University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship RepositoryNot a member yet
123813 research outputs found
Sort by
Characterizing extracellular vesicles and their metabolites from bovine uterine epithelial cells
No full textSubmission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2027-08-01The student, Kassandra Sandoval, accepted the attached license on 2025-07-24 at 06:13.The student, Kassandra Sandoval, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-07-24 at 06:23.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-07-25 at 10:26.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22723 on 2025-10-21 at 10:06:20Pregnancy loss under normal and healthy conditions still occurs at an inherently high rate of ~50% in humans and cattle alike. The dairy industry and human medicine would benefit from understanding more about reproductive mechanisms influencing early embryonic development and the uterine environment. Estradiol and progesterone are important hormones for cyclicity and pregnancy. Secretions produced by the endometrium (i.e., histotroph) is the only source of pre-implantation embryonic nutrition. Luminal and glandular epithelial cells are important cells that line the uterine lumen and secrete histotroph. One component of histotroph are extracellular vesicles (EVs), which can carry a wide variety of cargo. Our objective was to explore the secretion of EVs by immortalized bovine uterine epithelial (BUTE) cells in vitro and investigate the effect of estradiol and progesterone treatment on morphology, secretion, and metabolic contents of EVs from BUTE cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of uterine biopsies from abattoir collected bovine samples in the luteal phase showed EVs in the glandular lumen. These nanoparticles were consistent with TEM images of BUTE EVs isolated through ultracentrifugation. Western blot of isolated EVs from BUTE cells expressed known extracellular vesicle markers, CD9, CD63, HSP70, and β-tubulin. This confirms our ability to isolate and study EVs from BUTE cells. Treatment with estradiol or progesterone led to a significant increase in EV concentration. Neither hormone significantly altered the size of the EVs. This confirms our ability to isolate EVs from BUTE cells for further study and establishes a hormonal effect from hormone treatment on in vitro collected EVs from BUTE cells. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was performed on EVs isolated from hormone-treated BUTE cells to identify the metabolites contained within EVs. Notably, lactic acid and glucose were identified within the EVs. Estradiol or progesterone-treated EVs yielded different metabolic cargo. Estradiol treatment decreased levels of guanine, adenine, erythronic acid, hexadecanol, and increased dodecanoic acid (FDR<0.1). Ribose, pyrophosphate and hexadecenoic acid were decreased with estradiol treatment (FDR<0.1). Progesterone treatment altered levels of four metabolites (FDR<0.1). Lactic acid, hexadecanol, and hexadecenoic acid increased in abundance with progesterone treatment. The fourth metabolite tetradecanol decreased in abundance. KEGG analysis determined that the gene sets implicated by these metabolites sets are related to fatty acid metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway and purine metabolism. Overall, this supports our working theory that the uterus secretes EVs with metabolites to nourish the early embryo and support embryonic development in response to ovarian hormones
Illinois Basin – Decatur Project: Shallow Groundwater Monitoring Program
No full textIn 1997, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the Carbon Storage Program, managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), to develop and advance carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies with a high potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Seven regional carbon sequestration partnerships were formed and tasked with determining the best geologic and terrestrial storage approaches and technological applications to store carbon dioxide (CO2) safely and permanently in specific regions throughout North America (Litynski et al. 2013). The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) was formed by the state geological surveys of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. The Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), part of the Prairie Research Institute within the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, led the MGSC efforts (Finley 2014). In 2007, the MGSC, in close partnership with the Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Schlumberger Carbon Services, began a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, known as the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project (IBDP), in Decatur, Illinois, United States. This research was funded by the U.S. DOE through the NETL Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Program (contract number DE-FC26-05NT42588) and administered by the University of Illinois and by a cost-share agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Coal Development through the Illinois Clean Coal Institute.U.S. DOE contract number DE-FC26-05NT42588. Administered by the University of Illinois and by a cost-share agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Coal Development through the Illinois Clean Coal Institute
“His Master (if any he has)” Race, Slavery, Newspapers, and Black Seafarers in the 18th Century Anglo-Atlantic
No full textOn the night of November 12th, 1773, a Black sailor named Nath saw his chance. He fled from the schooner Two Brothers, docked in Boston Harbor. The next day, the man who claimed to be his master would publish a notice in the Boston Gazette, offering a reward for Nath’s return.1 This would be one of many such notices published in the British colonies of North America as enslaved Black sailors used their skills and their lives at sea to resist their enslavement. The newspapers of the 18th century, written by and for a white audience, preserve the struggles of African sailors and the ongoing construction of race in the Anglo-Atlantic world. This article examines the references made in those newspapers to Black sailors, to locate both the racial construction of the 18th century, and the resistance of Black sailors. Black sailors made regular efforts to escape or resist slavery, and that resistance is clearly visible in the record
Assessment of Psychological Wellbeing after Research Consultation - Version 1
No full textThis scale was developed to assess patrons’ perceived psychological outcomes after research consultation (RC) provided by subject librarian in academic libraries, particularly in the context of generative AI. The instrument assesses five sentiments: sense of clarity, stress relief, barrier removal, confidence in the project, and self-confidence. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “Not at all” to “Extremely.” The tool is intended to assess RC’s psychological impact beyond informational outcomes
2024 ACCESS Student Training and Engagement Program (STEP-2) Final Student Report Xingyu (
No full textThis paper summarizes Xingyu (Kevin) Dong's internship experience with the ACCESS Student Training and Engagement Program. He worked with the Operational Support team to to design and implement the existing/new infrastructure page on the ACCESS Operations website that displays all the resources available for researchers to request allocations and provide a basic guide for resource providers (RPs) on integrating their resources into ACCESS.NSF OAC # 213830
Assessing Human Librarian Demeanor during Research Consultation - Version 1
No full textThis instrument was designed to measure patrons’ perceptions of librarian demeanor during one-on-one research consultations. It evaluates six interpersonal qualities: approachability, supportiveness, friendliness, helpfulness, warmth, and sincerity. Respondents rate each statement using a 5-point Likert scale from “Not at all” to “Extremely.” An optional open-ended section invites qualitative observation. The instrument aims to capture the emotional and relational dynamics that shape user experience, especially in GenAI context
Patron Perception of Research Consultation by Human Librarian – Version 1
No full textThis scale assesses patrons’ perceptions of the quality of research consultations provided by human librarians. It focuses on five key aspects of delivery: listening, understanding, needs recognition, clarity in response, and encouragement of researcher growth. Respondents rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale from “Not at all” to “Extremely.
Patron Comparison of Information Seeking Experience: GenAI Tool vs. Librarian Consultation - Version 1
No full textThis instrument assesses library patrons’ comparative experiences of seeking research help through human librarian consultations versus generative AI (GenAI) tools. It includes seven items measuring perceived differences in areas such as information quality, integration into assignments, convenience, breadth of support, interaction style, ability to reveal blind spots, and guidance for next steps. Respondents rate each item on a 6-point comparative scale (from “HL is much worse than GenAI” to “HL is much better than GenAI”), with a “Not sure” option.Library Assessment Gran
AEMS News and Reviews: Spring 1998 (Vol. 1, No. 1)
No full textThis issue of AEMS News and Reviews (Vol. 1, No. 1, Spring 1998) introduces a diverse range of films including "The Spirit of Hiroshima," "Silk and Steel: New Roles for Indonesian Women," "China News Stories," "Occupied Japan: An Experiment in Democracy," "The Gate of Heavenly Peace," "Hello Photo," "Puja: Hindu Expressions of Devotion," "Ōsaka Story," and "Pins and Noodles," each exploring unique social, cultural, and historical dimensions of Asia.Center for East Asian and Pacific Studie