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On Criticism, Compassion, And Charity, George Handley

BYU Studies

This lecture was presented on November 11, 2015, as part of the “My Journey as a Scholar of Faith” series sponsored by the Faculty Center at Brigham Young University.

Stephen H. Webb (1961-2016): Universal Scholar And Personal Friend, Alonzo L. Gaskill

BYU Studies

For many Latter-day Saints, their first awareness of the Roman Catholic scholar Stephen H. Webb came through his 2012 First Things article, titled “Mormonism Obsessed with Christ.” In that piece—which surprised Latter-day Saints and non-Latter-day Saints alike—Webb pointed out that “what gives Christianity its identity is its commitment to the divinity of Jesus Christ. And on that ground Mormons are more Christian than many mainstream Christians. . . . Mormonism is obsessed with Christ, and everything that it teaches is meant to awaken, encourage, and expand faith in him.” Within a week of that article’s publication, my inbox was flooded …

The Brigham Young University Football Program And The Analytics Revolution, Nelson Chung

BYU Studies

The Brigham Young University football program is the most visible component of the LDS Church’s flagship school. In 2010, it contracted to ESPN the broadcast of a majority of its games for a reported $800,000 to $1.2 million per home game through 2018. During the 2015 season, its eight games on the ESPN–ABC family of networks reached 14.8 million televisions, an average of 1.9 million each game. In terms of missionary value, the program rivals the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Along with publicity, the Choir has also invited a fair amount of scholarly attention, most notably a study of how its …

Shell Repair In Geukensia Demissa And Predation Preferences Of Callinectes Sapidus: Do Crabs Target Mussels With Weakened Shells?, Madeleine S. Gillis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atlantic blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, are voracious predators that often leave damage on the shells of unconsumed ribbed marsh mussels, Geukensia demissa. The extent of shell damage and size-dependent tradeoffs in marsh mussel growth and repair, as well as the effects of shell damage on crab predation preferences, were determined in this thesis. A preliminary experiment investigated characteristics of damaged mussels in the field. Mussels (n = 30) were collected in the fall of 2011 within two ocean-dominated inlets along the South Carolina coast and were measured for size (length, width, height), area of damage, shell thickness, mass, and strength …

Intra-Articular Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist (Il1-Ra) Microspheres For Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis: In Vitro Biological Activity And In Vivo Disease Modifying Effect, Khaled A. Elsaid, Anand Ubhe, Ziyad Shaman, Gerard D'Souza

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 ra) can be disease-modifying in posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). One limitation is its short joint residence time. We hypothesized that IL-1 ra encapsulation in poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres reduces IL-1 ra systemic absorption and provides an enhanced anti-PTOA effect.

Methods: IL-1 ra release kinetics and biological activity: IL-1 ra encapsulation into PLGA microsphere was performed using double emulsion solvent extraction. Lyophilized PLGA IL-1 ra microspheres were resuspended in PBS and supernatant IL-1 ra concentrations were assayed. The biological activity of IL-1 ra from PLGA IL-1 ra microspheres was performed using IL-1 induced lymphocyte proliferation …

Epigenetic Modification Prevents Excessive Wound Healing And Scar Formation After Glaucoma Filtration Surgery, Ajay Sharma, Govindaraj Anumanthan, Marcos Reyes, Huiyi Chen, Jason W. Brubaker, Saad Siddiqui, Suneel Gupta, Frank G. Rieger, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), in prevention of excessive wound healing and scar formation in a rabbit model of glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS).

METHODS. A rabbit model of GFS was used. Rabbits that underwent GFS received balanced salt solution, or SAHA (50 lM), or mitomycin C (0.02%). Clinical scores of IOP, bleb vascularity, and slit-lamp examination were performed. On postoperative day 14, rabbits were killed and the bleb tissues were collected for evaluation of tissue fibrosis with hematoxylin and eosin, Masson trichrome, a-smooth muscle …

Comt And Oprm1 Genotype Associations With Daily Knee Pain Variability And Activity Induced Pain, Lynn M. Martire, Stephanie J. Wilson, Brent J. Small, Yvette P. Conley, Piotr K. Janicki, Martin J. Sliwinski

Aging Studies Faculty Publications

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common and increasingly prevalent condition that is one of the primary causes of chronic pain. Staying physically active protects against disability from knee OA but is also very challenging. A critical but unexamined question is whether patients at greatest risk for becoming less active are those with a genetic predisposition for greater sensitivity to daily pain.

Aims: We examined day-to-day variability in knee OA pain for patients with different variants of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and whether patients with a specific genotype experience more pain following …

The "Nature" Of Legal Dispute Bargaining, Robert J. Condlin

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The longstanding debate over the relative merits of adversarial and communitarian theories of legal dispute bargaining has been in somewhat of a holding pattern for several years, but recent research in the field of cognitive neuroscience may break this logjam. Laboratory experiments and case studies in that field have shown how dispositions and capacities for social cooperation inherited from natural selection and evolution predispose humans to configure disputing as a mixture of argument over factual reality, disagreement over the interpretation of normative standards, and a search for impartial resolutions that protect the interests of everyone involved equally. This neurobiological inheritance …

From John S. Mbiti To Jacob K. Olupona: A Literary Journey In Review, Regennia N. Williams

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

The Croning Ceremony, Margaret Payerle

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

A High Efficiency Chlorophyll Sensitized Solar Cell With Quasi Solid Pva Based Electrolyte, H.C. Hassan, Zul Hazrin Zainal Abidin, F.I. Chowdhury, Abdul Kariem Arof

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

The objective of this work is to investigate the performance of chlorophyll sensitized solar cells (CSSCs) with gel electrolyte based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with single iodide salt (potassium iodide (KI)) and double salt (KI and tetrapropylammonium iodide (TPAI)). Chlorophyll was extracted from the bryophyte Hyophila involuta. The CSSC with electrolyte containing only KI salt produced a short circuit current density () of 4.59 mA cm−2, open circuit voltage () of 0.61 V, fill factor (FF) of 0.64, and efficiency () of 1.77%. However, the CSSC with double salt electrolyte exhibited of 5.96 mA cm−2, of 0.58 V, fill factor …

Aberrant Methylation Of Ribonucleotide Reductase Subunit M2 Is Closely Associated With Oral Cancer, Goot Heah Kho, Gabriele Ruth Anisah Froemming, Rosnah B Zain, Kwai Lin Thong

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Gene inactivation by promoter hypermethylation is a common occurrence in the development of various human cancers including oral cancer. Previous evidences observed that DNA methylation play a vital role in the carcinogenesis of oral cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze methylation status and protein expression of RRM2 in oral cancer. Archival tissues of oral cancer and healthy mucosa tissues were retrieved for the study. The methylation status of RRM2 was examined by methylation specific polymerase chain reaction and its protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry. In the present study, frequency of aberrant methylation of RRM2 was 80% …

Automated Identification Of Moth Species, Sarinder Kaur Dhillon, Y.M. Leong, Y.K. Elham, L.H.S. Lim

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

In this paper, Digital Automated Identification System (DAISY) was used to identify species of local moths. 210 species of super family Bombycoidea from Moth of Borneo (Part 3) were trained in DAISY. The overall identification of Moths gave a fairly accurate retrieval, with F1= 0.81.

Bioceramic-Based Root Canal Sealers: A Review, Afaf Al-Haddad, Zeti Adura Che Ab Aziz

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Bioceramic-based root canal sealers are considered to be an advantageous technology in endodontics. The aim of this review was to consider laboratory experiments and clinical studies of these sealers. An extensive search of the endodontic literature was made to identify publications related to bioceramic-based root canal sealers. The outcome of laboratory and clinical studies on the biological and physical properties of bioceramic-based sealers along with comparative studies with other sealers was assessed. Several studies were evaluated covering different properties of bioceramic-based sealers including physical properties, biocompatibility, sealing ability, adhesion, solubility, and antibacterial efficacy. Bioceramic-based sealers were found to be biocompatible …

Ceph-X: Development And Evaluation Of 2d Cephalometric System, M.A.A. Mosleh, M.S. Baba, S. Malek, R.A. Almaktari

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Background: Cephalometric analysis and measurements of skull parameters using X-Ray images plays an important role in predicating and monitoring orthodontic treatment. Manual analysis and measurements of cephalometric is considered tedious, time consuming, and subjected to human errors. Several cephalometric systems have been developed to automate the cephalometric procedure; however, no clear insights have been reported about reliability, performance, and usability of those systems. This study utilizes some techniques to evaluate reliability, performance, and usability metric using SUS methods of the developed cephalometric system which has not been reported in previous studies. Methods: In this study a novel system named Ceph-X …

Classification Of Suncus Murinus Species Complex (Soricidae: Crocidurinae) In Peninsular Malaysia Using Image Analysis And Machine Learning Approaches, A. Abu, L.K. Leow, R. Ramli, H. Omar

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Background: Taxonomists frequently identify specimen from various populations based on the morphological characteristics and molecular data. This study looks into another invasive process in identification of house shrew (Suncus murinus) using image analysis and machine learning approaches. Thus, an automated identification system is developed to assist and simplify this task. In this study, seven descriptors namely area, convex area, major axis length, minor axis length, perimeter, equivalent diameter and extent which are based on the shape are used as features to represent digital image of skull that consists of dorsal, lateral and jaw views for each specimen. An Artificial Neural …

Comparative Genomics Analyses Revealed Two Virulent Listeria Monocytogenes Strains Isolated From Ready-To-Eat Food, S.Y. Lim, K.P. Yap, Kwai Lin Thong

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen that causes considerable morbidity in humans with high mortality rates. In this study, we have sequenced the genomes and performed comparative genomics analyses on two strains, LM115 and LM41, isolated from ready-to-eat food in Malaysia. Results: The genome size of LM115 and LM41 was 2,959,041 and 2,963,111 bp, respectively. These two strains shared approximately 90% homologous genes. Comparative genomics and phylogenomic analyses revealed that LM115 and LM41 were more closely related to the reference strains F2365 and EGD-e, respectively. Our virulence profiling indicated a total of 31 virulence genes shared by both …

Classification Of Urinary Dielectric Properties For Diabetes And Kidney Disease Using Support Vector Machine, S.M. Peck, N.T. Hua, M.M. Seyed

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

This paper classifies the urinary dielectric properties of subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and normal subjects at microwave frequency from 1 GHz to 50 GHz using support vector machine (SVM). The dielectric properties measurements were conducted using open-ended coaxial probe at room temperature (25°C), 30°C and human body temperature (37°C). The highest classification accuracy was achieved at 88.72% to distinguish diabetic subjects from normal. The urinary dielectric behavior was found optimal at 30°C. The highest accuracy was achieved at 64.50% for three-group classification.

Determination Of Leptospira Borgpetersenii Serovar Javanica And Leptospira Interrogans Serovar Bataviae As The Persistent Leptospira Serovars Circulating In The Urban Rat Populations In Peninsular Malaysia, D. Benacer, Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain, S.Z. Sim, M.K.N. Mohd Khalid, R.L. Galloway, M. Souris, Kwai Lin Thong

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Background: Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease of global significance, and is endemic in tropical countries, including Malaysia. Over the last decade, a dramatic increase of human cases was reported; however, information on the primary vector, the rat, and the Leptospira serovars circulating among the rat population is limited. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to isolate Leptospira and characterise the serovars circulating in the urban rat populations from selected main cities in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods: Rat trappings were carried out between October 2011 to February 2014 in five urban cities which were chosen as study sites to represent different …

Effect Of Dental Restorative Material Type And Shade On Characteristics Of Two-Layer Dental Composite Systems, A. Karimzadeh, M.R. Ayatollahi, A.R. Bushroa

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of shade and material type and shape in dental polymer composites on the hardness and shrinkage stress of bulk and two-layered restoration systems. For this purpose, some bulk and layered specimens from three different shades of dental materials were prepared and light-cured. The experiments were carried out on three types of materials: conventional restorative composite, nanohybrid composite and nanocomposite. Micro-indentation experiment was performed on the bulk and also on each layer of layered restoration specimens using a Vicker’s indenter. The interface between the two layers was studied by scanning electron …

First Report Ofeurycoma Longifoliajack Root Extract Causing Relaxation Of Aortic Rings In Rats, B.H. Tee, S.Z. Hoe, S.H. Cheah, S.K. Lam

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Although Eurycoma longifolia has been studied for erectile function, the blood pressure- (BP-) lowering effect has yet to be verified. Hence, this study aims at investigating the BP-lowering properties of the plant with a view to develop an antihypertensive agent that could also preserve erectile function. Ethanolic root extract was partitioned by hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate, butanol, and water. The DCM fraction, found to be potent in relaxing phenylephrine- (PE-) precontracted rat aortic rings, was further purified by column chromatography. Subfraction DCM-II, being the most active in relaxing aortae, was studied for effects on the renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems …

Flavokawain B Induced Cytotoxicity In Two Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Mcf-7 And Mda-Mb231 And Inhibited The Metastatic Potential Of Mda-Mb231 Via The Regulation Of Several Tyrosine Kinases In Vitro, N. Abu, M.N. Akhtar, S.K. Yeap, K.L. Lim, W.Y. Ho, M.P. Abdullah, C.L. Ho, A.R. Omar, J. Ismail, N.B. Alitheen

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Background: The kava-kava plant (Piper methysticum) is traditionally consumed by the pacific islanders and has been linked to be involved in several biological activities. Flavokawain B is a unique chalcone, which can be found in the roots of the kava-kava plant. In this study, the operational mechanism of the anti-cancer activity of a synthetic Flavokawain B (FKB) on two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 was investigated. Method: Several in vitro assays were attempted such as MTT, flow cytometry of cell cycle analysis, annexin V analysis, and JC-1 analysis to detect apoptosis. Moreover, in vitro metastasis assays were also …

Genome Sequence Of “Anthococcus,” A Novel Genus Of The Family Streptococcaceae Isolated From Flowers, Li Oon Chuah, Kien Pong Yap, Kwai Lin Thong, Min Tze Liong, Rosma Ahmad, Shamila Syuhada Ahamed Kamal, Gulam Rusul

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Here, we report the draft whole-genome sequence of “Anthococcus,” a novel genus of the family Streptococcaceae isolated from fresh flowers of a durian (Durio zibethinus) tree. The draft genome of Anthococcus sp. strain DF1 contains 2,157,756 bp, with a G+C content of 33.0%.

Gelam Honey Attenuates The Oxidative Stress-Induced Inflammatory Pathways In Pancreatic Hamster Cells, S.Z. Safi, K. Batumalaie, R. Qvist, K.M. Yusof, Ikram Shah Ismail

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Purpose. Type 2 diabetes consists of progressive hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, which could result from glucose toxicity, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. In the present study we investigated the effect of Gelam honey and quercetin on the oxidative stress-induced inflammatory pathways and the proinflammatory cytokines. Methods. HIT-T15 cells were cultured and preincubated with the extract of Gelam honey (20, 40, 60, and 80 μg/mL), as well as quercetin (20, 40, 60, and 80 μM), prior to stimulation by 20 and 50 mM glucose. Results. HIT-T15 cells cultured under hyperglycemic condition showed a significant increase in the inflammatory pathways by phosphorylating …

Feature Selection Using Angle Modulated Simulated Kalman Filter For Peak Classification Of Eeg Signals, A. Adam, Z. Ibrahim, N. Mokhtar, M.I. Shapiai, M. Mubin, I. Saad

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

In the existing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals peak classification research, the existing models, such as Dumpala, Acir, Liu, and Dingle peak models, employ different set of features. However, all these models may not be able to offer good performance for various applications and it is found to be problem dependent. Therefore, the objective of this study is to combine all the associated features from the existing models before selecting the best combination of features. A new optimization algorithm, namely as angle modulated simulated Kalman filter (AMSKF) will be employed as feature selector. Also, the neural network random weight method is utilized …

Genetic Relatedness Of Salmonella Serovars Isolated From Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus) And Tilapia (Tilapia Mossambica) Obtained From Wet Markets And Ponds In Penang, Malaysia, Titik Budiati, Gulam Rusul, Wan Nadiah Wan-Abdullah, Li Oon Chuah, Rosma Ahmad, Kwai Lin Thong

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

A total of 43 Salmonella enterica isolates belonging to different serovars (Salmonella Albany, Salmonella Agona, Salmonella Corvallis, Salmonella Stanley, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Mikawasima, and Salmonella Bovis-morbificans) were isolated from catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and tilapia (Tilapia mossambica) obtained from nine wet markets and eight ponds in Penang, Malaysia. Thirteen, 19, and 11 isolates were isolated from 9 of 32 catfish, 14 of 32 tilapia, and 11 of 44 water samples, respectively. Fish reared in ponds were fed chicken offal, spoiled eggs, and commercial fish feed. The genetic relatedness of these Salmonella isolates was determined by random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR (RAPD-PCR) …

Geographic Information System (Gis) Modeling Approach To Determine The Fastest Delivery Routes, M. Abousaeidi, R. Fauzi, R. Muhamad

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

This study involves the adoption of the Geographic Information System (GIS) modeling approach to determine the quickest routes for fresh vegetable delivery. During transport, fresh vegetables mainly deteriorate on account of temperature and delivery time. Nonetheless, little attention has been directed to transportation issues in most areas within Kuala Lumpur. In addition, perishable food normally has a short shelf life, thus timely delivery significantly affects delivery costs. Therefore, selecting efficient routes would consequently reduce the total transportation costs. The regression model is applied in this study to determine the parameters that affect route selection with respect to the fastest delivery …

Immunodominant Igm And Igg Epitopes Recognized By Antibodies Induced In Enterovirus A71-Associated Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Patients, Y.F. Chan

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is one of the main causative agents of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). Unlike other enteroviruses that cause HFMD, EV-A71 is more frequently associated with severe neurological complications and fatality. Little is known about the immunogenicity of viral non-structural proteins in humans. Previous studies have mainly focused on characterization of epitopes of EV-A71 structural proteins by using immunized animal antisera. In this study, we have characterized human antibody responses against the structural and non-structural proteins of EV-A71. Each viral protein was cloned and expressed in either bacterial or mammalian systems, and tested with antisera by western …

Human Ribosomal Proteins Rpel27, Rpel43, And Rpel41 Are Upregulated In Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Lines, E.U.H. Sim, S.L.L. Chan, K.L. Ng, C.W. Lee, K. Narayanan

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Apart from their canonical role in ribosome biogenesis, there is increasing evidence of ribosomal protein genes’ involvement in various cancers. A previous study by us revealed significant differential expression of three ribosomal protein genes (RPeL27, RPeL41, and RPeL43) between cell lines derived from tumor and normal nasopharyngeal epithelium. However, the results therein were based on a semiquantitative assay, thus preliminary in nature. Herein, we provide findings of a deeper analysis of these three genes in the context to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumorigenesis. Their expression patterns were analyzed in a more quantitative manner at transcript level. Their protein expression levels were …

Hyaluronidase Inhibitory Activity Of Pentacylic Triterpenoids From Prismatomeris Tetrandra (Roxb.) K. Schum: Isolation, Synthesis And Qsar Study, N.H. Abdullah, Noel Francis Thomas, Y. Sivasothy, Vannajan Sanghiran Lee, Sook Yee Liew, I.A. Noorbatcha, Khalijah Awang

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

The mammalian hyaluronidase degrades hyaluronic acid by the cleavage of the β-1,4-glycosidic bond furnishing a tetrasaccharide molecule as the main product which is a highly angiogenic and potent inducer of inflammatory cytokines. Ursolic acid 1, isolated from Prismatomeris tetrandra, was identified as having the potential to develop inhibitors of hyaluronidase. A series of ursolic acid analogues were either synthesized via structure modification of ursolic acid 1 or commercially obtained. The evaluation of the inhibitory activity of these compounds on the hyaluronidase enzyme was conducted. Several structural, topological and quantum chemical descriptors for these compounds were calculated using semi empirical quantum …