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Rna-Destabilizing Factor Tristetraprolin Negatively Regulates Nf-Kappa B Signaling, Jian Liang, Tianhua Lei, Yuting Song, Natalie Yanes, Yongfen Qi, Mingui Fu Jan 2009

Rna-Destabilizing Factor Tristetraprolin Negatively Regulates Nf-Kappa B Signaling, Jian Liang, Tianhua Lei, Yuting Song, Natalie Yanes, Yongfen Qi, Mingui Fu

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a CCCH zinc finger-containing protein that destabilizes mRNA by binding to an AU-rich element. Mice deficient in TTP develop a severe inflammatory syndrome mainly because of overproduction of tumor necrosis factor alpha. We report here that TTP also negatively regulates NF-kappa B signaling at the transcriptional corepressor level, by which it may repress inflammatory gene transcription. TTP expression inhibited NF-kappa B-dependent transcription. However, overexpression of TTP did not affect reporter mRNA stability. Instead, TTP functioned as a corepressor of p65/NF-kappa B. In support of this concept, we found that TTP physically interacted with the p65 subunit of …

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Polyamine Transport As A Target For Treatment Of Pneumocystis Pneumonia, Chung-Ping Liao, Otto Phanstiel Iv, Mark E. Lasbury, Chen Zhang, Shoujin Shao, Pamela J. Durant, Bi-Hua Cheng, Chao-Hung Lee Jan 2009

Polyamine Transport As A Target For Treatment Of Pneumocystis Pneumonia, Chung-Ping Liao, Otto Phanstiel Iv, Mark E. Lasbury, Chen Zhang, Shoujin Shao, Pamela J. Durant, Bi-Hua Cheng, Chao-Hung Lee

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Polyamine levels are greatly increased in alveolar macrophages (AMs) during Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), leading to increased production of H(2)O(2), which causes AMs to undergo apoptosis. One of the mechanisms by which polyamine levels in AMs are elevated is enhanced uptake of exogenous polyamines. In this study, the possibility of targeting polyamine uptake as a treatment for PCP was examined. Four anthracene- and one benzene-polyamine conjugates that are potential polyamine transport inhibitors, including N1-anthracen-9-ylmethylbutane-1,4-diamine; N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-anthracen-9-ylmethylbutane-1,4-diamine; N-[4-(4-aminobutylamino)butyl]-N-anthracen-9-ylmethylbutane-1,4- diamine; N-(4-amino-butyl)-N'-(10-{[4-(4-aminobutylamino)butylamino]-methyl}anthracen-9-ylmethyl)butane-1,4-diamine (44-Ant-44); and benzene-polyamine conjugate N-(4-amino-butyl)-N'-(4-{[4-(4-amino-butylamino)butylamino]-methyl} benzyl)butane-1,4-diamine (44Bn-44), were tested. Compounds 44-Ant-44 and 44-Bn-44 were found to have a very low toxicity to AMs …

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Multiplexed Highly Sensitive Detections Of Cancer Biomarkers In Thermal Space Using Encapsulated Phase Change Nanoparticles, Liyuan Ma, Yan Hong, Zeyu Ma, Charalambos Kaittanis, J. Manuel Perez, Ming Su Jan 2009

Multiplexed Highly Sensitive Detections Of Cancer Biomarkers In Thermal Space Using Encapsulated Phase Change Nanoparticles, Liyuan Ma, Yan Hong, Zeyu Ma, Charalambos Kaittanis, J. Manuel Perez, Ming Su

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

We describe a multiplexed highly sensitive method to detect cancer biomarkers using silica encapsulated phase change nanoparticles as thermal barcodes. During phase changes, nanoparticles absorb heat energy without much temperature rise and show sharp melting peaks (0.6 degrees C). A series of phase change nanoparticles of metals or alloys can be synthesized in such a way that they melt between 100 and 700 degrees C, thus the multiplicity could reach 1000. The method has high sensitivity (8 nM) that can be enhanced using materials with large latent heat, nanoparticles with large diameter, or reducing the grafting density of biomolecules on …

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Changes In Dry State Hemoglobin Over Time Do Not Increase The Potential For Oxidative Dna Damage In Dried Blood, April Marrone, Jack Ballantyne Jan 2009

Changes In Dry State Hemoglobin Over Time Do Not Increase The Potential For Oxidative Dna Damage In Dried Blood, April Marrone, Jack Ballantyne

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Background: Hemoglobin (Hb) is the iron-containing oxygen transport protein present in the red blood cells of vertebrates. Ancient DNA and forensic scientists are particularly interested in Hb reactions in the dry state because both regularly encounter aged, dried bloodstains. The DNA in such stains may be oxidatively damaged and, in theory, may be deteriorated by the presence of Hb. To understand the nature of the oxidative systems potentially available to degrade DNA in the presence of dried Hb, we need to determine what molecular species Hb forms over time. These species will determine what type of iron (i.e. Fe(2+)/Fe(3+)/Fe(4+)) is …

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A Multivariate Approach To A Meta-Analytic Review Of The Effectiveness Of The Dare Program, Wei Pan, Haiyan Bai Jan 2009

A Multivariate Approach To A Meta-Analytic Review Of The Effectiveness Of The Dare Program, Wei Pan, Haiyan Bai

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program is a widespread but controversial school-based drug prevention program in the United States as well as in many other countries. The present multivariate meta-analysis reviewed 20 studies that assessed the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program in the United States. The results showed that the effects of the D.A.R.E. program on drug use did not vary across the studies with a less than small overall effect while the effects on psychosocial behavior varied with still a less than small overall effect. In addition, the characteristics of the studies significantly explained the variation of the …

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Development Of Novel Integrated Bio/Chemical Sensor Systems Using Chalcogenide Glass Materials, Laeticia Petit, Nathan Carlie, Bodgan Zdyrko, Igor Luzinov, Kathleen Richardson, Juejun Hu, Anu Agarwal, Lionel Kimerling, Troy Anderson, Martin Richardson Jan 2009

Development Of Novel Integrated Bio/Chemical Sensor Systems Using Chalcogenide Glass Materials, Laeticia Petit, Nathan Carlie, Bodgan Zdyrko, Igor Luzinov, Kathleen Richardson, Juejun Hu, Anu Agarwal, Lionel Kimerling, Troy Anderson, Martin Richardson

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

This paper reviews ongoing progress in the design and fabrication of new, on-chip, low loss planar molecular sensors. We report the details of device design, material selection and manufacturing processes used to realise high-index-contrast (HIC), compact micro-disk resonators. These structures have been fabricated in thermally evaporated As- and Ge-based chalcogenide glass films with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) micro-fluidic channels using standard UV lithography. Discussed are findings that demonstrate that our novel chalcogenide-based micro-fluidic device can be used as highly sensitive refractive index sensors.

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Novel Cell-Based Method To Detect Shiga Toxin 2 From Escherichia Coli O157: H7 And Inhibitors Of Toxin Activity, Beatriz Quiñones, Shane Massey, Mendel Friedman, Michelle S. Swimley, Ken Teter Jan 2009

Novel Cell-Based Method To Detect Shiga Toxin 2 From Escherichia Coli O157: H7 And Inhibitors Of Toxin Activity, Beatriz Quiñones, Shane Massey, Mendel Friedman, Michelle S. Swimley, Ken Teter

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Escherichia coli O157: H7 is a leading cause of food-borne illness. This human pathogen produces Shiga toxins (Stx1 and Stx2) which inhibit protein synthesis by inactivating ribosome function. The present study describes a novel cell-based assay to detect Stx2 and inhibitors of toxin activity. A Vero cell line harboring a destabilized variant (half- life, 2 h) of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (d2EGFP) was used to monitor the toxin-induced inhibition of protein synthesis. This Vero-d2EGFP cell line produced a fluorescent signal which could be detected by microscopy or with a plate reader. However, a greatly attenuated fluorescent signal was detected …

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Building A Robotic Program, B. Rocco, A. Lorusso, R. F. Coelho, K. J. Palmer, V. R. Patel Jan 2009

Building A Robotic Program, B. Rocco, A. Lorusso, R. F. Coelho, K. J. Palmer, V. R. Patel

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

No abstract provided.

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Reawakening Retrocyclins: Ancestral Human Defensins Active Against Hiv-1, Nitya Venkataraman, Amy L. Cole, Piotr Ruchala, Alan J. Waring, Robert I. Lehrer, Olga Stuchlik, Jan Pohl, Alexander M. Cole Jan 2009

Reawakening Retrocyclins: Ancestral Human Defensins Active Against Hiv-1, Nitya Venkataraman, Amy L. Cole, Piotr Ruchala, Alan J. Waring, Robert I. Lehrer, Olga Stuchlik, Jan Pohl, Alexander M. Cole

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Human alpha and beta defensins contribute substantially to innate immune defenses against microbial and viral infections. Certain nonhuman primates also produce theta-defensins-18 residue cyclic peptides that act as HIV-1 entry inhibitors. Multiple human theta-defensin genes exist, but they harbor a premature termination codon that blocks translation. Consequently, the theta-defensins (retrocyclins) encoded within the human genome are not expressed as peptides. In vivo production of theta-defensins in rhesus macaques involves the post-translational ligation of two nonapeptides, each derived from a 12-residue "demidefensin" precursor. Neither the mechanism of this unique process nor its existence in human cells is known. To ascertain if …

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Evidence For An Ancient Adaptive Episode Of Convergent Molecular Evolution, Todd A. Castoe, A. P. Jason De Koning, Hyun-Min Kim, Wanjun Gu, Brice P. Noonan, Gavin Naylor, Zhi J. Jiang, Christopher L. Parkinson, David D. Pollock Jan 2009

Evidence For An Ancient Adaptive Episode Of Convergent Molecular Evolution, Todd A. Castoe, A. P. Jason De Koning, Hyun-Min Kim, Wanjun Gu, Brice P. Noonan, Gavin Naylor, Zhi J. Jiang, Christopher L. Parkinson, David D. Pollock

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Documented cases of convergent molecular evolution due to selection are fairly unusual, and examples to date have involved only a few amino acid positions. However, because convergence mimics shared ancestry and is not accommodated by current phylogenetic methods, it can strongly mislead phylogenetic inference when it does occur. Here, we present a case of extensive convergent molecular evolution between snake and agamid lizard mitochondrial genomes that overcomes an otherwise strong phylogenetic signal. Evidence from morphology, nuclear genes, and most sites in the mitochondrial genome support one phylogenetic tree, but a subset of mostly amino acid-altering substitutions ( primarily at the …

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Urban Land Use And Land Cover Classification Using The Neural-Fuzzy Inference Approach With Formosat-2 Data, Ho-Wen Chen, Ni-Bin Chang, Ruey-Fang Yu, Yi-Wen Huang Jan 2009

Urban Land Use And Land Cover Classification Using The Neural-Fuzzy Inference Approach With Formosat-2 Data, Ho-Wen Chen, Ni-Bin Chang, Ruey-Fang Yu, Yi-Wen Huang

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

This paper presents a neural-fuzzy inference approach to identify the land use and land cover (LULC) patterns in a fast growing urban region with the 8-meter resolution of multi-spectral images collected by Formosat-2 satellite. Texture and feature analyses support the retrieval of fuzzy rules in the context of data mining to discern the embedded LULC patterns via a neural-fuzzy inference approach. The case study for Taichung City in central Taiwan shows the application potential based on five LULC classes. With the aid of integrated fuzzy rules and a neural network model, the optimal weights associated with these achievable rules can …

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Loss Of Prostasin (Prss8) In Human Bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines Is Associated With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (Emt), Li-Mei Chen, Nicole J. Verity, Karl X. Chai Jan 2009

Loss Of Prostasin (Prss8) In Human Bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines Is Associated With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (Emt), Li-Mei Chen, Nicole J. Verity, Karl X. Chai

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Background: The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored epithelial extracellular membrane serine protease prostasin (PRSS8) is expressed abundantly in normal epithelia and essential for terminal epithelial differentiation, but down-regulated in human prostate, breast, and gastric cancers and invasive cancer cell lines. Prostasin is involved in the extracellular proteolytic modulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and is an invasion suppressor. The aim of this study was to evaluate prostasin expression states in the transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) of the human bladder and in human TCC cell lines. Methods: Normal human bladder tissues and TCC on a bladder cancer tissue microarray (TMA) were evaluated …

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The Homocysteine-Inducible Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Protein Counteracts Calcium Store Depletion And Induction Of Ccaat Enhancer-Binding Protein Homologous Protein In A Neurotoxin Model Of Parkinson Disease, Srinivasulu Chigurupati, Zelan Wei, Cherine Belal, Myrian Vandermey, George A. Kyriazis, Thiruma V. Arumugam, Sic L. Chan Jan 2009

The Homocysteine-Inducible Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Protein Counteracts Calcium Store Depletion And Induction Of Ccaat Enhancer-Binding Protein Homologous Protein In A Neurotoxin Model Of Parkinson Disease, Srinivasulu Chigurupati, Zelan Wei, Cherine Belal, Myrian Vandermey, George A. Kyriazis, Thiruma V. Arumugam, Sic L. Chan

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a key organelle regulating intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. Oxidants and mitochondria-derived free radicals can target ER-based Ca(2+) regulatory proteins and cause uncontrolled Ca(2+) release that may contribute to protracted ER stress and apoptosis. Several ER stress proteins have been suggested to counteract the deregulation of ER Ca(2+) homeostasis and ER stress. Here we showed that knockdown of Herp, an ubiquitin-like domain containing ER stress protein, renders PC12 and MN9D cells vulnerable to 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced cytotoxic cell death by a mechanism involving up-regulation of CHOP expression and ER Ca(2+) depletion. Conversely, Herp overexpression confers protection by blocking 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced …

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Optimization Of Codon Composition And Regulatory Elements For Expression Of Human Insulin Like Growth Factor-1 In Transgenic Chloroplasts And Evaluation Of Structural Identity And Function, Henry Daniell, Gricel Ruiz, Bela Denes, Laurence Sandberg, William Langridge Jan 2009

Optimization Of Codon Composition And Regulatory Elements For Expression Of Human Insulin Like Growth Factor-1 In Transgenic Chloroplasts And Evaluation Of Structural Identity And Function, Henry Daniell, Gricel Ruiz, Bela Denes, Laurence Sandberg, William Langridge

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Background: Transgenic chloroplasts are potential bioreactors for recombinant protein production, especially for achievement of high levels of protein expression and proper folding. Production of therapeutic proteins in leaves provides transgene containment by elimination of reproductive structures. Therefore, in this study, human Insulin like Growth Factor-1 is expressed in transgenic chloroplasts for evaluation of structural identity and function. Results: Expression of the synthetic Insulin like Growth Factor 1 gene (IGF-1s, 60% AT) was observed in transformed E. coli. However, no native IGF-1 gene (IGF-1n, 41% AT) product was detected in the western blots in E. coli. Site-specific integration of the transgenes …

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A Novel In Vitro Multiple-Stress Dormancy Model For Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Generates A Lipid-Loaded, Drug-Tolerant, Dormant Pathogen, Chirajyoti Deb, Chang-Muk Lee, Vinod S. Dubey, Jaiyanth Daniel, Bassam Abomoelak, Tatiana D. Sirakova, Santosh Pawar, Linda Rogers, Pappachan E. Kolattukudy Jan 2009

A Novel In Vitro Multiple-Stress Dormancy Model For Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Generates A Lipid-Loaded, Drug-Tolerant, Dormant Pathogen, Chirajyoti Deb, Chang-Muk Lee, Vinod S. Dubey, Jaiyanth Daniel, Bassam Abomoelak, Tatiana D. Sirakova, Santosh Pawar, Linda Rogers, Pappachan E. Kolattukudy

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) becomes dormant and phenotypically drug resistant when it encounters multiple stresses within the host. Inability of currently available drugs to kill latent Mtb is a major impediment to curing and possibly eradicating tuberculosis (TB). Most in vitro dormancy models, using single stress factors, fail to generate a truly dormant Mtb population. An in vitro model that generates truly dormant Mtb cells is needed to elucidate the metabolic requirements that allow Mtb to successfully go through dormancy, identify new drug targets, and to screen drug candidates to discover novel drugs that can kill dormant pathogen. Methodology/Principal Findings: …

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Social Service Staffing In Us Nursing Homes, Denise Gammonley, Ning Jackie Zhang, Kathryn Frahm, Seung Chun Paek Jan 2009

Social Service Staffing In Us Nursing Homes, Denise Gammonley, Ning Jackie Zhang, Kathryn Frahm, Seung Chun Paek

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Using data from the 2003 national Online Survey Certification and Reporting System, this study examines how the structure of social service staffing in nursing homes is affected by organizational and contextual factors. The results suggest that, although federal regulations impose minimal obligation, requiring only facilities with more than 120 beds to employ qualified social service providers, nearly 12 percent of these facilities failed to meet this staffing requirement in 2003. Results further suggest that the skill mix of social service providers in nursing homes is influenced by market competition, market demand, facility ownership, aggregate resident acuity, and the proportion of …

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Met Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Degradation Is Altered In Response To The Leucine-Rich Repeat Of The Listeria Invasion Protein Internalin B, Xiu Gao, Marta Lorinczi, Kristen S. Hill, Natasha C. Brooks, Hatem Dokainish, Keith Ireton, Lisa A. Elferink Jan 2009

Met Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Degradation Is Altered In Response To The Leucine-Rich Repeat Of The Listeria Invasion Protein Internalin B, Xiu Gao, Marta Lorinczi, Kristen S. Hill, Natasha C. Brooks, Hatem Dokainish, Keith Ireton, Lisa A. Elferink

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Entry of the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes into host epithelial cells is critical for infection and virulence. One major pathway for Listeria entry involves binding of the bacterial protein Internalin B to the host receptor tyrosine kinase Met ( hepatocyte growth factor receptor). Activation of Met and downstream signaling cascades is critical for Listeria entry. Internalin B is composed of several structural domains including an N-terminal leucine-rich repeat that is sufficient for binding Met and stimulating downstream signal transduction. Internalin B is monomeric, whereas the leucine-rich repeat is dimeric when expressed as an isolated fragment. The different quaternary states of …

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Decorin Is A Novel Antagonistic Ligand Of The Met Receptor, Silvia Goldoni, Ashley Humphries, Alexander Nyström, Sampurna Sattar, Rick T. Owens, David J. Mcquillan, Keith Ireton, Renato V. Iozzo Jan 2009

Decorin Is A Novel Antagonistic Ligand Of The Met Receptor, Silvia Goldoni, Ashley Humphries, Alexander Nyström, Sampurna Sattar, Rick T. Owens, David J. Mcquillan, Keith Ireton, Renato V. Iozzo

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Decorin, a member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan gene family, impedes tumor cell growth by down-regulating the epidermal growth factor receptor. Decorin has a complex binding repertoire, thus, we predicted that decorin would modulate the bioactivity of other tyrosine kinase receptors. We discovered that decorin binds directly and with high affinity (K(d) = similar to 1.5 nM) to Met, the receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Binding of decorin to Met is efficiently displaced by HGF and less efficiently by internalin B, a bacterial Met ligand. Interaction of decorin with Met induces transient receptor activation, recruitment of the E3 ubiquitin …

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Bacterial Selenoproteins: A Role In Pathogenesis And Targets For Antimicrobial Development, Sarah Rosario Jan 2009

Bacterial Selenoproteins: A Role In Pathogenesis And Targets For Antimicrobial Development, Sarah Rosario

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selenoproteins are unique proteins in which selenocysteine is inserted into the polypeptide chain by highly specialized translational machinery. They exist within all three kingdoms of life. The functions of these proteins in biology are still being defined. In particular, the importance of selenoproteins in pathogenic microorganisms has received little attention. We first established that a nosocomial pathogen, Clostridium difficile, utilizes a selenoenzyme dependent pathway for energy metabolism. Following this initial characterization, we demonstrate that this pathway is linked to production of toxins by this organism. Finally, we show that interruption of selenium metabolism is a viable pathway for development of …

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The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Repeated Readings On The Reading Performance Of Middle School Students With Mild Intellectual Disabilities, Mark Cerasale Jan 2009

The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Repeated Readings On The Reading Performance Of Middle School Students With Mild Intellectual Disabilities, Mark Cerasale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has mandated that all public school students will be reading at grade level by the 2013-2014 school year. Florida has embarked on an agenda to ensure that the kindergarten through high school student population is reading at or above grade level by 2014. Many of Florida's low-performing student population, including middle school students with high incidence disabilities, are reading below grade level. Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, this study examined the impact of computer-assisted repeated readings on the reading performance of three middle school students with mild intellectual disabilities over …

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Examining The General Quality Of Early Childhood Education And Structural Variables In Support Of Early Childhood Inclusion In Beijing, China, Bi Ying Hu Jan 2009

Examining The General Quality Of Early Childhood Education And Structural Variables In Support Of Early Childhood Inclusion In Beijing, China, Bi Ying Hu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to (a) explore the global quality of early childhood programs within the Chinese socio-cultural context, and (b) examine the effects of teachers' years of experience, degree, major, and class size on teachers' perceptions of developmentally appropriate practices, inclusion, and training needs in order to provide services for children with disabilities in regular classrooms. The researcher completed observations in 40 early childhood classrooms using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- Revised (ECERS-R). Results from classroom observations revealed that the global quality of the early childhood learning environment was between minimum and good. Areas that …

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The Impact Of Teacher-Student Interaction On Student Motivation And Achievement, Tisome Nugent Jan 2009

The Impact Of Teacher-Student Interaction On Student Motivation And Achievement, Tisome Nugent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to determine the value and impact of student-teacher interactions in relation to student motivation and achievement. It was further intended that the results of this study would add to the body of knowledge and resources available to enhance the learning experience and influence student success. In order for this to happen, student and teacher perceptions of their interactions were analyzed, as well whether or not this interaction significantly impacted motivation and achievement. The results of this study provided strong arguments in favor of equipping teachers with the appropriate resources and assistance to appropriately meet …

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Self-Determination Among Community College Students Diagnosed With Asperger's Syndrome: A Qualitative Study, Jillian Szentmiklosi Jan 2009

Self-Determination Among Community College Students Diagnosed With Asperger's Syndrome: A Qualitative Study, Jillian Szentmiklosi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study investigated the self-determination of community college students diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome (AS). Varying levels of self-determination were displayed within each of the five participants. However, despite the unique characteristics and experiences of the participants, five major and two minor themes related to the collegial experiences of these students were revealed. The major themes highlighted were that community college students with AS (a) enjoyed academic success, (b) found disability services and accommodations important, (c) chose majors based on personal interests, (d) relied on family members for support, and (e) had difficulty developing social connections on campus. The …

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A Preliminary Study Of A Non-Invasive Glucose Sensor Based On A Mercury Sensor, Erin Wood Jan 2009

A Preliminary Study Of A Non-Invasive Glucose Sensor Based On A Mercury Sensor, Erin Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus is a potentially lethal disease that affects 7.6 percent of American people. In the US, it is recognized as the 6th leading cause of death. Failure to control blood glucose levels (BGL) in patients with either type of diabetes can lead to other serious complications as well, such as loss of limb, blindness and other health problems. Controlling and monitoring the BGL in post-op and intensive care patients in the hospital is also vital to their health. Currently the most reliable method of monitoring BGL is through an invasive procedure which monitors the amount of glucose in blood …

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An Architecture For High-Performance Privacy-Preserving And Distributed Data Mining, James Secretan Jan 2009

An Architecture For High-Performance Privacy-Preserving And Distributed Data Mining, James Secretan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the development of an architecture and associated techniques to support Privacy Preserving and Distributed Data Mining. The field of Distributed Data Mining (DDM) attempts to solve the challenges inherent in coordinating data mining tasks with databases that are geographically distributed, through the application of parallel algorithms and grid computing concepts. The closely related field of Privacy Preserving Data Mining (PPDM) adds the dimension of privacy to the problem, trying to find ways that organizations can collaborate to mine their databases collectively, while at the same time preserving the privacy of their records. Developing data mining algorithms for …

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Determining Emissions From Landfills And Creating Odor Buffer Distances, Nicholas Guarrieloo Jan 2009

Determining Emissions From Landfills And Creating Odor Buffer Distances, Nicholas Guarrieloo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With population growing every year, more and more people are looking for places to live. This can lead to construction of houses near and around landfills. As homes get closer to landfills, the odors these landfills produce become more of a problem, and lead to an increase in odor complaints. Modeling these odors and recommending odor buffer distances will help determine limits on how close to landfills new homes should be allowed. This should help reduce future odor complaints. To solve this problem one must accurately estimate odorous gas emissions from the landfill. Often odors can be indicated by methane …

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Analyses Of Crash Occurence And Injury Severities On Multi Lane Highways Using Machine Learning Algorithms, Abhishek Das Jan 2009

Analyses Of Crash Occurence And Injury Severities On Multi Lane Highways Using Machine Learning Algorithms, Abhishek Das

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reduction of crash occurrence on the various roadway locations (mid-block segments; signalized intersections; un-signalized intersections) and the mitigation of injury severity in the event of a crash are the major concerns of transportation safety engineers. Multi lane arterial roadways (excluding freeways and expressways) account for forty-three percent of fatal crashes in the state of Florida. Significant contributing causes fall under the broad categories of aggressive driver behavior; adverse weather and environmental conditions; and roadway geometric and traffic factors. The objective of this research was the implementation of innovative, state-of-the-art analytical methods to identify the contributing factors for crashes and injury …

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Sintering Additives For Nanocrystalline Titania And Processing Of Porous Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds, Arun Menon Jan 2009

Sintering Additives For Nanocrystalline Titania And Processing Of Porous Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds, Arun Menon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Titania (Titanium dioxide, TiO2) has been researched as a promising biomaterial due to its excellent biocompatibility. However, the main limitation of titania is its poor mechanical properties which limit its use in many load-bearing applications. In this thesis report, the properties of titania were improved by doping with small quantities of MgO, ZnO and SiO2 as sintering additives. Nanocrystalline powder was selected, as it possesses outstanding properties over conventional coarse-grained powders due to reduced grain size. Nanocrystalline anatase powder of size 5-15 nm was synthesized via a simple sol-gel technique. Small quantities of dopants were introduced into pure titania powder, …

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Occupational Lower Extremity Risk Assessment Modeling, Christopher Reid Jan 2009

Occupational Lower Extremity Risk Assessment Modeling, Christopher Reid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Lower extremity (LE) work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are known to occur with cumulative exposure to occupational and personal risks. The objective of this dissertation study was to find if creating a quantifiable risk detection model for the LE was feasible. The primary product of the literature review conducted for this study resulted in focusing the attention of the model development process onto creating the initial model of the LE for assessing knee disorder risk factors. Literature Review: LE occupational disorders affect numerous industries and thousands of people each year by affecting any one of the musculoskeletal systems deemed susceptible …

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Structural Health Monitoring With Emphasis On Computer Vision, Damage Indices, And Statistical Analysis, Ricardo Zaurin Jan 2009

Structural Health Monitoring With Emphasis On Computer Vision, Damage Indices, And Statistical Analysis, Ricardo Zaurin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is the sensing and analysis of a structure to detect abnormal behavior, damage and deterioration during regular operations as well as under extreme loadings. SHM is designed to provide objective information for decision-making on safety and serviceability. This research focuses on the SHM of bridges by developing and integrating novel methods and techniques using sensor networks, computer vision, modeling for damage indices and statistical approaches. Effective use of traffic video synchronized with sensor measurements for decision-making is demonstrated. First, some of the computer vision methods and how they can be used for bridge monitoring are presented …

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