Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment Of Oyster Shell Structural Properties For The Development Of 'Green' Composite Materials, Yuhchae Yoon, Andrew S. Mount, Douglas C. Hansen, Karolyn Hansen

Biology Faculty Publications

Abstract of Technical Paper Presented at the 101^st Annual Meeting National Shellfisheries Association Savannah, Georgia March 22–26, 2009

Maintaining Adult Student-Parent Distal Relationships: An Explorartion Of Mediated Communication Among Thai Students In The U.S., Thammaphong Isarabhakdi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although a growing amount of research in relational maintenance has began to focus intensively on long-distance relationships (LDRs), especially marital, dating, and friendship relationships, little attention has focus on the process of maintaining LDRs in non-Western families. The objective of this study was, first, to explore the experience of Thai adult students who maintain LDRs with their parents. Second, this study identified Thai students’ specific relational maintenance behaviors and examined the channels of mediated communication used among Thai adult students and their family members.

This study utilized a qualitative method framed by a grounded theory approach to uncover the experience …

Promoting Social And Emotional Learning In Second Grade Students: A Study Of The Strong Start Curriculum, Paul Caldarella, Lynnette Christensen, Thomas J. Kramer, Kalli Kronmiller

Faculty Publications

The promotion of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools may help prevent emotional and behavioral problems of students. This study evaluated the effects of a SEL curriculum, Strong Start, on the social-emotional competence of 26 second grade students, using a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design. Results revealed statistically significant and meaningful improvements in teacher ratings of students’ internalizing and peer-related prosocial behaviors, particularly for students at greater risk. Conversely, control group students experienced significant worsening of internalizing behaviors and decreased levels of peer-related prosocial behaviors. No changes were reported in externalizing behaviors for either group. Treatment integrity and social …

Ltc Newsletter, University Of Dayton. Ryan C. Harris Learning Teaching Center

LTC Newsletter

Fall 2009

Microfluidic Cell Sorting Techniques To Study Disease Processes., William Neil White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Circulating nucleated cell populations found in whole blood, including both white blood cells (leukocytes) and endothelial cells, provide an ideal platform for studies seeking to understand the disease processes for development of drugs and treatments. This thesis presents an automated microfluidic device developed for leukocyte enrichment from peripheral blood. Briefly, the device allows for complete lysis of red blood cells and comprehensive analysis of nucleated cell populations in terms of quantity and activation status. The microfluidic lysis device was used in two Sickle Cell disease (SCD) studies to understand the effect of leukocytes in the initiation of vasoocclusive crisis. Findings …

Ridge Preservation Comparing The Clinical And Histologic Healing Of A Mineralized Particulate Allograft With A Nonporous Ptfe Membrane Vs. Mineralized Particulate Xenograft With A Collagen Plug Membrane., Jason A. Witonsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aim. To compare two techniques of ridge preservation using a cancellous mineralized particulate xenograft plus a collagen plug to a cortical mineralized particulate allograft plus a PTFE membrane using ridge dimension data to assess the outcome. Methods. Twenty-eight total patients were seen in the Graduate Periodontics Clinic at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. Fourteen positive controls received a mineralized particulate xenograft (0.25 to 1.00 mm) covered by a collagen plug using a full-thickness flap technique (Plug group). Fourteen test patients received an intrasocket mineralized cortical particulate allograft (500 to 800 µm) covered with a nonporous PTFE membrane also …

2009 August-Newsletter, Nancy Rockey

Life Renewal Archive

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Physical Activity And Nutrient Intake On The Risk Of Hip Fracture : Results From The Adventist Health Study-2, Wen-Ling Liao

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This is a two year of follow up study of Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2). We assessed the association between physical activity, nutrient intake and risk of hip fracture among peri- and post menopausal Caucasian women using unconditional logistic regression models. All subjects completed a lifestyle questionnaire which including information of physical activity and frequency and portion size of food intake at enrollment into the study (2002-2007). The “Bi-Annual Hospitalization History” questionnaire which included a question about hip fractures due to minor trauma/falls was sent to subjects approximately two years after enrollment, with a response rat of 82.84%. In this cohort, …

Effect Of California Mission Fig Consumption On Levels Of C-Reactive Protein And Antioxidant Levels, Rasha Abdrabou

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the effect of consumption of polyphenol-rich figs on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and antioxidant levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fig consumption on C-reactive protein and antioxidant levels. Analyses were carried out on collected data from September to December of 2008. Using a crossover design, one hundred and two participants were recruited and randomized into an intervention phase (eating figs) and a control phase (not eating figs) for 5 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each group at the 4th and 5th …

The Effects Of Dietary N-3 Polyunsaturated Fat From Plant Versus Marine Sources On Bochemical Markers Of Bone Turnover In Healthy Adults, Lan Nguyen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objective: To investigate the effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fat from plant versus marine sources on biochemical markers of bone turnover.

Design: Both studies were controlled, single blind, randomized trials using Latin-square crossover designs.

Subjects/Methods:Twenty-five (12 females and 13 males) and 24 (9 females and 15 males) healthy participants completed the Fish-Walnut Study and the Omega-3 Study, respectively. The Fish-Walnut Study included three diets: [1] control, [2] ALA-rich diet (1.5 oz of walnuts/day, 6 times/week), and [3] EPA/DHA-rich diet (8 oz of salmon/week). The Omega-3 Study included four diets: [1] control, [2] ALA-rich diet (42-49 g flaxseed oil/wk; lOg …

Volume 16, Number 1 (Summer 2009), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Protease-Resistant Cervid Prion Protein In Water From A Cwd-Endemic Area, T. A. Nichols, Bruce Pulford, A. Christy Wyckoff, Crystal Meyerett, Brady Michel, Kevin Gertig, Edward A. Hoover, Jean E. Jewell, Glenn C. Telling, Mark D. Zabel

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the only known transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting free-ranging wildlife. Although the exact mode of natural transmission remains unknown, substantial evidence suggests that prions can persist in the environment, implicating components thereof as potential prion reservoirs and transmission vehicles. CWD-positive animals may contribute to environmental prion load via decomposing carcasses and biological materials including saliva, blood, urine and feces. Sensitivity limitations of conventional assays hamper evaluation of environmental prion loads in soil and water. Here we show the ability of serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) to amplify a 1.3 x 10^-7 dilution of CWD-infected …

Common Regional Pests Of Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Western Australia is free from many exotic animal and plant pests, diseases and weeds that are present elsewhere in Australia. However, the state does have some unwanted intruders. Of these, many are declared plants or declared animals which, for the sake of convenience, we collectively call declared pests.

Habitat Selection And Predation Risk In Larval Lampreys, Dustin M. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines habitat preference and the influence of habitat on predation of larvae (ammocoetes) of the least brook lamprey (Lampetra aepyptera). The thesis comprises three chapters: (1) an introduction and literature review on the general life history of lampreys and on studies related to ammocoetes and their habitat, (2) an experimental study of habitat preference in ammocoetes of the least brook lamprey, and (3) an experimental study of the relationship between habitat availability and predation risk in ammocoetes. For the first study, we quantified substrate selection in small (< 50 mm) and large (100-150 mm) ammocoetes of the least brook lamprey. In aquaria, ammocoetes were given a choice to burrow into six equally-available substrate types: small gravel (2.36-4.75 mm), coarse sand (0.5-1.4 mm), fine sand (0.125-0.5 mm), organic debris (approximately 70% decomposing leaves and stems, 15% silt, and 15% sand), an even mixture of silt, clay, and fine sand, and silt/clay (< 0.063 mm). Fine sand was selected with a significantly higher probability than any other substrate. In the second study, we experimentally examined the influence of habitat availability on predation risk of ammocoetes. Ammocoetes were placed in aquaria containing a predator species (yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis) and one of 3 substrates: fine sand (0.125-0.5 mm), coarse sand (0.5-1.4 mm), or silt/clay (<0.063 mm). Use of the three substrate types was based on a previous experiment where fine sand was determined to be the preferred benthic habitat of least brook lamprey. Based on 10 trials with each habitat type, survival of ammocoetes was highest in aquaria with fine sand (mean = 80%), and lower in those with coarse sand (mean = 58%) and silt/clay (mean = 4%). The results of both studies conducted indicate that populations of least brook lamprey ammocoetes may be limited by the availability of fine sand habitat. The first study indicated that least brook lamprey ammocoetes are habitat specialists, preferring substrates composed primarily of fine sand. The second study showed that the availability of fine sand habitat may influence the predation risk of ammocoetes, as ammocoete survival from predation was highest in fine sand, and lower in other substrates.

Mechanisms Of Iron Reduction And Phosphorus Solubilization In An Intermittently Wet Pasture Soil, Jared L. Wilmoth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microbial Fe-reduction in pasture soils may be of agronomic importance, because it has been shown to influence P cycling. The present study investigated the behavior of Fe and P in an intermittently wet, Appalachian pasture soil during a 42 day anaerobic incubation. Native humic acid (HA) extracted from the sampling location and anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS) were used in the experiment to determine their electron-mediating effects on Fe(III) reduction and P solubilization over time. Extracted HA and the International Humic Substance Society (IHSS) Elliott Soil HA standard were compared using 13C-NMR, FT-IR, SEM, and CHNS analysis. Soil samples treated with 1.24 …

Unlocking Doors For The Locked-Out: How Can Community Colleges Help To Demolish Barriers, Build Bridges, And Transition Male Ex-Offenders Into The Workforce, Jeannette Collins-Molden

Dissertations

Over 670,000 adult prisoners were released in 2004. It is estimated that by 2010 over 1.2 million inmates will be released annually. The purpose of this study was to explore (a) barriers that male ex-offenders encounter in their pursuit of entering the workforce and (b) various types of education and support services that community colleges could provide in order to assist this marginalized population in overcoming these barriers. This qualitative case study was conducted at a community college offering programs that attracted a population of at least 50% male ex-offenders. Six male ex-offender students, four of the case study institution …

Teacher Effectiveness In Urban High Schools, Richard Buddin, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

This research examines whether teacher licensure test scores and other teacher qualifications affect high school student achievement. The results are based on longitudinal student-level data from Los Angeles. The achievement analysis uses a value-added approach that adjusts for both student and teacher fixed effects. The results show little relationship between traditional measures of teacher quality (e.g., experience and education level) and student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) or math. Similarly, teacher aptitude and subject-matter knowledge, as measured on state licensure tests, have no significant effects on student achievement. Achievement outcomes differ substantially from teacher to teacher, however, and the …

Justice And Adaptation To Climate Change In The Asia Pacific Region : Designing International Institutions, Paul G. Harris, Jonathan Symons

CAPS Working Paper Series

Many developing states argue that they should be compensated for the costs of adapting to climate change. They point out that industrialised states are responsible for the bulk of historical greenhouse gas emissions and per capita first world emissions continue to dwarf developing world emissions. Yet, given the substantial internal inequality and rapidly rising emissions within developing states such as China and India, the same arguments that justify international adaptation compensation might equally justify internal redistributive measures. This paper addresses the question of how international institutions that fund adaptation to anthropogenic climate change should be designed. After reviewing both communitarian …

An Environmental Biography Of Bde Ihanke-Lake Andes: History, Science, And Sovereignty Converge With Tribal, State, And Federal Power On The Yankton Sioux Reservation In South Dakota, 1858–1959, David Nesheim

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Lake Andes sits at the center of the Yankton Sioux Reservation in south-central South Dakota and might be described as a prairie pothole, except it encompasses nearly 5,000 acres when full of water, stretching twelve miles long by a mile to a mile and a half wide in a quasi-crescent shape. Originally carved out by a receding glacier during the Wisconsin glaciations, for its entire history the lake has gone dry during low precipitation -- a cycle interrupted after the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) commissioned several artesian wells beginning in 1896. As the lake expanded, the U.S. Fish Commission …

Web-Based Nutrition Education For University Middle-Aged Female Staff, Wan-Ju Yen

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Researchers have described women as facing a dramatic increase in the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and Alzheimer’s, the onset of these as the result of the impact of changing hormone levels, particularly the decline in estrogen. The purpose of this two-phase study was to determine if web-based nutrition education could be used to increase the consumption of food groups in MyPyramid, omega-3 fatty acids and selfefficacy in middle-aged female. Phase one was a qualitative study to identify middleaged female’s beliefs and interests around the topic of nutrition. Data were collected using audiotaped semi-structured individual interviews. Eight female staff …

Sci-Tech Candidates For Chair-Elect And Secretary, Ann E. Koopman

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Chemistry Web, Bob Buchanan

Sci-Tech News

This column focuses on PubMed and other free third-party search interfaces that use MEDLINE data.

Shape Analysis Of The Corpus Callosum Of Autistic And Normal Subjects In Neuroimaging., Ahmed Aly Farag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early detection of human disease in today’s society can have an enormous impact on the severity of the disease that is manifested. Disease such as Autism and Dyslexia, which have no current cure or proven mechanism as to how they develop, can often have an adverse physical and physiological impact on the lifestyle of a human being. Although these disease are not fully curable, the severity handicaps that accompany them can be significantly reduced with the proper therapy, and thus the earlier that the disease is detected the faster therapy can be administered. The research in this thesis is an …

Viability For Oxidation Of H2s Gas Using Low Concentration Solutions Of H2o2 Peroxide In Applications For Biogas Purification., Stewart Walter Mccollam 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the viability of a low pH hydrogen peroxide scrubbing process for removing H 2 S acid gas present in typical biogas streams generated from dairy farm anaerobic digesters. Biogas ranges in composition based on the feedstock manure used in the anaerobic digestion process but typically consists of methane (50-60%), carbon dioxide (40-50%), and trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. Hydrogen sulfide is of prime concern because it is an odorous, poisonous, and highly corrosive gas which can impede use in power generation applications for biogas such as boilers, internal combustion engines, microturbines, fuel …

Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitor, Cts-1027, Attenuates Liver Injury And Fibrosis In The Bile Duct-Ligated Mouse., Alisan Kahraman, Steven F. Bronk, Sophie Cazanave, Nathan W. Werneburg, Justin L. Mott, Patricia C. Contreras, Gregory J. Gores

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Aim: Excessive matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic liver injury. CTS-1027 is an MMP inhibitor, which has previously been studied in humans as an anti-arthritic agent. Thus, our aim was to assess if CTS-1027 is hepato-protective and anti-fibrogenic during cholestatic liver injury. Methods: C57/BL6 mice were subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL) for 14 days. Either CTS-1027 or vehicle was administered by gavage. Results: BDL mice treated with CTS-1027 demonstrated a threefold reduction in hepatocyte apoptosis as assessed by the TUNEL assay or immunohistochemistry for caspase 3/7-positive cells as compared to vehicle-treated …

Micrornas Involved In Tumor Suppressor And Oncogene Pathways: Implications For Hepatobiliary Neoplasia., Justin L. Mott

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

MicroRNAs are a class of small regulatory RNAs that function to modulate protein expression. This control allows for fine-tuning of the cellular phenotype, including regulation of proliferation, cell signaling, and apoptosis; not surprisingly, microRNAs contribute to liver cancer biology. Recent investigations in human liver cancers and tumor-derived cell lines have demonstrated decreased or increased expression of particular microRNAs in hepatobiliary cancer cells. Based on predicted and validated protein targets as well as functional consequences of altered expression, microRNAs with decreased expression in liver tumor cells may normally aid in limiting neoplastic transformation. Conversely, selected microRNAs that are up-regulated in liver …

Odontometric Patterns In The Radiation Of Extant Ground-Dwelling Squirrels Within Marmotini (Sciuridae: Xjrini), H. Thomas Goodwin

Faculty Publications

I document odontometry variation across ground-dwelling squirrels of the Holarctic tribe Marmotini. Dental size, which correlates well with published average body mass values across species, accounts for most odontometric variation across the clade. Dental shape variation primarily reflects relative size of P3 (upper cheek teeth) and relative width of p4-ml + length of m3 (lower cheek teeth). Shape variables and relative tooth crown height covary significantly across species, suggesting a common functional complex or shared genetic control. When dental morphology is mapped on published DNA-based phytogenies, Sciurotamias (Chinese rock squirrels), Ammospermophilus (antelope squirrels), and basal subgenera within Spermophilus (ground squirrels …

Conventional Deterrence In The Second Nuclear Age, Michael S. Gerson

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Phenomenological Study Of Resilience In The Lives Of White, Midlife Lesbian Psychologists In Clinical Practice, Melissa A. Lidderdale

Dissertations

The unique experiences and adversities encountered by midlife lesbian therapists have not been directly investigated. How the midlife lesbian women in this study were influenced by their individual experiences and cultural changes, both in general society and within the mental health profession, are paramount to more fully understanding the adversities, support, and resilience that they experienced while becoming psychologists. Due to the scarcity of empirical literature pertaining to the therapist's experience of resilience and the paucity of empirical literature related to resilience in lesbians, phenomenological research methods were chosen for this study. The goal of this study was to provide …

Expression Of Transcription Factor Zinc-Binding Protein-89 (Zbp-89) Is Inhibited By Inflammatory Cytokines., Ruth C. Borghaei, Mariah Chambers

PCOM Scholarly Works

Zinc-binding protein-89 (ZBP-89; ZNF148, BERF-1, BFCOL-1) is a zinc-finger transcription factor of the Kruppel family. It has been shown to regulate the expression of a number of genes, acting as either an activator or repressor of gene expression, depending on the context. It is over-expressed in several cancers, but has been shown to be involved in apoptosis and to have a negative influence on cell growth in part by interactions with p53. Previously, ZBP-89 was shown to activate transcription of the matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) gene by binding to a polymorphic promoter element in competition with nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). NF-kappaB …