Digital Commons Network^™

Epigenome-Wide Association Study Identifies Neonatal Dna Methylation Associated With Two-Year Attention Problems In Children Born Very Preterm., Marie Camerota, Barry M. Lester, Francisco Xavier Castellanos, Brian S. Carter, Jennifer Check, Jennifer Helderman, Julie A. Hofheimer, Elisabeth C. Mcgowan, Charles R. Neal, Steven L. Pastyrnak, Lynne M. Smith, Thomas Michael O'Shea, Carmen J. Marsit, Todd M. Everson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Prior research has identified epigenetic predictors of attention problems in school-aged children but has not yet investigated these in young children, or children at elevated risk of attention problems due to preterm birth. The current study evaluated epigenome-wide associations between neonatal DNA methylation and attention problems at age 2 years in children born very preterm. Participants included 441 children from the Neonatal Neurobehavior and Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants (NOVI) Study, a multi-site study of infants born < 30 weeks gestational age. DNA methylation was measured from buccal swabs collected at NICU discharge using the Illumina MethylationEPIC Bead Array. Attention problems were assessed at 2 years of adjusted age using the attention problems subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). After adjustment for multiple testing, DNA methylation at 33 CpG sites was associated with child attention problems. Differentially methylated CpG sites were located in genes previously linked to physical and mental health, including several genes associated with ADHD in prior epigenome-wide and genome-wide association studies. Several CpG sites were located in genes previously linked to exposure to prenatal risk factors in the NOVI sample. Neonatal epigenetics measured at NICU discharge could be useful in identifying preterm children at risk for long-term attention problems and related psychiatric disorders, who could benefit from early prevention and intervention efforts.

The Brain Structure And Function Abnormalities Of Migraineurs: A Systematic Review And Neuroimaging Meta-Analysis, Wei Ruan, Tao Li, Jaewoong Lee, In Hyuk Bang, Wankun Deng, Xinxin Ma, Seung-Hee Yoo, Boyun Kim, Jiwen Li, Xiaoyi Yuan, Yu A An, Yin-Ying Wang, Yafen Liang, Matthew Deberge, Dongze Zhang, Zhen Zhou, Yanyu Wang, Josh Gorham, Jonathan G Seidman, Christine E Seidman, Sary F Aranki, Ragini Nair, Lei Li, Jagat Narula, Zhongming Zhao, Alemayehu G Abebe, Jochen Daniel Muehlschlegel, Kuang-Lei Tsai, Holger K Eltzschig

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute myocardial infarction stands as a prominent cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide

Causal Influence Of Linguistic Learning On Perceptual And Conceptual Processing: A Brain-Constrained Deep Neural Network Study Of Proper Names And Category Terms, Phuc T U Nguyen, Malte R Henningsen-Schomers, Friedemann Pulvermüller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Language influences cognitive and conceptual processing, but the mechanisms through which such causal effects are realized in the human brain remain unknown. Here, we use a brain-constrained deep neural network model of category formation and symbol learning and analyze the emergent model's internal mechanisms at the neural circuit level. In one set of simulations, the network was presented with similar patterns of neural activity indexing instances of objects and actions belonging to the same categories. Biologically realistic Hebbian learning led to the formation of instance-specific neurons distributed across multiple areas of the network, and, in addition, to cell assembly circuits …

Energetic Trade-Offs In Migration Decision-Making, Reproductive Effort And Subsequent Parental Care In A Long-Distance Migratory Bird, Alexander R Schindler, Anthony D Fox, Christopher K Wikle, Bart M Ballard, Alyn J Walsh, Seán B A Kelly, Lei Cao, Larry R Griffin, Mitch D Weegman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Migratory species trade-off long-distance movement with survival and reproduction, but the spatio-temporal scales at which these decisions occur are relatively unknown. Technological and statistical advances allow fine-scale study of animal decision-making, improving our understanding of possible causes and therefore conservation management. We quantified effects of reproductive preparation during spring migration on subsequent breeding outcomes, breeding outcomes on autumn migration characteristics and autumn migration characteristics on subsequent parental survival in Greenland white-fronted geese (

Relationships Between Pedagogical Practices And Affective States For Effective Teaching During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Insights From University Professors, Carola Bruna, Verónica Villarroel, Alejandro Sánchez, Joaquin Cortes, Pablo Castro-Carrasco, María Leonor Conejeros-Solar

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze how pedagogical practices and affective states during emergency remote teaching influence professors’ perspectives on their capabilities and the professor-student relationship.

Method: We used a nonexperimental quantitative design, collecting data through an online survey during the first year of the pandemic. Participants were recruited using a non-probability sampling method. A total of 636 university professors from Chilean universities participated. We performed descriptive and correlation analyses between variables. Also, to gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing perceptions of the professors’ competence and the professor–student relationship, we conducted linear regression models.

Results: A higher perception …

Differential Gene Expression Profiles In Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients From Kurdistan, Iraq, Blnd I. Mohammed, Bushra K. Amin

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), generally comprising Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has become a significant global public health concern in the last decade. This study aimed to determine the alternations in the whole genomic expression profile of patients with IBD in this geographic location for the first time, as there are very few articles in the literature addressing this specific aspect of the field. Methods: The study was conducted in Erbil Governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq from July 2021 to July 2022. The genome expression profiles of 10 patients with IBD were compared to their …

Trichodysplasia Spinulosa, Ayida Al Khalili, Elsa Maciagowski, Khue Nguyen, Kevin A. Watters

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Trichodysplasia spinulosa (TS) is a unique, rare clinical and histological dermatologic entity described mainly in a setting of immunosuppression. It is caused by a novel human polymoavirus, TS-associated polyomavirus. Reduction of immunosuppression and/or anti-viral therapy is the main therapeutic strategies used to treat such cases. We report a biopsy-proven case of TS in a male renal transplant patient who presented to a dermatology outpatient clinic in Montreal, Canada, in 2015. He was managed with valgancyclovir with no obvious response. Subsequently, a trial of topical imiquimod was commenced. Awareness of TS can prompt early diagnosis and management to prevent possible complications. …

Consumers' Acceptance To Buy And Dispose Of Recycling Textile Products, Roa Alsayed

Theses and Dissertations

The textile industry is the second most polluting worldwide, following food manufacturing. It is one of the industries that is rarely scrutinized in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This work analyzes the fashion industry from the perspective of consumer attitudes towards the purchase and disposal of clothing, and their behavior with regards to old garments. The study was conducted in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, two countries that achieved similar results in the fashion industry. The methodology is divided into three phases. First, the manuscript begins with a review of topics such as sustainability, consumer behavior in the …

Properties Of Portland Cement Concrete Incorporating Basalt-Based Pozzolanic Cement, Rana Khalil

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade, the world's population has increased dramatically. Due to this growth, the demand for concrete and Portland cement, in return, have increased. Manufacturing of Portland cement is an energy-intensive process that, alone, contributes to about 8% of global CO2. For decades, efforts have been exerted to reduce the harmful environmental impacts of Portland cement by reducing its use in concrete as well as considering alternate binders that may fully or partially replace it. This study aims to assess the properties of concrete incorporating a novel basalt-based pozzolanic cement. To meet this objective, four sets of concrete mixtures …

Integrative Genomic Insights Into Coral Resilience: Adaptive And Acclimatory Responses To Seasonal Environmental Shifts, Tasnim Ghanim

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs, critical to marine biodiversity and coastal protection, face escalating threats from climate change-related phenomena such as ocean warming. This warming is leading to widespread thermal stress that contributes to coral bleaching and infectious disease in corals, leading to the disruption of marine ecosystems and the economies that depend on them. Focusing on the brain coral Platygyra daedalea, known for its thermal resilience in the Persian Arabian Gulf—a region that exemplifies the extreme stressors of climate change—our study aims to dissect the genetic, transcriptomic, and microbiological underpinnings of coral survival in high-temperature environments predicted for the end of …

Green Fame On Tiktok Analyzing Digital Persuasion Appeals On Climate Change Discourse Among The Public And Youth., Sherry Ayad

Theses and Dissertations

In a constantly changing media ecosystem, TikTok is gaining prominence and attention, particularly among youth and Gen Z. The platform’s unique affordances are recently being utilized by young voices to promote self-expression and social activism. Consequently, TikTok’s changing nature is giving space for serious social and political issues impacting the future of young generations on topics such as climate change. By analyzing the top N=400 TikTok videos from the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), this study contributes to rare knowledge of utilizing TikTok’s affordances in scientific and political topics such as …

Vulnerability Assessment Of Mangroves In Western Shore Of Red Sea, Nada Negm

Theses and Dissertations

Mangroves are vital to environmental sustainability and acts as a global warming control, although they endure severe vulnerability due to some human activities. Climate change and other extrinsic stresses are factors that play a vital role when assessing the vulnerability of mangroves in the Red Sea. The aim of this study is to assess the vulnerability of mangroves using field and RS data to apply a vulnerability index of mangroves at Hamatta and Safaga in Egypt. Mangrove Vulnerability Index covers includes hazard mangrove index, biological mangrove index and physical mangrove index.

Mangrove height has been measured using meter tape and …

Assessing Adoption Barriers Of Sustainable Packaging In Egypt, Carol Ramses Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable packaging has become an essential part of business decisions and corporate directions. With the rise of environmental damages due to improper waste management and unsustainable practices, businesses have a major responsibility to analyze their products’ life cycles and redesign them with sustainability in mind. Applying sustainable packaging could save companies large amounts of resources, therefore cutting costs, while also achieving the legal and social duty as a corporation towards society and the environment. Many developing countries, with specific focus on Egypt, have recently focused on legislative and corporate decisions in order to encourage more sustainable practices. Egypt’s new Waste …

Meta-Study Of Carbonate Sediment Delivery Rates To Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Islands, Baptiste Ainési, Gerd Masselink, Paul Kench

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coral reef islands are amongst the most vulnerable environments to sea-level rise (SLR). Recent physical and numerical modeling studies have demonstrated that overwash processes may enable reef islands to keep up with SLR through island accretion. Sediment supply to these islands from the surrounding reef system is critical in understanding their morphodynamic adjustments, but is poorly constrained due to insufficient knowledge about sediment delivery rates. This paper provides the first estimation of sediment delivery rates to coral reef islands. Analysis of topographic and geochronological data from 28 coral reef islands indicates an average rate of sediment delivery of c. 0.1 …

If Speed Is Of The Essence: Rapid Analysis Of Ambergris By Apci Compact Mass Spectrometry, Steven J Rowland, Michael J Wilde, Paul A Sutton, Sabena J Blackbird, George A Wolff

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The use of atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) compact mass spectrometry (CMS) was investigated for the analysis of jetsam and museum-archived ambergris and of ambergris components in perfumes. The data were compared with those from existing methods. Authentic samples of some individual ambergris constituents (ambrein, coprostanol, epicoprostanol and coprostanone), were also examined. Rapid APCI CMS was achieved using either a solids probe or a probe with solutions held in capillary melting point tubes. Interpretation is made of the spectra of the principal natural product components, the relative ion responses were measured and the elemental composition of key ions in the …

Circular Stag2 Rna Modulates Bladder Cancer Progression Via Mir-145-5p/Tagln2 And Is Considered As A Biomarker For Recurrence, Chris Du, Wayne C Waltzer, Jeremy E Wilusz, Massimiliano Spaliviero, Frank Darras, Victor Romanov

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Simple Summary

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a major urologic malignancy with a high potential for death-threatening complications. Successful treatment relies on timely diagnostics and prediction of clinical outcomes. Molecular markers can be helpful for earlier diagnosis and for making treatment decisions. The biomarker landscape for BCa is not satisfactory yet. The discovery of novel diagnostic indicators for making treatment decisions is critical. Biological fluids are the most convenient and reliable source of these molecules. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs), special non-coding RNAs with a stable structure that are formed by a unique backsplicing process, recently became popular candidates for biomarkers in cancer …

Nigerian Women’S Participation In Politics: Historical And Social Acceptance Issues, Afolabi Olubela

African Social Science Review

Due to restrictive laws, cultural practices, institutional barriers, and disproportionate access to quality education, healthcare, and resources, women worldwide continue to be marginalized from the political sphere. There are multiple barriers that prevent women from taking their place within the political arena, including legal, political, and cultural constraints. Breaking down these barriers and creating opportunities for women calls for a collaborative effort among states, civil society, and the international community. This study adopted descriptive survey research design. Two hundred (200) respondents were randomly selected from three local government areas in Ogun State. These respondents comprise of a cross section of …

Examining The Utility Of The Military Service Sleep Assessment In U.S. Veterans, Sophie Vincent

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Veterans frequently report sleep disturbances. However, little is known about which military or life events most frequently influence veterans' sleep. The focus of this study is to report the specific military and life events that had the most negative effect on sleep quality in veterans by utilizing the Military Service Sleep Assessment (MSSA).

Method: Post 9/11 veterans (N = 373) completed an assessment battery examining sleep disturbances, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and of dysfunctional and recovery cognitions. Descriptives (i.e., mean and frequency), t-tests, X² tests of independence, residuals, and risk ratios were computed to examine the impact …

Illinois Masonic Medical Center Observer, 1970, V6 N6, June, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Issue of the "Illinois Masonic Medical Center Observer", an employee newsletter. This issue has staffing and departmental updates, including photographs from the annual Employee Recognition Banquet and the annual awards for the employee bowling league, as well as a feature on creating a cleaner hospital.

The Effects Of Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure On Navigation In A Delayed Non- Match-To-Place Spatial Alternation Task By Adult Male And Female Rats, Gabriela Acosta

Psychology ETDs

Prenatal alcohol exposure has been found to alter brain regions involved in spatial memory. Previous studies have shown that moderate PAE (mPAE; ~30-120 mg/dL) impairs spatial memory in male rats and damages the limbic-thalamus and hippocampus. Recent work has shown that visual discrimination memory is impaired after mPAE in a sex-specific manner such that female mice exhibit greater deficits after 15sec delay. It is unclear whether similar-sex-specific deficits would be observed in a spatial memory task or in a rat model of mPAE. Thus, the present study tests the hypothesis that mPAE would produce sex-specific deficits in a delayed non-match-to-place …

Church Leaders' Perception Of Their Role In The Deterrence Of Juvenile Reincarceration, Sherine Sandrea Brown-Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2019, U.S. law enforcement officers detained almost 700,000 juveniles under the age of 18. The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention stated that 55% of juveniles were rearrested within a year, and after that, 24% of juveniles were reincarcerated within a year. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore church leaders’ perceptions of their role, experiences, and activities in contributing to reducing the risk of reincarceration of juvenile offenders, and to create a model for other community leaders. The conceptual framework for the study was Shaw and McKay’s social disorganization theory. …

3-Chloropropylbis(Catecholato)Silicate As A Bifunctional Reagent For The One-Pot Synthesis Of Tetrahydroquinolines From O-Bromosulfonamides, Noah Brodsky, Nidheesh Phadnis, Mohamed Ibrahim, Isabel M. Andino, Inés Blanc Giro, John A. Milligan

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

Bis(catecholato)silicate salts are easily accessible reagents that can be used to install alkyl fragments through photoredox-enabled cross-coupling. These reagents can incorporate various functional groups including pendant alkyl halides. A halogenated organosilicate reagent was leveraged to develop a one-pot synthesis of tetrahydroquinolines from o-bromosulfonamides, where the bifunctional reagent participates in a nickel/photoredox cross-coupling followed by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution. The functional group tolerance of this cross-coupling strategy allowed for the preparation of a series of substituted tetrahydroquinolines.

Women’S Subsistence Strategies Predict Fertility Across Cultures, But Context Matters, Abigail E. Page, Erik J. Ringen, Jeremy Koster, Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, Karen Kramer, Mary K. Shenk, Jonathan Stieglitz, Kathrine Starkweather, John P. Ziker, Adam H. Boyette, Heidi Colleran, Cristina Moya, Juan Du, Siobhán M. Mattison, Russell Greaves, Chun-Yi Sum, Ruizhe Liu, Sheina Lew-Levy, Francy Kiabiya Ntamboudila, Sean Prall, Mary C. Towner, Tami Blumenfield, Andrea B. Migliano, Daniel Major-Smith, Mark Dyble, Gul Deniz Salali, Nikhil Chaudhary, Inez E. Derkx, Cody T. Ross, Brooke A. Scelza, Michael D. Gurven, Bruce P. Winterhalder, Carmen Cortez, Luis Pacheco-Cobos, Ryan Schacht, Shane J. Macfarlan, Donna Leonetti, Jennifer C. French, Nurul Alam, Fatema Tuz Zohora, Hillard S. Kaplan, Paul L. Hooper, Rebecca Sear

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

While it is commonly assumed that farmers have higher, and foragers lower, fertility compared to populations practicing other forms of subsistence, robust supportive evidence is lacking. We tested whether subsistence activities—incorporating market integration—are associated with fertility in 10,250 women from 27 small-scale societies and found considerable variation in fertility. This variation did not align with group-level subsistence typologies. Societies labeled as “farmers” did not have higher fertility than others, while “foragers” did not have lower fertility. However, at the individual level, we found strong evidence that fertility was positively associated with farming and moderate evidence of a negative relationship between …

Social Desirability And Relational Self-Esteem In Adults That Experienced Childhood Peer Victimization, Trisha Jeffers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood peer victimization occurs every day in the United States. This experience causes stress, mood changes, and social discord for the victims. Other researchers have examined the long-term implications of childhood peer victimization, which include depression, anxiety, stress response, attention deficits, and poor overall well-being. Further research is needed to identify more areas impacted by childhood peer victimization. Social learning theory proposed experiences influence behaviors and provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Ninety-nine participants were recruited for this quantitative study using online crowdsourcing and social media. The participants completed a survey comprised of the California Bullying Victimization Scale Retrospective …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Biology

No abstract provided.

Theranostic Potential Of A Novel Aptamer Specifically Targeting Her2 In Breast Cancer Cells, Fulya Küçükcankurt, Samet Uçak, Nedret Altiok

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: The overexpression of HER2 is correlated with poorer outcomes and therapeutic resistance in breast cancer patients. While HER2-targeted therapies have shown improvement, prognosis remains poor for HER2-positive breast cancer patients, and these treatments have limitations. Therefore, it is crucial to explore effective molecular strategies for early detection and treatment of HER2-positive breast cancers. Materials and methods: In this study, we employed the cell-SELEX method to generate a selective aptamer capable of recognizing HER2 in its native conformation within breast cancer cells, for theranostic applications. Utilizing an adherent cell-SELEX approach, we developed and explored a DNA aptamer, named HMAP7, which …

Therapeutic Inhibition Of Complement Component 3 In Spontaneous Osteoarthritis, Jen Xin Xu

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease that affects 32.5 million US adults. It is characterized by loss of joint space and cartilage erosion, which eventually causes bone to rub on bone and causes pain and decreased mobility. Not only is it physically detrimental, but it is a financial burden as well. Current treatments of OA are used to control symptoms and leave intense side effects. Despite efforts in the past, there still is no disease-modifying OA drugs (DMOAD) approved on the market yet. The lack of disease-modifying drugs stems from poor understanding of the mechanisms initiating and driving the disease. …

Proteomic Dataset For Decellularization Of Porcine Auricular Cartilage, Roxanne N. Stone, Xinzhu Pu, Julia Thom Oxford

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major concern in the United States and worldwide. Development and validation of robust decellularization techniques is critical in generating suitable bioscaffolds for future OA treatment options.

Data descriptions In the present study, proteins from porcine auricular cartilage before and after decellularization were extracted, digested, and identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The data represents protein profiles of both non-decellularized and decellularized porcine auricular cartilage. This data is intended to be useful to scientists who are interesting in generating biomaterials for potential relevant clinical applications using decellularized cartilage tissue.

Method For Electroporation Controlled By Electrical Impedence Measurements, Mark Jeffrey Jaroszeski, Timothy Fawcett, Richard Jason Connolly, Andrew M. Hoff, Reginald Morley Atkins, Douglas Walter Brown, Richard A. Gilbert

USF Patents

The present invention provides a system and method for measuring an impedance of one or more target cells before and after an electroporation protocol has been applied to the one or more target cells. The result of the impedance measurement provides a feedback control that can be implemented during and/or after the electroporation protocol to customize the electrical treatment for a particular target cell or cellular tissue.

Compositions And Methods For Treating Rsv-Infections, Eleni Markoutsa, Subhra Mohapatra, Shyam Mohapatra

USF Patents

This invention provides for a RSV-targeted nanoparticle PMN (RTPMN), combining HR2D anti-fusion peptide, and plasmid encoded siRNA against RSV-NS1 and/or RSV-P gene as a safe, effective and inexpensive anti-RSV prophylaxis and/or therapy.