Digital Commons Network^™

Maximizing The Speed Of Influence In Social Networks, Yubo Wang

Master's Projects

Influence maximization in social networks is the problem of selecting a limited

size of influential users as seed nodes so that the influence from these seed nodes can propagate to the largest number of other nodes in the network. Previous studies in influence maximization focused on three areas, i.e., designing propagation models, improving algorithms of seed-node selection and exploiting the structure of social networks. However, most of these studies ignored the time constraint in influence propagation. In this paper, I studied how to maximize influence propagation in a given time, i.e., maximizing the speed of influence propagation in social networks. …

Sociobot: Twitter For Command And Control Of A Botnet, Ismeet Kaur Makkar

Master's Projects

A botnet is a collection of computers controlled by a botmaster, often used for malicious activity. Social network provides an ideal medium for botnets to spread their reach. In this research, we develop and analyze a botnet that uses Twitter for its command and control channel. We use this botnet to perform a distributed denial of service attack on a web server, and we utilize the biological epidemic models to analyze the spread of the botnet using Twitter.

Benzo-Fused Lactams From A Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (Dos) Library As Inhibitors Of Scavenger Receptor Bi (Sr-Bi)-Mediated Lipid Uptake, Chris Dockendorff, Patrick W. Faloon, Jun Pu, Miao Yu, Stephen Johnston, Melissa Bennion, Marsha Penman, Thomas J.F. Nieland, Sivaraman Dandapani, José R. Perez, Benito Munoz, Michelle A. Palmer, Stuart L. Schreiber, Monty Krieger

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

We report a new series of 8-membered benzo-fused lactams that inhibit cellular lipid uptake from HDL particles mediated by Scavenger Receptor, Class B, Type I (SR-BI). The series was identified via a high-throughput screen of the National Institutes of Health Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository (NIH MLSMR), measuring the transfer of the fluorescent lipid DiI from HDL particles to CHO cells overexpressing SR-BI. The series is part of a previously reported diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) library prepared via a build-couple-pair approach. Detailed structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies were performed with a selection of the original library, as well as additional analogs prepared …

Discovering The Biological Activities Of Maltose Derivatives For Controlling Bacterial Multicellular Behaviors, Gauri Shirish Shetye

Dissertations - ALL

Since the serendipitous discovery of the first antibiotic, the "wonder drug" penicillin by Alexander Fleming, bacteria over time have slowly developed resistance to most antibiotics through three well coordinated processes. Firstly, bacteria can evolve their genetic makeup to become resistant against antibiotics; Secondly, bacteria can relay the modified antibiotic resistant genes to other bacteria and other species through a process called conjugation. Thirdly, bacteria quickly give up their individuality to become a part of a team to form surface attached multicellular communities known as biofilms. Bacteria residing within biofilms are protected by a layer of slime which renders the bacteria …

The Human And Environmental Effects Of Cbrn Weapons, Brendan M. Doran

Student Theses 2015-Present

Since the first use of modern weapons of mass destruction during the First World War, the World has lived in fear of these horrifying instruments of death. Gripped by this fear, countries around the world have continued to research, develop, and test these weapons in the spirit of mutually assured destruction. Over the years, science and warfare have continually refined their methods of human extermination, bringing forth some of the most terrifyingly effective weapon systems ever devised. However, the testing and use of these weapons is often a step into the unknown. The repercussions of deploying these weapons are sometimes …

Mapping Soil Erosion Risk And Safety Factors Of The Massanutten Trail System, Joshua R. Foery, Philip V. Sturm

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Public mountain biking and hiking trails can pose challenges to trail-user safety. The purpose of this project is to improve the overall safety factors on the Massanutten Western Slope, in eastern Rockingham County, Virginia, where a 15-plus mile trail system has been made available to a broad range of users. Owned by Massanutten Resort, the trail system is in a remote, forested area frequented by local off-road cyclists, runners, hikers, as well as seasonal tourists and is maintained by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC). This multifaceted project, which integrates ESRI ArcGIS, Trimble Pathfinder, USDA Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) data, …

A Multilaboratory Comparison Of Calibration Accuracy And The Performance Of External References In Analytical Ultracentrifugation, Huaying Zhao, Rodolfo Ghirlando, Carlos Alfonso, Fumio Arisaka, Ilan Attali, David L. Bain, Et Al. ..., Donald F. Becker, Peter Schuck

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets. These allowed for an assessment of many parameters of instrument performance, including accuracy …

Pediapp Finder: Creating A Pediatric Application Database, Sara Pro, Adrianne Leblanc, April Wasjutin, Robert Williams

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

It is estimated that of the 85% of Americans that own cell phones, over half of these cell phone owners use apps on their phone (Fox & Duggan, 2012; Purcell, 2011). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2013), by 2015, 500 million mobile device users will be using mobile health, or “m-Health” apps. Healthcare professionals are increasingly adopting mobile technology as an innovative, cost-efficient, and timesaving tool that may promote patient wellness and disease prevention (Kumar, 2013; mHealth Bible, 2013). Although mobile technology is a natural fit to the field of occupational therapy, research demonstrates that few resources …

Bioenergetics And Habitat Suitability Models For The Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis), Danielle M. Haak

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Relatively little is known about the invasive Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis). This research aims to elucidate some of the mystery surrounding this species. First, we place the species in context with other invasive freshwater snails of the USA and Canada, identifying current information gaps, categorizing shared characteristics among families and species, and comparing functional roles and ecological effects of freshwater snails. We conclude that more focus needs to be directed to regulating the aquarium, pet, and food trades if we are serious about preventing future invasions. Next, we develop a bioenergetics model for the species by quantifying …

Adolescent Girls, Human Rights And The Expanding Climate Emergency, Holly G. Atkinson, Judith Bruce

Publications and Research

Many adolescent girls—the poorest girls in the poorest communities—already live in an “emergency.” Humanitarian crises only amplify the call on their coping and caring capacities, while exacerbating their vulnerabilities. The frequency and intensity of emergencies, including natural disasters, conflicts, and infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, appear to be growing.¹ These emergencies threaten entire communities and whole countries, often with global implications. Many become virtually permanent. The authors urge key actors responding to both the threats and opportunities that climate change poses to understand adolescent girls as exceptionally at risk on the one hand, and as exceptionally resilient and …

Synthesis Of Fluorogenic Probes For Studying Biomass Degradation And Synthesis Of New Antifungal Aminoglycosides, Qian Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For the first project, a library of fifteen commercially purchased and synthetic fluorogenic probes were employed for the investigation of biomass degradation using extract of white-rot fungi. These discoveries prove that it is possible to employ fungi for selective degradation or release of hemicelluloses from biomass. This work is supported by Sun Grant Western Regional Center/DOT "Bioprospecting for Enzymes to Break Lignin-Hemicellulose Bond" ($300,000,09/01/2011-08/31/2013)

The second project is focused on synthesizing new aminoglycoside analogs and exploring the potential to revive traditional antibacterial kanamycin as new type of antifungal agents. Although aminoglycosides antibiotics are mainly used as antibacterial agents, this project …

Statement And Action Agenda From The Girls In Emergencies Collaborative, Omar Robles, Judith Bruce, Holly G. Atkinson, Dale Buscher, Karen Scriven, Kristin Kim Bart, Shelby French, Judithe Registre, Audrey Anderson

Publications and Research

Many adolescent girls—the poorest girls in the poorest communities—already live in an “emergency.” Humanitarian crises only amplify the call on their coping and caring capacities, while exacerbating their vulnerabilities. The frequency and intensity of emergencies, including natural disasters, conflicts, and infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, appear to be growing. These emergencies threaten entire communities and whole countries, often with global implications. Many become virtually permanent.

Mathematical Modeling Of Communicable Imported Diseases Screening In The United Arab Emirates, Lahbib Ben Ahmadi

Theses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), as one of the countries with high numbers of expatriates in the world, is expected to face public health challenges. The reason for this situation is that the majority of those expatriates belong to regions where health issues are usually left behind. This may create the possibility of having imported communicable diseases. However, screening policy should be tested and adapted to protect the population from any imported communicable disease. This study aims at identifying an approach and method to deal with these imported diseases via a set of differential equations. The spread of a communicable …

High Throughput Screen Identifies Natural Product Inhibitor Of Phenylalanyl-Trna Synthetase From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa And Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Yanmei Hu, Stephanie O. Palmer, Hector Munoz, James M. Bullard

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae are causative agents in a wide range of infections. Genes encoding proteins corresponding to phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) were cloned from both bacteria. The two forms of PheRS were kinetically evaluated and the Km's for P. aeruginosa PheRS with its three substrates, phenylalanine, ATP and tRNA^Phe were determined to be 48, 200, and 1.2 μM, respectively, while the Km's for S. pneumoniae PheRS with respect to phenylalanine, ATP and tRNA^Phe were 21, 225 and 0.94 μM, respectively. P. aeruginosa and S. pneumoniae PheRS were used to screen a natural compound library and a single …

Revised Model For Antibiotic Resistance In A Hospital, Ruhang Pei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we modify an existing model for the spread of resistant bacteria in a hospital. The existing model does not account for some of the trends seen in the data found in literature. The new model takes some of these trends into account. For the new model, we examine issues relating to identifiability, sensitivity analysis, parameter estimation, uncertainty analysis, and equilibrium stability.

Whole Genome Comparison Of A Large Collection Of Mycobacteriophages Reveals A Continuum Of Phage Genetic Diversity, Welkin H. Pope, Charles A. Bowman, Daniel A. Russell, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, David J. Asai, Steven G. Cresawn, William R. Jacobs Jr, Roger W. Hendrix, Jeffrey G. Lawrence, Graham F. Hatfull, Dr. Kathleen Cornely

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The bacteriophage population is large, dynamic, ancient, and genetically diverse. Limited genomic information shows that phage genomes are mosaic, and the genetic architecture of phage populations remains ill-defined. To understand the population structure of phages infecting a single host strain, we isolated, sequenced, and compared 627 phages of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Their genetic diversity is considerable, and there are 28 distinct genomic types (clusters) with related nucleotide sequences. However, amino acid sequence comparisons show pervasive genomic mosaicism, and quantification of inter-cluster and intra-cluster relatedness reveals a continuum of genetic diversity, albeit with uneven representation of different phages. Furthermore, rarefaction analysis shows …

The Plight Of The Lucluc: Examining The Deadly Mystery Of Nodding Syndrome, Ethan K. Mcgann

Senior Honors Theses

Nodding syndrome (NS) is an emerging epidemic neurological disease that is shrouded in mystery. It is currently only found in the post-conflict regions of South Sudan, northern Uganda, and Tanzania. NS occurs in children from the ages of five to fifteen and is characterized by a loss of motor control in the neck muscles. Seizure episodes can range in intensity from atonic to tonic-clonic, and the onset of the first episode generally marks the beginning of a decline in the child’s physical and mental health. NS is a progressive disease that generally results in physical wasting, stunted growth, behavioral difficulties, …

14th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Undergraduate Student Symposium, sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, presents student projects through presentations, papers, and poster displays. The event serves as a “showcase” demonstrating the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate students at NSU. The symposium is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Projects cover areas of student scholarship ranging from the experimental and the applied to the computational, theoretical, artistic, and literary. They are taken from class assignments and independent projects. The projects do not have to be complete; presentations can represent any stage in the concept’s evolution, from proposal and literature review to fully …

Investigation Of Bioactive Metabolites From The Antarctic Sponge Dendrilla Membranosa And Marine Microorganisms, Chris G. Witowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural products continue to be a valuable source of compounds in research involving chemical ecology and drug discovery. Secondary metabolites are biosynthesized to benefit the host organism in its environment (feeding deterrence from predators, antibiotic properties to avoid infection, etc.) but these compounds also serve as useful scaffolds in drug discovery applications. The research herein describes both aspects of these two branches of natural products chemistry. The Antarctic sponge Dendrilla membranosa produces diterpenes, of which membranolide A, deters feeding of the predatory amphipod Gondogenia antarctica. A metabolomic study of several sponges was undertaken to determine environmental factors that govern …

Mathematical Modeling Of Trending Topics On Twitter, Jonathan S. Skaza

Honors Projects in Mathematics

Created in 2006, Twitter is an online social networking service in which users share and read 140-character messages called Tweets. The site has approximately 288 million monthly active users who produce about 500 million Tweets per day. This study applies dynamical and statistical modeling strategies to quantify the spread of information on Twitter. Parameter estimates for the rates of infection and recovery are obtained using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. The methodological strategy employed is an extension of techniques traditionally used in an epidemiological and biomedical context (particularly in the spread of infectious disease). This study, which addresses …

Microbial Communities Of The Providence River, Jacqueline Kratch

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

The Providence River has been industrialized for over one-hundred years. Industries such as oil storage and metal recycling facilities have left high levels of pollutant metals, including lead (Pb), in the soil and water. The elevated Pb concentrations in these environments influence the selection of Pb resistance mechanisms in the bacterial community1. One mechanism of heavy metal resistance is the Pb efflux pump, consisting of proteins in the cell membrane that aid in the transport of Pb out of the cell2. In this study we investigated the co-occurrence of Pb efflux pumps and antibiotic efflux pumps in bacteria from Pb …

Discrete Epidemic Models With Arbitrarily Distributed Disease Stages, Nancy Hernandez Ceron

Open Access Dissertations

The use of discrete-time models (or discrete models) in the field of mathematical epidemiology has been limited while continuous-time models (or continuous models) are often times preferred, particularly because disease dynamics do occur continuously in time and more mathematical tools are available for model analysis. How- ever, discrete models are not only more tractable and easier to understand, but also more directly related to data, particularly when the disease stage distributions are arbitrarily distributed (e.g., when the data cannot be fitted by distributions from a parametric family). Under these circumstances continuous models usually lead to complex system of integral equations. …

Investigating Synergy: Mathematical Models For The Coupled Dynamics Of Hiv And Hsv-2 And Other Endemic Diseases, Christina M Alvey

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents epidemiological models that investigate synergy: synergy between HIV and HSV-2 or between humans and mosquitoes in a malaria study. Each of the three coupled disease models addresses different epidemiological questions with regard to gender or disease structure in the context of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), while the malaria model focuses on age-structure of the human population. ^ Mounting evidence indicates that HSV-2 infection may increase susceptibility to HIV infection and that co-infection may increase infectiousness. Accordingly, antiviral treatment of people with HSV-2 may mitigate the incidence of HIV in populations where both pathogens occur. To better understand the …

Mathematical Modeling Of The Imported Malaria In The United Arab Emirates, Fatima Hassan Ali Alawadhi

Theses

Although the UAE was certified to be free of local malaria transmission cases in 2007, the increased number of imported malaria cases in recent years required the attention of the public health professionals. The aim of this work is to study, via mathematical modeling, the impact of imported malaria cases on the population of the UAE. The nature of the health policies in the UAE imposes on us a model that classifies the living population of the UAE in two categories. The local population, who represent the permanent residents that do not have any health requirement for their residency, and …

Targeted Estimation And Inference For The Sample Average Treatment Effect, Laura B. Balzer, Maya L. Petersen, Mark J. Van Der Laan

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

While the population average treatment effect has been the subject of extensive methods and applied research, less consideration has been given to the sample average treatment effect: the mean difference in the counterfactual outcomes for the study units. The sample parameter is easily interpretable and is arguably the most relevant when the study units are not representative of a greater population or when the exposure's impact is heterogeneous. Formally, the sample effect is not identifiable from the observed data distribution. Nonetheless, targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) can provide an asymptotically unbiased and efficient estimate of both the population and sample …

Session 2c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Investigating the Recent Invasion of Silver Carp (Hypopthalmicthys molitrix) into Kentucky Lake, Utilizing Diet and Long Term Data Analysis, Ben Tumolo and Michael B. Flinn, Hancock Biological Station, Murray State University, Murray, KY
• Assessment of Chytrid Fungus (Bactrachochytrium dendrobatidis) Occurrence and Prevalence in Plethodontid Salamanders Across a Forest Disturbance Gradient in Southeastern Kentucky, Sarah M. Hamilton and others, Forestry Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Strain Diversity in the Fecal Indicator Escherichia coli: Implications for its Use as a Produce Pathogen Surrogate, Ethan Givan and others, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY

Dynamics Of Marine Bacterial Community Diversity Of The Coastal Waters Of The Reefs, Inlets, And Wastewater Outfalls Of Southeast Florida, Alexandra Mandina Campbell, Jay Fleisher, Christopher D. Sinigalliano, James R. White, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coastal waters adjacent to populated southeast Florida possess different habitats (reefs, oceanic inlets, sewage outfalls) that may affect the composition of their inherent microbiomes. To determine variation according to site, season, and depth, over the course of 1 year, we characterized the bacterioplankton communities within 38 nearshore seawater samples derived from the Florida Area Coastal Environment (FACE) water quality survey. Six distinct coastal locales were profiled – the Port Everglades and Hillsboro Inlets, Hollywood and Broward wastewater outfalls, and associated reef sites using culture-independent, high-throughput pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region. More than 227,000 sequences helped describe longitudinal taxonomic …

Assessing Usual Care In Clinical Trials, Judith A. Erlen, Lisa K. Tamres, Nancy Reynolds, Carol E. Golin, Marc I. Rosen, Robert H. Remien, Julie W. Banderas, Neil Schneiderman, Glenn Wagner, David Bangsberg, Honghu Liu

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Researchers designing clinical trials often specify usual care received by participants as the control condition expecting that all participants receive usual care regardless of group assignment. The assumption is that the groups in the study are affected similarly. We describe the assessment of usual care within the 16 studies in MACH 14, a multi-site collaboration on adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Only five of the studies in MACH 14 assessed usual care. Assessment protocols varied as did the timing and frequency of assessments. All usual care assessments addressed patient education focused on HIV, HIV medications, and medication adherence. Our findings support …

Efektivitas Air Perasan Kulit Jeruk Manis Sebagai Larvasida Nyamuk Aedes Aegypti, Dita Nurhaifah, Tri Wahyuni Sukesi

Kesmas

Demam berdarah dengue ditularkan nyamuk Aedes aegypti yang dapat dicegah dengan temefos. Penggunaan yang berkelanjutan berdampak pada resistensi nyamuk dan kerusakan lingkungan. Untuk itu perlu larvasida alami dengan menggunakan air perasan kulit jeruk manis. Tujuan penelitian untuk membuktikan efektivitas air perasan kulit jeruk manis dalam membunuh larva uji dilihat dari nilai LC50 dan LT50 serta perbedaan efektivitasnya dengan temefos. Sampel 25 larva Aedes aegypti setiap gelas media dengan kriteria inklusi instar III yang aktif dan kriteria eksklusi larva instar I, II dan yang telah menjadi pupa/mati. Larva uji diamati selama 24 jam dengan tiga kali pengulangan. Desain penelitian adalah eksperimental …

Model Pengendalian Faktor Risiko Stunting Pada Anak Bawah Tiga Tahun, Erna Kusumawati, Setiyowati Rahardjo, Hesti Permata Sari

Kesmas

Stunting merupakan masalah gizi, terbukti data pemantauan status gizi Kabupaten Banyumas 2012 prevalensi stunting sebesar 28,37% dan prevalensi tertinggi (41,6%) di Puskesmas Kedungbanteng. Tujuan penelitian untuk menganalisis faktor risiko terkait faktor anak, ibu, lingkungan terhadap stunting bawah tiga tahun (batita) agar dapat dikembangkan model pengendaliannya. Penelitian menggunakan desain kasus kontrol, populasi adalah seluruh anak usia 6 sampai 36 bulan di Puskesmas Kedungbanteng Kabupaten Banyumas selama enam bulan tahun 2013. Sampel kasus adalah 50 batita stunting, sampel kontrol adalah 50 batita status normal. Teknik pengambilan sampel kasus diambil dari tujuh desa yang terbanyak stuntingnya, sedangkan kontrol adalah batita normal tetangga terdekat …