcgi)., Eric C Anderson, John Dipalazzo, F Lee Lucas, Michael J Hall, Andrey Antov, Petra Helbig, Jennifer Bourne, Leah Graham, Lory Gaitor, Christine Lu-Emerson, Leslie S Bradford, Roger Inhorn, Sarah J Sinclair, Philip L Brooks, Christian A Thomas, Karen Rasmussen, Paul K J Han, Edison Liu, Jens Rueter

Faculty Research 2024

Genomic tumor testing (GTT) is an emerging technology aimed at identifying variants in tumors that can be targeted with genomically matched drugs. Due to limited resources, rural patients receiving care in community oncology settings may be less likely to benefit from GTT. We analyzed GTT results and observational clinical outcomes data from patients enrolled in the Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (MCGI), which provided access to GTTs; clinician educational resources; and genomic tumor boards in community practices in a predominantly rural state. 1603 adult cancer patients completed enrollment; 1258 had at least one potentially actionable variant identified. 206 (16.4%) patients received …

Honors Seminar: "Religion And The Sermon In Appalachia", Robert Ellison

English Faculty Research

This presentation is kind of a sequel/follow-up to one I gave seven years ago in Baltimore, entitled “Four Case Studies in Teaching Sermons at a Public University.” I discussed

a gen-ed ENG class, a gen-ed class cross-listed with ENG & RST, a graduate seminar, and a class in the Honors College. The first three were one-offs, but the Honors class has lived on. I taught it again, in much the same form, the semester after that presentation, and again this past semester. The title was now “Religion and the Sermon in Appalachia” (for purposes of the online schedule, it had …

Interactions Between Soil Mineral Composition And Particulate Organic Matter Mediate Bioavailable Nitrogen, Andrea Jilling, Marian Carrell, A Stuart Grandy, Rachel Hestrin, Marco Keiluweit, Erik Knatvold, Andrew Whitaker

Faculty Publications

Soil organic matter (SOM) can supply critical quantities of nitrogen (N) to plants, but fundamental questions remain regarding from what pools and by which processes plants and microbes obtain N. The source of bioavailable N is generally assigned to polymeric or particulate organic matter (POM), but in mineral soils, POM is often a minor pool of N and can be a poor predictor of bioavailable N or plant N uptake. Mounting evidence suggests mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is significantly more dynamic than previously assumed and may serve as an important source of N for plants and microbes. The abundance and …

Interactions Between Soil Mineral Composition And Particulate Organic Matter Mediate Bioavailable Nitrogen, Andrea Jilling, Marian Carrell, A Stuart Grandy, Rachel Hestrin, Marco Keiluweit, Erik Knatvold, Andrew Whitaker

Faculty Publications

Soil organic matter (SOM) can supply critical quantities of nitrogen (N) to plants, but fundamental questions remain regarding from what pools and by which processes plants and microbes obtain N. The source of bioavailable N is generally assigned to polymeric or particulate organic matter (POM), but in mineral soils, POM is often a minor pool of N and can be a poor predictor of bioavailable N or plant N uptake. Mounting evidence suggests mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is significantly more dynamic than previously assumed and may serve as an important source of N for plants and microbes. The abundance and …

Bacteriophage Therapy For The Treatment Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infections In Humanized Mice, Fan Yang, Alireza Labani-Motlagh, Jose Alejandro Bohorquez, Josimar Dornelas Moreira, And Additional Authors

School of Medicine Faculty Publications and Presentations

The continuing emergence of new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has renewed interest in phage therapy, however, there has been limited progress in applying phage therapy to multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections. In this study, we show that bacteriophage strains D29 and DS6A can efficiently lyse Mtb H37Rv in 7H10 agar plates. However, only phage DS6A efficiently kills H37Rv in liquid culture and in Mtb-infected human primary macrophages. We further show in subsequent experiments that, after the humanized mice were infected with aerosolized H37Rv, then treated with DS6A intravenously, the DS6A treated mice showed increased body weight and improved pulmonary …

Prdm3 Protein Purification: An Optimized Approach For Structural Understanding, Ifeoluwa A. Dada

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Investigating proteins involved in driving cancer progression is crucial for advancing therapeutic strategies. PRDM3 (PR/SET domain-containing 3) has emerged as a key player in sustaining ovarian tumors. To facilitate an in-depth study of PRDM3, obtaining the protein in substantial quantities with a high-level purity through recombinant expression is imperative.

The methodology comprises a series of steps: integrating the PRDM3 gene fused with an affinity tag into a plasmid; transferring the engineered plasmid into bacterial cells; expressing the affinity-tagged protein (fusion protein) within the bacterial cells and harvesting them. Cell lysis and protein extraction are then conducted, followed by affinity chromatography …

Invading Eden: Exotic Pets And Invasive Species In South Florida, Andrew Pemberton

Florida Historical Quarterly

On July 8, 2019, South Floridians woke up to a headline describing the removal of a sixteen-foot-long Burmese python and fifty of its eggs from beneath a suburban home near the Everglades. This is a common spectacle in South Florida. Floridians, long accustomed to their scaly, cold-blooded co-habitants, have seen these types of headlines since the 1980s. With increasing frequency, non-indigenous species are entering the state's public eye. Perhaps more remarkable than these snakes' presence beneath Floridia homes is their welcomed presence in households across the country. However, this trend in pet-keeping poses the most risk to ecosystems in Florida, …

Seagrass-Roots Environmentalism: The Lee County Conservation Association, Chris Wilhelm

Florida Historical Quarterly

After World War II, Florida crafted a new identity: the Sunshine State. This concept was not solely based on Florida's hot weather and sunny skies although the relationship between sun and water was implicit in the new identity. Tourists enjoyed the sun on boats and beaches, retirees and snowbirds fled northern winters for new sunny coastal cities. The heat of Florida's sunshine was thus balanced by the state's coastal waters. The Sunshine State is a convenient slogan, but Florida is actually defined by its coast. Other states have more sunshine, but none in the continental U.S. have more coastline or …

A Movement For The Birds: Pelican Island And The Origins Of The First American Wildlife Refuge, Evan B. Jaynes

Florida Historical Quarterly

"Very well then, I So Declare It." This is supposedly what President Theodore Roosevelt said early in 1903 when he was informed that there was not any law that would prevent him from making Pelican Island a federally protected wildlife reserve. Shortly thereafter, on March 14, 1903, Roosevelt issued an executive order that established Pelican Island-a small and seemingly unremarkable piece of land off Florida's Atlantic-facing coast-as the nation's first wildlife sanctuary. Proclaiming that the island be "reserved and set apart for the use of the Department of Agriculture as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds," the action …

Paradise Is Dynamic: Florida's Changing Landscape, Thomas Chesnes

Florida Historical Quarterly

The following interview was conducted in the summer of 2020. Thomas Chesnes, the interviewee, is long-time professor of biology at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. A native Floridian, Chesnes completed all of his degrees at the University of Florida in Gainesville (Ph.D., environmental engineering sciences/systems ecology/wetlands; M.S., environmental engineering sciences/estuarine systems; B.S., zoology). His research has focused on seagrasses, soil salinity, the Gulf killifish, the mangrove saltmarsh snake, the Atlantic red snapper, and all matters pertaining to wetlands, coastal habitats, and aquatic environments. For over a quarter of century, with numerous grants awarded (including a $50,000 …

Structuring An Undergraduate Introductory Exercise Physiology Course: Learning-Practice-Evaluation, M. Landram

Educational Practices in Kinesiology

The purpose of this paper is to outline an introductory exercise physiology course structure for instructors. This is intended for classes with 15-25 students who possess an introductory biology, chemistry, and nutrition background; however, students taking those courses concurrently may also find success with this format. The course structure follows a learning-practice-evaluation content arc that repeats over content areas throughout the term. The main components of this arc are instructor lecture, student presentation, lab activities, and high and low stakes examinations. Individual components of the course are familiar within teaching practice but are scaffolded in a way to build skills …