Digital Commons Network^™

Habitat–Performance Relationships: Finding The Right Metric At A Given Spatial Scale, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Mark Hebblewhite, Anne Loison, Mark Fuller, Roger Powell, Mathieu Basille, Bram Van Moorter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The field of habitat ecology has been muddled by imprecise terminology regarding what constitutes habitat, and how importance is measured through use, selection, avoidance and other bio-statistical terminology. Added to the confusion is the idea that habitat is scale-specific. Despite these conceptual difficulties, ecologists have made advances in understanding ‘how habitats are important to animals’, and data from animal-borne global positioning system (GPS) units have the potential to help this clarification. Here, we propose a new conceptual framework to connect habitats with measures of animal performance itself—towards assessing habitat–performance relationship (HPR). Long-term studies will be needed to estimate consequences of …

Topology Of Cyclo-Octane Energy Landscape, Evangelos A. Coutsias, Shawn Martin, Aidan Thompson, Jean-Paul Watson

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Understanding energy landscapes is a major challenge in chemistry and biology. Although a wide variety of methods have been invented and applied to this problem, very little is understood about the actual mathematical structures underlying such landscapes. Perhaps the most general assumption is the idea that energy landscapes are low-dimensional manifolds embedded in high-dimensional Euclidean space. While this is a very mild assumption, we have discovered an example of an energy landscape which is nonmanifold, demonstrating previously unknown mathematical complexity. The example occurs in the energy landscape of cyclo-octane, which was found to have the structure of a reducible algebraic …

An Assessment Of The Methods That Are Used To Recruit College Students Into The Turkish Hezbollah., Tuncay Unal

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to identify tactics used by the Turkish Hezbollah to recruit college students into joining their terrorist organization. This study based on the assumptions that social networks and institutional structures are two main tools that are used effectively by the Turkish Hezbollah to recruit college educated students. In this sense, the researcher claims that Social Learning theory and Social Control Theories can be used to provide theoretical explanation to the Hezbollah’s recruitment strategy. Parallel to these theories assumptions, while having militants within social networks increases the likelihood of being recruited through social learning theory assumptions, college students who …

Bioinformatics Data Mining Using Artificial Immune Systems And Neural Networks, Shane Dixon, Xiao-Hua Yu

Electrical Engineering

Bioinformatics is a data-intensive field of research and development. The purpose of bioinformatics data mining is to discover the relationships and patterns in large databases to provide useful information for biomedical analysis and diagnosis. In this research, algorithms based on artificial immune systems (AIS) and artificial neural networks (ANN) are employed for bioinformatics data mining. Three different variations of the real-valued negative selection algorithm and a multi-layer feedforward neural network model are discussed, tested and compared via computer simulations. It is shown that the ANN model yields the best overall result while the AIS algorithm is advantageous when only the …

Numerical Approach For Quantification Of Epistemic Uncertainty, John Jakeman, Michael Eldred, Dongbin Xiu

PRISM: NNSA Center for Prediction of Reliability, Integrity and Survivability of Microsystems

In the field of uncertainty quantification, uncertainty in the governing equations may assume two forms: aleatory uncertainty and epistemic uncertainty. Aleatory uncertainty can be characterised by known probability distributions whilst epistemic uncertainty arises from a lack of knowledge of probabilistic information. While extensive research efforts have been devoted to the numerical treatment of aleatory uncertainty, little attention has been given to the quantification of epistemic uncertainty. In this paper, we propose a numerical framework for quantification of epistemic uncertainty. The proposed methodology does not require any probabilistic information on uncertain input parameters. The method only necessitates an estimate of the …

Agnostic Science. Towards A Philosophy Of Data Analysis, Domenico Napoletani, Marco Panza, Daniele C. Struppa

MPP Published Research

In this paper we will offer a few examples to illustrate the orientation of contemporary research in data analysis and we will investigate the corresponding role of mathematics. We argue that the modus operandi of data analysis is implicitly based on the belief that if we have collected enough and sufficiently diverse data, we will be able to answer most relevant questions concerning the phenomenon itself. This is a methodological paradigm strongly related, but not limited to, biology, and we label it the microarray paradigm. In this new framework, mathematics provides powerful techniques and general ideas which generate new …

Is Phonophobia Associated With Cutaneous Allodynia In Migraine?, Avi Ashkenazi, Irene Yang, Aamir Mushtaq, Michael L. Oshinsky

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

ABSTRACT

Objective

To determine whether phonophobia and dynamic mechanical (brush) allodynia are associated in episodic migraine (EM).

Methods

Adult patients with EM were prospectively recruited. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain demographic and migraine related data. Phonophobia was tested quantitatively using a real time sound processor and psychoacoustic software. Sound stimuli were pure tones at frequencies of 1000 Hz, 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz, delivered to both ears at increasing intensities, until an aversive level was reached. Allodynia was assessed by brushing the patient’s skin with a gauze pad at different areas. Patients were tested both between and during …

Proceedings Of Sultan Qaboos University Clinical - Pathological Conferences 2009-2010, Sultan Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Advanced General Medicine Conference Joint Conference Of The Royal College Of Physicians Uk, Ministry Of Health, Oman And Sultan Qaboos University 20th - 23rd February 2010, Sultan Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

How Do We Define A Medical School? : Reflections On The Occasion Of The Centennial Of The Flexner Report, Hans Karle

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

A century after the Flexner Report on medical education in North America, which revolutionised the training of medical doctors all over the world, it is time to revisit this famous document and analyse symptoms and signs of a return to pre-Flexnerian conditions. With the ongoing mushroom growth over the last decades of small, proprietary educational institutions of low quality and driven by for-profit purposes, medical education is in a threatened position. This trend is of general international interest because of the increasing migration of medical doctors. There is a need for discussion of what should be the rational criteria and …

Small Incidental Renal Masses In Adults : Review Of The Literature, Mohammed S. Al-Marhoon

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Incidental renal tumours are becoming an important clinical problem that many physicians will need to deal with. A good knowledge of the nature of these tumours and how to manage them is therefore needed. The aim of this paper is to review the literature about incidental renal tumours in adults. Many incidentally discovered small renal tumours (<4 cm) are benign and of low stage, grade and progression potential. The preferred management in young fit patients is open or laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery. Treatment alternatives include needle-ablative therapies and surveillance in elderly unfit patients. Tumour renal biopsy is encouraged prior to needle-ablative therapy and surveillance. Awareness about incidental renal masses and their management is essential for treating doctors.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld) - Is It An Emerging Risk Factor For Coronary Artery Disease? : Preliminary Study In A Local Indian Population, Manopriya Thiruvagounder, Shaheen Khan, Dhastagir S.

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: 149 patients were selected, who had been referred to the Institute of Cardiology, Banglore, India, between January 2007 and June 2009 and diagnosed with CAD. Four patients did not participate in the study. Venous blood samples were taken from these cases, and age-matched healthy controls who came for a master health check-up (N = 100). All were subjected to routine liver function tests including serum transaminases, enzyme immunoassays for plasminogen activator inhibitor I (PAI-I), C …

Cantharidin Poisoning Due To Blister Beetle Ingestion In Children : Two Case Reports And A Review Of Clinical Presentations, Ali M. Al-Binali, Medhat Shabana, Suliman Dawood, Sami, Amer A. Shehri, Ahmed Al-Barki

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Cantharidin is an intoxicant found in beetles in the Meloidae (Coleoptera) family. Ingestion may result in haematemesis, impaired level of consciousness, electrolyte disturbance, haematurea and renal impairment. Here, we report two paediatric cases of meloid beetle ingestion resulting in cantharidin poisoning and the clinical presentation of the ensuing intoxication.

Genetic Counseling Practice : Advanced Concepts And Skills, Samir Al-Adawi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Dc-Resistivity And Ground Penetrating Radar Investigation Of The Floodplain And Gravel Bars Of The Big River, Eastern Missouri, Kevin L. Mickus, Robert T. Pavlowsky, Marc R. Owen, Patrick J. Womble

OEWRI Technical Reports

A DC-resistivity (DCR) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) study was conducted on the floodplains and gravel bars at four sites along the Big River in eastern Missouri to determine if DCR and GPR measurements can be used to determine the sedimentological characteristics of the floodplains and gravel bars, thickness of the floodplain deposits and if these methods could determine the extent of contaminated sediments. GPR data were collected at 100 and 250 MHz along profiles perpendicular and parallel to the river to image sedimentary structures of different scale lengths. DCR measurements were collected on the floodplains using a Schlumberger array …

High-Throughput Experimental Studies To Identify Mirna Targets Directly, With Special Focus On The Mammalian Brain, Peter T. Nelson, Marianthi Kiriakidou, Zissimos Mourelatos, Grace S. Tan, Mary H. Jennings, Kevin Xie, Wang-Xia Wang

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

We review the pertinent literature on methods used in high-throughput experimental identification of microRNA (miRNA) "targets" with emphasis on neurochemical studies. miRNAs are short regulatory noncoding RNAs that play important roles in the mammalian brain. The functions of miRNAs are related to their binding of RNAs including mRNAs. Since mammalian miRNAs tend to bind to target mRNAs via imperfect complementarity, understanding exactly which target mRNAs are recognized by which specific miRNAs is a challenge. Based on early experimental evidence, a set of "binding rules" for miRNAs has been described. These have focused on the 5' "seed" region of miRNAs binding …

Optimizing Randomized Trial Designs To Distinguish Which Subpopulations Benefit From Treatment, Michael Rosenblum, Mark J. Van Der Laan

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

It is a challenge to evaluate experimental treatments where it is suspected that the treatment effect may only be strong for certain subpopulations, such as those having a high initial severity of disease, or those having a particular gene variant. Standard randomized controlled trials can have low power in such situations. They also are not optimized to distinguish which subpopulations benefit from a treatment. With the goal of overcoming these limitations, we consider randomized trial designs in which the criteria for patient enrollment may be changed, in a preplanned manner, based on interim analyses. Since such designs allow data-dependent changes …

How Do Polar Marine Ecosystems Respond To Rapid Climate Change?, Oscar Schofield, Hugh W. Ducklow, Douglas G. Martinson, Michael P. Meredith, Mark A. Moline, William R. Fraser

Biological Sciences

Climate change will alter marine ecosystems; however, the complexity of the food webs, combined with chronic undersampling, constrains efforts to predict their future and to optimally manage and protect marine resources. Sustained observations at the West Antarctic Peninsula show that in this region, rapid environmental change has coincided with shifts in the food web, from its base up to apex predators. New strategies will be required to gain further insight into how the marine climate system has influenced such changes and how it will do so in the future. Robotic networks, satellites, ships, and instruments mounted on animals and ice …

Utilization Of Phylogenetic Systematics, Molecular Evolution, And Comparative Transcriptomics To Address Aspects Of Nematode And Bacterial Evolution, Scott M. Peat

Theses and Dissertations

Both insect parasitic/entomopathogenic nematodes and plant parasitic nematodes are of great economic importance. Insect parasitic/entomopathogenic nematodes provide an environmentally safe and effective method to control numerous insect pests worldwide. Alternatively, plant parasitic nematodes cause billions of dollars in crop loss worldwide. Because of these impacts, it is important to understand how these nematodes evolve, and, in the case of entomopathogenic nematodes, how their bacterial symbionts evolve. This dissertation contains six chapters. Chapter one is a review of DNA markers and their use in the phylogenetic systematics of entomopathogenic and insect-parasitic nematodes as well as a review of phylogenetic, co-phylogenetic, and …

Interaction Of Extracellular Domain 2 Of The Human Retina-Specific Atp-Binding Cassette Transporter (Abca4) With All-Trans-Retinal., Esther E Biswas-Fiss, Deepa S Kurpad, Kinjalben Joshi, Subhasis B Biswas

Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences & Biotechnology Faculty Papers

The retina-specific ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, ABCA4, is essential for transport of all-trans-retinal from the rod outer segment discs in the retina and is associated with a broad range of inherited retinal diseases, including Stargardt disease, autosomal recessive cone rod dystrophy, and fundus flavimaculatus. A unique feature of the ABCA subfamily of ABC transporters is the presence of highly conserved, long extracellular loops or domains (ECDs) with unknown function. The high degree of sequence conservation and mapped disease-associated mutations in these domains suggests an important physiological significance. Conformational analysis using CD spectroscopy of purified, recombinant ECD2 protein demonstrated that it …

Sadid V. Idaho State University Clerk's Record V. 2 Dckt. 37563

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

The Work Of Artist Michelle Leedahl '10 Featured At Pope Art, University Relations

Campus News Archive

Leedahl completed a bachelor of arts in studio art this spring and is the featured artist at Pope Art this summer.

Common Terms Used In Animal Feeding And Nutrition, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

WVU-Extension fact sheet

The Lysr-Type Virulence Activator Aphb Regulates The Expression Of Genes In Vibrio Cholerae In Response To Low Ph And Anaerobiosis, Gabriela Kovacikova, Wei Lin, Karen Skorupski

Dartmouth Scholarship

AphB is a LysR-type activator that initiates the expression of the virulence cascade in Vibrio cholerae by cooperating with the quorum-sensing-regulated activator AphA at the tcpPH promoter on the Vibrio pathogenicity island (VPI). To identify the ancestral chromosomal genes in V. cholerae regulated by AphB, we carried out a microarray analysis and show here that AphB influences the expression of a number of genes that are not associated with the VPI. One gene strongly activated by AphB is cadC, which encodes the ToxR-like transcriptional activator responsible for activating the expression of lysine decarboxylase, which plays an important role in …

"Our College" Today, Nicholas Miller

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

Help-Seeking And Utilization Patterns Among African American And Caucasian Mothers And Fathers: An Examination Of Parental Problem Recognition, Barriers, And Beliefs, Idia Binitie Thurston

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The underutilization of mental health services is a pervasive problem that persists despite efforts by researchers and interventionists to make treatment accessible. Several factors have been hypothesized to contribute to these underutilization rates including sociopolitical factors (financial and structural barriers), and cultural/familial factors (race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, age, marital status, attitudes, beliefs, and stigma). The current study set out to explore patterns of child mental health service utilization based on parents' perceptions. Guided by "The Youth Help-Seeking and Service Utilization Model," the relationship between parental problem recognition and willingness to seek formal and informal help as influenced by parents' …

Novel Mechanism In Astrocyte Gene Regulation And Function, Sandeep Singh

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation sheds light on several novel mechanistic findings in astrocyte specific gene regulation and function by the NFI-X transcription factor which can be further extrapolated to astrocyte differentiation and glial tumor invasion. First, we cloned and analyzed human NFI-X3, a novel splice variant of the nfix gene, which contains a unique transcriptional activation (TA) domain completely conserved in primates. In contrast to previously cloned NFI-X1, overexpression of NFI-X3 potently activates NFI reporters, including GFAP reporter, in astrocytes and glioma cells. The expression of NFI-X3 is dramatically upregulated during the differentiation of neural progenitors to astrocytes and precedes the expression …

Ex Vivo Expansion Of Tumor-Specific T Cells With Sequential Common Gamma Chain Cytokines Render Them Refractory To Mdsc Upon Adoptive Immunotherapy., Debasmita Basu

Theses and Dissertations

Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are heterogeneous population of immature cells at various stages of differentiation, characterized by the presence of CD11b and Gr1 in mice. They are major contributors of the tumor-induced immune suppression against the tumors. So far, various strategies have been introduced to overcome the endogenous MDSCs. Most of these approaches rely on the elimination of MDSCs and it is not clear whether tumor-reactive T cells may be differentiated towards phenotypes that are refractory to MDSCc. Our laboratory has previously shown that high affinity T cells derived from tumor-sensitized wild-type FVB mice and expanded ex vivo with …

Experimental Translocation Of The Florida Sand Skink (Plestiodon [=Neoseps] Reynoldsi): Success Of A Restricted Species Across Diverse Microhabitats, Nicholas Paul Osman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fossorial Florida Sand Skink (Plestiodon [=Neoseps] reynoldsi) inhabits a restricted range of scrub and sandhill fragments on the ridges of central Florida. The high rate of urban and agricultural development in this area necessitates conservation strategies other than land acquisition and management because of the limited remaining Florida Sand Skink habitat available. This study tests the viability of translocation as a conservation strategy for this species and assesses which features of a recipient site contribute to the successful establishment of a population. In 2007, 300 individuals were collected and moved from an intact scrub habitat, …

Hydric Life: A Nietzschean Reading Of Postcolonial Communication, Elena F. Ruiz-Aho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the question of marginalization in cross-cultural communication from the perspectives of hermeneutic philosophy and postcolonial theory. Specifically, it focuses on European colonialism‘s effect on language and communicative practices in Latin America. I argue colonialism creates a deeply sedimented but unacknowledged background of inherited cultural prejudices against which social and political problems of oppression, violence and marginalization, especially towards women, emerge—but whose roots in colonial and imperial frameworks have lost transparency. This makes it especially difficult for postcolonial subjects to meaningfully express their own experiences of psychic dislocation and fragmentation because the discursive background used to communicate these …