Digital Commons Network^™

Further Exploration Of Nontypable Haemophilus Influenzae Proteins P5 And P6 As Vaccine Candidates, Anthony Mangan

Theses

Nontypable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a Gram-negative bacterium which causes otitis media (ear infections), pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinusitis. For many years, the P6 protein has been a leading candidate for a protein vaccine against NTHi, because it is conserved among NTHi strains, is believed to be surface exposed, and contains binding sites for specific antibodies. However, recent structural analysis suggests that P6 may be inserted into the outer membrane in two orientations. Based on the interaction with its homologues in Escherichia coli (E. coli), we proposed that P5, a transmembrane protein in NTHi, plays a role in P6's apparent dual …

Examining Family Functioning In Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Through Kinetic Family Drawings, Christiana Lajudice

Theses

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a mental illness that affects the daily lives of children and adults, particularly their family functioning. Past research has found significant differences in maternal-child warmth and disciplinary warmth, maternal and paternal hostility and tension, family cohesion and adaptability, and minor conflicts between children with PBD and comparison groups. Typical methods for assessing family functioning involve objective scales, questionnaires, and interviews. The projective measure, the Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD), has been utilized with other groups including populations of abused and maltreated children, and children with serious medical illnesses, but has yet to be utilized with the …

Classification Of Phase Transition Behavior In A Model Of Evolutionary Dynamics, Dawn Michelle King

Theses

Amongst the scientific community, there is consensus that evolution has occurred; however, there is much disagreement about how evolution happens. In particular, how do we explain biodiversity and the speciation process? Computational models aid in this study, for they allow us to observe a speciation process within time scales we would not otherwise be able to observe in our lifetime. Previous work has shown phase transition behavior in an assortative mating model as the control parameter of maximum mutation size (µ) is varied. This behavior has been shown to exist on landscapes with variable fitness (Dees and Bahar, 2010), and …

The Emotions And Two Aesthetic Paradoxes, Nicholas James Curry

Theses

The purpose of this paper is to show that the shape of the dispute over a central issue in the philosophy of emotion—namely, the disagreement over the role of cognition in emotion—provides a useful way of seeing the twin aesthetic paradoxes of horror and tragedy. Recent theories of emotion can be helpfully divided into two camps, the affective and the cognitive. Affective theories hold that emotions consist of bodily affect alone, and are therefore cognitively impenetrable. Cognitive theories hold that emotions are or entail cognition. To discuss the differences between affective and cognitive views, I consider the theories of Jesse …

The Effects Of Caffeine On Spatial Learning And Memory, Romina G. Cupo

Theses

No abstract provided.

Mental Illness Stigma: An Examination Of The Effects Of Label And Gender On College Students Perceptions Of Depression And Alcohol Abuse, Chelsea P. Reichert

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Perceptions Of Emirati High School Students Of The Effect Of English – Medium Instruction On Science Learning., Shaima Mustafa Al Abdullah

Theses

Students are facing challenges to acquire science content knowledge while they are still learners of English. The highly specialized language of science is by itself challenging and alienating to high school students especially for English Language Learners who did not acquire enough English proficiency needed to comprehend the science content introduced in their classroom.

The purpose of this mixed method study was to investigate Emirati high school students’ perceptions of the challenges English Language proficiency adds to the acquisition of science content knowledge. In addition, this study sought to identify any gender differences, grade level differences, and any interaction between …

Data Mining Of Tetraloop-Tetraloop Receptors In Rna Xml Files, Sinan Ramazanoglu

Theses

RNA (Ribonucleic acid) Motifs are tertiary structures that play an important role in the folding mechanism of the RNA molecule. The overall function of a RNA Motif depends on its specific bp (base pairs) sequence that constitutes the secondary structure. Data mining is a novel method in both discovering potential tertiary structures within DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA, and protein molecules and storing the information in databases. The RNA Motif of interest is the tetraloop-tetraloop receptor, which is composed of a highly conserved 11 nt (nucleotide) sequence and a tetraloop with the generic form of GNRA (where N = any base …

The Effects Of Theophylline On The In Vitro Respiratory Response To Hypoxia, Ke Geng

Theses

The isolated transverse brainstem slice preparation of neonatal mice is employed to investigate the function of theophylline, a competitive nonselective phophodiesterase inhibitor and adenosine receptor antagonist, on the hypoxic ventilatory response. Brainstem slices are isolated from neonatal mice (4-8 days old) and superfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), equilibrated with a hyperoxic gas mixture (95% O₂, 5% CO₂) as a control, and anoxic mixture (0% O₂, 5% CO₂, 95% N₂) to create severe hypoxia at the tissue level. Using suction electrodes, extracellular population activities of respiratory neurons is recorded from …

Experimental Evaluation Of Near Infrared Light Penetration Into Neural Tissue, Ujwal Anil Parikh

Theses

Near infrared (NIR) lasers find applications in medicine both for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Penetration depth into the tissue is a critical parameter to be considered in these NIR laser applications. Published data on the optical properties of rodent neural tissue are rare, despite the frequent use of rats as animal models. The aim of this study was to directly measure the light intensity profile inside the rat brain gray matter that is illuminated by an NIR laser beam. The local light intensities were sampled using an optical fiber inserted into the brain. The intensity profile in the axial direction …

Simulation Of Polymer Solar Cell Characteristics By Amps-1d, Lu Zhang

Theses

Simulation of polymer solar cell characteristics is presented in this study. The solar cells are made of materials such as the following: Poly (3-hexylthiophene): [6, 6]-phenyl C61- butyric acid methylester (P3HT: PCBM) and poly[2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7-diyl[4,4- bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl]]: [6, 6]-phenyl C₆₁- butyric acid methylester (PCPDTBT: PCBM) are used as active layer materials. Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures One Dimension (AMPS-1D) is a computer simulation tool for solar cell device characteristics. The first part of this study focuses on the performance and comparison of current-voltage (I-V) simulations of indium oxide (In₂O₃) and tin oxide (SnO₂) …

Fmri Assessment Of Ischemic Stroke In Humans, Rui Yuan

Theses

Cerebral ischemia, or brain ischemia is a kind of stroke where the blood flow is insufficient to the metabolic demand of brain. The lack of oxygen supply will directly lead to the death of brain tissue. There are two major injury regions: the infarct and penumbra. Mostly, since the infarct regions became dead tissues rapidly after stroke, there is a tiny possibility to rescue them in time. But penumbra parts are different. Tissues there will be viable for hours after ischemia. Hence, both theoretically and practically, it is possible to salvage those cells in the penumbra region. Diffusion weighted image …

A Comparative Analysis Of Machine Learning Algorithms For Genome Wide Association Studies, Neha Singh

Theses

Variations present in human genome play a vital role in the emergence of genetic disorders and abnormal traits. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) is considered as the most common source of genetic variations. Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) probe these variations present in human population and find their association with complex genetic disorders. Now these days, recent advances in technology and drastic reduction in costs of Genome Wide Association Studies provide the opportunity to have a plethora of genomic data that delivers huge information of these variations to analyze. In fact, there is significant difference in pace of data generation and …

Phenotype Prediction And Feature Selection In Genome-Wide Association Studies, Andrew Roberts

Theses

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) search for correlations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a subject genome and an observed phenotype. GWAS can be used to generate models for predicting phenotype based on genotype, as well as aiding in identification of specific genes affecting the biological mechanism underlying the phenotype.

In this investigation, phenotype prediction models are constructed from GWAS training data and are evaluated for performance on test data. Three methods are used to rank SNPs by their correlation with the phenotype: the univariate Wald test, a multivariate, support vector machine (SVM) based technique, and a hybrid method where …

Alterations In Brain Connectivity After Spinal Cord Injury Using Functional Mri, Yamin Ahmed Noor

Theses

Every year, approximately 50 people per million of inhabitants are inflicted by Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The long-term impairment of the SCI patients has led researchers to investigate different rehabilitation and treatment efforts that require careful observations to be made on reliable markers. Presently, a number of neuropsychological assessments are used for SCI rehabilitation and research purposes. However, there is a need for the discovery of sensitive biomarkers that can be used to characterize SCI. Altered functional connectivity in the brain has been observed in a number of neurological patient populations. Hence, it was hypothesized that such alterations in brain …

Analysis Of Tissue Engineering Strategies For Bone-Related Applications, Timothy Buirkle

Theses

Over the past few decades, tissue engineering approaches have pushed their way to the forefront of biotechnological research and development, serving a wide variety of applications. This research utilizes quantitative methods to analyze the outcome of two bone tissue engineering studies. In an in vivo study, the use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) in combination with stem cell-loaded scaffolds was investigated for the repair of large bone defects. Quantitative histological analysis was performed by determining both the percentage of cells proliferating (BrdU), as well as cells expressing bone-specific markers of alkaline phosphatase (A L P) in the defect. Total …

The Functional Effects Of Barium And Hypoxia On The In Vitro Respiratory Activity, Gaofeng Xu

Theses

The hypoxic respiratory response in mammals consists of a transit increase in the respiratory frequency (augmentation phase) followed by a decrease in frequency (depression phase). To understand how the central respiratory system contributes to this response, the in vitro transverse brainstem slice model is used, which contains the pre-Bötzinger Complex, which is responsible for respiratory rhythm generation. The in vitro experiments performed for this thesis provide evidence that external barium exposure alters respiratory activity and significantly increases (P<0.00 1) the voltage of tonic activity under control oxygen conditions (95% FO2). During severe hypoxia (0% FO2), respiratory tonic activity is significantly elevatedduring the depression phase (from 0.55 to 0.95, n=6, P<0.001) by external barium, presumablydue to the closing of K+ channels and a reduction in K+ conductance.

Hydrodynamic Effects Of An Arch-Shaped Fiber Optic Probe In A Dissolution Testing Apparatus 2, Yiran Zhang

Theses

Dissolution testing is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to evaluate newly developed drug formulations and as a quality control method to insure that solid dosage forms have consistent dissolution property. Typically, samples are manually drawn from the dissolution vessel prior to analysis. An approach to overcome the limitations of manual sampling consists in the use of sampling probes, such as fiber optic probes, permanently inserted in the dissolution medium and continually sampling the drug concentration in it as the solid dosage form dissolves. Despite their advantages, permanently inserted fiber optic probes can alter the normal fluid flow within the …

Design And Synthesis Studies Of New S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Analogues, Shanshan Wu

Theses

S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM), which is involved in methyl group transfers, is the second most abundant coenzyme in the human body. It is made from adenosinetriphosphate (ATP) and methionine catalyzed by adenosyltransferase. Methyltransferases (MTs) transfer the activated methyl group from the sulfur center to a specific position in a variety of substrates, e.g., DNA, RNA, proteins, and secondary metabolites. Methyltransferases have been linked to various diseases, including cancer.

In recent years, more and more SAM analogues have been reported. These analogues show activities in biological target labeling. The purpose of this thesis is to design and synthesize new SAM analogues to inhibit …

Magnetic Targeted Drug Delivery System In Gene Therapy, Weilong Lu

Theses

Drug delivery system is a method to transport the drug of the required amount accurately to the targeted diseased part. Recently, the concept of Magnetic Targeted Drug Delivery System (MTDDS), based upon magnetic particles under the action of an external magnetic field, exhibits considerable potential for a wide range of medical applications. Gene therapy is the insertion of genes into an individual's cells and tissues to treat diseases. As the recombinant virus vector has many limits and problems, more studies turn to the nonvirus vectors, which have transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity. PLLA(poly(L lactic acid)) can be biodegradable and has …

Program Effectiveness Of A Parent-Child Group Social Skills Program, Heather Picciott

Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a social skills group program using pre-post testing and focus groups. Program effectiveness measurement was illustrated using data collected from a pilot parent-child social skills building group program, "Raising Positive Thinkers". The group involved four parent-child dyads and ran for three consecutive weeks, meeting once a week for 90 minutes to introduce, practice and review social skills learned. Quantitative data was collected via pre and post questionnaire using the Social Skills Improvement System rating scale (SSIS). Qualitative data was collected from a focus group at the end of the …

Demarcating Computer Science, Dana Burkart

Theses

Despite its relative youth, computer science has become a well-established discipline, granting over 2% of the bachelors degrees in the United States (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). For this reason, it is important that we understand the nature of computer science and the likely direction for the development of inquiry in computer science in the future. This paper examines several perspectives on the nature of the methods of computer science inquiry. These are empiricist methods, rationalist methods, and an engineering stance. It argues that empiricist and rationalist stances play identifiable roles in the scientific nature of computer science reasoning but …

Mitochondrial Haplotype Variation In Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser Fulvescens (Rafinesque, 1817), Of The Great Lakes Basin, Michelle Lynne Weatherell

Theses

Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, is one of twenty-five extant species of sturgeon; five of which reside in North America. Despite being a part of one of the most ancient lineages of modern vertebrates (Actinopterygii: Acipenseriformes) and having a vast geographic range, their populations are dwindling. Without knowing if these populations are genetically diverse or impoverished, it is difficult to determine how conservation efforts should be continued to help save the "dinosaur" fish species. The hypothesis of this study was that populations of lake sturgeon, residing throughout the Great Lakes Basin and their tributaries are genetically depauperate; few mitochondrial haplotypes are …

Evaluation Of Natural Plant Powders With Potential Use In Antimicrobial Packaging Applications, Yujie Cheng

Theses

This study investigates the antimicrobial effects of vanillin, turmeric and curcumin in packaging coating application. Reagent alcohol and DMSO were introduced as two solutions for the three antimicrobial agents. The coating solutions involving these three antimicrobial agents are: vanillin/ Reagent alcohol (10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25% (w/w)), vanillin/DMSO (10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.3125% (w/w)), turmeric/ Reagent alcohol (10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25% (w/w)), turmeric/DMSO (10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.3125% (w/w)), curcumin/ Reagent alcohol (10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 (w/w)) and curcumin/DMSO (10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.3125% (w/w)). The antimicrobial activity effects of the aforementioned …

Discovering The Role Of Serpine2 In Copd, Swati Shimpi

Theses

SERPINE2 is a genetic marker of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is a complex human disease and has no cure. In COPD patients three distinct pathology features, Emphysema, Chronic bronchitis and bronchus- associated lymphoid tissue or BALT like lesions, are observed. SERPINE2 deficient mouse was studied in Mariani lab to find association of SERPINE2 with COPD. This mouse model emulates the lungs of COPD and mimics the lesions of BALT in COPD, with excessive lymphocytes. A total of six samples, three knock out and three age - matched wild type, were used for differential gene expression analysis by Microarray. …

Macroinvertebrates Online, Caitlin Treuting

Theses

Macrobenthic invertebrates are important indicators of water quality in many aquatic systems, but accurately identifying these organisms is a challenge, particularly for citizen scientists, due to insufficient funding for training programs and events and a dwindling pool of training personnel. Accurately identifying these organisms is key to the accuracy of the models used to generate the water quality assessments. To help address these issues, this project has developed an interactive online photographic key for macrobenthic invertebrates, designed to improve classification accuracy with minimal training for use by citizen scientists. The online digital photographic field guide was created and tested against …

Alteration Of Protein Kinases' Activities By Hypoxic Mimic Compounds, Lawerence Rasmussen

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Grinning Wall: History, Exhibition, And Application Of The Hyrtl Skull Collection At The Mutter Museum, Sara K. Keckeisen

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Education And Gender On Perception Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Jennifer J. Noonan

Theses

No abstract provided.

Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria And Other Phytoplankton In Northern New Jersey Freshwater Bodies, Matthew J. Rienzo

Theses

No abstract provided.