Digital Commons Network^™

Locating Architectural Production, Phillip Anzalone, Stephanie Bayard

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Differences In Patient Outcomes Of Prevalence, Interval, And Screen-Detected Lung Cancers In The Ct Arm Of The National Lung Screening Trial, Matthew B. Schabath, Pierre P. Massion, Zachary J. Thompson, Steven A. Eschrich, Yoganand Balagurunathan, Dmitry Goldof, Denise R. Aberle, Robert J. Gillies

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Lung cancer screening identifies cancers with heterogeneous behaviors. Some lung cancers will be identified among patients who had prior negative CT screens and upon follow-up scans develop a de novo nodule that was determined to be cancerous. Other lung cancers will be identified among patients who had one or more prior stable positive scans that were not determined to be lung cancer (indeterminate pulmonary nodules), but in follow-up scans was diagnosed with an incidence lung cancer. Using data from the CT arm of the National Lung Screening Trial, this analysis investigated differences in patient characteristics and survival endpoints between prevalence-, …

Biotechnology/Cloning Poster, Hye Tae Kim

A with Honors Projects

This is a student project, panels used to construct a poster on biotechnology and cloning provides a brief overview of the topic, including a timeline of the history of cloning.

Parkland In 1974, Megan Walker

A with Honors Projects

For this student honors project, the author compares Parkland College (Champaign, IL) of 1974, using a yearbook, to Parkland College of 2016 (the fiftieth year of the college).

“You Can't Ever Find A Place That's Nice And Peaceful”: The Adolescent Identity In J. D. Salinger’S The Catcher In The Rye, Whitney Thacker

Masters Theses

Many consider The Catcher in the Rye the most poignant and popular story of adolescence in American literature, challenged only perhaps by Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Reading reviews, examining the public reception, and uncovering depths of research would evidence this well. However, the value of the novel rests not in its popularity—a simple sign of its inherent value—but in its ability to resonate truth. More than merely telling a story, Salinger creates a life, or at the very least a glimpse of a life, through the actions and attitude of his ornery adolescent character Holden Caulfield. This …

The End Of A Dynasty: The Death Of The Romanov Family, Jamie Hendrickson

A with Honors Projects

The fall of the Romanovs in 1917 led to a very dark time in Russian history, one of chaos and eventually tremendous loss of life. Many historians credit the violent dispersal of the Russia’s royal family as leading to events like Russia’s civil war, the forming of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics (USSR), and entry into World War II after the country appeared vulnerable to tyrants like Hitler. In the words of author Joshua Hammer “the murder of Czar Nicholas Romanov and his family has resonated through Soviet and Russian history, inspiring not only immeasurable government cover-ups and public …

In Vitro Transcription Lab, Sarah Oh, Samantha Christ

A with Honors Projects

This is a lab and worksheet created by students of Biology 141 as a project for the A with Honors Program. to demonstrate transcription from DNA to RNA. After completing this exercise, the student should be able to distinguish between yields after electrophoresis, describe which varied substance contributed to the largest yield, and describe the importance of not contaminating the sample.

Composting At Parkland College, Della Jacobs

A with Honors Projects

This essay summarizes the student's efforts to establish a composting program at Parkland College. The student had previously worked to establish a garden plot to supplement the offerings at the College's food pantry and subsequently worked with the cafeteria to collect composting materials for the garden plot.

A Lida Cognitive Model Tutorial, S. Franklin, T. Madl, S. Strain, U. Faghihi, D. Dong, S. Kugele, J. Snaider, P. Agrawal, S. Chen

CCRG Papers

No abstract provided.

The Business Case For Expanded Clozapine Utilization, Jessica L. Gören, J. Rose, Eric G. Smith, John P. Ney

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective:

In most settings, less than 25% of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia receive clozapine, the only medication proven effective for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Therefore, a business case analysis was conducted to assess whether increasing clozapine utilization for treatment-resistant schizophrenia in a health care system would result in direct health care cost savings.

Methods:

Veterans with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who were treated in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) were studied. Treatment response, suicides, adverse drug reactions (and associated mortality), and effects on inpatient hospitalization related to clozapine were derived from a systematic review of published studies. A one-factor sensitivity analysis and …

Scott Memorial Library: Academic Year 2015-2016, Liz Mikita

Annual Reports & Administrative Documents

Includes:

• Milestones
• Metrics
• Top Ten Lists

Turn-Around-Time Improvements For Positive Blood Cultures From Incorporation Of Workflow Modifications, Brent Bobik, Allison F. Goldberg, Md, P. Prior, Amity L. Roberts, Phd, D(Abmm)

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Resident's Posters

Background:

Emergence of direct from positive blood culture bottle identification (ID) methods reveal opportunities for improving bacterial ID and select resistance marker detection turn-around-times. Each system has various advantages and disadvantages; each institution must select the method/s that best fit the laboratory and patient needs. Here we elucidate improvements in 24 hour workflow through incorporating multiple rapid technologies for positive blood culture ID into a 24 hour algorithm.

Methods:

MALDI-TOF (Bruker) analysis with sepsityper extraction (aerobic Gram-positive and anaerobic bacteria); MALDI-TOF analysis with serum separator tube concentration (Gram-negative bacteria); and a FilmArray Blood Culture Panel (Biofire) were utilized. MALDI was …

Adolescent Mothers’ Implementation Of Strategies To Enhance Their Children’S Early Language And Emergent Literacy Skills, Meredith C. Canty

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous studies have examined how the language skills of children with adolescent mothers differs from children of older mothers. However, there is limited information on what specific strategies adolescent mothers utilize to increase early language and emergent literacy skills in their children. The aim of the present study is to examine adolescent mothers’ use of strategies to increase the early language and emergent literacy skills of their young children. A sample of 14 adolescent mothers enrolled in a teen parenting program were surveyed on their use of common strategies that are shown to facilitate early development of language and literacy …

The Study Of The Adverse Effects Of Childhood Maltreatment, Katie A. Kennie

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the link between the presence of childhood trauma and adult criminal behavior. In this study, four distinct categories of childhood trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) were examined. In addition, this study conducts a comparative analysis of the United States crime rate with that of Switzerland and Japan. This study examines and compares the policies utilized in ensuring the protection of child welfare. The ultimate goal is to provide research which may build a foundation that will assist in creating and improving policies which will ensure a child's psychological health.

Identity Development, Social Support, And Motherhood, Dayanara Rosado

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Adolescent pregnancy creates challenges for this minority population in balancing their motherhood identity with continuing to develop their identity at the adolescent stage, which presents a social problem today. The intent of this thesis is to explore the relationship between identity, adjustment, and social support among college students who were adolescent mothers. The following surveys: Personal Network Matrix (PNM), The Identity Distress Scale (IDS), and The Dimension of Identity Development Scale (DIDS), were administered through the UCF SONA system. Participants were divided into three groups: mothers who had their first child as a teenager (teen mothers; n = 6), mothers …

Expression Levels Of Virulence Genes In Group A Streptococci: A Response To Aerosolized Propylene Glycol, Michael S. Costello

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Electronic cigarette usage is becoming increasingly prevalent among school age children and young adults. A known bactericidal agent, propylene glycol, is often used as a carrier for nicotine, flavoring, and additional constituents of electronic cigarette juice. This study examined the relationship between propylene glycol and virulence gene expression in Streptococcus pyogenes, a respiratory tract pathogen commonly found in school-age individuals. A variety of virulence genes controlled by the three stand alone regulators mga, RofA, and Rgg/RopB were sampled in an effort to understand the pathway by which virulence is affected. The genes chosen encode C5a peptidase, fibronectin binding protein, hyaluronate …

Forced Motherhood? An Ethnographic Study On State Gender Expectations In Nicaragua, Mikaela M. Mendoza-Cardenal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The dominant Sandinista party discourse of Nicaragua designates the family as the country’s base social institution, but the prevailing machismo threatens the family’s structure. Men - fathers - leave, either literally as migrant laborers or in the abandonment of their family responsibilities. In order to counteract the men’s socially sanctioned absence, the state deploys a hegemonic expectation of motherhood in the passage of its complete abortion ban, one of the strictest in the world. All forms of abortion, including saving the life of the mother, are banned in Nicaragua and both doctors and women are heavily penalized if an abortion …

The Effect Of Social Media On Sexual Cognitions And Behaviors, Joshua Duarte

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pop culture and social media have become a prime source of entertainment and communication. The current study focuses on the potential effects of consuming this form of media and how it affects our sexual cognitions and behaviors. A sample of nine hundred and two university students were given self-reporting questionnaires concerning demographics, sexual cognitions, and exposure to sexual content in music. An analysis of music artist’s posts on social media was also performed. It was hypothesized that artists who have sexual content published in their work will also have the same amount of sexual content on social media. However, there …

Rigor And Responsiveness In Classroom Activity, Jessica Thompson, Sara Hagenah, Hosun Kang, David Stroupe, Melissa Braaten, Carolyn Colley, Mark Windschitl

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background/Context: There are few examples from classrooms or the literature that provide a clear vision of teaching that simultaneously promotes rigorous disciplinary activity and is responsive to all students. Maintaining rigorous and equitable classroom discourse is a worthy goal, yet there is no clear consensus of how this actually works in a classroom.

Focus of Study: What does highly rigorous and responsive talk sound like and how is this dialogue embedded in the social practices and activities of classrooms? Our aim was to examine student and teacher interactions in classroom episodes (warm-ups, small group conversations, whole group conversation, etc.) and …

Science Teachers’ Professional Growth And The Communication In Science Inquiry Project, Elizabeth Lewis, Dale Baker, Nievita Bueno Watts, Katrien Van Der Hoeven Kraft

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) a National Science Foundation-funded, standards-based model of a scientific classroom discourse community (SCDC) was designed to meet the need for highly-qualified teachers and science education reform. The model included: (a) inquiry; (b) oral discourse; (c) written discourse; (d) academic language development, and (e) learning principles. Research and evaluation feedback were mechanisms by which CISIP become self-regulating, promoting instructional change and incorporating more aspects of inquiry-based learning with academic language development strategies. The program underwent a philosophical shift from teachers-as-consumers to teachers-as-producers based on classroom observations using a professional development-aligned classroom observation instrument that …

Department Of Economics Publication List 2015, Penny Stover

Economics Pamphlet Series (1985-2016)

This compilation lists works authored by Department of Economics faculty members and other staff working on projects through the Department of Economics. Publications resulting from their research and academic activities are indexed by author at the end of this pamphlet for easy access by the public. The articles were published between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015, except for those works printed in italics which have been accepted for publication but not actually printed as of December 31, 2015.

Passive, Wireless Saw Ofc Strain Sensor And Software Defined Radio Interrogator, James Humphries

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices have exhibited unique capabilities to meet the demands for many applications due to the inherent properties of SAW devices and piezoelectric materials. In particular, SAW devices have been adapted as sensors that can be configured to operate both passively and wirelessly. SAW sensors can be operated in harsh environmental extremes where typical sensor technologies are not able to operate. Because the sensors are passive, a radio transceiver is required to interrogate the sensor and receive the reflected response that has been modulated by the SAW device. This dissertation presents the design of a passive, wireless …

Applied Advanced Error Control Coding For General Purpose Representation And Association Machine Systems, Bowen Dai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

General-Purpose Representation and Association Machine (GPRAM) is proposed to be focusing on computations in terms of variation and flexibility, rather than precision and speed. GPRAM system has a vague representation and has no predefined tasks. With several important lessons learned from error control coding, neuroscience and human visual system, we investigate several types of error control codes, including Hamming code and Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes, and extend them to different directions. While in error control codes, solely XOR logic gate is used to connect different nodes. Inspired by bio-systems and Turbo codes, we suggest and study non-linear codes with …

The Effect Of Glycerol On Readily Biodegradable Chemical Oxygen Demand (Rbcod) In A Wastewater Stream, Rojina Rawut

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the short-term effects of glycerol addition on readily biodegradable (RB) chemical oxygen demand (COD) in a carbon limited wastewater influent. The presence of an RB fraction provides with a suitable substrate for microorganisms to produce volatile fatty acids (VFA). The oxygen utilization rate (OUR) has been used to evaluate the oxygen consumption for RB substrate in wastewater. Wastewater with low organic content contains limited RB substrate, and thus, additional carbon source is required to improve biological treatment capability. Acetate, propionate, methanol, and glycerol are the commonly available carbon sources for biological treatment process. However, the cost of …

Integrating Spray Aeration And Granular Activated Carbon For Disinfection By-Product Control In A Potable Water System, Angela Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public water systems add disinfectants in water treatment to inactivate microbial pathogens. Chlorine, when used as a disinfectant, reacts with natural organic matter in the water to form trihalomethane (THM) and haloacetic acid (HAA5) disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are suspected carcinogens. The Safe Drinking Water Act's Disinfectant and Disinfection By-Product (D/DBP) Rules were promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the amount of DBPs in water systems. Regulatory compliance is based on maximum contaminant levels (MCL), measured as a locational running annual average (LRAA), for total THM (TTHM) and HAA5 of 80 µg/L and 60 µg/L, respectively. Regulated …

Climate Change And The Confluence Of Natural And Human History: A Lawyer’S Perspective, Josh Eagle

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Transcriptomic Analysis Of Staphylococcal Srnas: Insights Into Species-Specific Adaption And The Evolution Of Pathogenesis, William H. Broach, Andy Weiss, Lindsey N. Shaw

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Next-generation sequencing technologies have dramatically increased the rate at which new genomes are sequenced. Accordingly, automated annotation programs have become adept at identifying and annotating protein coding regions, as well as common and conserved RNAs. Additionally, RNAseq techniques have advanced our ability to identify and annotate regulatory RNAs (sRNAs), which remain significantly understudied. Recently, our group catalogued and annotated all previously known and newly identified sRNAs in several Staphylococcus aureus strains. These complete annotation files now serve as tools to compare the sRNA content of S. aureus with other bacterial strains to investigate the conservation of their sRNomes. Accordingly, in …

Potential Role Of Pctaire-2, Pctaire-3 And P-Histone H4 In Amyloid Precursor Protein-Dependent Alzheimer Pathology, Dale Chaput, Lisa Kirouac, Stanley M. Stevens Jr., Jaya Padmanabhan

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) is regulated in a mitosis-specific manner and plays a role in proliferative signaling in cells. Though APP-derived Aβ generation has a well-established role in neurodegeneration, the mechanistic role of APP in this process is not fully understood. Here, we performed an unbiased, comprehensive analysis of the phosphoproteome signature in APP-null neuroblastoma cells (B103) compared to those expressing APP-695 isoform (B103-695) to determine if APP expression affects protein phosphorylation. Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) followed by mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic analysis with PolyMAC identified a total of 2,478 phosphopeptides in the B103 and …

Antibodies Against A Secreted Product Of Staphylococcus Aureus Trigger Phagocytic Killing, Lena Thomer, Carla Emolo, Vilasack Thammavongsa, Hwan Keun Kim, Molly E. Mcadow, Wenqi Yu, Matthew Kieffer, Olaf Schneewind, Dominique Missiakas

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Host immunity against bacteria typically involves antibodies that recognize the microbial surface and promote phagocytic killing. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a frequent cause of lethal bloodstream infection; however, vaccines and antibody therapeutics targeting staphylococcal surface molecules have thus far failed to achieve clinical efficacy. S. aureus secretes coagulase (Coa), which activates host prothrombin and generates fibrin fibrils that protect the pathogen against phagocytosis by immune cells. Because of negative selection, the coding sequence for the prothrombin-binding D1-D2 domain is highly variable and does not elicit cross-protective immune responses. The R domain, tandem repeats of a 27-residue peptide that bind …

How The Bending Kinematics Of Swimming Lampreys Build Negative Pressure Fields For Suction Thrust, Brad J. Gemmell, Stephanie M. Fogerson, John H. Costello, Jennifer R. Morgan, John O. Dabiri, Sean P. Colin

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Swimming animals commonly bend their bodies to generate thrust. For undulating animals such as eels and lampreys, their bodies bend in the form of waves that travel from head to tail. These kinematics accelerate the flow of adjacent fluids, which alters the pressure field in a manner that generates thrust. We used a comparative approach to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationships in this process by quantifying the hydrodynamic effects of body kinematics at the body-fluid interface of the lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, during steady-state swimming. We compared the kinematics and hydrodynamics of healthy control lampreys to lampreys whose spinal cord had been …