Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Ageing At Beaver Reservoir, Northwest Arkansas: Limnological, Geochemical & Paleolimnological Approach, Byron Anthony Winston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to potable water has been arguably one of the most important requisites for the advancement of human civilization on earth. As a result, man in his infinite wisdom devised the dam and formed reservoirs, (man- made lakes), to exploit water resources at will. In all natural lakes and reservoirs changes occur in the water quality parameters as it relates to chemical nutrients, temperature and turbidity over time. These changes are collectively referred to as "Reservoir Ageing", of which sedimentation and eutrophication are primary. Reservoir Ageing has consequences which adversely affect and defeat many of the intended uses of the …

Book Review: Essential Criminology 3rd Edition, Roger Schaefer

Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology

No abstract provided.

Redefining Genocide: The International Criminal Court’S Failure To Indict On The Darfur Situation, Simeon Sungi

Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology

No abstract provided.

Novel Phytol-Derived Immunostimulants (Phis-01) For Enhancement Of Vaccine Efficacy: A Comparative Study, Youssef Aachoui

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adjuvants are used widely in vaccine formulations. However for humans, choices are very limited. Since they are selected empirically, it is not expected that any two adjuvants would influence immune mechanisms the same way. However they all influence host microenvironment, antigen presentation, and retention of immunological memory. This study focuses on new terpenoid adjuvants based on phytol derivatives. We previously observed that phytol and one of its derivatives PHIS-01 (a phytol-based immunostimulant, phytanol) are excellent adjuvants. To gain an understanding of the structural features important for adjuvanticity, we further studied compounds derived from a diterpene Phytol. We designed two new …

Racial Identity And Religiousness: Role Of Religion And Racial Identity On Substance Use In African American College Students, Chaz D. Mailey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study sought to explore the relationships between Black racial identity, religiosity, and substance use in African American college students. Religiosity has commonly been identified as a protective factor against substance use for many ethnic groups, and historically religion has played a significant role in the lives of African Americans. Surprisingly, some research suggests that while important, religiosity may not be as strong of a protective factor against abuse or excessive consumption of substances for African Americans as it is for other ethnicities (Amey, Albrect, & Miller, 1996). It has been suggested that for African Americans, a strong ethnic …

A Missense Mutation In Clic2 Associated With Intellectual Disability Is Predicted By In Silico Modeling To Affect Protein Stability And Dynamics, Shawn Witham, Kyoko Takano, Charles Schwartz, Emil Alexov

Publications

Large-scale next generation resequencing of X chromosome genes identified a missense mutation in the CLIC2 gene on Xq28 in a male with X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) and not found in healthy individuals. At the same time, numerous nsSNPs (nonsynonomous SNP) have been reported in the CLIC2 gene in healthy individuals indicating that the CLIC2 protein can tolerate amino acid substitutions and be fully functional. To test the possibility that p.H101Q is a disease-causing mutation, we performed in silico simulations to calculate the effects of the p.H101Q mutation on CLIC2 stability, dynamics, and ionization states while comparing the effects obtained for …

The Discovery Of Germany In America: Hans Staden, Ulrich Schmidel, And The Construction Of A German Identity, Gene Rhea Tucker

Traversea: The Journal of Transatlantic History

No abstract provided.

An Extendable Software Architecture For Massively Parallel Biological Simulation, Karthik Iyer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Information technology has aided tremendously in the growth of the medical sciences industry. Tissue simulation is one such area wherein information technology aids in the field of medical science. This project focuses on defining, designing, and developing a computational architecture that performs repetitive and rigorous tissue simulation runs under different conditions and utilizes parallel computation.

The goal of this work is to demonstrate a parallel network-based architecture involving multiple clients interacting with a server that sends and receives voluminous data. The project assumes large memory capacity for the clients and the servers, but limits bandwidth requirements. The work demonstrates a …

Knowledge Exchange: A Two-Way Street, Elise Lequire

Joint Fire Science Program Digests

The best available science is of little use if it gathers dust on the shelves of library stacks or is deeply embedded on an obscure website. A key part of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) mission is to ensure research on wildland fire science is readily available to practitioners in a useful format so it can help support sound management decisions. The JFSP has made great inroads in this arena on a national level, but managers short on time often have to sift through an overload of information that may not be specific to their region. In the next …

Graduate Catalog. 2011, Fall., University Of Mississippi. Graduate School

Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Numerical Modeling Of Aquaculture Dissolved Waste Transport In A Coastal Embayment, Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy, Hyeyun Ku, Oliver B. Fringer, Alice Chiu, Rosamond L. Naylor, Jeffrey R. Koseff

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Marine aquaculture is expanding rapidly without reliable quantification of effluents. The present study focuses on understanding the transport of dissolved wastes from aquaculture pens in near-coastal environments using the hydrodynamics code SUNTANS (Stanford Unstructured Nonhydrostatic Terrain-following Adaptive Navier-Stokes Simulator), which employs unstructured grids to compute flows in the coastal ocean at very high resolution. Simulations of a pollutant concentration field (in time and space) as a function of the local environment (bathymetry), flow conditions (tides and wind-induced currents), and the location of the pens were performed to study their effects on the evolution of the waste plume. The presence of …

Isu Chem-Letter, Fall 2011, Illinois State University, Department Of Chemistry

Chem Letter

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of Chemistry

Fantasies And Illusions: On Liberty, Order, And Free Markets, Bernard E. Harcourt

Articles

No abstract provided.

Understudied Species In Coastal U.S. Waters: Issues, Solutions, And Implications For Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management, Anna Webb

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Production of valuable marine resources is threatened by chronic underestimation of fisheries impacts. Over-exploitation has caused a decline in many traditional food fish and enabled replacement by historically undervalued species. I analyzed federal survey data to identify understudied species encountered by trawl fishing gear and found the majority of captured species lack population assessments and/or catch regulations. There are substantially higher total numbers of encountered species and, in turn, higher percentages of understudied species (up to 95%) in the southern regions potentially following the latitudinal biodiversity gradient. This critical gap in understanding coastal marine ecosystems, which will be more significant …

The Physiological And Ecological Responses Of Marine Zooplankton To Iron, Xi Chen

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Crustacean zooplankton provide the energetic link between phytoplankton and higher trophic levels in the ocean, including economically important fish species. Their activities also influence biogeochemical cycling through production of fast sinking fecal pellets and the regeneration of nutrients. Previous studies have indicated that zooplankton productivity can be limited by energy (carbon) and by a deficiency of the macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus in their diets. However, the influence of dietary supply of trace elements on zooplankton productivity has been largely unstudied. Broad limitation of phytoplankton productivity by dissolved iron in the ocean results in larger variability in Fe:C ratios in phytoplankton …

The Banner - V. 146, No. 8 - (August 2011), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Of Justice in an iPad Age by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Day Off, or Sabbath? by Mary Hulst / 8 - IMHO: Responding to ‘A Call from the CRC’s Young Adults’ by Dirk Van Eyk / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Ontario teens 'infused' with God / 19 - Frequently Asked Questions / 20 - What if IT Happens in Your Church? [Name Withheld] / 22 - Poem: Trompe-I’oeil by Irene Fridsma / 23 - Parenting: Chores by Otto Selles / 24 - Reconciling, Restoring, Encouraging, Seeking …

Journal Of Cave And Karst Studies, Volume 73, No. 2, August 2011, Table Of Contents, National Speleological Society

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

2011 Utah State University Student Orientation Guide, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

A special supplemental magazine provided by The Utah Statesman to take a closer look at some of the services and departments available at Utah State University.

Changing Perceptions Of Science In Undergraduate Students: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Cindy S. Larson-Miller

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

The purpose of this bounded single-case study was to explore the understanding of the nature and process of science for undergraduate students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The study investigated one professor’s methodology to explicitly teach undergraduate students about the nature and process of science, and documented their understanding and perception of science, both pre- and post-course.

Using a mixed method approach, data were collected to provide a better understanding of teaching the nature and process of science. Three main types of data were analyzed: the process of science (TPOS) assessment; survey questions, and the module curriculum.

Participating students …

Determination Of Hexamethylene Bisacetamide, An Antineoplastic Compound, In Mouse And Human Plasma By Lc–Ms/Ms, Kerri M. Smith, Wannarasmi Ketchart, Xiang Zhou, Monica M. Montano, Yan Xu

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) is a polar compound which has recently been discovered to have antineoplastic activity by up-regulating the expression of an endogenous antiproliferative breast cancer protein, HEXIM1 (hexamethylene bisacetamide inducible protein 1) in vivo. HMBA has been shown in the past to induce terminal differentiation in multiple leukemia types at a concentration of 2–5 mM, but its phase I and II clinical trials were largely unsuccessful due to serious side effects (notably, thrombocytopenia) with dose escalation. In this work, a sensitive and simple LC–MS/MS method for direct determination of HMBA in mouse and human plasma is described. Plasma samples …

In Vitro And In Vivo Effects Of A Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor Nimesulide Analog Jcc76 In Aromatase Inhibitors-Insensitive Breast Cancer Cells, Bo Zhong, Xiaohan Cai, Xing Yi, Aimin Zhou, Shiuan Chen, Bin Su

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Third generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are more effective than tamoxifen in the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. However, long-term use of AIs commonly results in resistance. We examined whether compound JCC76{Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid [3-(2,5-dimethyl-benzyloxy)-4-(methanesulfonyl-methyl-amino)-phenyl]-amide}, an analog of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor nimesulide, can inhibit the growth of AI-insensitive breast cancer cells and the mechanisms by which the compound affects cell proliferation. LTEDaro (long term estrogen deprived MCF-7aro cell) cells, which are a model for AI resistance, were used in this study. JCC76 effectively inhibited LTEDaro cell proliferation with an IC50 of 2.75 ± 0.31 μM. Further investigations reveal that …

Development Of Novel Gene Therapy Vectors Via Metabolic Labeling And Chemoselective Modification Of Adenovirus Capsid, Partha Sarathi Banerjee

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Surface modification of adenovirus vectors can improve tissue selective targeting, attenuate immunogenicity, and enable imaging of particle biodistribution; thus significantly improving therapeutic potential. Currently, surface engineering is constrained by a combination of factors including impact on viral fitness, limited access to functionality, or incomplete control over the site of modification. In order to alleviate this complication, our aim was to prelabel the virions metabolically with unnatural residues, which allow access to highly chemoselective reactions. Due to their small size, permissibility within biosynthetic pathways, and access to reactions with high specificity, azides and alkynes act as excellent bio-orthogonal handles. We utilized …

Experimental Evolution Of Rutabaga Suppression, Michael Jason Cressy

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

One of the challenges to understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype is that complex phenotypes, such as learning and memory, emerge from interactions amongst groups of genes. Despite its widespread relevance, the nature of multi-gene interactions are ill understood, in part, because most genetic studies are limited to pair-wise studies. To investigate this question, a novel approach was developed and implemented in Drosophila, using the biologically important and clinically relevant cAMP pathway as a model. I used selective breeding to evolve combinations of alleles capable of suppressing the learning defect of mutations in the rutabaga adenylyl cyclase gene. Unlike …

Effects Of Disordered Dopants On The Electronic Structure Of Functional Materials: Wannier Function-Based First Principles Methods For Disordered Systems, Tom Berlijn

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Doping is one of the most powerful tools for tuning the electronic properties of functional materials. Well known examples include doped semiconductors and the Cu and Fe based high temperature superconductors. Besides introducing charge carriers and chemical pressure, it is almost inevitable that dopants will introduce quenched disorder into the system. This can have a wide range of consequences for the electronic structure, such as electric and thermal resistance, a deformation of the nodal structure of a superconductor or Anderson localization. In this thesis the influence of disordered dopants is studied by calculating the configuration-averaged spectral function from first principles …

Exploring Protein-Protein And Protein-Ligand Interactions In The Bacterial Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Pathway, Janine Borgaro

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis (FASII) pathway is a promising target for antibacterial drug discovery and current research is focused on elucidating the substrate specificity of the b-ketoacyl-ACP synthase (KAS) enzymes in this pathway, identify the interactions between the components of the FASII pathway and discovering the unknown dehydratase, and studying the interaction of current enzyme inhibitors with FASII components in whole cells. Substrates are shuttled between the FASII enzymes by acyl carrier protein, a phosphopantetheinylated protein with a MW of 13 kDa in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 7 kDa in Escherichia coli. While the KAS enzyme(s) involved in fatty acid …

Engineering A Human Embryonic Stem Cell Reporter Line For Salivary Lineage Screening, Bahar Houshmand

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Abstract of the Thesis Engineering a Human Embryonic Stem Cell Reporter Line for Salivary Lineage Screening By Bahar Houshmand Master of Science in Basic Health Sciences (Oral Biology & Pathology) Stony Brook University 2011 Head and neck cancer radiotherapy and Sjogren Syndrome are two major conditions associated with irreversible damage to salivary glands and, a considerable decrease in saliva secretion. Currently there is no treatment available for these patients other than those relieving the symptoms. Cell-based therapy holds a great promise for treatment of these conditions, however the source of salivary progenitor cells is limiting. Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) …

Do Previous Life Experiences And Family History Moderate Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Somatic Symptoms And Stress In Response To Transient Stressors?, Genna Faith Hymowitz

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects 10%-20% of adults living in the U.S. and accounts for approximately 25% of all visits to a gastroenterologist. Despite the high prevalence and the significant physical, psychological and financial impact of IBS, the etiology of this disorder is still largely unknown. Previous research supports an influence of genetics, family environment and physical, sexual and emotional abuse on gastrointestinal symptoms and indicates the presence of relationships among abuse, IBS and response to stressors. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate gastrointestinal symptoms and stress response to a transient naturalistic stressor in individuals with both non-specific …

Mechanism And Inhibition Studies Of Enoyl-Acp Reductases And Dihydroxynaphthoyl-Coa Synthase In Pathogenic Bacteria, Nina Liu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Resistance to existing antimicrobial agents is a global threat to human health care, and new drugs with novel mechanisms of action are required in order to keep pace with the emergence of drug resistant pathogens. The bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis (FAS-II) and menaquinone pathways represent attractive yet relatively unexploited targets for new antibiotic development and consequently there is significant interest in developing potent inhibitors of enzymes in these two pathways. My research is mainly focused on the mechanism and inhibition of the enoyl-ACP reductases from the FAS-II pathway and dihydroxynaphthoyl-CoA synthase from the menaquinone pathway. The mechanism and inhibition of …

Using Growth Mixture Modeling To Identify Loci Associated With The Progression Of Disease, Tong Shen

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for a longitudinal quantitative trait, the trait is measured at multiple time points. GWAS is the examination of marker loci to identify loci associated with the progression of the quantitative trait. I use two models, a single locus model and a multi locus model, to simulate a longitudinal quantitative trait. I use the growth mixture modeling (GMM) method to assign each member of a sample into one of a small number of trajectory groups. The clinically important trajectory group is the one with fastest progression. The Bayesian posterior probability (BPP) of being in the …

Plankton Dynamics, Nutrient Stoichiometry, And Oxygen Utilization In Western Long Island Sound, Elizabeth Suter

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Long Island Sound (LIS) is a seasonally hypoxic estuary that receives sewage effluent and nonpoint source nutrient pollution from New York City, Long Island, and the Housatonic, Connecticut, and Thames Rivers in Connecticut. Data collected on 9 research cruises during the summers of 2009 and 2010 in western LIS revealed that organic matter associated with surface water phytoplankton production explained about half the variability (p<0.01) in total community respiration in surface waters. Phytoplankton biomass and particulate organic carbon concentrations explained 66% (p < 0.001) and 72% (p<0.01) of the variability in bacterial abundances, respectively, suggesting bacteria were associated with organic matter from phytoplankton production. Bacterial net production (BNP) seemed to be controlled by temperature (r = 0.49, p < 0.01). However, BNP did not correlate with respiration, DO, or organic matter concentrations. Bacterial abundances explained a portion of bottom water oxygen demand in the <20-¶æm fraction (r = 0.50, p <0.01). Furthermore, bottom water column respiration of particles < 20-¶æm accounted for 41% of the variability in bottom water dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations (r = -0.64, p = 0.06). Despite 20% reductions in nitrogen-loadings to LIS in the past 17 years, the extent, duration, and volume of hypoxia have not significantly declined. A retrospective analysis of 15 years of chemical, biological, and hydrographic monitoring data from 9 stations along the central axis of LIS produced by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) suggested that policies targeting nutrient reductions from sewage effluent have introduced excess phosphate and induced nitrogen-limitation for phytoplankton communities, particularly in western LIS. However, rather than an overall decrease in phytoplanktonic biomass, these changes in nutrient stoichiometry have caused a long-term shift in community composition. In particular, although diatoms still make up the majority of phytoplankton biomass, they have decreased in abundance in favor of nondiatom species, mainly dinoflagellates. In addition, nutrient stoichiometry has changed due to increases in inorganic phosphorus and organic nitrogen and carbon compounds. Furthermore, an unexplained regime shift in phytoplankton biomass occurred between 2000 and 2002, during which time, overall planktonic biomass dramatically increased.