Digital Commons Network^™

American Politics And The Jewish Community, Dan Schnur

The Jewish Role in American Life: An Annual Review

At its broadest level, politics is the practice of making a community a better, safer, and more tolerant place to live. So it should be of no surprise that America's Jews have devoted themselves to civic engagement and the democratic process. From before the Revolutionary War to the early 21st century, when America saw the first Jewish vice presidential nominee of a major party and the first Jewish Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Jewish community has always devoted itself to public service, issue advocacy, and involvement in politics and government at every level. While strong support for the …

Assessing Quality Outcomes In A Behavioral Oncology Program: Capstone Project, Elizabeth M. Archer-Nanda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The landscape of cancer care has changed dramatically over the past several decades. An illness that was once often fatal, now represents both an acute life threatening illness and a chronic condition. While there have been tremendous advancements in the treatment of the physiological aspects of cancer, management of related psychosocial and emotional issues have not seen this same progress. Limited information exists related to both the evaluation and outcome metrics associated with the screening and management of psychiatric sequelae after referral to specialized psychiatric services in cancer patient populations. This capstone project focused on (a) implementation of consistent use …

The Teaching Self-Reflection Tool And Skills Checklist, Arlene Lorch, Otd, Otr/L, Ches

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE.

To provide occupational therapy faculty with a collaborative system to review and improve teaching skills within the educational program.

METHOD.

Six faculty members completed a self-assessment using self-reflection tools and feedback from an interview with a fellow faculty member serving as consultant. Surveys evaluated perceptions of the experience.

RESULTS.

Survey responses indicated strong approval of the peer review process as a valuable method for faculty development. Results identified aspects of the process that needed revision, specifically, the burden of time required to complete the process.

CONCLUSION.

Findings support the need for a peer review process because it benefits faculty, …

Application Of Lc-Ms/Ms In Identification Of Toxin In The Causative Gastropod And Victim Samples, Chun-Lan Lin, Cheng-Hong Hsieh, You-Liang Hsieh, Yi-Cheng Tai, Deng-Fwu Hwang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Food paralytic poisoning incident was detected in the gastropod Nassariidae Niotha clathrata and Zeuxis scalaris occurred in December 2012 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The toxin was purified from each remain of cooked gastropod and victim tissues by ultrafiltration using a YM-3 membrane, followed by C18 cartridge column purification. Based on analyses by LC-MS/MS, the causative agent of gastropod food poisoning was identified as tetrodotoxin. The toxicity of remain of cooked sample was 245 MU/g (1MU = 0.178 µg TTX) for N. clathrata and 203 MU/g for Z. scalaris. The blood and excrements of victim was shown to contain TTX of 0.13 …

Seasonal Abundance Of Epiphytic Dinoflagellates Around Coastal Waters Of Jeju Island, Korea, Md. Mahfuzur Rahman Shah, So-Jeong An, Joon-Baek Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The seasonal abundance of epiphytic dinoflagellates in the intertidal zone of Jeju Island, Korea was quantitatively estimated by monthly collection of macroalgal samples (Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta, and Chlorophyta) from six sampling locations from July 2012 to June 2013. Ten epiphytic dinoflagellate taxa, including eight potentially toxic species Amphidinium carterae, A. operculatum, Gambierdiscus sp., Ostreopsis ovata, Prorocentrum concavum, P. emarginatum, P. lima, and P. rhathymum, were identified. Two Amphidinium and three Prorocentrum species are newly recorded in Korean coastal waters. A significant change in seasonal abundance was recorded with maximum (751.82 ± 223.12 cells g-1 wet weight of algae; cells g-1 hereafter) …

Genetic Diversity Of Filamentous Cyanobacteria From Shore Regions Of Okinawa, Shoichiro Suda, Rui Moriya, Shinpei Sumimoto, Osamu Ohno, Kiyotake Suenaga

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Benthic marine cyanobacteria are ubiquitous oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria and they form major components of various communities, including epiphytic, epilithic and microbial mats, in coral reef environments. Filamentous groups may form almost monospecific macroscopic colonies, and sometimes make potentially harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs bring serious problems for marine tourism but marine filamentous cyanobacteria are good resource for drug discovery. However, cultivation and identification of such filamentous cyanobacteria are difficult and there are taxonomic confusions. In this study, we investigate 17 samples from coral reef area of 10 localities in Okinawa. Macroscopic mats or cushions of filamentous cyanobacteria were collected. The …

Diversity Of Crypthecodinium Spp. (Dinophyceae) From Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Danang Ambar Prabowo, Ooshi Hiraishi, Shoichiro Suda

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The genus Crypthecodinium (Dinophyceae) currently consists of only one species: C. cohnii, a heterotrophic marine dinoflagellate widely known able to produce prolific amount of DHA. However, previous studies revealed that there are morphological and genetic differences among Crypthedodinium cohnii-like strains, indicating the potential of undiscovered diversity of this dinoflagellate. Attempts of isolating heterotrophic marine dinoflagellate strains were made from submerged mangrove leaves and seaweed. A total of nine strains were established, cultured and maintained using seawater-based GTY medium for taxonomic identification and phylogenetic analyses based on SSU, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2 and LSU rDNA. Morphological observation revealed all strains shared similar …

Mosquitocidal Activity Of Hedychium Coronarium Rhizome Extract And Copepod Megacyclops Formosanus For The Control Of Dengue Vector, Kandasamy Kalimuthu, Kadarkarai Murugan, Li-Chun Tseng, Jiang-Shiou Hwang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The bio-efficacy of Hedychium coronarium Rhizome extract and copepods Megacyclops formosanus, were tested against first to fourth-instar larvae and pupae of dengue Vector Aedes aegypti under laboratory conditions. Different solvent extracts of H. coronarium, combined with copepod M. formosanus showed considerable mortality against A. aegypti. The median lethal concentration value (LC50) observed for the larvicidal and pupicidal activities against mosquito vector species A. aegypti value were 38.59, ppm; no mortality was observed in the control group. This study was also initiated to test the predatory efficiency of copepod against different larval instars and predatory efficiency was noticed at the laboratory …

Life History Of The Copepod Paramphiascella Sp. Affected By Hydrothermal Vent Effluents, Hans-Uwe Dahms, Li-Chun Tseng, Jiang-Shiou Hwang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Toxicity of Hydrothermal vent (HV) effluents was tested by investigating the effect on growth and reproduction of the copepod Paramphiascella sp. which was collected and subsequently cultured from localities nearby a shallow marine HV at Kueishan Tao Island, Taiwan. Ontogenetic stages (nauplii, copepodids, and adults) were exposed to a range of concentrations of HV effluents in a static renewal culture system. In a first of two experiments we tested the survivorship of these in HV effluent dilutions from 1 to 50%. HV effluents significantly reduced the survivorship of the naupliar stages at concentrations >5% for Paramphiascella sp. (p < 0.01) and all nauplii died at concentrations of 25% and 50%. Copepodids were significantly letally affected at concentrations >5% (p < 0.01) and all died at 50% (p < 0.01). Developmental duration in Paramphiascella was showing a trend of developmental delay in both phases, in the naupliar and in the copepodid phase. Mortality showed a greater sensitivity to chemical exposure than development time. Among both traits were early developmental stages of Paramphiascella sp. more sensitive to HV effluents than advanced stages. We showed that Paramphiascella sp. was a useful test organism in the monitoring of life cycle as well as acute effects of HV effluents being present for millions of years and providing unique ecosystems. Mortality was a useful toxicological endpoint whereas developmental duration was not.

Mosquito Larvicidal Activity Of Broussonetia Papyrifera Compound Marmesin By Blocking Protein Aescp-2, Docking Strategies, And Combined Effect Of Copepod Megacyclops Formosanus Against Dengue Vector Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), Kandasamy Kalimuthu, Chia-Hsiang Wang, Shiu-Mei Liu, Li-Chun Tseng, Kadarkarai Murugan, Jiang-Shiou Hwang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Mosquito-borne diseases that have an economic impact create losses in commercial and labor outputs, particularly in countries with tropical and subtropical climates. The emergence of resistance to synthetic insecticides is a challenge to mosquito control. Cyclopoid copepods are important predators in many aquatic ecosystems and have been successfully used as biological agents to control mosquito larvae. For this study, we examined the larvicidal activity of the copepod Megacyclops formosanus in combination with the compound marmesin (which was purified from the methanol crude extract of the plant stem bark of Broussonetia papyrifera) against Aedes aegypti larvae. Their larvicidal activity and in …

Adiponectin Inhibits Oxidative/Nitrative Stress During Myocardial Ischemia And Reperfusion Via Pka Signaling., Yanqing Zhang, Xiao-Liang Wang, Jianli Zhao, Ya-Jing Wang, Wayne Bond Lau, Yue-Xing Yuan, Er-He Gao, Walter J. Koch, Xin-Liang Ma

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

The cardioprotective effects of adiponectin (APN) against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury are well known. However, comprehension of the mechanisms mediating intracellular APN signaling remains incomplete. We recently demonstrate the antioxidant/antinitrative effects of APN are not dependent on AMPK. Protein kinase A (PKA) has been previously shown to be activated by APN, with uncertain relevance to APN cardiac protection. The current study determined whether the antioxidative/antinitrative effect of APN is mediated by PKA. Administration of APN (2 μg/g) 10 min before reperfusion significantly enhanced cardiac PKA activity, reduced oxidative stress, and decreased infarct size. Knockdown of cardiac PKA expression (PKA-KD) by …

Application Of Bradford's Law Of Scattering To The Literature Of Library & Information Science: A Study Of Doctoral Theses Citations Submitted To The Universities Of Maharashtra, India, Vijay Ganesh Wardikar Viju

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT

Application of Bradford's Law of Scattering is one of the bibliometric law, which is used most commonly in bibliometric research. The paper gives a review of the contribution in Library & Information Science & theoretical aspects of the law. A study carried out on the data of journals cited by Ph.D. research scholars at the universities in Maharashtra for their doctoral research. To examine the applicability of Bradford's Law of Scattering, study include 798 periodical containing 5467 references collected form 138 theses during the period 1982-2010. Rank list was prepared and Annals of Library Science and Documentation took top …

Novel Insights Into Pancreatic Β-Cell Glucolipotoxicity From Real-Time Functional Analysis Of Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism In Ins-1e Insulinoma Cells., Jonathan Barlow, Charles Affourtit

School of Biomedical Sciences

High circulating glucose and non-esterified (free) fatty acid levels can cause pancreatic β-cell failure. The molecular mechanisms of this β-cell glucolipotoxicity are yet to be established conclusively. In the present paper we report on the involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in fatty-acid-induced β-cell failure. We have used state-of-the-art extracellular flux technology to functionally probe mitochondrial energy metabolism in intact INS-1E insulinoma cells in real-time. We show that 24-h palmitate exposure at high glucose attenuates the glucose-sensitivity of mitochondrial respiration and lowers coupling efficiency of glucose-stimulated oxidative phosphorylation. These mitochondrial defects coincide with an increased level of ROS (reactive oxygen species), impaired …

Diamondoid Diacids ('O4' Species) In Oil Sands Process‐Affected Water, Sk Lengger, Ag Scarlett, Ce West, Sj Rowland

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

RATIONALE As a by-product of oil sands extraction, large volumes of oil sands process water (OSPW) are generated, which are contaminated with a large range of water-soluble organic compounds. The acids are thought to be derived from hydrocarbons via natural biodegradation pathways such as α- and β-oxidation of alkyl substituents, which could produce mono- and diacids, for example. However, while several monoacids (‘O2’ species) have been identified, the presence of diacids (i.e. 'O4' species) has only been deduced from results obtained via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance high-resolution mass spectrometry (FTICR-HRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance …

Conference Program Schedule, Institute Of Business Administration

International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies

No abstract provided.

Western Michigan University Commencement Exercises-3pm, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Fall Commencement Program, December 14, 2013, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.

Commencement Program 2013 December, Gcsu Special Collections

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

A Call To Violence: Trends In Violent Content Of Video Games, Emily Molly Keller

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Violent content in video games has come under increasing scrutiny as the media highlights the potential involvement of violent games in deadly crimes. In addition, internet gaming disorder has been identified as a subject in need of further research in the DSM-V. The current study investigates whether year, genre, platform type, and victim and perpetrator identity influence the total amount of violent actions in 280 video game trailers. The hypothesis was that year, genre, and platform type would produce the most variance in total violence, but victim identity and perpetrator identity were significantly more influential. Thus, there is a tendency …

Healing Touch As An Integrative Therapy For Cancer Care: A Review Of Evidence And Implications For Nursing, Kelsey Irene Tirona

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Life expectancies and survival rates of adults with cancer in the United States have significantly increased in recent history, primarily due to advancements in technology and early detection. More people are living longer with cancer and it has evolved to a complex, chronic illness. Although progress is being made in the treatment of cancer, pain and other symptoms related to the disease and its treatment are poorly managed by conventional care (Chapman, 2012; Deng, 2005). The use of complementary and alternative therapies is becoming increasingly popular in this population, in addition to conventional treatment from their primary providers. Healing Touch …

Western Michigan University Commencement Exercises-12pm, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Animal Abuse In The United States' Circus Industry: A Comparative Case Study Analysis, Paige Noelle Topper

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The topic of animal abuse is a widespread, controversial issue within the United States. Animal abuse and neglect is commonly associated with food industry animals and domesticated animals; however, animal abuse is a problem within other industries, such as the circus industry. In particular, the circus industry is notoriously known by animal advocates for continuous violations to animal protection laws that hinder its animals’ welfare. Pressure by animals rights organizations and a growing public sentiment against the exploitation of circus animals, the industry has seen various changes in recent years including more stringent USDA enforcement and a transformation to programs …

December 14, 2013 (Pages 7213-7416), Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau

Volume 43 (2013)

No abstract provided.

A Practicum In Financial Planning, Erika L. Klosterman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

A Practicum in Financial Planning explains the six stage process of creating a comprehensive financial plan, and in doing so provides an example of a financial plan for the Jackson family to clarify the process. The six stage process consists of: establishing and defining the client-planner relationship, gathering client data, analyzing and evaluating the client’s current financial status, developing and presenting recommendations and/or alternatives, implementing the recommendations, and monitoring the recommendations. The importance of a financial plan for all individuals is also discussed.

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Baccalaureates, December 14, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

President's Global Leadership Award - Marlene M. Johnson; Outstanding Graduate - Lianet Vazquez; King O'Neal Scholars - Jillianne Deal, Alyssa Dupere, Jessica Haggod, Ahad Khan, Rachel Powell, Emilio Ruiz-Linares, Mariam Saifee, Christopher Thomas Story, and Brandon Sweeting

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 14, 2013, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

How Attachment Relates To College Students' Achievement, Motivation, And Drinking Behaviors, Hailey Marjorie Ratliff

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Parental attachment, the initial bond between parent and child, has the potential to influence relationships and other aspects of behavior throughout the lifespan. Past research supports the idea that parent attachment is a positive influence on academic achievement, motivation to succeed in school while being negatively associated with high-risk drinking behavior. The current study examined parental attachment scores, reported and predicted grades, parent influence on academic motivation, and drinking habits of 99 female college students in their first semester. Contrary to predictions, there were no significant relations between grades and attachment, a negative correlation was found between seeking motivation from …

A Novel Rcc1-Like Protein Is A Crucial Regulator Of The Intraerythrocytic Cycle Of The Human Malaria Parasite, Plasmodium Falciparum., Marcus Davon Skaflen

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Malaria is a deadly infection caused by a single celled protozoan of the Plasmodium genus. Plasmodium spp. are transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, and initially invade the liver, but the disease is caused by the blood stage of the infection. Approximately 500 million cases of malaria are documented annually and over 1 million of those result in death. Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal of five species known to infect humans. To further compound this problem, drug-resistant parasite strains have been documented for every currently available antimalarial drug, making the need to identify new drug targets more urgent than ever. …

Influence Of Initial Position And Stimulus Location Of The Paw On The Nociceptive Withdrawal Reflex In Intact Rats, Christopher Anthony Chrzan Ii

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Animals have the ability react to noxious stimuli from the environment via a reflex pathway known as the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR). The NWR is a spinal reflex that protects the body from stimuli that may be tissue damaging. In addition, the NWR is known to be supraspinally modulated, which alters the strength of response. Previous studies on the NWR have shown an influence of both stimulus location and initial posture on the NWR. The studies regarding the influence of initial position on the NWR, however, are more limited. Most of the research has been conducted on humans, and in …

Two Genetic Effects At The Irf5/ Tnpo3 Locus Are Independently Associated With The Development Of Specific Lupus Symptoms, Samantha Hawtrey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder that can affect every tissue in the body. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IRF5 and TNPO3 genes are statistically associated with the development of SLE. My research identified correlations between IRF5/TNPO3 SNPs and specific lupus symptoms. Logistic regression analyses were conducted using 101 genetic variants in the IRF5/TNPO3 region that were genotyped in over 6,000 lupus patients of different ethnicities, with admixture covariates applied. Three clinical phenotypes displayed significant correlation (p < 1.6x10-5) in subjects of European ancestry. For each of these phenotypes, a step-wise conditional analysis was conducted using two lupus associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at this genetic loci. In Europeans, lupus disease onset (p-valueEU=2.44x10-16, OR=0.67*) and the presence of anti-Ro (p-valueEU=2.09x10-7, OR=0.67) and anti-dsDNA (p-valueEU=4.15x10-7, OR=0.75) antibodies were associated with SNPs in the IRF5/TNPO3 genes. SNPs in the IRF5 promoter and those spanning IRF5 and TNPO3 were both associated with disease onset. The presence of anti-Ro and anti-dsDNA antibodies is only associated with SNPs in the IRF5 promoter. Genetic variants at the IRF5/TNPO3 locus are associated with lupus disease onset and production of anti-dsDNA and anti-Ro antibodies in lupus patients. SNPs in the promoter region of iii IRF5 (associated with rs4728142) and SNPs spanning the IRF5 and TNPO3 genes (associated with rs12534421) contribute independently to these symptoms.