Digital Commons Network^™

Computational Investigation Of The Pore Formation Mechanism Of Beta-Hairpin Antimicrobial Peptides, Richard Lipkin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, usually cationic peptides that provide innate biological defenses against multiple agents. They have been proposed as the basis for novel antibiotics, but their pore formation has not been directly observed on a molecular level. We review previous computational studies of peptide-induced membrane pore formation and report several new molecular dynamics simulations of β-hairpin AMPs to elucidate their pore formation mechanism. We simulated β-barrels of various AMPs in anionic implicit membranes, finding that most of the AMPs’ β-barrels were not as stable as those of protegrin. We also performed an optimization study of protegrin β-barrels …

Ecologies Of Embodied Minds Embedded: Radical Romantic Perspectives On Architectures Of Technology, Sharmaine Browne

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores Romantic responses to the role of architectural technologies in the development of material being, consciousness, and culture by applying a critical approach in which I combine radical embodied cognitive theory, ecocritical perspectives, and a phenomenological lens to select Romantic texts written from 1789 to 1884 in response to industrial modernity. While scholarship has thoroughly explored technology as a cultural force which inevitably shapes consciousness, I propose that a slight shift of emphasis from technology’s external influence to the material internalization of its influence allows for new perspectives—particularly in light of recent proposals in cognitive philosophy which assert …

Prescription Opioid Misuse: Initiation, Sources Of Supply, And The Role Of Medical Providers, Alexandra Harocopos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Over the past 25 years, opioid analgesic misuse has increased dramatically in the U.S., with concomitant deleterious effects on health. Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that an estimated 4.3 million people aged 12 or older were current non-medical users of opioid analgesics, representing 1.6 percent of the population (SAMHSA, 2015), and unintentional drug poisoning deaths now surpass motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury death (CDC 2014). Opioid analgesics are produced in the U.S. within a system of tight control and any entity or person manufacturing, distributing, prescribing, or dispensing …

Continuum Electrostatics Analysis Of The Kok Cycle Of Photosystem Ii, Witold Szejgis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Kok cycle is catalytic process by which the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) oxidizes two water molecules forming oxygen. Four OEC oxidation states (S₀ to S₃) in the Kok cycle precede the final product formation in the S₄ state. Here a semi-empirical classical electrostatics analysis is applied to S₀ to S₃ states of the OEC is used to estimate the electrochemical midpoints for each S-state transition and the proton loss coupled to oxidation. To account for geometrical rearrangement within the cluster during Kok cycle optimized QM/MM geometries are used for each …

The Queer Allure Of Digital Sociality, Benjamin Parrish Haber

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores the resonance between queer sociality and emergent forms of digital communication. Drawing from queer theory and LGBTQ social histories, this dissertation charts the convergence of digital social modulation with the polyvalence, promiscuity, and mutability of queer sociality. A close analysis of the infrastructure and design of Facebook, Snapchat, Grindr, and other queered social media platforms demonstrates how digital capitalism’s desire for lifelong compulsive engagement is in part facilitated by an appropriation of the ongoingness of queer sexuality and relationality. In highlighting the key role of temporality, aesthetic, and affect in regulating the creation and circulation of digital …

Leveraging Partnerships And Collaboration To Advance Research: Kansas City Musculoskeletal Disease Consortium, Edward O'Connor, Robert A. White, William Duncan

Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Training Medical Scientists Of The Future, Robert A. White, Larry Segars, Marshall Andersen, Margaret Kincaid

Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Advancing Health Services Teams: Kcu Launches Only Clinical Psychology Program In The Two-State Region, Sarah E. Getch

Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Neuroimmunology: An Expanding Frontier In 21st Century Neurology, Mohammad Saeed, Arsalan Ahmad

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

The recent discovery of functional lymphatic vessels lining the dural sinuses shattered the long held view of the absence of CNS lymphatic vas culature and provided solid neuroanatomical ground for Neuroimmunology1. Moreover, it has been shown that there is the presence of what is known as the inflammatory reflex.

Impulsivity In Patients With Attempted Suicide Presenting At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Ayesha Abdul Hameed, Haresh Kumar, Sarika Bai, Azra Shaheen, Ravi Athwani, Mohammad Munir Hamirani

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of impulsivity in patients who attempted suicide presenting at a tertiary care hospital, Karachi. STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional study. STUDY SETTING: Study was led in the Psychiatry Department, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi. DURATION OF STUDY:Six month after approval of synopsis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data was prospectively collected from patients after taking verbal consent. Permission was taken from ethical review committee. 95 patients presenting to the Psychiatry Department who met the inclusion criteria were included. A brief history about suicide attempt and demographic data was taken from the patient and confirmed by an attendee. The researcher …

Cross-Reactive Immunity To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus And Its Contribution To Protection, Ignacio Correas

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to the vast geographical distribution and significant economic losses generated, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) can be considered the most important swine pathogen of contemporary times. Current control and eradication strategies against PRRSV have difficulty succeeding because of their complex nature and the absence of an effective vaccine. A major obstacle for PRRSV vaccine development is the broad heterogeneity of the virus, both at the genetic and antigenic level, its rapid evolution, and an incomplete knowledge of the immune responses responsible for clearing the virus from the host. Specifically, how known correlates of protection against PRRSV—neutralizing antibodies …

Resources And Tools For Generating And Mining Big Data, Sushma Naithani, Dhirendra Kumar

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Economic Injury Levels For Aphis Glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On The Soybean Aphid Tolerant Ks4202 Soybean, Lia Marchi-Werle, Edson L.L. Baldin, Hillary D. Fischer, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Thomas Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an invasive species from Asia that has been the major economic insect pest of soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, since 2000. While use of soybeans expressing antibiosis and antixenosis is a well-studied strategy to manage this pest, aphid-tolerant soybeans remain underexplored. This study examined the relationship between cumulative aphid-days (CAD) and yield loss in the tolerant soybean KS4202 during two growing seasons to determine the economic injury levels (EILs) for soybean aphids on KS4202. Soybean aphid infestations were initiated during the soybean reproductive stages. A range of CAD treatments (3,000–45,000 CADs) …

Charting A Pathway Forward: Redesigning And Realigning Supports And Services For Maine's Older Adults, Eileen Griffin Jd, Elizabeth C. Gattine Jd

Disability & Aging

The current growth of the population age 65 and older is one of the most significant demographic trends in the history of this country and is especially significant for Maine, where the number of people age 65 and older is growing even faster than the rest of the nation. By 2025, over a quarter of Maine’s population is expected to be age 65 and older. Because the cost of long term paid support is out of reach for many Mainers, public financing—particularly Medicaid financing—is an essential tool for addressing the long term support needs of older adults. But Medicaid is …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2016-2017, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY17. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Collateral Damage: The Gun Debate Moves Into America's National Parks, Clare E.M. Mack

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Bleached! The Catastrophe Management Of Corals, Irus Braverman

Journal Articles

Corals have recently emerged as both a sign and a measure of the imminent catastrophic future of life on earth and, as such, have become the focus of intense conservation management. Bleached! draws on in-depth interviews and participatory observations with coral scientists and managers to explore the management of the corals’ ecological catastrophe to come. The article starts by describing the unique life of corals, the importance of calculability in catastrophe management, and the coral scientists’ preoccupation with classifying, counting, and seeing in their attempt to comprehensibly monitor corals and anticipate their decline. Algorithmic models and elaborate temporal analyses are …

In Vivo Evaluation Of Antipyretic Effects Of Homoeopathic Ultrahigh Dilutions Of Typhoidinum On Baker's Yeast-Induced Fever In Comparison With Paracetamol, Saeed Ahmad, Tayyeba Rehman, Waheed Ababsi

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Introduction: Homoeopathy is a widely used, controversial alternative system of medicine. It is assumed that homoeopathic medicines are slower in action and does not work in acute conditions such as ‘fever’. The study aims to estimate the effectiveness of some homoeopathic remedies in fever and to compare their effects with Paracetamol. Materials and Methods: Baker's yeast fever model of rabbits was used in the study. Rabbits were divided into four different groups (n = 6). Rectal temperature was measured before and after fever induction hourly. After fever induction, medicines were administered orally. Paracetamol and Typhoidinum in 200C and 1M potencies …

A Case Report Of Fibroadenosis Alleviated With Homoeopathy, Bharti Wadhwa

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Fibroadenosis also known as fibrocystic breast disease constitutes the most frequent benign disorder of the breast causing constant breast pain. The only known treatment in conventional medicine is anti-inflammatory medicines which give temporary relief or surgical excision which results in scarring of breast tissue. The homoeopathic literature shows that cases related to breast lump, mastitis, etc. have been treated successfully; however, no case study/research trial has been documented till date in any peer-reviewed journal. The case reported here is of fibroadenosis in 31-year-old female who was treated successfully with individualised homoeopathic medicine within 6 months with no recurrence. Phytolacca was …

National Convention On World Homoeopathy Day: Enhancing Quality Of Research In Homoeopathy, Bindu Sharma, Reteka Sexena, Jitendra Sharma

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

A national convention on World Homoeopathy Day was held to commemorate the 262nd birth anniversary of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann on 9th–10th April, 2017 at National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa, New Delhi, India. The theme of the convention was ‘Enhancing Quality of Research in Homoeopathy’ inspired by the World Health Organization Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023 for achieving Universal Health Coverage. Organised by the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, an autonomous research organisation of the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, the convention witnessed 11 oral presentations and focused group discussions held in parallel in the main and side hall, respectively. …

Hyperfiltration-Associated Biomechanical Forces In Glomerular Injury And Response: Potential Role For Eicosanoids., Mukut Sharma, Ram Sharma, Ellen T. Mccarthy, Virginia J. Savin, Tarak Srivastava

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Hyperfiltration is a well-known risk factor in progressive loss of renal function in chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to various diseases. A reduced number of functional nephrons due to congenital or acquired cause(s) results in hyperfiltration in the remnant kidney. Hyperfiltration-associated increase in biomechanical forces, namely pressure-induced tensile stress and fluid flow-induced shear stress (FFSS) determine cellular injury and response. We believe the current treatment of CKD yields limited success because it largely attenuates pressure-induced tensile stress changes but not the effect of FFSS on podocytes. Studies on glomerular podocytes, tubular epithelial cells and bone osteocytes provide evidence for a …

An Automated Workflow For Quantifying Rna Transcripts In Individual Cells In Large Data-Sets, Matthew C. Pharris, Tzu-Ching Wu, Xinping Chen, Xu Wang, David M. Umulis, Vikki M. Weake, Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem

Department of Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Advanced molecular probing techniques such as single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) or RNAscope can be used to assess the quantity and spatial location of mRNA transcripts within cells. Quantifying mRNA expression in large image sets usually involves automated counting of fluorescent spots. Though conventional spot counting algorithms may suffice, they often lack high-throughput capacity and accuracy in cases of crowded signal or excessive noise. Automatic identification of cells and processing of many images is still a challenge. We have developed a method to perform automatic cell boundary identification while providing quantitative data about mRNA transcript levels across many …

Identifying And Reducing Variability, Improving Scaffold Morphology, And Investigating Alternative Materials For The Blood Vessel Mimic Lab Electrospinning Process, Evan M. Dowey

Master's Theses

The work of the Cal Poly Tissue Engineering Lab is primarily focused on the fabrication, characterization, and improvement of “Blood Vessel Mimics” (BVMs), tissue engineered constructs used to evaluate cellular response to vascular medical devices. Currently, cells are grown onto fibrous, porous tubes made using an in-house electrospinning process from PLGA, a biocompatible co-polymer. The adhesion and proliferation of cells in a BVM is reliant on the micro-scale structure of the PLGA scaffold, and as such it is of great importance for the electrospinning process to consistently produce scaffolds of similar morphologies. Additionally, it has been shown that cell proliferation …

S-100 Negative Granular Cell Tumor (So-Called Primitive Polypoid Non-Neural Granular Cell Tumor) Of The Oral Cavity, Yeshwant B. Rawal, Thomas B. Dodson

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Four cases of cutaneous S-100 negative granular cell tumor were described in 1991. Until now, only 3 cases of oral involvement have been documented in English literature. Two additional cases of oral S-100 negative granular cell tumor are described. Immunohistochemical markers were applied to exclude other lesions that may show the presence of granular cells. The clinical findings were correlated with the histopathological and immunohistochemical features to arrive at the appropriate diagnosis. S-100 negative granular cell tumors are erythematous polypoid masses commonly mistaken for granulation tissue or a pyogenic granuloma. Any part of the oral cavity may be affected. Histopathologically, …

Evaluation Of Die Trim Morphology Made By Cad-Cam Technology, Pratiksha Agrawal, Geoffrey A. Thompson, Seok-Hwan Cho, Gerald J. Ziebert

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Statement of problem

The die contour can affect the emergence profile of prosthetic restorations. However, little information is available regarding the congruency between a stereolithographic (SLA) die and its corresponding natural tooth.

Purpose

The purpose of this vitro study was to evaluate the shapes of SLA die in comparison with the subgingival contour of a prepared tooth to be restored with a ceramic crown.

Material and methods

Twenty extracted human teeth, 10 incisors, and 10 molars, were disinfected and mounted in a typodont model. The teeth were prepared for a ceramic restoration. Definitive impressions were made using an intraoral scanner …

Quantifying The Effects Of Land Use And Climate On Holocene Vegetation In Europe, Laurent Marquer, Marie José Gaillard, Shinya Sugita, Anneli Poska, Anna Kari Trondman, Florence Mazier, Anne Birgitte Nielsen, Ralph M. Fyfe, Anna Maria Jönsson, Benjamin Smith, Jed O. Kaplan, Teija Alenius, H. John B. Birks, Anne E. Bjune, Jörg Christiansen, John Dodson, Kevin J. Edwards, Thomas Giesecke, Ulrike Herzschuh, Mihkel Kangur, Tiiu Koff, Małgorzata Latałowa, Jutta Lechterbeck, Jörgen Olofsson, Heikki Seppä

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Human Eyes Do Not Need Monochromatic Aberrations For Dynamic Accommodation, P Bernal‐Molina, I Marín‐Franch, Aj Del Águila-Carrasco, Jj Esteve‐Taboada, Et Al

School of Health Professions

Purpose To determine if human accommodation uses the eye's own monochromatic aberrations to track dynamic accommodative stimuli. Methods Wavefront aberrations were measured while subjects monocularly viewed a monochromatic Maltese cross moving sinusoidally around 2D of accommodative demand with 1D amplitude at 0.2 Hz. The amplitude and phase (delay) of the accommodation response were compared to the actual vergence of the stimulus to obtain gain and temporal phase, calculated from wavefront aberrations recorded over time during experimental trials. The tested conditions were as follows: Correction of all the subject's aberrations except defocus (C); Correction of all the subject's aberrations except defocus …

Strain Specific Effects Of Low Level Lead Exposure On Associative Learning And Memory In Rats., Megha Verma, J. S. Schneider

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Exposure to lead (Pb) remains a significant public health concern. Lead exposure in early life impairs the normal development of numerous cognitive and neurobehavioral processes. Previous work has shown that the effects of developmental Pb exposure on gene expression patterns in the brain are modulated by various factors including the developmental timing of the exposure, level of exposure, sex, and genetic background. Using gene microarray profiling, we previously reported a significant strain-specific effect of Pb exposure on the hippocampal transcriptome, with the greatest number of differentially expressed transcripts in Long Evans (LE) rats and the fewest in Sprague Dawley (SD) …

T6ss Intraspecific Competition Orchestrates Vibrio Cholerae Genotypic Diversity, Benjamin Kostiuk, Daniel Unterweger, Daniele Provenzano, Stefan Pukatzki

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Vibrio cholerae is a diverse species that inhabits a wide range of environments from copepods in brackish water to the intestines of humans. In order to remain competitive, V. cholerae uses the versatile type-VI secretion system (T6SS) to secrete anti-prokaryotic and anti-eukaryotic effectors. In addition to competing with other bacterial species, V. cholerae strains also compete with one another. Some strains are able to coexist, and are referred to as belonging to the same compatibility group. Challenged by diverse competitors in various environments, different V. choleare strains secrete different combination of effectors - presumably to best suit their niche. Interestingly, …

Aquaculture Of Coral, Live Rock And Live Sand In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Principles and Guidelines Relating to the Assessment of Licences for the Aquaculture of Coral, Live Rock and Live Sand in Western Australia