Digital Commons Network^™

In Memoriam: J. Wallace Coffey 1940 - 2016, Andy Jones

The Migrant - Tennessee Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

In-Column Polymer Modifications: Advancing Polymer Bonded Phases, Alexis G. Huckabee

Open Access Dissertations

Glycosylation is the most common post-translational modification affecting protein activities, including delivery to cell surface, binding affinity, and mediating different physiological effects. Separations of glycoproteins and their glycoforms are essential for drug discovery and development, identification of potential disease biomarkers and quality control. The efficiency of glycoprotein separations is limited by the bonded phases, requiring advances in chromatographic materials. Such advances would improve resolution, allowing for more species to be isolated from a mixture and studied.

Our group found that submicrometer nonporous silica stationary phases with tethered polymer chains (acrylamide) give excellent hydrophilic liquid chromatography (HILIC), a common method used …

The Science Teaching Fellows Program: A Model For Online Faculty Development Of Early Career Scientists Interested In Teaching, Loretta Branacaccio-Taras, Kelly A. Gull, Claudia Ratti

Publications and Research

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has a history of providing a wide range of faculty development opportunities. Recently, ASM developed the Science Teaching Fellows Program (STF) for early career biologists and postdoctoral students to explore student-centered teaching and develop the skills needed to succeed in positions that have a significant teaching component. Participants were selected to STF through a competitive application process. The STF program consisted of a series of six webinars. In preparation for each webinar, participants completed a pre-webinar assignment. After each webinar, fellows practiced what they learned by completing a post-webinar assignment. In a survey used …

Rapamycin Increases Length And Mechanosensory Function Of Primary Cilia In Renal Eptihelial And Vascular Endothelial Cells, Rinzhin T. Sherpa, Kimberly F. Atkinson, Viviana P. Ferreira, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Primary cilia arebiophysically-sensitive organelles responsible for sensing fluid-flow and transducing this stimulus into intracellular responses. Previous studies have shown that the primary cilia mediate flow-induced calcium influx, and sensitivity of cilia function to flow is correlated to cilia length. Cells with abnormal cilia length or function can lead to a host of diseases that are collectively termed as ciliopathies. Rapamycin, a potent inhibitor of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), has been demonstrated to be a potential pharmacological agent against the aberrant mTOR signaling seen in ciliopathies such as polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Here we look …

Effects Of Poverty On Adolescent Mental Health, Morgan Dannecker

Counselor Education Capstones

Living in poverty puts adolescents at risk for developing mental health symptoms. When living in poverty, adolescents are more vulnerable to experiencing or witnessing violence, which negatively impacts their mental health. Low socioeconomic neighborhoods and poor parent education negatively impact adolescent mental health. While living in poverty can negatively affect adolescent mental health, some protective factors on the individual, familial and community level can help decrease these negative effects. Confidence, parental support and involvement, and religion can help protect adolescents from the negative effects of living in poverty. Along with protective factors, interventions that have been established to help negate …

Veteran's Deaths Due To Suicide Have Increased To An Alarming Rate, Jason D. Marquardt

Counselor Education Capstones

With Veterans Suicide rates at an all-time high there is more to be done. Twenty or more Veterans in the United States commit suicide on a daily basis with no end in sight. Despite all of the research being done, there are still no clear answers to why this epidemic continues. The facts currently are that there are not an adequate number of mental heal providers to meet the needs of the general population let alone the Veteran population. There are an overwhelming number of risk factors that can lead to suicide like stress, guilt, alcohol and substance abuse, mental …

Behavioral Activation Therapy In Treating Depression, Brian Strauss

Counselor Education Capstones

Depression is a prevalent psychological disorder worldwide, and a search for effective treatments—particularly for clients with minimal accessibility to therapy—has been popularized in the mental health community in the last half-century. Behavioral therapy has become very popular for treating depression, most notably by changing maladaptive behaviors and habits into effective behaviors (Gelder, Marks, & Wolff, 1967). Activation Therapy has come to the forefront of behavioral therapy, making use of activity scheduling, problem solving, selfmonitoring, goal setting, and empowering clients to take charge of their treatment. Through restructuring behaviors, habits, reducing brain activity needed for productive thoughts, and alleviating rumination, Activation …

The Cellular And Molecular Characterization Of Essential Hypertension Using Innovative Pathology Models, Joshua T. Rodriguez

All Theses

Essential hypertension, characterized by elevated blood pressure levels, is a primary risk factor for other cardiovascular diseases. There has been a drastic rise in the amount of people who have essential hypertension; trends predict that 1.56 billion people worldwide will be living with essential hypertension by 2025. Anti-hypertensive drugs lower elevated blood pressure levels, but do not eliminate the disease itself or reverse the structural damage to arteries. This study aims to elucidate hypertension-induced endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction using a blood vessel tissue engineering approach as a pathology model. In order to characterize EC dysfunction, the FlexCell® system was used …

Shorebird Utilization Of Horseshoe Crab (Limulus Polyphemus) Eggs At Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina, Fumika Takahashi

All Theses

Eggs of American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) provide migratory shorebirds with an abundant food source at stopover sites, allowing the birds to rapidly gain weight for their migration to arctic breeding sites. Shorebird use of horseshoe crab eggs has been well documented along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. at northeastern stopover sites such as the Delaware Bay. However the relationship between migratory shorebirds and horseshoe crab eggs has not been well studied in South Carolina, where horseshoe crabs are harvested for the biomedical industry. The objective of our study is to determine if there is a correlation …

Placental Morphology Of Pregnant Iraqi Women With Rheumatic Heart Disease, Anwar Is Al-Assa, Ragwa Hi Al-Rubai, Imad M. Al-Ani, Salim R. Al-Ubeidie, Kawkab Sn Al-Kaisy, Ghasak G. Faisal

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Placental morphology and cellular arrangement can be altered in maternal diseases. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic heart condition that can lead to death in pregnant women. The aim of this study is to determine the histological changes of the placenta in pregnant women suffering from RHD. Methods: Placentae were collected from 10 healthy pregnant women, and 31 pregnant women with heart conditions (26 with RHD and 5 with NRHD) who had been admitted to the Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Placental tissues were fixed in 10% formal-saline and were processed for light microscopy. Measurements including the placental weight and …

Establishing Early Successional Habitat Management Regimes For Enhancing Biodiversity: An Incremental Economic Analysis Approach, Slayton Hazard-Daniel

All Theses

Providing early successional habitat as a conservation technique has become an increasingly important issue within the natural resource management field. The purpose of this paper was to provide an economic analysis of establishing different early successional habitat management regimes focused on increasing biodiversity within the study area. An economic model was created using parameters that were based on harvesting costs, management costs, and revenue differences between five different prescriptions within the Nantahala National Forest in Western North Carolina. These prescriptions differed in terms of acreage and distance between the individual cuts. We found that the smaller dispersed prescriptions were the …

Genetic Basis Of Melanin Pigmentation And Sexual Dichromatism In Domestic Pigeons, Shreyas Krishnan

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Deciphering the genetic basis of pigmentation in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) affords a unique opportunity to connect microevolution to macroevolution. Domestic pigeons have far greater phenotypic diversity than other domesticates that often recapitulate traits that occur in nature. By using classical genetic approaches and by leveraging the innumerable meiotic events since the advent of pigeon domestication, and population structure, I have mapped traits to genes and begun to deconstruct more complex traits. In this process of investigation one expects to discover mechanisms that may be generalizable to some extent to other birds; however, their generality may be limited in their …

Novel Approach For Selective Decomposition Of Target Water Contaminants Onto Porous Titanium Dioxide, Abolfazl Zakersalehi

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Manipulation of physical and chemical properties of matter with nanoscale precision will enhance our ability for fabrication of material with intended characteristics for environmental applications. In this study we presented two main frameworks for addressing non-selectivity issue in TiO2 photocatalysts, which is believed to be a major drawback in full-scale application of this technology. First, a purely physical approach for enhancing selectivity of nanostructured TiO2 photocatalysts toward water target contaminants have been achieved via tailor-designing meso-porous structure of TiO2. This simple, yet effective method is mainly based on size-exclusion as a mean toward preferential decomposition. It was hypothesized controlled mesoporous …

Harmful Algal Blooms And Biological Toxins Productions; From Integrated Monitoring Approach To On-Site Solar Photocatalytic Decomposition, Hesam Zaman Khan Malayeri

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) worldwide has caused concern to environmental and health authorities because of their potential to generate and release biological toxins. In particular, microcystins (MCs) produced from cyanobacteria are of great concern. MCs are among the most powerful natural poisons. The presence of MCs in drinking water sources has raised major concern. The overall goal of this research is to predict formation of biological toxins in water bodies and to develop a new sustainable approach to decompose them, if feasible, on-site and in real-time with minimal efforts, less chemicals, and low energy inputs. In order to …

Moisture Distribution Efficiency And Performance Evaluations Of Bioreactor Landfill Operations, Md Zahangir Alam

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Bioreactor landfills are operated in a modern engineered way to accelerate waste decomposition, gas production, and waste stabilization. The major aspect of a bioreactor landfill operation is associated with the addition of supplemental liquid or leachate recirculation, and the effective operation primarily depends on efficient moisture distribution throughout the waste mass, which enhances performance. The performance of an effective landfill operation can be assessed by several indicators, i.e., leachate generation, gas production, and landfill settlement. Bioreactor landfill operations have several significant economic and environmental advantages, but the impact of efficient moisture distribution and the assessment of performance through combined indicators …

Commencement Program 2016 December: College Of Engineering, The University Of Texas At Arlington

Commencement Programs, Photos, and Video

No abstract provided.

Commencement Program 2016 December: College Of Architecture, Planning And Public Affairs; School Of Social Work; University College, The University Of Texas At Arlington

Commencement Programs, Photos, and Video

No abstract provided.

Commencement Program 2016 December: College Of Education; College Of Science, The University Of Texas At Arlington

Commencement Programs, Photos, and Video

No abstract provided.

Quality Of Life After Stroke In Pakistan, Wardah Khalid, Shafquat Rozi, Tazeen S. Ali, Iqbal Azam Syed, Michael Mullen, Saleem Illyas, Qamarunnisa, Nabila Soomro, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal

Department of Medicine

Background: There is very little information about the quality of life (QOL) of stroke survivors in LMIC countries with underdeveloped non communicable health infrastructures, who bear two thirds of the global stroke burden.

Methodology: We used a sequential mix methods approach. First, a quantitative analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 700 participants, who constituted 350 stroke survivor and their caregiver dyads. QOL of stroke survivor was assessed via Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SSQOLS) whereas QOL of caregivers was assessed through RAND-36. In addition; we assessed complications, psychosocial and functional disability of stroke survivors. Following this quantitative survey, …

Measuring The Effectiveness Of A Two-Period Algebra Class: A Program Evaluation, Tracey K. Landry

Dissertations

This paper details a program evaluation of a two-period freshman Algebra course in a two-high school district. The study examines the degree to which the two-period course is an effective intervention for freshman math students as compared to the one-period freshman Algebra course by reviewing student assessment data, student growth indicators, and course enrollment data. In addition to quantitative data, student, teacher, and administrator perceptions of the course inform the investigation into the two-period remedial math class. The paper concludes that the two-period math program is not having the desired impact and should be reconfigured or reconsidered altogether.

A School District's Change To Standards-Based Grading: A Conduit To Student Learning, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

Nothing can be more important in a student’s learning process than feedback. This study looks at what is needed to effectively guide an elementary school district from a traditional letter grade system to a standards-based grading system. Survey data were collected from 91 teachers across the district in order to measure their understanding of standards-based grading. A standards-based grading pilot was conducted with six teachers from the elementary and middle school level. Four of these six teachers participated in a group interview to share perceptions of this pilot. Survey data were collected from the 54 students involved in the pilot. …

Comparison Of Spider Abundance And Diversity In Different Habitats In The Life Monteverde Coffee Farm, December 2016, Kristen Flores

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Coffee agroecosystems have abundant insect prey, and therefore have the potential to support a high diversity of spiders. In this study, I measured spider diversity in the Life Monteverde low-shade coffee farm located in Cañitas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I compared the alpha and beta diversity of an isolated coffee field, a forest-surrounded and more highly shaded coffee field, and a forest patch all located on the farm. At each site, I collected spiders from 12 plots, and later I identified each spider to the family level. In total, I collected 508 individuals of 15 families. Using the true diversity index, …

Effect Of Elevation On The Composition And Eco-Physiological Strategies Of Canopy Epiphytes In A Tropical Montane Cloud Forest, December 2016, Christina Lew

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Tropical montane cloud forests have a high diversity and abundance of epiphytes that have drought resistance adaptations to the water and nutrient limitations in the canopy. Most epiphytes in the canopy have drought adaptations and may have different distributions along the vertical gradient of a single tree in addition to varying at a landscape scale such as with elevation. Vascular epiphyte composition and eco-physiological strategies were studied along an elevational gradient of 1400-1830m in a cloud forest in Monteverde to see if there is a variation in diversity, abundance, and drought adaptation characteristics. I measured morphospecies diversity, abundance, foliar water …

University Classroom Presentations As Prior Art Disclosures: Are Engineering Capstone Teams Unknowingly Giving Away The Fruits Of Their Labor?, Patricia E. Campbell

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: A Workshop To Support Sexual Education Outside Of School, Rachel Lambrecht

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Sex education cannot simply provide the “facts” about sex; students must be given the space and support to make connections between the information they receive and their own behaviors. In order to meet the immediate developmental needs of young people I have created a one-­‐day workshop for girls, which is meant to augment current sexual education programming. The aim of the one-­‐day workshop is to bridge the gap between information that girls have received from school programming or parents with the new emotional and physical sensations specific to their developing sexuality, to foster connections with peers, and instill a sense …

Targeting Estrogen Receptor Negative Breast Cancer Cells Using Diarylthiourea Analogs Of Sheta2, Hongye Zou

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Abstract will available after document embargo ends.

Jim Mcclintock To Talk About Climate Change, Alabama's Drought And The Antarctic, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Sphingolipids In Breast Cancer Progression And Inflammatory Responses, Benjamin J Newcomb

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

Acid Sphingomyelianse (ASM) is a key regulatory enzyme that produces the bioactive lipid ceramide, which is converted into other sphingolipids by enzymes such as Ceramide Kinase (CERK). Previous literature has implicated ASM and CERK in inflammatory signaling, but the specific role of ASM and CERK as mediators of inflammatory signaling in breast cancer has remained elusive. In this work, we delineated the role of ASM in p38 activation and subsequent IL-6 production, as well as the role of CERK as a downstream effector of activated ASM. Since previous literature has shown that TNF-α induced dramatic alterations in the sphingolipid profile …

Cumulative Effects Of Ocean Acidification, Eutrophication, And Competition On The Growth Of Two Bloom-Forming, Estuarine Macroalgae, Craig Steven Young

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

While there is a growing interest in understanding how marine life will respond to future ocean acidification, many coastal ecosystems currently experience intense acidification in response to upwelling, riverine discharge, and eutrophication. Such acidification can be inhibitory to calcifying animals, but less is known regarding how non-calcifying macroalgae may respond to elevated CO2. Additionally, while the ability of some marine autotrophs to benefit from elevated CO2 over others may result in shifts in community structure, such shifts can also be affected by competition between primary producers. In order to examine what role ocean acidification, eutrophication, and competition plays in the …

On Mirna-Mrna Network Extraction And Ultra-Fast Nucleotide Barcodes Clustering Algorithm, Lu Zhao

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

This thesis consists of two topics: (1) discovery of microRNA/mRNA regulatory networks on essential thrombocytosis (ET), and (2) a novel ultrafast clustering algorithm to count nucleotide barcode and amplicon reads with errors. The objective of the first study is to discover miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks related to ET, a chronic myeloproliferative disorder with an unregulated surplus of platelets. Complications of ET include stroke, heart attack, and formation of blood clots. While the genetic basis of ET has been studied to some extent, no direct diagnostic test is available to date. In this study, we aim to identify novel ET-related miRNA-mRNA regulatory …