Digital Commons Network^™

Global Stability Of Worms In Computer Network, Bimal Kumar Mishra, Aditya Kumar Singh

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

An attempt has been made to show the impact of non-linearity of the worms through SIRS (susceptible – infectious – recovered - susceptible) and SEIRS (susceptible – exposed – infectious – recovered - susceptible) e-epidemic models in computer network. A very general form of non-linear incidence rate has been considered satisfying the worm propagating behavior in computer network. The concavity conditions with a non-linear incidence rate and under the constant population size assumption are shown to be stable. Such systems have either a unique and stable endemic equilibrium state or no endemic equilibrium state at all; in the latter case, …

Effects Of Acculturation On Hiv/Aids Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Asian And Pacific Islander (Api) Women, Margaret Cabotage Salud

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. In the US women are the fastest growing group for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV and AIDS. In addition, the estimated AIDS cases among female adults and adolescents, aged 13-19, increased from 7% in 1985 to approximately 26% in 2002. Most infections occur by heterosexual transmission with 53% occurring through contact with a high-risk sexual partner. While overall HIV/AIDS rates in the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community remain low, they are rising and HIV testing rates, one of the major prevention strategies for HIV, are lower than that of other populations. Furthermore, very little is known about APIs …

Sci-Tech Book News Reviews, Susan Fingerman

Sci-Tech News

This section consists of 100 book reviews selected from Sci-Tech Book News, reprinted with the permission of Book News, Inc.

Novel Neomycin Conjugates For Multi-Recognition Of Nucleic Acids, Albert Willis

All Dissertations

Neomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic known for its high affinity for RNA duplex structures. Recent developments from our labs have indicated that aminoglycoside binding is not limited to RNA, but to nucleic acids that, like RNA, adopt conformations similar to A-form. Our group sought to further expand the utility of aminoglycoside binding to B-DNA structures by conjugating neomycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, with the B-DNA minor groove binding ligand Hoechst 33258. Envisioning a dual groove-binding mode, we have extended the potential recognition process to include a third, intercalative moiety. Furthermore, we observe remarkable recognition of such conjugates with RNA duplex. Spectroscopic …

Spatial Epidemiology Of Birth Defects In The United States And The State Of Utah Using Geographic Information Systems And Spatial Statistics, Samson Y. Gebreab

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Oral clefts are the most common form of birth defects in the United States (US) and the State of Utah has among the highest prevalence of oral clefts in the nation. The overall objective of this dissertation was to examine the spatial distribution of oral clefts and their linkage with a broad range of demographic, behavioral, social, economic, and environmental risk factors through the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistics. Using innovative linked micromaps plots, we investigated the geographic patterns of oral clefts occurrence from 1998 to 2002 and their relationships with maternal smoking rates and proportion …

Inferential Methods For High-Throughput Methylation Data, Maria Capparuccini

Theses and Dissertations

The role of abnormal DNA methylation in the progression of disease is a growing area of research that relies upon the establishment of sound statistical methods. The common method for declaring there is differential methylation between two groups at a given CpG site, as summarized by the difference between proportions methylated db=b1-b2, has been through use of a Filtered Two Sample t-test, using the recommended filter of 0.17 (Bibikova et al., 2006b). In this dissertation, we performed a re-analysis of the data used in recommending the threshold by fitting a mixed-effects ANOVA model. It was determined that the 0.17 filter …

Improving The Power Of Chronic Disease Surveillance By Incorporating Residential History, Justin Manjourides, Marcello Pagano

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

The Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Drugome And Its Polypharmacological Implications, Sarah L. Kinnings, Li Xie, Kingston H. Fung, Richard M. Jackson, Lei Xie, Phillip E. Bourne

Publications and Research

We report a computational approach that integrates structural bioinformatics, molecular modelling and systems biology to construct a drug-target network on a structural proteome-wide scale. The approach has been applied to the genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), the causative agent of one of today’s most widely spread infectious diseases. The resulting drug-target interaction network for all structurally characterized approved drugs bound to putative M.tb receptors, we refer to as the ‘TB-drugome’. The TB-drugome reveals that approximately one-third of the drugs examined have the potential to be repositioned to treat tuberculosis and that many currently unexploited M.tb receptors may be chemically druggable …

Caribbean Corals In Crisis: Record Thermal Stress, Bleaching, And Mortality In 2005, C. Mark Eakin, Jessica A. Morgan, Scott F. Heron, Tyler B. Smith, Gang Liu, Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, Bart J. Baca, Erich Bartels, Carolina Bastidas, Claude Bouchon, Marilyn Brandt, Andrew W. Bruckner, Lucy Bunkley-Williams, Andrew Cameron, Billy D. Causey, Mark Chiappone, Tyler R. L. Christensen, M. James C. Crabbe, Owen Day, Elena De La Guardia, Guillermo Diaz-Pulido, Daniel Diresta, Diego L. Gil-Agudelo, David S. Gilliam, Robert N. Ginsburg, Shannon Gore, Hector M. Guzman, James C. Hendee, Edwin A. Hernandez-Delgado, Ellen Husain, Christopher F. G. Jeffrey, Ross J. Jones, Eric Jordan-Dahlgren, Les S. Kaufman, David I. Kline, Philip A. Kramer, Judith C. Lang, Diego Lirman, Jennie Mallela, Carrie Manfrino, Jean-Philippe Marechal, Ken Marks, Jennifer Mihaly, W. Jeff Miller, Erich M. Mueller, Erinn M. Muller, Carlos A. Orozco Toro, Hazel A. Oxenford, Daniel Ponce-Taylor, Norman Quinn, Kim B. Ritchie, Sebastian Rodriguez, Alberto Rodriguez Ramirez, Sandra Romano, Jameal F. Samhouri, Juan A. Sanchez, George P. Schmahl, Burton V. Shank, William J. Skirving, Sascha C. C. Steiner, Estrella Villamizar, Sheila M. Walsh, Cory Walter, Ernesto Weil, Ernest H. Williams, Kimberly Woody Roberson, Yusri Yusuf

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background: The rising temperature of the world’s oceans has become a major threat to coral reefs globally as the severity and frequency of mass coral bleaching and mortality events increase. In 2005, high ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean resulted in the most severe bleaching event ever recorded in the basin.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Satellite-based tools provided warnings for coral reef managers and scientists, guiding both the timing and location of researchers’ field observations as anomalously warm conditions developed and spread across the greater Caribbean region from June to October 2005. Field surveys of bleaching and mortality exceeded prior …

Indiana Wildlife Disease News, Vol 5, Issue 3 -- November 2010, Joe N. Caudill, Dean Zimmerman

Indiana Wildlife Disease News

Nasal bots in White-tailed Deer

Recent Changes to the Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife

Two New Wildlife Health Reporting Tools: 1) The Wildlife Health Event Reporter (WHER) website, created by Researchers in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, and 2) “Outbreaks Near Me,” created by Children’s Hospital Boston researchers Clark Freifeld and John Brownstein

New Contact at National Wildlife Health Center for Central US States - Dr. LeAnn White

Midwest Wildlife Disease Update:
Two Kentucky Cows Test Positive for TB
Ohio Dairy …

“Mieux Vaut Prévenir Que Guérir”: The Effect Of Natural Disasters On Water- And Sanitation-Related Infectious Diseases And The Increasing Need For Disaster Preparedness, Naomi Malam

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The world is suffering from an extreme global water crisis. 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to adequate clean water, and 2.6 billion people lack access to water and sanitation. Approximately 10 million deaths per year can be attributed to this water crisis; water-borne infectious diseases play a significant role in this death toll. Diarrhoeal disease accounts for 2.6 million deaths per year and is one of the leading causes of death in many developing countries.

We are entering a period of undeniable climate change which is bringing about more natural disasters and extreme weather events than ever …

Mathematical Manipulative Models: In Defense Of "Beanbag Biology", John R. Jungck, Holly Gaff, Anton E. Weisstein

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mathematical manipulative models have had a long history of influence in biological research and in secondary school education, but they are frequently neglected in undergraduate biology education. By linking mathematical manipulative models in a four-step process-1) use of physical manipulatives, 2) interactive exploration of computer simulations, 3) derivation of mathematical relationships from core principles, and 4) analysis of real data sets-we demonstrate a process that we have shared in biological faculty development workshops led by staff from the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium over the past 24 yr. We built this approach based upon a broad survey of literature in mathematical educational …

Importance Of Wildlife Disease Surveillance, Jerrold L. Belant, Amanda R. Deese

Human–Wildlife Interactions

A commentary on the importance of wildlife disease surveillance.

Traditional Plant Use Of The Raglay In Cãu Gãy Village, Núi Chúa National Park, Alex Greene

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Members of the Raglay community of Cãu Gãy Village were interviewed to determine the extent and nature of their traditional reliance on plants. This community, located in the buffer zone of Núi Chúa National Park, was found to utilize 64 plant species for a wide variety of uses. Botanical specimens and photographs were used to identify 42 plants to species level, 13 to genus level, and 6 to family level, while 3 remained unidentified. For each plant, the Raglay name, local Vietnamese name, use, specific application, and preparation were documented, as well as any details of ritual or commercial significance. …

2010 National Clean Energy Summit 3.0: Program Agenda, University Of Nevada Las Vegas, Center For American Progress Action Fund

National Clean Energy Summit

High-level industry leaders, policy experts, investors, and public officials, along with citizens and the media, will gather in Nevada for a day-long summit hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. National Clean Energy Summit 3.0: Investing in American Jobs, the third annual summit, will bring together top minds to chart the course for our nation’s clean energy future.

Full Issue: Vol. 64, Issue 3

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Scraping Behavior In Male White-Tailed Deer As A Potential Means Of Transmitting Chronic Wasting Disease, Travis C. Kinsell

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

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has become a concern for wildlife managers and hunters across the United States. High prevalence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in older male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) suggests that sex-specific social behavior may contribute to the spread of the disease among males. Scraping is a marking behavior performed by male white-tailed deer during the rut in which a pawed depression and associated over-hanging branch are marked with saliva, glandular secretions, urine, and feces. We placed 71 and 35 motion-activated cameras on scrapes in DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in western Nebraska and eastern Iowa from …

Chemical Modification And Biological Activity Exploration Of The Natural Product-Gossypol, Juanjuan Yin

All Dissertations

Gossypol is a naturally occurring, highly colored yellow pigment indigenous to the small intercellular pigment glands of the cotton plant genus Gossypium, which is proposed to be part of plant's defense system. Gossypol is characterized by wide contraceptive, antiviral, anticancer and antifungal properties. However, the relatively high toxicity of gossypol precludes its application in medical therapy. For this reason the syntheses and tests of gossypol derivatives, have been tried to enable their application as drugs. In our study, gossypol based methylation, glycosylation and nanoconjugate reactions were explored. The gossypol derivatives were all fully characterized by NMR, MS, FT-IR, UV spectrometry, …

Climate Change And Globalization In The Americas: Case Studies Of Mitigation And Adaptation, Mary Finley-Brook, Melissa Haeffner, Charmaine Heslop-Thomas, Elma Montaña, Leah Sprain

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Robin Leichenko and Karen O‘Brien have proposed ―double exposure‖ as a conceptual framework to demonstrate how processes of globalization and global environmental change (GEC) redefine risk and encourage new, interrelated responses to social and ecological transitions (O‘Brien and Leichenko, 2000; Leichenko and O'Brien, 2008). In particular, the concept encourages researchers and policy makers to consider interplay between global climate change and globalization and how this is expressed unevenly across space. After reviewing the ways double exposure has been used in the literature, we consider four case studies to investigate the utility of the framework for analyzing and understanding climate change …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 26, Number 2 (July 2010), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Geese as Sentinels for AIV

Feral Swine Issues Survey

A Spate of Footrot

Some Recent SCWDS Awards

Some Worthwhile Causes
Tom Thorne & Beth Williams Memorial Fund
Ed Couvillion Scholarship Fund
Southeastern Wildlife Health Development Fund

Personnel Changes

Recent SCWDS Publications Available

Circulation, Vol. 16, No. 2, Center For Coastal Physical Oceanography, Old Dominion University, Eileen E. Hofmann, John M. Klinck, Mike S. Dinniman

CCPO Circulation

Summer 2010 issue of CCPO Circulation featuring article "CCPO Researchers Focus on the Ross Sea" by Eileen E. Hofmann, John M. Klinck, and Mike Dinniman

Two-Sided Exact Tests And Matching Confidence Intervals For Discrete Data, Michael P. Fay

The R Journal

There is an inherent relationship between two-sided hypothesis tests and confidence intervals. A series of two-sided hypothesis tests may be inverted to obtain the matching 100(1-)% confidence interval defined as the smallest interval that contains all point null parameter values that would not be rejected at the α level. Unfortunately, for discrete data there are several different ways of defining two-sided exact tests and the most commonly used two sided exact tests are defined one way, while the most commonly used exact confidence intervals are inversions of tests defined another way. This can lead to inconsistencies where the exact test …

Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou

Animal Science

Poisonous Rangeland Plants in San Luis Obispo County is a comprehensive educational guide to rangeland plants that are toxic to domestic livestock. This guide begins with an exploration of how the biological systems are affected by the poisonous plant toxins. The biochemistry behind these toxins is included in the discussion. Next, reference material for fourteen plants that inhabit San Luis Obispo County is provided. This information includes specific toxins found in poisonous plants, affected animals, symptoms of poisoning, stages of growth, lethal dose, and distribution of the plant in California. This section of the guide is filled with helpful photos …

Assessing Commercial Organic And Conventionally Grown Vegetables By Monitoring Selected Heavy Metals Found In Them., Charles Kafui Dotse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Commercially available organic and conventionally grown vegetables were studied by quantitative determination of selected metals in them and to determine if any differences found are statistically significant. These findings can help the consumers to determine if the vegetable products are within the recommended maximum limits as proposed by the joint FAO/WHO Expert committee on organic foods designation. Eight edible vegetables were purchased from local stores in both the organic and conventionally grown categories. Samples were digested with concentrated nitric acid and the metals monitored were zinc, copper, lead, iron, cadmium, and nickel using flame atomic absorption. The concentration range for …

Winter Ecology Of Buggy Creek Virus (Togaviridae, Alphavirus) In The Central Great Plains, Charles R. Brown, Stephanie A. Strickler, Amy T. Moore, Sarah A. Knutie, Abinash Padhi, Mary Bomberger Brown, Ginger R. Young, Valerie A. O'Brien, Jerome E. Foster, Nicholas Komar

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A largely unanswered question in the study of arboviruses is the extent to which virus can overwinter in adult vectors during the cold winter months and resume the transmission cycle in summer. Buggy Creek virus (BCRV; Togaviridae, Alphavirus) is an unusual arbovirus that is vectored primarily by the swallow bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae: Oeciacus vicarius) and amplified by the ectoparasitic bug’s main avian hosts, the migratory cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and resident house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Bugs are sedentary and overwinter in the swallows’ mud nests. We evaluated the prevalence of BCRV and extent of …

Indiana Wildlife Disease News, Vol 5, Issue 2 -- May 2010, Joe N. Caudill, Dean Zimmerman

Indiana Wildlife Disease News

Botulism in wildlife

White-nose syndrome (WNS) Spreads into Midwestern United States

Publication on Tularemia Now Available from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center

BOAH in New Location and New Contact Information

Midwest Wildlife Disease Update: No TB Found in Indiana Deer Sampled; New BOAH Contact Information; Indiana Cervid Testing; Indiana Man Dies of Rabies; Missouri Has CWD Positive in Captive Herd; A bat from a cave in northwest Oklahoma has tested positive for the fun-gus associated with WNS; Indiana Continues To Be CWD Free; Illinois CWD Positives in Decline

Hurricane Katrina And The Haitian Earthquake: Appeals For Social Responsibility In Governmental Emergency Management, Shawn Lin

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Automated Extraction Of Structures From Sketches Of Biological Specimens, Jamie Joseph Schirf

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The goal of this study was to develop automated techniques to extract biological structures from sketches of biological specimens. This will form the basis for a searchable database of information about the specimens. Having such a database enables researchers to efficiently search for specimens with particular qualities or identify unknown specimens. After some preprocessing of the images, the important internal organs of the specimen are extracted using image analysis techniques. The shape, size, and organization of the organs are used to categorize and then to reorganize them in the image. Results using a large database of sketches of trematodes, in …

Sci-Tech Book News Reviews, Susan Fingerman

Sci-Tech News

This section consists of 100 book reviews selected from Sci-Tech Book News, reprinted with the permission of Book News, Inc.

Water Quality And Public Health Monitoring Of Surface Waters In The Kura-Araks River Basin Of Armenia, Azerbaijan, And Georgia, Amy Ewing

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The Kura-Araks (sometimes spelled Aras) River Basin is an international river basin located in the South Caucasus with five separate countries contributing area to the watershed. These countries are Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Surface water from the Kura and Araks Rivers is used for a variety of uses, including municipal, agricultural, industrial, and mining, and the waste products from each of these uses are discharged back into the rivers. Many of the resulting contaminants pose significant risks to human health, including exposure to organic pollution derived from municipal use, organochlorine pesticides and high nitrate from agriculture, chemical contamination …