Digital Commons Network^™

Make A Difference: Choose Artificial Reefs Over Natural Reefs To Compensate For The Environmental Impacts Of Dive Tourism, Louise B. Firth, Mark Farnworth, Keiron P.P. Fraser, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

In the marine environment, natural reef habitats are amongst the most threatened by human activities. Although reef-based ecotourism can benefit local economies, dive tourism can damage sensitive habitats. One solution to managing conflicts between the economic value of diving and its ecological threats is the deployment of artificial reefs near popular dive sites. We surveyed recreational divers to assess divers' use, preference, and perceptions of diving artificial versus natural sites. We found that more divers prefer to dive in natural than artificial habitats, with associated biodiversity the most popular reason for preferring natural habitats, and appreciating shipwrecks the most popular …

Dual Consciousness: What Psychology And Counseling Theories Can Teach And Learn Regarding Identity And The Role-Playing Game Experience, Elektra Diakolambrianou, Sarah L. Bowman

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

Many psychologists, therapists, and educators have emphasized the practice of play, especially with enacted roles, as a site for learning and therapeutic growth. This article weaves together a plethora of theories from psychology, Counseling, and role-playing game studies in an effort to understand the nature of enacted roles, their relationship to identity, and their transformative potential. Challenging the notion that identity is a fixed, stable monolith, the article synthesizes four overall approaches to theorizing the nature of identity drawn from various theories: identity as a social construct, narrative identity, identity as psychodynamic, and identities as parts of a whole. The …

Fusion Of Pectinal Teeth In Scorpio Kruglovi Birula, 1910 (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, Gülhanım Yağmur

Euscorpius

A rare teratological anomaly of pecten is described and illustrated: a case of fusion in pectinal teeth in the scorpion Scorpio kruglovi Birula, 1910). It was observed that 7th and 8th teeth are fused in the right pecten. The resulting fused tooth is larger than other teeth. A smaller fulcrum located inside of the large, fused tooth whereas other fulcra are located between normally developed teeth.

Telomere Maintenance In African Trypanosomes, Bibo Li Ph.D.

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Telomere maintenance is essential for genome integrity and chromosome stability in eukaryotic cells harboring linear chromosomes, as telomere forms a specialized structure to mask the natural chromosome ends from DNA damage repair machineries and to prevent nucleolytic degradation of the telomeric DNA. In Trypanosoma brucei and several other microbial pathogens, virulence genes involved in antigenic variation, a key pathogenesis mechanism essential for host immune evasion and long-term infections, are located at subtelomeres, and expression and switching of these major surface antigens are regulated by telomere proteins and the telomere structure. Therefore, understanding telomere maintenance mechanisms and how these pathogens achieve …

Biogeochemistry Of Upland To Wetland Soils, Sediments, And Surface Waters Across Mid-Atlantic And Great Lakes Coastal Interfaces, Allison N. Myers-Pigg, Stephanie C. Pennington, Khadijah K. Homolka, Allison M. Lewis, Opal Otenburg, Kaizad F. Patel, Erin K. Eberhard, Amy Marcarelli, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Transferable and mechanistic understanding of cross-scale interactions is necessary to predict how coastal systems respond to global change. Cohesive datasets across geographically distributed sites can be used to examine how transferable a mechanistic understanding of coastal ecosystem control points is. To address the above research objectives, data were collected by the EXploration of Coastal Hydrobiogeochemistry Across a Network of Gradients and Experiments (EXCHANGE) Consortium – a regionally distributed network of researchers that collaborated on experimental design, methodology, collection, analysis, and publication. The EXCHANGE Consortium collected samples from 52 coastal terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAIs) during Fall of 2021. At each TAI, samples …

Occlusive Membranes For Guided Regeneration Of Inflamed Tissue Defects., Woojin Choi, Utkarsh Mangal, Jin-Young Park, Ji-Yeong Kim, Taesuk Jun, Ju Won Jung, Moonhyun Choi, Sungwon Jung, Milae Lee, Ji-Yeong Na, Du Yeol Ryu, Jin Man Kim, Jae-Sung Kwon, Won-Gun Koh, Sangmin Lee, Patrick T J Hwang, Kee-Joon Lee, Ui-Won Jung, Jae-Kook Cha, Sung-Hwan Choi, Jinkee Hong

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Guided bone regeneration aided by the application of occlusive membranes is a promising therapy for diverse inflammatory periodontal diseases. Symbiosis, homeostasis between the host microbiome and cells, occurs in the oral environment under normal, but not pathologic, conditions. Here, we develop a symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane by mimicking the tooth enamel growth or multiple nucleation biomineralization processes. We perform human saliva and in vivo canine experiments to confirm that the symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane induces a symbiotic healing environment. Moreover, we show that the membrane exhibits tractability and enzymatic stability, maintaining the healing space during the entire guided bone regeneration …

The Effect Of Caregiver Communication On Self-Care Outcomes For African Americans With Heart Failure, Adrienne Michelle Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Counseling Students’ Attitudes Towards Poverty And Its Relationship To Progression In Cacrep Programs, Hannah Jean Maust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Poverty is an intersectional issue that affects at least 11.5% of the population in the United States. Research has shown that there is a relationship between a clinician’s attitudes towards poverty and how they treat their impoverished clients. People in poverty present with unique counseling needs and mental health concerns. Prior research has shown a connection between multicultural competency along with time in a helping field and decreased stigma towards poverty. With CACREP programs emphasizing multicultural competency and fieldwork through practicum and internships, this study sought to explore the relationship between student time in a CACREP program and attitudes towards …

The Effect Of A Disaster Medical Assistance Team On The Medical Surge Objectives For Hospitals Affected By A Mass Casualty Incident, Gary White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

An Experimental Approach To Identify Lifestyle Indicators In Diabetic Patients’ Daily Episodic Notes Using Umls And Nlp With Reduced Ambiguity, Adib Ahmed Anik

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The objective of this master’s thesis is to utilize daily episode notes obtained from users in order to develop a lifestyle indicator through the application of natural language processing (NLP) techniques. The primary objective is to enhance the precision of this indicator by reducing its level of ambiguity. In order to achieve this objective, the present work undertakes a comprehensive examination of conversational agents, specifically focusing on social media data that has been annotated with content pertaining to diabetes. The study uses a variety of NLP methodologies to establish a correlation between the subject matter of these discussions and medical …

Do Organic Farming Practices Improve Soil Physical Properties?, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Sabrina J. Ruis, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Organic farming (OF) is a reemerging system that could address food security and adverse environmental footprints of conventional farming (CF). However, how OF affects the soil physical environment, an essential pillar for soil ecosystem service delivery, is not well understood. This paper (1) reviews published global literature up to 13 July 2023 regarding the impacts of OF on soil physical properties compared with CF and (2) underlines research needs. Literature indicates OF improves some soil physical properties relative to CF although studies on some properties were few. Specifically, OF increased wet aggregate stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and plant available water …

Multifocal Ectopic Recurrence Of A C2 Chordoma, Maikerly Reyes, Allison Kayne, Sarah Collopy, Giyarpuram Prashant, Patrick Kelly, James J. Evans

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Background

Chordomas are histologically benign but locally aggressive tumors with a high propensity to recur. Our case highlights the importance of long-term vigilance in patients who have undergone chordoma resection.

Case Report

We report the case of a 47-year-old man with a cervical chordoma who developed multiple musculoskeletal ectopic recurrences in the left supraclavicular region, the proximal right bicep, and the left submandibular region without recurrence in the primary tumor site. Primary tumor resection was achieved via a combination of surgery, adjuvant radiation therapy, and imatinib. All recurrences were successfully resected and confirmed via pathology to be ectopic chordoma.

Discussion …

Atherogenic Index Of Plasma’S Association With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Postmenopausal Pakistani Women, Amad Wafa Khan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Attachment Style, Childhood Trauma, And Psychosocial Health In Adult Nigerians Raised In Kinship Homes, Kenneth Okechukwu Ekekwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Genetic Separation Of Brca1 Functions Reveal Mutation-Dependent Polθ Vulnerabilities, John J. Krais, David J. Glass, Ilse Chudoba, Yifan Wang, Wanjuan Feng, Dennis Simpson, Pooja Patel, Zemin Liu, Ryan Neumann-Domer, Robert G. Betsch, Andrea J. Bernhardy, Alice M. Bradbury, Jason Conger, Wei-Ting Yueh, Joseph Nacson, Richard T. Pomerantz, Gaorav P. Gupta, Joseph R. Testa, Neil Johnson

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Homologous recombination (HR)-deficiency induces a dependency on DNA polymerase theta (Polθ/Polq)-mediated end joining, and Polθ inhibitors (Polθi) are in development for cancer therapy. BRCA1 and BRCA2 deficient cells are thought to be synthetic lethal with Polθ, but whether distinct HR gene mutations give rise to equivalent Polθ-dependence, and the events that drive lethality, are unclear. In this study, we utilized mouse models with separate Brca1 functional defects to mechanistically define Brca1-Polθ synthetic lethality. Surprisingly, homozygous Brca1 mutant, Polq−/− cells were viable, but grew slowly and had chromosomal instability. Brca1 mutant cells proficient in DNA end resection were …

Exploring Alternative Treatment Choices For Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Strains Of Helicobacter Pylori In Mongolia, Ayush Khangai, Batsaikhan Saruuljavkhlan, Dashdorj Azzaya, Boldbaatar Gantuya, Khasag Oyuntsetseg, Junko Akada, Takashi Matsumoto, Yoshio Yamaoka

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Helicobacter pylori is a pathogen related to severe diseases such as gastric cancer; because of rising antimicrobial-resistant strains, failure to eradicate H. pylori with antibiotics has increased worldwide. Multidrug-resistant H. pylori and gastric cancer is common in Mongolia; therefore, we aimed to explore alternative antimicrobial treatments and the genomes of resistant strains in this country. A total of 361 H. pylori strains isolated from patients in Mongolia were considered. Minimal inhibitory concentrations for two fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin), rifabutin, and furazolidone were determined via two-fold agar dilution. Genomic mutations in antibiotic-resistant strains were identified by next-generation sequencing using the Illumina …

Dynamical Control Enables The Formation Of Demixed Biomolecular Condensates, Andrew Z Lin, Kiersten M Ruff, Furqan Dar, Ameya Jalihal, Matthew R King, Jared M Lalmansingh, Ammon E Posey, Nadia A Erkamp, Ian Seim, Amy S Gladfelter, Rohit V Pappu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cellular matter can be organized into compositionally distinct biomolecular condensates. For example, in Ashbya gossypii, the RNA-binding protein Whi3 forms distinct condensates with different RNA molecules. Using criteria derived from a physical framework for explaining how compositionally distinct condensates can form spontaneously via thermodynamic considerations, we find that condensates in vitro form mainly via heterotypic interactions in binary mixtures of Whi3 and RNA. However, within these condensates, RNA molecules become dynamically arrested. As a result, in ternary systems, simultaneous additions of Whi3 and pairs of distinct RNA molecules lead to well-mixed condensates, whereas delayed addition of an RNA component results …

Evaluating 17 Methods Incorporating Biological Function With Gwas Summary Statistics To Accelerate Discovery Demonstrates A Tradeoff Between High Sensitivity And High Positive Predictive Value, Amy Moore, Jesse A Marks, Bryan C Quach, Yuelong Guo, Laura J Bierut, Nathan C Gaddis, Dana B Hancock, Grier P Page, Eric O Johnson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Where sufficiently large genome-wide association study (GWAS) samples are not currently available or feasible, methods that leverage increasing knowledge of the biological function of variants may illuminate discoveries without increasing sample size. We comprehensively evaluated 17 functional weighting methods for identifying novel associations. We assessed the performance of these methods using published results from multiple GWAS waves across each of five complex traits. Although no method achieved both high sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) for any trait, a subset of methods utilizing pleiotropy and expression quantitative trait loci nominated variants with high PPV (>75%) for multiple traits. Application …

Genetic Separation Of Brca1 Functions Reveal Mutation-Dependent Polθ Vulnerabilities, John J Krais, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Homologous recombination (HR)-deficiency induces a dependency on DNA polymerase theta (Polθ/Polq)-mediated end joining, and Polθ inhibitors (Polθi) are in development for cancer therapy. BRCA1 and BRCA2 deficient cells are thought to be synthetic lethal with Polθ, but whether distinct HR gene mutations give rise to equivalent Polθ-dependence, and the events that drive lethality, are unclear. In this study, we utilized mouse models with separate Brca1 functional defects to mechanistically define Brca1-Polθ synthetic lethality. Surprisingly, homozygous Brca1 mutant, Polq

Acoustically Levitated Whispering-Gallery Mode Microlasers, H. M. Reynoso-De La Cruz, E. D. Hernández-Campos, E. Ortiz-Ricardo, A. Martínez-Borquez, I. Rosas-Román, V. Contreras, G. Ramos-Ortiz, B. Mendoza-Santoyo, Cecilia Zurita-Lopez, R. Castro-Beltrán

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Acoustic levitation has become a crucial technique for contactless manipulation in several fields, particularly in biological applications. However, its application in the photonics field remains largely unexplored. In this study, we implement an affordable and innovative phased-array levitator that enables stable trapping in the air of micrometer dye-doped droplets, thereby enabling the creation of microlasers. For the first time, this paper presents a detailed performance of the levitated microlaser cavity, supported by theoretical analysis concerning the hybrid technology based on the combination of whispering-gallery modes and acoustic fields. The pressure field distribution inside the acoustic cavity is numerically solved and …

Emerging Sensing, Imaging, And Computational Technologies To Scale Nano-To Macroscale Rhizosphere Dynamics – Review And Research Perspectives, Amir H. Ahkami, Odeta Qafoku, Tiina Roose, Quanbing Mou, Yi Lu, Zoe G. Cardon, Yuxin Wu, Chunwei Chou, Joshua B. Fisher, Tamas Varga, Pubudu Handakumbura, Jayde A. Aufrecht, Arunima Bhattacharjee, James J. Moran

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The soil region influenced by plant roots, i.e., the rhizosphere, is one of the most complex biological habitats on Earth and significantly impacts global carbon flow and transformation. Understanding the structure and function of the rhizosphere is critically important for maintaining sustainable plant ecosystem services, designing engineered ecosystems for long-term soil carbon storage, and mitigating the effects of climate change. However, studying the biological and ecological processes and interactions in the rhizosphere requires advanced integrated technologies capable of decoding such a complex system at different scales. Here, we review how emerging approaches in sensing, imaging, and computational modeling …

Development And Application Of Tools And Methods For Behavioral And Neural Recordings In Locusts, Michael R. Traner

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Locusts are a historically important model organism, and have been at the core of many discoveries related to olfaction. In recent years they have become less popular compared to organisms with genetic toolkits such as drosophila, but they have many advantages for studying principles of olfactory chemosensation and related behaviors. In this thesis there are two primary focuses; the development of a surface-bound odorant treadmill (odor-trail treadmill) for studying trail-following behaviors, and the second is the development of tools and procedures to enable simultaneous neural and behavioral recording in locusts. Addressing the first, odor-trail following has been observed in many …

Lactic Acid Bacterial Surface Display Of Scytovirin Inhibitors For Anti-Ebolavirus Infection, Joshua Wiggins, Ngan Nguyen, Wenzhong Wei, Leah Liu Wang, Haley Hollingsead Olson, Shi-Hua Xiang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Scytovirin (SVN) is a lectin from cyanobacteria which has a strong inhibitory activity against Ebola virus infection. We engineered scytovirin as the inhibitor for surface display of lactic acid bacteria to block Ebola virus infection. Two different bacterial strains (Lactobacillus casei and Lactococcus lactis) were successfully engineered for scytovirin expression on the bacterial surface. These bacteria were found to be effective at neutralizing pseudotyped Ebolavirus in a cell-based assay. This approach can be utilized for prophylactic prevention, as well as for treatment. Since lactic acid bacteria can colonize the human body, a long-term efficacy could be achieved. Furthermore, …

The Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000 Effector Hopd1 Interferes With Cellular Dynamics Associated With The Function Of The Plant Immune Protein Atnhr2b, Luis Francisco Marín-Ponce, Catalina Rodríguez-Puerto, Perla Rocha-Loyola, Clemencia M. Rojas

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) causes disease in tomato, in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and conditionally in Nicotiana benthamiana. The pathogenicity of Pst DC3000 is mostly due to bacterial virulence proteins, known as effectors, that are translocated into the plant cytoplasm through the type III secretion system (T3SS). Bacterial type III secreted effectors (T3SEs) target plants physiological processes and suppress defense responses to enable and support bacterial proliferation. The Pst DC3000 T3SE HopD1 interferes with plant defense responses by targeting the transcription factor NTL9. This work shows that HopD1 also targets …

Evaluation Of Fatty Acid Coated Hydroxyapatite For Biofilm-Associated Infection Prevention Following Dental Implantation, Emily Coleman Montgomery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Infections are a common post-operative ailment for patients who have received a dental implant or biomedical device. These infections can be further complicated with biofilm development, leading to systemic infection or antibiotic resistance. Local drug delivery has recently increased in popularity due to its advantages in treating and preventing infection during wound healing while avoiding the common side effects of systemic drugs. Local drug delivery systems also have advantages for complex wounds, especially those with local vasculature damage. Hydroxyapatite is a natural bioceramic that can be used as a local delivery system due to its biocompatibility and remineralization potential. Previous …

The Influence Of A Teacher Education Program On Preparing Future Teachers To Meet The Needs Of Diverse Learners, Kellie Riggs

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how future teachers can be better prepared to meet the needs of diverse learners. This study applied the theoretical framework of andragogy to the diversity strategies used in a teacher education program at a university in southeast Missouri. This qualitative case study included two research questions 1) How can andragogy be applied in a teacher education program to promote a better understanding of the needs of diverse learners for future teachers? 2) What diversity strategies can be used in a teacher education program to enable future teachers to better meet …

An Integrated Computational Biology Approach Defines The Crucial Role Of Trip13 In Pancreatic Cancer, Swati Dhasmana, Anupam Dhasmana, Stella Rios, Iris A. Enriquez-Perez, Sheema Khan, Farrukh Afaq, Shafiul Haque, Upender Manne, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

Highlights

• Integrative computational biology techniques are holistic approaches in cancer discovery by exploring multiple levels of convolution in biological systems.

• Pancreatic cancer is expected that by 2030, it will become the 2nd leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States alone.•

• For the first time, the role and patholgenic events of TRIP13 in PanCa have been discussed.

• This study elucidates the role of TRIP13 on molecular level, as a specific signal for early events of pancreatic cancer, enhancing patient prognosis, and boosting targeted therapies in clinical settings.

• This study has potential to enrich the existing biomarker panel for …

Educational Case: An Invasive Salivary Gland Tumor: Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Of The Parotid Gland, Jaime Eberle-Singh, Madalina Tuluc, Joanna Sue Yee Chan

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Antimicrobial Resistance In Streptococcus Pneumoniae: A Retrospective Analysis Of Emerging Trends In The United Arab Emirates From 2010 To 2021, Abiola Senok, Jens Thomsen, Najiba M. Abdulrazzaq, The Uae Amr Surveillance Consortium, Godfred Antony Menezes, Carole Ayoub Moubareck, Dean Everett

All Works

Although pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) have been effective in reducing the burden of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, there is a paucity of data on the relationship with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends in the Arabian Gulf region. This study was carried out to assess S. pneumoniae resistance trends in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where PCV-13 vaccination was introduced in 2011. Retrospective analysis of S. pneumoniae demographic and microbiological data collected as part of the national AMR surveillance program from 2010 to 2021 was carried out. A survey of reporting sites and hand searching of annual reports of local health authorities was …

Interrogating Households In Anticipation Of Disasters: The Feminization Of Preparedness, Chika Watanabe, Celie Hanson

Critical Disaster Studies

It is now a maxim among scholars and policy-makers alike that disaster preparedness needs to involve community-based approaches in order to be effective. These include preparedness strategies in the household. But how do disaster preparedness policies and public discourses define “the household” in the first place? In this article, we explore how particular gendered notions of the household are reproduced in disaster preparedness policies and activities in Japan and the UK. Drawing on historical and cross-cultural analyses, we suggest that household preparedness efforts place the burden of labor on people coded as women—a phenomenon we call “the feminization of preparedness.” …