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Fundamental Studies On Ultrafast Separations And Development Of Geopolymer Based Base-Stable Stationary Phase Media, Rasangi Madhumali Wimalasinghe K.K.D.G.

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

This thesis consists of two sections. In the first section fundamentals of ultrafast separations is discussed. Ultrafast chromatography is an emerging area of separation science due to its applicability in high-throughput separations and purifications. State of the art superficially porous particles packed short and ultrashort columns are utilized to obtain the amenable speed and chromatographic efficiency required in ultrafast chromatography. Modifications to state of the art HPLC and UHPLC instrumentation required in cases where ultrafast separations are needed. Sub-second liquid chromatographic separations and ultrafast separations of biomolecules and complex mixtures are demonstrated. Fundamentals behind the analytical chromatographic column packing are …

Large-Scale Deep Learning With Application In Medical Imaging And Bio-Informatics, Zheng Xu

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

With the recent advancement of the deep learning technology in the artificial intelligence area, nowadays people's lives have been drastically changed. However, the success of deep learning technology mostly relies on large-scale high-quality data-sets. The complexity of deeper model and larger scale datasets have brought us significant challenges. Inspired by this trend, in this dissertation, we focus on developing efficient and effective large-scale deep learning techniques in solving real-world problems, like cell detection in hyper-resolution medical image or drug screening from millions of compound candidates. With respect to the hyper-resolution medical imaging cell detection problem, the challenges are mainly the …

The Evolution Of Vertebrate Brain Architecture In Response To Divergent Natural Selection: Concerted Vs. Mosaic Evolution?, Sara Stearns

2018 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Extensive variation in the size and structure of the vertebrate brain is well documented. How the architecture of the brain evolves in response to divergent selection remains an open question. One theory states brain structures evolve in concert; a competing theory states components evolve independently in a mosaic pattern. Tests within a single species are nonexistent. A killifish (Rivulus hartii) is found in localities that differ in the presence and absence of fish predators on the island of Trinidad. We showed previously that decreased predation is associated with evolution of a larger overall brain size in male Rivulus. Here we …

Preparation Of Dual Fluorescence Agents-Loaded Nanoparticle And Its In Vitro And In Vivo Application, Hong-Hao Thi Vu

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

There’re many existing imaging tools that composed of different imaging moieties to improve both resolution and sensitivity, however there’s not yet any imaging method that could be effectively utilized in both in vitro and in vivo study. To fill the gap, dual dyes-labeling fluorescent imaging nanoprobes was synthesized to simultaneous carry both visible fluorescent isothiocyanate (FITC) dye and near infra red (NIR) dye, 1,1′,3,3,3′,3′- hexamethylindotricarbocyanine iodide dye agent (HITC). For that, nanoparticles (NPs) was synthesized from 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate, styrene, acrylic acid and fluorescein-o-acrylate which contains visible FITC dye. The NPs were then labeled with HITC dye via physical entrapment to …

Underdamped Motion Of A Microbead In Optical Tweezer And Its Relationship With The Reynolds Number, Vatsal Asitkumar Joshi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Optical tweezers can hold and manipulate microscopic objects with the use of a highly focused laser beam. The radiation pressure acting on the object is generally in the range of piconewtons and can be attractive or repulsive based on the reflective indexes of the object and the surrounding medium. Though the advances in the field of Optical tweezers have been enormous in the past few years, only the object's planer motion can be analyzed with the motion capture technology available today. Due to the wide applications of Optical tweezers in the field of biology and physics, the ability to simulate …

Examining How Race Mediates Teacher-Student Relationships, Christa Tillman-Young

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study focused on the role that race plays in Teacher-Student Relationships (TSRs). The study took place at a middle school in North Texas. A racially diverse group of teachers at the school was interviewed regarding their stances on establishing relationships with their students as well as their experiences and views of race and racial injustice in education. A racially diverse group of students completed a questionnaire regarding the quality of TSRs they experienced in the classroom and the role that race played in these experiences. The data from the teacher interviews were coded and cross-referenced with the student questionnaire …

Exploring The Impact Of Pretrained Bidirectional Language Models On Protein Secondary Structure Prediction, Dillon G. Daudert

Masters Theses

Protein secondary structure prediction (PSSP) involves determining the local conformations of the peptide backbone in a folded protein, and is often the first step in resolving a protein's global folded structure. Accurate structure prediction has important implications for understanding protein function and de novo protein design, with progress in recent years being driven by the application of deep learning methods such as convolutional and recurrent neural networks. Language models pretrained on large text corpora have been shown to learn useful representations for feature extraction and transfer learning across problem domains in natural language processing, most notably in instances where the …

Emt- And Stroma-Related Gene Expression And Resistance To Pd-1 Blockade In Urothelial Cancer., Li Wang, Abdel Saci, Peter M. Szabo, Scott D. Chasalow, Mireia Castillo-Martin, Josep Domingo-Domenech, Arlene Siefker-Radtke, Padmanee Sharma, John P. Sfakianos, Yixuan Gong, Ana Dominguez-Andres, William K. Oh, David Mulholland, Alex Azrilevich, Liangyuan Hu, Carlos Cordon-Cardo, Hélène Salmon, Nina Bhardwaj, Jun Zhu, Matthew D. Galsky

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Cancers infiltrated with T-cells are associated with a higher likelihood of response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Counterintuitively, a correlation between epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene expression and T-cell infiltration has been observed across tumor types. Here we demonstrate, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) urothelial cancer dataset, that although a gene expression-based measure of infiltrating T-cell abundance and EMT-related gene expression are positively correlated, these signatures convey disparate prognostic information. We further demonstrate that non-hematopoietic stromal cells are a major source of EMT-related gene expression in bulk urothelial cancer transcriptomes. Finally, using a cohort of patients with metastatic urothelial cancer treated with …

Parp-1 Regulates Dna Repair Factor Availability., M J Schiewer, Amy C. Mandigo, Nicolas Gordon, Fangjin Huang, Sanchaika Gaur, Renée De Leeuw, Shuang G Zhao, Joseph Evans, Sumin Han, Theodore Parsons, Ruth Birbe, Peter Mccue, Christopher Mcnair, Saswati N. Chand, Ylenia Cendon-Florez, Peter Gallagher, Jennifer J Mccann, Neermala Poudel Neupane, Ayesha A Shafi, Emanuela Dylgjeri, Lucas J Brand, Tapio Visakorpi, Ganesh V Raj, Costas D. Lallas, Edouard J Trabulsi, Leonard G Gomella, Adam Dicker Md, Phd, William Kevin Kelly, Benjamin E Leiby, Beatrice Knudsen, Felix Y Feng, Karen E Knudsen

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

PARP-1 holds major functions on chromatin, DNA damage repair and transcriptional regulation, both of which are relevant in the context of cancer. Here, unbiased transcriptional profiling revealed the downstream transcriptional profile of PARP-1 enzymatic activity. Further investigation of the PARP-1-regulated transcriptome and secondary strategies for assessing PARP-1 activity in patient tissues revealed that PARP-1 activity was unexpectedly enriched as a function of disease progression and was associated with poor outcome independent of DNA double-strand breaks, suggesting that enhanced PARP-1 activity may promote aggressive phenotypes. Mechanistic investigation revealed that active PARP-1 served to enhance E2F1 transcription factor activity, and specifically promoted …

Populist Placemaking: Grounds For Open Government-Citizen Spatial Regulating Discourse, Michael N. Widener

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ip Rights And Indigenous Rights: Between Commercialization And Humanization Of Traditional Knowledge, Julie Yassine

San Diego International Law Journal

The relevance of traditional knowledge is undeniable, but the only question that remains is how to protect it. Does IP law provide adequate and sufficient protection for traditional knowledge? Can it accommodate the particularities of indigenous groups without affecting their aspirations and inspirations? Applying IP law to traditional knowledge is highly contested by indigenous communities, as it can effectively lead to a community’s partial or total commercialization, which requires some efforts to “humanize” it for further adaptation to the context of indigenous rights.

Acetylation Profiles Of Histone And Non-Histone Proteins In Breast Cancer, Alla Karpova

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This study evaluates the impact of protein acetylation on breast cancer gene expression and the regulation of metabolism. Acetylation is the second abundant post-translational modification after phosphorylation, regulating protein activity and function. The alterations in acetylation of both histone and non-histone proteins is known to be related to many human diseases, including cancer. Acetylation and deacetylation of histones is closely associated with the regulation of gene expression, while acetylation of non-histone proteins may have a broad effect on major cellular processes, such as proliferation, metabolism, cell cycle and apoptosis, imbalanced regulation of which is essential for cancer development. Therefore, it’s …

Conservation Of Endemic Bartram's Bass: Nesting Microhabitat Use And Spatial Distribution With Congeners In The Savannah River Basin, Emily Elizabeth Judson

All Theses

Bartram’s Bass Micropterus sp. cf cataractae is endemic to the Savannah River basin of South Carolina and Georgia. Bartram’s Bass is threatened by habitat alteration and hybridization with invasive Alabama bass (M. henshalli) and other non-native co-occurring congeners. This study aimed to identify reproductive habitat preference of this species, and factors contributing to its occurrence.

In Chapter 1 we identified Bartram’s Bass nesting preference throughout the upper portion of its native range. In spring/summer 2017 and 2018, snorkel surveys were performed in tributaries to quantify nesting microhabitat use of Bartram’s Bass. Zig-zag transects were used to locate nests and to …

Formation And Speciation Of Disinfection By-Products In Treated Wastewater Effluent During Chlorination, Numan Habip

All Theses

The main goal of this work is to investigate the formation and speciation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in treated wastewater samples following chlorine oxidation. Disinfection is an essential process in water and wastewater treatment to remove pathogens. However, it was discovered that the use of chlorine for disinfection also results in some toxic chemicals known as disinfection by-products. Since the 1970s, more than 600 DBPs have been discovered, and the control of DBPs has become one of the main issues for drinking water regulations, treatment operations and researchers. Almost two billion people living in different regions or countries are going …

System For The Application Of Hydrostatic Pressure And Mechanical Strain To Cell Cultures, Justin Bacaoat

All Theses

Pressure and stretch are two of the primary forces thatresult in mechanotransductory eventswhichregulatecertainaspects ofhuman health and disease. Laboratory systems such as the commercially available Flexercell® system and a variety of custom-made setups are currently used in research to systematically apply stretch and hydrostatic pressure independently, or in conjunction to cell and tissue cultures. However, these systems do not allow for the decoupling of pressure and stretch under the same culture conditions. The present study aims to design, fabricate, and calibratea device that can apply pressure and stretch simultaneously, as well as independently to cells in culture. Moreover, in order to …

Effects Of Hydrological Management For Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Biomass And Invertebrate Biomass And Diversity In South Carolina Coastal Impoundments, Beau Anthony Bauer

All Theses

Widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima) is a cosmopolitan submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) of brackish wetlands. Management of SAV species is practiced in impounded tidal wetlands in coastal South Carolina to provide forage for waterfowl and other waterbirds. Widgeongrass also provides habitat and associated periphyton for aquatic invertebrates. I conducted an observational study to test effects of complete drawdown (CD) to dried substrate versus partial, shallow water (0–10 cm) drawdown (PD) during May–June 2016 on aquatic invertebrate and SAV biomasses and aquatic invertebrate diversity in managed brackish tidal impoundments (MTI) in the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers Basin, South Carolina, because such …

The Effects Of Planting Date And Varietal Susceptibility Of Gossypium Hirstutum L. On Thrips, Cody D. Kerns

All Theses

Thysanoptera (Haliday), or thrips, are minute, polyphagous insects known globally for their role as crop pests. One species important economically to South Carolina and the southeastern United States is the tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds). This species is the most predictable pest of upland cotton, Gossypium hirstutum (L.). Thrips are particularly damaging to cotton when they infest seedling cotton. In some years, tobacco thrips are recorded as the most detrimental pest of cotton in terms yield loss. Yield loss from tobacco thrips infestations varies widely between years and even within the same year. By analyzing agricultural control practices, an accurate …

Bilateral Sternocleidomastoid Variant With Six Distinct Insertions Along The Superior Nuchal Line., Graham Dupont, Joe Iwanaga, Juan J Altafulla, Stefan Lachkar, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Anatomical variations of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) have been observed to occupy multiple origins and insertion points and have supernumerary heads, sometimes varying in thickness. During routine dissection, a SCM was observed to have six distinct insertions that interface with the course of the superior nuchal line, ending at the midline, bilaterally. This variation was also seen to receive innervation from the accessory nerve as well as the great auricular nerve. To our knowledge, this variant of supernumerary insertions and nerve innervations has not yet been reported. These variants may pose as problematic during surgical approaches to the upper neck …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna J. Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Ucc Minutes, December 2018, University Curriculum Council

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

State Regulatory Efforts In Protecting A Surrogate's Bodily Autonomy, Alexus Williams

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Geological And Environmental Sciences - 2018

Geological and Environmental Sciences News

• Greetings from the Chair
• Faculty Updates
• Welcome to Dinosaur Park - New modules and upcoming additions to the park
• Hydrogeology Field Course
• CoreKids
• Field Course in Marquette
• Advisory Council
• Alumni Achievement Award
• MGRRE (Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education)
• Michigan Geological Survey
• Student updates - SEG, AAPG, Geology club, Welcome new graduate students
• Department Achievements - Grants, Donors, Awards, and Publications

Procedurally Generating Biologically Driven Bird And Non-Avian Dinosaur Feathers, Jessica Renee Baron

All Theses

A key element in computer-graphics research is representing the world around us, and immense inspiration may be found in nature. Algorithms and procedural models may be developed that can describe the three-dimensional shape of objects and how they interact with light. This thesis focuses particularly on bird and other dinosaur feathers and their structure. More specifically, it addresses the problem of procedurally generating biologically driven geometry for modeling feathers in computer graphics. As opposed to previously published methods for generated feather geometry, data is derived from a myriad of real-world specimens of feathers and used in creating graphical models of …

Art Brut & Bricolage: Manifesting Alternate Imaginaries Of The Waste Cataclysm, Dominic Alan Chequer

Communication Studies

Living within a consumer society that boasts increased sustainable consumption as the panacea to large-scale environmental degradation, the social avoidance of waste becomes an interesting psychological battleground in developing an environmentally sustainable future. In light of this situation, I used my participation in the design of a music festival to create a social critique by design. Using artistic techniques of bricolage and aesthetic upcycling, under the visage of art brut. The paper blends theory and practice, ideas with tangible outputs.

Pressure Ulcer Prevention Using Soft, Non-Grasp Manipulation, Regan Kubicek

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Purification Of The Cytoplasmic Domain Of Serine/Threonine Phosphatase Pstp And Phosphatase Assay With Cwlm, Susana Pimentel

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Postpartum Depression On Maternal-Infant Bonding Among Mothers Experiencing A Preterm Birth With Neonatal Intensive Care Admission, Efret M. Ghirmazion

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Identifying Risk Factors Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Lesbians, Sofia S. Velazquez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of female deaths in the United States (1). While women, in general, are at risk for CVD, current research indicates that sexual minority women (i.e. lesbians and bisexual women [SMW]) may be at greater risk for CVD than heterosexual women. This heightened risk potentially stems from an increased prevalence of traditional CVD risk factors in SMW, creating health disparities between SMW and their heterosexual counterparts (2). Further research into this high-risk population is needed, in order to minimize these disparities.

The purpose of this study was to establish differences in the prevalence of …

In-Situ Mechanical Weakness Of Subducting Sediments Beneath A Plate Boundary Décollement In The Nankai Trough, Yohei Hamada, Takehiro Hirose, Akira Ijiri, Yasuhiro Yamada, Yoshinori Sanada, Saneatsu Saito, Noriaki Sakurai, Takamitsu Sugihara, Takahiro Yokoyama, Tomokazu Saruhashi, Tatsuhiko Hoshino, Nana Kamiya, Stephen Bowden, Margaret Cramm, Susann Henkel, Kira Homola, Hiroyuki Imachi, Masanori Kaneko, Lorenzo Lagostina, Hayley Manners, Harry Luke Mcclelland, Kyle Metcalfe, Natsumi Okutsu, Donald Pan, Maija Jocelyn Raudsepp, Justine Sauvage, Florence Schubotz, Arthur Spivack, Satoshi Tonai, Tina Treude, Man Yin Tsang, Bernhard Viehweger, David T. Wang, Emily Whitaker, Yuzuru Yamamoto, Kiho Yang

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The study investigates the in-situ strength of sediments across a plate boundary décollement using drilling parameters recorded when a 1180-m-deep borehole was established during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 370, Temperature-Limit of the Deep Biosphere off Muroto (T-Limit). Information of the in-situ strength of the shallow portion in/around a plate boundary fault zone is critical for understanding the development of accretionary prisms and of the décollement itself. Studies using seismic reflection surveys and scientific ocean drillings have recently revealed the existence of high pore pressure zones around frontal accretionary prisms, which may reduce the effective strength of the sediments. …

Sandhill Crane Activity In The Central Platte River Valley In Late May And Early June, Jenna M. Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, Marin Dettweiler, Joshua D. Wiese

Nebraska Bird Review

In this report we discuss observations of Sandhill Cranes remaining in the Central Platte River Valley until early June 2018 and discuss potential explanations for this extended stay into the breeding season.

We detected two pairs of adult Sandhill Cranes in two different locations on 15 May 2018 (Table 1). We then detected three injured adult Sandhill Cranes in a third location on 16 May 2018 (Table 1). Two of the three Sandhill Cranes each had a missing leg and the third crane’s leg was broken above the tibiotarsal joint; however, all were still capable of foraging and flight. Later, …