Digital Commons Network^™

Multifunctional Bioreducible Nanoparticles For Gene Therapy, Jing Li

Wayne State University Dissertations

Gene therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy to treat diseases caused by single or multiple gene mutations. Non-viral gene delivery vectors exhibit many advantages over viral vectors, including enhanced safety, versatility in choosing different types of therapeutic nucleic acids, and ease of formulation. However, low transgene efficiency and lack of targeting ability remain major challenges. Bioreducible polyplexes (polyelectrolyte complexes of disulfide-containing polycations and nucleic acids) utilize the redox potential gradient existing between extracellular space and intracellular environment as a physiological stimulus to enhance delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to the subcellular space. Bioreducible containing polyplexes undergo intracellular reduction mediated GSH, …

A Multi-Agent Intelligent System For Detecting Unknown Adverse Drug Reactions Through Communication And Collaboration, Ayman Mohammad Mansour

Wayne State University Dissertations

Several thousands of drugs are currently available on the U.S. market. A complete understanding of the safe use of drugs is not possible at the time when drug is developed or marketed. At that time, the safety information is only obtained from a few thousand people in a typical pre-marketing clinical trial. Clinical trials are not capable of detecting rare adverse drug reactions (ADRs) because of limitations in sample size and trial duration. Early detection of unknown ADRs could save lives and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. Current methods largely rely on spontaneous reports which suffer from serious underreporting, latency, and inconsistent …

Systems Support For Genomics Computing In Cloud Environments, Tung Thanh Nguyen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Genomics research has enormous applications in many areas such as health care, forensic, agriculture, etc. Most recent achievements in this field come from the availability of the unprecedented genomic data. However, new sequencing technologies in genomics keep producing data at a faster pace resulting a very huge amount of data. This poses great challenges on how to store, manage, process and analyze the data efficiently. To deal with these, genomics research groups often equip themselves with a small scale server room composed of high storage capacity and computing ability machines. This solution is not only costly, unscalable but also inefficient. …

Role Of Thromboxane Receptor-Alpha In Prostate Cancer Progression, Prasanna Ekambaram

Wayne State University Dissertations

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is a major arachidonic acid metabolite that signals through TXA2 receptors (TP) to induce platelet aggregation and smooth muscle contraction. TXA2 receptors are expressed as two different isoforms in humans, namely TP-alpha (TPα) and TP-beta (TPβ), which have common and distinct signaling pathways. Of the two TP receptor isoforms, studies have shown that TPα impacts tumor growth and progression of lung cancer. Previously our studies demonstrated that activation of Thromboxane receptor by TXA2 agonists could regulate prostate cancer (PCa) cell motility and cytoskeletal reorganization through activation of Rho-A. The primary objective of this study is to investigate …

Membrane-Bound Immunomodulators As Adjuvants In A Cell Culture-Based Avian Influenza Vaccine, David Daniel Fischer

Wayne State University Dissertations

Inactivated viral vaccines often generate suboptimal immune responses. Adjuvants are incorporated into vaccines to increase their immunogenicity, however currently available adjuvants have shortcomings which have limited their use in human and veterinary medicine. This necessitates the development of new adjuvants and delivery systems. Cytokines have been extensively tested as adjuvants in vaccines but challenges such as diffusion from antigen, short half-lives and production costs have been encountered. To address this, we developed a technology that efficiently produces inactivated, whole-virus influenza vaccine bearing membrane-bound cytokines. Tethering the cytokine to the antigen of interest keeps the immunomodulator in close contact with the …

Narratives Of Possibility: Adolescent Girls Constructing And Negotiating Front And Back Stage Identities Through Blogs, Kattie Marie Hogan

Wayne State University Dissertations

For young woman, the issue of self-expression is important to consider because there are many contexts where their voices and experiences are discounted, silenced, and suppressed. Venues for self-expression can provide a way for those voices and experiences that have been ignored in classrooms and other social outlets to be recognized. This research study explored the ways four girls between the ages of 16-19 used blogging to construct meaning of their experiences and negotiate their identities through a wide range of literary practices including nonfiction and fiction writing, photographs, self-created drawings, and other materials. Writing in these blogs girls moved …

A Role For Reactive Oxygen Species In Photodynamic Therapy, Michael Price

Wayne State University Dissertations

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is based on the ability of certain photosensitizing agents to selectively localize in neoplastic cells and their vasculature. Subsequent irradiation at a wavelength corresponding to a photosensitizer absorbance band excites the photosensitizer molecules, leading to energy transfer reactions and fluorescence. It was initially concluded that the phototoxic effect occurred when energy from the excited state of the photosensitizer was transferred to dissolved oxygen to form singlet oxygen. This product has a very brief half-life and will cause cellular damage only in the immediate vicinity of its formation. But an excited-state photosensitizer can also interact with oxygen to …

Techniques For Sensor-Integrated Robotic Systems: Raman Spectra Analysis, Image Guidance, And Kinematic Calibration, Luke Anthony Reisner

Wayne State University Dissertations

Robotics and sensor technology have made impressive advancements over the years. There are now robotic systems that help perform surgeries or explore the surface of Mars, and there are sensors that detect trace amounts of explosives or identify diseased human tissue. The most powerful systems integrate robots and sensors, which are natural complements to each other. Sensors can provide information that might otherwise be unavailable due to indirect robotic manipulation (e.g., images of the target environment), and robots can provide suitably precise positioning of an analytical sensor.

To have an effective sensor-integrated robotic system, multiple capabilities are needed in the …

A Needs Assessment Of Knowledge, Skills, And Values For Urban Planning Professionals Based On Competencies Set Forth By Professional Planning Organizations, Chade Saghir

Wayne State University Dissertations

Continuing education and training is pivotal in today's fast-paced technology driven society. A profession is defined by the theories and techniques that competent practitioners utilize in their everyday work. Therefore, determining the competencies that practitioners must possess for any given profession is a prerequisite for a respected profession. Most professions are bounded by competencies that are dictated by professional organizations and education programs, yet the real test is how practitioners view these competencies as they relate to their job. For a profession to reach the ultimate goal of improving society the first step is to align professional organization, education, and …

Talking Circles For Adolescent Girls In An Urban High School: A Restorative Practices Program For Building Friendships And Developing Emotional Literacy Skills, Martha Ann Schumacher

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

TALKING CIRCLES FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS

IN AN URBAN HIGH SCHOOL: A RESTORATIVE PRACTCES' PROGRAM FOR BUILDING FRIENDHIPS AND DEVELOPING

EMOTIONAL LITERACY SKILLS

by

MARTHA ANN SCHUMACHER

DECEMBER 2012

ADVISOR: Dr. Loraleigh Keashly

MAJOR: Communication

DEGREE: Doctor of Philosophy

Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice programs in schools are a new and emerging field. Meeting in Circles to build community, resolve conflict, and learn interactively are core components of these programs. This ethnographic study, which took place February 2010 to December 2011, evaluates 12 small, out-of-classroom Talking Circles for 60 adolescent girls as part of a Restorative Practices program in an …

The Effect Of Grief And Loss Training For Student Counselors On Grief Counseling Comfort Level In Two Educational Settings, Selin Sertgoz

Wayne State University Dissertations

Loss, whether death or non-death related, is a life-changing experience. When people grieve over their significant loss, they go through a multitude of emotional, behavioral, physiological, and cognitive changes that can be disruptive at times. Counselors report encountering various loss-related issues with their clients, yet novice counselors in particular do not feel comfortable dealing with these issues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a grief and loss training program from a Rational Emotive Behavioral Theory perspective for counselors to improve their comfort level in grief counseling.

The literature highlights the increasing trend of online training in higher …

Predicting Vision Loss In Healthy Aging With Manganese-Enhanced Mri Of The Rat Eye, David Bissig

Wayne State University Dissertations

In healthy aging, visual function declines throughout adulthood. Age-related changes in neuronal ion homeostasis -- specifically, increased Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage gated calcium channels (L-VGCCs) -- are believed to contribute to certain functional declines, but this possibility has not yet been tested in the neural retina. In young, mid- and old adult Long-Evans rats, we compared visual function (optokinetic tracking), as well as retinal physiology and eye morphology (Mn2+-enhanced MRI (MEMRI), which uses neuronal Mn2+ uptake as a marker of Ca2+ influx). We documented significant age-related decreases in visual performance and increases in retinal ion influx. We confirmed that …

Substance P And The Host Immune Response, Megan Elizabeth Foldenauer

Wayne State University Dissertations

This body of work examined the mechanism by which SP regulates host immunity, specifically, its control of growth factors and TLR expression in the P. aeruginosa-infected cornea. The role of mTOR and VIP in corneal infection and inflammation also was tested.

SP has a dual role in bacterial infection, unexpectedly upregulating growth factor production. This was accompanied by macrophage-specific upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, downregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes, as well as a decrease in arginase-producing macrophages (M2 cells), important in stromal healing in these mice. All of these lead to worsened disease, despite the stimulatory effects …

The Effect Of Biodiesel Blends On A Multi-Cylinder Engine And The Impact On Aftertreatment, Amy Peterson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Recently, topics including global warming, increased environmental awareness, recycling, and organically produced meat and vegetables have been prevalent in the media and research arenas. The rapidly increasing cost for fossil fuels and the pursuit of environmental conservation has brought about the interest in a renewable and clean burning fuel, specifically biodiesel. Biodiesel, or vegetable oil ester as it was originally referred to, has been improving and progressing since the early 1900's. Fortunately, significant advancement in the understanding of raw vegetable oil as a fuel as well as converting it to ethyl or methyl esters, now known as biodiesel, has been …

A Case Of Conflict Of Cultures: End-Of-Life Decision Making Among Asian Americans, Pat K. Chew

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This essay presents a case example of a conflict between two cultures. One culture is the U.S. mainstream culture, as illustrated in a federal statute, the Patient Self-Determination Act. This statute provides legal guidelines for health care providers dealing with individuals' end-of-life decision making. Lawyers and health care providers refer to these guidelines in their counseling and treatments, apparently assuming that these guidelines are in the best interest of those they serve. The other culture is Asian American culture and its approach to end-of-life decision making. As this essay will discuss, Asian Americans have strong and long-established beliefs, values, and …

E-Discovery Mediation & The Art Of Keyword Search, Daniel B. Garrie, Edwin A. Machuca

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Identifying keywords when combing through large volumes of electronically stored information ("ESI") is a necessary requirement of electronic discovery. Finding ways to streamline this process in order to achieve maximum efficiency is a major priority for any party involved in the process of electronic discovery, to say nothing of the need to maintain the costs associated with such search at an economically feasible level. A workable solution to both needs is the use of a mediator, neutral, or special master (collectively, a "Special Master"). The process of selecting a Special Master can be daunting, however, choosing one with the ability …

"I Didn't Agree To Arbitrate That!"-How Courts Determine If Employees' Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment Claims Fall Within The Scope Of Broad Mandatory Arbitration Clauses, Eric Koplowitz

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Throughout the last few decades, mandatory arbitration clauses have become more prevalent in employment contracts. Mandatory arbitration clauses provide employers with a cheaper and less formal method to resolve disputes with their employees once they occur. Employers who want most or all of their employees' claims subjected to mandatory arbitration will use broad language in the arbitration clauses. Despite the use of broad and seemingly all-encompassing language in broad mandatory arbitration clauses, some employees' claims can escape their reach and proceed to court. This Note will look at how courts determine if employees' sexual assault and sexual harassment claims against …

A Moot Issue? Rethinking Holocaust Era Restitution Of Jewish Confiscated Personal Property In Poland, Lara Weissman

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Part I of this note will recount the historical events in Poland that resulted in the massive and ruthless appropriation of Jewish property, not only by the Nazis and the Communist regime, but also by non-Jewish Poles. The inadequate restitution policies following Poland's independence will then be explored, demonstrating Poland's unwillingness to deal with the theft that occurred within its borders, instead favoring sheer dismissal of the issue in the hopes of concentrating on rebuilding its war-torn country.

Part IIA will explore Poland's continued refusal to create and enforce policies that would assist in the restitution process, marking Poland as …

The Kids Are Not All Right: Mandating Peer Mediation As A Proactive Anti-Bullying Measure In Schools, Jon M. Philipson

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Part I of this Article briefly details the current state of the bullying epidemic in America and the responding programs, other than peer mediation, which collectively have failed to empower students or failed to resolve underlying interpersonal conflicts. Part II explains peer mediation, addressing its processes, its effectiveness, and its weaknesses. Exploring further the criticism of peer mediation as inconsistent with relationships defined by dominance, Part III explores, in relation to mediation, the parallels between the culture of bullying and the culture of domestic violence. Concluding that peer mediation is not a panacea for resolving bullying, Part IV discusses the …

Old Problem, New Medium: Deception In Computer-Facilitated Negotiation And Dispute Resolution, Brian Farkas

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

What is the character of deception in computer-facilitated dispute resolution, as compared to the types of deception that scholars have uncovered in face-to-face dispute resolution? And what self-help strategies might exist to mitigate online deception? The answers to these questions address unexplored potential pitfalls within a rapidly expanding platform of conflict resolution. The Note will begin with an overview of recent scholarship on deception in face-to-face ADR across the disciplines of law, business, psychology and public policy. It will then review the current ODR landscape, highlighting common and emerging technologies. Finally, it will analyze current the limited research that has …

Red With Envy: Why The Fashion Industry Should Embrace Adr As A Viable Solution To Resolving Trademark Disputes, Erica S. Schwartz

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note proposes that based on the nature of trademark disputes in the fashion industry, discussed in more detail below, alternative dispute resolution may be a viable option to resolve these cases. These alternative methods allow parties to explore mutually beneficial solutions, while avoiding litigation and ensuring the vitality of their brand. This Note also proposes that, based on previously successful programs used by other organizations, the Council of Fashion Designers of America should develop an alternative dispute resolution program to resolve disputes within the fashion industry.

Part II outlines the history of fashion design protection and examines the current …

Morphine And Clonidine Synergize To Ameliorate Low Back Pain In Mice, Maral Tajerian, Magali Millecamps, Laura S. Stone

Publications and Research

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a debilitating condition associated with signs of axial and radiating pain. In humans with chronic LBP, opioids are often prescribed with varying outcomes and a multitude of side effects. Combination therapies, in which multiple pharmacological agents synergize to ameliorate pain without similar potentiation of adverse reactions, may be useful in improving therapeutic outcome in these patients. The SPARC-null mouse model of low back pain due to disc degeneration was used to assess the effects of opioid (morphine) andα2-adrenergic agonist (clonidine) coadministration on measures of axial and radiating pain. The results indicate that systemic morphine …

Science Today In Verse, Hope Leman

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Sci-Tech Book News Reviews, Susan Fingerman

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Catholic Schools, Charter Schools, And Urban Neighborhoods, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Journal Articles

This Article addresses previously unstudied implications of two dramatic shifts in the American educational landscape. The first shift is the rapid disappearance of urban Catholic schools. More than 1,600 Catholic elementary and secondary schools, most of them located in urban neighborhoods, have closed during the last two decades. The Archdiocese of Chicago alone (the subject of our study) has closed 148 schools since 1984. Since the economic and demographic realities underlying urban Catholic school closures persist, this trend likely will continue and even accelerate in coming years. The second shift is the rise of charter schools. In 2010 more than …

Association Of Wild Bird Density And Farm Management Factors With The Prevalence Of E. Coli O157 In Dairy Herds In Ohio (2007–2009), N. Cernicchiaro, D. L. Pearl, S. A. Mcewen, L. Harpster, H. J. Homan, G. M. Linz, J. T. Lejeune

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Our objective was to determine the role that European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) play in the epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in dairy cattle. We visited 150 dairy farms in Ohio twice during summer and fall months from 2007 to 2009. Fresh faecal pats from 30 lactating cows were collected during each visit. Information on farm management and environmental variables was gathered through a questionnaire administered to the farm owner. The number of starlings observed on the farm was also recorded. Approximately 1% of dairy cattle and 24% of farms were positive for E. coli O157. Risk factors associated …

Double-Crested Cormorant Distribution On Catfish Aquaculture In The Yazoo River Basin Of Mississippi, Brian S. Dorr, Loren W. Burger, Scott C. Barras, Kristina Casscles Godwin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Estimating the catfish aquaculture production losses that can be attributed to double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) has proved problematic because knowledge of the distribution of cormorants on catfish aquaculture is lacking. We evaluated use versus availability of various production pond types and landscape-scale factors affecting the distribution of cormorants on channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) aquaculture facilities in Mississippi, USA. Cormorant distribution on aquaculture pond types indicated selection against brood-fish ponds, neutral selection on fingerling ponds, and selection for food-fish ponds (n = 29, Chesson’s α = 0.19, 0.36, and 0.45, respectively). Modeled and validated correct classification rate …

Scavenger Community Response To The Removal Of A Dominant Scavenger, Z. H. Olson, J. C. Beasley, T. L. Devault, O. E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The alteration of scavenging communities can reduce basic ecosystem services and increase risks to human and wildlife health. Recent work demonstrated that scavenging communities in agricultural landscapes are extremely efficient: superabundant mesopredators sequestered system energy by dominating scavenging activity. To explore how the disturbance of these communities affects the stability of carrion removal as an ecosystem function, we experimentally manipulated a scavenging community within an agricultural landscape by reducing the abundance of the dominant scavenger, raccoons Procyon lotor. We then monitored the fates of 676 mouse Mus musculus carcasses placed in 13 control and 13 removal woodlots from June …

Impact Of Baiting On Feral Swine Behavior In The Presence Of Culling Activities, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long, Michael J. Lavelle, Bruce R. Leland, Terry L. Blankenship, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We studied the effects of baiting on feral swine (Sus scrofa) movements and corresponding likelihood of disease spread under real and simulated culling pressure. Our objectives were to determine the proportion of feral swine that used the bait station site, and if baiting of feral swine altered areas of utilization, distances from location centroids to treatment location (control or bait station), and movement rates by survivors during culling activities. We hypothesized that the bait station would increase the sedentary nature of feral swine, thus reducing the potential for dispersal and hence disease dispersal. Our experiment was conducted between …

Feral Swine Disturbance At Important Archaeological Sites, Richard M. Engeman, Kathy J. Couturier, Rodney K. Felix Jr., Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine are well known as environmentally destructive invasive animals in many areas around the world, where they degrade native habitats, harm rare plant and animal species, damage agricultural interests, and spread disease. We provide the first quantification of their potential as agents of disturbance at archaeological sites. Our study was conducted in south-central Florida at Avon Park Air Force Range, a base comprising over 40,000 ha and containing many archaeological sites. To determine the identifiable prevalence of feral swine disturbance, we examined 36 sites registered with the Florida State Historic Preservation Office and also eligible for inclusion in the …