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Title: Antibiotic use during pregnancy and its effect on maternal and infant fecal resistome : a cohort study
Creator: Sosa Moreno, Andrea Romina
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "Nearly 90% of pregnant women in the US take at least one medication during pregnancy, and in more than 40% of cases, that prenatal medication is an antibiotic. Prenatal exposure to antibiotics could shape the total number of antimicrobial resistance genes in stool samples - the fecal resistome - in women, and also in their infants, who acquire his or her initial microbiome by vertical transmission. We examined 51 pregnant women enrolled during their third trimester of pregnancy in Lansing...
Show more"Nearly 90% of pregnant women in the US take at least one medication during pregnancy, and in more than 40% of cases, that prenatal medication is an antibiotic. Prenatal exposure to antibiotics could shape the total number of antimicrobial resistance genes in stool samples - the fecal resistome - in women, and also in their infants, who acquire his or her initial microbiome by vertical transmission. We examined 51 pregnant women enrolled during their third trimester of pregnancy in Lansing and Traverse City, MI, and in 42 6-month-old infants to evaluate the association between prenatal antibiotic use and fecal resistome patterns. Prenatal antimicrobial exposure in mothers was assessed using clinical and questionnaire data. Antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) and mobile genetic element (MGE) richness and abundance were assessed using multiplex qRT-PCR. Alpha and Beta diversity were measured. Wilcoxon non-parametric test was used for comparisons. Infants had both significantly greater relative abundance and higher diversity of MGE than their mothers (Shannon diversity and Inverse Simpson p<0.05). We found a high variability of shared patterns between women and their infants, with an average of 29% ARG being shared between dyads. Mother and infant samples are different in terms of ARG and MGE relative abundance and absence/presence data (Adonis p<0.0001). We found differences in specific ARGs diversity among antibiotic exposed vs. non-exposed groups using medical records."--Page ii.
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Title: Apple tree anthracnose
Creator: Cordley, A. B. (Arthur Burton), 1864-1936
Date: 1900
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Title: Application of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) as a graphene nanoparticle reinforced composite thermoplastic adhesive
Creator: Stitt, Erik
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "Adhesive bonding is a more efficient joining method for composites than traditional mechanical fasteners and provides advantages in weight reduction, simplicity, and cost. In addition, the utilization of mechanical fasteners introduces stress concentrations and damage to the fiber-matrix interface. Adhesive bonding with thermoset polymers distributes mechanical loads but also makes disassembly for repair and recycling difficult. The ability to utilize thermoplastic polymers as adhesives...
Show more"Adhesive bonding is a more efficient joining method for composites than traditional mechanical fasteners and provides advantages in weight reduction, simplicity, and cost. In addition, the utilization of mechanical fasteners introduces stress concentrations and damage to the fiber-matrix interface. Adhesive bonding with thermoset polymers distributes mechanical loads but also makes disassembly for repair and recycling difficult. The ability to utilize thermoplastic polymers as adhesives offers an approach to address these limitations and can even produce a reversible adhesive joining technology through combining conductive nanoparticles with a thermoplastic polymer. The incorporation of the conductive nanoparticles allows for selective heating of the adhesive via exposure to electromagnetic (EM) radiation and simultaneously can augment the mechanical properties of the adhesive and the adhesive joint. This approach provides a versatile mechanism for efficiently creating and reversing structural adhesive joints across a wide range of materials. In this work, a high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) co-polymer containing butadiene as a toughness modifier is compounded with graphene nano-platelets (GnP) for investigation as a thermoplastic adhesive. The properties of the bulk composite adhesive are tailored by altering the morphology, dispersion, and concentration of GnP. The thermal response of the material to EM radiation in the microwave frequency spectrum was investigated and optimized. Surface treatments of the adhesive films were explored to enhance the viability of this nanoparticle thermoplastic polymer to function as a reversible adhesive. As a result, it has been shown that lap-shear strengths of multi-material joints produced from aforementioned thermoplastic adhesives were comparable to similar thermoset bonded joints."--Page ii.
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Title: Are we leaving validity on the table? : an exploration into the validity of personality interactions for predicting job performance
Creator: Bradburn, Jacob
Date: 2018
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Research in the organizational sciences on the relationship between personality and job performance has, to a large degree, focused on main effects of personality. What is neglected with this approach is any interactive effects between variables. The goal of the present research was to conduct a thorough exploration into the utility of personality variable interactions in predicting job performance. Specifically, a large, multiorganizational dataset utilizing two different measures of...
Show moreResearch in the organizational sciences on the relationship between personality and job performance has, to a large degree, focused on main effects of personality. What is neglected with this approach is any interactive effects between variables. The goal of the present research was to conduct a thorough exploration into the utility of personality variable interactions in predicting job performance. Specifically, a large, multiorganizational dataset utilizing two different measures of personality was utilized to test multiple trait by trait interactions, an aspect by aspect interaction, possible moderating effects of job context on this interaction, and possible differences in predictive validity for more specific criteria. Overall, limited support was found for hypotheses put forward. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
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Title: Assessment of drinking water quality and related husbandry practices in North American zoos
Creator: Bohne, Christine E.
Date: 2020
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Water is essential for life of all animals. However, drinking water might be of poor quality if it contains excess chemicals, nutrients or contaminants. Based on review of the scientific literature, the quality of drinking water in zoos has not been investigated.Therefore, objectives were to: 1) assess general quality of water in Association of Zoo and Aquarium zoos; 2) examine possible relationships among husbandry practices and water quality; and, 3) analyze iron concentrations in drinking...
Show moreWater is essential for life of all animals. However, drinking water might be of poor quality if it contains excess chemicals, nutrients or contaminants. Based on review of the scientific literature, the quality of drinking water in zoos has not been investigated.Therefore, objectives were to: 1) assess general quality of water in Association of Zoo and Aquarium zoos; 2) examine possible relationships among husbandry practices and water quality; and, 3) analyze iron concentrations in drinking water of zoos with black rhino. Forty zoos without and 10 with black rhino agreed to participate when randomly invited from a pool of 174 eligible zoos (29% response rate). Water samples were analyzed for pH, hardness, total dissolved solids, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, chloride, sulfate, nitrate, total coliform, and Escherichia coli. A water quality index was used to rank overall quality among zoos. A questionnaire about husbandry practices and drinking water also was completed by a subsample of zoos (n = 39). Over 85% of zoos used municipal water primarily. Three of 50 zoos (above the 90th percentile) had poor quality water. Majority (59%) of zoos responded that drinking water quality was considered in nutritional management. However, only 18% routinely analyzed drinking water. Zoos with Black Rhino were aware of the recommendation to formulate for low dietary iron to reduce Iron Overload Disorder. However, only 2 of 8 zoos with Black Rhino routinely analyzed drinking water for iron.
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Title: BEYOND RECOVERY : RURAL TOHOKU LOCAL POLITICS, GOVERNANCE, AND THE EROSION OF SOCIAL CAPITAL DURING RECONSTRUCTION
Creator: Ward, Kayleigh
Date: 2018
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In response to the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, the Japanese national government launched a variety of redevelopment projects in the north-east Tohoku region. These projects are managed by the Reconstruction Agency, established to complete reconstruction and revitalization projects. The Agency primarily promotes economic development for the benefit of the overall Japanese economy but ignores localized social problems. These include aging populations, out-migration, and community discohesion....
Show moreIn response to the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, the Japanese national government launched a variety of redevelopment projects in the north-east Tohoku region. These projects are managed by the Reconstruction Agency, established to complete reconstruction and revitalization projects. The Agency primarily promotes economic development for the benefit of the overall Japanese economy but ignores localized social problems. These include aging populations, out-migration, and community discohesion. The Agency’s form of development focuses on housing, roads, railroads, and relocation of residents. The Agency appears to have largely benefitted large firms through grants for industry projects and not local community projects. This study investigates these issues through an analysis of empirical data collected from 2017. This data features key informant interviews (n=15) from 2017 and historical analysis from 2003-2017 of town office documents. This paper utilizes social capital as the conceptual framework for examining a coastal town in Tohoku (Minamisanriku, Miyagi) and the community redevelopment taking place there. This study answers the larger question of how social capital is impacted by government focus on economic redevelopment and how this affects community redevelopment. Findings show an erosion of social capital is likely occurring, with implications for the types of social capital people possess post-disaster, and how they are affected by local politics and governance. These implications demonstrate the importance of promoting social capital in redevelopment planning and including resident participation in post-disaster.
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Title: BIOBASED MATERIALS FROM STARCH : TRANS-ESTERIFICATION BLENDS WITH COMMERCIAL POLYMERS
Creator: Nigam, Manas
Date: 2018
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: With ever-growing plastic pollution, there has been a significant push to find alternate green materials. These green products are expected to generate less or zero carbon footprint, which has directed efforts towards using natural resources as raw materials. Starch stands out as one of the natural resources which hold potential to produce the alternate plastics. In this study, Starch has been explored for its use as a thermoplastic material. The contrasting natures of starch have been...
Show moreWith ever-growing plastic pollution, there has been a significant push to find alternate green materials. These green products are expected to generate less or zero carbon footprint, which has directed efforts towards using natural resources as raw materials. Starch stands out as one of the natural resources which hold potential to produce the alternate plastics. In this study, Starch has been explored for its use as a thermoplastic material. The contrasting natures of starch have been studied, namely amylose and amylopectin dominated starches. Further thermoplastics made from these starches were reactively extruded with current commercial grade plastics to produce sustainable plastic solutions. The manufacturing using reactive extrusion, downstream processing and characterization (eg. FTIR, TGA and soxhlet extraction) of thermoplastic starch and PBAT or PETG blends was established. These blends were designed to contain 30% starch by weight. The more linear, high amylose content thermoplastic starch (MTPS) produced blends with PETG with acceptable decline in mechanical properties as compared to regular amylose content thermoplastic starch (RMTPS). On the other hand, RMTPS had higher grafting efficiency (56%) than MTPS (35%) when it was reactively extruded with PBAT. In addition, the covalent nature of the grafted bond was established in starch grafted PBAT using acid hydrolysis and glucose detection.
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Title: BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF THE INVASIVE BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG (HALYOMORPHA HALYS) (HEMIPTERA : PENTATOMIDAE) IN MICHIGAN BY INTRODUCED AND NATIVE PARASTIOIDS IN A CHANGING CLIMATE
Creator: Simaz, Olivia Claire
Date: 2020
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This thesis focuses on evaluating the potential of native natural enemies and an exotic parasitoid to provide biological control of an invasive pest, the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål) in Michigan and explores the consequences climate change might have both on the pest and its natural enemies. The first chapter provides background on the invasion of H. halys and reviews research on the native parasitoid community and their potential to provide biological control for this...
Show moreThis thesis focuses on evaluating the potential of native natural enemies and an exotic parasitoid to provide biological control of an invasive pest, the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål) in Michigan and explores the consequences climate change might have both on the pest and its natural enemies. The first chapter provides background on the invasion of H. halys and reviews research on the native parasitoid community and their potential to provide biological control for this pest. The second chapter focuses on augmentative releases of the biological control agent, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), which is an exotic parasitoid, discovered in Michigan in 2018. The importance of release size and of release frequency were tested during two years of augmentative releases and the native parasitoid community was surveyed. Overwintering success and reproduction of Tr. japonicus were confirmed but population growth was found slow. Parasitism by native parasitoids was below 5%, which is too low to provide control of H. halys. In the third chapter the effects of heat waves were evaluated on H. halys and Tr. japonicus. Eggs of H. halys were found to be more sensitive to heat waves than larval stages of Tr. japonicus. While heat waves did not reduce parasitism rates, Tr. japonicus adult mortality increased and their development was delayed with intensifying heat waves. These results suggest that Tr. japonicus could maintain its biocontrol potential even in the face of climate change.
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Title: BLAME JUDGEMENTS FOR PAST ACTIONS OF GROUPS
Creator: Vallabha, Shree
Date: 2022
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Historically, groups have committed innumerable atrocities, including genocide and slavery. I tested if people blame current groups for the actions of their past members and what underlies this blame. Current models of blame overlook the dimension of time and therefore have difficulty explaining this phenomenon. I hypothesized that perceiving higher (a) connectedness between past and present perpetrator groups, (b) unfulfilled obligations of perpetrator groups, (c) continued privilege of...
Show moreHistorically, groups have committed innumerable atrocities, including genocide and slavery. I tested if people blame current groups for the actions of their past members and what underlies this blame. Current models of blame overlook the dimension of time and therefore have difficulty explaining this phenomenon. I hypothesized that perceiving higher (a) connectedness between past and present perpetrator groups, (b) unfulfilled obligations of perpetrator groups, (c) continued privilege of perpetrator groups, and (d) continued harm of victim groups would facilitate higher blame judgements against current groups for the past. In a survey (N=518) using real events, I find results consistent with all the four hypotheses and some preliminary evidence for group differences in these relationships. I find that factors that link the present group to the past explain why groups are blamed for their past actions. These findings bring to light the deficiencies in existing theories of blame – calling into question its assumptions and incomplete criterion of judgement.
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Title: Bacterial soft rot of lettuce
Creator: Tisdale, Lionel E.
Date: 1921
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Title: Balancing exploration and exploitation in bottom-up organizational learning contexts
Creator: Walker, Ross Ian
Date: 2018
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In order to keep pace with a rapidly changing environment, organizations must navigate a fundamental tension between exploration and exploitation. Over time, organizations often drift toward exploitation of known strengths and established resources, but this tendency can be harmful in a dynamic and competitive landscape. A classic simulation by James March (1991) demonstrated the importance of maintaining some degree of belief heterogeneity in an organization for the sake of long-term...
Show moreIn order to keep pace with a rapidly changing environment, organizations must navigate a fundamental tension between exploration and exploitation. Over time, organizations often drift toward exploitation of known strengths and established resources, but this tendency can be harmful in a dynamic and competitive landscape. A classic simulation by James March (1991) demonstrated the importance of maintaining some degree of belief heterogeneity in an organization for the sake of long-term learning. In March’s lineage, this thesis examines the effects of various exploratory strategies (i.e., individual experimentation, codification frequency, structural modularity, and employee turnover) on organizational learning in a bottom-up, networked, interpersonal learning context. Results demonstrate the complex interdependency of these variables in the exploration/exploitation tradeoff. Exploratory analyses suggest that a small degree of random individual experimentation has a favorable reward-to-risk ratio and that it is preferable to turnover as an exploratory strategy.
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Title: Baptismal records in the study of the illegal Havana slave trade, 1821-1843
Creator: Barsom, Andrew George
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This thesis describes a dataset drawn from the baptismal registers of four Havana-area churches. Baptism entries date from between 1821 and 1843 and include the baptisms of 7,181 Africans. The goal of creating this thesis is to understand more precisely the demographics of the illegal slave trade, which carried hundreds of thousands of Africans to Cuba over the course of the nineteenth century. It includes data on the age, sex, ethnicity, origin, and legal status of these Africans. Results...
Show moreThis thesis describes a dataset drawn from the baptismal registers of four Havana-area churches. Baptism entries date from between 1821 and 1843 and include the baptisms of 7,181 Africans. The goal of creating this thesis is to understand more precisely the demographics of the illegal slave trade, which carried hundreds of thousands of Africans to Cuba over the course of the nineteenth century. It includes data on the age, sex, ethnicity, origin, and legal status of these Africans. Results are then compared to other sources of data on Africans trafficked to Havana during this period and the implications are discussed. -- Abstract.
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Title: Barcoding, metabarcoding, and experimental analyses of community dynamics and environmental conditions affecting predation of larval lake sturgeon in the Black River, Michigan
Creator: Waraniak, Justin
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The larval stage of most fishes is characterized by high levels of mortality and is likely a bottleneck to recruitment for many populations. Predation is an important source of mortality for the larval stage of many fish species, and is a possible factor driving high mortality in some populations. Lake sturgeon are a species of conservation concern in the Great Lakes region, with many populations experiencing little to no natural recruitment and high mortality rates during the vulnerable egg...
Show moreThe larval stage of most fishes is characterized by high levels of mortality and is likely a bottleneck to recruitment for many populations. Predation is an important source of mortality for the larval stage of many fish species, and is a possible factor driving high mortality in some populations. Lake sturgeon are a species of conservation concern in the Great Lakes region, with many populations experiencing little to no natural recruitment and high mortality rates during the vulnerable egg and larval early life stages. Predation of larval lake sturgeon, and larval fishes generally, has been difficult to quantify with morphological diet analyses due to rapid digestion times in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of predators. This study developed and utilized alternative molecular genetic methods to detect larval lake sturgeon in the diets of predator fishes, as well as conducting an experiment to further examine findings of the molecular diet analysis. Sturgeon-specific barcoding analysis of the COI mtDNA region quantified the predation frequency predation of larval lake sturgeon and revealed increased abundance of alternative prey and abiotic factors that lowered visibility could reduce predation of larval lake sturgeon. Metabarcoding analysis of predator diets using universal 18S rRNA primers revealed seasonal dietary shifts of predators when larval lake sturgeon were present in the prey community compared to after lake sturgeon larvae were no longer available, but that lake sturgeon larvae made up a small portion of the overall diets of predator fishes. Experimental manipulations of relative prey abundance quantified how the prey community could affect predator preferences. This study exemplifies the utility and improved accuracy of molecular tools in detecting predation of larval fish and other soft-bodied prey compared to morphological analyses, as well as the importance of the biotic community and environmental factors influencing predation mortality in larval fishes.
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Title: Barriers and enablers to climate and health adaptation planning in rural, coastal counties in Michigan
Creator: Cangelosi, Elena Jean
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "Authorities have declared that the implementation of adaptation strategies is necessary to protect current and future generations from the public health impacts of climate change (IPCC, 2018; US EPA, 2018; USGCRP, 2018). Yet not all communities have begun to plan for climate change, nor implement adaptation (Rosina Bierbaum et al., 2013a). Current adaptation literature focuses heavily on urban areas, developing countries, and agricultural practices. Nonagricultural-dependent rural areas,...
Show more"Authorities have declared that the implementation of adaptation strategies is necessary to protect current and future generations from the public health impacts of climate change (IPCC, 2018; US EPA, 2018; USGCRP, 2018). Yet not all communities have begun to plan for climate change, nor implement adaptation (Rosina Bierbaum et al., 2013a). Current adaptation literature focuses heavily on urban areas, developing countries, and agricultural practices. Nonagricultural-dependent rural areas, accounting for over 80% of the nonmetro counties in the United States (USDA ERS, 2015), are largely unexplored. Through a qualitative, exploratory, mixed-methods approach, surveys and interviews are used in this study to examine the barriers and enablers to climate and health adaptation in nonagricultural-based rural, coastal Marquette County in Michigan. Relatively advanced in climate adaptation planning, the study area represents a rural county actively addressing climate and health concerns. The findings support other researchers while identifying barriers and enablers unique to nonagricultural-based rural, coastal areas. This study broadens the current understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced in approaching adaptation, in hopes of ultimately better preparing communities for the negative health impacts of climate change."--Page ii.
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Title: Benzylation of O-cresol
Creator: Swartout, Hubert Oscar
Date: 1927
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Title: Biomass production potential, theoretical ethanol yield, environmental sustainability of miscanthus x giganteus and nitrogen fertilizer effect on quantity and quality in five lignocellulosic biomass crops in North-Central US
Creator: Wang, Sichao
Date: 2017
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: ABSTRACTBIOMASS PRODUCTION POTENTIAL, THEORETICAL ETHANOL YIELD, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF MISCANTHUS x GIGANTEUS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER EFFECT ON QUANTITY AND QUALITY IN FIVE LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS CROPS IN NORTH-CENTRAL US BYSichao WangIncreasing concerns on climate change and energy security leads to growing emphasis has been placed on lignocellulosic ethanol industry in the U.S. Among many lignocellulosic feedstock crops, little information about long-term production and quality...
Show moreABSTRACTBIOMASS PRODUCTION POTENTIAL, THEORETICAL ETHANOL YIELD, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF MISCANTHUS x GIGANTEUS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER EFFECT ON QUANTITY AND QUALITY IN FIVE LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS CROPS IN NORTH-CENTRAL US BYSichao WangIncreasing concerns on climate change and energy security leads to growing emphasis has been placed on lignocellulosic ethanol industry in the U.S. Among many lignocellulosic feedstock crops, little information about long-term production and quality of giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) is available in U.S. This study evaluated yield and quality parameters of giant miscanthus in southwest Michigan (KBS) and southcentral Wisconsin (ARL). An attributional life cycle assessment was also performed on giant miscanthus and switchgrass production phases by using empirical data. Nitrogen responses on yield and quality parameters were examined for five perennial bioenergy cropping systems: 1) switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.); 2) giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus); 3) a native grass mixture (5 species); 4) an early successional field; and, 5) a restored prairie (18 species). The highest yield of miscanthus reached 22.81 ± 1.023 Mg ha-1 at KBS and 15.7 ± 0.898 Mg ha-1 at ARL. Giant miscanthus exhibited a positive yield response to nitrogen fertilization at both KBS and ARL and had the highest nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency among five cropping systems evaluated in this study. Compared to switchgrass cropping system, the giant miscanthus cropping system is more favorable in GHG emissions reduction when taking gasoline displacement credits into account. Due to higher yield, giant miscanthus had higher energy return on investment than switchgrass at both KBS and ARL.
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Title: Breeding disease resistant strains of Phaseolus vulgaris
Creator: Putnam, Grosvenor W.
Date: 1922
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Title: Bridging gaps in information : strategies for improving natural resource management in a changing climate
Creator: Tracy, Erin
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "The Great Lakes region has an abundance of natural resources that are ecologically and socioeconomically valuable yet threatened by changing climate. To effectively address impacts of climate change within the Great Lakes region will require managers to mitigate the causes of climate change as well as adapt to current threats and to future changes in both social and ecological systems. This thesis addresses those needs by providing natural resource managers with strategies to increase...
Show more"The Great Lakes region has an abundance of natural resources that are ecologically and socioeconomically valuable yet threatened by changing climate. To effectively address impacts of climate change within the Great Lakes region will require managers to mitigate the causes of climate change as well as adapt to current threats and to future changes in both social and ecological systems. This thesis addresses those needs by providing natural resource managers with strategies to increase support for climate change mitigation policies and by providing them with information on how social and ecological systems may change with changing climate so that they can develop and apply novel management strategies. Results from Chapter 1 show that while Michigan conservation organizations vary in their current engagement with climate change issues and in their willingness to increase engagement with their membership depending on perceived barriers, every organization expressed interest in receiving more information on how climate change will affect the state's fish and wildlife populations. In Chapter 2, we characterized how resilient Michigan river fish habitat may be to anticipated changes in climate. Our results indicate that while cumulative resilience is generally higher in the Upper Peninsula and in the Northern Lower Peninsula, resilient streams are also found in the Southern Lower Peninsula, suggesting that managers have opportunities in every part of the state for protecting and/or improving stream resiliency to changing climate. Collectively, outcomes of this research offer managers new information and strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change, ultimately facilitating the sustainable management of natural resources in a changing climate."--Page ii.
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Title: CD2 regulates pathogenesis of asthma induced by house dust mite extract
Creator: Hashem, Tanwir
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The inflammatory immune response that is characteristic of allergic asthma is triggered by exposure to allergens such as house dust mice extract (HDME) and is driven by CD4+Th2 lymphocytes that secrete large quantities of Th2 cytokines including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, and IL-5. Surface expression of CD2 and its ligand CD58, is increased on the monocytes and eosinophils of asthma patients, which correlate with elevated serum IgE levels, suggesting that CD2 may contribute to allergic airway...
Show moreThe inflammatory immune response that is characteristic of allergic asthma is triggered by exposure to allergens such as house dust mice extract (HDME) and is driven by CD4+Th2 lymphocytes that secrete large quantities of Th2 cytokines including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, and IL-5. Surface expression of CD2 and its ligand CD58, is increased on the monocytes and eosinophils of asthma patients, which correlate with elevated serum IgE levels, suggesting that CD2 may contribute to allergic airway inflammation. Using a murine model of asthma, we observed that HDME-exposed Balb/c mice have increased airway hyper responsiveness (AHR), cellular infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, and elevated levels of Th2 cytokines in the lungs, as well as increased serum IgE levels as compared to the control mice. In contrast, AHR, and cellular infiltration were significantly reduced in HDME-exposed Cd2-/- mice. Interestingly, Il13 but not Il4 or Il5 gene expression in the lungs was significantly reduced in HDME-exposed Cd2-/- mice. Of note, the gene expression of polymeric mucins, Muc5b and Muc5ac were significantly reduced in the lungs of HDME-exposed Cd2-/- mice. Furthermore, gene expression of various protective micro RNAs were increased in the lungs of HDME-exposed Cd2-/- mice. Lastly, in a mouse model of neutrophilic asthma, Cd2-/- mice exhibit significantly reduced AHR and Il13 and Il17a gene expression. Given the established role of IL-13 in promoting goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus production during allergic asthma, and various micro RNAs regulating different aspects of asthma symptoms, our studies reveal a unique role for CD2 in both Th2-high and Th2-low asthma.
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Title: CHARACTERIZING THE SOCIAL GAP IN UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR ENERGY
Creator: Crawford, Jessica Alex
Date: 2021
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Many consider utility-scale photovoltaic solar power to be an essential component of decarbonizing the United States power sector and mitigating climate change. This technology is well accepted by the public in general surveys, yet often faces local resistance during project siting. This phenomenon is known as the “social gap.” Using social gap theory from the wind energy literature as a foundation, this study examines the causes of and offers recommendations for addressing the solar social...
Show moreMany consider utility-scale photovoltaic solar power to be an essential component of decarbonizing the United States power sector and mitigating climate change. This technology is well accepted by the public in general surveys, yet often faces local resistance during project siting. This phenomenon is known as the “social gap.” Using social gap theory from the wind energy literature as a foundation, this study examines the causes of and offers recommendations for addressing the solar social gap in Michigan. The study relied on 33 semi-structured interviews with citizens, government officials, and developers across four Michigan communities, each facing a prospective utility-scale solar project. Through thematic analysis, I show that the solar social gap can be attributed to both a vocal minority that dominated community sentiment and project proposals that failed to meet the community’s standards for acceptable development. The gap was exacerbated by the presence of organized opposition groups as well as decision-makers relying on ineffective public processes to engage citizens. This research makes it clear that government officials and developers need to adopt practices that enhance community representation, process transparency, and decision-influence. Though decision-making strategies are not the only factor that affects community acceptance, implementing improved procedures could help close the solar social gap.
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