Digital Commons Network^™

Synergistic Effects Of Nicotine And Angiotensin Ii: Implications For Progression Of Chronic Kidney Disease In Smokers, C. Yoonhee Ryder, Edgar A. Jaimes

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. 54-56

Inquiro 6 (End Matter), Inquiro Staff

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. 76-82

Ahmed And Gray Named 2012 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars, Miranda Collier

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

p. 75

Potential Of Marine Bacteria As A Source Of New Biofilm Formation Inhibiting Compounds, Jane Lee Han

UNF Undergraduate Capstone Projects and Honors Theses

New antibacterial drugs are needed to keep up with the alarming increase in infections and incidence. Historically, the majority of clinically useful drugs have been obtained from terrestrial natural sources such as plants and microorganisms. Today such terrestrial sources of drugs are diminishing, owing to rediscovery of known compounds. Fortunately marine microorganisms are in an emerging and underdeveloped source of novel compounds with promising pharmaceutical potential.

University Of South Carolina Discovery Day 2012, University Of South Carolina

Discovery Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Utilization Of Infertility Treatments: The Effects Of Insurance Mandates, Marianne P. Bitler, Lucie Schmidt

Economics: Faculty Publications

Over the last several decades, both delay of childbearing and fertility problems have become increasingly common among women in developed countries. At the same time, technological changes have made many more options available to individuals experiencing fertility problems. However, these technologies are expensive, and only 25% of health insurance plans in the United States cover infertility treatment. As a result of these high costs, legislation has been passed in 15 states that mandates insurance coverage of infertility treatment in private insurance plans. In this article, we examine whether mandated insurance coverage for infertility treatment affects utilization. We allow utilization effects …

An Unbiased Approach To Identify Genes Involved In Development In A Turtle With Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination, Jena L. Chojnowski, Edward L. Braun

Natural Sciences Faculty Publications

Many reptiles exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). The initial cue in TSD is incubation temperature, unlike genotypic sex determination (GSD) where it is determined by the presence of specific alleles (or genetic loci). We used patterns of gene expression to identify candidates for genes with a role in TSD and other developmental processes without making a priori assumptions about the identity of these genes (ortholog-based approach). We identified genes with sexually dimorphic mRNA accumulation during the temperature sensitive period of development in the Red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta), a turtle with TSD. Genes with differential mRNA accumulation in response to …

Markers Of Health Status In Pasture-Fed Versus Total Mixed Ration-Fed Jersey Dairy Cattle, Megan Lee Seneca

Master's Theses and Capstones

Milk from pastured cows contains more beneficial fatty acids than milk from total mixed ration (TMR) fed cows. No studies have been done comparing health status in cows from each system. This study used pastured vs. TMR fed Jersey cows to measure levels of cortisol, haptoglobin (Hp), somatic cells, and production within and between farms over time.

Cortisol was significantly different between farms with means of 126.78 and 93.64 ng/ml for pastured and TMR groups, respectively. Levels in pastured cows trended with temperature and humidity. There was no significant difference in Hp levels between farms though levels did change over …

The Health Of Vulnerable Adolescent Girls: A Strategic Investment For Double Return, Jennifer Catino

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Worldwide there are 1.2 billion adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19. Nearly 90 percent of them live in developing countries, and approximately 600 million are female. While adolescence is normally a time of good health, numerous developmental and social changes occur during this period, many of which have health implications, especially for girls. Most of the girls and young women in the developing world live in conditions that make them vulnerable to health and social risks. They are often poor, out-of-school, married, migrants, members of ethnic minorities, or engaged in unsafe labor. Girls from many of the poorest …

Introducing Environmental Toxicology In Instructional Labs: The Use Of A Modified Amphibian Developmental Toxicity Assay To Support Inquiry-Based Student Projects, Roger Sauterer, James R. Rayburn

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Introducing students to the process of scientific inquiry is a major goal of high school and college labs. Environmental toxins are of great concern and public interest. Modifications of a vertebrate developmental toxicity assay using the frog Xenopus laevis can support student-initiated toxicology experiments that are relevant to humans. Teams of students formulate hypotheses, perform experiments, analyze data, and present their results. By performing experiments to investigate the toxicity of household chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or agricultural chemicals, students will gain an appreciation of the environmental effects of improper disposal of common chemicals and industrial or agricultural run-off.

The Creeks, Beaches, And Bay Of The Jamaica Bay Estuary: The Importance Of Place In Cultivating Relationships To Nature, Kristen L. Van Hooreweghe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

It is often assumed that people living in urban areas lack connections to the natural world and are the source of environmental problems. This assumption, however, is an oversimplification of urban life. Employing an eco-ethnography, with participant observations, qualitative interviews, and an environmental history, this study examines New York City's Jamaica Bay estuary and surrounding neighborhoods to understand how residents cultivate their relationships to nature in a dense urban setting. Many residents near Jamaica Bay have developed a strong connection to place that is rooted in their regular, embodied experiences living, working, playing, and praying on the Jamaica Bay estuary. …

Tombstone, Jessica F. Lee

The Mercury

No abstract provided.

Delving Into Rapanos V. United States, United States V. Bailey, And Regulatory Guidance: The Importance Of Science In Determining Federal Jurisdiction Over Wetlands, Valiferree S. Brechtel

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Syntax Of Non-Verbal Causation: The Causative Apomorphy Of 'From' In Greek And Germanic Languages, Alexandra Ioannidou

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This is a study of the meaning and syntax of non-(lexical)verbal causation. Macroscopically, it examines the preposition 'from' as attested in contexts like "X is/comes from Y". Syntactic diagnostics are applied to formally distinguish the causative from the spatial interpretations of `from'-PPs in Greek, English, Dutch, and German. The syntactic landscape of causative 'from' will turn out to be very minimal with 'from' directly selecting the Cause-DP, in contradistinction to its spatial counterpart, where 'from' always selects for another PP layer. More microscopically then I focus on the causative interpretations only, which are particularly revealing because (i) they give an …

Plugging The Drain: Using Northwest Environmental Defense Center V. Brown To Reach Other Point Source Discharges Under The Clean Water Act, Steven T. Iverson

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Age Composition And Distribution Of Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus) In Offshore Waters Of The North Central Gulf Of Mexico: An Evaluation Of A Stock Under A Federal Harvest Moratorium, Sean P. Powers, Crystal Hightower, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew W. Johnson

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Because of a lack of fishery- dependent data, assessment of the recovery of fish stocks that undergo the most aggressive form of management, namely harvest moratoriums, remains a challenge. Large schools of red drum (Sclaenops ocellatus) were common along the northern Gulf of Mexico until the late 1980s when increased fishing effort quickly depleted the stock. After 24 years of harvest moratorium on red drum in federal waters, the stock is in need of reassessment; however, fishery dependent data are not available in federal waters and fishery-independent data are limited. We document the distribution, age composition, growth, and condition of …

Chimeric Criminals, David H. Kaye

Faculty Scholarship

According to the book Genetic Justice: DNA Databanks, Criminal Investigations, and Civil Liberties — described as “the single most comprehensive articulation of the civil-liberties concerns associated with law-enforcement DNA databases,” “a series of measured arguments,” and “a touchstone for debates about the spread of DNA profiling” — an obscure genetic condition known as chimerism “could undermine the very basis of the forensic DNA system” and force a reconsideration of “the entire project of forensic DNA.” This conclusion is as unfounded as it is unnerving. Chimerism is a consideration in, but not a real obstacle to DNA identification. This essay explains …

The Intersection Of Religion And Sexual Orientation In The Workplace: Unequal Protections, Equal Employees, Molly E. Whitman

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

International Environment Law, Andrew Schatz, Sara Vinson, David R. Downes, Stephanie Altman, Niranjali Amerasinghe, Derek Campbell, Joseph W. Dellapenna, Kristen Hite, Richard A. Horsch, David Hunter, Erika Lennon, Erica Lyman, Thomas Parker Redick, R. Justin Smith

The International Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Schelling's Philosophy Of Identity And Spinoza's Ethica More Geometrico, Michael Vater

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Scores: Mathematics Identities Of African American And Hispanic Fifth Graders In An Urban Elementary Community School, Paula Jenniver Fleshman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As mathematics identity affects students' learning and doing of mathematics, it is critical to understand the mathematics identities of African American and Hispanic students as the mathematical performance and pursuits of far too many continue to lag behind. Further, as community schools have been shown to positively impact students in urban communities, it is also critical to understand how mathematics identities are developed within community schools. This study explores the culture, structures, and processes of an urban elementary community school including its afterschool archery program relative to fifth grade students' mathematics identities. It also explores students' math positioning, enactment, and …

Empathic Dialogue: From Formalism To Value Principles, Mitchell F. Crusto

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

On The Origins Of The Cute As A Dominant Aesthetic Category In Digital Culture, Dylan E. Wittkower

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In discussions of online culture, nobody has yet given sufficient consideration to the importance of cute animal pictures. While there are perhaps obvious reasons for this aspect of online culture being and remaining understudied, from an objective stance we should consider it both surprising and noteworthy that, once given the means of mass communications and internationally accessible publication, a primary activity that people are interested in and committed to is the sharing of cute and funny pictures, especially of cats. This presumably unforeseeable outcome is made stranger yet by the relative lack of commercial motivation for a communications category that …

Recollecting Turbulence: Catastrophe And Sacrifice In The "History Of My Life" By Henry Darger, Carl Watson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study of "The History of My Life" the 5,086 page autobiographical text by the outsider artist/author Henry Darger, uses non-linear modes of analysis, such as chaos and complexity theory, to explore the meaning of Darger's epic narrative. Beginning with the idea that turbulence, seemingly chaotic, actually comes about as a compensatory restructuring of inadequate or unstable system dynamics, this study goes on to show that, as both influence and effect, turbulence is found at every level of Darger's life and art, both in theme and structure. "My Life" is a prime example: an extended narrative describing a cataclysmic tornado, …

Consuming Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests: The Role Of Genetic Literacy And Knowledge Calibration, Yvette E. Pearson, Yuping Liu-Thompkins

Philosophy Faculty Publications

As direct-to-consumer marketing of medical genetic tests grows in popularity, there is an increasing need to better understand the ethical and public policy implications of such products. The complexity of genetic tests raises serious concerns about whether consumers possess the knowledge to make sound decisions about their use. This research examines the effects of educational intervention and feedback on consumers' genetic literacy and calibration -- the gap between consumers' actual knowledge and how much they think they know. The authors find that consumers' genetic knowledge was generally low and that people tended to underestimate their knowledge level. Furthermore, consumers' perceived …

Enforcing Integrity, Katrice Bridges Copeland

Faculty Scholarship

Over the past several years, the marketing practices of large pharmaceutical companies have come under intense scrutiny. The government spends years investigating and building cases against pharmaceutical manufacturers that engage in illegal promotional activities to promote their drugs but does not prosecute them. Instead, the government enters into Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs) with the pharmaceutical giants. As a result, the pharmaceutical manufacturers are able to avoid the collateral consequences of conviction, such as exclusion from Medicare and Medicaid. Participation in Medicare and Medicaid is crucial for a pharmaceutical manufacturer because the government spends over $60 Billion per year through those …

Female Law Students, Gendered Self-Evaluation, And The Promise Of Positive Psychology, Dara Purvis

Faculty Scholarship

For the last several decades, studies and surveys have shown that female law students perform worse and feel worse about their experiences in law school than do male students. Hidden in average figures, however, is a subgroup of female students who thrive. Positive psychology, focusing on what traits make people happy rather than how to alleviate depression, provides novel ideas of how to improve legal education for women without making accommodations specifically targeting gender.

On A Versatile Stochastic Growth Model, Samiur Arif, Ismail Khalil, Stephan Olariu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Growth phenomena are ubiquitous and pervasive not only in biology and the medical sciences, but also in economics, marketing and the computer and social sciences. We introduce a three-parameter version of the classic pure-birth process growth model when suitably instantiated, can be used to model growth phenomena in many seemingly unrelated application domains. We point out that the model is computationally attractive since it admits of conceptually simple, closed form solutions for the time-dependent probabilities.

Identification Of 23 Specific Nucleotide Patterns In The Hn Gene Of Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated From Iran, Majid Esmaelizad, Mehdi P. Ashtiani, Saber Jelokhani Niaraki, Khadije Hashemnejad

Turkish Journal of Biology

Newcastle disease is considered the most contagious poultry disease and may cause severe economic loss in the poultry industry. The present study was undertaken to focus on molecular and phylogenetic analyses of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene in the Iranian isolates. The nucleotide sequence of the HN (780-903 nt) coding region of 6 Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs), isolated from various outbreaks in Iran, was determined and aligned with previously published sequences of 26 NDV isolates in GenBank; the resulting alignment was then analyzed in terms of genetic variation. The number of nucleotide sequence variations presented by each of the isolates indicated …

Genetic Diversity And Identification Of Some Turkish Cotton Genotypes (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) By Rapd-Pcr Analysis, Yonca Surgun, Beki̇r Çöl, Betül Bürün

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the leading fiber crop and the second most important oil seed crop in the world. This study aimed to analyze the genetic differences among 9 cotton genotypes of cultivars from Turkey using the random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) method. A total of 42 RAPD primers were used to determine polymorphism among the genotypes and 34 of the primers produced scorable results, with 319 RAPD-PCR bands obtained. The rate of polymorphism was calculated to be 18.1%, and genetic similarity between any 2 genotypes ranged from 90.2% to 96.5%. By evaluating the presence and absence …