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Swine Origin Probiotics That Promote Health And Growth Performance In Pigs
Get PDFThe present invention provides probiotic compositions comprising isolated bacterial strains, referred to herein as LactX, StrepX1 and StrepX3. Methods of using the compositions to increase growth rate in pigs and enhance pig production are also provided
No Reservations: A Collection of Truth
Get PDFThis collection contains thirty orginal pieces of poetry, prose, and photography; and focues on many aspects of Native American history and Indigenous identity in modern America. Topics include: Native American boarding schools, Cherokee Freedmen, Indigenous potrayal in media, Native American incarceration, Indigenous identity, matriarchy, death and grief, substance abuse, MMIW, and Indian Child Welfare. A research grant was awarded for both semesters. The grant funded a research trip to the National Archives in Fort Worth, Texas. Research was conducted in order to retrieve materials and records pertaining to the subject of Native American boarding schools and case files for Native American prisoners during the early twentieth centure
Evaluating Healthcare Providers’ Cultural Connectedness and its Effects on Care Management of Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder
No full textThe aim of this study was to examine the correlation between primary care providers’ perspectives and cultural connectedness on their role in pediatric autism care management. We used a descriptive, quantitative design with purposive sampling to administer two surveys to primary care providers who work in medically underserved areas. Individual cultural competency and a survey constructed using the Reason Action Approach theory were sent to 22 participating providers to note their individual cultural orientation and their beliefs, intentions, behaviors, and capabilities related to pediatric autism care management. Most providers fell within the Minimization cultural orientation insinuating that they struggle with cultural self-awareness but insist on harmonizing with diverse cultures. Providers felt their prior education assisted them in identifying autism symptoms, but they lacked confidence in evaluating or managing autism or comorbid conditions. Most acknowledged their responsibility as primary care providers to identify autism but preferred referring patients to specialists for further care. Findings suggest that primary care providers may feel unprepared to diagnose and manage pediatric autism, potentially leading to unnecessary specialist referrals which further delay the age of autism diagnosis and enrollment in therapeutic services. Increased training in autism symptomology, diagnostic assessments, and comorbid conditions could improve care access within primary settings
Simulating the Three-dimensional Mapping of Tumor Microvasculature Using a Microendoscopic Probe
Get PDFThe study of the tumor microenvironment and tumor angiogenesis is an emerging area of interest for research and clinical communities. Understanding tumor progression is essential to developing cancer treatments and therapies. Current methods for monitoring the tumor microenvironment are limited in their ability to access a wide range of anatomical locations, specifically the gastrointestinal tract, without causing a non-physiological tumor response. In this study, we aim to develop a small-diameter multi-projection endoscopic imaging platform capable of many different scientific and clinical applications, including assessing tumor structure and perfusion. Due to the limited size available for an endoscopically compatible system, photon scattering follows a “transport regime” (as opposed to the diffusion regime). This requires novel approaches to processing image data to resolve the fine vascular and structural details within tissue. The platform consists of two key components, one being a microendoscopic probe that utilizes radially spaced illumination source fibers to capture two-dimensional images of optical phantoms modeled after biological tissue. The other component, Monte-Carlo-based photon propagation simulations modeled after the colon epithelium, provides information in depth. The combination of these two components allows for the creation of a three-dimensional spatial reconstruction of simulated tumor microvasculature embedded in a tissue of interest
Methods for Optimizing Activation of CRISPR-DREAM for RNA-Guided Transcriptional Upregulation of Neuromuscular Disease Modifiers
No full textDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder that primarily affects boys. DMD causes a significant reduction in life expectancy due to progressive muscle deterioration through a mutation in the dystrophin protein. Gene editing techniques have been established as a way to combat the effects of DMD and have gradually shown progress in increasing the life expectancy for DMD individuals. A new gene editing technology, CRISPR-DREAM has the potential to revolutionize CRISPR technologies through its use of human mechanosensitive transcription factors as transactivation domains. This has shown promise in overcoming size limitations and toxicity associated with viral transactivation domains in current CRISPR platforms. This research aims to optimize the activation of CRISPR-DREAM through a lipofectamine-mediated time-course transfection. C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells were transfected with dCas9, DREAM, and cis-regulatory guide RNA plasmids and subsequently incubated for 24, 48, and 72 hours prior to RNA extraction and RT-qPCR analysis. Using RT-qPCR with primers specific to the CRISPR-DREAM plasmid, optimal transcriptional activation can be quantified. Once activation is sufficient for therapeutic relevance, CRISPR-DREAM can be used to increase the RNA expression of genes that are physiologically similar to dystrophin proteins. The protein products of these genes could be used to combat the detrimental effects of mutated dystrophin proteins
Feasibility of Liquid Carbon Sources for Algae Growth
Get PDFThis thesis explores the use of electrochemically produced aqueous bicarbonate as a novel liquid-phase carbon source for enhancing algal biomass productivity. Targeting the freshwater microalgae Chlorella Saccharophila, the study investigates its growth response to varying bicarbonate concentrations and compares the efficacy of liquid bicarbonate delivery with traditional gaseous CO₂ bubbling methods. Results demonstrate that Chlorella Saccharophila can sustain growth solely on bicarbonate, and that bicarbonate-fed cultures yielded higher biomass than those supplied with gaseous CO₂ or hybrid systems. These findings validate the potential of bicarbonate-based carbon delivery for scalable algae cultivation, offering key advantages such as gas-free operation, improved pH stability, and compatibility with decentralized pond systems. The integration of a patented electrochemical conversion process—capable of producing concentrated bicarbonate from dilute CO₂ streams—further enhances the feasibility of this approach for carbon capture and utilization applications. This work lays the foundation for optimizing bicarbonate delivery in algae-based biofuel systems and underscores its promise in sustainable biomass production
Posttrauma Risky Behaviors, Perceived Ability to Cope with Trauma, and Student Life Satisfaction Mediate the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and College Student Adjustment
Get PDFThe present study investigated the mediating role of posttrauma risky behavior engagement, perceived ability to utilize adaptive posttraumatic coping strategies, and levels of student life satisfaction on the relationship between the retrospective report of encountering four or more types of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and levels of college student adjustment. College students participating in the data collection website Prolific (n = 470) completed online questionnaires. Results revealed that ACEs were highly prevalent, with 99.8% of participants reporting at least one ACE and 78.9% reporting four or more. Retrospective reports of encountering four or more types of childhood adversities were significantly associated with increased engagement in posttrauma risky behaviors, lower levels of student life satisfaction, and lower levels of college student adjustment. Moreover, a significant partial mediation model was found where the three mediating variables accounted for about 35% of the variance in current levels of college student adjustment. This was interpreted as being a highly substantial effect size. Implications surrounding these findings are discussed, such as the importance for universities to invest in ACEs interventions to promote optimal college student success
DDoS Detection and Mitigation using Multiple Programmable Switches for Industrial Network Security
Get PDFGiven the exponential growth in our infrastructure’s reliance on digital systems and large interconnected networks to operate, cybersecurity efforts have not been able to keep up with vulnerabilities attackers can exploit. Specifically, their reliance on industrial network protocols in Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. These protocols are great in terms of the functionality they provide, but are severely lacking in terms of security, leaving the networks vulnerable to cyberattacks. One of the more common protocols, Distributed Network Protocol 3 (DNP3), is particularly vulnerable to Denial-of-Service type attacks. In this work we explore the use of P4-based programmable networks to detect and mitigate Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks spread across multiple switches on a network. Our approach using P4 switches allows for an in-network solution that does not rely on external controllers to integrate security measures and other functions into the network. P4 allows for complete data plane programmability, enabling us to implement custom detection and mitigation logic for DDoS attacks and facilitating communication between switches
Environmental and Societal Impacts of Agricultural Land Abandonment in Indonesia: A Bibliometric Review
Get PDFIn the past decades, Southeast Asia has faced one of the highest urbanization rates globally, with land conversion, agricultural land abandonment, and deforestation occurring simultaneously. High population growth rates and migration away from rural areas have also led to increased food insecurity, which has increased the need for agricultural production. In Indonesia, high rates of urbanization on the island of Java have historically prompted governmental policy solutions aimed at population redistribution and agricultural extensification (rather than intensification). The cost of this conversion of lands to agriculture often falls on the environment, with peatlands and forested lands being converted to large-scale farms. This leads to myriad environmental problems, as peatlands are important carbon stores, and their disruption can lead to emergent climate disasters. This thesis proposes to address the question: What are the socioeconomic and biophysical drivers of agricultural land conversion, deforestation, and urbanization in Indonesia? This research additionally proposes to, through bibliometric analyses, (1) establish the historical context of agricultural land abandonment in Indonesia and (2) identify the scholarly interest in these issues across disciplines, time, and place. By identifying the trends in existing research regarding both the effects and impacts of agricultural land abandonment in Indonesia, gaps in knowledge and areas that require further investigation will be identified
Metabolic Responses of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Collagen I Hydrogels
Get PDFPeripheral nerve injury affects approximately 44 in 1 million people in the United States every year and can lead to incomplete nerve recovery and loss of motor and sensory function. A significant amount of energy is required for nerve injury repair. A lack of energy allocation to the injury site hinders repair. Current treatments include hollow nerve guidance conduits, decellularized nerve grafts, and autografts. However, they are limited by factors such as donor site morbidity and sustained immunosuppressive treatments. Using three-dimensional collagen I hydrogels laden with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can assist in neural regeneration. Three-dimensional collagen scaffolds aim to mimic the extracellular matrix, while ASCs encourage neural regeneration, providing a platform for nerve injury repair. This project investigated the metabolic activity of ASCs seeded in collagen I hydrogel scaffolds with varying topological properties—warm aligned, warm nonaligned, cold aligned, and cold nonaligned. Metabolic activity was assessed using alamarBlue, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glutamine/glutamate, and glucose assays. Metabolic assays like alamarBlue showed 2.98% and 5.59% percent reduction values at 3 and 6 hours, respectively, at day 7 for warm stretched hydrogels. In comparison, cold stretched hydrogels exhibited values of 2.55% and 4.62% at the same time points. The ATP assay results showed a luminescence reading of 897,394 Relative Light Units (RLU) for warm nonstretched hydrogels at day 7. The glutamate assay showed a luminescence reading of 310,976.5 RLU for warm stretched hydrogels at day 7. Glucose showed a luminescence reading of 656,380.5 RLU for cold nonstretched hydrogels at day 7. The findings of this project demonstrated that ASC metabolism varies across scaffolds with different topological properties, contributing to a deeper understanding of the changes of ASC metabolism based on microenvironmental differences