Digital Commons Network^™

Mangrove Enhancement As A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy In The Republic Of The Marshall Islands (Rmi): Potential Ecosystem Service Shifts Following Colonization, Andrew S. Harwood

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The ability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Pacific Island communities to adapt to the increasing sea-levels, storm surge, saltwater intrusion, and other threats posed by global climate change is critical to the survival of many of these local communities as well as their cultures (LivingIslands.org). One of the world’s most striking examples of a nation at great risk is the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in the central Pacific Ocean. Due to a combination of factors, including the country’s extremely low elevation above sea-level (an average of 2 meters) and lack of adequate structures to provide safety …

Greenroof Study: Final Report, An Assessment Of Greenroof Design And Maintenance In Portland, Oregon: 2011 – 2013, Windy Carney Beck

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In 1999 the City of Portland (City) began to require that stormwater management facilities (SMF) be built when private property is newly developed or redeveloped (City Code Chapter 17.38). Proper maintenance and upkeep of SMFs is essential to ensuring they function appropriately. The City's Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP) is tasked with inspecting stormwater management facilities on private properties in order to ensure that they are being properly operated and maintained and to meet provisions of the City's NPDES Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.

Greenroofs are one type of SMF that are installed to satisfy this requirement. Understanding the …

Management Plan For Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys Picta Belli) At Fairview Creek Headwaters, Ashley Smithers

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta belli) are found occupying Fairview Creek Headwaters (FCH) in Gresham, Oregon. This urban stream contains a large wetland with an adjacent butte, all managed by the City of Gresham. This management plan addresses the preferred habitat and population of turtles at the site. A habitat delineation of the site revealed specific locations where habitat improvements could take place as well as areas of already beneficial habitat. Two site plans were prepared showing areas of the site that could be enhanced with nesting habitat as well as additional aquatic habitat and basking habitat. A habitat study …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Other Techniques To Reduce Acute Traumatic Stress Symptoms In Parents With Neonates In Intensive Care Settings, Jeanette M. Gulczynski

Honors Capstones

Parents are developing increasing amounts of acute traumatic stress symptoms (ATSS) from overwhelming Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experiences upon newborn admissions and a lack of appropriate nursing interventions (Clottey & Dillard, 2013; Bryant, Friedman, Spiegel, Ursano, & Strain, 2010). Parental stress originates from a lack of communication between healthcare team members, feelings of personal guilt and shame, and an inability to participate in complete neonatal care (Mowery, 2011). Most parents are not educated on specialty neonatal care, furthering adding to high stress levels. Witnessing invasive treatments and frightening images of their infant attached to complex machines, fluctuation of neonatal …

Elucidating Host-Symbiont Interactions In Coral Bleaching By Symbiont Transfer, Therese A. Millet

Honors Capstones

Coral bleaching, a current major ecological threat, is caused by the disruption of the endosymbiotic relationship between the host coral and single-celled algal symbionts known as Symbiodinium. Symbiodinium are divided into clades, with each clade having similar characteristics. It has been found that corals containing certain clades tend to fare better following bleaching incidents. In order to further elucidate the relationship between the Symbiodinium and the coral, symbiont transfer experiments are thus required. These experiments require first obtaining symbionts by stressing a coral, then culturing the symbionts ex hospite, and finally transferring them to a bleached host of another symbiont …

The Destruction Of Cultural Heritage: A Crime Against Property Or A Crime Against People?, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 336 (2016), Patty Gerstenblith

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The destruction of cultural heritage has played a prominent role in the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq and in the recent conflict in Mali. This destruction has displayed the failure of international law to effectively deter these actions. This article reviews existing international law in light of this destruction and the challenges posed by the issues of non-international armed conflict, non-state actors and the military necessity exception. By examining recent developments in applicable international law, the article proposes that customary international law has evolved to interpret existing legal instruments and doctrines concerning cultural heritage in light of the principles …

Beyond The Destruction Of Syria: Considering A Future In Syria And The Protection Of The Right To Culture, Sarah Dávila-Ruhaak

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Although the right to culture has been widely recognized under international human rights, its reach and practical application has been limited in cultural preservation efforts. Individuals and communities that attempt to be part of the decision-making process in preservation efforts often face barriers to access in that process. The need to re-conceptualize the right to culture is vital for its protection and preservation. This article proposes that the right to self-determination must be utilized as a core fundamental principle that enables a disenfranchised individual or community to have ownership in preservation efforts and decide how to shape their identity. It …

The Patenting Of Gene Based Diagnostic Assays In A Post Mayo And Myriad World, 16 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2016), Michael Sanzo

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Recent advances in biotechnology have given researchers the ability to comprehensively examine the genetic basis of disease in unprecedented ways and will undoubtedly result in many new and valuable gene based diagnostic assays in the near future. These advances came during a period of roughly thirty years during which the patent eligibility of such assays was essentially unquestioned. Then, beginning in 2010, the Supreme Court embarked on a series of decisions that will, in almost all cases, preclude the patenting of diagnostic assays that rely on genetic mutations or gene expression patterns. This article suggests that reason that the issue …

Curriculum Change 2016-2017, Portland State University

Bulletin & Curriculum Change Documents

No abstract provided.

Biological And Chemical Investigation Of Panamanian Plants For Potential Utility Against Metabolic Syndrome, Yelkaira Vasquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) affects approximately 25% of the adult population of the world and represents a public health concern with high socioeconomic impact worldwide. Latin American populations exhibit a high prevalence of MetS, similar or even higher than developed countries. This complex and progressive disorder can develop over many years as a cluster of conditions characterized by a constellation of metabolic abnormalities. Specific guidelines have not yet been established for the treatment of MetS per se. The increased prevalence of MetS has been associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In …

Agroterrorism, Resilience, And Indoor Farming, Nathalie N. Prescott

Animal Law Review

Agroterrorism poses a significant threat to food supplies and the stability of agricultural markets. The industrialization of agricultural has substantially improved productivity and efficiency, but has also contributed to the sector’s declining resilience— the ability to withstand and adapt to stress and change. Consequently, agriculture has become increasingly vulnerable to possible agroterrorist attacks. However, by working to increase biodiversity and minimize the connected and concentrated nature of agricultural production, the industry can lower its vulnerability to attack. Indoor agriculture may be one way to accomplish this goal. This Article describes indoor agriculture, explains the concept of agroterrorism, and explores the …

What Can Animal Law Learn From Environmental Law?, Rachel Lamb, Tara Zuardo

Animal Law Review

This Review analyzes and synopsizes What Can Animal Law Learn from Environmental Law?, edited by Professor Randall S. Abate. The book is a compilation of writings by numerous professionals in the fields of animal and environmental law. This Review introduces the background of the book and those sections most relevant to animal law. The book is divided into four distinct units, and this Review addresses each in turn: (1) Introductory Context, (2) U.S. Law Contexts, (3) International and Comparative Law Contexts, and (4) Vision for the Future. This Review ends by illustrating how academic settings can benefit from the use …

"Your Corrupt Ways Had Finally Made You Blind": Prosecutorial Misconduct And The Use Of "Ethnic Adjustments" In Death Penalty Cases Of Defendants With Intellectual Disabilities, Michael L. Perlin

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiment: Synthesis And Characterization Of Various Phthiocol Complexes, Turina Jangula

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite proven effectiveness of constructivist guided-inquiry based instruction for college chemistry courses, teaching in advanced chemistry courses such as inorganic chemistry remains very much traditional. This persistence of traditional instructional approaches could be attributed to the lack of inquiry-based curriculum materials for these courses. In this paper a guided-inquiry based inorganic laboratory experiment on the synthesis and characterization of phthiocol complexes with four different metals is presented along with suggestions for implementation as a laboratory activity. The experiment is unique in terms of its development based on a social constructivist framework and has student discussion and conceptual understanding of inorganic …

Effects Of Stream Degradation On Ecosystem Function Are Mediated By Local Microbial And Macroinvertebrate Leaf Litter Processing, Carla Rothenbuecher

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Riparian areas are fundamental to aquatic ecosystems by regulating temperature and light regimes, and providing allochthonous subsidies critical to the survival of aquatic and terrestrial species. On a global scale, increased rates of anthropogenic disturbance from agricultural activities and urbanization have caused the degradation of aquatic habitats. As a result, billions of dollars have been spent on stream restoration projects to protect aquatic resources; however, fundamental ecosystem processes like litter decomposition are rarely addressed. We conducted a litterbag experiment in a degraded high desert stream proposed for large-scale restoration to test the effects of reach location, canopy cover, and temperature …

The Relationship Of Impulsivity To Eating Behaviors And Alcohol Consumption, Megan J. Newkirk

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Previous research has discovered a significant relationship between problematic eating disorder behaviors and alcohol consumption among women. Within this relationship, past studies have found that impulsivity significantly influences the correlation between these behaviors. The primary aim of the present study was to determine if impulsivity influences the relationship between bingeing behavior and alcohol consumption as well as the relationship between purging behavior and alcohol consumption while using a behavioral measure for impulsivity. Participants included 62 undergraduate females who were recruited from Murray State University. The results indicated that there was not a significant correlation between bingeing behavior and alcohol …

Let’S Play! A Study Examining The Acceptability Of Cross-Gender Play Of Children, Angela R. Youngs

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine parental preference regarding their children and gender-specific and gender-neutral toys. More specifically, to examine some factors that may impact parents’ preferences regarding the types of toys their child chooses. The factors of interest used in the present study include general demographics (e.g., gender, age, etc.), gender role perceptions, religiosity, and level of conservatism. Participants were gathered from a survey-taking website. The sample consisted of 88 parents (43 female, 43 male, and 2 who chose not to identify) whose ages ranged from 22 to 62 (M = 31.82, SD = 6.95). Each …

Rats, Traps, And Trade Secrets, Elizabeth A. Rowe

UF Law Faculty Publications

Technology has facilitated both the amount of trade secrets that are now stored electronically, and the rise of cyber intrusions. Together, this has created a storm perfectly ripe for economic espionage. Cases involving unknown or anonymous offenders who may not be in the United States and who steal trade secrets using remote access tools (“RATs”) are especially problematic. This Art-icle is the first to address and place trade secret misappropriation within the larger backdrop of cybersecurity. First, it argues that systemic issues related to technology will continue to make legislative and judicial solutions suboptimal for cyber misappropriation. Second, it explores …

It Is All About (U)Biquitin: Role Of Altered Ubiquitin-Proteasome System And Uchl1 In Alzheimer Disease, Antonella Tramutola, Fabio Di Domenico, Eugenio Barone, Marzia Perluigi, D. Allan Butterfield

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Free radical-mediated damage to macromolecules and the resulting oxidative modification of different cellular components are a common feature of aging, and this process becomes much more pronounced in age-associated pathologies, including Alzheimer disease (AD). In particular, proteins are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress-induced damage and these irreversible modifications lead to the alteration of protein structure and function. In order to maintain cell homeostasis, these oxidized/damaged proteins have to be removed in order to prevent their toxic accumulation. It is generally accepted that the age-related accumulation of “aberrant” proteins results from both the increased occurrence of damage and the decreased efficiency …

Modulatory Action By The Serotonergic System: Behavior And Neurophysiology In Drosophila Melanogaster, Zana R Majeed, Esraa Abdeljaber, Robin Soveland, Kristin Cornwell, Aubrey Bankemper, Felicitas Koch, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Serotonin modulates various physiological processes and behaviors. This study investigates the role of 5-HT in locomotion and feeding behaviors as well as in modulation of sensory-motor circuits. The 5-HT biosynthesis was dysregulated by feeding Drosophila larvae 5-HT, a 5-HT precursor, or an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase during early stages of development. The effects of feeding fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, during early second instars were also examined. 5-HT receptor subtypes were manipulated using RNA interference mediated knockdown and 5-HT receptor insertional mutations. Moreover, synaptic transmission at 5-HT neurons was blocked or enhanced in both larvae and adult flies. The …

Evolution Of The Vertebrate Claudin Gene Family: Insights From A Basal Vertebrate, The Sea Lamprey, Christian Mukendi, Nicholas Dean, Rushil Lala, Jeramiah J. Smith, Marianne E Bronner, Natalya V. Nikitina

Biology Faculty Publications

Claudins are major constituents of tight junctions, contributing both to their intercellular sealing and selective permeability properties. While claudins and claudin-like molecules are present in some invertebrates, the association of claudins with tight junctions has been conclusively documented only in vertebrates. Here we report the sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and comprehensive spatiotemporal expression analysis of the entire claudin gene family in the basal extant vertebrate, the sea lamprey. Our results demonstrate that clear orthologues to about half of all mammalian claudins are present in the lamprey, suggesting that at least one round of whole genome duplication contributed to the diversification of …

Genomic Characterization Of Sarcomatoid Transformation In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Xiao Bi

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The presence of sarcomatoid features in renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) confers a poor prognosis. The mechanisms that account for these sarcomatoid features are unknown. We performed whole exome sequencing of matched normal-carcinomatous-sarcomatoid specimens from 21 subjects. Two tumors had hypermutation and a mutational signature consistent with mismatch repair deficiency. In the remaining 19 tumors, sarcomatoid and carcinomatous elements shared a mean of 45/108 (41.7%) somatic single nucleotide variants (SSNVs). Sarcomatoid elements had a higher overall SSNV burden (mean 90 vs 63 SSNVs, p=4.0x10-4), increased frequency of non-synonymous SSNVs in Pan-Cancer genes (mean 1.4 vs 0.26, p=0.002), and increased frequency of …

Transitioning Of Hiv-Infected Children From Pediatric To Adult Care: A Jamaican Case Study, Flavia De Souza

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Successful public access to antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings (RLS) has resulted in survival of HIV perinatally infected children into adulthood. There are few studies on transition of care in RLS, where 90% of HIV-infected children reside. We aimed to characterize the current landscape of the transfer process of HIV-infected adolescents in one such RLS, Jamaica. We conducted in-depth interviews of 18 HIV-infected adolescents in pediatric care and 21 health care providers. We analyzed the data using the grounded theory approach. Five themes emerged: 1. Pediatric clinics were like families who provided care-taking and developmental support in addition to HIV …

Language In Schizophrenia: What We Can Learn From Quantitative Text Analysis, Sasha Deutsch-Link

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

LANGUAGE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM QUANTITATIVE TEXT ANALYSIS

Sasha Deutsch-Link, Sarah Fineberg, Philip R. Corlett. Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Background: People living with schizophrenia demonstrate broad language and communication deficits. Prior research has focused on qualitative changes in thought, speech production, and language comprehension. In this thesis I expand upon our understanding of language in schizophrenia, by using a novel, quantitative method for language analysis, Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC).

Methods: I examined essays by four groups of authors: people with schizophrenia (n=77), family history of schizophrenia (n=25), psychiatric controls …

Viral Causes Of Gastroenteritis In The Era Of Widespread Rotavirus Vaccination, Dame Idossa

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: It is unknown if widespread use of Rotavirus (RV) vaccine will impact the primary causative agent of viral gastroenteritis (VGE).

Objective: To identify changes in epidemiology of VGE affected by vaccination, determine factors associated with higher severity of illness, and assess agreeability between two clinical severity-grading scales; Clark and Vesikari.

Methods: We analyzed fecal samples of children, 6 months-5 years of age, evaluated at YNHH for VGE. Fecal samples were tested using a real-time PCR assay. Primer and probe sequences targeted conserved regions of the genome for RV, Norovirus GI/GII, Adenovirus, Astrovirus, and Sapovirus. Data were analyzed using SPSS. …

Outcomes Following Heart Transplantation In A National Cohort: An Analysis Of The Organ Procurement And Transplantation Network’S Database, Oliver Kayden Jawitz

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

In this analysis, we examine a large national cohort within the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network’s (OPTN) United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database for the purpose of determining the impact of a recipient history of myocarditis as well as donor/recipient ABO compatibility on outcomes following heart transplantation. We used a nationwide sample with primary stratification between ABO identical and compatible heart transplantations or transplant recipients diagnosed with myocarditis and those diagnosed with ischemic or idiopathic cardiomyopathy. The primary end-point was graft failure from all causes. Post-transplant survival was compared between groups using univariate Kaplan-Meier as well as multivariate Cox …

Student Perspectives On Interprofessional Education: Implications For Curriculum Development, Jacob Alan Weatherly

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background

The Yale Schools of Medicine and Nursing and the Yale Physician Associate (PA) Program are collaborating to implement an interprofessional curriculum. Although healthcare organizations have called for interprofessional education (IPE), such initiatives have been difficult to implement. Per the Kern framework of curriculum development, design and implementation is likely to be more successful if a needs assessment is done as the first step.

Objective

To better understand healthcare professional students’ perspectives about IPE as part of a needs assessment for developing an IPE curriculum.

Methods

Because little is known about stakeholder perceptions of IPE, we used a qualitative, content …

A Comparison Of Superomedial Versus Inferior Pedicle Reduction Mammoplasty Using Three-Dimensional Analysis, Victor Zhang Zhu

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

A COMPARISON OF SUPEROMEDIAL VERSUS INFERIOR PEDICLE REDUCTION MAMMOPLASTY USING THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS.

Victor Z. Zhu, Ajul Shah, Rachel Lentz, Tracy Sturrock, Alexander F. Au, Stephanie L. Kwei.

Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Reduction mammoplasty using the inferior pedicle (IP) technique continues to be more commonly performed than the superomedial pedicle (SMP). This study uses three-dimensional (3D) imaging to compare postoperative linear and volumetric changes in SMP and IP breast reductions.

Reduction mammoplasty was performed using either a SMP or IP, with a Wise-pattern skin incision. Patients in each …

Identity-Construction And Development In The Modernist Bildungsroman, Victoria Gordon

Senior Theses

"Near the turn of the 20th century, with the advent of modernist modes of creation and thinking, there is a perceptible shift in the narrative of the Bildungsroman. This essay focuses on the shift in perception of the self and self-development in the modernist. Bildungsroman by performing a psychoanalytic reading of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian (1890) Gray and James Joyce’s The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." --pages 1-2

Remnants Of The Past: Grendel’S Mother, Wealhtheow, And The Pagan Past, Sarah Kinkade

Senior Theses

"Within medieval studies, Beowulf is, by far, one of the most well-known and analyzed texts. While much scholarship focuses on subjects such as lexical analysis, Beowulf’s actions, the symbolism of Grendel, women’s roles and expectations, medieval politics, and many other notable topics, a less-popular, but significant theme within Beowulf is the fluctuating state of religion throughout Anglo-Saxon history. Rather than depicting a binary system between Christianity and paganism, the poem acknowledges the ongoing conversion process, which presented overlaps of both beliefs. The result of this process was folklore and this ambiguous system plays a major role throughout Beowulf. However, this …