Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Control Strategies For The Spread Of Citrus Greening, Vicente Valle Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening, is a vector-based disease in citrus (with no cure known to date) that has drastically affected the citrus production in Florida in less than a decade and has been recently detected in Texas and California. In this paper, an epidemic model of the spatial spread of the disease is implemented among commercial and residential groves by taking into consideration the diffusion patterns of the psyllid vectors. A system of differential equations resembling one for malaria infection in humans is derived to evaluate different control methods such as quarantine, treatment, removal, foliar treatment, and pest …

Functional Analysis Of The Mms19 Gene In Carica Papaya, Jorge A. Trujillo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

All organisms face DNA-damaging radiation in the form of UV light and must have mechanisms to repair or undo damage. Plants being stationary organisms must cope with damaging UV rays in a molecular fashion and so have developed many forms of resistance. MMS19 is implicated in DNA repair indirectly as a nuclear encoded gene that binds onto protein assembly complexes in the cytosol. A mutant within the SunUp variety of Carica papaya has a large deletion for MMS19 and presents a diminutive phenotype. Deficient DNA repair mechanisms will shunt cells out of the natural cell cycle and reduce cell proliferation …

Improving Engagement Assessment By Model Individualization And Deep Learning, Feng Li

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation studies methods that improve engagement assessment for pilots. The major work addresses two challenging problems involved in the assessment: individual variation among pilots and the lack of labeled data for training assessment models.

Task engagement is usually assessed by analyzing physiological measurements collected from subjects who are performing a task. However, physiological measurements such as Electroencephalography (EEG) vary from subject to subject. An assessment model trained for one subject may not be applicable to other subjects. We proposed a dynamic classifier selection algorithm for model individualization and compared it to other two methods: base line normalization and similarity-based …

A Study Of A Simulated Infectious Disease On Healthcare Workers' Reaction, Knowledge, Attitudes, And Performance Towards Hand Hygiene, Lydia Wigglesworth-Ballard

Health Services Research Dissertations

Problem Statement. The high rate of healthcare worker-patient contact provides many opportunities for exposure to pathogens, which creates challenges in assessing healthcare workers' success at preventing healthcare associated infections caused by these dangerous pathogens.

Methods. This study explored the effects of a simulated infectious disease on healthcare workers' hand hygiene knowledge, attitudes, performance, and reactions using Kirkpatrick's Four levels of Evaluation. The study utilized a mixed method pre-test – 2 post-test design. The dependent variables were hand hygiene knowledge, attitudes toward hand hygiene guidelines, hand hygiene performance, and reaction to the overall experience. Data was collected three times over a …

A Framework To Simplify The Choice Of Alternative Analysis And Selection Methods, James Paul Lewis Holzgrefe

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation contributes a framework for analysts and engineering managers to investigate and choose alternative analysis and selection methods based upon their problem and its context. It began as an investigation into the alternative analysis and selection methods used in military planning. The existing military methods were inconsistent, violated the decision science body of knowledge, and provided no guidance to the practitioner on matching methods to problems. These challenges made it necessary to conduct this investigation.

This research used a three-phase mixed methods approach. The first phase applied the general inductive method to the decision making body of knowledge to …

Determining The Prevalence And Distribution Of Tick-Borne Pathogens In Southeastern Virginia And Exploring The Transmission Dynamics Of Rickettsia Parkeri In Amblyomma Maculatum, Chelsea L. Wright Thompson

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Tick-borne pathogens are an increasing threat to human and animal health worldwide. In the United States, cases of Lyme disease, spotted fever rickettsioses, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are on the rise. Factors related to emergence include appearance of a new pathogen, recognition of an existing pathogen and environmental changes that result in new exposure events. Despite the rise in tick-borne disease incidence within many states, including Virginia, there is a paucity of data related to the prevalence and distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens.

The first aim of this dissertation research was to determine the tick-borne pathogen composition within tick populations …

Andrew Moore, Ed., God, Mind And Knowledge, Joshua R. Farris

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Clinical Characteristics And Risk Factors Of Candidemia In Tertiary Care Hospital, Iffat Khanum, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Farheen Ali, Hafsa Waqar, Safia Awan

Department of Medicine

Introduction: During the past two decades, the incidence of candidemia has doubled and Candida spp. currently ranks in top blood stream pathogen in developed countries. Given the need to ensure appropriate and timely antifungal therapy, there is need to identify these patients as early as possible and therefore a risk stratification for candidemia is imperative. We aim to identify the risk factors of candidemia in patients admitted at our tertiary care center.

Methods: A retrospective case control study were conducted on adult patients (15 years. or more) admitted to Aga Khan University Hospital between 2009 and 2013 who developed candidemia …

Monster Violence In The Book Of Job, Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

In this paper, I explore the book of Job in terms of the symbolic and ideological warfare waged between God and the human protagonist, Job. Specifically, I argue that the invocation of various kinds of creatures under the “monster” rubric (such as Leviathan, Rahab, Yamm, the Twisting Serpent, and Behemoth) can be illuminated through a consideration of contemporary work—in the history of religions, literary theory, and film studies—that categorizes the monstrous in terms of ecological disorientation, metaphors of the torn human body, and the boundaries of the “home.” Moreover, I draw on the work of Marie Hélène Huet in her …

Biphenotypic (Hepatobiliary) Primary Liver Carcinomas: The Work In Progress, Elizabeth M. Brunt, Valerie Paradis, Christine Sempoux, Neil D. Theise

Open Access Publications

Recent WHO classification for combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma and recognized stem cell subtypes has increased attention to such tumors; however, the resulting burst of reporting and research indicates that this classification, while provocative, is incomplete for description of the full array of primary liver carcinomas with biphenotypic (hepatobiliary) differentiation. We review the history of such lesions and consider the wider array of such tumors previously described. Mixed hepatobiliary phenotypes and immunophenotypes are found in individual tumors at the tissue level - with architectural and cytologic features supportive of both differentiation states - and at the cellular level, with individual cells that display …

Impair-Then-Repair: A Brief History & Global-Scale Hypothesis Regarding Human-Water Interactions In The Anthropocene, Charles J. Vörösmarty, Michel Meybeck, Christopher L. Pastore

Advanced Science Research Center

Water is an essential building block of the Earth system and a nonsubstitutable resource upon which humankind must depend. But a growing body of evidence shows that freshwater faces a pandemic array of challenges. Today we can observe a globally significant but collectively unorganized approach to addressing them. Under modern water management schemes, impairment accumulates with increasing wealth but is then remedied by costly, after-the-fact technological investments. This strategy of treating symptoms rather than underlying causes is practiced widely across rich countries but leaves poor nations and many of the world's freshwater life-forms at risk. The seeds of this modern …

Applicability Of The Position-Dependent Diffusion Approach To Localized Transport Through Disordered Waveguides, Pauf Neupane, Alexey Yamilov

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this work we show analytically and numerically that the localized regime of wave transport can be modeled as position-dependent diffusion with a diffusion coefficient that retains the memory of the source location. The dependence on the source diminishes when absorption is introduced.

Using Plant Functional Traits To Estimate Prairie Restoration Species Composition, Rebecca Schreurs

All Student Theses and Dissertations

Prairie restoration is costly and complex with many methods and types. The use of technology to enhance, economize and simplify prairie restorations is highly desirable, as is the ability to gauge restoration success. The program Maxent allows for an interpretation of data that may facilitate the prediction of plant species composition from species functional traits in different ages of prairie restorations. The inexpensive and diverse nature of Maxent makes it advantageous to restoration managers allowing them to manage expenditures in the field. Maxent determines if specific species trait values and abundance concur with the aggregate trait values of a site. …

Discovering Self: Childbearing Adolescents' Maternal Identity, Janelle L. B. Macintosh, Lynn Clark Callister

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Adolescent pregnancy and motherhood have long been a topic of interest for many healthcare professionals. However, there are limited data on how childbearing adolescents incorporate motherhood identity into their sense of self. The purpose of this study was to explore how childbearing adolescents perceive motherhood as becoming part of their personal identity.

Study Design: This qualitative study using ethnographic data collection involved 7 months of observation, interaction, and interviews.

Methods: Data were collected from nine expectant adolescents during in-depth interviews. All participants were patients at a teen mother and child clinic staffed by certified nurse midwives and a pediatrician. …

Integrating Emerging Areas Of Nursing Science Into Phd Programs, Susan J. Henly, Donna O. Mccarthy, Jean F. Wyman, Patricia W. Stone, Nancy S. Redeker, Ann Marie Mccarthy, Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, Marita Titler, Shirley M. Moore, Margaret M. Heitkemper, Yvette P. Conley

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science aims to “facilitate and recognize life-long nursing science career development” as an important part of its mission. In light of fast-paced advances in science and technology that are inspiring new questions and methods of investigation in the health sciences, the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science convened the Idea Festival for Nursing Science Education and appointed the Idea Festival Advisory Committee to stimulate dialogue about linking PhD education with a renewed vision for preparation of the next generation of nursing scientists. Building on the 2010 American Association of Colleges of Nursing …

The Role Of Micrornas In Regulating Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury, Zhi-Xing Fan, Jian Yang

Saudi Medical Journal

Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury is a pathological condition characterized by an initial restriction of blood supply to the heart followed by the subsequent restoration of perfusion and concomitant re-oxygenation. This condition may cause heart injury and contribute to morbidity and mortality. Although tremendous advances have been made in understanding the mechanisms of myocardial I/R injury, the translation of these findings into the clinical setting has been largely disappointing. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, single-stranded, non-coding RNAs ranging from 18-24 nucleotides in length. They are highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed in all species, which control diverse cellular functions by either …

Corticotomy-Assisted Orthodontic Treatment: A Systematic Review Of The Biological Basis And Clinical Effectiveness, Ali H. Hassan, Samar H. Al-Saeed, Basma A. Al-Maghlouth, Maha A. Bahammam, Amal I. Linjawi, Tarek H. El-Bialy

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To systematically review the literature to assess the quality of evidence related to corticotomy-assisted orthodontic treatment (CAOT) as adjunctive treatment in orthodontics. Methods: The study was conducted in the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2014. Various electronic databases were searched and abstracts were retrieved. Defined inclusion criteria were then applied to the obtained original articles for further evaluation by 2 examiners independently. The criteria of selection included human, or animal studies, which assessed some aspects of CAOT and/or the biological principles behind it. Case reports and series were excluded. The quality of …

Plasma And Salivary Total Antioxidant Capacity In Healthy Controls Compared With Aggressive And Chronic Periodontitis Patients, Ulku Baser, Hikmet Gamsiz-Isik, Emine Cifcibasi, Evin Ademoglu, Funda Yalcin

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To evaluate the plasma and salivary total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) in patients with generalized chronic periodontitis (CP), generalized aggressive periodontitis (AgP), and periodontally healthy controls. Methods: This cross-sectional study includes of 88 individuals seeking dental treatment at the Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey between January 2011 and March 2012. Fifteen AgP patients were compared with 21 healthy controls (C1), while 36 CP patients were compared with 16 healthy controls (C2). Clinical periodontal measurements were recorded, and plasma and saliva samples were collected. The TAOC of the plasma and saliva samples were determined using a commercially available colorimetric …

¿De Dónde Eres?: The Construction Of U.S. And Immigrant Culture And Identity In The Esl Adult Education Setting, Chad Perry

Communication ETDs

In this study, I investigated how lessons and interactions in an ESL classroom setting construct U.S. and immigrant cultural identities through narratives and counter-narratives, and how these narratives and counter-narratives reproduced and questioned relations of power along the lines of race, class, and gender difference. The theoretical framework for this intercultural study was informed by Co-cultural theory, CRT, LatCrit, language and power, and Whiteness studies. As the findings of the research show, the narratives constructed through language, interaction, and institutionalized practices in the ESL setting reproduced the ideology of the American Dream. The American Dream emerged as the enduring ideological …

Ungoverned Masculinities: Gendered Discourses Of Neoliberalism In The Sopranos And Breaking Bad, Christopher Barnes

Communication ETDs

This thesis examines the discursive intersections of neoliberalism and masculinity on The Sopranos and Breaking Bad through a critical discourse analysis in order to illuminate larger sociocultural issues concerning contemporary masculinity. The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are praised in contemporary discourse as 'artistic achievements,' and the following project interrogates particular moments in both texts that construct gendered discourses of neoliberalism, relying on the theoretical foundations of hegemonic masculinity. Through my analysis, I establish key moments when discourses about masculinity intersected with and connected to discourses about neoliberalism. Additionally, this project analyzes moral dimensions of neoliberalism within sociocultural discourse centering on …

Emerging Areas Of Nursing Science And Phd Education For The 21St Century: Response To Commentaries, Susan J. Henly, Donna O. Mccarthy, Jean F. Wyman, Anna C. Alt-White, Patricia W. Stone, Ann Marie Mccarthy, Nancy S. Redeker, Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, Marita Titler, Marita G. Titler, Yvette P. Conley, Margaret M. Heitkemper, Shirley M. Moore

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

We respond to commentaries from the American Academy of Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the National Institute of Nursing Research on our thoughts about integrating emerging areas of science into nursing PhD programs. We identify areas of agreement and focus our response on cross-cutting issues arising from cautions about the unique focus of nursing science and how best to proceed with incorporation of emerging areas of science into nursing PhD programs.

Self-Organization Of Protein Fibers In Weightlessness, Dylan Bell

Theses and Dissertations

It is currently hypothesized and widely believed that the growth of self aggregating protein chains such as amyloid fibers has a direct effect on the function of the human brain. We hypothesized creating self-assembling protein in weightlessness would allow the aggregation to continue for a longer period of time in solution without sedimentation. When protein de-natures and self-organizes into amyloid fibers the effect can be detrimental. Some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia, are believed to be caused by the collection of these fibers made from proteins such as tau and amyloid-β. For the purpose of this experiment, lysozyme …

Ecology - As I See It, Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds

Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds Documents

Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds summarizes her research experiences on Saddleback Mountain in Oregon. Several handwritten corrections are included. Dirks-Edmunds began studying the area in 1933 with her advisor at Linfield College, Dr. James A. Macnab. In 1940, the research site was logged and her study switched from detailing an existing Douglas fir community to tracking its regrowth.

Dr. Dirks-Edmunds graduated from Linfield College in 1937; she returned to teach in the Biology department at Linfield from 1941-1974.

Comparison Of Biotic Communities Of The Cedar-Hemlock And Oak-Hickory Associations, Draft Version, Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds

Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds Documents

This early, typewritten draft of the doctoral dissertation by Jane Claire Dirks (later Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds) contains her edits and notes. Dirks-Edmunds's project compared the Douglas fir forest community on Saddleback Mountain in Oregon to an oak-hickory forest near her graduate school in Illinois.

Dr. Dirks-Edmunds graduated from Linfield College in 1937; she later returned to teach in the Biology department at Linfield from 1941-1974.

From The Editors, J. Timothy Caldwell, John Dawdy

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

Editorial introduction to the second issue of Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates.

Medicinal Plants Of Turmic Valley (Central Karakoram National Park), Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, Sher Wali Khan, Qamar Abbas, Syed Najmul Hassan, Hawas Khan, Azhar Hussain

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study was undertaken to enumerate the medicinal plants of the area, find out the conservation status, and record the folk knowledge from the inhabitants of Turmic Valley during 2011-2013. The valley is located in the Rondo division of the District Skardu on the Northeastern side of the Indus River. The detailed information about the local flora regarding medicinal uses was collected from the local herbal healers (Hakeems) and other knowledgeable people. Locally used herbs of the area prevent and cure the people from various diseases such as joint pains, bronchitis, flu and fever, lowering blood pressure, constipation, …

Physico-Chemical Variables And Fish Parasites Of River Neelum Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Pakistan, Nuzhat Shafi, Javed Ayub, Tasleem Akhtar

Journal of Bioresource Management

The physico-chemical parameters and the fish parasites of the River Neelum were studied at three sampling sites, i.e., Pattika, Tali Mandi, and Domail. Water temperature and rate of flow of water were significantly higher at Domail than Pattika and Tali Mandi. ANOVA showed that dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, inorganic suspended solids, and organic matter of the bottom mud kept on fluctuating and showed a significant difference between three selected sites. Although, these variables showed variations, they remained within tolerable limits set by WHO. Three species of potentially harmful parasites, i.e., Dactylogyrus vastator, Procamallanus laevionchus, and Argulus foliaceus were …

Assessment Of Fusariotoxins And Toxigenic Potential Of Fusarium Spp. In Maize Grains Collected From Pakistan, Nafeesa Qudsia Hanif, Iffat Tahira, Salma Khatoon, Kishwar Sultana

Journal of Bioresource Management

A total of 65 maize grain samples (Zea Mays L.) collected from cold and hot climatic zones of Pakistan lead to isolation of 10 Fusarium supposing deep freezing method. Occurrence of fusarium spp. was high (75%) in cold climatic zones as compared to hot zones (25%). Fumonisins were recorded in both climatic zones, though their incidence was higher in hot climatic zone (range 4,379-9,990 μg/kg). Incidence of A and B trichothecenes was higher in cool climatic zone. Zearalenone (ZON) with mean level 500 μg/kg was positive in only 10% samples of hot climatic zone. Furthermore, co-contamination of fusariotoxins …

Assessment Of Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activity Of Justicia Californica, Nabeela Shafique, Rizwana Aleem Qureshi

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study focused on the exotic plant species Justicia californica, which is a native species of California. Phytochemicalanalysis was performed, which showed the presence of alkaloids, aminoacids, carbohydrates, glycosides, phlobatannins, and tannins in the root extract of J.californica, whereas amino acids, carbohydrates, and tannins were present in leaf and stems extract. In roots, 9.46%, and in leaf and stem, 13.35% flavonoids were found. Phenolics were found to be key phytochemicals, playing a role in antioxidant activity, which are about 8% in the sample of roots and 11.4% in the extract of leaf and stems. The DPPH assay, …

Mesquite (Prosopis Juliflora): Livestock Grazing, Its Toxicity And Management, Kainaat William, Laila Jafri

Journal of Bioresource Management

Prospis juliflora is an invasive tree native to Northern South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. It has been used as a folk remedy for catarrh, cold, diarrhea, dysentery, excrescences, flu, hoarseness, inflammation, measles, sore throat, and in the healing of wounds. Its antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, antitumor, and anthelminitic activities are also reported and it contain phytochemicals such as flavonols, alkaloids, tannins, ellagic acid, glycosides, steroids, and various phenolic compounds. It is reported to be used as feed for cattle worldwide. Low intake of this plant doesn’t affect the health of cattle but excessive intake is harmful and can cause …