Digital Commons Network^™

Ruthenium Catalyzed Deaminative Coupling Reaction Of Amines Via C-N Bond Activation, Pandula T. Kirinde Arachchige

Master's Theses (2009 -)

C–N bond activation via transition-metal catalyst has attracted much attention during the past two decades. This strategy has become one of the most promising way to generate secondary amines, which are very important in a broad spectrum of applications in pharmaceutical industry, synthetic organic chemistry and material science. The secondary amines can be utilized as an important synthetic intermediate for further manipulations. The in-situ formed catalytic system generated from the tetranuclear Ru–H complex with 4-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,2-benzenediol ligand was found to be effective for the synthesis of secondary amines from the direct deaminative coupling of amines. The ruthenium catalyst was highly effective …

Elucidating The Mechanical, Structural, Functional, And Molecular Mechanisms Involved In Irreversible Vascular Changes In Aortic Coarctation, Brandon Wegter

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a constriction of the thoracic aorta and is one of the most common congenital cardiovascular defects. Treatment by surgical correction has saved the lives of thousands of children, but many still have a reduced lifespan due to hypertension. Previous results using our novel rabbit model showed that the current treatment guideline of a 20 mmHg blood pressure gradient (BPG) induces irreversible vascular changes, which persisted despite correction. Preliminary data of the downregulation of natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPR-C) in proximal aortic tissue of human patients with CoA serves as the possible underlying mechanism for …

Association Of Disease Location And Treatment With Survival In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Of The Eye And Ocular Adnexal Region., Aseef H H. Ahmed, C. Stephen Foster, Carol L. Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Importance: Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the ocular region is rare, and the utility of surgery and radiation therapy remains unresolved.

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics and determine factors associated with overall survival in primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) and ocular adnexal (OA)-uveal DLBCL.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective analysis included 396 patients with ophthalmic DLBCL from January 1, 1973, through December 31, 2014, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The median follow-up was 39.0 months (interquartile range, 5.1-72.9 months). All patients diagnosed with primary DLBCL of the eye or retina (PVRL) or the eyelid, …

Columns Fall 2017, Southern Adventist University

Alumni Newsletter

Features the article " Who Is My Neighbor?". Southern alumni and students have stepped up to help refugees both internationally and closer to home.

Exploiting Conservation Lands: Can Hydrofracking Be Consistent With Conservation Easements?, Jessica Owley, Collin Doane

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Metamorphic Code Generation Using Llvm, Michael Crawford

Master's Projects

Each instance of metamorphic software changes its internal structure, but the function remains essentially the same. Such metamorphism has been used primarily by malware writers as a means of evading signature-based detection. However, metamorphism also has potential beneficial uses in fields related to software protection. In this research, we develop a practical framework within the LLVM compiler that automatically generates metamorphic code, where the user has well-defined control over the degree of morphing applied to the code. We analyze the effectiveness of this metamorphic generator based on Hidden Markov Model (HMM) analysis, and discover that HMMs are effective at detection …

Detecting Encrypted Malware Using Hidden Markov Models, Dhiviya Dhanasekar

Master's Projects

Encrypted code is often present in some types of advanced malware, while such code virtually never appears in legitimate applications. Hence, the presence of encrypted code within an executable file could serve as a strong heuristic for detecting malware. In this research, we consider the feasibility of detecting encrypted code using hidden Markov models.

Establishing Rules For Self-Organizing Systems-Of-Systems, David M. Curry, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Self-organizing systems-of-systems offer the possibility of autonomously adapting to new circumstances and tasking. This could significantly benefit large endeavors such as smart cities and national defense by increasing the probability that new situations are expediently handled. Complex self-organizing behaviors can be produced by a large set of individual agents all following the same simple set of rules. While biological rule sets have application in achieving human goals, other rules sets may be necessary as these goals are not necessarily mirrored in nature. To this end, a set of system, rather than biologically, inspired rules is introduced and an agent-based model …

Mobility Limitations And Fear Of Falling In Non-English Speaking Older Mexican-Americans, Eric G. James, Phillip Conatser, Murat Karabulut, Suzanne G. Leveille, Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, Sarah Cote, Katherine L. Tucker, Bruce Barton, Jonathan F. Bean, Soham Al Snih, Kyriakos S. Markides

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine whether older Mexican-Americans who cannot speak and/or understand spoken English have higher rates of mobility limitations or fear of falling than their English-speaking counterparts.

Design: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1169 community-dwelling Mexican-Americans aged 72–96 years from the 2000–2001 wave of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly. Mobility limitations were defined as having a Short Physical Performance Battery score ≤9, and fear of falling by participant report of being somewhat, fairly, or very afraid of falling. We determined the rates and odds ratios, for having mobility limitations and fear of falling …

Mobility Limitations And Fear Of Falling In Non-English Speaking Older Mexican-Americans, Eric G. James, Phillip Conatser, Murat Karabulut, Suzanne G. Leveille, Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, Sarah Cote, Katherine L. Tucker, Bruce Barton, Jonathan F. Bean, Soham Al Snih, Kyriakos S. Markides

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine whether older Mexican-Americans who cannot speak and/or understand spoken English have higher rates of mobility limitations or fear of falling than their English-speaking counterparts.

Design: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1169 community-dwelling Mexican-Americans aged 72–96 years from the 2000–2001 wave of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly. Mobility limitations were defined as having a Short Physical Performance Battery score ≤9, and fear of falling by participant report of being somewhat, fairly, or very afraid of falling. We determined the rates and odds ratios, for having mobility limitations and fear of falling …

Metabarcoding Analyses Of Gut Microbiome Compositions In Red Abalone (Haliotis Rufescens, Swainson, 1822) Fed Different Macroalgal Diets, Jinchen Guo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Growth and gut microbiome composition of Red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, fed different diets were compared after six months. The diet treatments were starvation and three fresh macroalgal diets (Macrocystis pyrifera, Palmaria mollis, and Ulva lactuca). Abalone shell length and wet in-shell mass were measured for growth comparisons across treatments. Contents of the buccal cavity, intestine, and stomach, as well as seawater and macroalgal tissue samples, were also collected monthly for 16S rRNA Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Shell length and wet in-shell mass showed significant difference among treatments (two-way ANOVA test, F(2,74)=4.26, p=0.019) and months (two-way ANOVA …

Nutrient Dynamics In Tidally Restricted Regions Of The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Maureen M. Wise

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Elkhorn Slough, in the heart of the Monterey Bay, includes water bodies that have been isolated from tidal flushing cycles by dikes, levees, roads and train tracks. This partitioning has changed the functionality of these systems primarily through reduced circulation and increased eutrophication. The Elkhorn Slough is surrounded by a patchwork of lands under varied land-uses, including open space, developed properties, and extensive agriculture, that results in high and variable nutrient loading into the surrounding aquatic habitat. Water bodies of restricted flow disproportionately exhibit impacts due to this loading. In this study, nutrient concentrations were measured using both discrete …

Effects Of Winter And Summer Thermal Variability Regimes On Growth And Metabolism In Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis), Spenser Chicoine

All NMU Master's Theses

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a cold-water species with a narrow range of thermal tolerance. Climate change projections show that in addition to increases in average temperatures worldwide, daily thermal variability is increasing. Such conditions could prove challenging for brook trout and other ectotherms that are adapted to small temperature ranges. This research investigates how the growth and metabolic capacities of brook trout respond to long-term exposure to thermal variation. Groups of fish were reared under three thermal regimes: constant baily temperature, a 4°C daily range, and an 8°C daily range in a controlled lab setting. This was …

Learning To Read English, Charles A. Perfetti, Lindsay N. Harris

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Automatic Higher Order Mesh Generation And Movement Utilizing Spring-Field And Vector-Adding, Tuo Liu

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this research, an automatic, complex geometry applicable, unstructured curved 2D mesh generation method is developed. Based on this 2D method, an extension to 3D geometries is developed. The methodology of this mesh generation is to provide near-body and off-body meshes by an advancing-layer method to avoid mesh quality problems in transition areas, while using spring models to complement the advancing-layers by smoothing the mesh, especially in medial axis regions. After generating the linear mesh, a higher-order finite-element ready, curved mesh is obtained by deforming the linear mesh through “pipes” using a simple Vector-Adding approach. Different from most curved viscous …

Fall 2017, A Summer Of New Unh International Program, An Unbelizeable Experience!, Patricia A. Halpin

UNH International Educator Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Loyalty To Nature: Royce's Latent Environmental Philosophy, Albert R. Spencer

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article surveys recent attempts to articulate the latent environmental philosophy of Josiah Royce (Selk; Oppenheim; Price; Bell; Minteer; Brunson) and to assess the merits and flaws of these attempts. It will then orient Royce's latent environmental philosophy within the context of contemporary methodologies of environmental ethics in the hopes of demonstrating Royce's relevance and potential to these engagements of current ecological crises. It will conclude by articulating a unique perspective of loyalty to nature founded on a Roycean appeal to moral perfectionism, his response to the egoism of Friedrich Nietzsche, and a blending of the sources presented at the …

Chairs Of Excellence Annual Report 2017, Tennessee. Higher Education Commission.

Academic Programs and Workforce Reports

No abstract provided.

Annotated Legal Bibliography

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Social Norms, Heinrich Popitz

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Full Issue 11.2

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Mechanism Of Action Of American Ginseng And Its Components In The Treatment Of Ulcerative Colitis, Anusha Chaparala

Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), mainly ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD), are chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract affecting millions of people worldwide. The incidence of IBD is steadily increasing in the modern world due to changes in dietary habits and other environmental influences that originated from industrialization. The etiology is poorly understood but is believed to be a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and overactive immune system. UC is characterized by inflammation and ulceration of colonic mucosa and rectum and has a higher incidence than CD. Aside from severely affecting the quality of life of the …

Hmgb1-Rage Pathway Drives Peroxynitrite Signaling-Induced Ibd-Like Inflammation In Murine Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Varun Chandrashekaran, Ratanesh K. Seth, Diptadip Dattaroy, Firas Alhasson, Jacek Ziolenka, James Carson, Franklin G. Berger, Balaraman Kalyanaraman, Anna Mae Diehl, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

Recent clinical studies found a strong association of colonic inflammation and Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like phenotype with NonAlcoholic Fatty liver Disease (NAFLD) yet the mechanisms remain unknown. The present study identifies high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as a key mediator of intestinal inflammation in NAFLD and outlines a detailed redox signaling mechanism for such a pathway. NAFLD mice showed liver damage and release of elevated HMGB1 in systemic circulation and increased intestinal tyrosine nitration that was dependent on NADPH oxidase. Intestines from NAFLD mice showed higher Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation and proinflammatory cytokine release, an outcome strongly …

An Unparalleled Opportunity For An Important Ecological Study, L. David Mech, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, Juan Carlos Blanco, Luigi Boitani, Ludwig Carbyn, Glenn Delgiudice, Steven H. Fritts, Djuro Huber, Olof Liberg, Brent Patterson, Richard R. Thiel

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Wolves (Canis lupus) and moose (Alces americanus) have been studied since 1958 on 540-squarekilometer Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior. Wolves arrived there across the ice around 1949, and the population once increased to about 50, averaging about 25 annually (Mech 1966, Jordan et al. 1967, Vucetich and Peterson 2009). However, for various reasons, wolf numbers there have now dwindled to 2 nonbreeders, and the US National Park Service has proposed reintroducing 20–30 wolves over 3 years (National Park Service 2016). This situation offers an unparalleled opportunity to promote science-based management of this unique national park. …

Who Can Deviate From The Party Line? Political Ideology Moderates Evaluation Of Incongruent Policy Positions In Insula And Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Ingrid J. Haas, Melissa N. Baker, Frank J. Gonzalez

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Political polarization at the elite level is a major concern in many contemporary democracies, which is argued to alienate large swaths of the electorate and prevent meaningful social change from occurring, yet little is known about how individuals respond to political candidates who deviate from the party line and express policy positions incongruent with their party affiliations. This experiment examines the neural underpinnings of such evaluations using functional MRI (fMRI). During fMRI, participants completed an experimental task where they evaluated policy positions attributed to hypothetical political candidates. Each block of trials focused on one candidate (Democrat or Republican), but all …

Is Cooperative Memory Special? The Role Of Costly Errors, Context, And Social Network Size When Remembering Cooperative Actions, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Tim Winke

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Theoretical studies of cooperative behavior have focused on decision strategies, such as tit-for-tat, that depend on remembering a partner’s last choices. Yet, an empirical study by Stevens et al. (2011) demonstrated that human memory may not meet the requirements that needed to use these strategies. When asked to recall the previous behavior of simulated partners in a cooperative memory task, participants performed poorly, making errors in 10–24% of the trials. However, we do not know the extent to which this task taps specialized cognition for cooperation. It may be possible to engage participants in more cooperative, strategic thinking, which may …

Ydj1 Governs Fungal Morphogenesis And Stress Response, And Facilitates Mitochondrial Protein Import Via Mas1 And Mas2, Jinglin L. Xie, Iryna Bohovych, Erin O.Y. Wong, Jean-Philippe Lambert, Anne-Claude Gingras, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Leah E. Cowen, Michelle D. Leach

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Mitochondria underpin metabolism, bioenergetics, signalling, development and cell death in eukaryotes. Most of the ~1,000 yeast mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus and synthesised as precursors in the cytosol, with mitochondrial import facilitated by molecular chaperones. Here, we focus on the Hsp40 chaperone Ydj1 in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, finding that it is localised to both the cytosol and outer mitochondrial membrane, and is required for cellular stress responses and for filamentation, a key virulence trait. Mapping the Ydj1 protein interaction network highlighted connections with co-chaperones and regulators of filamentation. Furthermore, the mitochondrial processing peptidases Mas1 and …

Dengue Fever: Clinical Features Of 567 Consecutive Patients Admitted To A Tertiary Care Center In Saudi Arabia, Samar Badreddine, Fahmi Al-Dhaheri, Ammar Al-Dabbagh, Abdulrahman Al-Amoudi, Maged Al-Ammari, Nader Elatassi, Haytham Abbas, Rami Magliah, Abdulbasit Malibari, Hani Almoallim

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To delineate the clinical features and outcomes of dengue infection and to guide clinician of early diagnosis and identification of risks factors for dengue hemorrhagic fever. Methods: This study is a retrospective cross-sectional. Clinical records of 567 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of dengue infection, admitted to a single hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between January 2010 and June 2014 were reviewed. Results: Dengue infection was most common in adult males. Sixty-eight percent of infections were in Saudi nationals. In addition to the diagnostic clinical features, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia were typical of dengue infection. Approximately 4.1% of adult patients …

How To Draw Electricity From The Bloodstream: A One-Dimensional Fluidic Nanogenerator With A High Power-Conversion Efficiency

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Lethal And Nonlethal Management Options For Urban Coyotes, Stewart W. Breck, Sharon A. Poessel, Mary Ann Bonnell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human–coyote (Canis latrans) conflict in urban environments is a growing issue in cities throughout the United States, with the primary problem being the development of problem individuals that are overly bold and aggressive with people and pets. Little research has focused on management options to deal with this conflict. We better define lethal and nonlethal management strategies associated with proactive and reactive management of coyotes with an emphasis on management of problem individuals. We then provide data from research in the Denver Metropolitan Area (DMA), Colorado, USA that focused on reactive lethal removal of problem coyotes and reactive …