Digital Commons Network^™

160th Commencement, Winter

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Predicting Flavonoid Ugt Regioselectivity With Graphical Residue Models And Machine Learning., Arthur Rhydon Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning is applied to a challenging and biologically significant protein classification problem: the prediction of flavonoid UGT acceptor regioselectivity from primary protein sequence. Novel indices characterizing graphical models of protein residues are introduced. The indices are compared with existing amino acid indices and found to cluster residues appropriately. A variety of models employing the indices are then investigated by examining their performance when analyzed using nearest neighbor, support vector machine, and Bayesian neural network classifiers. Improvements over nearest neighbor classifications relying on standard alignment similarity scores are reported.

Psychosocial Concerns And Childhood Overweight In Pediatric Primary Care Clinics Serving Rural Appalachia., Suzanne Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To examine the prevalence of psychosocial concerns presenting in 3 pediatric primary care clinics serving rural Appalachia. The association between pediatric weight status and psychosocial concerns was examined. Methods: Caregivers of children presenting in one of 3 pediatric primary care facilities completed a demographic questionnaire and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist. Results: Approximately 21.4% of children were identified as having a clinically significant behavioral health concern. Among children with available weight status data, ~53% of the children were identified as overweight. Children identified having significant behavioral concerns were more likely to have a lower weight status than those with nonsignificant …

Strategies And Processes That Promote Sustainability Of Campus Laboratory Schools In The Twenty-First Century., April Blakely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze patterns of institutional strategies and processes that promote the sustainability of laboratory schools housed and managed by institutions of higher education. First, a comprehensive analysis of the development, growth, decline, and current status of the laboratory school movement was conducted by means of a review of relevant literature. Next, an interview with the Director of the International Association of Laboratory and University Affiliated Schools (NALS) was conducted to gather information regarding the changing role of laboratory schools in the modern educational landscape of America. Subsequently, a survey of laboratory school …

Factors Contributing To The Spread Of Odontogenic Infections : A Prospective Pilot Study, Abdulaziz A. Bakathir, Khursheed F. Moos, Ashraf F. Bagg, Jeremy

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Spreading odontogenic infections (SOI) are the commonest type of serious infections encountered in the orofacial region. A prospective multi-centre study was conducted in the West of Scotland to investigate the contributing role of social, systemic and microbial factors in the pathogenesis of SOI. Methods: Twenty-five patients with severe odontogenic infections were recruited over a period of six months. At admission, clinical assessment included temperature rise, haematological and biochemical investigations. Demographic data, social and past medical histories were obtained. Microbiology samples were collected to identify causative microorganisms and the clinical management of each infection was recorded. Results: Most infections were …

Bumble Bee Abundance In New York City Community Gardens: Implications For Urban Agriculture, Kevin C. Matteson, Gail A. Langellotto

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

A variety of crops are grown in New York City community gardens. Although the production of many crops benefits from pollination by bees, little is known about bee abundance in urban community gardens or which crops are specifically dependent on bee pollination. In 2005, we compiled a list of crop plants grown within 19 community gardens in New York City and classified these plants according to their dependence on bee pollination. In addition, using mark-recapture methods, we estimated the abundance of a potentially important pollinator within New York City urban gardens, the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens). …

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 18, 2009, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

T Cell Receptor Cross-Reactivity Directed By Antigen-Dependent Tuning Of Peptide-Mhc Molecular Flexibility, Oleg Y. Borbulevych, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian E. Gloor, Daniel R. Scott, Ruth F. Sommese, David K. Cole, Andrew K. Sewell, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

Tell mediated immunity requires T cell receptor (TCR) cross-reactivity, the mechanisms behind which remain incompletely elucidated. The αβ TCR A6 recognizes both the Tax (LLFGYPVYV) and Tel1p (MLWGYLQYV) peptides presented by the human class I MHC molecule HLA-A2. Here we found that although the two ligands are ideal structural mimics, they form substantially different interfaces with A6, with conformational differences in the peptide, the TCR, and unexpectedly, the MHC molecule. The differences between the Tax and Tel1p ternary complexes could not be predicted from the free peptide-MHC structures and are inconsistent with a traditional induced-fit mechanism. Instead, the differences were …

Winter Commencement: December 18, 2009, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Winter Commencement program from December 18, 2009.

Identifying Blood Biomarkers And Physiological Processes That Distinguish Humans With Superior Performance Under Psychological Stress., Amanda M. Cooksey, Nausheen Momen, Russell Stocker, Shane C. Burgess

CVM Publications

BACKGROUND: Attrition of students from aviation training is a serious financial and operational concern for the U.S. Navy. Each late stage navy aviator training failure costs the taxpayer over $1,000,000 and ultimately results in decreased operational readiness of the fleet. Currently, potential aviators are selected based on the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB), which is a series of multiple-choice tests that evaluate basic and aviation-related knowledge and ability. However, the ASTB does not evaluate a person's response to stress. This is important because operating sophisticated aircraft demands exceptional performance and causes high psychological stress. Some people are more resistant to …

Copyright For A Social Species, Robert E. Suggs

Faculty Scholarship

Arguments about the proper scope of copyright protection focus on the economic consequences of varying degrees of protection. Most analysts view copyright as an economic phenomenon, and the size and health of our copyright industries measure the success of copyright policies. The constitutional text granting Congress the copyright power and the nature of special interest lobbying naturally create this economic focus; but this is a serious mistake. An exclusively economic focus makes no more sense than measuring the nutritional merits of our food supply from the size and profitability of the fast food industry.

The expressive culture that copyright protects …

Modification Of A Community Garden To Attract Native Bee Pollinators In Urban San Luis Obispo, California, Jaime Pawelek, G W. Frankie, Robbin W. Thorp, Maggie Przybylski

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Gardens have become increasingly important places for growing nutritional food, for conserving biodiversity, for biological and ecological research and education, and for community gathering. Gardens can also be designed with the goal of attracting aesthetically pleasing wildlife and pollinators, like birds and butterflies, but other important garden visitors, like bees, can also be drawn to specially planned and modified gardens. A community garden in San Luis Obispo, California provided the setting for modification with the goal of attracting native bee pollinators by planting known bee-attractive plants. The local gardeners participated in a survey questionnaire and focused interviews to provide their …

Probation Restrictions Impacting The Right To Procreate: The Oakley Error, Jennifer Levi

Western New England Law Review

No abstract provided.

Soothability And Growth In Preterm Neonates, Holly Johanna Diesel

Dissertations

This proposal seeks to understand the relationship between soothability, weight gain and length of hospital stay in premature infants when the infants receive a simple, non-invasive treatment to help them cope with the noxious environment of the special care nursery. Thousands of premature infants are born every year in the United States, and the numbers are increasing. Prematurity is the leading cause of mortality in infants. Despite numerous technological and medical advances in treatment and care, premature infants still have difficulty adapting to life outside the uterus as a result of immature nervous systems and significant differences in the pre …

The Transformational Learning Associated With Training For And Completing A Marathon, Timothy John Gillum

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine if transformational learning is an outcome of the experiences of training for and completing a marathon. Transformational learning has gained visibility and greater acceptance in the learning community in recent years due in large part to the efforts of Jack Mezirow and associates. This visibility and acceptance has catalyzed research studies to better understand the theory and its application, but none have linked the use of endurance racing to transformational learning. The design of this study was a phenomenological case study. The research included four participants who had previously completed marathons, …

Total Serum Immunoglobulin Y In Steller's Eiders And A Surrogate Species As A Marker Of Humoral Immune Status And Viral Response, Maryann Bozza

Marine Biology

"Steller's eiders (Polysticta stelleri) and other sea duck species have undergone population declines in recent decades, and the causes for the declines remain largely unknown. As part of a study to investigate the role of disease in sea duck population declines, I further characterized Steller's eider humoral immunity by quantifying total serum immunoglobulin Y (IgY). Baseline values of total serum IgY were determined for a captive flock of Steller's eiders housed at the Alaska SeaLife Center using species-specific assays. There were no significant differences in total serum IgY between males and females or between seasons (molt and winter) for captive …

Avian Use Of Harvested Crop Fields In North Dakota During Spring Migration, Alegra M. Galle, George M. Linz, H. Jeffrey Homan, William J. Bleier

Western North American Naturalist

Broad-spectrum herbicide applications and improved harvesting efficiency of crops have reduced the availability of weed seeds and waste grains for game and nongame wildlife. Over the last decade, corn and soybean plantings have steadily increased in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North Dakota, while sunflower plantings have declined. The PPR is an important corridor for migratory birds, and changes in food availabilities at stopover habitats may affect how food resources are used. In early spring 2003 and 2004, we compared bird use of harvested fields of sunflower, soybeans, small grains, and corn in the PPR of North Dakota. Across …

Studies On Inositol Polyphosphates And Their Role In Programmed Cell Death, Rakhee Agarwal

Theses and Dissertations

The agents that induce apoptosis in cancerous cells are considered as potential candidates for cancer therapy. Inositol polyphosphates, the naturally occurring compounds, regulate diverse cellular processes including induction of apoptosis in certain cancerous cells and hence can be considered as potential anticancer agents. The aim of this research dissertation was to establish firmly the role of inositol polyphosphates in induction of apoptosis by examining their mechanism of action. The overall hypothesis was that alterations in intracellular levels of inositol polyphosphates would bring about apoptotic changes. The hypothesis was tested by changing endogenous inositol polyphosphates by way of chemical treatments known …

People And Nature: Toward An Ecological Model Of Health Promotion, Daniel L. Dustin, Kelly S. Bricker, Keri Schwab

Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration

Striving for a healthier relationship among individuals, families, communities, nations, and the environment is imperative at a time in history when humankind can change the face of the earth in monumental ways. This dynamic health relationship, with an emphasis on the contributions of parks, recreation, and tourism to health promotion, is the subject of this article. A broader conception of health that moves beyond human physical and mental health to include familial, communal, national, international, and global ecological health is called for, and a more comprehensive ecological model of health promotion, including consideration of health from a holistic ecological perspective, …

Ecological Linkages Between Headwater Streams And Riparian And Downstream Habitats In The Eastern Cascade Range, Washington, Usa, Elizabeth C. Green

Biological Sciences

"I examined how headwater streams are ecologically linked with the terrestrial environment and upstream waters. I examined relationships between fish (rainbow and cutthroat trout), invertebrates, and habitat in 15 headwater streams in two ecoregions (wet, dry) and timber harvest scenarios (logged, unlogged) in the Wenatchee River sub-basin in the eastern Cascade Mountain Range, Washington state, USA. Fish biomass, density, and size were not related to ecoregion or to logging history. Invertebrate drift manipulations in 13 streams influenced fish movement (fish moved downstream in sites that were not supplemented with food) and diet (fish consumed less prey when drifting invertebrates were …

Reproductive Patterns In King Eiders, Rebecca L. Bentzen

Biological Sciences

Mammalian predation, avian predation, female body condition and food availability on the breeding ground are likely the main factors influencing nesting success in tundra-nesting waterfowl. These driving factors are mediated by the primary life history characteristics; incubation behavior, female body size, nesting associations, and nest site selection. I created a conceptual model illustrating how these factors are interrelated and how they impact nest success through a variety of pathways to better understand the evolution of a species' nesting strategy and patterns observed in the field. The importance of the driving factors likely varies between sites and with the species nesting …

The Eastern Echo, December 17, 2009, Section B, Eastern Michigan University

EMU Student Newspaper: The Normal News & The Eastern Echo

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Targeted Lower Extremity Strengthening And Usual Care Progressive Ambulation In Subjects Post-Liver Transplant: A Randomized Controlled Trial, David Walter Mandel

Open Access Dissertations

Individuals with chronic liver disease experience progressive muscle wasting, weakness, fatigue, and decreased quality of life. Liver transplantation is the only treatment for end-stage liver disease with cirrhosis; however, muscle wasting, strength impairments, activity limitations, and health related quality of life do not return to the level of healthy adults. Currently there is no plan of care for rehabilitation of individuals post-liver transplantation. These individuals are only instructed to gradually increase walking and activity. Walking may increase lower extremity muscle strength; however, walking at a self-selected pace is less effective than resistance exercise. The purpose of this dissertation was to …

College Of Dentistry Collection Development Policy, Joan Latta Konecky

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The dentistry collection supports the teaching, research and service activities of the College of Dentistry and the related research endeavors of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community. College of Dentistry cooperative research has been conducted with various departments in the College of Engineering, as well as those in chemistry, geology, pharmacy, and medicine. The College of Dentistry Faculty, staff and students also use the related biomedical research collections at the UNMC McGoogan Library of Medicine and have UNMC affiliate status and remote access privileges to the UNMC Library collections and subscriptions. They also have been granted UNL affiliate status and remote …

Volume 47, Number 17: December 16, 2009, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Food Science And Technology Collection Development Policy, Rebecca Bernthal

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The Department of Food Science and Technology is located in the Food Industry Complex on East Campus at UNL. The department started out as a part of many departments in the College of Agriculture, the most important being the Department of Dairy Science. Up until 1960, food processing was incorporated in the various College of Agriculture departments of dairy science, agronomy, animal science, poultry science, and agricultural engineering and in the Foods and Nutrition Department of the College of Home Economics. In 1960 the new Food Technology major was approved as an inter-departmental major involving all departments with food processing …

College Of Nursing Collection Development Policy, Joan Latta Konecky

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The nursing collection supports the basic teaching, research and service activities of the College of Nursing—Lincoln Division. The College of Nursing—Lincoln Division faculty, staff and students heavily use the nursing and related biomedical research collections available from the UNMC McGoogan Library of Medicine. They have UNMC affiliate status and remote access privileges to the UNMC Library collections and subscriptions. They also have been granted UNL affiliate status and remote access privileges to the UNL collections and subscriptions by the UNL Dean of Libraries. Specific research needs are supplemented through interlibrary loan, primarily supplied by the UNMC McGoogan Library of Medicine.

Documentation Of Body Mass Index And Control Of Associated Risk Factors In A Large Primary Care Network, Stephanie A. Rose, Alexander Turchin, Richard W. Grant, James B. Meigs

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) will be a reportable health measure in the United States (US) through implementation of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) guidelines. We evaluated current documentation of BMI, and documentation and control of associated risk factors by BMI category, based on electronic health records from a 12-clinic primary care network.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 79,947 active network patients greater than 18 years of age seen between 7/05 - 12/06. We defined BMI category as normal weight (NW, 18-24.9 kg/m²), overweight (OW, 25-29.9), and obese (OB, ≥ 30). We measured documentation …

A Personal Philosophy Of Professionalism, Cecil O. Samuelson

Vol. 2: Service & Integrity

This address was President Samuelson’s first public speech since the announcement on March 18, 2003, that he would become the 12th president of Brigham Young University on May 1, 2003. It was given to the Salt Lake Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2003.

Nor'easter News Volume 3 Issue 6, Nor'easter News Staff

Nor'easter News

The nineteenth issue of the University of New England's student-run newspaper, Nor'easter News.