Digital Commons Network^™

From The President, Terry Dwain Robertson

Faculty Publications

Reflects on the history of ASDAL and its many cooperative projects.

Region Of Smooth Functions For Positive Solutions To An Elliptic Biological Model, Joon Hyuk Kang, Timothy Robertson

Faculty Publications

The non-existence and existence of the positive solution to the generalized elliptic model ∆u+g(u v) = 0 in Ω, ∆v+h(u, v) = 0 in Ω, u=v= 0 on∂Ω, were investigated.

Defining The Food Movement In Sacramento, California: Branding America’S Farm-To-Fork Capital, Dawnie Marie Andrak

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In October 2012, then-Mayor Kevin Johnson, surrounded by the region’s chefs, restaurateurs, and others working in the food arena, proclaimed the City of Sacramento “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital.” The basis for the designation, in part, was Sacramento’s geographic proximity to agricultural production. With more than 50 farmers markets and between 7,000 – 8,000 acres of “boutique farms” in the region, the Mayor stated the designation would be more than “simply a marketing campaign.” Based on interviews with a wide variety of people working in “local food” (including a non-profit organization with a mission to get kids to eat their vegetables, large …

Autonomous Driving With A Simulation Trained Convolutional Neural Network, Cameron Franke

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles will help society if they can easily support a broad range of driving environments, conditions, and vehicles.

Achieving this requires reducing the complexity of the algorithmic system, easing the collection of training data, and verifying operation using real-world experiments. Our work addresses these issues by utilizing a reflexive neural network that translates images into steering and throttle commands. This network is trained using simulation data from Grand Theft Auto V~\cite{gtav}, which we augment to reduce the number of simulation hours driven. We then validate our work using a RC car system through numerous tests. Our system successfully drive …

Examining The Relationship Between Exercise Induced Fatigue And Postural Stability Among Geriatric Patients With Vestibular Disorders, Alexis Christine King

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study examined: (1) the relationship between exercise induced fatigue and postural balance amongst geriatric patients with vestibular disorders. (2) Assessed the duration for postural stability to return to baseline measurements upon induced fatigue.

Methods: A controlled pre-post test experimental design method was used during this study. This study incorporated a quantitative analysis to explore the relationship between exercise induced fatigue and postural balance with a sample of 24 subjects. The subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. Baseline postural stability measurements were conducted prior to all subject testing and were accounted for again once …

Studies On Development In Euphilomedes Ostracods: Embryology, Nervous System Development, And The Genetics Of Sexually Dimorphic Eye Development, Kristina Koyama

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Model organism studies have been fundamental in understanding evolutionary and developmental biology. However, non-model organisms present opportunities to study unique characteristics and as comparisons to model organisms, leading us toward broader and more relevant perspectives on diversity. The Euphilomedes genus of ostracods is an example of a non-model group with potential for evolutionary and developmental studies.

Ostracoda is an ancient, basally branching lineage of Crustaceans with a complete and prodigious fossil record. Despite the group’s promise for evolutionary studies, much remains unknown about the basic biology of this clade. There are a limited number of embryogenesis studies in Ostracoda; here, …

Using The Medication Cabinet To Predict Fall Risk In Elderly Adults, Jessica Lopez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Background: In the United States, 30-60% of older adults fall each year; 10-20% of these falls result in injury, hospitalization, or even death. Better prevention of falls in this population may be facilitated by broader identification of risk factors. The use of statins has emerged as a potential risk factor, but the data provide conflicted results.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between statin use and falls among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: We evaluated the patient registry of a Level 1 trauma center. All patients aged > 50 years who were admitted for falls in 2015 were included (n=615). Many of these …

The Effect Of Token Reinforcement On Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity Exhibited By Young Children, Rutvi R. Patel

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

We used a multiple-baseline across participants and combined reversal and multielement design to assess the effects of contingent-token-reinforcement, compared to noncontingent-token-reinforcement, on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) exhibited by four preschool-aged children. Three children engaged in higher levels of MVPA when tokens were delivered contingent on MVPA compared to baseline (no token) and noncontingent-token conditions. Although MVPA was differentiated across contingent-token sessions and corresponding baseline (no token) control probes for three of the four participants, some variability was apparent. The present study demonstrated that the delivery of tokens contingent on MVPA can increase and maintain MVPA exhibited by preschool-aged children, resulting …

Clinical Factors Associated With Hepatitis C Treatment Selection In A Veterans Affairs Population, Carly Anne Ranson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hepatitis C virus is currently the most common chronic blood borne pathogen in the United States, with only half of those infected aware of their condition. The cost for treatment is higher with Harvoni® (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir) than Viekira Pak® (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir). With finite resources available to treat patients, it is important to understand which clinical factors may influence treatment selection decisions.

Methods: The study is a 12-month medical record review within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system to evaluate significant relationships between selected clinical and sociodemographic factors and HCV treatment selection with either Harvoni® or Viekira Pak®. Clinical and demographic …

Preclinical Evaluation Of Ag10 For Therapeutic Use Against Familial Amyloid Cardiomyopathy And Its Application In Various Other Technologies, Mark Russell Miller

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is a progressive, fatal disease in which deposition of amyloid derived from either mutant or wild-type TTR causes severe organ damage and dysfunction. TTR cardiomyopathy is an infiltrative, restrictive cardiomyopathy characterized by progressive left and right heart failure. Familial amyloid cardiomyopathy (FAC) is driven by pathogenic point mutations in the TTR gene that destabilize the TTR tetramer, prompting its dissociation into dimers and monomers, with subsequent misfolding, aggregation and deposition of toxic TTR amyloid aggregates in the myocardium. The most prevalent mutation that causes FAC is the V122I variant, carried by 3.4% of African Americans, that increases …

Porphyromonas Gingivalis-Stimulated Macrophage Subsets Exhibit Differential Induction And Responsiveness To Interleukin-10, Andrew D. Foey, Neama Habil, Khalid Al-Shaghdali, St John Crean

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Long-Run Determination Of The Real Exchange Rate. Evidence From An Intertemporal Modelling Framework Using The Dollar-Pound Exchange Rate., Ioannis Litsios, Keith Pilbeam

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.

Erratum. Direct Substrate Delivery Into Mitochondrial Fission–Deficient Pancreatic Islets Rescues Insulin Secretion. Diabetes 2017;66:1247–1257, Ud Kabra, K Pfuhlmann, A Migliorini, S Keipert, D Lamp, O Korsgren, M Gegg, Sc Woods, Pt Pfluger, H Lickert, C Affourtit, Mh Tschöp, M Jastroch

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

On Vs. Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: The Next Chapter, Nicola King

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Rapid Rhd Zygosity Determination Using Digital Pcr., Kelly A. Sillence, Amr J. Halawani, Wajnat A. Tounsi, Kirsty A. Clarke, Michele Kiernan, Tracey E. Madgett, Neil D. Avent

School of Biomedical Sciences

BACKGROUND: Paternal zygosity testing is used for determining homo- or hemizygosity of RHD in pregnancies that are at a risk of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. At present, this is achieved by using real-time PCR or the Rhesus box PCR, which can be difficult to interpret and unreliable, particularly for black African populations. METHODS: DNA samples extracted from 58 blood donors were analyzed using 2 multiplex reactions for RHD-specific targets against a reference (AGO1)(2) to determine gene dosage by digital PCR. Results were compared with serological data, and the correct genotype for 2 discordant results was determined by …

Meta-Analysis Comparing Bioresorbable Vs. Drug-Eluting Stents, N King, C Wood, Na Smart

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Kinetic Measurements Of Di- And Tripeptide And Peptidomimetic Drug Transport In Different Kidney Regions Using The Fluorescent Membrane Potential-Sensitive Dye, Dis-C3-(3)., Othman A. Alghamdi, Nicola King, Graham L. Jones, Pierre D.J. Moens

School of Biomedical Sciences

Tri- and dipeptides are transported in the kidney by PEPT1 and PEPT2 isoforms. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in transport kinetics between renal brush border (BBMV) and outer medulla (OMMV) membrane vesicles (where PEPT1 and PEPT2 are sequentially available) for a range of di- and tripeptides and peptidomimetic drugs. This was accomplished through the use of the potential-sensitive fluorescent dye 3,3'-dipropylthiacarbocyanine iodide [DiS-C3-(3)]. BBMV and OMMV were prepared from the rat kidney using standard techniques. The presence of PEPT1 in BBMV and PEPT2 in OMMV was confirmed using Western blotting. Fluorescence changes were measured when extravesicular …

Identification Of The Direct Regulon Of Ntca During Early Acclimation To Nitrogen Starvation In The Cyanobacterium Synechocystis Sp. Pcc 6803., Joaquín Giner-Lamia, Rocío Robles-Rengel, Miguel A. Hernández-Prieto, Mi Muro-Pastor, Francisco J. Florencio, Matthias E. Futschik

School of Biomedical Sciences

In cyanobacteria, nitrogen homeostasis is maintained by an intricate regulatory network around transcription factor NtcA. Although mechanisms controlling NtcA activity appear to be well understood, its regulon remains poorly defined. To determine the NtcA regulon during the early stages of nitrogen starvation for the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation, followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq), in parallel with transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq). Through combining these methods, we determined 51 genes activated and 28 repressed directly by NtcA. In addition to genes associated with nitrogen and carbon metabolism, a considerable number of genes without current functional annotation were among …

Ab0115 Comparison Of The Bacterial Stool Microbiota In Established Psoriatic Arthritis (Psa) And Psoriasis (Psc) - Exploratory Analysis Of Pilot Data, M Castelino, M Tutino, J Moat, Uz Ijaz, R Parslew, A Al-Sharqi, Rb Warren, C Quince, P Ho, M Upton, S Eyre, A Barton

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Is There A Long-Term Survival Benefit With On Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting?, Nicola King

School of Biomedical Sciences

A simple choice? Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has become the gold standard of care for the treatment of coronary artery disease involving multiple vessels (1). This involves a choice as to whether to perform the surgery on (with cardiopulmonary bypass, CPB) or off pump (on the beating heart, without CPB). Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages. On pump surgery provides a motionless operative field, but can be associated with a number of complications including myocardial ischemic injury, coagulation disorders, neurocognitive deficits, strokes and a systemic inflammatory response (2). In contrast off pump surgery avoids aortic manipulation and, although …

Computational Molecular Networks And Network Pharmacology, K Ning, X Zhao, A Poetsch, W-H Chen, J Yang

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.