Digital Commons Network^™

The Unbearable Whiteness Of Abc: The First Amendment, Diversity, And Reality Television In The Wake Of Claybrooks V. Abc, Sarah Honeycutt

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Polyethylene Glycol In The Α-Hemolysin Nanopore, David M. Dancho

Theses and Dissertations

Nanopores have been shown to be a useful analytical tool for single molecule detection. They have been used to study the composition of DNA and other molecules of interest. These pores are usually α-hemolysin which is a toxin from Staphylococcus aureus or more recently nanoscale synthetic solid state pores. Now we are beginning to look at other molecules or proteins by sending them into the nanopores and measuring a characteristic partial current blockade. In this thesis we look at polyethylene glycol (PEG) as it enters and blocks current through a single alpha hemolysin pore. We report the effects of ionic …

Early Adolescent Nicotine Exposure Has Long-Lasting Effects On Cocaine-Induced Behaviors In Mice, Mai Alajaji

Theses and Dissertations

Nicotine is one of the most commonly used drugs among adolescent populations. Given the fact that adolescence is a unique developmental stage, during which nicotine has long-term effects on future drug-taking behavior, it is essential to understand how early exposure to nicotine during adolescence may affect the abuse liability of other drugs. We hypothesize that repeated exposure to low doses of nicotine in adolescence induce age-specific enhancement of the rewarding effects of several drugs of abuse in the conditioned place preference (CPP) test. Furthermore, we predict that these changes in behavioral responses are mediated by nicotine-induced brain region-specific increases in …

Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Ii Beta (Camkiiβ): A Regulator Of Oligodendrocyte Maturation And Myelination, Christopher Waggener

Theses and Dissertations

Oligodendrocytes are cells located in the central nervous system (CNS) that are responsible for the production of the lipid rich membrane, myelin. Myelin and the process of making and wrapping myelin around an axon (also known as myelination) are critical for normal development since they ensure proper signal conduction in the vertebrate CNS. The loss or damage of this myelin, which is typically associated with the demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS), is associated with improper axonal protection along with disrupted nerve signaling which can lead to a variety of different debilitating phenotypic responses. It has been shown that there are …

The Role Of The Nucleosome Remodeling And Histone Deacetylase (Nurd) Complex In Fetal Γ-Globin Expression, Maria Amaya

Theses and Dissertations

An understanding of the human fetal to adult hemoglobin switch offers the potential to ameliorate β-type globin gene disorders such as sickle cell anemia and β-thalassemia through activation of the fetal γ-globin gene. Chromatin modifying complexes, including MBD2-NuRD and GATA-1/FOG-1/NuRD play a role in γ-globin gene silencing, and Mi2β (CHD4) is a critical component of NuRD complexes. In the studies presented in Chapter 2, we observed that the absence of MBD2 in a sickle cell mouse model leads to a decrease in the number of sickled cells observed in the peripheral blood, and significantly increases survival in these mice. Although …

Association Between Concomitant Use Of Bisphosphonates And Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors And Increased Risk Of Osteoporotic-Related Fractures: Among Community-Dwelling Postmenopausal Women, Abner Nyandege

Theses and Dissertations

Osteoporosis and depression are prevalent among older postmenopausal women 65 years or older. Bisphosphonates (BPs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are commonly used medications to treat these conditions. Inhibitory effects of BPs on osteoclasts are responsible for the reduction in fracture risk. SSRIs, however, are associated with increased fracture risk through decreasing osteoblasts and increasing osteoclastic activity. These effects of SSRIs could attenuate the beneficial effects of BPs. This dissertation describes the concomitant use of BPs and SSRIs among postmeopausa women and reports findings from examining the association between concomitant use of BPs …

The Metabolic Transitions Regulated By The Estrogen-Related Receptor (Err) In Drosophila Melanogaster, Yan Li

Theses and Dissertations

In multicellular organism, bioenergetic metabolism is strictly regulated toward efficient generation of ATP. However, in certain situations, such as in limiting oxygen or in the rapidly proliferating system like growing juvenile or cancer cells, organisms apply the metabolic strategy that favors the production of biomass (e.g., nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids) over efficiency of ATP generation. The conserved estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) are master regulators in controlling metabolic homeostasis, and good candidates for mediating the metabolic transition induced by hypoxia and development. First, we investigate how dERR influences hypoxic adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster. We find that dERR is required for a …

Association Of Family Structure And Glycemic Control In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: Risk And Protective Factors, Laura Jean Caccavale

Theses and Dissertations

Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) from single-parent families are more likely to be in poorer glycemic control (HbA1c). Demographic trends indicate more households are composed of unmarried adults and fewer youths. Family density, or a youth: adult ratio, may be a more salient factor than single-parent status in the association with glycemic control. Data from 257 adolescents aged 11-14 years (M = 12.84) at two different sites were collected as part of a randomized control trial of a treatment intervention designed to increase parent involvement and prevent deterioration of adolescent diabetes disease care. Single-parent status was determined by parental …

Are There Carcinogens In Your Workplace? It's Time To Act!, France Labrèche, Brigitte Roberge, Sabrina Gravel, Marie-France D'Amours

Guides

No abstract provided.

Organizational Practices Leading To A Positive Safety Culture: A Delphi Approach, Andrew Matthew Cwalina

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

A positive safety culture has been shown to contribute to a firm's ability to avoid or reduce the occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries. In American workplaces alone 3,582 people died and 5.1 million people were disabled in 2009 and the cost to corporate America was $169 billion and an additional productivity loss of 95 million work days. The economic cost to each American household is about $1,200. Firms that establish and maintain a positive safety culture are able to achieve a competitive advantage in the market.

While much research exists showing the relationship between safety culture and accident reduction, …

Internal Brand Training In The Learning Industry, Audrey Ellison

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

Companies in the learning industry are in the business-to-business marketplace and the companies focus on providing services to their customers. In service businesses delivering on the brand promise is aligned with the services employees deliver to customers. The learning industry was used to research whether a commitment to internal brand training impacts business performance. Two of the initial hypotheses were supported; a learning orientation increases commitment to internal brand training and internal brand training increases employee commitment to the brand. The third hypothesis, employee brand commitment improves business performance, was not supported. A re-specified model found.

* Learning orientation directly …

Distinguished Brief: People Of The State Of Michigan V. David Mark Cole, J.J. Prescott, Mirian J. Aukerman, Michael J. Steinberg, Kary Moss, John Minock

Articles

This amicus brief on behalf of the Criminal Defense Lawyers of Michigan and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan argues that defendants accused of first- or second-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan must be made aware that pleading guilty will result in mandatory, lifetime electronic monitoring after their release in order for any plea to be valid under Michigan law and the U.S. Constitution. To be lawful, guilty pleas must be knowing and voluntary, which requires that defendants be informed of any punishment that would be a direct consequence of their guilty plea. Lifetime electronic monitoring is a …

Costly Mistakes: Undertaxed Business Owners And Overtaxed Workers, Mary Louise Fellows, Lily Khang

Articles

This Article advocates fundamental changes in the federal income tax base by systematically challenging conventional understandings of consumption and investment. As signaled by its title, “Costly Mistakes,” this Article's thesis has to do with the disparate treatment of expenditures incurred by business owners and workers. Where the current tax law treats a business owner's expenditure as investment, the Article sometimes finds consumption and questions why the law should allow the expenditure to be deducted. Where the tax law treats a worker's expenditure as consumption, the Article sometimes finds investment and questions why the law does not allow at least a …

Investigating English Teachers’ Views, Actual Practice And The Connection Between Them Regarding The Use Of Arabic During English Classes In The Uae High Schools, Ameirah Hassan Al Mohamed

Theses

This study investigated English Teachers’ views, actual practices and the connections among them regarding the use of Arabic during teaching English as foreign language in one of the Northern Emirates in the UAE high schools. The present study which took place in one Emiratis in UAE adopted Activity Theory (AT) to investigate English teachers’ views and their real practices on using Arabic while teaching English. The study employed a mixed method research design involving a survey, semi-structured interview and classroom observation. The study focused on the following research questions: 1) What are the English teachers’ views on using Arabic during …

Intraguild Relationships Between Sympatric Predators Exposed To Lethal Control: Predator Manipulation Experiments, Benjamin L. Allen, Lee R. Allen, Richard M. Engeman, Luke K.-P. Leung

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introduction: Terrestrial top-predators are expected to regulate and stabilise food webs through their consumptive and non-consumptive effects on sympatric mesopredators and prey. The lethal control of top-predators has therefore been predicted to inhibit top-predator function, generate the release of mesopredators and indirectly harm native fauna through trophic cascade effects. Understanding the outcomes of lethal control on interactions within terrestrial predator guilds is important for zoologists, conservation biologists and wildlife managers. However, few studies have the capacity to test these predictions experimentally, and no such studies have previously been conducted on the eclectic suite of native and exotic, mammalian and reptilian …

Rabies, Canine Distemper, And Canine Parvovirus Exposure In Large Carnivore Communities From Two Zambian Ecosystems, Are R. Berentsen, Mike R. Dunbar, Matthew S. Becker, Jassiel M'Soka, Egil Droge, Nicholas M. Sakuya, Wigganson Matandiko, Rachel Mcrobb, Cathleen A. Hanlon

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Disease transmission within and among wild and domestic carnivores can have significant impacts on populations, particularly for threatened and endangered species. We used serology to evaluate potential exposure to rabies virus, canine distemper virus (CDV), and canine parvovirus (CPV) for populations of African lions (Panthera leo), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) and Liuwa Plain National Park (LPNP) as well as community lands bordering these areas. In addition, domestic dogs in the study region were evaluated for exposure to CDV and rabies. We provide …

The Two-Phase Arterial Blood Flow With Or Without A Catheter And In The Presence Of A Single Or Multi Stenosis, Ani E. Garcia, Daniel N. Riahi

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We consider the problem of blood flow in an artery with or without a catheter and in the presence of single or multi stenosis whose shape is based on the available experimental data for the stenosis in a human’s artery. The presence of stenosis in the artery, which locally narrows portion of the artery, can be a result of fatty materials such as cholesterol in the blood. The use of catheter is important as a standard tool for diagnosis and treatment in patience whose blood flow passage in the artery is affected adversely by the presence of the stenosis within …

Study Of Dynamic Features Of Highly Energetic Reactions By Dsc And High-Speed Temperature Scanner (Hsts), Mkhitar Hobosyan, Kh. G. Kirakosyan, S. L. Kharatyan, Karen S. Martirosyan

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The dynamic features of Al2O3 - polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Al - PTFE reactions in non-isothermal conditions are presented. The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and High-Speed Temperature Scanner (HSTS) were used to characterize the Al2O3/Al – PTFE reactions at different heating rates. The study shows that the HSTS instrument can give more information about the reaction mechanism and kinetics than the conventional DSC measurements. In this work we show that high heating rates may reveal exothermic reaction between Al2O3 and PTFE that were previously unidentified. The PTFE can potentially remove the oxide layer from aluminum in the initial period of the …

Search For Long-Lived Gravitational-Wave Transients Coincident With Long Gamma-Ray Bursts, J. Aasi, Daniel Bessis, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee, Malik Rakhmanov, Volker Quetschke, Joseph D. Romano, Robert Stone, Lappoon R. Tang, Cristina V. Torres

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been linked to extreme core-collapse supernovae from massive stars. Gravitational waves (GW) offer a probe of the physics behind long GRBs. We investigate models of long-lived (~10–1000 s) GW emission associated with the accretion disk of a collapsed star or with its protoneutron star remnant. Using data from LIGO’s fifth science run, and GRB triggers from the Swift experiment, we perform a search for unmodeled long-lived GW transients. Finding no evidence of GW emission, we place 90% confidence-level upper limits on the GW fluence at Earth from long GRBs for three waveforms inspired by a …

Parameter Estimation For Compact Binary Coalescence Signals With The First Generation Gravitational-Wave Detector Network, J. Aasi, J. Abadie, Matthew Benacquista, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Malik Rakhmanov, Robert Stone, Cristina V. Torres

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Compact binary systems with neutron stars or black holes are one of the most promising sources for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Gravitational radiation encodes rich information about source physics; thus parameter estimation and model selection are crucial analysis steps for any detection candidate events. Detailed models of the anticipated waveforms enable inference on several parameters, such as component masses, spins, sky location and distance, that are essential for new astrophysical studies of these sources. However, accurate measurements of these parameters and discrimination of models describing the underlying physics are complicated by artifacts in the data, uncertainties in the waveform models and …

Carbon Monoxide Adsorption On Platinum-Osmium And Platinum-Ruthenium-Osmium Mixed Nanoparticles, Nicholas Dimakis, Nestor E. Navarro, Eugene S. Smotkin

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Density functional calculations (DFT) on carbon monoxide (CO) adsorbed on platinum, platinum-osmium, and platinum-ruthenium-osmium nanoclusters are used to elucidate changes on the adsorbate internal bond and the carbon-metal bond, as platinum is alloyed with osmium and ruthenium atoms. The relative strengths of the adsorbate internal bond and the carbon-metal bond upon alloying, which are related to the DFT calculated C–O and C–Pt stretching frequencies, respectively, cannot be explained by the traditional 5σ-donation/2π*-back-donation theoretical model. Using a modified π-attraction σ-repulsion mechanism, we ascribe the strength of the CO adsorbate internal bond to changes in the polarization of the adsorbate-substrate hybrid orbitals …

Galaxy Zoo : A Catalog Of Overlapping Galaxy Pairs For Dust Studies., William C. Keel, Anna M. Manning, Benne W. Holwerda, Massimo Mezzoprete, Chris J. Lintott, Kevin Schawinski, Pamela Gay, Karen L. Masters

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Analysis of galaxies with overlapping images offers a direct way to probe the distribution of dust extinction and its effects on the background light. We present a catalog of 1990 such galaxy pairs selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) by volunteers of the Galaxy Zoo project. We highlight subsamples which are particularly useful for retrieving such properties of the dust distribution as UV extinction, the extent perpendicular to the disk plane, and extinction in the inner parts of disks. The sample spans wide ranges of morphology and surface brightness, opening up the possibility of using this technique to …

An Analytical Framework For Quantifying And Testing Patterns Of Temporal Dynamics In Social Networks, Elizabeth A. Hobson, Michael L. Avery, Timothy F. Wright

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Change is fundamental to all social systems. Temporal dynamics are critical in understanding how relationships form and change over time but rarely are studied explicitly in animal groups. Social network approaches are useful in describing association patterns and provide promising tools for investigating the dynamics of change in social structure but have rarely been used to quantify how animal associations change over time. In this study, we describe and test a framework for temporal analysis of social structure. We propose an analytical framework of methods that integrates across social scales and comparatively analyses change in social structure across multiple types …

Comparison Of Two Models For Estimating Mortality From Baitings With Compound Drc-1339 Concentrate Avicide, Jeffrey H. Homan, Randal S. Stahl, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the U.S., DRC-1339 baitings for blackbirds (Icteridae) are generally done under the pesticide label, Compound DRC-1339 Concentrate e Staging Areas. DRC-1339 is a slow-acting avicide and gives the birds enough time to leave the baiting sites. Carcass searches and other forms of onsite counts are ineffective. Instead, linear models (LM) are used. The LM are based on esophageal analyses of several blackbird species collected while feeding at staging area bait sites. Biases and large variances can occur with this type of sampling. As an alternative to the LM, we developed a semi-mechanistic model (SM) that combined mechanistic modeling of …

Patterns Of Human–Coyote Conflicts In The Denver Metropolitan Area, Sharon A. Poessel, Stewart W. Breck, Tara L. Teel, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Kevin R. Crooks, Lisa Angeloni

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In many cities throughout North America, human–coyote conflicts are an emerging problem. Little research has described temporal and spatial patterns of human–coyote conflicts, although such information can be an important step in developing and optimizing management efforts. We used reports from 22 entities within the Denver Metropolitan Area (DMA) in Colorado that provided information on coyote observations (signs, sightings, and encounters) and conflicts (incidents, pet-attacks, and human attacks). Our objectives were to 1) define, quantify, and map categories of coyote observations and conflicts, and 2) investigate temporal and spatial patterns of conflicts, particularly related to land cover types and housing …

Optimizing Line Intercept Sampling And Estimation For Feral Swine Damage Levels In Ecologically Sensitive Wetland Plant Communities, Jacob F. Thomas, Richard M. Engeman, Eric A. Tillman, Justin W. Fischer, Steve L. Orzell, Deborah H. Glueck, Rodney K. Felix, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ecological sampling can be labor intensive, and logistically impractical in certain environments. We optimize line intercept sampling and compare estimation methods for assessing feral swine damage within fragile wetland ecosystems in Florida. Sensitive wetland sites, and the swine damage within them, were mapped using GPS technology. Evenly spaced parallel transect lines were simulated across a digital map of each site. The length of each transect and total swine damage under each transect were measured and percent swine damage within each site was estimated by two methods. The total length method (TLM) combined all transects as a single long transect, dividing …

Influence Of Vegetation Structure On The Small Mammal Community In A Shortgrass Prairie Ecosystem, Craig M. Thompson, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The structure of vegetation, and how this structure varies across a landscape, is crucial to understanding the distribution of wildlife species. Between 2002 and 2004, we sampled small mammal communities and measured vegetation structure at 185 locations across a range of disturbance regimes in a shortgrass prairie ecosystem in southeastern Colorado, USA. At each sampling location, the local disturbance regime was some combination of varying intensity of livestock grazing, military training activity, and fire. Vegetation structural characteristics measured included percent bare ground, basal cover, litter, shrub density, and mean grass and shrub height. Rodent communities were described by richness, diversity, …

Effectiveness Of Cattle Operated Bump Gates And Exclusion Fences In Preventing Ungulate Multi-Host Sanitary Interaction, J.A. A. Barasona, K. C. Vercauteren, N. Saklou, C. Gortazar, J. Vicente

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Tuberculosis (TB) is endemic in Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in south central Spain, where evidence suggests transmission to domestic cattle. Known risk factors for TB at the interface between livestock and wild ungulate species include density and spatial overlap, particularly around waterholes during summer. We evaluated the effectiveness of selective exclusion measures for reducing direct and indirect interaction between extensive beef cattle and wild ungulates at waterholes as an alternative for the integrated control of TB. We first monitored 6 water points (WP) with infrared-triggered cameras at a TB positive …

Humoral Immune Response To Oral Rabies Vaccination In Raccoon Kits: Problems And Implications, Tricia L. Fry, Kaci K. Vandalen, Susan A. Shriner, Susan M. Moore, Cathleen A. Hanlon, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Little is known about the immunogenicity of RABORAL V-RG^® (V-RG), an oral rabies vaccine, in raccoon kits (Procyon lotor). The objectives of this study were to characterize the immunogenicity of V-RG in young kits and investigate the potential impact of maternal antibodies on response to vaccination of nursing raccoon kits. Raccoon kits (n = 30) were vaccinated at either 3 weeks of age, 7 weeks of age, or assigned as contact controls. Nineteen kits (73%) that were whelped by unvaccinated mothers responded to VRG exposure (orally or indirect contact) by production of detectable rabies virus neutralizing …

Comparison Of Two Models For Estimating Mortality From Baitings With Compound Drc-1339 Concentrate Avicide, H. Jeffrey Homan, Randal S. Stahl, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the U.S., DRC-1339 baitings for blackbirds (Icteridae) are generally done under the pesticide label, Compound DRC-1339 Concentrate ‒ Staging Areas. DRC-1339 is a slow-acting avicide and gives the birds enough time to leave the baiting sites. Carcass searches and other forms of onsite counts are ineffective. Instead, linear models (LM) are used. The LM are based on esophageal analyses of several blackbird species collected while feeding at staging area bait sites. Biases and large variances can occur with this type of sampling. As an alternative to the LM, we developed a semi-mechanistic model (SM) that combined mechanistic modeling of …