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Experimental Investigation Of The Stent–Artery Interaction, Shijia Zhao, Linxia Gu, Stacey R. Froemming

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

It is well acknowledged that stent implantation causes abnormal stretch and strains on the arterial wall, which contribute to the formation and progression of restenosis. However, the experimental characterization of the strain field on the stented vessel is scant. In this work, the balloon-expandable stent implantation inside an artery analogue was captured through two high-speed CCD cameras. The surface strain maps on the stented tube were quantified with a 3-D digital image correlation technique. The strain history at one specific reference point illustrated three stenting phases, including balloon inflation, pressurization and deflation. The surface strain distributions along one axial path …

Small Molecule Antagonists Of Melanopsin-Mediated Phototransduction, Kenneth A. Jones, Megumi Hatori, Ludovic S. Mure, Jayne R. Bramley, Roman Artymyshyn, Sang-Phyo Hong, Mohammad Marzabadi, Huailing Zhong, Jeffrey Sprouse, Quansheng Zhu, Andrew T. E. Hartwick, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard, Satchidananda Panda

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Melanopsin, expressed in a subset of retinal ganglion cells, mediates behavioral adaptation to ambient light and other non-image forming photic responses. This has raised the possibility that pharmacological manipulation of melanopsin can modulate several CNS responses including photophobia, sleep, circadian rhythms and neuroendocrine function. Here we describe the identification of a potent synthetic melanopsin antagonist with in vivo activity. Novel sulfonamide compounds inhibiting melanopsin (opsinamides) compete with retinal binding to melanopsin and inhibit its function without affecting rod/cone mediated responses. In vivo administration of opsinamides to mice specifically and reversibly modified melanopsin-dependent light responses including the pupillary light reflex and …

Do Bacterial And Fungal Communities In Soils Of The Bolivian Altiplano Change Under Shorter Fallow Periods?, L. Gomez-Montano, A. Jumpponen, M. A. Gonzales, J. Cusicanqui, C. Valdivia, P. P. Motavalli, M. Herman, K. A. Garrett

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Traditional fallow periods in the Bolivian highlands are being shortened in an effort to increase short-term crop yields, with potential long-term impacts on soil microbial communities and their functions. In addition, native vegetation, such as Parasthrephia sp. or Baccharis sp. (both locally known as “thola”) are often removed as a fuel for cooking. We evaluated the effects of fallow period and thola on soils in 29 farmers’ fields in two municipalities in the Bolivian Altiplano (Umala and Ancoraimes). Soil fungal and bacterial community responses were characterized using 454-pyrosequencing. Soils in Ancoraimes had significantly higher levels of organic matter, nitrogen, and …

Distribution Extension Of Escherbothrium Molinae Berman And Brooks, 1994 (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea: Triloculariidae) In Urotrygon Sp. From The Pacific Coast Of Mexico, Francisco Zaragoza-Tapia, Scott Monks, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Juan Violante-González

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Cestodes collected from the spiral valves of the stingray Urotrygon sp. from the Pacific coast of Mexico were identified as Escherbothrium molinae Berman and Brooks, 1994. The first report of the species was from the Gulf of Nicoya and the Guanacaste coast, Costa Rica; this work represents the second report of the species since the original description and extends its distribution north to Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico.

Advanced Techniques In Molecular Genetics And Its Implications On Genetic Testing And Screening In The Arabian Peninsula, Khaled K. Abu-Amero, Altaf A. Kondkar

Saudi Medical Journal

Molecular diagnosis of human disorders is referred to as the detection of the various pathogenic mutations in DNA and/or RNA samples in order to facilitate detection, diagnosis, sub-classification, prognosis, and monitoring response to therapy. The use of molecular biology techniques to expand scientific knowledge of the natural history of diseases, identify people who are at risk for acquiring specific diseases, and diagnose human diseases at the nucleic acid level. Molecular diagnostics combines laboratory medicine with the knowledge and technology of molecular genetics and has been enormously revolutionized over the last decades, benefiting from the discoveries in the field of molecular …

The Polymorphism Of Angiotensin-Receptor Gene A1166c In Familial Hypertension And Its Distribution In The Han Yellow Race Of China, Li Jinmin, Liu Jianmin, Zhou Shuqin, Liu Xueqiu, Tang Shuyi

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To study the polymorphism of angiotensin-type 1 receptor (AT1R) gene A1166C in familial primary hypertension and its distribution in Han Yellow race of China. METHODS: One hundred and four hypertensive patients with no family history, 178 hypertensive patients with familial history, and 150 healthy adults were randomly selected to participate in a prospective clinical trial, and genetype detection by standard polymerase chain reaction methods and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in trials. The study was carried out between October 2009 and November 2010 at Jinan Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Affiliated Hospital of Taishan Medical College, Jinan, China. RESULTS: Notable …

Andropause Phenomenon By Measurement Of Serum Free Testosterone Concentration In Iraqi Healthy Men. Age Related Study, Basil O. Saleh, Maysaa J. Majeed

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the andropause phenomenon in Iraqi healthy subjects by evaluating serum free testosterone (FT) concentrations in association with age. METHODS: This study was carried out at the Biochemistry Department, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, between February 2012 and October 2012. This cross sectional control subject9s study included 251 healthy Iraqi men with an age range of 20-82 years. Subjects were divided into variant age groups, group 1 (20-40 years, n=16), group 2 (40-60 years, n=165) and group 3 (60-82 years, n=70), group A-I (<50 years, n=137) and group A-II (>/=50 years, n=114), and group B-I (<60 years, n=215) and group B-II (>/=60 years, n=36). Serum FT concentrations …

Sequential Structural And Fluid Dynamics Analysis Of Balloon-Expandable Coronary Stents., David Martin

Doctoral

As in-stent restenosis following coronary stent deployment has been strongly linked with stent-induced arterial injury and altered vessel hemodynamics, the sequential numerical analysis of the mechanical and hemodynamic impact of stent deployment within a coronary artery is likely to provide an excellent indication of coronary stent performance. Despite this observation, very few numerical studies have considered both the mechanical and hemodynamic impact of stent deployment. In light of this observation, the aim of this research is to develop a robust numerical methodology for investigating the performance of balloon-expandable coronary stents in terms of their mechanical and hemodynamic impact within a …

Family Histories And Multiple Transitions Among Homeless Young Adults: Pathways To Homelessness, Kimberly A. Tyler, Rachel M. Schmitz

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study explored the early family histories of homeless young adults, the types and number of transitions they experienced, and their pathways to the street. Intensive qualitative interviews were audio taped and transcribed with 40 homeless young adults 19 to 21 years of age in the Midwest. Findings show that family backgrounds were generally characterized by substance use, child maltreatment, and witnessing violence, all of which provide social context for understanding why so many of these young people opted to leave home in search of an alternative living situation. The current findings also reveal that while some young adults ran …

Thioredoxin Reductase Was Nitrated In The Aging Heart After Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion., Ke Wang, Jie Zhang, Xiaoliang Wang, Xin Liu, Lin Zuo, Kehua Bai, Jianyu Shang, Lu Ma, Teng Liu, Li Wang, Wen Wang, Xin-Liang Ma, Huirong Liu

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

The age-related loss of anti-oxidant defense reduces recovery from myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/R) in aged people. Our previous data showed that inactivation of thioredoxin (Trx) was involved in enhanced aging MI/R injury. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), the enzyme known to regulate Trx, is less efficient with age. The aim of the current study was to determine why TrxR activity was reduced and whether reduced TrxR activity contributed to enhanced aging MI/R injury. Both Trx and TrxR activity were decreased in the aging heart, and this difference was further amplified after MI/R. However, MI/R injury did not change TrxR expression between young …

Measuring Agricultural Paradigmatic Preferences: The Redevelopment Of An Instrument To Determine Individual And Collective Preferences—A Pilot Study, Laura Sanagorski, Theresa Pesl Murphrey, David E. Lawver, Matt Baker, James R. Lindner

Journal of Extension

Sustainable agriculture is an area that is gaining momentum. Extension agents are expected to teach production methods that include sustainable agriculture, yet little is known regarding how Extension agents feel about this agricultural paradigm. The research reported here sought to further develop an instrument that could quantitatively measure Extension faculty members' agricultural paradigms and be used as a program-planning tool that serves to support the identification of educational program needs. The pilot study offers a valid and reliable instrument useful to both Extension agents and administration in measuring individuals' agricultural paradigms.

Comprehensive Land Use Planning In Exurban Communities: A Case Study From Ohio, Thomas W. Blaine, Myra Moss, Julia Cumming, Janet Wasko Myers

Journal of Extension

Comprehensive land use planning at the county level has been a focus of a good deal of public attention in the U.S. in the post-World War II era. Because Extension is typically very active at the county level and provides substantial expertise on land use at the university level, it has long played a significant role in the planning process. This article reports the findings of a survey among residents of an exurban community on land use designed to obtain public opinion prior to the update of a comprehensive plan, contributing a sense of public inclusion to the process.

Mexican-American Children's Perspectives: Neighborhood Characteristics And Physical Activity In Texas-Mexico Border Colonias, Nelda Mier, Chanam Lee, Matthew Lee Smith, Xiaohui Wang, Elias H. Avila-Rodriguez, Laura Trevino, Marcia G. Ory

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The qualitative study described in this article investigated perceptions about environmental factors influencing physical activity (PA) among children from underserved neighborhoods known as colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border. Ten focus groups were conducted with 67 Mexican-American colonia children ages 8 to 13 living in one of the poorest border counties in the U.S. Analyses indicated that PA among children was influenced by neighborhood characteristics, including litter, speeding cars, unleashed dogs, and dark streets. The children also underlined intrapersonal and social environmental factors. Findings may inform policy makers and public health professionals about ways to promote PA among underserved children through …

Left–Right Dewlap Asymmetry And Phylogeography Of Anolis Lineatus On Aruba And Curaçao, Gabriel E.A. Gartner, Tony Gamble, Alexander L. Jaffe, Alexis Harrison, Jonathan B. Losos

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Anolis lizards exhibit a remarkable degree of diversity in the shape, colour, pattern and size of their dewlaps. Asymmetry, where one side of the dewlap differs in pattern or colour from the other, has only been reported in one species, Anolis lineatus, and then on only one of the two islands from which it occurs. Given the importance of the dewlap in intra- and interspecific signalling, we expanded on previous work by (1) investigating whether the reported asymmetry actually occurs and, if so, whether it occurs on animals from both Aruba and Curaçao; (2) examining whether populations differ in …

A Historical Perspective Of The National Association For Multicultural Education, H. Prentice Baptiste, Ashley Ryan, V. Patricia Williams

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

The spark for the idea of a national organization that would serve as the forum and professional arena for the discussion, deliberations, and creation of knowledge related to concepts and principles of multiculturalism ignited after years of gestation. The discussion of this period is presented in Part 1: The Perspective. The genesis chapter explores and discusses the isms and other forms of oppression that permeated the cultural environments of the Founders. Part 2: The Voices contains chapters which emanate frustrations, concerns, and obstacles that the Founders, led by Dr. Rose Duhon-Sells, had to endure as they strategized and developed a …

Exploring Community Colleges In The Stem Education Landscape : Development Of Stem College Major Choice Model, Colleen Evans

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Community colleges are becoming increasingly relevant as an entrance point into postsecondary education for potential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. These institutions are also an important education pathway for women and racial/ethnic minorities who are currently underrepresented in the STEM workforce. The purpose of this study is to understand how student demographics, high school, and college experiences influence the entrance of community college students to the STEM college majors. Data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002) were used for the study. Students included in the study began their postsecondary education at community colleges. Descriptive and …

Unlv Magazine, Tony Allen, Afsha Bawany, Shane Bevell, Holly Ivy Devore, Megan Downs, Brian Sodoma, Ched Whitney

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

"There's No Wrong Way To Make A Family": Surrogacy Law And Pennsylvania's Need For Legislative Intervention, Saraann C. Bennett

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Redbud Seedpods Hold Surprises, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

As fall advances across the Old Dominion, canopies of redbud, the 2013 VNPS Wildflower of the Year, transform themselves from green to gold, revealing seed pods also changing color from pale green to dark chocolaty brown. These seedpods, which may be retained on the tree into winter, are typical legume fruits, the product of the flower’s simple pistil, each containing several seeds. Unlike most legumes, however, redbud seed pods seem disinclined to open and release individual seeds for dispersal. Redbud fruits tend to disperse intact. Once on the ground, the inevitable action of weather and microbes gradually degrades the pod, …

The Prospector, October 1, 2013, Utep Student Publications

The Prospector

Headline: Bhutanland: Campus Brings Disney Homecoming Theme

Customer Selection For Direct Marketing : Bi-Objective Optimization Using Support Vector Machine, Qian Wang

Lingnan Theses

A major challenge in direct marketing is to build a customer-selection model that can help achieve higher response rate and greater profit at the same time. In this study, I adopt a bi-objective optimization (BOO) approach and propose a two-stage method using support vector machine (SVM) and support vector regression (SVR) to maximize response rate and profit simultaneously. To deal with the difficulty of learning models from imbalanced data, synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) is used to generate more balanced datasets. Experiments are conducted on two datasets, a direct marketing dataset and the KDD-98 dataset, to compare the predictive performance …

Shirking, Opportunism, Self-Delusion And More: The Agency Problem Today, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Need For A More Stable Cacao Industry, Lauren Griffith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The cacao industry is slowly growing in the region of Bocas del Toro, Panama. It is largely populated by indigenous farmers, but there are others who have invested in the business as well. With so many people becoming involved in the industry this study aimed to determine if the system represented a stable model. Through interviews and participant observation the stability of income, steadiness of demand, opportunity for growth, and the effect of organic certification were examined to determine the overall stability. It was found that very few farmers sell only cacao and rely on the sale of other crops, …

Vulture And Other Ornithological Survey Data In Annapurna And Manaslu Conservation Regions, Dikpal Krishna Karmacharya, Seejan Gyawali, Munir Virani, Falk Huettmann

Faculty

This dataset presents geo-referenced summaries of vulture and raptor sightings (from field work as well as from published sources 1977-2013), as well as general avian species lists and their detected abundances, for the Annapurna (ACA) and Manaslu Conservation Areas (MCA). In addition, compiled 'presence only' data of vultures are provided for Nepal and Northern India as well. The bounding box (decimal degrees) of the data coverage is 77.4966 til 87.0667 latitude and 26.3666 til 28.58333 longitude, and Altitude covers 100m til 7969m. The data consist of MS Excel and include 6 worksheets (all bird list, number of bird sighting and …

Roe V. Wade At 40, Gerard V. Bradley

Journal Articles

Under the leadership of Chief Justice Warren Burger, who joined it in 1969, the Supreme Court departed from the course taken during the 16-year tenure of his predecessor, Earl Warren. The Burger Court rolled back precedents in criminal procedure and obscenity, while stopping the drive to universalize welfare rights and equalize public schooling expenditures. Roe v. Wade (1973), on the other hand, extended the Warren Court's deepest commitments: sexual liberation, obviously; equality, with respect to both race and class; and even church-state separation, insofar as the Roe Justices identified opposition to abortion with Catholic dogma. These more or less "progressive" …

When The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Fails: A Suffolk Case Study, Scott Van Der Hyde, Mark Badanowski

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

No abstract provided.

Pious Polygenism And Original Sin, Martin Lembke

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Jeffrie G. Murphy, Punishment And The Moral Emotions: Essays In Law, Morality, And Religion, Thomas E. Hill Jr.

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Is There A Viability-Vulnerability Tradeoff? Sex Differences In Fetal Programming, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Elyssia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: In this paper we evaluate the evidence for sex differences in fetal programming within the context of the proposed viability-vulnerability tradeoff.

METHODS: We briefly review the literature on the factors contributing to primary and secondary sex ratios. Sex differences in fetal programming are assessed by summarizing previously published sex difference findings from our group (6 studies) and also new analyses of previously published findings in which sex differences were not reported (6 studies).

RESULTS: The review and reanalysis of studies from our group are consistent with the overwhelming evidence of increasing risk for viability among males exposed to environmental …

Primary Blast Traumatic Brain Injury In The Rat: Relating Diffusion Tensor Imaging And Behavior, Matthew D. Budde, Alok Shah, Michael Mccrea, William E. Cullinan, Frank A. Pintar, Brian D. Stemper

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among military personnel is at its highest point in U.S. history. Experimental animal models of blast have provided a wealth of insight into blast injury. The mechanisms of neurotrauma caused by blast, however, are still under debate. Specifically, it is unclear whether the blast shockwave in the absence of head motion is sufficient to induce brain trauma. In this study, the consequences of blast injury were investigated in a rat model of primary blast TBI. Animals were exposed to blast shockwaves with peak reflected overpressures of either 100 or 450 kPa (39 and …