Digital Commons Network^™

Optimal Exposure Biomarkers For Nonpersistent Chemicals In Environmental Epidemiology, Antonia M. Calafat, Matthew P. Longnecker, Holger M. Koch, Shanna H. Swan, Russ Hauser, Lynn R. Goldman, +7 Additional Authors

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

We discuss considerations that are essential when evaluating exposure to nonpersistent, semivolatile environmental chemicals such as phthalates and phenols (e.g., bisphenol A). A biomarker should be chosen to best represent usual personal exposures and not recent, adventitious, or extraneous exposures. Biomarkers should be selected to minimize contamination arising from collection, sampling, or analysis procedures. Pharmacokinetics should be considered; for example, nonpersistent, semivolatile chemicals are metabolized quickly, and urine is the compartment with the highest concentrations of metabolites. Because these chemicals are nonpersistent, knowledge of intraindividual reliability over the biologic window of interest is also required. In recent years researchers have …

Basal Cell Carcinoma—A Preventable Disease, Jamie Weaver

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a nonmelanoma skin cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “BCC is the most frequently occurring form of all skin cancers. More than one out of every three new cancers is a skin cancer, and the vast majority are BCC’s” (www.skincancer.org). Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays is one of the main risk factors in developing a BCC. People with a lighter skin tone are at a higher risk of developing a BCC than those with a darker skin tone.

Neurological, Nutritional And Cognitive Effects Of Environmental Lead Exposure In Infants And Children, Melissa Bianchi

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Environmental lead exposure is a pertinent public health risk that affects our rural population in Wyandot County, Ohio. Children exposed to lead hazards through toys, home remodeling and contaminated soil and water are at a greater risk for developing neurological, cognitive and behavioral issues than are children not exposed to lead (Cecil et al., 2011). Wyandot County parents are not adequately educated on the risks and consequences of elevated blood lead levels in their children. As a child advocate and director of the Women, Infant and Children program for Wyandot County there is an obligation to educate and inform parents …

Elucidation Of The Photorhabdus Temperata Genome And Generation Of A Transposon Mutant Library To Identify Motility Mutants Altered In Pathogenesis, Sheldon G. Hurst Iv, Holli Rowedder, Brandye Michaels, Hannah Bullock, Ryan Jackobeck, Feseha Abebe-Akele, Umjia Durakovic, Jon Gately, Erik Janicki, Louis S. Tisa

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Publications

The entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora forms a specific mutualistic association with its bacterial partner Photorhabdus temperata. The microbial symbiont is required for nematode growth and development, and symbiont recognition is strain specific. The aim of this study was to sequence the genome of P. temperata and identify genes that plays a role in the pathogenesis of the Photorhabdus-Heterorhabditis symbiosis. A draft genome sequence of P. temperata strain NC19 was generated. The 5.2-Mb genome was organized into 17 scaffolds and contained 4,808 coding sequences (CDS). A genetic approach was also pursued to identify mutants with altered motility. A bank of 10,000 …

Two-Strain Ecoepidemic Systems: The Obligated Mutualism Case, Chiara Bosica, Alessandra De Rossi, Noemi Lucia Fatibene, Matteo Sciarra, Ezio Venturino

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

We present a model for obligated mutualistic associations, in which two transmissible diseases are allowed to infect just one population. As the general model proves too hard to be fully analytically investigated, some special cases are analysed. Among our findings, the coexistence of the two strains does not appear possible, under the model assumptions. Furthermore, in particularly unfavorable circumstances the ecosystem may disappear. In this respect, an accurate computation of the basin of attraction of the origin is provided using novel techniques. For this obligated mutualistic system the presence of the diseases appears to be less relevant than in many …

A Heavy Metals Morphology Prediction Modelling Method Based On Jm-Gep, Yongqiang Zhang, Junxia Li

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

In this paper, an improved GEP (Gene Expression Programming based on Jumping Genes, JM-GEP) is proposed in consideration of the morphology of heavy metals (HM) changed over time, on which a new heavy metal prediction method has been put forward. Jumping operator is the key point to JM-GEP, in which the jumping operators use self-adaptive jumping probability to keep population diversity and study the convergence property of the optimal retention strategy. Aiming at the improved GEP, we raised a heavy metals modelling method based on JM-GEP. The simulation results show that the new model, compared with traditional methods, has excellent …

Topological Properties Of The Optical Operator Reconfiguration Network, Wang Xianchao, Zuo Kaizhong

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

We present a first study on the reconfigurability of optical operators in the optical computing platform, ternary optical computer (TOC), from the viewpoint of complex network. In the optical operator reconfiguration network (OORN), vertexes stand for the basic operating units (BOUs) and the optical operators, and directed edges indicate the dynamic reconfiguration relations between BOUs and operators. We find that the OORN has small-world pattern and scale-free feature as other complex networks. In order to describe the clustering property of the OORN, we propose an approach for characterizing the OORN by introducing a new numerical feature, density of vertex. Its …

Weibull Rayleigh Distribution: Theory And Applications, Faton Merovci, Ibrahim Elbatal

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

For the first time, a three-parameter lifetime model, called the Weibull Rayleigh distribution, is defined and studied. We obtain some of its mathematical properties. Some structural properties of the new distribution are studied. The method of maximum likelihood and least squares methods is used for estimating the model parameters and the observed Fisher’s information matrix is derived. We illustrate the usefulness of the proposed model by applications to real data.

Estradiol Preferentially Induces Progestin Receptor-A (Pr-A) Over Pr-B In Cells Expressing Nuclear Receptor Coactivators In The Female Mouse Hypothalamus, Kalpana D. Acharya, Sarah D. Finkelstein, Elizabeth P. Bless, Sabin A. Nettles, Biserka Mulac-Jericevic, Orla M. Conneely, Shaila K. Mani, Marc J. Tetel

Faculty Research and Scholarship

Estrogens act in brain to profoundly influence neurogenesis, sexual differentiation, neuroprotection, cognition, energy homeostasis, and female reproductive behavior and physiology through a variety of mechanisms, including the induction of progestin receptors (PRs). PRs are expressed as two isoforms, PR-A and PR-B, that have distinct functions in physiology and behavior. Because these PR isoforms cannot be distinguished using cellular resolution techniques, the present study used isoform-specific null mutant mice that lack PR-A or PR-B for the first time to investigate whether 17β-estradiol benzoate (EB) regulates the differential expression of the PR isoforms in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN), arcuate …

Wellesley Magazine Summer 2015, Wellesley College Alumnae Association

Wellesley Magazine (Alumnae Association)

Featured in this issue:

Dear Me, Letters from Eight Alumnae

Making Things, Making a Difference / by Lisa Scanlon Mogolov ’99

A Gathering of Flowers / by Catherine O’Neill Grace

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 27, No. 3, July 2015

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Content: Welcome - Faculty Changes - Meeting News - Grants - Publications - Student News - Calendar of Events - Meet an Off-Campus Student - Bee Blitz - Fond Farewells - Travel - Congratulations - Blast from the Past - AEM (Agriculture Hall, Entomology Hall, and Miller Hall) Business Center Changes

Incommon- Summer 2015, Alumni Association Staff

InCommon

No abstract provided.

Topbp1 Governs Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells Survival In Zebrafish Definitive Hematopoiesis., Lei Gao, Dantong Li, Ke Ma, Wenjuan Zhang, Tao Xu, Wenge Zhu, +12 Additional Authors

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

In vertebrate definitive hematopoiesis, nascent hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) migrate to and reside in proliferative hematopoietic microenvironment for transitory expansion. In this process, well-established DNA damage response pathways are vital to resolve the replication stress, which is deleterious for genome stability and cell survival. However, the detailed mechanism on the response and repair of the replication stress-induced DNA damage during hematopoietic progenitor expansion remains elusive. Here we report that a novel zebrafish mutantcas003 with nonsense mutation in topbp1 gene encoding topoisomerase II β binding protein 1 (TopBP1) exhibits severe definitive hematopoiesis failure. Homozygous topbp1cas003 mutants manifest reduced number of HSPCs …

Preparing Future Faculty (Pff) Program Annual Report, 2014-2015, Wie Yusuf

Career Pathways

It is the mission of the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program at Old Dominion University (ODU) to introduce graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to the diverse roles, the responsibilities, and the rewards of an academic career. In doing so it focuses particularly on the teaching and service roles sometimes not included in doctoral training. Fundamental research skills, such as grant writing, publishing, and academic job searching, are also addressed.

The PFF program offers a ‘Preparing Future Faculty Certificate’ to graduate students who document completion of specific activities related to preparing for an academic career. Any ODU and NSU degree-seeking graduate …

Sjsu Erfa News, Summer 2015, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 28, Number 4

Exploring The Pathophysiological Concepts Of Ebola Virus, Andrew T. Wasson

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The Ebola virus is a member of the filoviridae family. Five distinctive species of ebolavirus have been identified, four of which are known to cause disease in humans (Martines, Ng, Greer, Rollin, and Zaki, 2014). The specific species known to cause disease in humans are Zaire, Sudan, Ivory Coast, and Bundibugyo (Bray & Chertow, 2014). Bah et al. (2015) report that the Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) was the cause of the most recent West African outbreak and carries the highest human mortality rate among the five known species, with up to 90% of cases being fatal. Ebola is a filamentous, enveloped, …

Deep Venous Thrombosis In Surgical Orthopedic Patients, Kelly Marsh

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

•The term venous thromboembolism (VTE) is defined as a syndrome that collectively comprises both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Each year approximately 350,000-900,000 people in the United States develop VTE and approximately 100,000 people die according to this cause (Streiff et al., 2014). Unfortunately, the reoccurrence rate for VTE remains very high, with an estimated risk of 10%-30% of VTE patients will develop another VTE within five years of the first incident (Streiff et al., 2014). •Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is blood clot that forms in a large vein, usually in areas of slow blood flow such …

Multiple Myeloma, Matthew Crowley

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Multiple myeloma a rare and largely incurable malignant disease the affects the plasma cells. (Bilotti, Gleason, McNeill, and the International Myeloma Foundation Nurse Leadership Board, 2011). Understanding the pathophysiology of Multiple Myeloma (MM) and treatment options in Oncology and Hematology nursing can be difficult. It is the goal of this poster to outline the pathophysiology, prognosis, treatment options available to multiple myeloma patients. Multiple myeloma accounts for about 10% of hematologic malignancies in the U.S. (Kuo, Fenves, Mehta, 2011). MM is the second most common hematologic malignancy with twenty-four thousand new MM cases each year (Bianchi, and Anderson, 2014 )

Chikungunya Virus: A Case Study Of The Emerging Vector-Borne Disease, Lindsay D. Sullivan

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has spread like a wildfire in the Americas. Since its emergence in Sub-Saharan Africa as early at the 18th century, CHIKV has caused many isolated outbreaks in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Over the last decade, the vector-borne disease has inflicted millions of people on islands in the Indian Ocean, India, and now the Americas with the aid of viral mutations and international travel (Weaver and Lecuit, 2015). The first case of local CHIKV transmission in the Western Hemisphere was fairly recent. On the island of St. Martin in October 2013, an individual carrying an Asian …

Sepsis & Emergency Management, Sharon Herndon

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection and a leading cause of death in the United States (Cawcutt & Peters, 2014). Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to invading microorganisms. Sagy, Al-Qaquu, and Kim (2013) define sepsis in three categories. “Sepsis” would be defined as the presence of infection along with other general systemic signs and symptoms. “Severe Sepsis” would be defined as sepsis complicated by at least one organ dysfunction, and “Septic Shock” would be defined as severe sepsis with acute circulatory failure that may be characterized by persistent arterial hypotension unexplained by other causes. …

Understanding Bipolar Disorder, Tisha Perreira

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

According to McCance, Huether, and Brashers (2014), bipolar disorder is classified as bipolar I and bipolar II mood disorder. Bipolar I disorder, causes extreme mood swings of mania or hypomania (emotional highs) or emotional lows (depression). Manic disorder symptoms include: excessive risky activities, irritable mood, elevated mood, distractibility, excessive talking, inflated self-esteem, racing/crowded thoughts, decreased need for sleep, and increase in goal-directed activity. Symptoms of depression include: loss of interest/pleasure, weight gain or loss, fatigue/loss of energy, feeling of worthlessness or excessive guilt, depressed/irritable mood, recent thoughts of death/suicide, insomnia/or hypersomnia, poor concentration/indecisiveness, and psychomotor agitation. Bipolar II disorder has …

Lawrence, Volume 96, Number 2, Summer 2015, Lawrence University

Alumni Magazines

No abstract provided.

Microtensile Bond Strength Of Resin-Dentin Bonds Following Application Of A Chemical Collagen Cross-Linker Using Different Dentin Bonding Systems, Bassam Naoraldean Zidane

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The stabilization of dentinal collagen fibers against enzymatic degradation by the use of biocompatible cross-linker agents is of clinical importance for effective dentin bonding to surpass the test of time.

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate and compare the effect of the application of two versions of a desensitizer solution to sound coronal dentin, on the microtensile bond strength (μTBS) of the resin-sound coronal dentin using 4th and 6th generation dentin bonding systems.

Materials and Methods: Extracted human third molars were collected from an unidentified bank of teeth followed by IRB approval. A flat surface of all 12 …

Annual Report, 2015, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. J. William Fulbright College Of Arts And Sciences. King Fahd Center For Middle East Studies

King Fahd Center for Middle East & Islamic Studies Annual Report

Program Director: Tom Paradise, 2005-2009; Joel Gordon, 2009-

New Aspects Of Nonautonomous Discrete Systems Stability, Dhaou Lassoued

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

We prove that a discrete evolution family U := {U(n,m) : n ≥ m ∈ Z+} of bounded linear operators acting on a complex Banach space X is uniformly esponentially stable if and only if for each forcing term ( f (n))n∈Z+ belonging to AP0(Z+,X), the solution of the discrete Cauchy Problem x(n+1) = A(n)x(n)+ f (n), n ∈ Z+ x(0) = 0 belongs also to AP0(Z+,X), where the operators-valued sequence (A(n))n∈Z+ generates the evolution family U. The approach we use is based on the theory of discrete evolution semigroups associated to this family.

Clustering Of Telecommunications User Profiles For Fraud Detection And Security Enhancement In Large Corporate Networks: A Case Study, Constantinos S. Hilas, Paris A. Mastorocostas, Ioannis T. Rekanos

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

A user’s transactions with modern networks and services produce a vast amount of user related data. The byproduct of every phone call a person makes or every web page one visits is translated into a log record with usage data. By studying these log records, the user’s behavior is revealed and one may come up with clues about user preferences, identify security issues, or discover fraudulent use of the network or the service one provides. Thus, the modeling of network users’ behavior may serve as an invaluable tool for the IT manager. In this paper, many of these issues are …

On The Spectrum Of Eigenparameter-Dependent Quantum Difference Equations, Yelda Aygar, Martin J. Bohner

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

We consider a boundary value problem (BVP) consisting of a second-order quantum difference equation and boundary conditions depending on an eigenvalue parameter. Discussing the point spectrum and using the uniqueness theorem of analytic functions, we present a condition that guarantees that this BVP has a finite number of eigenvalues and spectral singularities with finite multiplicities.

On The Principle Of Competitive Exclusion In Metapopulation Models, Davide Belocchio, Roberto Cavoretto, Giacomo Gimmelli, Alessandro Marchino, Ezio Venturino

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

In this paper we present and analyse a simple two populations model with migrations among two different environments. The populations interact by competing for resources. Equilibria are investigated. A proof for the boundedness of the populations is provided. A kind of competitive exclusion principle for metapopulation systems is obtained. At the same time we show that the competitive exclusion principle at the local patch level may be prevented to hold by the migration phenomenon, i.e. two competing populations may coexist, provided that only one of them is allowed to freely move or that migrations for both occur just in one …

Graph Dynamical Systems With General Boolean States, Juan A. Aledo, S. Martinez, Jose C. Valverde

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

In this work we introduce a wide generalization of dynamical systems over graphs, by considering that the states of the entities can take values in an arbitrary Boolean algebra with 2p elements, p ∈ N, p ≥ 1. Then the orbit structure of these more general parallel dynamical systems over undirected graphs where the evolution operator is an arbitrary maxterm or minterm is analyzed. Finally, we also study the cases of parallel dynamical systems whose evolution update is defined by means of independent local Boolean functions.

Soliton Solutions Of The Time Fractional Generalized Hirota-Satsuma Coupled Kdv System, Ahmad Neirameh

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

In this present study, the exact traveling wave solutions to the time fractional generalized Hirota-Satsuma coupled KdV system are studied by using the direct algebraic method. The exact and complex solutions obtained during the present investigation are new, whereas literature survey has revealed generalizations of solutions. The solutions obtained during the present work demonstrate the fact that solutions to the time fractional Generalized Hirota-Satsuma coupled KdV system can exhibit a variety of behaviors. It is also exhibited that the proposed method is more effective and general in nature.