Digital Commons Network^™

Birth Mass Is The Key To Understanding The Negative Correlation Between Lifespan And Body Size In Dogs, Rong Fan, Gayla R. Olbricht, Xavior Baker, Chen Hou

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Larger dog breeds live shorter than the smaller ones, opposite of the mass-lifespan relationship observed across mammalian species. Here we use data from 90 dog breeds and a theoretical model based on the first principles of energy conservation and life history tradeoffs to explain the negative correlation between longevity and body size in dogs. We found that the birth/adult mass ratio of dogs scales negatively with adult size, which is different than the weak interspecific scaling in mammals. Using the model, we show that this ratio, as an index of energy required for growth, is the key to understanding why …

December 1, 2016, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2010-2019

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Unfortunate Role Of Farm Subsidies As A Stimulus For Inequality And Obesity, Neil M. Browne, Facundo Bouzat, Justin Rex, Joseph Seipel

Economics Faculty Publications

Governmental expenditures are directed at a particular objective, but their effects have consequences far beyond the named target of the expenditures. Specific farm subsidies, for example, encourage consumption of particular foods by reducing the costs of producing these foods. To what extent do these subsidies affect the American obesity epidemic? How do the subsidies create disparate negative effects on those in poverty? Exploring these questions stimulates us to take greater care when designing legislation to take a broader look at the stakeholders affected by any particular governmental expenditure.

Mri Upgrades At Radiology Associates, Patrick Cheung, Charlene Donlon

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Problem Statement: The MRI machines at Radiology Associates are limiting the company’s ability to expand and compete within the local market. After discussing with technicians and managers at Radiology Associates, we decided to focus on hardware and software upgrades for the MRI machines. With 2 of the 3 locations purchasing new machines in the near future, our focus was on upgrades at the Santa Maria facility. The two machines at this location needed hardware and/or software upgrades to remain on par competitively both within the company and with local scanning options. Flexible coils are beneficial in terms of size, weight, …

The Peec Experiment: Native Hawaiian And Native American Engineering Education, Suzette R. Burckhard, Joanita M. Kant

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Books

PART I: Context
1. Engineering for Native nations: Origins and goals of the Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives (PEECs)
PART II: Culture matters
2. Recognizing history: Indigeneity matters
3. Moving beyond cultural sensitivity: Developing culturally responsive programs for and with Native engineers
4. Invoking cultural relevance at tribal colleges: Grandmother’s way is important
5. Discovering what works: STEM pedagogy and curriculum development for Native Americans
6. Exploring indigenous science and engineering: Projects with indigenous roots
PART III: Providing support for Natives in Engineering
7. Finding an Engineering identity: A Native American PEEC leader’s experience
8. Outreaching to K-12 and tribal schools in …

Isu Today- December 1, 2016, Indiana State University, Communications And Marketing

University Announcements - ISU Today

No abstract provided.

Isu Today- December 9, 2016, Indiana State University, Communications And Marketing

University Announcements - ISU Today

No abstract provided.

Isu Today- December 13, 2016, Indiana State University, Communications And Marketing

University Announcements - ISU Today

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Temporary Housing: Global Trends And Outlook, Daniel V. Perrucci, Bianca A. Vazquez, Can B. Aktas

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The concept of sustainable housing can take many forms or definitions. The view embraced in this study for sustainable housing was a structure that is low-cost, energy efficient, and one that uses local renewable or recycled materials, while at the same time being safe and providing shelter to its occupants from the elements. Rather than focus on a few aspects of housing in isolation from spatial necessities or occupant demographics, the approach used in this study was to seek best practices for sustainable temporary housing that also accounts for local climatic conditions. The global need for temporary housing may be …

Identification Of Instructional Strategies Within Athletic Training Curricula And The Impact Of Best-Practices On First-Attempt Board Of Certification Pass Rate, Aedryan Cox

Dissertations

This purpose of this study was twofold: (1) investigate effective instructional strategies for athletic training education, and (2) investigate a correlation between research-based instructional strategies and first attempt success on the Board of Certification (BOC) examination. Research based instructional strategies exist within allied health education, however, no previous research set out to specifically identify instructional strategies which lead to first attempt success on the BOC examination. Therefore, a mixed-method investigation of research based instructional strategies was performed, and correlation data between instructional strategies and success on the BOC examination were collected. Data produced by the study revealed that instructional strategies …

Characterization Of Wy 14,643 And Its Complex With Aldose Reductase, Michael Sawaya, Malkhey Verma, Vaishnavi Balendiran, Nigam Rath, Duilio Cascio, Ganesaratnam Balendiran

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

The peroxisome proliferator, WY 14,643 exhibits a pure non-competitive inhibition pattern in the aldehyde reduction and in alcohol oxidation activities of human Aldose reductase (hAR). Fluorescence emission measurements of the equilibrium dissociation constants, Kd, of oxidized (hAR•NADP+) and reduced (hAR•NADPH) holoenzyme complexes display a 2-fold difference between them. Kd values for the dissociation of WY 14,643 from the oxidized (hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643) and reduced (hAR•NADPH•WY 14,643) ternary complexes are comparable to each other. The ternary complex structure of hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643 reveals the first structural evidence of a fibrate class drug binding to hAR. These observations demonstrate how fibrate molecules such as …

Isu Today- December 16, 2016, Indiana State University, Communications And Marketing

University Announcements - ISU Today

No abstract provided.

Isu Today- December 14, 2016, Indiana State University, Communications And Marketing

University Announcements - ISU Today

No abstract provided.

Isu Today- December 23, 2016, Indiana State University, Communications And Marketing

University Announcements - ISU Today

No abstract provided.

The Tax Definition Of "Medical Care:" A Critique Of The Startling Irs Arguments In O'Donnabhain V. Commissioner, Katherine Pratt

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

This Article critiques the startling arguments made by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner, a case in which the issue was whether a person diagnosed with gender identity disorder (“GID”) could take a federal tax deduction for the costs of male-to-female medical transition, including hormone treatment, genital surgery, and breast augmentation. Internal Revenue Code § 213 allows a deduction for the costs of “medical care,” which (1) includes costs incurred for “the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or for the purpose of affecting any structure or function of the body,” but (2) generally …

Peaks Island Star : December 2016, Vol. 36, Issue 12, Service Agencies Of The Island

Peaks Island Star, 2016

The Peaks Island Star is the newsletter of the island's service agencies and other community news.

Appraising Religious Liberty In The Philippine Reproductive Health Debates, Alfonso Suico

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

The debates surrounding the reproductive health bills created controversy and division between the Philippine government and the Church leaders. The government proposed laws that would promote accessible health care to women and children, including access to safe and effective contraceptives. The Catholic bishops opposed these bills, which they considered as inconsistent with Church teachings on sexuality and marriage.

Following a modified pastoral circle, this thesis describes the Philippine situation and genealogy of the debates, analyzes the critical position of the bishops, and proposes how the right to religious freedom can provide a paradigm of examining the debates. The bishops' opposition …

Effects Of Chemically-Modified-Curcumin (Cmc2.24) On Rat Experimental Periodontitis, Howard Hao Wang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Periodontal disease is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases, and causes severe debilitation due to the loss of teeth. There are two main strategies utilized in the treatment of periodontal disease: (1) local mechanical therapy, such as scaling and root planing and/or periodontal surgery, as well as local adjunctive antimicrobial (Atridox, Arestin, and Periochip) therapy, and (2) addition of an adjunctive therapy such as host-modulation therapy (HMT). Regarding the latter, there is currently only one systemically administered FDA-approved medication for the treatment of chronic periodontitis, Periostat®, a non-antimicrobial doxycycline-based MMP-inhibitor, which was developed decades ago. The current study …

Molar Topographic Shape As A System For Inferring Functional Morphology And Developmental Patterning In Extant Cercopithecoids, Julia Mackay Winchester

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

New imaging technologies are rapidly changing the nature of morphological data by making possible the creation and sharing of large samples of digital scan data, creating a need for high-throughput morphometric methods. A promising example of this can be found in morphological topographic analysis, a suite of algorithms for describing surface shape properties. Topographic methods have been used effectively to address dietary functional morphology of molars in a number of mammal radiations. These methods may be also useful for answering other questions concerning molar shape. Empirical models of mouse molar morphogenesis include predictions concerning molar shape variation that could apply …

G-Alpha-Q Regulation On Cardiac Autophagy, Shengnan Liu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Receptors that activate the heterotrimeric G protein Gαq are thought to play a role in the development of heart failure. Dysregulation of autophagy occurs in some pathological cardiac conditions including heart failure, but whether Gαq is involved in this process is unknown. A cardiomyocyte-specific transgenic mouse model of inducible Gαq activation (termed GαqQ209L) was used to address this question. Autophagy is a quality control and recycling process in which double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes enclose intracellular materials and send them to lysosomes for degradation. After 7 days of Gαq activation, GαqQ209L hearts contained more autophagic vacuoles than wild type (WT) hearts. …

Bet Inhibition Releases The Mediator Complex From Specific Cis Elements In Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells, Anand Shripad Bhagwat

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of less than 30%. We recently identified the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) protein Brd4 as a therapeutic target in AML, and several trials are currently evaluating the clinical utility of BET inhibitors for this disease. BET inhibitors displace Brd4 from chromatin and subsequently reduce the expression of key oncogenes, such as Myc, leading to AML blast differentiation and cell death. However, the mechanism by which Brd4 maintains oncogene expression in AML is still unclear. We hypothesized that Brd4 functions by working with other coactivators in AML to …

Cultural And Language Change Of Spanish Native Speakers Living In The Usa, Blanca E. Calderon

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Beginning with the reality that the participants in this study arrived to this country as children and were in their early stages of acquisition of their first language and culture, this paper seeks to find some of the factors that can influence the different language abilities for nine bilingual speakers. With a range of researches serving as a foundation, some of the factors that will be explored in this research are: age, education, profession, past and present language use, bilingual community factors, psychological reasons affecting attitude toward the Spanish language, cultural awareness and cultural identity. | 93 pages

Growth Of Errors And Uncertainties In Medium Range Ensemble Forecasts Of U.S. East Coast Cool Season Extratropical Cyclones, Minghua Zheng

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Cool-season extratropical cyclones near the U.S. East Coast often have significant impacts on the safety, health, environment and economy of this most densely populated region. For example, the “January 2015 blizzard†caused thousands of flights cancellations, travel bans enacted in five states, and two related deaths. Hence it is of vital importance to forecast these high-impact winter storm events as accurately as possible by numerical weather prediction (NWP), including in the medium-range (3-6 days). Ensemble forecasts are appealing to operational forecasters when forecasting such events because they can provide an envelope of likely solutions to serve user communities. However, it …

Role Of Runt, Even-Skipped, And Odd-Paired In Regulating Enhancer Activity In The Drosophila Embryo, Michael Luis Higgins

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The Drosophila runt gene is the founding member of the RUNX transcription factor family, a group of conserved genes that have vital roles in multiple developmental pathways throughout the animal kingdom. Runt plays important roles in segmentation, as well as in neurogenesis and sex determination in the Drosophila embryo. As a transcription factor, Runt is both an activator and a repressor of its target genes depending on the context. Sloppy-paired (slp1) is a target of runt’s activity as a pair-rule transcription factor in the segmentation pathway that is both activated and repressed by Runt. Two cis-regulatory enhancers of slp1, a …

The Contribution Of Bone Marrow Cells To The Formation Of Bone, Fat, And Muscle, A Commitment Disrupted By Systemic Distress And Normalized By Mechanical Stimulation, Danielle Frechette

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In excess, adipogenesis and adiposity can compromise the quality of the musculoskeletal system, disrupt progenitor cell populations, and increase susceptibility to diabetes. The extent to which muscle and bone tissue are impaired by obesity-related pathologies is not clear. Additionally, while fat, bone, and muscle are distinct tissue systems, the degree to which bone marrow cells contribute to the fat/muscle phenotype in the pre-obese state is yet to be elucidated. To combat obesity, exercise is a common treatment modality that is anabolic to bone and muscle and catabolic to fat. However, compliance is low, obese patients may be unable to exercise …

Biocompatibility And Bioactivity Of One- And Two-Dimensional Nanoparticle Reinforced Polymeric Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications, Jason Thomas Rashkow

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Limitations associated with current bone grafting techniques utilizing autologous or allogeneic bone have led to an increase in bone tissue engineering strategies. The ideal scheme of repairing a bone defect is to employ a material that can act as a scaffold and assist regeneration of native tissue in the area. Although biodegradable polymers fulfill many of the requirements for synthetic bone grafts, a major limitation is poor integrity under load bearing conditions prompting investigation of nanoparticle-reinforced biodegradable polymer nanocomposites. Recently, incorporation of 0.2 wt% of two-dimensional organic nanostructures (graphene nanoribbons (GONRs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GONPs)) and one- and two-dimensional inorganic …

The Investigation Of Enoyl-Coa Hydratases In Cholesterol Metabolism Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Jungwon Jang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) in humans. TB is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world. Mtb resides in the lipid- enriched environment of the host and metabolizes cholesterol as a carbon source using its own enzymes. Among the total 4000 genes of Mtb, 250 genes correlate to the enzymatic reactions of lipid utilization. The degradation of cholesterol side chain is characterized by three cycles of β-oxidation. Each of the β-oxidation cycles involves hydration of the dehydrogenated cholesterol intermediate substrate. Rv3538 and EchA19 are expected to function as an enoyl-CoA hydratase in the …

Designing Functional Nanocomposites Towards Energy Applications: Examining The Performance Of Hierarchical Nanostructures As A Function Of Composition, Morphology, And Structure For Fuel Cell And Photovoltaic Device Applications, Haiqing Liu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The inherently finite quantity of fossil fuels has triggered the search for alternative renewable energy sources. Therefore, in this thesis, we have synthesized various types of high quality nanomaterials, including metal alloys, noble-metal-based core-shell structures, and lanthanum-doped fluorides with welldefined shapes as well as controlled chemical compositions, to demonstrate both morphology-dependent and composition-dependent relationships between nanostructures and their resulting electrochemical and/or photo-physical properties, with potential applications for fuel cell and solar cell configurations. In terms of exploring plausible electrocatalysts to replace expensive and scarce platinum (Pt), a series of one-dimensional (1D) ultrathin (d ~ 2 nm) Pd1-xNix and Pd1-xCux nanowires …

What’S Competence Got To Do With It? The Association Between Romantic Competence And Social Support Behaviors Among Emerging Adult Couples | What’S Competence Got To Do With It? The Association Between Romantic Competence And Social Support Behaviors Among Emerging Adult Couples, Vickie Bhatia

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Research has consistently demonstrated that romantic relationships during emerging adulthood are salient experiences that are important to identity development and set the stage for future intimate relationships. One area of emerging research is on romantic competence, or a set of skills an individual possesses that affect how he/she approaches and negotiates romantic relationships. Although research has begun to examine the association between romantic competence and self-reported relationship behaviors and outcomes, it has not objectively assessed behavioral indicators of competence nor has it examined how romantic competence skills are enacted during couple interactions. The main goal of this dissertation was to …

The Computational Complexity Of The Provision-After-Wait Problem In Healthcare, Gowtham Srinivasan

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In Provision-after-Wait in Healthcare (PaW), a social planner operating on a constrained budget is required to sponsor medical treatments to a population of patients. Specifically, each patient is allocated to any of the k hospitals to receive a single unit of medical treatment. The cost of treatment depends upon the hospital and is paid for by the planner. Associated with every patient is a set of k non-negative numbers which denote the patients’ preference or intrinsic value towards getting treated in each of the k hospitals. Since the patients do not pay for the treatment and the planner cannot afford …