Digital Commons Network^™

Novel Analytical Tools For Studies In Molecular Assemblies : I. Electro-Active Single-Mode Integrated Optical Waveguides ; Ii. Coupled Plasmon Waveguide Resonances., Xue Han

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two optical analytical tools were developed for studying molecular assemblies at solid/liquid interfaces. Electro-active single-mode integrated optical waveguide (EA-SM-IOW) technology was developed as a platform for spectroelectrochemical investigations on redox adsorbates at the sub-monolayer level. With an optimized ultra-thin indium tin oxide film combined with a single-mode integrated optical waveguide, for the first time, a more than 14,000 times higher sensitivity (compared to conventional potential-modulated transmittance) was achieved. From optical signals, this technique was able to reconstruct electrochemical information of redox adsorbates, including the formal potential and the electron transfer rate. A few major advantages were achieved with the developed …

The Impact Of Inflammatory And Immune Response-Related Genetic Variants On Prostate Cancer Risk Among Men Of African Descent., Dominique Zilpha Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: In the U.S., prostate cancer (PCA) metastasis is associated with a 5-yr survival rate of 29% and disproportionately affects men of African descent. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may serve as genetic markers to identify individuals at high risk of developing PCA. Methods: We examined main and joint effects of 119 inflammatory and immune response-associated SNPs among men of African descent (535 controls, 279 cases) via logistic regression (LR) and entropy-based-multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) modeling. Results: MDR yielded highly synergistic [(TLR10, TLR6 and IRF3), (TLR2, IRAK4), (IL1R2, IL10, IL10RA)] interaction …

Development Of A Power Monitoring And Control System To Provide Demand Side Management Of Electric Vehicle Charging Activity., Nicholas Francis Jewell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the recent inflow of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to the automobile market, new concerns have risen with respect to the additional electrical load and the resultant effects on an overloaded electric grid. Either for convenience purposes or possibly necessity due to limited electric range on EVs, some EV owners may desire to charge their EV while at work in addition to charging at home. These forward-thinking daytime charging providers are typically Commercial and Industrial (C&I) electric ratepayers, or other large electric consumers which constitute the majority of businesses, shopping centers, academic campuses and manufacturing facilities. Increased electricity consumption due …

Lunasin Reduces The Melanoma Stem Cell Population In Vitro And Inhibits Tumor Proliferation In Vivo., Christopher Paul Shidal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lunasin is a 44 amino acid peptide derived from the soybean seed that has been shown to have cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties. In this study, we investigated the potential utility of lunasin as a chemotherapeutic in a melanoma model. Initial studies showed that lunasin has little activity against established melanoma cell lines in vitro using adherent culture methods; however, lunasin’s in vitro activity was significantly higher in non-adherent colony-forming assays in soft agar and oncosphere assays. These results led us to investigate whether lunasin selectively affects cancer initiating cells (CIC) that are known to be present in these melanoma …

The Effect Of Infrastructure Changes On Railway Operations., Martin J.R. Schmidt 1966-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper makes use of standard simulation programs in combination with the tools of applied statistics to simulate railway operations. The purpose of the use of this tool is to evaluate and compare different possible kinds of railway infrastructure, like different types of signaling procedures, different network configuration or operational procedures. A railway system is a logistic network and because of the demand for improved railway operation, much work has been undertaken lately in this scientific field. However the author postulates the hypothesis based on a literature review that in a lot of these works there is a lack of …

Modulation Of The Ovarian Cancer Humoral Response By Tumor-Derived Exosomes., Carolyn Denise Roberson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer is complicated by its diagnosis during the latter stages of the disease resulting from lack of symptoms or from presence of symptoms that mimic other conditions. Because of the often fatal prognosis by the time of actual detection, efforts are being made to better understand the host immune response to ovarian cancer. In this study, the contributions of the humoral immune response were investigated by focusing on the role of tumor-derived exosomes and their ability to modulate humoral immune responses. First, ovarian cancer patient-derived free circulating antibodies were investigated for immunoreactivity to patient antigen. …

Against The Grain : The Challenges Of Black Discourse Within Intercollegiate Policy Debate., Tiffany Yvonne Dillard-Knox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research uses the speech community model of analysis to illustrate how language is used to determine inclusion into and exclusion from Debate. This has been done by examining the use of four Black discourse types in Intercollegiate Policy Debate: signifying, call and response, tonal semantics, and narrative sequencing to show the ways in which current debate practices (un)intentionally exclude Blacks. Upon examination, one can see that there is educational value to the methods used by majority of the Black student population within Debate. In addition to being a tool of empowerment for this student population, these students can also …

Mixed Variational Formulation For The Wellposedness And Numerical Approximation Of A Pde Model Arising In A 3-D Fluid-Structure Interaction, George Avalos, Tom Clark

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

We present qualitative and numerical results on a partial differential equation (PDE) system which models a certain fluid-structure dynamics. Wellposedness is established by constructing for it a nonstandard semigroup generator representation; this representation is accomplished by an appropriate elimination of the pressure. This coupled PDE model involves the Stokes system which evolves on a three dimensional domain O coupled to a fourth order plate equation, possibly with rotational inertia parameter ρ>0. This plate PDE evolves on a flat portion Ω of the boundary of O. The coupling on Ω is implemented via the Dirichlet trace of the Stokes system …

Split-Step Approach To Electromagnetic Propagation Through Atmospheric Turbulence Using The Modified Von Karman Spectrum And Planar Apertures, Monish Ranjan Chatterjee, Fathi H.A. Mohamed

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The impact of atmospheric phase turbulence on Gaussian beam propagation along propagation paths of varying lengths is examined using multiple random phase screens. The work is motivated by research involving generation and encryption of acousto-optic chaos, and the interest in examining propagation of such chaotic waves through atmospheric turbulence. A phase screen technique is used to simulate perturbations to the refractive index of the medium through the propagation path. A power spectral density based on the modified von Karman spectrum model for turbulence is used to describe the random phase behavior of the medium.

In recent work, results for the …

Current Therapeutic Research Is Now Indexed On Pubmed., John N Van Den Anker, Karel Allegaert, Walter K. Kraft

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Leadership Department Newsletter: November-December 2014, Andrews University

Leadership Department Newsletter 2014

No abstract provided.

The Investigation Of Surplus Of Energy And Signal Propagation At Time-Domain Waveguide Modes, Özlem Işık, Zeynep F. Koçak, Emre Eroğlu

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Classical waveguide theory has been developed bearing on Bernoulli’s product method which results in separation of space and time variables in Maxwell’s equations. The time-harmonic waveguide modes have been stated mathematically for transmitting signals along the waveguides. As a starting point, present studies on transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) waveguide modes with previous results are taken and exhibited in an advanced form. They have been obtained within the framework of an evolutionary approach to solve Maxwell’s equations with time derivative. As a result every modal field is obtained in the form of a product of vector functions of transverse coordinates …

The Use Of Surface Cytokines As Biomarkers In B Cell Mediated Autoimmune Diseases, Abby Jones Weldon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

RA and SLE are B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases dominated by autoantibodies that affect over 1.5 million Americans. Together RA and SLE contribute to over 29 billion in healthcare costs, therefore due to the high financial burden and physical toll of these diseases on the population, there is a critical need to effectively and efficiently diagnose and treat RA and SLE patients. The aim of our studies was to identify biomarkers and drug targets to improve the identification and treatment of RA and SLE patients. As discussed above, APRIL, BAFF and TSLP have been implicated in the pathogenesis of RA and …

The Effect Of Grapes In Mice With Alzheimer's Disease And Brain Injury, Nikita Mistry

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting in cognitive and memory deficits and deposits of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the cortex and hippocampus are thought to be significant contributors to the disease process. Increasing evidence suggests that foods rich in polyphenols, such as pomegranates and grapes, may have neuroprotective effects in both rodents and humans. Our previous research has shown that a pomegranate-enriched diet decreased Aβ plaque load and improved behavior in Tg2576 mice. In this study, we determined whether a grape-enriched diet altered Aβ neuropathology and TBI in PSAPP mice. Mice received either craniotomy or a moderate …

Modulation Of T Lymphocytes By Tumor-Released Survivin, Jessica Marie Jutzy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The tumor microenvironment is an area of intense interaction between normal and malignant cells. Factors and cell types within this environment can play a crucial role in the progression or regression of the tumor. Of primary interest are tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes, which have been shown to have a key role in modifying the dynamics of the tumor microenvironment to promote or prevent tumor growth. While there is much in vitro and in vivo evidence for a modification of the tumor infiltrating T cell population toward a pro-tumor environment, what induces these changes within the tumor microenvironment has remained elusive. Our …

The Effect Of Root Canal Cleansing On The Retention Of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Posts, Faisal Dhaifallah Al-Qarni

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Esthetic glass fiber-reinforced posts are being used more often. The most commonly reported complication associated with these posts is debonding. Dentine conditioning with solutions such as EDTA or MTAD results in removal of smear layer and might improve the retention of posts to root canal dentin. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cleansing the post space with MTAD or EDTA on the bond strength of glass fiber-reinforced posts, when cemented with self-adhesive resin cement. Forty-five (n=15) extracted human premolar teeth were sectioned at the cemento-enamel junction to obtain root length of fifteen millimeters. Endodontic …

Stereotypes About Healthcare Professionals, Emotions, And Mammography Compliance, Kayla M. Kinworthy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Rates of mammography screening are particularly low for minority women, with only 42% of Latin American (Latino) women in the U.S. reporting having a mammogram in the last year as compared to 53% of non-Latino White (Anglo) women [1]. Minority patients are more likely to report negative healthcare encounters with their health professionals [2; 3], which may result in less favorable cultural stereotypes about healthcare professionals and more negative emotional reactions. Guided by Betancourt’s Integrative Model of Culture, Psychological Processes, and Health Behavior [4] and the Stereotype Content Model [5], the aim of the present research was to examine the …

Risk Factors For Substance Use In The American Indian/Alaska Native Community, Kelli Lewis Rugless

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has indicated that substance use is a significant problem in the American Indian/Alaska Native adolescent community. What is less understood are the risk and protective factors specific to this community. Using data available from the Communities That Care Youth Survey, we analyzed risk and protective factors for current (30-day) and lifetime use of smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and alcohol in a sample of 5,912 AI/AN adolescents. Logistic regression analyses were used and our findings indicated that peer and family influences, as well as ease of access to alcohol and other drugs had the greatest overall impact on AI/AN …

What Does A Successful, Sustainable Telemedicine Program Look Like? An Inside View Of Six Telemedicine Programs In Maine, Edwina Ducker

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of this capstone is to better understand the successes and lessons learned in the development and implementation of successful programs to help guide future decision making when planning a new program. The study relies on semi-structured interviews with Telehealth forum members and staff from a select number of telemedicine programs for its primary data source. Initially, secondary data sources and members from the Maine Telehealth Forum were used to inform the development of the list of programs to be interviewed. The programs interviewed include; a behavioral health, two specialties, a home health, a primary care, and a hospital …

Aberrant Neurogenic And Epigenetic Processes Are Associated With Depression Induced By Developmental Arsenic Exposure, Christina René Tyler

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Arsenic is a pervasive environmental contaminant derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Epidemiological evidence supports a correlation between arsenic exposure in drinking water and increased rates of psychiatric disorders, including depression, in exposed populations. Previous studies have established that perinatal exposure to arsenic (through all three trimesters of fetal/neonatal development, DAE) has long-lasting consequences into adulthood including deficits in learning and memory, molecular aberrations in the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary (HPA) axis, and depressive-like symptoms in mice. The studies described in this dissertation were designed to assess the impact of DAE on adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) as a possible mechanism of action …

The Role Of Mir-137 In Schizophrenia, Carrie Leigh Wright

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The genetic basis of schizophrenia is still largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests that a microRNA (miRNA), miR-137 may be involved. The first large schizophrenia genome wide association (GWAS) study, published in 2011, identified a variant within the host gene of this miRNA (MIR-137) as the top association. Since then, further evidence for the potential influence of this miRNA within the disorder has accumulated. These studies used a variety of methods from GWAS to neuroimaging. However, few studies have evaluated the mechanism for the association of the MIR-137 variant, nor how alterations in the miRNA may have downstream effects on its …

Investigation Into The Early Events Of Epithelial Wound Healing And Hpv16 Infection, Michael P. Kivitz

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

HPV16 infection evidently occurs within wounded epithelial tissue, but the cellular and molecular events that culminate in infection establishment remain poorly understood. While HPV is exposed to a multitude of cells in the wound environment, only hyperproliferative keratinocytes are believed to support productive infection. Keratinocytes acquire mobility during wound repair by undergoing prominent phenotypic alterations through an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this study, cell- and tissue-based models were employed to characterize HPV infection during epithelial wound healing, using both physical injury and growth factor treatment to induce keratinocyte migration. In a tissue-based model of wounding and infection using NIKS-derived organotypic …

District 1 Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment And Pilot Studies Fhwa Climate Resilience Pilot Final Reports, Ghd, Trinity Associates, Esa Pwa

State & Federal Reports and Publications

No abstract provided.

District 1 Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment And Pilot Studies, Appendices, Ghd, Esa Pwa, Trinity Associates

State & Federal Reports and Publications

No abstract provided.

In Vivo Dosimetry Using Plastic Scintillation Detectors For External Beam Radiation Therapy, Landon S. Wootton

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In vivo dosimetry, the direct measurement of dose delivered to patients during radiation therapy, has significant potential in ensuring safe and effective treatment in radiation therapy. It can serve as point-of-delivery, patient specific quality assurance and direct verification of treatment. Despite evidence that in vivo dosimetry can detect errors in patient treatment that would otherwise go undetected, it is not commonly practiced. This is due in part to a lack of available detectors ideally suited to perform in vivo dosimetry. Plastic scintillation detectors (PSDs) possess a number of dosimetric characteristics advantageous for in vivo dosimetry including water equivalence, real-time capability, …

Novel Posttranslational Modification In Lkb1 Activation And Function, Szu-Wei Lee

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer cells display dramatic alterations in cellular metabolism to meet their needs of increased growth and proliferation. In the last decade, cancer research has brought these pathways into focus, and one emerging issue that has come to attention is that many oncogenes and tumor-suppressors are intimately linked to metabolic regulation (Jones and Thompson, 2009). One of the key tumor-suppressors involved in metabolism is Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1). LKB1 is the major upstream kinase of the evolutionarily conserved metabolic sensor—AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Activation of the LKB1/AMPK pathway provides a survival advantage for cells under energy stress. LKB1 forms a heterotrimeric …

Clemson Trustees Minutes, 2014 December 1, Clemson University Board Of Trustees

Minutes

No abstract provided.

Insulin Resistance And Muscle Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Serine Hyperphosphorylation, Charles A. Stuart, Mary E. A. Howell, Brian M. Cartwright, Melanie P. Mccurry, Michelle L. Lee, Michael W. Ramsey, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

Insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome subjects is profound in spite of muscle insulin receptor and insulin-responsive glucose transporter (GLUT4) expression being nearly normal. Insulin receptor tyrosine kinase phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) at Tyr896 is a necessary step in insulin stimulation of translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface. Serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 by some kinases diminishes insulin action in mice. We evaluated the phosphorylation status of muscle IRS-1 in 33 subjects with the metabolic syndrome and seventeen lean controls. Each underwent euglycemic insulin clamps and a thigh muscle biopsy before and after 8 weeks of either strength or …

An Exploratory Study On The Use Of Concentric Velocities In The Back Squat As A Monitoring Tool, Kevin M. Carroll, Josh D. Christovich, Caleb D. Bazyler, Nicholas J. Fiolo, George K. Beckham, Kimitake Sato

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract available in the 9th Annual Coaches and Sport Science College .

Religion, Conscience, And The Case For Accommodation, William A. Galston

San Diego Law Review

I do not believe that religion is an obsolete constitutional category. But I do believe that the holdings in United States v. Seeger and Welsh v. United States, the Vietnam-era draft cases that extended conscientious objector status to individuals invoking nonreligious claims, were correct. Can I consistently embrace both propositions? I think I can. My argument, in brief, is that religion is indeed special. But when we understand what it is about religion that warrants both distinctive privileges and distinctive burdens, we will see that some other systems of belief track these features of religion closely enough to warrant comparable …