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Be Sweep Awards At 2015 Ibe Conference | Biological Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

LOGAN, Utah – March 10, 2015 – Students from Utah State University’s Biological Engineering department brought home three of eight awards at the Institute of Biological Engineering Annual Conference in St. Louis, Mo, March 5-7. There were a total of about 60 posters, with 37 in the graduate student division and 23 in the undergraduate student division.

Dr. Britt - Wins 2015 Robins Award For Teaching | Biological Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Dr. David Britt won the Robins Award for Teacher of the year. If you are unaware the Robins award is the most prestigious award at USU. In our department Dr. Tim Taylor is the only other person to have one.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Vanillyl Alcohol Based Thermosetting Epoxy Resins, Eric Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Lignin is a natural and abundant renewable material composed of crosslinked phenylpropenyl units that when strategically depolymerized could potentially yield renewable bio-based aromatic building blocks for applications in high-performance thermosetting epoxy resins. Vanillyl alcohol, a lignin derived aromatic diol, is a potential platform chemical for the production of renewable bisphenols and epoxy thermosets. A new bio-based bisphenol (bisguaiacol) was synthesized via electrophilic aromatic condensation of vanillyl alcohol and guaiacol, from which diglycidyl ether of bisguaiacol (DGEBG) was prepared via epoxidation with epichlorohydrin.The thermomechanical properties of DGEBG blended with a commercial BPA-based epoxy resin and cured with a diamine were investigated …

Advancements In Treatment For Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Implications For Rehabilitation Professionals, Shawn P. Saladin, Yasar Tasnif, Bianca Cruz, Robert B. Perez

JADARA

Rehabilitation professionals often work with individuals with sensorineural hearing loss. Sometimes the hearing loss is due to ototoxic medications that are prescribed as treatments for other conditions. An understanding of the types of ototoxic medications at the root of the sensorineural hearing loss combined with an understanding of the advancements in treatments will help the rehabilitation professional better serve consumers who fit this description.

2015-August-18-New Program Allows Etsu Pharmacy Students To Earn B.S. En Route To Pharm.D., University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Derivation Of An Analytical Solution To A Reaction-Diffusion Model For Autocatalytic Degradation And Erosion In Polymer Microspheres, Ashlee N. Ford Versypt, Paul D. Arendt, Daniel W. Pack, Richard D. Braatz

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

A mathematical reaction-diffusion model is defined to describe the gradual decomposition of polymer microspheres composed of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) that are used for pharmaceutical drug delivery over extended periods of time. The partial differential equation (PDE) model treats simultaneous first-order generation due to chemical reaction and diffusion of reaction products in spherical geometry to capture the microsphere-size-dependent effects of autocatalysis on PLGA erosion that occurs when the microspheres are exposed to aqueous media such as biological fluids. The model is solved analytically for the concentration of the autocatalytic carboxylic acid end groups of the polymer chains that comprise the microspheres …

2015-August-18-New Program Allows Etsu Pharmacy Students To Earn B.S. En Route To Pharm.D., University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Microbe Detection Via Hybridizing Magnetic Relaxation Nanosensors (Us), J. Manuel Perez Figueroa, Charalambos Kaittanis, Saleh Naser

UCF Patents

Disclosed herein are methods and materials for facilitating the detection of nucleic acid analytes of interest. Specifically exemplified herein are methods for detecting mycobacterial microorganisms, namely Mycobacterium avium spp. paratuberculosis. Also disclosed is new hybridizing magnetic relaxation nanosensor (hMRS) particularly adapted to detect a target nucleic acid analyte of interest.

The George-Anne, Georgia Southern University

The George-Anne

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After The Bp Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Financial And Health Concerns Among Coastal Residents And Commercial Fishers, Katie E. Cherry, Bethany A. Lyon, Loren D. Marks, Pam F. Nezat, Rachel Adamek, S. Devon Walsh, Kristina B. Fitzgerald, Dina R. Anbinder, Claire V. Bernacchio

Faculty Publications

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is recognized as the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. In this article, we examine the impact of the BP oil spill on directly affected commercial fishers and indirectly affected residents of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area. A sample of 148 participants responded to an open-ended question on the impact of the oil spill on self, family, and their community at least 12 months after the oil spill began. Content analysis of their narrative text yielded four emergent themes which we present here: 1) Economic Impact on the Seafood Industry and Local …

Stretch‐Induced Increase In Cardiac Contractility Is Independent Of Myocyte Ca2+ While Block Of Stretch Channels By Streptomycin Improves Contractility After Ischemic Stunning, Samhita S. Rhodes, Amadou Ks Camara, Mohammed Aldakkak, James S. Heisner, David F. Stowe

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Stretching the cardiac left ventricle (LV) enhances contractility but its effect on myoplasmic [Ca²⁺] is controversial. We measured LV pressure (LVP) and [Ca²⁺] as a function of intra-LV stretch in guinea pig intact hearts before and after 15 min global stunning ± perfusion with streptomycin (STM), a stretch activated channel blocker. LV wall [Ca²⁺] was measured by indo-1 fluorescence and LVP by a saline-filled latex balloon inflated in 50 μL steps to stretch the LV. We implemented a mathematical model to interpret crossbridge dynamics and myofilament Ca²⁺ responsiveness from the instantaneous relationship between …

Ocean Acidification Bends The Mermaid’S Wineglass, Laura A. Newcomb, Marco Milazzo, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Emily Carrington

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Raman Spectroscopy Applied To The Noninvasive Detection Of Monosodium Urate Crystal Deposits, Declan J. Curran, Laurence Rubin, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An off-the-shelf Raman Spectrometer (RS) was used to noninvasively determine the presence of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals on the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) of a single gout sufferer. The spectrum sourced from the clinically diagnosed gout sufferer was compared to that sourced from an age-matched healthy subject scanned using the same protocol. Minimal signal processing was conducted on both spectra. Peaks characteristic of MSU crystals were evident on the spectrum sourced from the gout sufferer and not on the spectrum from the healthy control.

Should Generic Curriculum Capabilities Be Assessed?, Rosemary Hipkins

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Both Australia and New Zealand have recently taken up the idea of ‘key competencies’ (‘capabilities’ in the Australian national curriculum) initially proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In both countries we have made them our own by adapting them to suit our own educational contexts. People often say that these capabilities won’t be taken seriously unless they are assessed. So whether, and how, to assess them continue to be vexed questions. In this paper I argue that capabilities are more appropriately seen as changing the curriculum rather than adding to it. If we are serious about preparing …

Osteopathic And Chiropractic: An Examination Of The Patient-Physician Relationship In Their Respective Practices, Cody L. Ward

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Retreat Schedule, 2015, Augustana College

Campus and Faculty Retreat

No abstract provided.

Co-Extinction In A Host-Parasite Network: Identifying Key Hosts For Network Stability, Tad Dallas, Emily Cornelius

Faculty Publications

Parasites comprise a substantial portion of total biodiversity. Ultimately, this means that host extinction could result in many secondary extinctions of obligate parasites and potentially alter host-parasite network structure. Here, we examined a highly resolved fish-parasite network to determine key hosts responsible for maintaining parasite diversity and network structure (quantified here as nestedness and modularity). We evaluated four possible host extinction orders and compared the resulting co-extinction dynamics to random extinction simulations; including host removal based on estimated extinction risk, parasite species richness and host level contributions to nestedness and modularity. We found that all extinction orders, except the one …

The 30-Year Outcome Of Assisted Regeneration Treatments In A Burned And Salvaged Interior Alaska Boreal Forest, Andrew Allaby

Natural Resources

This study contributes to the understanding of the persistence of silvicultural treatments into the stem exclusion stage of forest development in an experiment originally designed to test the effectiveness of various white spruce (Picea glauca Moench [Voss]) regeneration practices. Many studies in the North American boreal forest address the effect of silvicultural treatments on a single tree species, specifically white spruce in the great majority of cases. The experiment measured in this study provided an excellent opportunity to compare treatment effects on white spruce density and growth. The Rosie Creek Fire Tree Regeneration Installation experiment represents an operational-scale, spatially-explicit, replicated …

Corrosion Behavior Of Microarc Oxidation And Polycaprolactone Coatings Applied To Az31 Magnesium Alloy Evaluated In Simulated Body Fluid And Balanced Salt Solution, Benjamin M. Wilke

Engineering

Recent research in orthopedic implant materials has focused on the use of magnesium alloys as a base material due to its mechanical properties similar to that of human bone. Rapid corrosion of magnesium materials in aqueous environments poses a significant hurdle to their application as a biomedical implant. A variety of coatings have been shown to improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium based materials in simulated body fluid environments including microarc oxidation and polymer coatings. However, formulation and corrosion rates vary significantly between solution types. Furthermore, in vivo results have shown that many common in vitro solutions over estimate corrosion …

Objectification: Impact On Adolescent Females What Do Counselors Need To Know Regarding Objectification And Sexual Identiy Development To Appropriately Guide Therapeutic Work With Adolescent Females, H. Noelle Blanc

Counseling

No abstract provided.

Factors Controlling The Phenology And Limits Of Hibernation In A Sciurid, Melanie M. Richter

Biological Sciences

Animals that live in seasonal environments have a variety of adaptations to survive periods of low to no food availability. One such adaptation is hibernation, which is characterized by profound decreases in activity, metabolic rate, and in most cases, body temperature. Among animals that hibernate, only two species are known to maintain low tissue temperature while defending significant temperature gradients, and the best studied of these is the Arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii). In the first chapter, we determine the lower ambient temperature limit of hibernation for an arctic ground squirrel (-26°C), and that a maximum torpid metabolic rate exists …

Development Plans For A Remote Control Laboratory Demonstrating The Faraday Effect, Dan Lasota

Education

This project presents the design o f a physics lab where the Faraday Effect is studied by students in a Remote Control Laboratory (RCL). Background conceptual material for students, equipment lists, lab procedures, and a proposed web interface to the equipment are offered with the design choices supported by research. The final product is a workable demonstration that could be used in face-to-face classrooms or as a laboratory exercise. This project could also serve as a blue print for a future engineering project where the final computer-mechanical-robotic interface could be crafted so that this would indeed become a fully online …

Externally And Internally Functionalized Copper(Ii) Β-Diketonate Molecular Squares, Jackson K. Cherutoi, Jace D. Sandifer, Uttam R. Pokharel, Frank R. Fronczek, Svetlana Pakhomova, Andrew W. Maverick

Faculty Publications

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Five functionalized bis(β-diketones) and their Cu(II) molecular squares are described. The new bis(β-diketones), m-pbhxH2 (3), 5-MeO-m-pbaH2 (4), 5-BuO-m-pbaH2 (5), 2-MeO-m-pbaH2 (6), and 2-MeO-m-pbprH2 (7), were prepared by reaction of the corresponding aldehydes with phospholenes, as we previously reported for m-pbaH2 (1) and m-pbprH2 (2). Ligand 3 has long alkyl chains in its β-diketone moieties, while ligands 4-7 have alkoxy substituents on their aromatic rings. When treated with Cu²⁺, the new bis(β-diketones) 3, 4, 5, and 7 afford molecular squares, Cu4(m-pbhx)4 (10), Cu4(5-MeO-m-pba)4 (11), Cu4(5-BuO-m-pba)4 (12), and Cu4(2-MeO-m-pbpr)4 (13), respectively. Two of the new …

Exploring The Relationship Between Diet And Osteoporosis In Medieval Portugal Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Sharla Ann Luxton

Anthropology

This project investigates the relationship between health and diet in medieval Portugal by combining data on the occurrence of osteoporosis with information on past diet derived from stable isotope ratios. The aim of this project is to identify whether different sources of protein influenced the prevalence of osteoporosis in three populations. Individuals from three different regions of Portugal were previously evaluated for bone mineral density at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and bone samples from 91 of these individuals underwent stable isotope analysis at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Collagen suitable for isotopic analysis was extracted from all individuals and …

A Reconstruction Of Steppe Bison Mobility In The Yukon-Tanana Uplands And Implications For Prehistoric Human Behavior, Crystal L. Glassburn

Anthropology

This study seeks to characterize steppe bison (Bison priscus) behavioral ecology in interior Alaska during the Pleistocene for the purpose of understanding how bison may have moved about the landscape on a seasonal basis and how this behavior could have influenced prehistoric human settlement and subsistence patterns. Steppe bison were present in Alaska and other circumpolar regions during the Pleistocene but became extinct during the late Holocene. Archaeological evidence from the Tanana River Basin in interior Alaska indicates that bison were an important component of human subsistence economies for at least 10,000 years, but aspects of steppe bison behavioral ecology …

Inland Tlingit Of Teslin, Yukon: G̲Aanax̲.ÁDi And Kook̲Hittaan Clan Origin Stories For The Immediate And Clan Family Of Emma Joanne Shorty (Nee Sidney), Norma Shorty

Indigenous Studies

The purpose of my research is to learn the story of Mother's clan, and to document the processes of gathering knowledge about the clan connections between the G̲aanax̲.ádi and Kook̲hittaan from Teslin, Yukon, Canada. The objective of this thesis is to document the stories and the story-gathering processes of published and private holdings on my Mother's clan stories. The study includes published literature from indigenous and non-indigenous historians and oral history reviews, especially on those who have knowledge about the Kook̲hittaan and G̲aanax̲.ádi clans and have connections to the Inland Tlingit from Teslin, Yukon. This indigenous-led research focuses on my …

Parental Perceptions Of Play: The Influences Of Parent Gender, Gender Role Attitudes, And Parenting Styles On Parent Attitudes Toward Child Play, Courtney Horwath-Oliver

Psychology

The literature overwhelmingly demonstrates that play supports healthy social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Efforts to understand parents' support of child play seek to identify parent attitudes toward play, ways in which parents facilitate play for their children, and how they participate in play. Previous findings indicate parent valuation of play is an important factor for childhood play time and finds differences between mothers and fathers in parent-child play. While much research has been done to understand how mothers and fathers play with their sons and daughters, few studies have investigated what factors influence parent valuation of play or facilitate …

Linking Climate History And Ice Crystalline Fabric Evolution In Polar Ice Sheets, Joseph Huston Kennedy

Physics

An ice sheet consists of an unfathomable number of ice crystallites (grains) that typically have a preferred orientation of the crystalline lattices, termed fabric. At the surface of ice sheets, the microstructural processes that control the grain structure and fabric evolution are influenced by climate variables. Layers of firn, in different climate regimes, may have an observable variation in fabric which can persist deep into the ice sheet; fabric may have 'memory' of these past climate regimes. To model the evolution of a subtle variation in fabric below the firn-ice transition, we have developed and released an open-source Fabric Evolution …

Ada News - 08/17/2015, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

To Pup Or Not To Pup? Using Physiology And Dive Behavior To Answer The Weddell Seal's Overwinter Question, Michelle R. Shero

Marine Biology

Female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) haul-out on the fast-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent in October and November each year to give birth to and nurse their pups. Breeding follows directly after weaning (December) and the annual molt begins in January-February. Animals reduce foraging efforts during the lactation and molting periods, but very little is known regarding the influence of this reduced activity on physiological condition. After a period of embryonic diapause, the annual molt coincides with embryo attachment and the start of active gestation. Consequently, female physiological condition at this time may influence reproductive success the following year. Overall female …