Digital Commons Network^™

A Flaw In The Design: American Sprawl And Climate Change, Gregory Behl

2014 Student Theses

The physical landscape of the United States has developed to a point that it has become detrimental to the health of its citizens and the natural environment. Designed around abundant fossil fuels, the sprawling panorama Americans call home has significantly contributed to a decline in global ecosystem services. Using historical precedence as a guide for the constant improvement of surrounding environs has led to the nation’s exorbitant resource use and beyond sustainable emissions rates required by the physical design of the man-made landscape. These mandates, embodied in a physical design, further reinforce isolation and contribute to the psychological denial about …

Easterner, Vol. 65, No. 26, May 7, 2014, Associated Students Of Eastern Washington University

Student Newspapers

This issue of the Easterner contains articles about the Lavender Graduation, a plumbing lead in the Science Building, decline in summer quarter enrollment, the Heartbleed Bug, the Black-Brown conference on police profiling, Chinese language offerings at Eastern, the Women's Studies Center's Activist in Residence program, football players with goals to play in the NFL, the mascot Swoop, and the track and field meets in Oregon.

Technique For Staining The Myelin-Like Sheath In Earthworms, Kayla Brown

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Phytoliths, Starch Grains, And Emerging Social Complexity At Tell Zeidan, Syria, Thomas C. Hart

Doctoral Dissertations

Agriculture and subsistence practices are believed to play an important role in the development of social complexity in Mesopotamia. However, very little palaeoethnobotanical research has been conducted to test this assumption. This dissertation examines comparative plant materials from Southwest Asia and archaeological materials from the 2008–2010 excavations of the Ubaid period regional center of Tell Zeidan, Syria to provide the first microbotanical insights into subsistence practices during the formative stages of social complexity in northern Mesopotamia.

This dissertation is composed of four separate, but related, research projects. The first two examine phytolith and starch grain production patterns in taxa common …

Magnetic Apatites For Biomedical Applications, Erica R. Kramer

Doctoral Dissertations

Biomedical applications utilizing magnetic nanoparticles have the ability to impact diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes and beneficially affect numerous patients worldwide. Paramagnetic nanoparticles can potentially be used to improve targeting in drug delivery systems, improve contrast in biomedical imaging, and treat cancer via hyperthermia. Unfortunately, the most widely used type of nanoparticles for several biomedical applications are currently iron oxides. Safety is a constant concern when using these types of materials as toxicity limits therapeutic efficiency, as well as having the potential to induce new damage and problems in the patient’s cells. For these reasons, iron oxide particles often require the …

The Daily Egyptian, May 07, 2014, Daily Egyptian Staff

May 2014

No abstract provided.

Mortality Risk And Survival In The Aftermath Of The Medieval Black Death, Sharon Dewitte

Faculty Publications

The medieval Black Death (c. 1347-1351) was one of the most devastating epidemics in human history. It killed tens of millions of Europeans, and recent analyses have shown that the disease targeted elderly adults and individuals who had been previously exposed to physiological stressors. Following the epidemic, there were improvements in standards of living, particularly in dietary quality for all socioeconomic strata. This study investigates whether the combination of the selective mortality of the Black Death and post-epidemic improvements in standards of living had detectable effects on survival and mortality in London. Samples are drawn from several pre- and post-Black …

Seek And You Will Find It; Let Go And You Will Lose It: Exploring A Confucian Approach To Human Dignity, Peimin Ni

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

While the concept of Menschenwürde (universal human dignity) has served as the foundation for human rights, it is absent in the Confucian tradition. However, this does not mean that Confucianism has no resources for a broadly construed notion of human dignity. Beginning with two underlying dilemmas in the notion of Menschenwürde and explaining how Confucianism is able to avoid them, this essay articulates numerous unique features of a Confucian account of human dignity, and shows that the Confucian account goes beyond the limitations of Menschenwürde. It is arguably richer and more sophisticated in content, and more constructive for protecting and …

Spectator 2014-05-07, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

It Isn’T Just Skin Deep: Adolescents And Appearance In Connecticut, Avery Lachance

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

College Of Business News, Georgia Southern University

College of Business: News & Publications

• Fraud & Forensic Accounting Education Conference May 15 & 16, 2014

Volume 51, Number 38: May 07, 2014, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Trends In The Association Between Socioeconomic Status And Obesity In U.S. Adults: 2002-2012, Amanda Elaine Ayers

Honors Theses

Since the 1980s, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled to over 30 percent of the adult population (Thorpe, 2004). Obesity is a key contributing factor to continually rising national healthcare costs. Addressing its negative implications is essential not only from a cost perspective, but also for the betterment of our nation¿s general health and wellbeing. Obesity is reportedly associated with a 35% increase in inpatient and outpatient spending, as well as a 77% increase in related necessary medications (Sturm, 2002). Obesity, which some have argued should be classified as a disease in itself, has roughly the same association …

Evaluation Of The Design Of Komendant's Cycloidal, Thin Shell Roofs At The Kimbell Art Museum Using Finite Element Analysis, Mikhail Osanov

Honors Theses

The analysis of Komendant's design of the Kimbell Art Museum was carried out in order to determine the effectiveness of the ring beams, edge beams and prestressing in the shells of the roof system. Finite element analysis was not available to Komendant or other engineers of the time to aid them in the design and analysis. Thus, the use of this tool helped to form a new perspective on the Kimbell Art Museum and analyze the engineer's work. In order to carry out the finite element analysis of Kimbell Art Museum, ADINA finite element analysis software was utilized. Eight finite …

Microbial Exposure And Asthma: Applying Strachan’S Hygiene Hypothesis To Nursing Practice, Elisabeth M. Campbell

Senior Honors Theses

The incidence of asthma has risen significantly in recent decades. Asthma is a complex disease process affected by multiple factors including environmental exposure, genetics, epigenetics, and lifestyle. In 1989, the hygiene hypothesis was proposed based on Strachan’s findings suggesting increased exposure to microbes may have protective benefits against allergic rhinitis and eczema. Since that time, research in this arena has exploded as investigators seek to establish a causal link between increased microbial exposure and decreased incidence of allergic disease. The aim of this literature review is to synthesize the current research regarding Strachan’s hygiene hypothesis and identify the nursing implications …

Preparing Librarians To Be Campus Leaders Through Mapping And Integrating Information Literacy Into Curriculum, Sharon A. Weiner, Li Wang

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Curriculum mapping is a process by which curricula are methodically examined to determine where information literacy (IL) capabilities are, or should be taught during formal coursework. Curriculum integration is the process of intentionally integrating IL capability at the points in coursework when students need to master those capabilities and competencies. During this session, librarians will develop an understanding of curriculum mapping and how to integrate IL in curricula. This knowledge prepares librarians for campus leadership, since the curriculum is the primary focus of teaching and learning and affects the entire campus.

The curriculum in higher education can be viewed as: …

Graduation Rates In Arkansas, Vera E. Deberg, Jennifer W. Ash, Gary W. Ritter, Jocelyn R. Mcdaniel

Arkansas Education Reports

In April 2014, the National Center for Education Statistics published a national report on state-level graduation rates in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The news was positive for the nation, as the national rate reached 80% for the first time, and for Arkansas, as students in the Natural State boasted higher than average rates in both years. While the statewide news was good, Arkansans may well be interested in the graduation rates of particular schools across the state.

An Examination Of The Phylogenetic Diversity Of Green Algae (Chlorophyceae) That Symbiose With Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum) In The Egg Stage., Crystal Xue

Honors Scholar Theses

In 1909, the species Oophila amblystomatis Lambert ex Wille was described for green algae that symbiose with salamanders in the egg stage (Wille). There are two hypotheses about the source of algae: 1) that algae enter from the surrounding water once the egg clutch is laid in a pond, and 2) that they are acquired from the maternal reproductive tract. We developed a third hypothesis developed to account for the salamander reproductive cycle. Male salamanders lay spermatophores, which are protein-filled capsules, on plant matter in and around ponds. Spermatophores are exposed to the environment before use by females in internal …

Adrenergic Signaling Regulates Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Uptake Through Pyk2-Dependent Tyrosine Phosphorylation Of The Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Uniporter., Jin O-Uchi, Bong Sook Jhun, Shangcheng Xu, Stephen Hurst, Anna Raffaello, Xiaoyun Liu, Bing Yi, Huiliang Zhang, Polina Gross, Jyotsna Mishra, Alina Ainbinder, Sarah Kettlewell, Godfrey L Smith, Robert T Dirksen, Wang Wang, Rosario Rizzuto, Shey-Shing Sheu

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Abstract Aims: Mitochondrial Ca(2+) homeostasis is crucial for balancing cell survival and death. The recent discovery of the molecular identity of the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter pore (MCU) opens new possibilities for applying genetic approaches to study mitochondrial Ca(2+) regulation in various cell types, including cardiac myocytes. Basal tyrosine phosphorylation of MCU was reported from mass spectroscopy of human and mouse tissues, but the signaling pathways that regulate mitochondrial Ca(2+) entry through posttranslational modifications of MCU are completely unknown. Therefore, we investigated α1-adrenergic-mediated signal transduction of MCU posttranslational modification and function in cardiac cells. Results: α1-adrenoceptor (α1-AR) signaling translocated activated proline-rich …

Envisioning Queer Culture: Toward A Theological Framework For Reimagining Sexuality And Sexual Orientation, Danielle Dempsey

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I argue that the both the Church and the Queer Community will benefit from a reexamination of Church teachings on sexuality. I argue that Church’s current position on sexuality does not uphold its own teaching on the importance human dignity, because a sexual ethic that opposes homosexuality contributes to the marginalization of members of the Queer Community. I then argue that Michael Lawler’s and Todd Salzman’s The Sexual Person: Toward a Renewed Catholic Anthropology provides a revisionist theory on sexual ethics that is inclusive of same-sex couples while also paying deference to the fundamental elements of the …

Pluralism And The Absence Of Truth, Jeremy W. Wyatt

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue that we should be pluralists about truth and in turn, eliminativists about the property truth. Traditional deflationists were right to suspect that there is no such property as truth. Yet there is a plurality of pluralities of properties which enjoy defining features that truth would have, were it to exist. So although, in this sense, truth is plural, truth is non-existent. The resulting account of truth is indebted to deflationism as the provenance of the suspicion that truth doesn't exist. But it would be hasty to simply classify the account as deflationary. Each …

Stress Exposure In Early Post-Natal Life Reduces Telomere Length: An Experimental Demonstration In A Long-Lived Seabird, Katherine A. Herborn, Britt J. Heidinger, Winnie Boner, Jose C. Noguera, Aileen Adam, Francis Daunt, Pat Monaghan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Exposure to stressors early in life is associated with faster ageing and reduced longevity. One important mechanism that could underlie these late life effects is increased telomere loss. Telomere length in early post-natal life is an important predictor of subsequent lifespan, but the factors underpinning its variability are poorly understood. Recent human studies have linked stress exposure to increased telomere loss. These studies have of necessity been non-experimental and are consequently subjected to several confounding factors; also, being based on leucocyte populations, where cell composition is variable and some telomere restoration can occur, the extent to which these effects extend …

Potential Energy And The Three Odalisques, Yamins Roxanne

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this paper is to examine some ways in which BEHAVIOR, POTENTIAL ENERGY, and EMPATHY are critical components in my thinking and work. The impetus for my work is an investigation of how these three components can be manifested in visually expressive and powerful states. My masters thesis, The Three Odalisques, is an attempt at making a space and world which privileges these components and the potential for art to express these ideas. This paper is divided into two parts. The first section is a formal analysis of the pieces in my work from my MFA thesis show. …

Biology Club Unveils New Chimney Swift Tower, University Relations

Campus News Archive

The tower will serve as a home for the displaced birds.

The Dimerization Domain In Dape Enzymes Is Required For Catalysis, Boguslaw Nocek, Anna Starus, Magdalena Makowska-Grzyska, Blanca Gutierrez, Stephen Sanchez, Robert Jedrzejczak, Jamey C. Mack, Kenneth W. Olsen, Andzrej Joachimiak, Richard C. Holz

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains underscores the importance of identifying new drug targets and developing new antimicrobial compounds. Lysine and meso-diaminopimelic acid are essential for protein production and bacterial peptidoglycan cell wall remodeling and are synthesized in bacteria by enzymes encoded within dap operon. Therefore dap enzymes may serve as excellent targets for developing a new class of antimicrobial agents. The dapE-encoded N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) converts N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid to L,Ldiaminopimelic acid and succinate. The enzyme is composed of catalytic and dimerization domains, and belongs to the M20 peptidase family. To understand the specific role …

Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, Md, Oral History Interview, May 7, 2014, Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung Md, Tacey A. Rosolowski Phd

Interview Sessions

Major Topics Coveted:

• History of Neuro-Oncology services and research at MD Anderson
• History of the Department of Neuro-Oncology
• The Brain Tumor Center: collaborative relationships and shared resources with Neuro-Oncology, Neuro-Surgery, Neuro-Pathology, neuro-imaging and other support fields

Fate Of Estrogens And Illicit Drugs During Urine Separation And Treatment, Pei Huang, Ramesh Goel

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The presence and their subsequent treatment of nutrient in municipal wastewater is still at the front end of environmental engineering despite several decades of successful research and applications. In recent times, the source separation followed by the treatment of urine or resource recovery from human urine has evolved as emerging management strategies albeit mostly at research stage. Human contributes about 80% of the nitrogen, 70% of the potassium and up to 50% of the total although the urine only contributes 1% of the total volume of the wastewater. It is also a known fact that many of the micropollulatnts get …

Effect Of Flapping Frequency And Leading Edge Profile On Airfoil Leading Edge Vortical Structures, Wesley Fassmann, Scott Thomson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

By varying leading edge geometry to wing profiles during flapping flight, Ozen and Rockwell observed a pattern of alternating spanwise vortices which minimized spanwise flow. As a follow up study to [1], this investigation explored the effect of flapping frequency on these previously observed streamwise vortical structures. By increasing the flapping frequency, the alternating streamwise vortices resulting from a sinusoidal leading edge became stretched in the path of the wing due to an increase of wing cross-radial velocity. The streamwise vortices are shown to minimize spanwise flow even after being stretched. Instabilities were formed at higher flapping frequencies (f = …

Liquid-Core Arrow Platform For Organic Particle Detection, Thomas Wall, Aaron Hawkins

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The Liquid-Core ARROW platform, which can be used for single bioparticle detection, is outlined. The platform has been used successfully for detecting individual H3N2 viruses. These results clearly illustrate the ARROW platform’s capability to function as the go-to platform for a mission to Mars whose goal is to detect organic polymers in the soil. A presence of organic polymers would be a strong sign of past life on the planet. The ARROW is ideal for such a mission not only because of its capabilities in detection, but also because it is light weight, cheap to produce, and requires only low …

Chinese Ritual And The Practice Of Law, Mary Szto

Touro Law Review

While there is much literature about the contemporary practice of law in China, almost no articles discuss the rituals involved. This article describes five common Chinese rituals in the contemporary practice of law: drinking tea, banqueting, drinking alcohol, napping, and karaoke. These rituals are traced to their ancient origins in ancestor worship, traditional Chinese medicine, and Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist thought. Then they are explicated for their contemporary meaning. Properly observed, these rituals promote just governance, harmony, balance, and physical and spiritual wholeness. They should be celebrated and practiced without excess.